By
USA Today Bestselling Author
Dale Mayer

The journey back to consciousness hadn’t been fast or easy but, once awake, with weird images and voices in his head, Brody is all about getting back to the team and into the action. His senses are dulled, but, even then, he’s strong enough to know he has to leave the building where he’s been recuperating from the initial team accident. Not knowing any of the details doesn’t help, but it does mean trust is now the issue.

Clary came on board to help when Brody was lost on the ethers—and to help her sister, Cara, who had taken on more than she could handle with Rick’s care. And even though Clary had been forewarned as to how this type of connection could work, Clary didn’t expect it to work with her and her patient, Brody.

Having a healing pathway was one thing; … having a connection where you could hear thoughts, feel the same emotions, was quite another. And seeing how Brody fights to surmount the attacks on the team he loves so well only shows her how much more is possible—but not the event where she must test out her theory, … unless it’s to protect those she cares about.

Brody is finally waking up. It’s been a long journey for him, and he doesn’t really understand that he’s been in a coma. The most severely affected member of the team, Cara had been helping but lost him in the ethers while helping Rick. It’s been very draining for both Terk and her so now her twin sister Clary is helping. While Cara is a nurse, Clary is a doctor, as such she’s been in charge of Brody’s care.

Now that he’s awake he wants to be with the rest of the team. He’s surprised when he realizes Clary is the woman with Charles from MI6. After being shot at on the way to the complex of warehouses, there’s more of a conversation. Clary is connected to Brody in the same way Cara is connected to Rick. The problem is Clary can’t be sure Brody feels the same way about her. She’s had to restrict him and he’s not taking that well.

Apparently, Brody has problems accepting that his energy isn’t up to par. Withdrawing just her energy from him leaves him drained and exhausted.

This is a favorite scene.

“Just a recon.” Damon hopped up and headed toward the rear door.

“Yes, but much more intense, and they’re using some kind of technology to see who and what is in here,” Wade said.

Immediately Brody felt an attack on his senses. He instinctively sent up a shield surrounding the entire group.

Terk looked over at him and nodded. “Just remember to conserve your energy.”

“I can sense that this is not the main attack,” Brody told them.

“This will be something else,” Terk confirmed. “I think more along the lines of trying to sort out where we are and how to get in,” he muttered.

“But we can’t take the chance of your being wrong either,” Brody noted.

“No, we sure can’t,” Terk murmured. “So, if you’ve got something to add, please do so.”

Brody frowned at that. “I’m done eating, so I’ll go and set up a camouflage on the building itself.” And, with that, he turned and walked away. Almost immediately he sensed somebody beside him and realized that— for all his previous efforts to stay separate, which ended earlier today— Clary was now in the face of danger and right beside him. “It’s probably not a good idea to have you with me.”

“Yeah, probably not,” she agreed, “but what the hell? … It seems like there’s no point in arguing about it right now. We need to fend this off together.”

He looked over at her in surprise. “Does that mean you won’t shut me down?”

“I haven’t shut you down yet,” she corrected. “Don’t give me a reason to, and I won’t have to.”

He frowned at that. “So I guess taking away my energy doesn’t constitute the same thing to you?” he asked curiously, as they walked through to the computer room, then on toward the bedrooms.

“Absolutely not,” she snapped, “because I didn’t take away your energy. All I did was take away my energy. I just separated myself.”

He nodded. “So you said before. I just didn’t realize how much of your energy it took to keep me functioning.”

“Of course you didn’t. You’re stubborn.” She said it in such a way that there was no judgment, more like just stating a fact.

He burst out laughing. “Well, I guess I should be grateful for small mercies that you kept me going this long.”

“Yes, you should,” she replied, emphasizing every word. “Gratitude doesn’t appear to be part of your makeup.” She was staring him down now.

He frowned at that. “Wow. That was a direct hit.”

“Not even close,” she said, “but you have a lot more of those coming.”

He looked at her sharply. “Have I been such an asshole that I deserve it?”

“Not at all, just … stubborn. And because you’re stubborn and obnoxious, you’re not doing as well as you could be.”

He groaned. “It’s been a shock to realize that I wasn’t doing nearly as well as I thought,” he admitted. “And your separating action was a very effective lesson that I’m very sorry I had to learn the hard way. Look. I’ve never relied on anyone else but me. I didn’t wait because I was really hoping I was doing better.”

“You’re doing pretty amazing,” she noted, “but you don’t have a whole lot of room for anyone else in your life. That is making it a lot harder for you to absorb energy efficiently. You are wasting too much energy by stressing over things that aren’t important.”

She needed him to understand the ramifications. “When you’re upset, you block me out, so we have to find other ways to get that energy into your system, which is making me work harder. It makes it more difficult on me than it should be.”

He stopped outside his bedroom. “Seriously?”

She nodded. “Yes, seriously! Because you’re so determined to keep me out, you’re inadvertently blocking the energy that you desperately need.” She shook her head. “Like I said, you’re stubborn. But I’ve been dealing with stubborn and cranky patients for a long time. So, as much as you’re trying to be unique and different, the first at the forefront,” she quipped, “you’re really not.” And, with that, she opened up the door to his bedroom and looked back at him.

“Shall we?”
Dale Mayer. Brody’s Beast (Kindle Locations 1786-1821). Valley Publishing Ltd..

As Brody gains more understanding of the connection between him and Clary, she also teaches him ways to strengthen his abilities. Although she knows it will take both of them when push comes to shove.

I loved the way this unfolds, there has been so much growth within this group. It’s heartwarming, scary, romantic and sizzling too.

I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

5 Contented Purrs for Dale!

Dale Mayer

Dale Mayer is a USA Today bestselling author best known for her Psychic Visions and Family Blood Ties series. Her contemporary romances are raw and full of passion and emotion (Second Chances, SKIN), her thrillers will keep you guessing (By Death series), and her romantic comedies will keep you giggling (It’s a Dog’s Life and Charmin Marvin Romantic Comedy series).

She honors the stories that come to her – and some of them are crazy and break all the rules and cross multiple genres!

To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series. All her books are available in print and ebook format.