Burdened (Book 1)
by Peiri Ann
Release Date: April 2014
Summary from Goodreads:
Eighteen-year-old Tracey Warren is a ‘run-of-the-mill’ high school student on the verge of graduation. She has her friends and her fun; she has life all figured out. Or she thought she did.
Her pedestrian reality crashes around her after an innocuous touch from a diabolically handsome stranger. Just one touch from Nathan Newcomb and her head and her world spins out of control. Soon she discovers that the only cure for the uneasy feelings and pain is Nathan himself. A man whose very existence balances between violent chaos and rigidly controlled dangers.
Nathan knows that the life of a woman mated to a burdened Sephlem is destined for peril beyond a human’s reckoning. But Tracey calls to his desire to experience love in spite of the hazards. And Nathan’s impossibly potent magnetism draws Tracey into a bonding that will put her in mortal danger again and again.
Once the pair becomes one, the threat escalates and nowhere is safe. There are enemies that lurk behind every
corner. But the greatest danger may be in the bloodlines that course through Nathan’s veins.
Can a love for all time survive or will their burdened souls surrender and fade away?
Can a love for all time survive or will their burdened souls surrender and fade away?
(Warning: Burdened contains mature contact and strong language some may not find appropriate for readers under the age of 18.)
About the Author
I fell in love with the short story writing after I started reading a lot of fiction fantasy. I loved the idea of creating new worlds and placing people to live within them. Then came the love. Awe...love. Specifically I love to write paranormal romance, adding a twist to everyday life. I'm a lover of YA and NA, but I've written some middle grade fantasy fiction that is soon to be released.
You can never write 'too much,' you can never read 'too much,' you never learn 'too much,' and there is never 'too much' imagination and creation. Everyday is a new day to dream, to create, to love, to try again and again, to live, and to explore. Time may be short but we have to take as much of it as we can, to make sure it doesn't slip away.
My moto, "Love Life's Loves because Life Loves You"
Expert:
If you love something, do what you need to do to have it, the only person holding you back is you.
Scott stays at least ten blocks away from us. This
is going to be a long walk.
“So, I’m the first guy you’ve ever introduced to you
r mom as your boyfriend?”
I feel my cheeks warm. “Yeah, I don’t introduce my m
om to guys. I haven’t cared much
about her meeting them, especially if I wasn’t sure
they would stick around.”
“So you met my family; I met your mom. I think we c
an make this official, so the next time
you’re introducing me and what I am to you, you won’t
have to think about it.”
“So us meeting each other’s family is what makes us
official? What about the whole having
sex part?”
“Hey!” He throws up his hands. “You’re the one who’s
uncertain. I know what you are to
me.”
“And what is that?”
He throws his arm around me. “You’re my mate, my gi
rl, my love, my heart—and my
future wife and mother of my children, when we are bo
th ready.” He double steps. “No confusion
here.” This is free-and-relaxed Nathan—light voice and
not intense. This ‘him,’ makes me incredibly
comfortable, like he’s normal.
“Clearly,” I say. “But I wasn’t confused. I just didn’
t know how to introduce you to her. Like
I said, I’ve never done it before, and I didn’t know ho
w she was going to react.”
“She was cool about it. Not a hair out of place. I
think she likes me.”
“She might. I think she just thinks you’re cute.”
“Do you think I’m cute?”
“I think ‘cute’ is an understatement. When God made
you, he was breaking all the limitation
rules.”
“You think God made me?” he asks, more serious.
“Of course. Who else?”
“Well, considering I’m half demon and all.”
“It’s not what you’re made of, it’s what you make of
yourself. You make who you are—no
one else. We are not who we are because of where we
come from or what people make us out to be,
but because of what we want to be.
“You’re not a demon,” I continue. “You just possess
demon behaviors, but you know that,
you don’t let it consume you, and you’ve bettered you
rself—which means you were made by God
and not by a demon.”
He doesn’t respond. I stay quiet too, holding onto his
hand that hangs over my shoulder.
My mom’s words start playing back in my head. I can’t
imagine what it is that they want to
talk about. And keeping a clear schedule for two days?
When my dad comes back, we usually do
things as a family, staying out all day or going awa
y for a few days.
To be without Nathan for a full day makes me remembe
r that ache in my chest.
“What are you thinking about, babe?”
“Keeping a clear schedule.”
Waking up, I’m turned into Nathan and facing the couch. His breaths are deep, which tells
me he’s asleep. I sit up slightly, trying not to wake him. Looking around, everyone is pretty much
asleep, while another movie on the TV demands someone to press ‘play.’
There are no windows, so I can’t determine what time of the day it is. It feels like it’s maybe seven or eight.
“What’s wrong, Tracey?” I look toward the voice and Cindy is laying on Little Nathan, looking at me.
“Nothing.” My hands heat—not a good sign for Cindy.
“You should lay back down then—if you’re fine and all.” The film covers my eyes, and her image changes like Nathan’s did. She looks like a...jackal. Like the monster without the cage around her head, every other tooth is sharp and her gums are blood red. She has light grey skin with scars and cuts on her face and arms, and her nails are long and a darker shade of grey. I blink and she is back to regular. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I blink again and the jackal leaps forward, to attack me.
Shit! I flip backward over the edge of the couch, trying to get away from her—making a lot of noise apparently, because everyone jumps up. I look back at Cindy. She is still lying across Little Nathan, staring at me like I had lost it.
She scared the shit out of me. It had to be her.
Nathan is up and next to me. “You okay? What happened?”
“Yeah. Can we go?” I’m feeling weird being down here with her, and her attacking me but
not attacking me.
“Yes...” he says slowly, looking at me as if he’s looking through me. He must be in my head. I
don’t mind—not right now anyway. I need him to see what I saw.
“Hey Tracey, you okay?” Glen says from behind me.
I turn to her and nod, hearing Nathan tell everyone we will be back later.
That girl scared the shit out of me. She looked just like a jackal—a real one: grey skin, black
hair, sharp nails, scratched face—and she tried to attack me.
“Let me know if you all need anything,” Taylor says to us.
“We will.” Nathan grabs the blanket and we leave the basement. He stops me at the top of
the stairs, gently grabbing my face. I place my back against the door. “Are you okay?”
There are no windows, so I can’t determine what time of the day it is. It feels like it’s maybe seven or eight.
“What’s wrong, Tracey?” I look toward the voice and Cindy is laying on Little Nathan, looking at me.
“Nothing.” My hands heat—not a good sign for Cindy.
“You should lay back down then—if you’re fine and all.” The film covers my eyes, and her image changes like Nathan’s did. She looks like a...jackal. Like the monster without the cage around her head, every other tooth is sharp and her gums are blood red. She has light grey skin with scars and cuts on her face and arms, and her nails are long and a darker shade of grey. I blink and she is back to regular. “You sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I blink again and the jackal leaps forward, to attack me.
Shit! I flip backward over the edge of the couch, trying to get away from her—making a lot of noise apparently, because everyone jumps up. I look back at Cindy. She is still lying across Little Nathan, staring at me like I had lost it.
She scared the shit out of me. It had to be her.
Nathan is up and next to me. “You okay? What happened?”
“Yeah. Can we go?” I’m feeling weird being down here with her, and her attacking me but
not attacking me.
“Yes...” he says slowly, looking at me as if he’s looking through me. He must be in my head. I
don’t mind—not right now anyway. I need him to see what I saw.
“Hey Tracey, you okay?” Glen says from behind me.
I turn to her and nod, hearing Nathan tell everyone we will be back later.
That girl scared the shit out of me. She looked just like a jackal—a real one: grey skin, black
hair, sharp nails, scratched face—and she tried to attack me.
“Let me know if you all need anything,” Taylor says to us.
“We will.” Nathan grabs the blanket and we leave the basement. He stops me at the top of
the stairs, gently grabbing my face. I place my back against the door. “Are you okay?”
Scott stays at least ten blocks away from us. This
is going to be a long walk.
“So, I’m the first guy you’ve ever introduced to you
r mom as your boyfriend?”
I feel my cheeks warm. “Yeah, I don’t introduce my m
om to guys. I haven’t cared much
about her meeting them, especially if I wasn’t sure
they would stick around.”
“So you met my family; I met your mom. I think we c
an make this official, so the next time
you’re introducing me and what I am to you, you won’t
have to think about it.”
“So us meeting each other’s family is what makes us
official? What about the whole having
sex part?”
“Hey!” He throws up his hands. “You’re the one who’s
uncertain. I know what you are to
me.”
“And what is that?”
He throws his arm around me. “You’re my mate, my gi
rl, my love, my heart—and my
future wife and mother of my children, when we are bo
th ready.” He double steps. “No confusion
here.” This is free-and-relaxed Nathan—light voice and
not intense. This ‘him,’ makes me incredibly
comfortable, like he’s normal.
“Clearly,” I say. “But I wasn’t confused. I just didn’
t know how to introduce you to her. Like
I said, I’ve never done it before, and I didn’t know ho
w she was going to react.”
“She was cool about it. Not a hair out of place. I
think she likes me.”
“She might. I think she just thinks you’re cute.”
“Do you think I’m cute?”
“I think ‘cute’ is an understatement. When God made
you, he was breaking all the limitation
rules.”
“You think God made me?” he asks, more serious.
“Of course. Who else?”
“Well, considering I’m half demon and all.”
“It’s not what you’re made of, it’s what you make of
yourself. You make who you are—no
one else. We are not who we are because of where we
come from or what people make us out to be,
but because of what we want to be.
“You’re not a demon,” I continue. “You just possess
demon behaviors, but you know that,
you don’t let it consume you, and you’ve bettered you
rself—which means you were made by God
and not by a demon.”
He doesn’t respond. I stay quiet too, holding onto his
hand that hangs over my shoulder.
My mom’s words start playing back in my head. I can’t
imagine what it is that they want to
talk about. And keeping a clear schedule for two days?
When my dad comes back, we usually do
things as a family, staying out all day or going awa
y for a few days.
To be without Nathan for a full day makes me remembe
r that ache in my chest.
“What are you thinking about, babe?”
“Keeping a clear schedule.”
Scott stays at least ten blocks away from us. This
is going to be a long walk.
“So, I’m the first guy you’ve ever introduced to you
r mom as your boyfriend?”
I feel my cheeks warm. “Yeah, I don’t introduce my m
om to guys. I haven’t cared much
about her meeting them, especially if I wasn’t sure
they would stick around.”
“So you met my family; I met your mom. I think we c
an make this official, so the next time
you’re introducing me and what I am to you, you won’t
have to think about it.”
“So us meeting each other’s family is what makes us
official? What about the whole having
sex part?”
“Hey!” He throws up his hands. “You’re the one who’s
uncertain. I know what you are to
me.”
“And what is that?”
He throws his arm around me. “You’re my mate, my gi
rl, my love, my heart—and my
future wife and mother of my children, when we are bo
th ready.” He double steps. “No confusion
here.” This is free-and-relaxed Nathan—light voice and
not intense. This ‘him,’ makes me incredibly
comfortable, like he’s normal.
“Clearly,” I say. “But I wasn’t confused. I just didn’
t know how to introduce you to her. Like
I said, I’ve never done it before, and I didn’t know ho
w she was going to react.”
“She was cool about it. Not a hair out of place. I
think she likes me.”
“She might. I think she just thinks you’re cute.”
“Do you think I’m cute?”
“I think ‘cute’ is an understatement. When God made
you, he was breaking all the limitation
rules.”
“You think God made me?” he asks, more serious.
“Of course. Who else?”
“Well, considering I’m half demon and all.”
“It’s not what you’re made of, it’s what you make of
yourself. You make who you are—no
one else. We are not who we are because of where we
come from or what people make us out to be,
but because of what we want to be.
“You’re not a demon,” I continue. “You just possess
demon behaviors, but you know that,
you don’t let it consume you, and you’ve bettered you
rself—which means you were made by God
and not by a demon.”
He doesn’t respond. I stay quiet too, holding onto his
hand that hangs over my shoulder.
My mom’s words start playing back in my head. I can’t
imagine what it is that they want to
talk about. And keeping a clear schedule for two days?
When my dad comes back, we usually do
things as a family, staying out all day or going awa
y for a few days.
To be without Nathan for a full day makes me remembe
r that ache in my chest.
“What are you thinking about, babe?”
“Keeping a clear schedule.”
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