Jonah's Salvation [The Order of the Mist 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  The Order of the Mist 2

  Jonah’s Salvation

  Alana Bayer has lived a life no one should have to suffer. Imprisoned, her life is no more than an empty existence. The love she once knew is a distant memory until her heart is awakened by a tall, handsome stranger, but can she trust him? If she does, will it cost her the one thing she’s been trying to protect for years?

  Jonah, the First Lord of The Mist, knows nothing but protecting his race. He doesn’t want or need a female in his life and has learnt that love only causes pain. Everything changes when he’s captivated by the beautiful female of his dreams. Can he forgive her enough to love her? As the war with The Phoenix League grows stronger, Jonah must do whatever it takes to protect the one who has stolen his heart. Even if it costs him his life.

  Genre: Contemporary,Paranormal

  Length: 74,557 words

  JONAH’S SALVATION

  The Order of the Mist 2

  Abbie Carlisle

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  JONAH’S SALVATION

  Copyright © 2015 by Abbie Carlisle

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63258-865-4

  First E-book Publication: February 2015

  Cover design by Harris Channing

  All art and logo copyright © 2015 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Jonah’s Salvation by Abbie Carlisle from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Abbie Carlisle’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Abbie Carlisle’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  To Dorothy, a beautiful and amazing Nan and Grandma. Your encouragement and wisdom through life made this book possible. Will love you always.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  JONAH’S SALVATION

  The Order of the Mist 2

  ABBIE CARLISLE

  Copyright © 2015

  Prologue

  Time had become a domain of solitude, pain, and regret from which Jonah knew no escape. His heritage of the past dictated the role of his future and only courage remained. His last true possession!

  * * * *

  Phoenix League Holding Cell, Silver Falls, 1965

  Jonah watched the light rock from side to side as shadows moved in slow sweeps across the cell. The walls flickered with streaks of silvery glare and dripped with moisture. They were wet, damp with dew, and icy cold to touch. No light shone from the high, small lead-covered window, and the air felt thick and heavy from the lack of clean air. The silence deafened him, and Jonah felt the cold seep into his skin. Goose bumps shivered through him, causing him to pull at his leather jacket tight around his chest.

  Jonah noticed a steel bed sitting in the corner. A rough woven blanket lay folded neatly at the end. Jonah knew this place. He’d been here before, as he recognized the long, solid metal bars that ran from floor to ceiling. His cell!

  Movement caught the corner of his eye. Shadows stretched on the floor in front of the bars. Someone was coming. Anxiety rushed through his veins as he moved back into the shadows of the cell. Muffled sounds reached his ears. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but they were laughing, cackling, and the sound etched on his nerves. Why could he not stand the tone of their voices? The sound moved closer, the shadows stretching longer. The light outside must be reflecting on their backs as they approached. Jonah watched the dark forms as they walked into view. They were carrying solid wooden batons and Jonah’s stomach clenched. He felt the danger instantly.

  The males walked closer to the bars, keys clinking as they placed them in the lock. Jonah tensed. He couldn’t see their faces but knew they were coming for him. What did they want? Gray mist clouded Jonah’s vision.

  Shouting vibrated through the cell as his vision cleared. Jonah felt the batons being pushed into his ribs, pain shooting though his spine. Why did the males attack? Jonah growled, struggling against their firm hold. Blood dripped from his lip. He was bleeding. His blond hair trailed over his eyes as he felt the rough surface of the walls against his face. Damp and other scents filled his nose. The sweat from the males holding him, and a new scent.

  Another male approached, his shadow preceding his entrance. Who was he? His masculine scent held a hint of clean, crisp cotton and nasty aftershave. It stung at his eyes until they watered. Why was he here?

  A sharp
thin metal point pushed against Jonah’s skin. He felt a stabbing sensation piercing at his arm and inhaled sharply. The sensation felt familiar. The male spoke but Jonah couldn’t hear his words properly. Did he want him to say something?

  A new smell approached his senses. A female. Her sweet scent of cherries and lilies surrounded him and he drifted into an aurora of pleasure. She was close but he couldn’t see her. The restraints were gone and he was alone. Jonah stared around the cell.

  She stood in the corner, staring at the floor. He wanted her to look up, desperate to see into her eyes. They would be stunningly pretty, he was sure of that, but why would she not look at him? Her long, glistening brown hair shone from the solitary bulb that hung from the ceiling and her pale almond skin contrasted against the dark brush of her eyelashes. Jonah could feel her fear. Why was she scared? Her slim oval shaped face mesmerized him, her beauty hypnotizing the deepest part of his soul. Jonah moved forward but she cowered against his movement. What was wrong? Something had happened, something bad to make her fear him. Protection filled Jonah’s heart. He had to save her, release her. Nothing mattered except taking her in his arms and feeling her soft, captivating body tight against him.

  Jonah felt energy fire through his muscles as the cold steel ends of the guard’s batons pressed into his ribs again. The males were back and they were aggressive and vindictive. Jonah knew the power building in his body would have its revenge. If he turned sharply, he could throw his body back and send the guards flying across the cell. It would just be a case of taking them off guard. But what if the female got hurt? She was small and fragile and no match for them if he didn’t succeed. Was that a risk he could take with her life?

  A scream pierced his ears as he hurled the guards from his back. The crash of their bodies against the cell echoed as he roared out his anger. They lay there unconscious as Jonah turned to face the male in the white coat. He was the one responsible for his suffering. Jonah felt his fury explode. The fear across the male’s face was justified. Jonah knew the only way to stop him was to take his life. He had to finish this once and for all. The power in his arm crashed down across the male’s face, sending him soaring across the cell.

  The female whimpered. He’d scared her and it pained his heart to hear her small cries. All he wanted was to protect her. He raised his arm toward her.

  Panic radiated through his chest as she started to fade. The color of her hair turned a paler brown and her skin became evanescent. He tried to reach for her, desperate to grab at her shadow before she disappeared.

  “Help me! Find me!” Her voice was clear and resonant as he lunged toward her.

  * * * *

  Genesis, Home of the Order, Aberdeen, Present day

  Jonah stood under the hot jets of the shower, savoring the prickling sensation against his skin. The pounding in his head was on the verge of explosive, and the tension gripping at every muscle burnt as he leaned forward and rested against the cool blue tiles. They covered the walls from ceiling to floor, and Jonah was grateful for their coolness against his skin. He felt exhausted, edgy, and haunted by his past.

  His dream had been a distorted memory of his prison cell and he loathed its effect on his body. He’d woken suddenly, feeling sick and disorientated and it had taken several minutes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, before he could calm the adrenaline racing through his heart. The images, still fresh and real in his mind, placed him right back in the hell of his past, and there’d been no escape, only the relentless reminder of his suffering.

  Fifty years ago, on the streets of Portland, he’d been grabbed and taken to the basement of a large building located in a wooded area further south. Terror had gripped him as they’d thrown him into a cell and it had been confining and cold. The bed had been far too cramped for his large muscular frame and the woven blanket had scratched at his skin. It had never kept him warm and he’d shivered relentlessly.

  The lack of clean, fresh air had made the cell damp and musty, and the silence had been desolate. Only a single bulb hanging from the ceiling had given any light, and the sound of the guard’s voices had filled him with dread. He’d sat on the bed for what seemed like days before anyone had come to see him. It was then that he’d found, his hell had just begun.

  The sadistic guards who secured his prison had taken great delight in attacking him and many times he’d lain there, on the brink of unconsciousness, listening to them mock his weakness. They’d placed shackles on his ankles, which had cut deep into his skin, and the doctors had drawn blood samples almost daily. He’d never understood the reason for the constant testing and the pain had been excruciating. He’d always kept his suffering hidden. They’d used his pain against him and he learned quickly how to shut down his reactions and not respond to their taunts. Jonah had despised their cruelty and wished he’d been strong enough to fight back. They’d deliberately kept him weak, starving him until he could barely stand. It was the only way they were able to control him. Over time, Jonah diminished speaking and resigned himself to his fate. He believed he would never be free.

  Jonah lifted his head, allowing the water to rinse over his face. He sighed desolately.

  For years he’d stared endlessly at the cold stone walls thinking of ways to escape. The steel bars had been secured tightly inside their stone casement and the small window, that he knew reached to the upper ground level, had been impossible to reach. The corridor outside had been lit up with strip lights secured to the ceiling, and his only view had been other cells similar to his own. Two doors at either end of the corridor had been securely locked and he’d often wondered what lay beyond. He’d known one held the staircase that led to the upper level. If he could only have gotten as far as the stairs, he could have found his way out. No opportunities had afforded him the chance to break free though, not until that day when a new presence had come into his cell. That presence changed his future forever.

  The guards had entered his cell and held him securely as the doctor had begun his daily testing. A female had moved into the cell silently and Jonah had struggled to see her. The doctor had blocked his vision and it was only when she’d moved further into the light of the cell that Jonah had seen her beauty. The subtle tone of her skin had looked like honey against her stunningly dark hair, and the gentle features of her face had been hypnotizing. It was her scent that had driven Jonah’s mind wild. He’d growled deeply as pleasure had swelled deep inside him.

  She’d been young, in her early twenties, and had been petite and feminine. He’d forgotten how small females could be as she’d raised her head. Jonah had then seen her fear. The torment across her face, so obvious that his whole body had cried out to protect her. It had overtaken every thought in his mind and his desire to break free had engulfed him. He knew he had to save her, free her from the stench of the cells, but the restraints of the guards had held him secure. It had been then that Jonah had felt a wave of power whelm though him.

  His muscles had fired with a surge of strength and he’d thrown the guards back, roaring out his fury. The doctor had tried to take the female out of the cell and Jonah had heard her cry out in pain. He’d wanted to save her, but she’d been terrified of him as he’d sent his fist crashing against the doctor’s face. She’d pleaded with him not to hurt her as she’d finally looked up at him. Jonah had then stared deeply into her beautiful dark chocolate brown eyes. She’d been mesmerizing, and it had taken all his strength to pull himself away from her, to leave the cell and escape.

  Jonah closed his eyes as the water cascaded down his body. It pooled at the base of the shower as he inhaled deeply, trying hard to relax the taut muscles of his back. The shower was helping to ease the distress of his body, but it couldn’t clear the affliction of his mind. The female still plagued his memories.

  She had been there as an employee of his captor, played a part in his suffering. He’d long since consoled himself that the feelings he’d had that day had been nothing more than an effect of his escape. He’d made
a promise to himself that he’d never allow anyone close to his heart and had managed to keep true to his word. He’d failed to protect the ones he loved and would never forgive himself for his failure. To take a female was too dangerous and something he could never allow.

  After washing his hair and body, Jonah turned off the shower and slid open the opaque glass door. He reached for the bath towel he’d placed on the chrome wall radiator and wrapped it around his toned waist. Stepping out of the shower, he walked to the mirror and wiped the condensation from the steam inside the room. He stared solemnly into the vibrancy of his eyes.

  He’d learned over time to shut down his emotions, hide his feelings and worries from the males of The Order. They relied on him to be focused and strong, now more than ever. Harvey and his League would come for them, and The Order would need to be ready. It was his job to make sure the King and his Queen were protected, and he was never going to let them down as he’d done to his family. His duty had become his life, and he’d made the choice. His duty was the only life he wanted.

  Chapter 1

  Jonah didn’t know what was worse, the pounding in his head or the nausea still flooding through his body. The sunlight streaming through the window wasn’t doing anything to ease the effects of his blinding hangover, but at least the fresh orange juice he’d taken from the fridge had gone some way in relieving the soreness in his throat. He’d drunk far too much and was now paying the price. He was never going to drink again, ever.