Gone Hunting Read online

  Praise for The Weird Girls Series

  "Jam packed with action, suspense, kickass girls, hot guys, humor and all out weird girls, this series has me coming back for more and more." - Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick)

  “I definitely recommend this series for lovers of all things paranormal and awesome."

  - USA Today, HEA

  "Boasting an edgy, witty and modern style of storytelling, the reader will be drawn deep into this quirky paranormal world located in Tahoe, Calif. Strong pacing, constant action and distinctive, appealing characters - including a gutsy heroine - will no doubt keep you invested."

  - RT Book Reviews

  “I would devour anything that Ms. Robson writes. I strongly recommend this series to PNR/UF readers and fans of Larissa Ione, Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter. Cecy Robson is pretty up there, IMO." - Under the Covers Book Blog

  "Robson has once again created a master piece filled with longing, suspense, action, romance, danger, humor, friendship, family bond (in all forms) and kick butt heroines and heros that will work their way into your heart and mind and refuse to leave and that will be okay because you won't want them too." - My Guilty Obsession

  "Okay, its official! Cecy Robson is one of the grand dames of cliffhanger finishes and she does it with like two sentences. She layers a shock on top of a shock so that I just sit there staring at the last page with a whimpering ‘no, it can’t end there’ on my lips before hoping like mad that the next book is coming out some time this year or praying for strength if the release date is more than a year off...Urban Fantasy fans get busy and grab this series up. Paranormal Romance fans, you won’t be disappointed either." - Delighted Reader

  “Cecy Robson has been added to my favorite authors list and The Weird Girls series is one of my favorite urban fantasy series. Fans of Kim Harrison’s the Hollows series and Patricia Brigg’s Mercy Thompson series will devour Weird Girls.” - Caffeinated Book Reviewer

  "This series really does have it all, and in an increasingly crowded genre, it’s a standout."

  -My Bookish Ways

  "This series has everything paranormal romance and urban fantasy lovers could possibly want. From Action, to danger, to steamy hot romances, to strong characters and bonds, plus a bit of mystery and politics, what's not to love? I'm only sorry it took me this long to find this series…But now all I want is more and will be anxiously waiting until I can get my next Weird Girls fix." - A Book Obsession

  "If you’re a fan of urban fantasy or paranormal romance and you’re NOT already reading this series… START!... From start to finish, Ms. Robson’s writing is crystal clear and concise yet beautifully descriptive and YES, she can write the romance parts AND the fight scenes equally well. Hence why I have no reservations about recommending this series to just about everyone I know. " - My Para Hangover

  “Cecy Robson is a phenomenal talent who knows just how to deliver a story filled with suspense, action, humor and romance…leaving you craving for more!" - Romancing the Dark Side

  "This book doesn't disappoint with its thrilling action, dangerous demons, spicy romance and original paranormal beings. I am a solid fan of this series as I love the originality, humor and adventure...If you are in desperate need of a recharging read, you must get these books!"

  - Rainy Day Ramblings

  "Cecy Robson is one of my absolute favorite authors and each book that she writes becomes more gut-wrenching and brilliant than the last…I’m dying to read the next installment."

  - Books-n-Kisses

  “Robson manages to take us into her world after a few pages and it is always very difficult to come out. Vampires, demons, werewolves and our dear sisters mingle to make an explosive mixture...If you have not tried this series, I highly recommend it to you. You will be blown away by the first pages and you’ll be able to discover a world full of creatures of all kinds."

  - Between Dreams & Realty

  By Cecy Robson

  The Weird Girls Series

  Gone Hunting

  A Curse Awakened: A Novella

  The Weird Girls: A Novella

  Sealed with a Curse

  A Cursed Embrace

  Of Flame and Promise

  A Cursed Moon: A Novella

  Cursed by Destiny

  A Cursed Bloodline

  A Curse Unbroken

  Of Flame and Light

  Of Flame and Fate

  Of Flame and Fury (coming soon)

  The Shattered Past Series

  Once Perfect

  Once Loved

  Once Pure

  The O’Brien Family Novels

  Once Kissed

  Let Me

  Crave Me

  Feel Me

  Save Me

  The Carolina Beach Novels

  Inseverable

  Eternal

  Infinite

  APPS

  Find Cecy on Hooked – Chat stories APP writing as Rosalina San Tiago

  Coming soon: Crazy Maple’s Chapters: Interactive Stories APP: The Shattered Past and Weird Girls Series

  A WEIRD GIRLS NOVEL

  CECY ROBSON

  Gone Hunting is purely a work of fiction. Names, places, and occurrences are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or deceased, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright Cecy Robson, 2018

  Cover design © Kristin Clifton, Sweet Bird Designs

  Formatting by BippityBoppityBook.com

  Excerpt from Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson, copyright © 2012 by Cecy Robson

  This book contains an excerpt from Sealed with a Curse by Cecy Robson, the first full length novel in The Weird Girls Urban Fantasy Romance series by Cecy Robson.

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Cecy Robson, L.L.C.

  ASIN: B07GSPPFVB

  eBook: 978-1-947330-10-8

  Dear Reader,

  The night I was born, a bat swept down in front of my father as he ran along a cobblestone road. My father ignored the bat in his haste to reach the Central American hospital where my mother labored with me. The bat disappeared into the shadows. In its place emerged a man, his dark skin bare, his voice ominous, his imposing form blocking my father’s path. “Be wary of this one,” he warned in Spanish.

  “She’s not like the others.”

  Okay, I’ll confess. This didn’t happen. But it sounds way cooler than simply admitting my father used to kiss me goodnight wearing vampire fangs and that he was the first person to trigger my overactive imagination.

  I’ve always loved telling stories and getting a laugh. I’ve also enjoyed hearing stories, especially of the paranormal variety. Being of Latin descent, I heard many tales of spirits who haunt the night, of death lurking in the darkness waiting to claim her victims, and of circumstances that could only be explained by magic and creatures not of this earth.

  The stories frightened me. I often slept clutching a crucifix, while my plastic glow-in-the-dark Virgin Mary stood guard on my nightstand. And, still, I begged for more.

  Sometimes the beasties of the night bumped too hard and I swear I could see ghosts floating above me. I trekked on, despite my fear, surviving each night with my plastic protector looking on.

  On May 1, 2009, I decided to write a story about four unique women, who must trek through their own darkness where super-nasties bump hard and bite harder. The Weird Girls series is the journey of Celia, Taran, Shayna, and Emme Wird, sisters who obtained their powers as a result of a backfired curse placed upon their Latina mother for marrying outside her race. Their story begins when the supernatural community of Lake Tahoe becomes aware of who they are
and what they can do.

  “Weird” isn’t welcomed among humans, nor is it embraced by those who hunt with fangs and claws, who cast magic in lethal blows, and who feast on others to survive. I wanted to show that “weird” could be strong, brave, funny, and beautiful.

  My “weird” girls will often face great terror, just like my seven-year-old frightened self, except without a glow-in-the-dark icon to keep them safe. Despite their fears, they fight like their lives depend on it, with only each other to rely on.

  Sometimes, the darkness will devour the sisters. And, sometimes, good won’t succeed in kicking evil’s ass. But just like glow-light Mary, there is hope. And there is humor―often twisted, a little inappropriate, and always hilarious―very much like a father saying goodnight to his children wearing a rubber ghoul mask and owning a collection of fake fangs no adult male should possess.

  Read on and check out my Weird Girls series. Maybe you’ll find I’m really “not like the others.”

  ~ Cecy

  Dedication

  To Aric and Celia.

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt of Sealed with a Curse

  Reader’s Guide to the Magical World of the Weird Girls Series

  Cecy Robson

  Chapter One

  Her name was Celia. I never saw her coming. I didn’t know I’d needed her. But isn’t that how love is supposed to work?

  I hop downstairs. I don’t mean I take the steps one or even three at a time. I mean I hop over the railing and leap from the second floor to the first, landing almost silently in a crouch, the backpack on my shoulders barely brushing against my spine.

  I’m a were. A wolf to be exact. I can get away with leaping from landings physically, but not so much with my mother.

  “Aric,” she calls, turning away from the stove. “You’re a were, not an animal. Take the stairs.”

  Dad looks up from reading his paper and smirks. “Listen to your mother, son.”

  I return his smirk and walk toward the kitchen. “Yes, sir. Sorry, Mom.”

  All eight burners are going on the stove. The smell of several pounds of bacon and more pounds of eggs stirred my senses when Mom first opened the fridge. Yeah, I’m that sensitive to smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch. And at fifteen, I’m always hungry.

  I plop down next to my dad, allowing the pack to fall to my side. “Smells good,” I say.

  Dad sighs and turns the page. “It always does when your mother’s in there. Not so much when we cook.”

  “Nope. We suck,” I agree.

  Mom’s laugh draws my smile. My parents are supposed to lay into me and drive me crazy, force me to rebel, and scream at me when I do things they think I shouldn’t. Except, jumping down a flight of stairs and leaving my mostly destroyed clothes on the floor aside, I’m a pretty decent kid with awesome parents.

  I reach for the pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice, yawning a lot louder than I intend. “Sorry,” I say, yawning a second time when I fill my glass.

  My knife slices into the butter the second Mom drops several pancakes on my plate. I’m ready to dig in when the scent of fresh buttercream finds my nose. Instead, I blink several times, trying to brush off my fatigue.

  I didn’t sleep much last night. My head spun with weird dreams that didn’t make sense. I was wrenched backward and away from her. No . . . that’s not right. She was ripped from me. They were taking her away from me. Whoever she was. I frown, remembering how bad it tore me up. I tried to hold on, tried to see her face. All I could make out were her delicate hands in mine. She sobbed, afraid to let go, while my eyes burned with rage-filled tears.

  I was pissed and sad and . . . broken, except nothing I felt made sense. I didn’t recognize her and I couldn’t fathom why she meant so much to me.

  The only thing I’m sure of is that a part of me left with her. And the way I feel this morning, it’s still missing.

  “Are you all right, son?” Dad asks.

  I don’t realize how hard I’m gripping my knife until I open my palm and all that’s left is a warped piece of metal. My anger at losing her lingers and I took it out on the stupid knife.

  “Sorry. I was . . .” I was what? Angry that I let some girl I didn’t know go? “I didn’t sleep well,” I admit.

  Dad folds his paper and places it aside, closely analyzing me. “Did you sleep with the window open?”

  I don’t remember leaving it open, but I nod when I remember how the cool spring breeze swept against my back when I stumbled into the bathroom this morning.

  “There was a bad windstorm last night,” Dad says, his dark eyebrows furrowing. “Earth’s energy travels in the wind, as well as the memories of those long forgotten.”

  “The wind also carries magic,” Mom quietly adds. She leaves the stove, a large pan of eggs gripped in her hand.

  “Yes,” Dad agrees. “A great deal of magic.”

  Mom scoops eggs onto Dad’s plate, forming a large pile. “In the future, when the wind is that rough, I’d like you to sleep with the window closed.”

  The scent of cheese, carefully diced onions, and minced garlic seeps into my nose in a mouth-watering sweep. I dig into my eggs the moment the first scoop lands on my plate.

  “Why?” I ask, swallowing quickly.

  “You’re different, son,” Dad reminds me.

  My chewing slows. It’s the same thing I’ve heard all my life. Yeah, some things come easy for me. I’m stronger than older and larger weres. I’m a better tracker and more agile than anyone around. But I don’t feel different. I’m just me, I guess.

  “I’m serious, Aric.” Dad tells me. “You achieved your first change before you were two months old. We went to sleep with an infant between us and woke with a wolf pup. Two months. I still don’t think you comprehend the significance.”

  Maybe I don’t. The most powerful weres achieve their first change at six months of age following a full moon. The weakest, closer to a year. If you don’t change in the first year, you’re more human and that’s how you’ll stay. It’s something weres who mate with humans deal with. Not pures like us.

  My fork hovers over my plate as I give Dad’s words some thought. I shove the large helping quickly into my mouth when I sense him noticing. No were had ever before achieved a change at younger than six months-old. It makes me uncomfortable to be perceived as omnipotent. I’m not. Cut my head off or shoot me up with gold bullets, I’m just as dead as the next were. People around here forget that. They look at me like I’ll single-handedly save the world, or some other impossible stunt. They fall all over themselves, cozying up to me, filling me with compliments they can’t possibly mean. The kissing up, the bowing, the groveling…I hate it.

  “There’s no telling how strong you’ll become or what powers you may inherit because of it,” Dad says.

  “I had trouble sleeping,” I mumble. “It’s no big deal.” I don’t want anyone making a big fuss over me. It bothers me more when my parents do it. Aside from my small and close-knit circle of friends, they’re the only ones who still see me as Aric, not the savior others have come to expect.

  Mom scoops another large helping of eggs onto my plate. Tendrils of steam drift from the pan. “Perhaps. Perhaps not,” she says. “But if you’re this sensitive to what the wind carries, sleep with the window closed. I don’t want to risk a mental attack, or worse, while you’re
at your most vulnerable.”

  I open my mouth to argue. It’s not that I can’t shut the stupid window or that I need it open. I suppose I just don’t want to focus on how different I am. I’m already weird enough.

  Mom jerks. I cringe. My parents sense my discomfort and move on. Not that I like what they’re up to.

  “Aidan, behave,” Mom whispers.

  “What? Can’t a wolf show his mate a little affection?”

  She slaps Dad’s hand playfully off her backside.

  I make a face. “I’m right here,” I remind them. “Can’t that wait until I’m gone?”

  “Not at all,” Dad replies.

  He pulls Mom onto his lap. If she were human, Mom would have spilled the eggs across the wooden floor.

  “Eat with me,” Dad tells her. “You’re doing too much.”

  Mom kisses his cheek and places the pan on the table, allowing Dad to feed her. It’s a mate thing. A protective thing. I’ve been exposed to it a lot in my life. But it always strikes me as intimate and something I shouldn’t watch. I leave the table, returning with a large serving tray topped with bacon. I frown when I find Mom’s arms wrapped securely around Dad’s neck. Her shoulder length, white hair brushes against his chest with how hard she clutches him.

  “You’re going hunting again, aren’t you?” I ask.

  Mom lowers her eyelids as if in pain. Dad smiles softly at her, stroking her hair until she opens her eyes. She doesn’t return his smile. It bothers me to see her upset.