An excerpt of Pinnacle

With Pinnacle‘s release right around the corner I decided to post the blurb and Prologue  here to give you a sneak peak of what’s to come in February! The sequel Eximus will be coming out shortly after in this upcoming summer and I am beyond excited about that! Without further ado …PINNACLE

Back Cover Blurb:

Identifying her parents was the hardest thing ever, until Kaya learned she was the killer’s next target. Moving had thrown the ancient predator off her trail temporarily but with magical abilities manifesting, Kaya’s scent grows stronger and the attempts on her life become constant. Narrowly surviving each encounter, Kaya is desperate to stop her potential assassin, but it’s hard to kill a creature that changes its appearance and disappears without a trace. Kaya finds the support she needs to succeed in her small group of friends and her boyfriend Kenneth. Like so many things, they’re more than what they seem and with the killer having unsettling similarities to Kenneth and his family…Kaya can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection.

Prologue:

She’d tried calling her father’s phone…no answer. She then tried her mother’s phone…no answer. Kaya’s parents had told her they’d be back by no later than nine that evening. It was ten. She cried when midnight rolled around, worried out of her mind. Two more hours passed and she cried more because the worry had turned into fear. They were never late. By the time two-thirty came, she started to expect the worst and called her father’s sister. Word traveled like wildfire through the tribe and every tracker they had drove to where they knew Kaya’s parents normally hunted. When someone knocked on the door at five-fifteen, she rushed to it, happy her parents had finally made it home.

“Miss Hunt? Miss Kaya Hunt?” the officer asked.

In that moment her whole world slowed, the officer’s words sounded like he was talking underwater, but she didn’t need to hear to know what he was saying. Officers never brought good news.

“Miss Hunt, can you hear me?” the officer asked with sympathetic eyes.

Kaya nodded her head indicating she’d heard him.

“We need you to come and identify the bodies. Can you do that? You are the next of kin.”

“Yes, just let me get my things,” Kaya answered.

The officer stood waiting at the door as Kaya roamed around the room, collecting her things on autopilot. The drive to town to identify her parents was much the same way. Kaya imagined walking into a metal room with two slabs covered with white sheets, so she was confused when she was led into a room with comfortable chairs, a coffee table, and a few boxes of tissues. A man with a folder walked in just moments later and sat opposite of Kaya.

“Hello Kaya, my name is Stephen Banks. I want to let you know I’m going to show you a few photographs to confirm that these folks are your parents. What you are about to see is disturbing, and I am so sorry that you have to go through this.”

He slid two photographs face down across the table to Kaya. Her hands trembled as she reached for the photos. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and flipped the two pictures over. It took a moment to mentally prepare and then she opened her eyes. Her insides ran cold as she stared at the pictures. She turned away, unable to look any longer.

“Kaya, are those your parents? Are they Dylan and Colleen Hunt?” Stephen asked gently.

She nodded yes and started crying.

“I am sorry, but I need you to actually say yes,” Stephen said softly.

“Yes, they are my parents,” Kaya said through sobs.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. Thank you for your help. Is there anyone we can call for you?” Stephen asked as he handed her a handful of tissues.

“My Aunt Diana. She lives in Oklahoma. She’s my mom’s twin sister,” she mumbled into the tissue.

Half an hour later, Kaya’s cell buzzed and when she answered it, she could hear Aunt Diana trying hard not to cry.

“Kaya, I am on my way to Seattle. I will be there with you in seven hours. Don’t you worry about a thing. I will take care of everything,” Diana said.

“They’re gone, Aunt Di, they are gone. How can they be gone? Mom and I fought yesterday about me attending the last day of school today. I was still mad when she and Dad left. I didn’t get a chance to make things right with her again. Did she die thinking I hated her?” Kaya cried into the phone.

“No, honey! She knew you loved her. I promise you she knew. I will be there soon. Everything is going to be OK. I’m going to bring you back to Oklahoma with me after the service. You are going to be OK.”

The free Preview is not available yet because the book doesn’t release until the 6th of February.