Jennifer St. Giles | Cosmos Paranormal Quarterly Interviews the Shadowmen et al,

The Heroes of Touch a Dark Wolf, Lure of the Wolf, Kiss of Darkness, and Bride of the Wolf by Jennifer St. Giles.

Looking over the four scowling, muscled men surrounding me at the picnic-style table, it seemed to me that their drop-dead sex appeal sucked all of the air from the ranger camp’s dining hall. I fought for a deep breath, started the recorder, and delved right into the interview. The sooner they realized I wasn’t here to steal something sacred from them like their sword or the TV remote, the better off I would be. Provided I could lie that well. The truth was I would have stolen any moment I could in a dark corner. It was my first assignment for Cosmos PQ and I’d felt like a lamb coming into a den of lions when I walked in the door, but now that I’d met them…well that was changing. Jared and Navarre were warriors from the spirit world and Sheriff Sam Sheridan along with Deputy Nick Sinclair were humans from Twilight’s Sheriff’s Department. Before today my closest encounter with the paranormal was hot romance novels, but I had an open mind and always believed where there was smoke there was fire. And boy was there some hot stuff blazing here.

“I have to tell you guys I was pretty apprehensive about interviewing werewolves, and,” I glanced at the Sam, “and I hear a vampire, maybe.”

“We don’t bite…much,” said Jared, a surprising twinkle in his iridescent blue gaze. Combine that with the streak of silver in his long black hair and it was enough to make a girl shiver on a number of levels.

The guys all flashed grins my way. Despite their hunky, civilized good looks I still found myself searching for a hint of fangs but I didn’t see any...yet. The door opened behind me and I swung around to see an even bigger warrior walk through the door.

“Sorry, I’m late. I thought I’d found where Annette stashed the truffles,” the man said.

“You must be Aragon,” I said, taking in his six-seven height, flashing dark eyes and windblown black hair.

“The one and only. And you must be Ms. St. Giles.” He sauntered forward and shook my hand. Like the other warriors, his palm was massive and hot against mine. I tingled to my toes.

“What’s this about truffles?” I asked, curious.

Aragon arched a dark brow; his sensual mouth cocked to a grin. “Other than that they’re heaven and melt in your mouth?”

Nick laughed. “They melt everywhere.”

I swallowed hard and met Aragon’s gaze. “So, what else about truffles besides they melt?”

He looked at the other men. “Should we tell her?”

“No,” said Navarre, gold eyes alight with mischief. “I think she should have to wonder for a while like I did.”

Aragon shrugged at me. “Sorry.” He moved over to the picnic table and straddled the bench. His movements sent heat flashing through me. With all of them in the same room, it was a wonder the air didn’t catch on fire.

Frowning at my own weakness, I faced the men, determined to stay professional. I had more important questions in mind than truffles, but the possibilities still niggled at my mind. These Werewolves were a lot more interesting in a way I never expected.

“What brought the Shadowmen to earth now? I mean from what I hear you’ve been around for centuries.”

Jared spoke first again. “We’re each here for different reasons, but it’s a good thing because the Vladarian Vampires are getting more powerful by the day. They have to be stopped. I was trapped here when a spiritual assassin from the damned infected me.”

Aragon gave a disgusted grunt. “And I thought I could wipe out the damned by killing Pathos, their leader. I went AWOL from the Guardian Forces to do it. Thank Logos, that didn’t work out exactly as I planned.”

“Logos?” I asked.

“The creator,” Navarre said. “As for me, I was injured and could no longer serve in the Guardian Forces, but with my full werewolf abilities, I can help here.”

I ran an assessing gaze over him. He looked more than capable for anything that needed doing anywhere. I wanted to know more about what his werewolf abilities were, but this whole vampire thing took precedence in my mind. “Not that I’m going to go looking for a vampire, but exactly where are they? Are they just waiting somewhere to swoop in and take over?”

“The bloodsuckers are already here. Have been for quite a while,” Sam said. He shifted his head, exposing where a set of fangs had scarred his neck. “And it isn’t pretty.” The look in his arctic gaze told me he’d not only seen hell but lived it.

“It’s not all vampires you have to worry about, just the Vladarian ones,” Nick said, his expression serious for the first time.

I bounced my gaze between both the men. They weren’t kidding. Good and bad vampires around and I’d never seen one? “Then where are these Vladarian Vampires? And how long have you known about them?”

Sam fisted his hands on the table top, frustration oozing from his commando- like form. “It would be a better question to ask how long the US government has known about them. As for where they are? Until we have more solid evidence, let me just say that I wouldn’t have any free health screenings done at any Sno-Med Expo if I were you.”

My jaw dropped. “Sno-Med?” This was big…like Watergate big. Sno-Med was a world-wide medical corporation that helped everyone everywhere.

“What better way to find the victims that have the blood they want?” Aragon asked.

The shiver that went up my spine left a cold chill in the center of my gut. I’d been to the corporation’s health expos before, almost everyone I knew had.

“There’s more,” Jared added. “Other companies. Men in very powerful positions. But that’s as much as we can say for now without jeopardizing our investigation. And that’s why I say it’s a good thing Aragon, Navarre, and I are here on earth to help win this war.”

He sounded so confident. And I had to admit that while standing here next to the warriors, I had a real sense of how much power they wielded as a group. But Sno-Med was huge and if that corporation was only part of what they were up against?…No, I thought, shaking off my doubts. I wasn’t going to question whether they could win or not. Readers had to have confidence that these few men would have what it took to win. “I take it your werewolf abilities are helping you defeat these vampires. This is sort of like that whole Underworld Movie thing, right?”

“Not even close,” Nick said. “That’s fiction. This is real and you damn well know it when demons are chasing you in helicopters and people you know and love are being victimized.” The passion and…anger in his voice, told me that his smile hid a well of purpose.

“And kidnapped or worse,” added Navarre with such vehemence that I had to lean back.

“Demons, too? Demons who can fly helicopters? How do you escape that?” I had visions of these men running like the Fugitive.

Nick shrugged and his easy going smile flashed back into place. “When you’re as good as I am, you out fly them.”

The men all rolled their eyes and groaned while Sam knocked Nick’s shoulder with a joking jab.

I couldn’t let the moment slide. I liked this playful side of them. “So you’re a good pilot?”

Nick flashed a grin and the men all groaned louder.

“You don’t want to ask him that,” Aragon said.

“Logos, help us if his head gets any bigger,” Jared replied.

“The best ride you’ll ever get,” Nick replied, cocking a brow.

Sam smacked Nick again almost knocking him off the bench and I laughed. Somehow even though I’d asked the question, I too wanted to smack the guy, but then that ride comment seemed to settle places that I couldn’t afford to acknowledge in the middle of an interview. I set my mind back on track.

“Once the vampires are defeated will you Shadowmen return back to the spirit world?”

All three of the werewolf warriors looked at me as if I’d lost my mind for even entertaining the idea.

“Give up heaven on earth with Erin?” Jared asked. “And no more peaches?”

“Have you tried it with strawberries, yet?” Aragon frowned at Jared.

“Snickers and Twinkies work,” said Navarre.

“I’ll stick with the truffles,” replied Sam.

“And I’m stuck with nothing.” Nick scowled.

“Looks as if you have your answer,” said Aragon. “Even if it were possible, we wouldn’t, because we all have found heaven here.”

A cell phone rang. Sam answered, spoke a word, and hung up. “Mission time. The women will be at the airport in twenty.”

The warriors stood. I hadn’t asked half the questions that I wanted to. “Where are you going?”

“York’s missing in England,” Navarre said.

“Who’s York?”

“Another Shadowman,” Sam said. “Great interview by the way. I expected a shark.”

The warriors were filing out of the dining hall faster than I could blink. I wasn’t near ready to let them go.

Nick paused before me. “I hate to leave a woman hanging. We’ll have to finish this later, okay?” Looking into his eyes, I knew without a doubt how easily a woman could lose herself in him despite his corny lines.

“Come on, Romeo,” Sam said, grabbing Nick’s arm. “I thought you were sweet on Bond.”

“Sweet doesn’t mean I’m dead,” Nick replied. “I man has to keep things honed to compete with warriors strutting around. It’s a good thing they don’t wear loin cloths.”

What’s wrong with loin cloths? I thought, imagining the visual feast. The door slammed shut and I snapped off the recorder. Left alone in the room, I suddenly felt deflated, as if all the vitality had been sucked away. It took about five seconds, before I dug out my cell phone and called my editor at Cosmos PQ. She picked up right away. “Hey D, I have a brilliant idea. How about, ‘Werewolves in Action,’ being my next piece? They’re heading to England on a mission. Can’t you just picture it? Werewolves battling in the fog? The Brits thought they’d seen the last of American Werewolves in London, but they’re out for a bloody shock when THESE Shadowmen come to town. One encounter and you know you’ll never be the same again.

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