Elemental Read online

  ELEMENTAL

  Serena Pettus

  Mainstream Romance

  Sweet Cravings Publishing

  www.sweetcravingspublishing.com

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  A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

  Mainstream Romance

  Elemental

  Copyright © 2013 Serena Pettus

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-61885-744-6

  First E-book Publication: June 2013

  Cover design by Dawné Dominique

  Edited by E.L. Felder

  Proofread by Rene Flowers

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing

  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.

  PUBLISHER

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  DEDICATION

  I would like to dedicate this book to my family. They have supported me in my pursuit of a writing career, and it means the world to me!

  I love you guys!

  The Cravings e-book Club

  The Cravings Paranormal e-book Club

  Have you heard about the newest idea in ebooks, the ebook club? Secret Cravings Publishing has started two ebook clubs and we invite you to become a member of either The Cravings e-book Club or the Cravings Paranormal e-book Club. Join now and get two books absolutely free!

  As a member, you will receive Trouble With a Cowboy* by Sandy Sullivan and Forget Me Not** by Jaden Sinclair FREE, just for joining!

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  *Trouble With a Cowboy, a western, erotic romance:

  Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun and a little more?

  **Forget Me Not, paranormal erotic romance:

  A war is brewing, a war that could destroy an entire vampire race if left unchecked, and Julian Marino has been requested to participate in it. He stops his search for a long time friend to go home and discovers there is more at stake than just his wants.

  As a member of the Cravings Club, you’ll receive 4 books in a variety of genres every month. We will try to match your books to your preferences, however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, I suggest you join the Cravings Paranormal Club. Everything is the same, 4 books every month for $9.99 except that 3 of your 4 books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of a different genre.

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  We hope our Secret Cravings books will delight you each and every month.

  Best wishes,

  Beth Walker

  ELEMENTAL

  Serena Pettus

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Sitting alone in a small campus café was no fun at all. Watching the other college students milling about, talking animatedly about their holiday plans and all of the last minute shopping they still had to do was starting to wear on her. Add to that the depressing thought of spending the holidays alone—again—and you had the makings of a good pity party. Mandy Wright knew there was no help for it though. No money in the bank meant she would be pulling extra shifts over the holiday break to pad her account for the coming semester.

  Speaking of the coming semester, her textbook was still lying on the table before her, yet she hadn’t managed to read a single page. Mandy was working on a double major in Mythology and History, and was always looking for ways to get ahead if possible. She was just beginning the first paragraph in the chapter when a shadow fell over her table.

  “So what are your plans for the holidays?” Ah, there was that familiar Romanian accent she loved!

  Mandy raised her head from her textbook to regard her dear friend. Sadly, she had no family to spend the holidays with. She’d never known her parents, having been abandoned at a hospital as an infant, and her foster parents weren’t exactly winners either. As soon as she’d turned eighteen, and the state funding for foster care discontinued, they had no further use for her. As for the holidays, she spent those alone. She always had.

  “I don’t have any plans really,” she replied, breaking away from his intense gaze. Geez, just saying it aloud amplified the loneliness that she’d been feeling more keenly lately.

  Jonathan Mondragon had a strong presence that was difficult to ignore. In truth, he intimidated and awed her all at once. He was known on campus as the “sexy foreign god” by the women and as the “go-to-guy” for the men.

  They had met in one of her Mythology courses when they were paired up for an assignment last year, and ever since that time, he’d become a very dear friend.

  “You’ll come home with me, then.” A very pushy friend as well. “I want you to meet my brother.”

  Again with the brother. Jonathan seemed hell-bent on the two of them meeting for some reason. “You know I can’t do that, Jonathan,” she chided, “I need to work, and I intend to get ahead on next semester’s classes if possible.”

  “You need a break, Mandy.” He was always scolding her about how hard she worked.

  Mandy sighed, “You know I have to work, Jonathan. I don’t have the luxury of a scholarship and I’m close to having my tuition for the coming term, but I need
to work these next two weeks to wrap it up.” She watched him wince and braced herself, knowing that if he was dreading what he was about to say, then she probably wouldn’t like it either.

  “Now don’t get mad,” he began, “but I’ve spoken to your boss and managed to have your shifts covered for the break.”

  Mandy’s head spun. She felt ill. Good grief, she needed that holiday pay to finish off the last of her payments for this term. “You what?” she shrieked. “Jonathan, you know I’m broke! I can’t afford to take time off just because it’s a holiday…” Her words died on a gasp as he slid a bank deposit receipt across the small café table.

  Mandy stared, unbelieving, at the small piece of paper. “How? When? Why?” She couldn’t believe the balance showing in her account. There had never been that many zeros on that side of the decimal point before!

  “I want you to take a break, Mandy. You’re wearing yourself down.” His beautiful obsidian eyes captured hers and held her captive. It was impossible for her to deny him anything when he looked at her like that. His eyes reflected a loneliness he rarely allowed to show, yet she’d sensed it often. Sensed it, because it mirrored her own. “You’re coming with me to my home. I need you to come with me today to have your passport expedited as well.”

  He was utterly frustrating at times, but the best and sweetest friend she’d ever had. He was a rare find in this day and age, having such a giving and carefree nature, she was amazed that he’d befriended her at all. Yup, she was the official loner on campus, but he’d not given up on her and eventually broke down a few of her walls, moving right on in.

  “Jonathan, this is too much.” Mandy shook her head in exasperation, tears welling up in her eyes. “I really don’t deserve to have you for a friend.”

  “You’re right, because you deserve so much more,” he replied softly. He took her hand in his and gently brushed his thumb over her knuckles. “You’ll love my brother, Mandy. I think the two of you will get along quite well.”

  “You’re still trying to fix me up with him, aren’t you? Is this why you’re so adamant about my going home with you?”

  “Partially,” he confessed. “The fact that you’re working and studying yourself into the ground is the major factor, though.”

  “I know,” she huffed. In all honesty, she had no doubt that she would ace her exams in the coming week, but she had no social life outside of her time spent with Jonathan, so she studied. “Thank you, Jonathan. This will be the first time that I’ve actually traveled anywhere.”

  “You’ll love it,” he promised, excitement shining in his eyes. “I’ve already got our tickets, and once we get your passport then we’re home-free.”

  Mandy couldn’t help but smile when he beamed at her. He was simply too handsome for his own good.

  Jonathan sat across from her in the tiny café, his raven hair looking as silky as ever, the longish strands falling over his brow. He was lean and muscular, though not bulky, and never failed to cause a stir whenever he went down to the pool, or the gym, or really anywhere for that matter.

  Mandy couldn’t help but be attracted to him physically too, but she found she couldn’t actually see herself pursuing him romantically.

  “All right then,” Mandy said as she closed her book, “Let’s get this done with. You said that I need a passport?”

  “Yes, we’ll head over now and get the records you’ll need to obtain it. In about ten days it should arrive and then a few days later we’ll leave.” His excitement was clear to see in his sparkling eyes and Mandy noted the women in the café all openly staring at him. Yup, too handsome for his own good. “I’m so glad you’ll be coming with me. I hate to think of my brother spending the holidays alone.”

  “You should always spend the holidays with the ones you love,” she spoke softly, suddenly feeling a little out of sorts. Did she really want to be the outsider at a family holiday function again? She remembered her childhood Christmases and how she was always ensconced in her room for the duration of any parties that her foster parents threw. Her gifts always came from yard sales or thrift stores, and only so that if any social workers asked what she got for Christmas, she would have something to tell them.

  “I can see the wheels turning in that pretty little egghead of yours. I love you like a sister, Mandy, and I want you to spend the holidays with me and my brother in the mountains.” He took her books in one hand and rose from the table, extending his other hand to her. “Let’s go, honey—we’ve got a lot to do.”

  * * * *

  Jonathan was beyond excited over the upcoming trip. Mandy was slowly becoming more accepting of his gifts to her, though still a little skittish about the coming flight. She was simply the sweetest, hardest working person he’d ever met. The fact that she was exceptionally easy on the eyes didn’t hurt anything either.

  She was a bit of a loner, and the men on campus weren’t sure how to approach her, which suited Jonathan just fine. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of having to chase suitors away from his brother’s destined mate. Mandy’s glorious spiraling red hair was like a beacon, the copper highlights shining in the sun and drawing the eyes of males and females alike with looks of awe and envy. Her eyes were an enchanting shade of green that reminded Jonathan of the spring fields near his home. Between the red hair, green eyes and creamy complexion, Mandy could easily pass as a Supernatural herself. She’d certainly bewitched half of the men on campus. If it wasn’t for her bookworm-ish nature, she would have been bombarded with date requests, but her intelligence seemed to intimidate the majority of the guys.

  Jonathan knew Nicolas would no doubt admire her drive to educate herself, since he was constantly taking courses online in various fields. Mainly, he figured that Nicolas was bored and simply looking for a way to occupy his mind.

  His brother was looking forward to their spending time together over the long break, and was glad to hear that Jonathan was bringing Mandy home as well. Nicolas was skeptical about the possibility that she could be his, but Jonathan was certain that she was his brother’s destined soul mate and he was determined to see that they met.

  As Elementals, Jonathan and his twin, Nicolas, were very rare in the immortal realm. Their family had long lived deep in the Carpathian Mountains inside a stone castle that many considered frightening at first glance.

  Elementals were able to enjoy all of the perks of being immortal, with none of the drawbacks. They could enjoy the sunlight without damage, suffered no allergies such as silver or wolfsbane, healed rapidly, and held control over the elements.

  In every other way that mattered, they lived as humans. They ate, drank, and lived normally, aside from their extra talents. The castle, which had been in their family since its construction, was roughly ten miles from a small village, its towers visible over the forest surrounding it.

  Of course, the forest wasn’t the only thing surrounding their home. Other Supernaturals roamed these mountains as well. There was a very good explanation as to why the Carpathian Mountains were steeped in stories of werewolf and vampire lore…because they were full of them. These mountains were the perfect home to all paranormal beings in existence and because of the lore surrounding the area the villagers were well secured in their homes by nightfall, rarely venturing out past dusk, and never before dawn.

  Werewolves and shifters lived with their own kind under the guise of small secluded villages, and the vampires tended to haunt the castle ruins which littered the mountain range, while the Fey could be sighted on rare occasions during the changing of the seasons, or if they chose to don their glamour and venture into the villages amongst the humans.

  The vampires were not much of a problem, usually taking care of any rogues of their kind on their own. The Fey were peaceful creatures for the most part, and usually stayed out of the public eye. The werewolves, however, were another thing.

  The mountains were full of wildlife, both natural and Supernatural, and sometimes telling the difference between a wolf atta
ck and a werewolf attack could be nearly impossible.

  Nicolas had voiced his concerns over having Mandy come to the castle while such attacks were occurring, but conceded to the fact that he and Jonathan were more than capable of protecting her.

  According to Nicolas, women in the village had been attacked by a large black wolf. The three women had survived, though one just barely, and were having a hard time coping after their ordeal.

  While there were large wolves throughout the area, the size described, and the fact that only women were being targeted, led the brothers to believe a werewolf was behind the attacks. Now they just needed to discover why and put a stop to the beast.

  It was well known throughout the region that the twins were the last of their line, though all of the other Supernaturals continued to give them a wide berth.

  Their family had been poisoned nearly eight hundred years before, during a feast being held for a visiting prince. They were unaware that the Fey Prince actually coveted their home. It seemed the arrogant son of the Fey King had planned to simply poison the lot of them and move in.

  Luck had been on their side, as the twins—only twelve at the time—had been sent to the village that morning to gather some fresh fruits and wines for the festivities. On the way back to the castle, the weather had turned wicked, centering over their home, and the brothers abandoned their goods to race forward, recognizing that something was seriously wrong.

  The visiting Fey were panicking under the roiling clouds and vicious winds. As lightning lit the sky, Jonathan and Nicolas got their first good look at the grounds.