Visions of Heat
(Psy-Changeling #2)
by Nalini Singh
Vaughn… sensual, seductive is… magnificent! This jaguar changeling is fiercely loyal, especially to Lucas, his alpha, and to the DarkRiver Leopard Pack. Vaughn is the consummate sentinel. He intimidates… (thoroughly enjoys it), and relishes his reputation for being aloof, feral and dangerous. The Pack “cuts a wide berth for him”. Even Sascha, Lucas’s mate, shares her reservations, “There’s something about you—you’re less…civilized than the others”.
Each night…
The solitary, vigilant, jaguar sentinel patrols the perimeter of DarkRiver territory…and becomes curious about a recluse, a female Psy, who lives on the edge of DarkRiver’s border. Who is she? Her compound is heavily monitored and guarded. Why? To satisfy his fascination, Vaughn plans to infiltrate the dwelling, but wait, the mysterious woman, steals away from the compound, adeptly scales the fence, and stealthily ventures into his territory. Oh Yeah! As she advances, deeper into the forest, Vaughn intercepts the redheaded beauty. Where is she going? Is she a Psy spy, a potential threat to his alpha and to the Pack? Yet, her catlike grace, her lithe movements…her red hair… captivate him, piques his curiosity.
Meet Faith NightStar…
A F-Psy with a problem! She’s fearful that she’s descending, inexorably into the abyss… of insanity, into madness; a common side effect of being a F-Psy. Psy, a race that represses all emotions, all feelings; communicate and interact extensively with their minds through the PsyNet, follow the Silence protocol, are cold, calculating, and obsessively rational. F-Psys predict the future…are profitable, invaluable assets of the Psy community, extremely isolated, and even more cerebral. They’ve never been touched physically, and Faith is unable to handle touch, or any physical sensory input; she exists primarily on the mental plane, where her mind… controls, interprets, and commands.
Faith seeks Sascha, a former Psy gone rogue, who lives with her changeling mate, Lucas, the alpha of the DarkRiver Leopards. Perhaps Sascha can help. Sascha, Lucas and Vaughn listen intently to Faith as she describes her F-Psy status. More importantly, Faith shares her dire reason for seeking Sascha. She’s experiencing horrific visions…one, of her sister’s brutal murder; others are dark visions of more future deaths,murders and mayhem…constantly torment her. The killer entraps her… inside the vision, inside the dark dream…and she suffocates from the brutality, the gore and blood. The killer revels in Faith’s terror and abject horror…and he promises more! Can Sascha, Lucas, and Vaughan help her eliminate the visions, prevent future murders from happening… and stop, stop the threat of her encroaching madness?
Sooo, Vaughn realizes that the redhead is a cold, emotionless Psy, his enemy. Yet, Vaughn knows the redhead is different, unique even among the Psy… so very vulnerable, nonetheless, she projects an inner strength, one that she needs to explore.
Do I like Vaughn?
Oh Yeah! Another delectable alpha! Vaughn IS sensuality, seduction, suggestion, subtle innuendo… all cat! He teases…insinuates…whispers…coaxes…chuckles…and plays!
“No, but you’re not an animal either.” (Faith)
He leaned in close until he had her boxed against the wall, his arms on either side of her body…
“That’s where you’re wrong, baby.” (Vaughn)
He brushed his lips over her ear.
“I’m as animal as they come.” (Vaughn)
Before she could say anything, he pushed off and walked into the kitchen.
Vaughn’s decided that Red (Faith) is his. His cat persona craves to possess and protect, offers Red safety and acceptance. The man, Vaughn, knows that Faith needs to confront her vulnerabilities, her fears…needs to accept his touch; for it’s the physical, his strokes, his embrace that calms her, grounds her, and rescues her from the terrifying visions. “But jaguars are patient—” Vaughn exercises balance. He knows when to push, press, to force her from her comfort zone; knows what she needs to master her mind, her emotions, to be his; yet he retreats, falls back, just enough for her to regroup, to assess, and learn…about his world replete with emotion, contact, and gentle caresses. Vaughn balances…his 2 sides, the human male with the cat; he leashes the animal, its impulses…all not to frighten Red, instead provides a haven, a safety net. Red becomes his beloved…“prey.”
Still tormented by his past, his sister’s death and his parents betrayal, Vaughn must confront his demons, his guilt… His hatred, animosity, and enmity identifies him, drives him; keeps others at bay…distances him. “Agile, strong, exotic…the predatory changeling with lethal grace… wasn’t, and never would be tame, but he was willing to play nice for her sake. And no one else’s”.
And Faith…
Overwhelmed, vulnerable; nonetheless, determined, senses the power, the ferocity of the jaguar, one who terrorizes her, yet attracts her. “He wasn’t an easy male to deal with, but that was part of what made him incredibly fascinating.” She learns to trust Vaughn, learns to access her inner strength…to help catch a killer! She adapts… learns to accept Vaughn’s touch…and him. “This was who he was. And she loved him. It was all he’d ever wanted.”
In Visions of Heat, we reconnect with DarkRiver Pack: Lucas, Dorian, Clay as well as the SnowDancer’s alpha, Hawke. We’re introduced to new characters, Judd Lauren and Kaleb Krychek among others. Can’t wait to learn more about them!
Overall, Visions of Heat is a great read! Vaughn is definitely worth meeting!
*Vaughn, another Vishous*
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