Deception [Chimera Supernaturals 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Chimera Supernaturals 1

  Deception

  Erin was content with her simple life of going to university and working at De Cep Tion, a club owned by her adopted father, Rafe. That is, until she runs into the gorgeous Denzell, who tells her that nothing is as it seems. That like him, she’s not human. That he is the Alpha of a clan of panther shifters, and she is his destined mate. Thinking the man is crazy, Erin Tasers him and leaves him behind.

  Denzell has nearly given up finding his destined mate before he runs in to the beautiful Erin. The shock of meeting her, along with discovering she has no idea who she is in the supernatural world, has him off his game. And his elusive mate takes advantage and vanishes on him.

  When Erin seeks advice from Rafe—the man she’s trusted with her life from the moment he saved her from the streets as a young teen—she discovers even more deception and lies. Rafe is not simply a nice man, but a fae male who has been profiting from her since the very beginning.

  When Denzell finally catches up with his mate, he has just days left to claim her. Already on edge, Denzell becomes frantic when Erin is snatched off the street. Can Denzell find her in time to rescue her and convince her to trust him with her heart after Rafe has hurt her so deeply?

  Genre: Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Shape-shifter

  Length: 30,714 words

  DECEPTION

  Chimera Supernaturals 1

  Khloe Wren

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  DECEPTION

  Copyright © 2017 by Khloe Wren

  ISBN: 978-1-64010-174-6

  First Publication: March 2017

  Cover design by Sinfully Sweet Designs

  All art and logo copyright © 2017 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.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

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  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  For April Zyon. Thank you for all the brainstorming sessions. This story wouldn’t be half of what it is without your help. xo

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Khloe Wren started writing her first novel in high school, until it mysteriously disappeared from the family computer—her older brother was the lead suspect, but nothing was ever proved. She didn’t put pen to paper again after that for a number of years but she did keep reading. Khloe has always loved all things paranormal. Sexy vampires and sultry shifters have always been her favorites. So when she picked up writing again, about five years ago, it seemed only natural she would write paranormal romance.

  Khloe grew up in the Adelaide Hills before her parents moved the family to country South Australia when she was a teen. As a young adult, Khloe moved to Melbourne. After a few years, she missed the fresh air and space of country living, so she moved back. Khloe currently lives in the Murraylands, South Australia, with her incredibly patient husband and two young daughters. When she’s not sitting at her laptop writing, she’s spending time with family or friends, or feeding her addictions of reading, eating chocolate, and drinking Coke.

  For all titles by Khloe Wren, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/khloe-wren

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  About the Author

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Landmarks

  Cover

  DECEPTION

  Chimera Supernaturals 1

  KHLOE WREN

  Copyright © 2017

  Prologue

  Rafe lifted his glass of single malt whiskey to his lips as he watched Erin doing her thing behind the bar of his club De Cep Tion.

  “She really has no idea?”

  He glanced at his old friend. Like Rafe, Nathan was fae, so when Nathan had crossed over into this world last year, he’d sought out Rafe to help him adjust to living here among the humans. There were other supernaturals living in this world, too, but all breeds had decided long ago, after some devastating massacres, that it was best to keep the humans in the dark about their existence. Poor creatures panicked so easily, and once in that state, they formed packs that would quickly turn vicious and deadly.

  “Nope. She’s utterly clueless.”

  Nathan shook his head in disbelief. “I know I’m fairly new to this world, but I just can’t imagine how an Alpha Mate would make it through to full maturity without someone noticing what she was.”

  “Yes, well, under normal circumstances that’s what happens. But remember I told you about the young human I took in?”

  With a frown, Nathan rubbed his forehead. “The girl you found on the street? The one whose mother tossed her out?”

  Rage coiled through Rafe’s belly at the reminder. “Yes. Her. Well, Erin is that girl. She was in heat when I found her. She couldn’t have had more than one or two cycles prior to me finding her.”

  Poor girl hadn’t had a clue she was attracting the pimps and other scum with her heat. The thing Erin didn’t know about herself, which Nathan was referring to, was the fact that she was an Alpha Mate. Once she’d hit puberty, every month on the full moon she went into heat for three nights. While in heat, she would emit pheromones that lowered inhibitions in anyone who scented her. Rafe smiled. Conveniently for him, fae were one of a few breeds that were not affected.

  “What did you do to prevent her from finding out? Surely there are shifters here in Chimera that would be watching out for their mates, especially around the full moon.”

  While an Alpha Mate would draw everyone in with her pheromones, a mate to a non-alpha shifter would only affect their mate, so single male shifters would often travel far and wide if their mate didn’t happen to be in the clan they belonged to. If any of those shifters had come anywhere near Erin while she’d been in heat, Rafe would have lost her and been brought up on charges of hiding her. Alpha shifters took finding their mates extremely seriously, without them the future leadership of their clans was put in great jeopardy. Rafe had taken a great risk keeping her for himself. But the reward would be worth it.

  “That part was easy. I slipped her sleeping pills for the days around the full moon. She’s always assumed her period makes her really tired. Well, it used to make her really tired. Now she’s twenty-one and can work here at the club, she suddenly doesn’t have those issues anymore.”

  Yes, now she was of age, he needed to be a good fae and help Erin find her mate. He just needed her for one, maybe two nights after they met, then he’d do everything he could to help her ac
cept her mate.

  Nathan grunted. “Can’t believe she would be that naive.”

  Rafe took another drink from his glass. “Not so much naive as trusting. At least of me. Her own mother kicked her out without a second thought when her new man told her he wanted the bastard child of another man out of his house. She was ten. Old enough to remember, but way too young to be out on her own.

  “I found her the following year, hiding in a pile of rubbish. Had I not been fae and scented her heat, I’d have walked straight past her without noticing a human was even there. On the verge of passing out, she’d been unable to fight me off when I picked her up and took her home.”

  She’d been so fragile. But had immediately starting to gain physical strength once he saw to it she was clean, fed and medically cared for. As her body grew stronger, her inner strength was revealed. Typical of an Alpha Mate, Erin was a fighter. Strong and brave, but with a soft heart. One day she would make an excellent leader alongside her shifter mate. Just not yet. He still had plans he needed her for. Big plans that would make him the king of Chimera, California.

  “It was a kindness on your part for sure. But at what price? I’ve known you for a very long time, and you are not the type of fae to go randomly helping others in such a huge way out of the kindness of your heart. Especially considering the price if you get caught with her.”

  Rafe grinned broadly at his friend. “Too true. I have been generous with Erin. Made sure she was fed, clothed, and educated. All I asked from her in return was that she work at the club for me once she was old enough. As a teenager, she helped with stocking the bar and cleaning. Jobs done when the club was closed. Since she turned twenty-one a few years ago, she works during opening hours.”

  “And let me guess, you always make sure she’s working the three nights after the full moon?”

  “Well, of course! That’s the real price I’m being paid. Having her in heat while here lowers the clientele’s inhibitions and makes me a huge profit. It also increases tips so she never complains about working those particular nights.”

  Rafe’s club, De Cep Tion, was three levels and basically three separate venues. Depending on what you were after. He and Nathan were currently in one of the booths in the open bar section of Myth.

  Myth was on the third floor and for VIPs. You could get whatever you desired. Drugs, high-end alcohol, poker, women—or men—anything and everything was available for purchase. That was also the level where the supernaturals hung out. Vampires especially seemed to enjoy Myth.

  Mirage took up the second floor. That was for, well, basically the wannabe VIPs. The Euro trash, reality TV stars and any other idiot that thought flashing money would get them special treatment.

  Rafe chuckled to himself. He was sure those that went to Mirage thought they were the shit, and for the most part they didn’t even realize there was a more exclusive part of the club than where they were. Mirage had similar offerings to Myth, just lower in quality and he didn’t personally man that level. He employed a vampire for that job. Wannabes made him itch.

  The ground floor was Illusion. A night club for humans, just like any other. There were drugs available if you knew where to look, but no gambling rooms and no official hookers on that level. That wasn’t to say that sex didn’t happen there. It did regularly, especially when Erin was in heat.

  “It’s not just a financial profit you’re using her heat for, is it? There has to be a reason as to why you’ve brought me in now.”

  Rafe nodded. “Chimera was created by the fae. It’s time we took back control. I already have several people in my pocket, but there’s still a couple of key players I need to get something on.”

  He’d invited them to Myth when Erin was in heat and used their desires against them. Amazing what the Chief of Police would do to stop photos of him snorting lines of powder from going public. Other officers had some extremely kinky imaginations. That was fine by Rafe, and by the vampires he had working here.

  “I know we’re not affected by her heat, but what about others? Clearly humans can’t resist it, how about shifters and vampires?”

  “I’ve managed to keep shifters out of my club. I’m not sure what breed she’s destined to be with, but most shifters live out of town in their little communes. The loud music hurts their ears so they avoid clubs. Vampires seem to be able to choose whether they give in to the pheromones or not. Most often they use it to their advantage, as you can imagine. But not all humans are affected. Those with strong wills can resist it. Which is what I’m currently trying to get around.”

  Nathan put his drink down and turned to stare directly at Rafe. “Are you trying to find a way to amplify the poor girl’s heat? That could harm her. I thought you cared for the girl?”

  “It’s not like that, Nathan. When an Alpha Mate comes into contact with her destined mate, she’ll instantly go into heat. No matter where the moon is. And it will be stronger than her normal heat cycle. It still lasts three nights, but increases intensity each night until he claims her. I’ve been sending Erin out on various errands for me in the hope she’ll brush past him somewhere along the way.”

  “Seriously? You’re trying to bring her alpha male here? Not sure that’s going to end well for any of us. And how will he know if she’s not in heat?”

  Rafe shook his head. “Alphas will scent their mate no matter where they are in their cycle. And I don’t want him here. I want him to trigger her heat, then she’ll come here. She won’t give in to him easily. I’ve made sure she doesn’t want a man in her life. It wasn’t hard to accomplish after what her own mother did to her. Of course, she’ll give in to him eventually. She’ll have to. The heat will take her to the point she’ll become delirious at nightfall by that third night. She’ll wake each morning having no idea what transpired since the sun set the day before.”

  “Let me guess. You want me to guard her when she gets that way?”

  Rafe nodded. “I have a special room set up for her in the penthouse.” The penthouse was the top level of the building, and sat above Myth. It was where he lived, where Erin had lived until she’d insisted on getting her own apartment away from the club. “The ventilation system will pump her pheromones to whichever level I want it to and she’ll remain safely locked away in comfort. All you need to do is stand outside the door and make sure no one enters.”

  The color faded from Nathan’s face. “And what do I do if her mate comes for her? He’ll tear me to shreds without a thought!”

  Rafe waved a hand in dismissal. “I have wards on the doors to let me know if any shifters enter the premises. If they do, I’ll personally come to take over guarding her. I’m confident I can convince her mate I’ve been keeping the girl safe for him.”

  Nathan took a deep swig of his drink before he cleared his throat. “And who are you trying to get dirt on?”

  “The mayor, of course, and there’s also a senator that is causing issues. Once I have those two in my pocket, I’ll be the true leader of this town.”

  His friend nodded. “It is easy to see fae are much better at running things than humans. I’m sure Chimera can be restored to how it was originally intended to be.”

  Rafe relaxed back into the booth, looking around Myth. Yes, with him in charge, this town would run much smoother, indeed. After all, fae were meant to rule over the humans. It had been drilled into him since birth that humans were far too impulsive and selfish to be able to rule themselves successfully.

  Chapter One

  Reverie Avenue in Chimera, California was always busy. Day and night. The iconic street was home to dozens of high-end clothing stores and other fancy specialty stores. It was also the strip for any idiot that owned a fancy car to show it off and race. At night the air filled with the sounds of blow off valves and revving engines. Erin didn’t mind watching all the meticulously painted and cared for vehicles as she slowly strolled down the street each evening on her way to work, but she’d never want to own one. She’d heard men talk in R
afe’s club, De Cep Tion, about how much their cars cost and how much time they put into them. No way did that interest her at all. Nor did it interest her to have a man who would put her second to his bloody car. No way, no how.

  Despite the fact she walked the strip nearly every night, she rarely went into any of the stores. Between her business management degree and her job at De Cep Tion, she barely had time to shop for groceries, let alone bother with brand name clothing. She wore comfortable jeans with plain T-shirts to university, and fitted jeans with a tight low cut shirt to the club. She also wore a leather jacket when she was out in the cooler night air, like now.

  She loved her purple leather jacket. It was the biggest splurge item she’d ever bought herself. She stroked a palm over the sleeve. It was still smooth even after nearly two years, thanks to the leather being good quality and the fact she cared for it better than she did herself. From the moment she started working the bar in the club, she’d saved up her tips and bought the jacket as soon as she could afford to.

  The jacket had been sitting in the window of a store here on Reverie Avenue and from the moment she saw it, she knew it was destined to be hers. A smile crossed her face as she remembered the day she finally had enough to go in and buy it. Lifting the collar up, she pressed her nose against it and took a deep breath in, enjoying the scent of leather it still emitted.

  Loud bass thumps coming from yet another souped-up car brought her from her trip down memory lane. With a shake of her head and a chuckle, she kept moving down the street toward De Cep Tion. She’d barely made it through the front door when Rafe approached her.