Trials (Rock Bottom) (16 page)

Please enjoy an excerpt from Sarah Biermann’s upcoming book,
After Life
, excepted to be released winter 2013! It’s the beautiful story about love, death, rebirth, and acceptance with a surprisingly happy ending that will leave readers breathless. What really happens to us when we’re gone?

Chapter 1
Present

The first time I materialized, the only thing I knew was that I was no longer angry. Honestly, I felt nothing. No sadness, no happiness, no pain, no fear. Nothing. And it was amazing.

I was alarmed to see that I had no body or face. I had no arms or legs. I wasn’t even a stereotypical white figure. If someone were to look where I thought I was within the room, they wouldn’t see anything. I was more of an awareness; seeing with no eyes, thinking with no brain, and hearing with no ears. I definitely wasn’t expecting this out of the afterlife, if that’s what this was.

I remember lying on my bathroom floor and fading into blackness. I remember being rushed through the hospital doors on one of those beds on wheels. I remember my mom gripping my arm, screaming at me to stay with her. And then I remember drifting off to sleep.

It was so peaceful, just the way I’d wanted it. Just the way I’d hoped. In that moment, right after I swallowed the entire bottle of pills, I let go of all of the burdens I’ve been carrying that just got to be too much for me. At that moment, after I first materialized, I knew I made the right decision. My first real emotion after death was happiness.

I wish I could tell you that I was met with choirs of angels singing me to heaven. I wish I could tell you I was embracing Jesus and rubbing elbows with all of my ancestors. But I can’t tell you that. What I can tell you is that I had never felt so happy and free in all of my life than I did in the first moments of my afterlife.

When I finally looked around the room I was standing in, I felt the happiness grow. Of course I would materialize here first. Of course every ounce of whatever is left of me would be drawn to this place. This room, where so many of the happiest memories of my living life would be- I knew no greater heaven than to be here.

Lily.

Her name sparkled in my awareness. I remembered her as if she were standing in front of me. Her luscious brown hair. Her questioning and lively blue eyes. Her fantastic curvy body. For a long time towards the end, she had become my only reason to press on every awful day.

Her room was how it always was. She didn’t have much to really move around. She had a rusty metal bed in the center of her room with a red quilt covering it. The desk she sat her book bag on was on the right side of her room by the window, so she could have natural light from the sun when she used the desk to do her drawings. Her bookshelf, full with ratty, overused books, stood against the left side of the wall directly across from her desk. And that was it.

I wondered if I would spend my eternity in here, which would have been okay with me. I could spend eternity remembering how her skin smelled, and the way it felt against mine. Looking at the bed where we used to lay after school. Reliving the nights we’d spent in it…

Suddenly, the door burst open. I saw Lily come in, wearing jeans and a beat-up red sweater, her brown hair blowing behind her. I felt so much happiness then that I feared my awareness couldn’t take it, until she turned back around and slammed her door. Lily threw herself on her bed, body face down, and cried into her pillow. Her sobs were loud and ugly, her entire body shook.

I immediately knew this was over me and what I did. I had expected her to react this way. I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like for me if I had lost her when I was still alive, especially in the way she lost me. I would have gone fucking nuts. My only hope was that she would learn to understand why I felt at that moment that I had to do it. To be honest, I didn’t really think through my decision until about three minutes before I did it. That was me, impulsive and selfish.

I felt my awareness moving closer to her, the bed and her body coming closer to me. I lowered myself to her bed, wishing I had arms to wrap her in. Her body continued to shake.

“Why, Evan?” she screamed into her pillow. Hearing my named shocked me. Shock, that was new.

“Why did you leave me, Eva
n? Why? WHY?!” Lily screamed to no one.

I couldn’t take the pain. I couldn’t take the pressure.
I thought towards her.

“How can I go on?” she moaned, her voice breaking in pain.

A jolt went through me, a momentary and intense feeling of guilt and pain. I felt like it was going to rip me in two. But it left as soon as it had come, and I was again at peace.

You’re beautiful. You’re strong. You deserve so much more than what I was going to give you.

“Please, come back to me. Please, Evan.”

Sadness came and left once again. I was thankful that these excruciating feelings were so temporary.

Just know, I’m at peace.

Her door once again busted open, loudly slamming against the opposite wall. Lily’s head shot up as well as my attention. I saw a man, over six
feet tall and fat, stumbling through the door. An anger flash flowed through me and left. Lily’s father looked down at her on the bed, rubbing his unshaven chin with his disgusting, gray hand.

“What the fuck are you crying about now?” he slurred, grabbing Lily by her hair. Lily grabbed her scalp and screamed in pain. “Get out of this room and make yourself useful!” He threw Lily from the bed and onto her floor.

She laid there for a moment in the fetal position, covering her face with her hands. “I said get up!” her father screamed, kicking her in the stomach. She grunted and quickly stood up, trying to avoid any more of his wrath. She turned and scurried like a scared cat out of her door, followed by her father, as he licked his lips.

The anger flash that passed through me that time stayed, fiery and scorching. Just before I tried to follow them out of the room, I could feel my awareness begin to fade. I wasn’t ready to go, but I could feel that I had no control, and slowly the room around me blackened and my thoughts were gone.

First and foremost, I want to thank everyone that had read my books and have fallen in love with Jeremy and Dylan as I have. It’s always been a dream of mine to put my stories down on paper and I’m happy I could share them with all of you. Your support on Amazon, Goodreads, blogs, and Facebook has been so inspiring to me. I want to name a few readers who have really touched my heart: Heidi Jo B, Heather F, Amy H-W, Darlene W, Jenee N, Rosemarie M, Dena D, Rachelle C, Sara K, and so many more. I only wish I could include all of you in here!

Thank you to m
y main beta reader, Beth Newell, who supported me from day one. She was the first to read the first parts of Tracks that I had written and encouraged me to keep going. I hope you keep your love of reading, Beth, and you’re willing to read my stuff as long as I write it!

To the other friends who beta read for me, including: Savannah, Ruby Tuesday, Brandy,
Robin S, and I’m sure several other people I forgot to name, thank you so much. You helped me keep the story something that the readers will love.

To my editor, Meagan Burgad: you are so wonderful. You really elevated my books to a whole new level. The story was absolutely improved by your corrections and suggestions. I hope we can continue to work together in the future, because I definitely need you. In fact, you’re probably picking out errors right now in these acknowledgements
.


A very special thank you to Daniel Gawthrop for letting me use his beautiful song “Sing Me To Heaven.” This song has inspired me since I heard it years ago and I’ve loved it ever since. I am so honored to be able to use this song in my book.

Thanks to all my other friends and coworkers who were so excited for me and read my book. Your support inspired me more than once to keep going. You guys rock!

I want to thank my parents and brother Dave for being so proud of me when I sprang the news on them that I wrote and published a book. They peddled my book everywhere like the proud parents/siblings they are. I love you guys.

I want to thank my husband Jon for putting up with me these last few years as I was writing this book. I ignored him frequently to devote time and energy into this series. He was always understanding and supportive. I love you. It’s easy to write love stories when you live in one every day.

My kids are the light of my life and support me in whatever I need or want to do. Anna and Quinn, you are the reason I want to achieve great things. I love you two more than anything in the world.

Pixel Pixie Design who made the awesome cover of Trials and all of my banners for Facebook. You do amazing work and I’ll work with you on every project!

Most of all, I need to thank the ladies at Love Between The Sheets book blog. You ladies are an absolute blessing to me and are single handedly responsible for my success. You took an unknown, first time author under your wing and pushed my
career forward. You’ve done so much for me and have asked for nothing in return. I cannot express how eternally grateful I am to all of you.

I want to send a
special thank you a few blogs. The Rockstars of Romance has always been awesome in helping me promote this series, and I want to thank you so much for your continued support. What to Read After 50 Shades of Grey constantly posts my books and promotes them to their over 50,000 fans. Summer, thank you tremendously for all that you do for us independent authors. Kindle Crack was the first blog to give me a review, and thankfully a good one. I’ll never forget the moment when I read my first blog review. It was so amazing and inspiring. I hope I continue to write Kindle crack for you and your readers! Liezel’s Book Blog did an awesome quiz about my book on Goodreads. I never thought I’d see a day when that would happen! Very moving for me. Thank you. Finally, HEA book blog has been tremendously supportive and helped motivate me when I was hitting rough times with the second book. Thank you so much for always supporting me and being there to stalk me. I love it.

Finally, I want to thank all of the blogs that
have pimped my book and/or participated in my blog tour: Aestas Book Blog, Rock Band Romance, Between The Pages, Book Reader Chronicles, Bookaholics Blog, Bookish Besos Book Blog, Books Coffee and Wine, Buried Under Books, Chris’ Book Blog Emporium, Crazies R Us Book Blog, Fabulous and Fun, Falling in Fall, Fictional Boyfriends, For The Love of Books, Hardcover Therapy, Jenee’s Book Blog, Love Drug Book Blog, Love N. Books, Mary Elizabeth’s Crazy Book Obsession, Mommy’s Reads and Treats, Morning After A Good Book, My Secret Romance Book Reviews, Nevaeh’s New Adult Book Blog, Novel Seduction, Rate My Romance, Romancebookworm’s Reviews, Romance Addiction, Shh Mom’s Reading, Sarah’s Book Blog, StayBlu reads, Stories and Swag, Smut Book Club, Swoon Worthy Books, The After Dark Diva’s Book Club, The Book Whore-der’s Delights, Total Book Nerds, and True Story Book Blog. I hope I remembered anyone! If I forgot, let me know and I’ll add you to the list!

I hope you enjoyed the journey of Dylan and Jeremy as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Coming Soon!

Chance Lost

Copyright © Jo LaRue

All Rights Reserved

Sylas sighed as he pulled into the parking area of The Den Bar & Grill. His friend Jack, another shifter he’d met long ago, was the owner. He had friends; just not many he trusted. Jack was one he trusted. He could count on one hand the friends in that grouping and still have fingers left over. Sylas was bored and down right tired of waiting for his mother to come through with her promise. 500 years of waiting, and that was 499 too many as far as he was concerned.

He was one of a kind they told him, their Enforcer. The Fates had created him to keep balance between humans and the immortals. The only one who could shift into any species on the planet that he wanted. If it breathed, had wings or walked on 2 or 4 legs, Sylas could shift it. His primary animal was a black leopard and it was where he felt the most at home, even over his human form. His mother promised that there would be another, his mate, but he would have to be patient. His mother and her sisters didn’t bother to share who she would be or when to expect her. Being Immortal, lonely
and
bored, well, that was never a good combination.

Of course the Fates threw another wrench into things before he even got started looking for this mysterious mate. He would have to be the first to lie with for her to be his true mate.
Virginal in this day and time? As if!
If anyone else got to her before he did, the deal was off; no mate and she would only be able to shift into the animal that got to her maidenhead first. The Fates could be real bitches when they wanted to be. The only other person that knew about his “
problem
” was the man he was here to see. After Sylas saved his ass twice in the past, Jack promised to always have his back, and he meant it. He’d kept his secret now for 300 years and Sylas knew he could count on him to help, if he should ever need it.

His whole purpose for being was balance, according to Lachesis. To keep the balance in all things, but how could he continue to keep things in balance when he, himself, was so out of whack? Sylas slammed down the kickstand of his Harley and sat there, deciding if going inside was such a good move in his mental state. He needed a major distraction and he was sure this was not it. Right when he thought better of being there, Jack stepped outside the bar. He noticed Sylas right off and was walking his way.
Leave now or piss off one bad ass Puma… think I will stay
, he told himself as he stood to greet his best bud.

“Hey, Sy! Glad you could make it, man. The place is rockin’, but not too crowded. I had to come out for some fresh air.” Jack said as he reached out for a fist bump.

“Noise getting to ya, Jack, or is it the smoke I saw rolling out when you opened the door?”

Jack’s lips turned up in a lopsided grin. “Just the noise, as usual. What was I thinking when I put in those pool tables? Damn racket! Pun intended!”

Sylas gave him a quick punch in the arm and smiled. “You’ll live, pussy cat. The money always wins in the end.” Sylas turned and walked with him towards the door. “You’re buying, right?”

“Usually do, my man, usually do.”

Sylas took the beer Jack handed him from across the bar and walked over to a corner table that gave him a view of the whole room. He preferred to always have his back to a wall, and a way out if needed. He was close to the bar, the door and the pool tables. The lights over the pool tables gave him enough light to see, but put him in the dark and he liked it that way. He was 6’2” with green eyes and black hair, but it was his eyes that got him way too much attention, and he wasn’t looking for any. Well, he was looking, but not from any of the human variety, he reminded himself. Eyes that tended to glow and change color kept him behind sunglasses 24/7/365, except when sleeping. Habit kept him in corners and out of sight.

A group of Wolves strolled in and they immediately staked claims on 2 of the pool tables. As the evening went on, the more drunk and rowdy they became. Their Alpha was the loudest of them all and he started a money game on the table closest to him. Sy signaled for another beer, knowing that by the looks of them, he was going to be called on to help bounce these guys. A fight would happen sooner or later, and he needed to booster his calm. He huffed and smirked.
Just my luck, a drunk Alpha on a ego trip. Maybe the night won’t be so boring after all.

The front door opened and suddenly the whole bar went quiet, with the exception of the pool balls still in motion. A woman had walked in and she apparently didn’t notice the stir she caused. Or she did and was used to it. She was tall and dressed all in black leather. You couldn’t see what was under the full-length duster she was wearing, but you could tell she was all woman under it. The noise level started notching back up a little when she turned towards the bar and asked for a beer. That was when Sy noticed her hair. It was fashioned into a thick braid and it fell down past where her derriere would be, and it was jet black.

A waft of air from her entrance hit him and Sy raised his head to catch her scent. By the first sniff he could tell she was human. Sy shifted in his seat, willing more of her enticing aroma into his nostrils. A slightly floral and spicy scent followed her. He caught no hint of another male on her what-so-ever. As he watched, she removed her coat and Sy’s breath caught in his throat. The woman was built like a brick shithouse with all the right curves. It was all he could do to stay in his seat. His instincts told him to get up and cover her.
His mate and for his eyes-only…
boomed through his head.

My mate? Where the hell had that come from? She’s human, not Were. What the hell is wrong with me? Am I that far whacked?
He thought as he watched her, unable to tear his eyes away. She watched the gambling among the tables intently, and moved to the two where the wolves were playing. She walked gracefully and confidently over towards the wolves and asked if they minded if she joined the game.

She was wearing one of those leather corsets, cut very low at the top and very high at the bottom, showing off her small waist and perfect breasts. Her low slung leather pants showed off a perfect heart shaped rear end and she was all legs. Something was sparkling in the light from her navel. The wolves were all over her joining the game, and the Alpha was looking at her like his dinner had just arrived. Sy was not going anywhere now. He was not going to leave her alone with this pack. Nuh-uh.

Jack walked over from behind the bar. He looked at the pack and then back to Sy. “Gonna have trouble, I can smell it.” He said as he leaned in on the table with his back to the other wall.

“Yep, it’s thick.”

“I can also read your body language, Sy. Ease up. I got you and this. Whatever this is.” He swept his hand slightly towards the tables and the wolves.

“Not sure what this is either, but I know.”

“By the way, Bro? Her name is Chance. She gave it to me when I took her coat and asked for a running tab.”

Jack walked back to tend his bar with a promise of another beer on the way. Sy hadn’t moved since she walked in. Taking a long swig, he got comfortable. This was going to be a longer night than he anticipated. For a change he was relishing every minute to watch her as she sized up the wolves and their game. To her, they were just some drunken bikers, but he knew better. They could and would tear her apart if provoked; with no effort and not think twice about it after.

Nope, not leaving now.
He thought as he watched her take out her cue and put it together. Sylas rolled her name around in his head a few times.
Chance. Chance. Chance… Could she be the one foretold? Not possible, she’s human. Sexy as hell, but human. Could the Fates be messing with him still? Probably, but could he afford to not take this seriously?
The only answer he could come up with was a resounding No
.