http://www.kresleycole.com/docs/IADSeries.php Immortals After Dark Series
a. The Warlord Wants Forever - from the anthology book Playing Easy to Get
b. A Hunger Like No Other
c. No Rest for the Wicked
d. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night
e. Dark Needs at Night's Edge - May 2008
f. Dark Desires After Dark - June 2008
g. anthology Not That Innocent - tba 2008
The Immortals After Dark Series of Kresley Cole is a great series to look forward to. Its about lore factions, come to life - you get to read about valkyrie, lykae (wolf), vampires, witches, nymphs, siranae, ghosts and other lore creatures.
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night is the fourth book in the series and is my fave so far. This time, we get to read about Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan and Mariketa the Awaited of the House of Witches, both were introduced in the last book, No Rest for the Wicked, as competitors in the Hie (a sort of Amazing Race for the lore).
Bowen MacRieve, seeks to join the Hie in order to win the prize, Thrane's Key, which is said to have the power to enable the user to return to the past. Bowen's mate, Mariah, died in 1827 fleeing from him. He then seeks the key to undo the past in order to reclaim his mate, as lykae's are only given one mate in their lifetime.
Mariketa the Awaited is from the House of Witches, who is foretold to be the greatest witch of her time. Its just that, she hasnt turned immortal yet and her powers are quite volatile, as anytime she unleashes significant power - things ended up exploding.. It is also been foretold that a male from the lore will recognize her as his own and will seek to lock her away and therefore rob the house of witches of her powers, so she hides behind a cloak and a glamour as well.
In one of the tasks, Bowen trapped Mariketa in a cave, together with other competitors. But before he can seal them in, Mariketa was able to curse Bowen - a curse that will cost Bowen the Hie competition.
Unfortunately for the trapped competitors, the elves and the demons, they were not alone in the cave. There was something else trapped along with them and they could not get out of the cave. Since three of the lore were trapped, including the true king of the demons, not to mention the elves, they banded together and demanded that Bowen return and free the trapped competitors from the cave, or war will be brought upon the Lykae Clan.
Bowen, then returns and free the elves, the demons and Mariketa from the cave. After Mariketa reversed the spell from Bowen, they are now on their way to return Mariketa to the House so as to avert the war. Oh yeah, in case your wondering why they could not simply pick up a phone and inform the witches, the satellite phone that Bowen brought along with him was destroyed and the other's phone in their respective jeeps were destroyed by Bowen when he trapped them in the cave, in a forest that is now a site of two human factions at war with one another.
But things arent that simple. For Bowen now feels the Instinct (the one that guides Lykae's) after being silent for so long and its telling him that Mariketa is his mate. He is therefore understandably confused and he therefore believes that maybe, just maybe, Mariketa is Mariah reincarnated.
While Bowen endeavors to protect Mariketa, she is still mortal after all, he also wants to find out if she is his mate. He loathes witches due to the experience that his father had with one witch, and he cannot believe that fate will be cruel to give him one as a mate. But as they travel together, Bowen learns to accept and love Mariketa for herself, and not just as a possibility of being the reincarnated soul of Mariah.
But before they can sort things out, Mariah returns to Bowen, telling him that she sold her soul in order to return and get back to Bowen. Mariketa then learns what she is awaited to do.... and of course, Bowen and Mariketa ended up as mates.
You have to get the book and read it in order to find out their story (",)
