Unedited Excerpt from
‘SEEKER’S SOLACE’
Vampire Council of Ethics, Book 4
By TJ Michaels

Copyright 2013, All Rights Reserved

Jovon felt like she’d been asleep for only minutes when her alarm yanked her awake.

After the little sparring-turned-kissing session with Shale last night, she’d headed straight back to her room, pulled up the details on the aircraft she’d be flying tomorrow and put in a call to the Flight Service Station. Within twenty minutes she’d sent a text message to Slade and confirmed clearance for a six a.m. departure for Kauai rather than a night flight. A quick shower and she’d quickly hit the sheets thinking about the upcoming trip.

And the kiss from Shale.

The flush of pleasure at the memory of it paled—almost—beneath the knowledge that she’d be flying one of the most sophisticated aircraft on earth.

Stealth Two—a lean mean transport machine made exclusively and quite secretly for the elite Seekers that served the Vampire Council of Ethics. She’d heard through the grapevine that they’d also gotten their hands on a huge dreamliner that was larger than her entire house and could make an international flight with little to no prep time. Her fingers had itched as she thought about wrapping her fingers around what would certainly be a top-of-the-line technology-laden wet dream for a combat pilot like her.

Even in the human armed forces she’d mastered everything she’d ever taken up into the sky, whether the task was shuttling Marines back and forth to training camps, doing middle-of-the-night snatch-and-grabs or dropping special ops under the radar several countries from home. And she’d done it all while sporting acrylic nails painted in the most current colors of the season, dressed to the nine’s when she didn’t have to be in uniform, and with her hair twisted and crimped in a well-maintained bob.

She’d perfected her frou-frou facade so well that no one ever expected her to be a threat…and that’s just the way she liked it.

“My former trainers would be so proud,” she grumbled as she kicked the blankets away and rolled out of bed.

Speaking of “roll”, Jovon had rolled all over her mattress with the low hum of arousal constantly picking at her belly. Mister-Too-Damned-Much-Of-Everything had kissed her like he couldn’t live without her taste, and now she couldn’t stop thinking about it. The man managed to push all her buttons. And not just the ones that made her want to kick him in the nuts for being an ass, but the ones that made her sweat bullets and get all giddy.

His presence had sent all kinds of deliciously nasty thoughts through her head followed by the urge to pick out furniture.

She’d never been one to wish pain on anyone but she was kind of relieved to know that Shale had been in as bad a shape as she. Though she’d always had firm control of her psychic skills, she hadn’t managed to block out the tangle of emotions that boiled over in the man. If she hadn’t been able to sense the tenderness beneath the knife edge of the need to strip her bare and fuck her like an animal, she would have run. Fast.

The man obviously hadn’t tried to keep his emotions under wraps at all. Not even a teeny bit to spare her sanity, the bastard. Instead, he’d dropped any shields he had in place and let anyone within empathic distance know he’d wanted her with such a wicked intensity she should have fled screaming in terror like anyone else with good sense.

Instead, Jovon had soaked up everything he’d laid bare until she’d drowned in him. And there, in the chaos of their emotional storm it had become as clear as polished glass—Shale was a potential bondmate.

But then again, what if she was wrong? There were plenty of stories about vampire mates ending up in loveless relationships. Lust, there was aplenty, but love? Not so much. And it certainly didn’t mean what she’d felt from Shale would pan out to a happily ever after.

Jovon didn’t think there was anything worse than being tied to a person you detested…except for the times you were in bed together. Gah! And what if he wanted her to leave her business as a bodyguard, or didn’t want her to fly jets anymore? What if he didn’t want a family? Worse, what if he couldn’t accept, or be accepted by, her family? They hadn’t known each other long enough to even approach such huge considerations. In fact, these things might not be issues for Shale at all…but it didn’t stop her from worrying about it.

Stomping her mental foot down on the butterflies wreaking havoc in her belly, Jovon finished packing. Morning was here and she had a plane to fly and needed, once and for all, to wrap her head around the fact that she was going to reveal a part of herself on this mission that she’d never shared with anyone but her family. Well, that, and the fact that a white-haired, hot blooded Hatsept would be along for the ride.

Then there was Slade. What in the double-hell was the deal with him? It would get her nowhere to pretend there was no attraction there, but it didn’t make any sense. The same urgent need that radiated from Shale had also slapped her sideways as it had poured off of Slade. One potential bondmate was rare enough, but a possible two? And both of them male primes? Alphas to the bone? One of which had kissed her silly enough to push her emotional panic button? And the other so darkly handsome and intense that, in spite of years in the Marines kicking all kinds of ass, Jovon wasn’t sure if she could handle him at all?
And they were both on this mission for the Council?

“Fuck-a-duck,” she snarled to herself and made ready for what was sure to be a long, long day.

Other books by TJ Michaels:
Carinian’s Seeker, Vampire Council of Ethics Book One
Serati’s Flame, Vampire Council of Ethics Book Two
Hatsept Heat, Vampire Council of Ethics Book Three
Silk Road, Seals of Destiny Book One
Spirit of the Pryde, A Pryde Ranch Shifter Novella
On the Prowl
Jaguar’s Rule
Forever December
Egyptian Voyage
Entwined Hearts
Shards of Ecstasy
Caramel Kisses
Death and Roses, a Hunter for Hire Novel

Coming Soon from TJ Michaels
Niah’s Pride, A Pryde Ranch Shifter Novella (May)
A Matter of Pride, A Pryde Ranch Shifter Novella (June)
Gathering of the Storms, Wind and Fire Volume I (August)
Gathering of the Storms, Reckoning Volume II (August)

For more information about TJ Michaels and her books, click here.