Contents, page 1
CONTENTS
Blurb
Join the Resistance
Fated Mates World Terminology
Chapter 1
It’s a legend that most shifters aren’t even sure is real.
Chapter 2
You’ll have to go through me first.
Chapter 3
Now you’ll both have to face the consequences.
Chapter 4
Ah, it’s another day full of potential for chaos and destruction.
Chapter 5
No matter what happens, Parker is never alone.
Chapter 6
But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Chapter 7
You are a danger to everyone here, including yourself.
Chapter 8
Don’t worry, we’re not interested in your disgusting half-breed fling.
Chapter 9
We can’t stop now that we’ve started.
Chapter 10
I love you with every bit of my soul.
Chapter 11
Have you ever thought about taking two of us at the same time?
Chapter 12
Nothing good happens when left to my own devices.
Chapter 13
I’m on a demonic hellhound, racing through a burning building, and…
Chapter 14
I’m sorry I caused all this.
Chapter 15
The demon powers will embrace the part of you that it chooses.
Chapter 16
This has to stop.
Chapter 17
Not yet. Not until I tell you to.
Chapter 18
Since when did you become an expert on shifters?
Chapter 19
Let’s not tempt fate any more right now.
Chapter 20
There has to be a reasonable explanation for this.
Chapter 21
Hey, coloring can be very therapeutic.
Chapter 22
Stubborn little mate. What did you draw?
Chapter 23
Do you really think this little human is exactly as she seems?
Chapter 24
What did you do to my mother?
Chapter 25
Are you going to tell her, or am I?
A Note from the Author
Also by Zoey Indiana
A special thanks to:
About the Author
BLURB
Discovering your fated mates should be where the fairy tale ends, where you bask in the warmth of a happily ever after. But for me, that was just the beginning of betrayal.
If finding out that my deadbeat dad was actually a big bad demon wasn’t enough of a downer, try being conscripted into a secret supernatural division of the military. Did you think the misfortune ended there, not hardly. Despite all of my mates being fated for me, I was unable to bond with one of them.
As my heart breaks for Ryker, Rhiot is by my side. He’s ever the calm to my chaos. Not to mention as the team’s demonologist, he’s my only hope at learning to control my demon powers before they do something unintended and deadly.
Except as I learn more about the team and their handlers, something isn’t right. When demons get involved, nothing is as it seems.
Sweeping Away the Syndicate is the third riveting tale in a series featuring rugged, tattooed, veteran, trash panda shifters polyam romances. If you’re a fan of diverse pairings (MMMFFMM), suspense, spice, and heart-thumping adventure ending in a cliffhanger, dive into this story. Experience my journey as a bi woman venturing into new passionate territories in Sweeping Away the Syndicate today!
JOIN THE RESISTANCE
What does Join the Resistance even mean? You just came here to read a book. Don’t worry, I’ll let you read it in a bit, but bear with me for a moment.
First of all, welcome to the world of Zoey from wherever you are, whether that’s Earth, some other planet, a galaxy far far away, or locked in a bathroom hiding from your family.
Before you jump into this story, I want to make sure you’ll enjoy my quirky, laugh out loud, dark humor romances. There’s nothing worse for a voracious romance reader than to get excited about a book, read the first few chapters, and then realize this isn’t your jam. I know because I’ve been there. Hence this message.
My sense of humor isn’t for everyone, so if you’re looking for a cookie cutter, written for PG tv, kind of romance, I think you took a wrong turn somewhere along the way. You’re welcome to stay and see if this quirky new world is for you. Here’s your warning though. I want you to know what you’re getting into before you scroll down and invest your time in one of my alternate realities.
So embrace the weirdness, let a little bit of your quirky side show, and shove reality away. Read a book, because you need a break from your life. Take a moment to practice some self care and laugh until you wet yourself, or cry until you’ve lost twenty pounds of stress.
^^^^^^^
That right there, that’s the Resistance. Be you, whether that’s a badass bitch, a book reading babe, or you have an odd penchant for dressing up as a bee, I won’t judge. I love cosplaying too. In Zoey’s world, the only rule is to be yourself.
Join the Resistance and my weekly email updates, and I’ll send you an exclusive, can’t get anywhere else, Shifter Speed Dating book.
FATED MATES WORLD TERMINOLOGY
These are terms created for or specifically defined within my Fated Mates World, which means they may or may not be in this specific book.
Agenati (A-gen-na-tee) - Hunter; usually refers to a shifter or kindred with abilities or training to hunt vampires.
Agenwi (A-gen-wee) - Shifter, regardless of animal.
Anila (A-nil-a) - The council of the wolves.
Asadne (A-sa-d-ne) - Witch wizard; a facilitator; Pandora.
Ayotaal (A-o-tall) - Ceremony and 24 hour grieving period for murdered shifters.
Cambion - a widely accepted term in the paranormal community for a demon-human hybrid.
Didavado (Dee-dah-vah-doe) - Blessed Soul, a term used by shifters to refer to the kindred(blessed vampire) people.
Guardian - Shifter who lives their life as an animal. Usually domestic, they are sent on missions to protect at-risk humans from vampires. They work independently with a receiver to answer to. They have limited ability to change forms or magick in general, but usually have the ability to heal only their humans.
Hesolga (He-soul-guah) - Insanity disease that consumes males if they don’t finish claiming their Tsigo (fated mate) before the end of the lunar cycle.
Kindred - Humans murdered by vampires, who were given the venom, but lacked sins in their heart. Blessed to have a second life. Term used by humans and vampires.
Liwozaq (Lee-whoa-zak) - The banishment hunt. When a pride leader calls for the hunt and execution or banishment of a pride member. They are forever forbidden to return to the pride or associate with any member of the pride. If they do, an instant execution order will be issued.
Receiver - Shifter who lives most of their time in human form and run teams of guardian shifters. They use their guardians to protect humans who could potentially be at risk of a vampire attack due to status or abilities. Usually magickly strong.
Retriever - Shifter who works for the council in charge of hunting down and retrieving shifters on council orders. Disliked by most of the shifter population.
Shaabacho (Sha-bach-oh) - Werewolf, a term used by a shifter to describe a fellow werewolf regardless of gender, mating status, location, clan, or pack.
Shaabacho/Shaabachan - Referring to shifters and their ancestors.
Tsigo (Tuh-sigh-go) - Love Forever, a term used by a shifter to describe being fated for mates by the shifter gods.
Tsvado (Tes-vaa-doe) - Evil soul; a term used by shifters to refer to cursed vampire people.
Vampire - The dead beings cursed by a distraught shaman, to live eternity with the sin of their soul. Term used by humans and kindred.
Wigi (Wee-gee) - Shifter healer who uses a combination of new age medicine and old spells. Usually a gift one is born with.
Yenayu (Yen-na-you) - Festival/celebration of ancestors and history. Mainly celebrated on the PNW islands.
CHAPTER 1
IT’S A LEGEND THAT MOST SHIFTERS AREN’T EVEN SURE IS REAL.
I huddled over my mug of tea; the steam rising in tendrils that did nothing to warm the ice in my veins or soothe the shreds of my throat from screaming. I was pissed at Trux. Seph was gone. Ryker…
Ryker would never come back.
I’d fucked it all up. Again.188335
Rhiot slid into the seat across from me, dark eyes searching my face. “Parkerâ� —”
“Don’t.” My throat closed around the word, raw from screaming for Ryker. I swallowed hard, wincing at the stab of pain. “Just…don’t.”
Rhiot sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Seph will bring him back.”
I slammed my mug down with a crack, tea sloshing over the sides. “You didn’t see him! You didn’t see…” My breath hitched. Ryker’s eyes, icy rage burning in their depths. Consuming shame. The hopelessness that engulfed him before he’d destroyed the room.
“He’s gone,” I whispered. “I drove him away.”
“Parker, no. This wasn’t your fault.” Rhiot reached for my hand, but I yanked away.
“Yes, it was!” I surged to my feet, the old wooden floor of our remote cabin creaking under my feet. “All I do is ruin everything I touch. My powers, my relationships… Why did I think I could ever be enough for someone like him? For any of you?”
“Hey,” Rhiot’s voice was soft, but insistent. “You listen to me. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. And Ryker? He loves you. He’ll come back.”
“Then why did he leave in the first place?” The unshed tears stung my eyes, and I clenched my fists. “Because I’m broken. I’ve destroyed Ryker and now…” My voice broke off before I could get the words out. I’d doomed them all.
“Or maybe he just needs some space to sort things out,” Rhiot spoke gently, trying to calm me down. “You know how stubborn he can be. But Seph will bring him back, and you two will work it out.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing Seph was here. “He wanted to mate me… I needed to claim him. It doesn’t make sense.”
Rhiot shook his head as he settled his arms on the wooden table. “It’s not that easy. It’s a legend that most shifters aren’t even sure is real. We’re doing our best, but we don’t really understand it.”
“Then who the fuck does?” The frustrated shout felt like razor blades in my throat.
I coughed, which evolved into a fit. Trux reached for my mug of lemon ginger tea with honey, but I glared at him. He put his hands up in surrender while I took a drink. The warm liquid soothed my throat, but did nothing for the ache in my chest. I set the mug down with a thud.
“Parker.” Rhiot’s voice was stern, demanding my attention. I looked up at him, eyes burning. “We will figure this out. All of us, together. But you have to give Ryker some space right now. He’s not in the right headspace, and you’ll only make it worse if you keep pushing.”
I wanted to argue, to scream that Rhiot didn’t understand. That the bond between Ryker and I was grating through me with every second we were apart. Chaotic emotions charged every nerve and atom until I felt like I would implode. But I knew he was right. I had already done enough damage.
With a sigh, I ran a hand through my hair. “I just… I need to fix this. To fix us.”
Rhiot gave me a sad smile. “The only thing that needs fixing here is your patience. Give Ryker time. Give Seph time to work on him. And in the meantime…” He glanced at Trux. “Try to get along with the others. They want to help you, too.”
I bit my lip, gaze dropping to the table. “If I can’t mate with Ryker, what makes you think I can mate with any of them? With you?”
“It’s meant to be. I feel it. We all do.” Trux shifted, clearing his throat. “Look, Parker… I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I’m sorry.”
An apology. From Trux, of all people. I searched his face, but found only sincerity. My shoulders relaxed a fraction as I gave a small nod. “I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean…”
“I know.” His lips twitched. “You were… out of your mind with worry. I get it.”
I huffed a weak laugh. “Yeah. Out of my mind seems to be my default state lately.”
Rhiot clapped a hand on Trux’s shoulder, giving me a pointed look. “In that case, how about we call a truce? Get some rest and start fresh in the morning.”
Trux held out a hand, brow raised in question. I stared at it a moment before shaking my head. Honestly, I didn’t trust the lust demon needs to not surge just at the touch of him. Sex would only make my emotions worse right now. “Truce, but I’m not shaking your hand right now. Actually, I need to be alone for a bit.”
The tension in the room eased a fraction, and I felt the vice around my chest loosen. Not completely, not until Ryker was back where he belonged, but it was a start.
Rhiot nodded, apparently satisfied we weren’t going to tear each other apart. “Good. Now, I don’t know about you two, but I’m beat. We’ve got a long day ahead of us, so I’m turning in.” He gave me another pointed look. “That goes for you too, Parker. You need to rest.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he was already stalking off to his room. With a huff, I turned to find Trux watching me, an unreadable expression on his face.
“What?” I snapped, nerves fraying again.
“Nothing.” He shook his head. “Just thinking you should listen to Rhiot. Getting some sleep will help.”
“I can sleep when Ryker’s back where he belongs.” I bit out.
He stalked toward me, and I jumped up from my seat at the table and backed up a step. But he didn’t stop until he had me crowded against the wall, hands on either side of my head.
“Listen to me, little mate.” His voice was low and rough. “You’re exhausted and distraught. Pushing yourself until you collapse won’t do anyone any good. Ryker included.”
I scowled up at him, heartbeat racing. “I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” Trux leaned in until his lips brushed my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “You need to rest. Now. Or I will make you.”
A wave of heat washed through me at the promise in his tone. I swallowed hard, torn between irritation at his arrogance and desire for the comfort he offered. Except I was still pissed at him for holding me back when I tried to go after Ryker.
“I don’t need to be manhandled.” I said, but the protest came out weak.
“Then stop arguing and do as you’re told.” He nipped at my earlobe, and I gasped. “Either go to your room alone or you’re coming to me with mine, but the last thing you’re doing is staying up all night and wearing a path in the floor from all your pacing.”
With a defeated sigh, I nodded.
Trux pulled back, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes.
“Alone it is.” I brushed past him and made my way to the room I’d shared with Seph the night before.
Once inside, I locked the door and leaned back against it, eyes closing. If Trux wanted to be bossy, he could be alone. Let him boss someone else around tonight. I wasn’t in the mood for it. I plopped down on the bed, exhausted and full of warring emotions. Fated mates were meant to be, so why wasn’t this easy?
The scent of Seph lingered on the sheets, soothing the jagged edges of my frayed nerves. I breathed it in, missing her presence like an ache in my chest. If only she were here, holding me close and whispering that everything would be alright.
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Seph’s undershirt draped over the back of a chair. I grabbed it and collapsed again onto the bed, clutching the soft fabric to my chest as I inhaled her scent.
Why did relationships between humans and shifters have to be so damned difficult? Seph understood me in a way the others didn’t, yet here we were, torn apart. Why couldn’t one thing go right for once?
My gaze landed on the small notebook on the nightstand Seph had returned to me, filled with notes she’d scribbled about each of my mates. Pulling it to me, I opened the pages. I smiled as I read the page dedicated to her, especially the part where she’d proclaimed herself the best in bed. Classic Seph.
A slip of paper fluttered out as I turned the page. I picked it up, heart clenching at Seph’s neat handwriting.
Ryker headed to the training facility. Stay away.
How had she gotten the note here with no one seeing her? I crumpled the note in my fist, panic and anger warring inside me. Why was Ryker going to the training facility? There wasn’t any reason for him to go if I wasn’t there… was there?
A surge of determination coursed through me. I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing while Ryker was out there doing who knew what. I had to help him, even if it meant going against his wishes… and Seph’s orders. And Trux’s. I didn’t care that he was the alpha of the pack.
I leaped off the bed, hastily gathering my essentials. My fingers fumbled as I stuffed everything into my backpack, a change of clothes, and my notebooks. The tattoo of Cerberus on my arm pulsed with life, as if sensing my anxiety. I couldn’t afford any accidents with my demonic powers now.
