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    Twisted
    Twisted
    Twisted
    Ebook438 pages5 hours

    Twisted

    By GENA SHOWALTER

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    Sixteen-year-old Aden Stone has had a hell of a week.

    He's been: Tortured by angry witches. Hypnotized by a vengeful fairy. Spied on by the most powerful vampire in existence. And, oh, yeah, killed—twice. His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he's never felt more out of control. There's a darkness within him, something taking over. . . changing him.

    Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last. Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend.

    The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened. Life couldn't get any worse. Could it?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateOct 1, 2011
    ISBN9781408952047
    Twisted
    Author

    GENA SHOWALTER

    Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of over seventy books, including the acclaimed Lords of the Underworld series, the Gods of War series, the White Rabbit Chronicles, and the Forest of Good and Evil series. She writes sizzling paranormal romance, heartwarming contemporary romance, and unputdownable young adult novels, and lives in Oklahoma City with her family and menagerie of dogs. Visit her at GenaShowalter.com.

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    Reviews for Twisted

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    • 4/5
      I can't wait for the next book
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: Aden has always known the paranormal exists. The four souls trapped in his head exposed him to that world a long time ago, but meeting a girl he’s seen only in his dreams and developing a power he doesn’t understand endangers not only his darkest secret but also, his life.Opening Sentence: A cemetery. No, no, NO! How had he ended up here?The Review:Showalter spins an elaborate web of characters with rich back stories and destinies that only seem to grow more complicated with each passing chapter. The character development has to be my favorite thing about this book because, even though it happens a little fast in some cases as far as the dating relationships go, I feel like the friendships that stem from the events are realistic and even relatable. That is exemplified best between the main character Aden and the eventual arrival of Riley, a werewolf with an attitude. The pair seems to be in a constant battle for alpha male as the story progresses, but when a sudden plot twist throws Aden into a certain position of authority, Riley concedes without question and with what would prove to be unwavering loyalty.Victoria, a vampire princess and Mary Anne, a girl who until Aden crashed into her life, had no knowledge of the paranormal also seem at ends with each other. However, the girls really aren’t forced to interact quite as much as the boys so their relationship development is less obvious. Since the main character is a male, I feel like Victoria and Mary Anne give female readers someone to bond with. They are not the damsel in distress types, which makes me quite happy. Another relationship that is important is between Aden and the four souls trapped inside his head. I find the souls to be a little annoying because they know that they are the reason Aden has so many problems in life. When they talk, Aden hears them in his head but he has to respond out loud for them to hear it. It drives me crazy that they can’t just stay quiet, and because of them, Aden is diagnosed with Schizophrenia. As a result Aden gets bounced from foster home to foster home only to end up at D & Ms ranch for troubled boys. The souls hurt more than they help by forcing their own special abilities onto Aden without his permission. Their commentary is shown in italics which I enjoy, because it sets their conversation apart from the rest of the text.If character development is my favorite part of the book, then the many driving mysteries are a close second. There are so many unanswered questions throughout this novel. First and foremost, Aden is trying to figure out who each of the souls are, and how they ended up in his head of all places. Second, there is the curious connection between Aden and Mary Anne that has them desperate to hug but also run away from each other. How did Aden draw all the creatures of the night to him and why? What do the creatures want from him? The final, most driving and nagging question comes from a prediction Aden received from the psychic soul, Elijah. The prediction came with a vision that showed Aden exactly how he was going to die. This is repeated often, nearly every time something positive happens, Aden recalls the fact that he is destined to die soon.I have read this book multiple times, and I will undoubtedly read it again. This is the perfect book for readers who need to be sucked into a story quickly.Notable Scene:In unison, the witches stretched out their arms and began muttering. Riley leapt forward, slamming against the same invisible wall Victoria had met. The power Aden felt pulsing from them grew in intensity, coagulating just above their upraised palms, first white, then blue, then exploding into golden flames. As one, they tossed those flames into the circle.Riley, Victoria and Mary Anne screamed in pain, each of them dropping to their knees, panting, sweating, writhing. As Aden rushed to them, Riley morphed into human form, his bones realigning, his fur retracting under his skin, then switched back to wolf form, then returned to human form again. The sight was at once astonishing and gruesome.“Until then,” the blonde witch said as if she hadn’t a care. The witches backed up, never giving them their backs, and soon disappeared beyond the trees.FTC Advisory: I purchased my own copy of Intertwined. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
    • 5/5
      I liked this one quite a bit. the cover put me off at first because its a bit cheesy, but the premise was interesting.
      aden has four extra souls in his head. something that gets him labeled schizophrenic and passed from one institution to another. nothing quiets the souls until he meets mary ann. mary ann can quiet the souls in his head and give him the peace he wishes for. but there are complications. victoria and riley to be specific. victoria is a vampire princess and riley her were bodyguard.
    • 3/5
      Oh, how I dislike cliff-hanger endings. I suppose technically the immediate threat was resolved at the end, but to leave a big plot point hanging the way this does...not good!

      That said, a good venture into YA supernatural romance.
    • 4/5
      Aden Stone is your typical 16-year-old boy, attempting to fit in with his peers and just trying to survive his teenage years. Oh, except for one thing…he has four souls trapped in his body. Each of these souls can do something special: Julian can raise the dead, Elijah sees the future, Eve can time travel and Caleb can possess another body. Since they can do these things, so can Aden. Ok, maybe he’s not such a typical teenage boy.Aden’s parents gave him up as a toddler and he’s been shuttled between foster homes and mental institutions ever since. Now, at 16, he’s been placed at D and M Ranch, a place he likes except for the other teenage boys there whom he calls the Dregs. If he holds onto his temper, toes the line and doesn’t talk out loud to the souls in his head then maybe he can stay.Not long after he arrives at the D and M Ranch he goes for a walk to familiarize himself with his new surroundings. After not paying attention to where he is walking and drowning out the voices in his head with his iPod he accidentally crosses the boundary into a graveyard and starts raising the dead. He fights the zombies, sustains some injuries and sees a girl that quiets the voices. Shocked, he cleans up and trails her to a coffee shop (Holy Grounds, love that name!), finds out her name is Mary Ann Gray and she goes to the local public school named Crossroads High.Aden decides he needs to know more about Mary Ann and in order to do that he needs to go to her school. However, he’s considered dangerous and it’ll take some serious luck to convince Dan Reeves, former pro football player and owner of D and M, to allow him to attend.With some help from Caleb’s ability Aden gets his wish. As he begins his journey to know Mary Ann and her special ability he meets a vampire, a werewolf, a ghost and a demon and learns about so many other creatures he thought myth. However, the fun is just starting for Aden as he learns who he is, who is parents are, who the four souls are and why they’re trapped inside him.I look forward to reading ‘Unraveled’ and unlocking more pieces of Aden’s life puzzle.
    • 5/5
      I really, really like the plot. I love the plot. It may have had the 'Twilight' effect for Aden and Victoria in some ways, but it's totally different. It got zombies, faeries, wolves, vampires, witches and goblins, to name a few, and yeah, ghosts. Intertwined has a rich plot that I can't wait to see the unraveling (the second installment) of the next intertwining events. How Mary Anne can neutralize Aden's ghosts and 'power', how Riley, the shapeshifter can suppress Mary Anne's 'neutralization', how Victoria, the vampire princess just made Aden her King, how the other ghosts can get free, what power does Aden really has, where they got it from, their interaction with the witches, how they would deal with the goblins and faeries, and demons. It really has a Charmed factor in some. I don't want to spoil the fun by spilling beans here, but if there's one book I recommend you to add - this is it! When you start reading it, you won't be able to put it down. You would love the interaction of Riley and Mary Anne. Especially the words they interchanged in one scene (ok, a spoiler) -'Go away'.Look at me.'Can't you do anything I ask of you? Anything at all?'Please.It was the first time he'd ever asked her for something nicely.Absently, she rolled to her back, then her other side, and petted his neck. One of her tears spilled over, and she fought the rest back. No reason to add 'sobbing like a baby' to her list of embarrassments today.I'm sorry you're hurting, but I can't say I'm sorry he's out of your life. You were too good for him.'Him, I'll get over.' Her voice shook, the vibrations affecting her chin. The trembling then spread to her jaw.It's the girl, then. Penny. She's your friend?'Was. Was my friend, My best friend.' Oh, God. So many years of love and trust, now ruined.Why not still? People make mistakes, Mary Anne.That was only the second time he'd said her name. She liked the way he said it, drawing out the A's. 'I know they make mistakes. I'm studying to be a psychologist, you know. I'm highly aware that some impulses are harder to ignore than others. I'm aware that fear of consequences causes us to guard our secrets. But it's our actions when we faced temptation that define who we are. It's our courage in admitting what we've done wrong that makes us forgivable...'Just love it! (NOTE: This is the second Gena Showalter series that I love. The first series I've read was the Tales of an Extraordinary Girl - Playing with Fire and Twice as Hot - and now this and the second installment, Unraveled).
    • 4/5
      The opening sequence with the bodies coming out of the grave, ick, and it almost put me off. Haden aka Aden has a strange life. Orphaned and in and out of psychiatric institutions since he was very young because he hears voices. They're actually souls and he's not sure why they're there. It makes him strange and isolated.He's now in a new town, Crossroads, and he meets Mary Ann who causes the voices to stop for a while. However it's Victoria he's been seeing in his dreams, and Victoria is a vampire, isn't it lucky that her bodyguard Riley is a werewolf and attracted to Mary Ann?It's not a bad start to a series, it does pull you in and ask almost more questions than you have answers for, but it's also a bit clunky, if I didn't know better I would swear that it's a first novel, but it isn't. I was entertained but wanted more from it than it gave.
    • 3/5
      I got this book off of katelisim's thread. I had been warned ahead of time that it wasn't phenomenal. At the time I was looking for a simple young adult book that I didn't have to try hard to get through. That's exactly what I got. I give Showalter props for the story idea. It's the first of its kind that I've come across. But the romance was juvenile and predictable and the characters mostly flat. Nothing's really concluded. Indeed, I'm not quite sure what the overall plot is. There are a lot of questions. I'm thinking maybe that was a method used to keep you reading the series and maybe eventually I will read the sequel to see what does happen, but not anytime soon I think.
    • 4/5
      I've been a bit of a Gena Showalter fan ever since I read The Nymph King. There's just something about the way Showalter writes that really pulls me into the story. Intertwined is the first YA book I've read by Showalter, and wow, is there a LOT going on. Not that that's a bad thing, there's just a lot of material to absorb and process within just the first 100 or so pages. We have four major players in this play of life: Aden, the boy who everyone thinks is insane because he has 4 different souls inhabiting his body; Mary Ann, the girl that somehow neutralizes the souls within Aden; Victoria, the mysterious girl who is drawn to Aden; and Riley, guardian of Victoria who has a habit of hanging around Mary Ann.Let me first say that I am impressed with Showalter's ambition with Intertwined. Most titles deal with one or two supernatural beings while Intertwined encompasses vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, ghosts, demons, just to name a few. Fortunately, rather than try to explore all of these supernatural beings at once, Showalter examines only a few within this first novel, namely that of two main characters who are a vampire and a werewolf. I actually like the idea of setting up an entire world living within the "normal" everyday world that most humans live in, and obviously that supernatural world would be composed of many different supernatural beings.The characters really do make the story very enjoyable and engrossing. I'll admit that Riley is my current particular favorite simply because of his protectiveness despite his somewhat brooding nature. Aden is a doll in his own right, especially with having to share his head with 4 other people. That would definitely be enough to put someone in an institution. In the way of the relationships among the major four, I feel divided in my thoughts. On the one hand, the hopeless romantic in me wants to go "Awwwww" about how the couples come together because of the sweetness of it. However, the logician in me says that clearly they would need more time to truly fall in love. Fortunately, the romantic side wins out simply due to the tense situations both couples are placed in. That can definitely create a stronger bond between a pair of characters. Understandably, this is the first part of a much greater story, so while the climax wasn't as immense as I thought it would be, it definitely made me curious to see what will happen in the next installment of the series, Unraveled.
    • 5/5
      An amazing book, that stands out simply because it does what only really good books do, it has so many twists and turns you never know what's coming next, and the ending hits you on the head and question everything you just read. Gena Showalter does an amazing job of continuing this story, and even though she leaves us with the biggest cliff hanger yet, it makes you love the book that much more because of how she managed to do it.
      All of our favorite characters are back, doing things that are completely out of character for them. Aden has changed, our favorite vampire princes is having issues, Riley and Mary Anne have their own issues to work out, and even daemon Tucker plays a staring role, and we really get to see sides of him that we never thought we would.
      Overall, an amazing read, but definitely part of the series, and should be read in order, but when you finish it don't just toss it, think about it.
    • 3/5
      I couldn't get past the grotesque zombie beginning or the description of the characters. This was definitely not my type of book and I stopped after about 20 pages.
    • 3/5
      Haden Stone, whom everyone refers to as Aden, is a "disturbed" young man. Since birth - or maybe even before - he has been different. His parents gave him up as a child, and he has been shuffled between numerous foster families and mental institutions. Most people who come across Aden label him "Schizo". Why do they think he's schizophrenic? Aden has four souls living inside his head. Eve can time-travel, Julian can raise the dead, Elijah can tell the future (usually how/when someone will die) and Caleb can possess another human. They cause Aden all types of trouble, but they are the only friends he has ever known... until Mary Ann comes along. Whenever he's around her, she quiets the voices giving him some minuscule sense of peace. He attracts the paranormal, and she repels it. Maybe she can help free the souls trapped in his head?This story has it all: Vampires, werewolves, witches, goblins, demons, fairies... and humans. I was wondering how this story was going to tie all of these different "creatures" into it, but the author did a good job. It was a rather quick and easy read. I enjoyed getting to know the different souls trapped in Aden's head, their different personalities and their interactions with one another. I had the second book in the series at home, but had to return in because more books came in for me at the library that have longer hold queues... so I want to get those read, and then I will get back to Unraveled. Looking forward to finding out what happens with everyone.
    • 2/5
      Personally, I had a very hard time getting through Gena's first dip into the YA pool. I'm not sure if it was her intention to have you feeling confused through most of the story just like her characters seem to be but that was the effect on me. After trudging my way to the end, I might look for the follow-up, Unraveled, but it's going to be near the bottom of my want-to-get list.
    • 4/5
      Like Meridian by Kizer, this book has a different twist on the whole teen, urban fantasy storyline. Doesn't have to just be about werewolves and vampires anymore.
    • 5/5
      A boy possessed by four souls with supernatural talents, a vampire princess and her ferally handsome werewolf bodyguard, and a teenage girl with a fifteen year plan - strange companions, all: in a world filled with demons, witches, faeries and goblins, few if any of them friendly, can four teenagers keep each other safe? Showalter's take on the wildly popular vampire/werewolf-themed thriller is a suspenseful, rewarding read. I'm looking forward to following up with Unraveled.
    • 5/5
      Spoiler!!!!!!!!!!!!!I loved this book! Lots of action and romance! I fell in love with Riley and Aden right away. The only thing that had me a bit confused was the very begining of Adens and Victorias relationship. I thought she was out to kill Aden so I didnt like her. But then I figured out she was all good! =)I loved Riley and his dark attitude. I loved the "voices" in Adens head with their sarcastic humor. I loved the different point of views!Awesome book. Read it. =)
    • 5/5
      I loved this book. It was a very interesting concept. Aden Stone is not your average teenager; he happens to have four human souls living inside his head. One can time travel, one can see the future, one can raise the dead and the fourth can take possession of other living beings. All of his life, Aden has been in-and-out of mental institutions because he talks to himself and people thought he was schizophrenic thus making him an outcast. His mother and father abandoned him when he was a kid and other than the four souls inhabiting his head, he has never had a friend or known love. Aden moves to a ranch for derelict kids in Crossroads, Oklahoma and his whole world changes. He meets Mary Ann, a girl who makes the voices in his head go away, Victoria, a vampire Princess and Riley a werewolf. I didn't want this book to end and I can't wait to read Unraveled, the next book in the series!!
    • 4/5
      Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:One can time-travel.One can raise the dead.One can tell the future.And one can possess another human.With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now they're causing him all kinds of trouble. Like, he'll blink and suddenly he's a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he'll change the future. Or he'll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she's going to die.He's so over it. All he wants is peace.And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, as long as he's near her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He's a loner; she has friends. He doesn't care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it's too late....Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own, and a vampire princess Aden can't resist.Two romances, both forbidden. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger but not everyone will come out alive.... (Summary from Good Reads)I just finished reading "Intertwined" and have to say I wasn't disappointed. I'm used to reading Gena Showalter's adult novels so I didn't know what to expect when she jumped to the YA genre. I picked this up previously and despite fighting zombies in the first few pages I wasn't into the book. So I set it down and read some other things. Then, while waiting for my next stack of YA books to come, I started reading it again. It started to get really interesting around page 82 as Mary Ann is walking to school. Many of you may get sucked in before then, but it took until there for me to care about the characters. All of a sudden the action starts and it doesn't stop until the end at page 440. There's a girl Mary Ann, that shuts the voices up in Aden's head, but they aren't attracted to each other, just friends. There's a vampire that Aden has been dreaming of kissing that shows up. A werewolf walks the girl Mary Ann to and from school and talks to her in her head. Betrayal by friends. Mary Ann finds out things about her past she never imagined. Aden travels back in time to discover something about the present and he loses one of the voices in his head.Then there's the Halloween Ball, where he's to meet his girlfriend the vampire's father, Vlad the Impaler. The original. And, Aden already knows he's going to die soon thanks to one of the voices in his head that can see the future. He's just not quite sure when. Add to that, Aden has somehow called all types of supernatural creatures, vampires, werewolves, fairies, goblins and witches. The book ends satisfactorily, but with a lot of things left open. Everything is definitely intertwined in this book. Of the four main characters, I thought three were very well developed but felt the vampire,Victoria felt a little flat. Of all the characters, Mary Ann had the most growing up to do. She seemed to be little Mary Sunshine in the beginning of the book, but by the end, her eyes were wide open and she'd shown amazing character growth. Aden really didn't have any growth to make. He was already so mature with everything he had to deal with except he does need to learn to hold back on his urge to fight. We don't know the characters of Riley and Victoria very well, even though we only just meet all of them in the same book, but the story is told from Mary Ann's and Aden's points of view. There were a few subplots that didn't seem to add much to the story but perhaps the reason for them will come out in the next book or they were a subtle hint about what was in Aden's head. The next book is due out in August and I can't wait. This is a great series and I'm guessing there will be three other books including the one coming out in August as there are three other souls in Aden's head.
    • 4/5
      Intertwined is the first in a new series by Gena Showalter featuring Aden Stone, a hot sixteen-year-old guy who would be totally normal but for the four disembodied souls taking up space inside his head. Since his parents abandoned him as a small child, Aden has been bounced from mental institutions to foster homes to prisons and back again. Finally, he's landed at D and M Ranch, a home for troubled teenagers run by a former football player. Unfortunately, Aden's troubles have just begun. You see, the souls give Aden powers - powers to raise the dead, see the future, travel through time, and possess the body of another; and those powers are attracting creatures that Aden never believed existed. A few of them are on his side, but the others' motives could be far more sinister.Aden knows the only way to stop what's going to happen is to find the four souls bodies of their own, and he may have just met the girl who could help him do just that, a girl named Mary Ann who inexplicably neutralizes the souls. Before he knows it, Aden, a guy who has never had so much as one friend is friends with Mary Ann, in love with a vampire princess, and at odds with a werewolf. All this, and he has to convince the owner of the D and M that he's changed his ways and is living a normal, upstanding life or chance being sent away yet again.I'm so torn about Intertwined. Honestly, it was a bit over the top for me. There's more paranormal stuff in this book than you can shake a stick at. It fairly reeks of its Harlequin brethren which I abandoned shortly before I graduated from high school. Its male characters are all strikingly beautiful. Its female characters, even the would-be strong ones, seem to be always in need of protection, or, at least, so all the male characters seem to believe. It's all just a bit too contrived with problems a bit too easily solved by unlikley powers seemingly invented on the fly. I found myself more than occasionally irritated, even patronized by its wanderings into the ridiculous.Ah, but wait. I also devoured the story with alarming speed. It's well-paced and packed with action and mystery. Its characters, including all of the souls Aden's mind plays host to, are a sympathetic bunch, even the ones who have slightly more evil leanings. I had an easier time buying one romance than the other, but both were played out in interesting and often unexpected ways. Showalter tells an absorbing story even if it does require a hefty dose of suspension of disbelief. All in all, Intertwined is a book that I have a hard time admitting that I liked, but I did.
    • 3/5
      My feelings are a little mixed on this book. The plot was interesting and overall I enjoyed the book. However, the story just seemed to have too much going on. It was like the author said "lets see how many different paranormal things we can cram into one book." I wish there were less paranormal elements and more development into a specific focus of "paranromalness". The romance element between Aden and his love interest was a little cheesy and super fast; I prefer to have some 'lets get to know one another' before instantly IN LOVE. I felt like Mary Anne's love element was a little more realistic. The book has plenty of action and is well paced, even if the character's reactions were sometimes over the top. Overall it was a fun read and I will be keeping an eye out for the sequel since there was plenty of plot left to unravel at the end of this one.
    • 4/5
      I was surprised to find Gena Showalter had a young adult book out. I have read all of her adult fantasy books and was curious if she would transfer over well into young adult. I must admit, I was skeptical, but ended up pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed this first book in her Intertwined series. So much so, I finished the rather lengthy book in one day.The book starts out action packed very quickly. The main character Aden is able to raise the dead and accidentally happens upon a cemetery. Quickly we learn that Aden isn't an average 16 year-old, but knows how to wield daggers like a gunslinger wields guns. Right after this first action scene, Aden meets another important character, Mary Ann. Their meeting is one that puts in motion the plot of the story. It seems Mary Ann is the opposite of Aden and can neutralize his abilities. This first meeting of the two opposites, however, brings about a force of power that has summoned all the suppose to be non-existent magical creatures in the world to Crossroads, Oklahoma. Being an Oklahoman myself, this pleasantly surprised me too.Aden has been in foster homes his whole life. He hears voices and is a diagnosed schizophrenic. He has been sent to the D and M Ranch for wayward boys and one slip up could get him sent away from the ranch, public school, and his soon to be love Victoria, a vampire. She is one of the creatures that has been summoned. Her bodyguard, Riley the werewolf, also becomes an integral part of the story. He and Mary Ann seem to have a connection that negates her ability as a neutralizer. With all these abilities in play, the creatures are flocking to Crossroads in order to find Aden, the source of this power, and use him for their own purposes - none friendly. There are love interests that will make you feel happy certain characters are together. I can say I am glad I was not left with a love triangle that I needed to decide what "team" I was on. Very refreshing.Until almost half way through the book, it feels like it takes time to set things up. There is a lot of background knowledge that happens before you come to the climax. At first, I wondered when we would get to the connecting aspects of why certain things were being explained. I thought the book was going in a totally different direction than it ended up based on how the story unfolds. I was still interested in the book at each step. This isn't a complaint, but a reference to how the book may seem to take longer to get going with the real plot, not that it is a slow read. The book reads easily, flows, and you do not want to put it down. There is the feeling of several different stories going on leading up to the climax. Each story is interesting in itself and flows into the climax quite cleverly. This climax is what will lead the reader into anticipating the second book in the series, Unraveled, released August 31, 2010. I can only hope the different story lines presented means Showalter has several more books planned for this series in order to unfold them all.I highly recommend this book to young adult fantasy readers. Showalter has taken fantasy and added her own brand of magic to young adult. I can honestly say this is a new take on the vampire, werewolf, witches, abilities type of fantasy book. This is a unique book of ideas and characters. I'm glad I took the time to discover how well Showalter does transfer to young adult and I have already downloaded Unraveled to my Kindle, so I can continue this journey with Adan and his friends.
    • 4/5
      Judith says: Intertwined went soooo slowly for me. It was a little over half of the book before I really got interested. However, I must have known it was worth the wait because once I got past the first half, I could not stop reading.Funny, but even after I got into the book, the characters still have not captured my interest. I love the plot and am very interested in the sequel (there will be one, won't there?). I honestly can't say that a book has ever afftected me in this way. Perhaps the next book, will find me really liking and caring about Aden, Victoria, Mary Ann and Riley. Good names for movie characters, don't you think?The spotlight is strictly on the teens. They are all very attractive, smart and willing to take risks for one another. I like their various and troubled backgrounds. They complement one another. The young women who enjoy romance will like this. Guys might also be willing to read Intertwined since there are two strong male protagonists and some fairly decent fight sequences. The only things was the beginning, it went slowly. I know that the author had to set up the characters and the environment the kids were living in, but I wonder if she could not have speeded things up a bit. Anyway, I did like reading the story. Very interesting plot and I want to know what happens next. Soon, okay?
    • 4/5
      This was such a great book that I actually tried to read slower in order to prolong the experience. I loved all the characters -- which is no surprise since Gena Showalter always creates wonderfully intriguing characters. The story was an excellent combination of sweet teenage romance and paranormal thrill. This is one of the most sophisticated and clever young adult novels I've ever read. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.
    • 3/5
      Title: IntertwinedAuthor: Gena ShowalterGenre: YA paranormal/fantasyWhere I got it: Oregon Digital Library Consortium AKA my local library's electronic book site (audio and e-books).One sentence: Aden Stone, a teen with four other souls living inside him, each with a different paranormal talent (time traveling, raising the dead, seeing the future and possess other people), meets Mary Ann Gray, who silences the voices, and the two of them are dragged into supernatural danger along with a werewolf shape-shifter and a vampire princess.Themes: Forbidden love, supernatural abilities, family issues, danger and intrigue.Main character: Aden Stone was abandoned by his parents because they thought he was crazy. He's been in and out of multiple foster homes and institutions. He is an outcast with few friends, has an interesting back story and connection with Mary Ann. I didn't really feel like his personality came through as very unique or memorable, just the fact that he had four other people living inside of him.Secondary characters: I first thought that Mary Ann and Aden would fall in love, but it was actually really refreshing that they just remained friends. Mary Ann has had everything in the past, a stark comparison to Aden. She didn't really make much of an impact with me, although the past with her mother turned into an interesting plot point.Their love interests; Victoria, the vampire princess, and her werewolf-shape-shifter bodyguard, Riley, seemed entirely one dimensional. Both seemed attracted to and sought out Mary Ann and Aden for no apparent reason. The romance was not very convincing and the characters seemed very stereotypical.Writing style: Showalter's writing style was both fast paced and detailed when the situation required it. Nothing popped up that jolted me out of the story, and that's how I can often judge if the writing is awkward or badly written.Plot: The concept of this book really drew me in, but it turned more into werewolves, vampires, faeries and goblins more than the voices in Aden's head. The first half of the book was quite different from the mess of paranormal creatures that swooped in toward the end. The twists and turns were entertaining, but also slightly overwhelming.Best scene: The beginning scene in the graveyard where Aden fights off zombie corpses.Positives: Concept, fast paced action and writing, multiple story lines with two romancesNegatives: Characters, ending, some of the plot points were lost on me.Ending: Slightly thrown together. The ends were somewhat tied up (leaving room for a sequel, of course), but there was no closure.Other/Random:Verdict: Fun and entertaining, but not anything with depth. Good for a quick, light YA read.Rating: 6.7 / 10
    • 4/5
      Although Aden might seem crazy to some - talking to thin air, acting peculiar around cemeteries, etc. - he is far from it. The voices inside Aden Stone's head are real. He has four human souls living inside him - Eve can time-travel, Julian can raise the dead, Elijah can tell the future and Caleb can possess another human. He has spent his life from one institution to the next, being prescribed all sorts of pills and at the mercy of his doctors and caretakers.Now, living on the outskirts of a new town with a couple who has taken him (and other troubled boys like him) in, he plans on a fresh start. But that all changes when he catches a glimpse of a girl who not only quiets the voices in his head, but basically knocks him on his butt at first glance. He knows he must find out who she is and how she can do what no one has done before.Riddled with all sorts of supernatural beings (i.e. vampires, werewolves, fairies, goblins, demons and witches) you are taken on a journey with Aden and Mary Ann - who not only form an inexplicable bond of friendship but whose limits will be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann and a vampire princess that has been the star of many of Aden's dreams. Together the four face intrigue and danger, doomed romances and the possibility that not all may come out alive.As a big fan of Gena's adult novels, I was excited to read this first installment of her YA series and, I must say, I was not disappointed. I loved how so many elements of paranormal fantasy were thrown in here and jumbled all together - giving it a fresh and original idea. The chapters are told through either Aden or Mary Ann perspectives. So you get to not only hear what Aden is thinking but you also get to see it through Mary Ann.The characterization was great. Even the voices in Aden's head were well-developed. It got to the point where I knew which had spoken by just the way they said things. Very engaging and imaginative. As for the romances, I have to admit that although I did enjoy reading about Aden and Victoria, my fave couple was Mary Ann and Riley. I found myself looking forward to their moments together. But overall, I think it was well done.This was such a fun book and although many of its problems were resolved by its end, there were also many questions left unanswered and, one of those pesky cliffhangers. All in all, a fantastic start to what I can tell will be a very enjoyable series. Book #2 - Unraveled, releases September 2010... I'll be anxiously awaiting it.
    • 3/5
      I was drawn to this book based solely on what appeared to be a unique concept (in YA lit, anyway; the idea, not the plot, reminds me of the movie Heart and Souls). In all honesty, were it not for the fact that there was this somewhat unusual idea, I probably would have given up reading the book about a hundred pages in.As I started the book, I found it rather difficult to get involved in the story. The characters were just so-so, and the writing didn’t propel the story forward in a particularly interesting way. The only thing that kept me interested was the need to discover whether my suspicions about the connection between Aden and Mary Ann were right.When the werewolf and vampire princess enter the story, everything got a bit bogged down. It seemed to take a while to get them settled into the plot and figure out why they were important. And I just didn’t buy either romance. They were physical attraction mixed with fascination mixed with that mysterious something, and they both fell flat to me.What I did like about the book was that it did go in a direction that I genuinely did not see coming. About eighty pages into the book, I was afraid I could see exactly where the story was going. Though it took a long time to find it out, I was happy to discover that I was wrong about the twist I felt was coming.I can’t categorize this as a great read, but I was able (after some time) to get into the story enough that I felt actively engaged in it. The first quarter’s pacing crawled a lot, but it steadily improved as the story progressed. However, because the book is over 400 pages, I think that the issue of pacing may be one that will keep many readers from picking up (or finishing) the book.
    • 5/5
      I have seen a lot of reviews of this book and they are very mixed so I was hesitant about picking it up, but I wanted to decide for myself so I finally downloaded it to my Kindle last week. When I first picked up the book I felt very confused at the beginning because Aden has four other souls that live in him and when they talk I sometimes get them mixed up. I have heard other reviewers say that if you don’t read fantasy or paranormal normally it might be confusing, but I do read those and I was still a little confused. After the first couple of chapters I started to see things a little clearer, but by the end of the book I was still getting the male voices mixed up. There are three male and one female soul living in him and it was the men that I found hard to differentiate between because it is hard to pick up on their different personalities with only voices to go off of.Throughout the book the point of view changes between Aden and Mary-Anne, so I felt as though I got a full story because Aden and Mary-Anne help put together different pieces of information that add to the story. I also felt like as the story progressed even though the point of view changed the story almost melded together and who was telling it didn’t matter. Changing point of views made sense and almost helped the story flow better. I am guessing the title of the book is supposed to be a reflection of that.Aden is a very likable character, he has had a hard life and you are really rooting for him in this book because he just cannot seem to catch a break. Mary-Ann is also a great character, she is sweet and thoughtful, but needs a little fun in her life and Riley is just the guy to give her that. I liked seeing the relationships grow between Aden and Victoria and Riley and Mary-Ann, it is interesting how all four of them really balance each other out. I know that sounds a little weird, but that is how I felt about them, I look at each of them as 1/4 of a circle, when they are all together they are whole. Okay, I am not doing a good job explaining this, but I think if you read it you will understand what I mean.The only other downside for me in this book was the ending, I felt like everything was really rushed or just happened really fast. The climax built up and when you finally get there the ending happens so quickly I got to the last page and went “Wait, what?” I felt like I was left with questions, the biggest one being I am still not sure why Aden and Mary-Ann are drawn together, and what caused everything to stop, literally, when they first see each other. I am afraid I might have missed something, or maybe those are questions that the next book will answer. Either way, Gena Showalter has done her job because I am now counting down to the release of the next book because I have to know the answers to those questions. I know that the voices in Aden’s head are a bit confusing, but that is not enough to put me off of this book. I also know that I sometimes read too quickly and you cannot do that with this book or you will miss something, you need to read this one slowly. I am very intrigued to see where these four characters are headed next and thought that as a whole the book was good. The next installment is called Unraveled and comes out this August.
    • 4/5
      Intertwined went soooo slowly for me. It was a little over half of the book before I really got interested. However, I must have known it was worth the wait because once I got past the first half, I could not stop reading.Funny, but even after I got into the book, the characters still have not captured my interest. I love the plot and am very interested in the sequel (there will be one, won't there?). I honestly can't say that a book has ever afftected me in this way. Perhaps the next book, will find me really liking and caring about Aden, Victoria, Mary Ann and Riley. Good names for movie characters, don't you think?The spotlight is strictly on the teens. They are all very attractive, smart and willing to take risks for one another. I like their various and troubled backgrounds. They complement one another. The young women who enjoy romance will like this. Guys might also be willing to read Intertwined since there are two strong male protagonists and some fairly decent fight sequences. The only things was the beginning, it went slowly. I know that the author had to set up the characters and the environment the kids were living in, but I wonder if she could not have speeded things up a bit. Anyway, I did like reading the story. Very interesting plot and I want to know what happens next. Soon, okay?
    • 4/5
      Intertwined is the second book to be released from the new Harlequin Teen line. What drew me to this story was that Aden has four souls living within him. Something I hadn't come across before. I knew his story had to be very interesting.What at first seems to be a boy meets girl type of story, really it is so much more. Especially when a vampire and werewolf are thrown into the mix. Intertwined was an exciting, fresh new world to delve into. And of course not to be missed is the wonderful wit of Ms. Showalter. She brings it to every book she writes, which never fails to put a smile my face.
    • 4/5
      Aden Stone has never been normal. He's heard voices in his head all his life and everyone thinks he's crazy. But they are not just voices he's hearing, they are actual souls, drawn into him and trapped since the time of his birth. And that's not all, they have special abilities- abilities that he can possess as well.Orphaned and having spent most of his life in mental institutions, he's finally found a home for boys with a leader that he actually likes. But his comfort is once again in peril when a chance encounter in a graveyard with some supernatural creatures leads him to a girl who silences the voices in his head. Though she's not the girl he's been dreaming of these last couple months (thanks to the precog living inside of him), something about her draws him and he makes sure he's enrolled the very next day at the school she attends.Though she lost her mother a few years back, Mary Ann Gray has lived a happy, if not bittersweet, life with her father. When a strange boy knocks her for a loop one evening while visiting a friend she has no idea her life is about to be turned upside down.Aden & Mary Ann sense a connection between them and when supernatural creatures start coming out of the woodwork, they become fast friends in a race to figure out what that connection means. When a vampire princess and her bodyguard join them, the danger ramps up as they soon discover everyone is out to grab the mysterious source of power that is drawing supernaturals from across the globe to the very heart of the Tri-City area.Though I'm not a huge YA reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Where Twilight felt too emo and sappy for me, this one just worked. The characters have chemistry and are not forced and though there is a fantastical element, their relationships feel real.Aden is a sweet, misunderstood, but really kind of noble, kid who finally begins to find a home and family in the new friends he's making. (Always a sucker for a loner/orphan finding a home). He also is beginning to see that his curse is really a gift. The ending felt like it should have been a couple books into the series, but it didn't make me like the story any less. I'm def. continuing one!

    Book preview

    Twisted - GENA SHOWALTER

    ONE

    ADEN STONE STARED DOWN at the girl sleeping on the rocky dais. Long hair the color of a wintry midnight, dark yet glimmering like the moonlight on snow, spilled over slender shoulders. Spiky black lashes cast shadows over high, model-sharp cheekbones. Lush pink lips glistened with a sheen of moisture.

    He’d watched her lick those lips several times, and he knew. Even lost to slumber as she was, she scented something delicious and craved a taste.

    Taste … Yes …

    Her skin was snow-white yet constantly flushed a deep rose in all the right places. Not one flaw did she possess. Not a single line or wrinkle—even though she was over eighty years old.

    Young, for her kind.

    She wore a tattered black robe that draped from just under her arms to the tips of her toes. Or would have, if she hadn’t rucked the material up one of her legs. The slender limb was bent and angled outward. A feast for his gaze, perhaps even an I-want-you-to-drink-from-the-vein-in-my-thigh invitation.

    He should resist.

    He couldn’t resist.

    She was the most beautiful female he’d ever seen. Fragile-looking, dainty. Like a priceless piece of art in the one and only museum he’d ever toured. The curator had slapped his hand for trying to touch something he shouldn’t.

    No need to guard this one, he thought with a small smile. She could protect herself, snapping a man’s neck with a single twist of her wrist.

    She was a vampire. His vampire. His sickness and his cure.

    Aden placed one of his knees on the makeshift bed. The T-shirt that stretched underneath the girl, cushioning her ever so slightly, snagged underneath his weight and pulled tight, rolling her in his direction. She didn’t moan or utter a breathy sigh as a human might have done. She was quiet, eerily so. Her expression remained the same: serene, innocent … trusting.

    You shouldn’t do this.

    He was going to do this.

    He wore a pair of ripped, bloodstained jeans. The same jeans he’d worn the night of their first date. The night his entire world changed. She wore the robe and nothing else. Sometimes their clothing was the only thing that kept them from doing more than drinking from each other.

    Drinking from each other. Or feeding. So mild a word for what happened. He would never purposely hurt her, but when the madness came upon him—hell, when the madness came upon her—affection was forgotten. They became animals.

    You shouldn’t do this, what was left of his conscience repeated.

    One more drink, and I’ll leave her alone.

    That’s what you said last time. And the time before that. And the time before that.

    Yeah, but I mean it this time. He hoped.

    Once, he would have been talking to the three souls trapped inside his head. But they weren’t inside his head anymore, they were inside hers, and he’d reverted to talking to himself. At least until the monster awoke. An honest to God monster, prowling through his conscious, roaring, desperate for blood. The monster the sleeping girl had inadvertently given him, the monster responsible for his new favorite sport—jugular tapping. Then he didn’t talk to anyone at all.

    Down … down Aden leaned until his chest flattened against the vampire’s. He placed his hands at her temples and balanced his weight. The tips of their noses were a mere whisper apart, yet he wanted to be closer to her. Always closer.

    He applied more pressure to his left hand, the soft strands of her hair pulling as tight as the T-shirt had done, causing her head to loll in that direction and exposing the elegant length of her neck. At the base, her pulse thumped steadily.

    Unlike the bloodsuckers of myth, she was not dead. She was a living, breathing being, born rather than created, and more alive than anyone he’d ever met. Unless he accidently killed her, of course. I won’t.

    You might. Don’t do this. Just a sip …

    His mouth watered. He inhaled … and felt as if he were breathing for the very first time. Everything was so new, wondrous … he held the breath … held … could almost taste the sweetness of her blood already … slowly released. No relief was forthcoming, just an increased awareness of that ever-present hunger. He ran his tongue over his teeth, his aching gums. He didn’t have fangs, but, oh, he wanted to bite her. Wanted to drink her down. Savor, drink again. Drink, drink, drink.

    Even without fangs, he could bite her. And, if she were human, he could drain her dry. But because she was vampire, her skin was as hard and smooth as polished ivory. Reaching a vein with his teeth was impossible. He needed je la nune, the only substance capable of burning through that ivory. Problem was, they’d run out. Now, there was only one way to get what he wanted.

    Victoria, he rasped.

    She must not have recovered from their last interlude, because she gave no indication that she heard him. A flicker of guilt pierced his hunger. He should get up, move away from her. Let her rest, recover. She’d fed him so much blood over the past few days—weeks? years?—she couldn’t have much left.

    Victoria. He couldn’t stop her name from rolling off his tongue. The hunger … truly, it never left him. Only grew, slithering around him, clamping down on his soul. Still. He’d take just a drop, the taste he’d promised himself, and then he would at last leave her alone. She could go back to sleep.

    Until he needed more.

    You won’t take any more, remember? This is the last time.

    Wake up for me, sweetheart. He pressed their lips together, harder than he’d intended. A kiss for his Sleeping Beauty.

    Like the girl in the fairy tale, Victoria blinked open her lids, the length of her lashes separating, connecting, separating for good. Then he was peering into eyes of the purest crystal. Deep, fathomless. Glazed with a hunger of their own.

    Aden? She stretched like a kitten, her arms rising above her head, her back arching. A purr rumbled from her throat. Is it bad again?

    The robe gaped over her chest, just a little, but enough, and he caught a glimpse of the tattoo etched above her heart. A faded black—soon to disappear altogether, just as her others had done—with multiple circles swirling into each other and connecting in the middle. Not just a pretty decoration, but a ward, a spell inked into her skin to protect her against death, and the only thing that had saved her life as she’d poured most of her blood down his throat that first time.

    He wished he knew how long ago that was, but time had ceased to exist for him. There was only here and now and her. Always her. Always this, the hunger and the thirst blending into a feral, consuming urge.

    Her knee came up to rest against his hip bone, and he settled more firmly against her. Such an intimate position. No time to enjoy. They had a minute, maybe two, before the voices would destroy her concentration and the roar of the beast would claim his.

    A minute before they both became as dark as their natures demanded.

    Please, was all he said. Black spiderwebs were forming in his line of vision, thickening, closing in, until her neck was all that he could see. The ache in his gums was unbearable, and he was afraid he was drooling.

    Yes. She didn’t hesitate. She wound her arms around him, her nails sinking into his scalp, and drew him down for a kiss.

    Their tongues met, thrust together, and for a moment, he lost himself in her sweetness. She was rich chocolate smoothly mixed with chili peppers, creamy yet spicy.

    If only he were simply a boy and she were simply a girl, they would kiss, and he would try for more. She might deny him. She might beg him to continue. Either way, they would care only about each other. Now, as they were, nothing mattered more than the blood.

    Ready? she breathed. She was his dealer, his supplier and his drug, all wrapped in the same irresistible package. He wanted to hate her for that. Part of him—the new, sinister part—did hate her. The rest of him loved her immeasurably.

    Sadly, he feared the two parts would one day war.

    Someone always died in a war.

    Ready? she asked again.

    Do it. A growl so hoarse he sounded more animal than human.

    Was he human anymore? He’d been a magnet for the paranormal his entire life. Maybe he’d never been human. Not that he cared about the answer right now.

    Blood.

    The ferocity of their kiss increased. Without pulling away, Victoria flicked her tongue across her fangs, cutting the tissue straight down the center. Nectar of the gods welled, the taste of chocolate and spice instantly replaced by champagne and honey, intoxicating him. His head swam with dizziness as his body temperature rose.

    He sucked the blood quickly, before her wound had time to close, taking every drop he could, every swallow ringing a groan of rapture from him. His temperature rose another degree, another still, until fire poured through him, burning him up, scorching him to ash.

    He recognized the sensation. Not too long ago, his mind had merged with that of a male vampire. A vampire roasting inside a death pyre. Aden had felt as if he were the one drenched in flames.

    Soon after that, his mind had merged with a fairy’s. A fairy with a knife in his chest, the beat of his heart no longer saving him but destroying him, the blade sinking deeper and deeper.

    Both instances had been a lesson in pain, but neither compared to Aden’s own stabbing, when his body had been the one violated. And if not for the girl beneath him, he would have died.

    He and Victoria had thought to celebrate their victory against a coven of witches and a contingent of fairies … alone, together. From the shadows had jumped a demon in human skin, his knife embedded in Aden’s chest—yes, everyone always went for the heart—before he could blink.

    Victoria should have let him go. His stabbing had been predicted by one of the souls. Aden had expected it. He might not have been prepared for it, but he had known he wasn’t meant to have a future beyond that point.

    And really, he and Victoria would have been better off if she’d let him go. Fact: you didn’t mess with fate without paying a price. He should be dead, and Victoria should be free of his baggage. But panic had bloomed inside her. He knew, because he remembered the high-pitched tenor of her screams. Could still feel the way her hands had clutched at him, shaking him as life flowed out of him. Worse, he could still feel the white-hot tears slipping from her face onto his.

    Now, she was paying for her actions. She might continue to pay until Aden accidentally killed her—or until she killed him. A life for a life. Wasn’t that how the universe worked?

    This time, he expected to die from the inferno Victoria’s blood was creating inside him. Instead, he found himself … calming. Not just calming, but thriving, his limbs growing stronger, his bones vibrating with energy, his muscles flexing with purpose.

    This had never happened during a feeding. Wasn’t supposed to happen now. They drank, they fought and they passed out. He didn’t recharge like a battery.

    When the blood on her tongue dried up—far too soon—he was reminded of his need, need, need now, and he stopped worrying about the repercussions, stopped caring about his reactions.

    Victoria, he croaked.

    More? she asked, breath emerging shallowly. Her nails were leaving track marks down his nape and along his shoulders. The hunger must be coming upon her, too.

    Even without her monster, the beating heart of her vampire nature and the driving force of Aden’s new menu selection, she craved blood. Maybe because it was all she’d ever known. Maybe because she was as addicted as he was.

    More, he confirmed.

    Once again she razed her tongue against her fangs. A new wound opened up. Blood welled, though not as much and not as quickly. Still he sucked and sucked and sucked.

    Not enough, not enough, never enough.

    Within seconds the blood stopped leaking. He didn’t want to hurt her, couldn’t let himself hurt her, but he found himself biting her tongue; unlike her skin, this flesh was soft and malleable. She moaned, but not in pain. He’d accidentally cut his tongue, too, and his blood was trickling into her mouth.

    More, she said, a demand now.

    His hands tangled in the silky length of her hair, fisted. He angled her head, allowing deeper access for them both. So good.

    She’d once told him humans died when vampires attempted to turn them. She’d also mentioned that the vampires attempting the turning died as well. At the time, he hadn’t understood why.

    Now, he understood—but the knowledge cost him.

    When she’d taken what remained of his blood and poured her own straight into his mouth, they’d done more than swap DNA, more than trade his souls for her monster. They’d swapped and traded everything. Memories, likes, dislikes, abilities and desires, back and forth, back and forth, until he sometimes couldn’t tell what was his and what was hers.

    Had he once been whipped with a cat-o’-nine-tails? Had he once drained a human to death? Had he once stumbled upon a sick shape-shifting bear clan and doctored them to health?

    A muted rumble—a yawn?—in the back of his mind claimed his attention. The monster. Actually, demon was a better description for Chompers. Aden felt utterly possessed by him. A feeling he should have been used to. Only, Chompers was nothing like the souls—he wasn’t affable like Julian, perverted like Caleb, or caring like Elijah. Chompers thought only of blood and pain. The taking of blood—and the giving of pain.

    When he took over, Aden became more predator than man. He hated himself as much as he hated Victoria. Which was surreal. Chompers adored Aden. He truly did. He enjoyed being inside Aden’s mind and didn’t fight to leave him as he’d always fought Victoria. But even still, Chompers had a violent temperament, and that violent temperament demanded its due.

    Sometimes Aden and Victoria switched back, the souls returning to him, Chompers returning to her. They would quickly switch again, however. And again and again and again. And each time edged them closer and closer to insanity. Too many memories swirling together, too many conflicting needs. One day soon, they would tumble off that edge completely.

    Aden, Victoria said, panting, his name broken. I must … have to …

    He knew what came next.

    She angled his head, just as he’d done to her, and a moment later, her mouth left his. He didn’t like that. Her fangs sank into his jugular. He didn’t like that, either, and hissed out a breath. Once upon a time, her bite had felt good. In her mindless state of hunger, she’d lost her finesse, and those fangs sliced into a tendon. He didn’t try to stop her, though. She needed to drink just as much as he did.

    Footsteps echoed through their cave, resonating like a buzzer.

    Aden didn’t panic. Victoria could teleport anywhere she’d been before, had even whisked them here the night of his stabbing. He didn’t know where here was, or when she’d visited, he knew only that hikers occasionally wandered inside. None had ever traveled this far and this deep, and he doubted that would change.

    He and Victoria could have gone somewhere else, he supposed, somewhere even more remote. Might have been safer, being as far away from civilization as possible. There was a target on Aden’s back, after all, Victoria’s father having come back from the dead to reclaim his throne. Or rather, Vlad the Impaler was trying to reclaim the throne.

    Aden might be human—emphasis on might—but he was now the vampire king. He’d killed for the right to rule. So, he would be reclaiming the throne. Just as soon as he could wean himself from Victoria’s blood.

    His thoughts, he wondered, or the monster’s?

    His, he decided next. Had to be his. He wanted to be king as intently as he wanted to feed.

    You didn’t before. In fact, he’d been on the hunt for a replacement.

    That was before. Besides, there at the end, I had started to make plans for my people. His people?

    That was the adrenaline talking.

    Yeah? And this is me talking—shut up.

    The footsteps reverberated, closer … closer …

    Victoria ripped her fangs from his neck and hissed at the only entrance to the cavern. Normally, if she were lucid, she would simply compel visitors away before they could step inside. Her voice was powerful, and no one human could resist doing what she commanded. Except Aden. He must have built up an immunity to that voice, because she could no longer work her magic on him. She’d tried, here in the cave, every time the madness had come upon her. Tilt your head, offer your neck … Yet he’d done only what he wanted.

    If the human comes any closer, I will eat his liver and rip out his heart, she snarled.

    A threat she wouldn’t see through, Aden didn’t think. These past few days—years?—she craved only Aden’s blood, as he craved only hers. He could always smell the hikers the moment they entered the winding maze of the caves, just as he knew Victoria could, but the thought of drinking from one of them, even to save his life, caused acid and bile to churn in his stomach. And yet, they were the reason he stayed in this location. If he or Victoria ever needed someone else’s blood, whether they wanted it or not, they could get it.

    Footsteps, closer and closer still, hurried now, determined. Is someone back there? The man’s voice was slightly accented. Spanish, perhaps. I mean you no harm. I heard voices and thought you might need some help.

    Victoria was off the dais, and a second later Aden was smashing face-first into the thin T-shirt she’d used as a cushion. A tall, lanky man with dark hair and skin, perhaps forty years old, stepped into their private sanctuary. Victoria latched onto the human’s shirt, moving so swiftly Aden saw only a blur. The guy’s backpack rattled against his canteen of water. With a flick of her wrist—see?—she flung him deeper inside.

    He landed with a hard thud, skidding backward until he hit the wall. Instinctively he rolled and sat up. Confusion and fear battled for supremacy in his expression.

    What— He held out his hands in a protective gesture.

    Another blur of motion, and Victoria was crouched in front of him, gripping his chin. Aden’s blood dripped from the corners of her mouth. That jet-black hair was a wild tangle around her head, and her fangs extended past her upper lip, cutting into the bottom one. She was a hauntingly lovely sight, as nightmarish as she was angelic.

    Little beads of sweat broke out over the man’s brow. His eyes widened, fear finally winning and glazing his irises. His chest rose and fell quickly, shallowly, his breath wheezing from his nostrils.

    "I—I’m so sorry. Didn’t mean to … will leave … never tell … swear … just let me go … please, please."

    Victoria continued to study him as if he were a rat in a wheel.

    Tell him to go away, Aden said. Tell him to forget. She would despise herself if she hurt an innocent human. One day. Not today, probably not tomorrow, but one day, when their wits returned.

    If they returned.

    Silence. Her fingers tightened on the man. So much so, he grimaced in pain, bruises already branching along his jaw.

    Aden opened his mouth to issue another command, but in the back of his mind, he heard another rumble. Stronger this time, more than a yawn. Every muscle in his body tensed.

    Chompers had awakened.

    A sense of urgency filled Aden. Victoria. Now! Or I swear I’ll never feed you again.

    Another beat of silence, then, You will go away, she said, thrums of subdued power wafting from her voice. Why subdued? You saw no one, spoke to no one.

    Unlike before, several seconds passed before the human responded to her command. In the end, his brown eyes dulled, and his pupils contracted. No trouble, he said in a monotone. Leave. No one.

    Good, she said, anger pulsing from her now. Her arm fell to her side. Go. Before it’s too late.

    He stood. Walked to the entrance. Exited without looking back. He would never know how close he’d come to dying.

    The rumble in Aden’s head intensified yet again. Any moment now, and the rumble would become—

    A roar.

    So loud, consuming, rocking him to his soul. Aden covered his ears, hoping to block the sound, even though he knew how ineffective the action was. Louder and louder, the roar became a scream, high-pitched, slashing through his mind like a razor until his thoughts broke apart and two words hacked their way to center stage.

    Feed.

    Destroy.

    No, no, no. I did feed, he said to Chompers. Let’s not—

    FEED. DESTROY.

    The spiderwebs returned to his vision, interspaced with red. Both zeroed in on Victoria. Still she crouched, her gaze leveled on him, wary. She knew what would happen next.

    FEEDDESTROY.

    Yes. Aden rolled from the rocky dais and settled his weight on unsteady legs. Victoria unfolded to her full height, reed slender and lovely. Wild. Her hands curled into fists. He’d just eaten, true, but he needed more. Had to have more.

    Feed, he heard himself say, two voices layered together, one familiar, the other smoky and harsh. Fight this, he had to fight this. Couldn’t let Chompers tug his puppet strings.

    A whimper escaped Victoria as she scratched at her ears. The souls must be waking up. He knew how loud their voices could be. As loud as Chompers’ roar.

    Protect, she said, her eyes suddenly sparkling with brown, green and blue. Oh, yes. The souls were in there, chattering.

    Protect her, as she’d said. He must protect her. But he ground out, Destroy. And even though he tried to root his feet into the floor, he found himself stalking toward her, his mouth watering.

    D e s t r o y d e s t r o y d e s t r o y.

    DESTROYDESTROYDESTROY.

    Chompers had always been insistent. But this … this was savagery at its most basic.

    Somehow, some way, Aden’s time with Victoria was about to come to an end—the knowledge was suddenly as much a part of him as his healed heart—and he had a feeling only one of them would be walking away.

    TWO

    VICTORIA TEPES, DAUGHTER of Vlad the Impaler and one of the three princesses of Wallachia, braced herself for impact. Good thing. A split second later, Aden slammed into her, knocking her into the same cave wall against which she’d thrown the human. Goodbye, beloved oxygen.

    There was no time to refill her lungs, either. One of Aden’s hands closed around her neck and squeezed. Not enough to damage her but enough to trap her. He was fighting the monster’s urges with every bit of his strength, she knew. Otherwise he would have already crushed her.

    Soon, he would lose the battle.

    Anger would have helped her push him away, but she couldn’t summon a single spark of it. She had done this to him, and the guilt ate at her, a malignant cancer without a cure. He’d told her not to try and save him. He’d told her bad things would happen if she did. But as she’d peered down at the boy she’d come to love, the one person who had ever accepted her for who and what she was without any strings or expectations, she hadn’t been able to let him go. She’d thought, He’s mine, I need him.

    So, before death could claim him, she’d acted. She still didn’t regret what she’d done—how could she? He was here!—and that was why the guilt had chewed such a big hole in her. Her Aden had to abhor what he was becoming. Aggressive, domineering … a warrior without a soul.

    Normally he was gentle with her, treating her like a precious treasure, a need to safeguard her somehow hardwired into his brain. Even though she could rip him apart in seconds. Or rather, could have ripped him apart. More than changing mentally, he was changing physically. Already he was taller, stronger, quicker—and he’d been tall, strong and quick to begin with.

    His eyes, usually a collage of glittering colors as the souls he (once) possessed peered through them, were now the startling shade of a violet. Thirsty, he rasped, and she would have sworn she felt the singe of smoke wafting from him.

    Isn’t this just a peach, a male voice piped up inside her head. We’re with the vamp again. And there was Julian, the corpse whisperer. He could raise the dead. So far, however, all he’d raised was her blood pressure.

    Sweet! Hey Vicki. Another voice immediately joined the conversation. You should take a shower. You know, get that blood cleaned off you. And remember to scrub really hard. Everywhere. Cleanliness is next to godliness. This one belonged to Caleb, the body possessor and naked-curves aficionado.

    Let me take over Aden’s body, she said. She’d seen him step into and disappear inside other people, snapping up the reins of command. Just boom, one second he was there, and the next he was a part of them, forcing them to do whatever he wanted.

    He no longer needed Caleb’s help to perform the task. He could control the ability, turning it on and off at will. Not her, though. She’d tried multiple times and failed miserably. Maybe because the souls were not a natural extension of her being. Maybe because they were new to her, there was a certain way to deal with them, and she hadn’t yet found that way. Maybe because they constantly fought her. Whatever the reason, she needed their … gag … permission to use them.

    A chorus of No, no, no, rang out. As always.

    I’ll be careful with him, she added. I’ll force him to sit still until the madness passes. If she could. Sometimes the madness overtook her, and she forgot her purpose.

    Nope, sorry. The guys and I—wait, the guys and me—wait, how do you say that properly? Does it matter? she snapped.

    Anyway, Caleb went on smoothly, we talked, and we’re not gonna help you use us. That might create a permanent connection, you know? Like a bond. You’re hot, and I’d love to bond with you, and in fact, I voted in your favor, but majority rules and we’re not staying any longer than necessary. Now about that shower …

    Congratulations on your little talk. If he’s hurt, you have only yourselves to blame.

    No, we’ll know who to blame. Because you’re right. This will not end well, Elijah, the death predictor, suddenly chimed in. He never had anything good to say. At least, not to her.

    Caleb snorted. Bite your tongue, E. Showers always end well if you know what you’re doing.

    Aden shook her, his grip tightening in a demand for her attention. Thirsty, he repeated, clearly expecting her to do something about it.

    I know. So. She was on her own. Foolish souls. Not only did they refuse to help her, they stole her concentration, preventing her from helping herself. But you can’t drink from me. I haven’t yet fully recovered from the last time. Especially considering last time had happened roughly five minutes ago. He shouldn’t have been this desperate. Thirsty.

    Listen to me, Aden. This isn’t you, but Chompers. Such a silly name for such a ferocious beast. Fight him. You have to keep fighting him.

    You won’t get through to him, Elijah told her. The soul’s new nickname, she decided—The Good News Bear. I’ve seen this encounter play out. Aden’s lost in there.

    Oh, just shut up! she snapped. I don’t need your commentary. And you know what else? You’ve been wrong before! Aden didn’t die after he was stabbed. Either time!

    Yes, and look where that got you both.

    Stating the obvious. Such a low blow. Shut. Up.

    A flicker of sympathy in those petal-toned eyes before the cold, frothing hunger returned. Thirsty. Drink. Now. Aden flashed his teeth at her just before diving for her neck. On some level, he knew he couldn’t reach her vein, but at this stage, that never stopped him from trying.

    Victoria gripped him by the hair and flung him. Gentle, gentle. He flew across the cave into the far wall, and she winced. Oops. Dust and debris exploded around him, drifting to her as he slid to the ground. She sucked in a much-needed breath, then had to cough to clear her throat of the rubble.

    Hey! Be careful with our boy, Julian commanded. I plan to move back inside him, you know.

    I’m trying to be careful, she wanted to scream. How had Aden dealt with these beings all his life? They chattered constantly, commenting on everything. Julian found fault with her every action, Caleb took nothing seriously and Elijah was the biggest downer of all time.

    To be honest, she would have more fun overdosing on sedatives than speaking to him.

    Where were human junkies when you needed to top yourself off?

    Aden stood, his gaze locked on her.

    How can I stop him without harming him? She’d wondered this a thousand times before, but the solution had never come to her. Surely there was a way to facilitate—

    Hey, I kinda feel funny, Caleb announced, his voice booming as if there had never been anyone or anything more important than him and his feelings in the history of the world.

    Will you give it a rest? You’ve got a funny feeling in your invisible pants and the only way to fix you is for Victoria to undress. We know! Julian snapped. Why don’t you do our boy Aden a solid and stop trying to play Naughty Shower Time with his girlfriend?

    Victoria clawed at her ears, trying to reach the souls and finally kill them. They were so loud. So there, like shadows slinking through her skull, untouchable, darting just out of reach every time she closed in.

    No, I’m not horny. A laborious pause. Well, I am, but that’s not what I’m talking about right now. I … I think I’m … dizzy.

    Caleb was telling the truth. That dizziness was now spilling into her, and she wavered on her feet.

    Hey, Julian said a second later. Me, too. What did you do to us, princess?

    Of course he blamed her, even though it wasn’t her fault. The dizziness always hit them a few minutes before they returned to Aden, and they were always surprised.

    Here comes Aden, Elijah warned her. I hope you’re prepared for the changes about to unfold. I know I’m not.

    Hey, don’t help the enemy! Julian growled.

    I’m not the— The scent of Aden’s blood hit her first, potent and tantalizing, making her mouth water, reminding her of her body’s needs. Then, suddenly, she was falling, hard hands pushing her down. Cold rock scraped against her back, and she gasped out the rest of her sentence —enemy.

    Feed. Aden’s weight pinned her, his teeth chewing at her neck a moment later. She latched onto his hair again, but this time, when she tugged, he bit down harder—into her vein. Her skin actually split open.

    Never before had something like this happened, and a scream of pain tore from her. A scream that died as quickly as it had begun. Her throat clogged as the dizziness returned, accompanied by a tidal wave of unexpected fatigue. Her muscles quivered, and she thought she heard Caleb moan.

    Caleb. Reminded of his presence, she gasped out his name, willing to beg the soul to help her now. Let me possess—

    His second moan cut her off. What’s happening to me?

    Concentrate. Please. Let me—

    Am I dying? I don’t want to die. I’m too young to die.

    He and his babbling would be no help. Nor would the others. Julian and Elijah were moaning, too. But they weren’t leaving her, weren’t returning to Aden. And then their moans became shouts, fogging her mind, derailing her good sense.

    Flashes in

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