The Empath
Every werewolf needs a mate… Nicolas was the strongest and fiercest of the Draicon, until he was banished. Now the werewolf has only one path to redemption: find the Draicon’s long-lost empath, the woman who will save the pack – and Nicolas himself – from terrible danger. Maggie is a vet, dedicated to healing.She has no idea of her true nature, the magic waiting in her soul – or the man coming to claim her. The survival of their pack depends on them finding each other, on their ability to become one. But their enemies have also found Maggie and will kill to stop her surrendering to an all-consuming passion…
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âYou ran because your instinct told you Iâm your best damn chance of keeping safe. And I am.â
Nicolas angled his head toward her. âBecause I will keep you safe, to my last dying breath. You and I, Maggie, are destined to be together. Itâs not sexual chemistry, not the typical male-female kind. Itâs deeper, more important and lasting. So relax and stop questioning everything. In time, it will all make sense.â
Maggie closed her eyes, trying to understand what seemed like utter nonsense.
She didnât believe in karma, the tooth fairy or soul mates. What she believed in right now was self-preservation. Having escaped one dangerous situation, she now had to get herself out of another one. Was Nicolas a knight to the rescue, or a dark night of the soul?
Dear Reader,
Imagine working as a veterinarian, oblivious about possessing a healing power that could save the animals you love. You yearn for something more, but are afraid to face the truthâyou are not human, but a wild beast who craves the night. And your destined mate is hunting you down to make you his own and bring you back to the pack to save your people. This is Maggie, my gentle-natured heroine for The Empath. She is desperate to find a cure for the mysterious disease killing her beloved dog. It will take Nicolas, the packâs fiercest warrior, to bring the truth to light and force Maggie to realize their own destinies.
The Empath is truly a book of my heart. Though Iâm multi-published, this is the first story evolving from a real-life experience. I began writing the book shortly after my husband and I were told our beloved Shih Tzu was dying from liver cancer. The story became my balm during those months when I knew we would eventually lose her. For eleven years, Tia had been my constant companion who always rested her head on my laptop while I wrote. Tia passed away in December 2006, but she will always live on in this book and in our memories and hearts.
I hope you enjoy Maggie and Nicolasâs journey of strength, courage and passion. Maggie does embrace her incredible power to heal, but discovers the greatest power of all lies in the ability to love unconditionally.
Bonnie Vanak
About the Author
BONNIE VANAK fell in love with romance novels during childhood. While cleaning a hall closet, she discovered her motherâs cache of paperbacks, and started reading. Thus began a passion for romance and a lifelong dislike of housework. After years of newspaper reporting, Bonnie became a writer for a major international charity that took her to destitute countries such as Haiti and Guatemala to write about famine, disease and other issues affecting the poor. When the emotional strain of her job demanded a diversion, she turned to writing romance novels. Bonnie lives in Florida, with her husband and two dogs, where she happily writes books amid an ever-growing population of dust bunnies. She loves to hear from readers. Visit her website at www. bonnievanak.com or e-mail her at [email protected].
For my beloved Tia, our loyal friend for eleven years. You will always live on in our hearts.
Special thanks to my friend Julie Sloan and the Rebs;
Pamela Clare, Jan Zimlich, Alice Duncan, Alice Gaines, Mimi Riser and especially Norah Wilson, who kept urging me to write this book.
And a very special thanks to my wonderful husband
Frank, and our vet, Dr James Grubb, who loves animals as much as we do.
Chapter 1
Death with fangs and long talons stalked him.
The enemy hunted him. Nicolas, the powerful warrior. The packâs best fighter. The ostracized.
Nicolas Keenan lifted his muzzle, sniffed the wind. Caught his pack leaderâs scent marking a nearby oak tree. His wolf form stiffened with longing. Pack. Home. Family.
But he no longer had a family. Even though he continued to quietly patrol their territory, protecting his people, and even though his loyalty would never die, heâd been banished from the pack.
He was Draicon, werewolves who once used their magick to learn of the earth and its wonders. Now, hunted by the more powerful Morphs, they used their powers in a desperate attempt to survive.
Morphs. The very word made his hackles rise. They had been Draicon like him. Draicon who willingly embraced evil, entering the ranks of the Morphs by killing one of their own. Nicolas had spent nearly his whole life destroying Morphs. When some in his pack turned, heâd been forced to kill them as well.
He would always be Draicon, Nicolas silently promised, remembering the tiny mark on his neck. He would never surrender to the Morphsâ alluring power.
He felt a cooling breeze stir, rustling the leaves and chilling the air. In this part of northern New Mexico, fall draped the trees in vivid colors. Thirty minutes ago, after heâd left his ranch to take a walk in the woods, heâd sensed danger. The familiar warrior instinct surfaced. Heâd shifted to lure the enemy away from the packâs homes and hearths.
New scents filled his nostrils. He went absolutely still, smelling evil.
