Andromeda’s Fall (Shadowcat Nation #1)
Author
Abigail Owen
Author Bio
Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.
Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
Description
THE SHADOWCAT NATION
Thirty years ago the population of mountain lion shifters was on the brink of extinction. Today, much like their wild counterparts, shifters are running out of land and resources. The encroachment of man has resulted in the loss and destruction of shifters’ natural habitats world-wide. This external threat has led to a new reality where only the strongest survive. Pack shifters, such as wolves, coyotes, and African lions, use their coordinated family groups to pick off the loners, like cougars, in order to obtain their territory.
Going against their mysterious and cagy natures, mountain lion shifters banded together to form the Shadowcat Nation in order to pool their resources and protect themselves from the packs. Reaching from Northern Canada, across the United States, all the way down to the southern tip of South America, the Nation is divided into ten dares, each led by an Alpha who has clawed his way to the top. However, cougars don’t naturally work or live well in group societies, and the shifters are constantly battling their innate desire for domination and sole control, their animalistic instincts often triggering infighting and inter-dare rivalries.
The success of the Shadowcat Nation, though critical to the survival of all cougar shifters, still hangs in a delicate balance.
ANDROMEDA’S FALL
Andromeda Reynolds is being hunted. After witnessing her mother’s violent death at the hands of a pack of wolf shifters, Andie has devoted her life to protecting her community of cougar shifters from a similar fate. But now, a greater threat lies within her own dare, and she must run. If she stays, Kyle Carstairs will force their mating, seeking the added political power their union would provide.
Andie would rather chew off her own foot than end up with Kyle. Though, knowing him, she won’t live long either way. Andie’s only hope of survival is to mate Jaxon Keller, the Alpha of the Keller Dare with which she is seeking asylum. But before she can get to him, Andie must first go through A.J., one of the Alpha’s Protectors.
What Andie doesn’t realize is that A.J. has secrets of his own. All Andie knows is that the incredibly frustrating shifter insists on challenging her story, her skills, her trust… and her heart.
Book excerpt
Many minutes later, satisfied that she was alone and that no one was coming for her… yet… Andie moved towards the door.
Cracking it open a hair, she looked down and saw a long stretch of closed doorways in both directions. Based on the layout of the building and the location of the window, she determined she needed to go to her right.
Andie tensed to open the door all the way and then froze in place when a deep male voice sounded from directly behind her. “Stop where you are.”
Andie tensed, adrenaline pumping through her body as swear words went off like fireworks inside her head. Only her years of training kept her from panicking outright. She didn’t move by so much as a twitch as she waited to see if he would attack or talk it out.
“Close the door,” the deep voice continued. “And then turn slowly and face me.”
Andie rose, taking care to keep her wounded arm from view. If she could keep the evidence of her fall from grace hidden, she’d have a better shot at surviving the encounter and making it to the Alpha. If she could get to him and explain, then maybe she had a chance.
Once she was facing her new opponent, she tried to take measure of him. The room was dim, and she dared not shift, not even just her eyes, in case he took it the wrong way and attacked. She couldn’t tell much about him other than that he was very tall. At five-foot-nothing she always had to look up, but with this guy she had to look way, way up to try to see his face. He would be a big mountain lion in his cat form, even for a male.
The stranger said nothing for several long moments, holding eerily still, his eyes taking in every detail. Andie didn’t move or speak. She knew he was sizing her up just as she was assessing him. She also knew what he’d see—a slip of a girl who’d inherited her mother’s bronzed Brazilian beauty. Male cougar shifters rarely saw what she really was and frequently underestimated her.
“I’m not going to ask how you got in here. Clearly, our security needs reviewing.”
Andie didn’t betray her satisfaction at his comment. “I’m sure it’s fine. Very few measures would work to keep me out. Or in.”
“I found you.”
Andie merely shrugged. “Off night.” In more ways than one.
