Isolated Maneuver Read online

  Isolated Maneuver (Immortal Outcasts)

  An Immortal Ops World Novel

  Mandy M. Roth

  Raven Happy Hour LLC

  Contents

  Suggested reading order of books released to date in the Immortal Ops Series world

  Mandy M. Roth, Online

  Praise for Mandy M. Roth’s Immortal Ops World

  Immortal Ops Series Helper

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Complimentary Material

  About the Author

  Isolated Maneuver © Copyright 2017, Mandy M. Roth

  First Electronic Printing April 2017, Raven Happy Hour, LLC

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  All books copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the author, Mandy M. Roth.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence. Intended for adults only. Must be 18 years or older to read.

  Published by Raven Happy Hour, LLC

  Oxford, MS 38655

  www.ravenhappyhour.com

  Raven Books and all affiliate sites and projects are © Copyrighted 2004-2017

  Suggested reading order of books released to date in the Immortal Ops Series world

  Suggested reading order of books released to date in the

  Immortal Ops Series world

  Immortal Ops

  Critical Intelligence

  Radar Deception

  Strategic Vulnerability

  Tactical Magik

  Act of Mercy

  Administrative Control

  Act of Surrender

  Broken Communication

  Separation Zone

  Act of Submission

  Damage Report

  Act of Command

  Wolf’s Surrender

  The Dragon Shifter’s Duty

  Midnight Echoes

  Isolated Maneuver

  More to come (check www.mandyroth.com for new releases)

  Mandy M. Roth, Online

  Mandy loves hearing from readers and can be found interacting on social media.

  (copy & paste links into your browser window)

  Website: http://www.MandyRoth.com

  Blog: http://www.MandyRoth.com/blog

  The Raven Books: http://www.TheRavenBooks.com

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMandyRoth

  Twitter: @MandyMRoth

  Book Release Newsletter: http://www.mandyroth.com/newsletter/

  (Newsletters: I do not share emails and only send newsletters when there is a new release/contest or sales)

  Praise for Mandy M. Roth’s Immortal Ops World

  Silver Star Award—I feel Immortal Ops deserves a Silver Star Award as this book was so flawlessly written with elements of intrigue, suspense and some scorching hot scenes—Aggie Tsirikas—Just Erotic Romance Reviews

  5 Stars—Immortal Ops is a fascinating short story. The characters just seem to jump out at you. Ms. Roth wrote the main and secondary characters with such depth of emotions and heartfelt compassion I found myself really caring for them—Susan Holly—Just Erotic Romance Reviews

  Immortal Ops packs the action of a Hollywood thriller with the smoldering heat that readers can expect from Ms. Roth. Put it on your hot list…and keep it there!—The Road to Romance

  5 Stars—Her characters are so realistic, I find myself wondering about the fine line between fact and fiction…This was one captivating tale that I did not want to end. Just the right touch of humor endeared these characters to me even more—eCataRomance Reviews

  5 Steamy Cups of Coffee—Combining the world of secret government operations with mythical creatures as if they were an everyday thing, she (Ms. Roth) then has the audacity to make you actually believe it and wonder if there could be some truth to it. I know I did. Nora Roberts once told me that there are some people who are good writers and some who are good storytellers, but the best is a combination of both and I believe Ms. Roth is just that. Mandy Roth never fails to surpass herself—coffeetimeromance

  Mandy Roth kicks ass in this story—inthelibraryreview

  Immortal Ops Series Helper

  Immortal Ops Series Helper

  Immortal Ops (I-Ops) Team Members

  Lukian Vlakhusha: Alpha-Dog-One. Team captain, werewolf, King of the Lycans. Book: Immortal Ops (Immortal Ops)

  Geoffroi (Roi) Majors: Alpha-Dog-Two. Second-in-command, werewolf, blood-bound brother to Lukian. Book: Critical Intelligence (Immortal Ops)

  Doctor Thaddeus Green: Bravo-Dog-One. Scientist, tech guru, werepanther. Book: Radar Deception (Immortal Ops)

  Jonathon (Jon) Reynell: Bravo-Dog-Two. Sniper, weretiger. Book: Separation Zone (Immortal Ops)

  Wilson Rousseau: Bravo-Dog-Three. Resident smart-ass, wererat. Book: Strategic Vulnerability (Immortal Ops)

  Eadan Daly: Alpha-Dog-Three. PSI-Op and handler on loan to the I-Ops to round out the team, Fae. Book: Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops)

  Lance Toov: Werepanther, current status is unknown.

  Colonel Asher Brooks: Chief of Operations and point person for the Immortal Ops Team. Book: Administrative Control (Immortal Ops)

  Paranormal Security and Intelligence (PSI) Operatives

  General Jack C. Newman: Director of Operations for PSI North American Division, werelion. Adoptive father of Missy Carter-Majors

  Duke Marlow: PSI-Operative, werewolf. Book: Act of Mercy (PSI-Ops)

  Doctor James (Jimmy) Hagen: PSI-Operative, werewolf. Took a ten-year hiatus from PSI. Book: Act of Surrender (PSI-Ops)

  Striker (Dougal) McCracken: PSI-Operative, werewolf

  Miles (Boomer) Walsh: PSI-Operative, werepanther. Book: Act of Submission (PSI-Ops)

  Captain Corbin Jones: Operations coordinator and captain for PSI-Ops Team Five, werelion. Book: Act of Command (PSI-Ops)

  Malik (Tut) Nasser: PSI-Operative, (PSI-Ops)

  Colonel Ulric Lovett: Director of Operations, PSI-London Division

  Dr. Sambora: PSI-Operative, (PSI-Ops)

  Immortal Outcasts

  Casey Black: I-Ops test subject, werewolf. Book: Broken Communication

  Weston Carol: I-Ops test subject, werebear. Book: Damage Report

  Bane Antonov: I-Ops test subject, weregorilla. Book: Isolated Maneuver

  Shadow Agents

  Bradley Durant: PSI-Ops: Shadow Agent Division, werewolf. Book: Wolf’s Surrender

  Ezra: PSI-Ops: Shadow Agent Division, dragon-shifter

  Caesar: PSI-Ops: Shadow Agent Division, werewolf

  Crimson Sentinel Ops Division

  Bhaltair: Crimson-Ops: Fang Gang, vampire. Book: Midnight Echoes

  Labrainn: Crimson-Ops: Fang Gang, vampire

  Auberi Bouchard: Crimson-Ops: Fang Gang, vampire

  Paranormal Regulators

  Stamatis Emathia: Paranormal Regulator, vampire

  Whitney: Paranormal Regulator, werewolf

  Miscellaneous

  Culann of the Council: Father to Kimberly; Badass Fae.

  Pierre Molyneux: Master vampire bent on creating a race of super soldiers. Hides behind being a famous art dealer in order to launder money.

  Gisbert Krauss: Mad s
cientist who wants to create a master race of supernaturals.

  Walter Helmuth: Head of Seattle’s paranormal underground. In league with Molyneux and Krauss.

  Dr. Lakeland Matthews: Scientist, vital role in the creation of a successful Immortal Ops Team. Father to Peren Matthews.

  Dr. Bertrand: Mad scientist with Donavon Dynamics Corporation (The Corporation).

  Blurb

  Isolated Maneuver

  Book Three in the Immortal Outcasts Series

  New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Series the Immortal Outcasts! Part of the Immortal Ops World!

  Alpha gorilla shifter and former Immortal Operative, Bane Antonov, has spent years learning to master his beast side. But his temper is tested when two blasts from the not-so-distant past show up, claiming to want to help him find his mate. He’s never believed in destiny, or that the Fates have anything great planned for him. All he knows is that his hard-earned control shatters the minute he crosses paths with Galiena—a petite succubus who makes the alpha in him want to shout “mine”. She has the ability to break his calm exterior and the heart he’s spent decades hardening. Hunted by a mad man who wants to own her body, her powers, and her soul, Galiena needs his protection. Bane has to learn to set his beast free if he wants to keep his mate safe.

  Chapter One

  Galiena Korsakov moved around the ornate room, having memorized it entirely. She’d been afforded ample opportunity to learn every section of it, every inch. She came to a stop in front of a bulky armoire and put her hand to the door. The armoire was made from wood, stained cherry, and had mirrors behind the inlays. The piece was beautiful and breathtaking, as was every item in the room. No expense had been spared.

  She threw open one of the doors to reveal a vanity, complete with a Hollywood-style light-up mirror and pullout bench seat. Various makeup containers were organized perfectly on the left side of it all, and on the right were different lotions and perfumes. All were high-end, all were colors that complemented her, and each had been gifted to her, as if giving her items to make herself pretty would make all the bad disappear.

  Her lip curled at the spectacle. She hated it, hated the man holding her.

  Twisting, she opened a drawer in the oversized, custom-done piece of furniture. Within the drawer were boxes of jewelry. More gifts since her arrival.

  More payoffs.

  Attempts at bribing her into obedience and submission.

  All failed.

  Galiena faced away from the mirror, unable to stand the sight of her reflection staring back at her. She no longer recognized herself, and each day she became more of a stranger. She hated that she’d been so foolish as to have ever fallen into the hands of a madman to start with. It was as if she wasn’t street smart. As if she hadn’t had to make her own way from an early age. More than that, she hated that her time of resistance was coming to a conclusion. She couldn’t deny her inner succubus a feeding for much longer. To do so would mean she’d lose control of it. Worse yet, she’d die.

  She’d heard of others like her who’d tried to fight nature. Tried to stand against the tidal wave of lust and longing that being a succubus brought. Their attempts to take a stand ended tragically.

  Soon, hers would as well.

  “Just a little bit longer,” she whispered, unsure if anyone was ever going to come for her. She didn’t know for sure how much time had passed since she’d been taken. Since she’d been about to enter the apartment that she shared with her best friend, only to have someone grab her from behind. She’d been overpowered quickly, and when she’d come to, it had been here—in the luxurious bedroom.

  A gilded cage, she thought.

  Concern for her best friend weighed heavy on her. Had Paisley been taken as well? If so, was she being held in a room like the one Galiena was in? She’d asked her captor more than once, but he’d given her a different response each time. He wasn’t to be trusted.

  She’d been searching for a weakness within the room since she’d woken to find herself in it. The adjacent bathroom was nearly as large as the bedroom, but it lacked any way out as well. While the room’s furnishings were extraordinary and worth more than she’d ever earn in her life, the room was nothing more than a glorified prison cell.

  Everything in the room represented payment for sex. Or at least, a down payment on sex, as she’d not yet given in to the demands of the man holding her hostage. Soon she wouldn’t have a choice. Soon she’d have to give in to his advances or risk suffering the wrath of her darkness and its hunger.

  The canopy bed was adorned in red satin sheets. The same red was mirrored in the drapes that covered barred windows. Even if she could manage to break through the glass and the bars, she was several stories up from ground level. And she could not fly.

  She found herself in front of the bed, her gaze locked upon the satin sheets. She knew what the man holding her wanted. He wanted to take her on those sheets. He wanted her to surrender fully to him. She would never give in to Walter Helmuth.

  He was the head of the paranormal underground in Seattle, and had been making a name for himself outside of the area as of late as well. He’d gone from heading up paranormal fight clubs to dabbling in the trafficking of supernaturals.

  Galiena had always known Helmuth was up to no good, but she’d never realized how truly evil he was until she’d found herself at his mercy.

  She’d worked in a sex club that catered to supernaturals for a few years, and she’d always decided who and what she did while working. Jinx, her friend and the owner of the brothel, ran a clean club, never forcing her employees to do anything or anyone they didn’t want to do.

  Most of her employees were like Galiena. They were either fully succubi or incubi or they were part. All required sexual energy to some degree and all wanted to be there. And none of them had been fans of Helmuth when he’d frequented the establishment. There had always been something untrustworthy about him. Something that turned others off from him.

  And now she knew what.

  He was evil, sick, and twisted.

  Jinx had always serviced Helmuth herself when he’d come in, demanding sex with a succubus. She’d never asked Galiena or any of the other succubus who worked for her to handle the man, but that hadn’t stopped Helmuth from trying to buy time with Galiena.

  From the moment they’d crossed paths shortly after her first month working at Jinx’s club, Helmuth had tried to buy her. Tried to adorn her with fancy jewelry, expensive articles of clothing, and perfumes. She’d refused every advance.

  No matter how much Helmuth offered Jinx to buy time with Galiena, Jinx wouldn’t budge. It had never been about the money for her. She, like Galiena, needed sex and sexual energy to survive. The club had always been about providing what they needed to live while helping supernaturals with their sexual needs.

  There were never any issues like those at human sex clubs. If a supernatural was mated, it was for life, and most types of supernatural males couldn’t have intercourse with anyone else once they met their mate. There were exceptions, like if the immortal male met his mate while she was underage. But that was rare, and those men didn’t tend to frequent sex clubs.

  Galiena had worked briefly in a human establishment, and her natural-born gifts permitted her to sense human male lies with ease. She’d lost track of the number of men who had come in, claiming to be unmarried, who wanted to buy sex. She turned every one of them down. While she required sex to live, she also had to live with herself come morning, and she was no home-wrecker.

  Thankfully, her kind was immune to any type of human disease, and she could not conceive a child with anyone other than her mate. At least that was the way Jinx had explained it to them when they’d begun working for her. Prior to Jinx, Galiena hadn’t known a lot about herself or her abilities. All she’d known was, she needed sex to live—the hell with the consequences.

  Galiena hoped Jinx was right about being unable to reproduce with anyone other than her mate. She w
ouldn’t be able to rebuff Helmuth’s advances for much longer, and if she gave in to him, she didn’t want to dare think about bringing a child into the world with him.

  At the very thought of bearing a child, her mind wandered, and she closed her eyes, images of a tall, well-muscled man with long dark hair filling her head. It wasn’t the first time she’d fantasized about the hunk—a man her damn mind refused to let her see the face of. All she knew was her brain had invented a man too perfect to really exist. She wanted that imaginary man to father any children she might one day be blessed with.

  Not Helmuth.

  Helmuth wasn’t the man her mind had conjured. Their body shapes weren’t the same. No man was built as powerful as her invented one. That was probably why her mind made him up. Her succubus side always drew upon the images of him when she needed to masturbate to try to push off the hunger. She’d clung to her imaginary man over the course of her time being held captive. It was his form she imagined as she touched herself. And while that had helped to some degree, it wasn’t enough anymore.

  She looked around the room, her body aching for freedom. She needed to feed—and quickly. Masturbation wasn’t enough. Soon, she wasn’t sure if even sex would handle the burning lust she had to sate. Galiena couldn’t wrap her mind around needing to concede to Helmuth and give in to his advances.