This paranormal novella addresses how some alphas need to be tamed (a little).

Old enemies have been defeated and now Cara wants to start living again. Job opportunities are waiting if only her husband would let her go to work. Why have this amazing long life if it is spent as a prisoner in her own home. A much needed road trip to deliver samples to the lab can double as a teaching tool.

All Talen wants is to keep his mate safe. Knowing that the old threat is gone has not lessened the edgy feeling he has. If he could postpone this trip he would but Cara is proving difficult.

Talen & Cara's 2nd story:

I loved getting an update on Talen and Cara. They were our first couple in the series and one of my favorites, so it was fun seeing them again after the war is over. I think it's funny that the author stirred up trouble even in their time of peace that brought several of the characters from previous books back for this short novella. I love theses characters and really hope Rebecca Zanetti has more in store for all of them. Fantastic read!

<i>Overall series review: Fun, fast paced PNR series. Great storyline, characters and suspense. Insta-love, mates for life, possessive Alphas and grotesque evil foes. There are Vampires, Shifters, witches, Demons and more. This is a continued storyline focusing on a different couple per book.</i>

ARC provided by NetGalley.

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The Wars are over and Cara finally has her health back. She and Talen are going on a vacation once they drop off some samples at a lab. These samples are what saved Cara and they are hoping it can eventually help others.

Talen is vey protective of Cara and is not very happy about this trip. He would rather they stay where she will be safe but Cara wants to enjoy life finally.

Their plan is to drop off the samples and then go on to the airport. Someone else wants the samples though and Talen and Cara's survival does not matter. Will they find out who is willing to kill them for the samples? Is the war really over?

This is a novella. The author actually took a survey on what couple the fans of the Dark Protector series wanted too see more of. Talen and Cara won.

Talen is definitely an Alpha male, a Vampire Alpha male. Cara is no pushover either and she and Talen do butt heads quite a bit but when they make up it gets pretty steamy! The whole series is awesome and this was a nice treat.

4 Talen-loving stars!

As a mad fan of the Dark Protectors series, I was so happy to pick up this novella, which takes us back to the couple that started it all – Talen and Cara. This is definitely not a standalone, and takes place after book #7, Marked, so be warned that this review will be a bit spoilery for the series.

The war is over. Talen and Cara have both faced death and illness which has defined their 25 years together, and now that they are both finally healthy it’s time for them to rediscover each other all over again.

Cara is wanting to explore her immortality. She feels that she has so much to offer, and she’s ready to find her place in the world. But Talen is a huge alpha, and not only that, he is the strategic genius of the Realm and he expects to be obeyed. Cara’s feisty spirit is part of what made him fall for her, and now that she is well and wanting to get back out in the world, Talen is having trouble reigning in the over-protective beast inside of him that wants to treat his mate like she is fragile.

The book begins with Talen and Cara taking a trip together. A quick stop for Realm business, and then on to Hawaii to spend some time together. But things don’t go according to plan, and they find themselves the target of an attack which pushes Talen’s protective instincts into overdrive, triggering a much-needed confrontation between these two as they figure out their way forward.

“I love you, you know,” she said slowly.
“I know. You’re everything to me,” he said softly.


It’s a beautiful journey for Talen and Cara, and I just love how crazy in love they still are. After more than 20 years together (in less-than-ideal circumstances) their love and passion for each other is just as intense as it always has been – possibly even more so. The sex is absolutely sizzling, and the strong emotional connection between them only adds to the intensity – especially when Talen flexes his dominance, taking his conflict resolution ‘skills’ into the bedroom.

“You should never run from a vampire, baby,” he whispered.
Her sex clenched. “Why not?” she breathed.
“We can’t help but chase, and when we catch, we’re not gentle.”


I loved catching up with these characters that I love so much. This series is really inclusive of all of the characters that have featured so they’ve always been a part of the story, but I loved being right back in their lives and seeing them so happy together. You can feel the bond between them, and I love how functional they are, knowing that they are together forever and just making it happen.

“My soul is yours, baby.”


The involvement of Garrett and Logan was a definite bonus. I love those two, and can only hope that they get their own books as the series progresses.

I loved this novella. It’s fast-paced, exciting, romantic, and super sexy. The action is great as always, though I thought the resolution of the danger element was a bit anti-climactic. But the focus of this book is the further development of Talen and Cara’s relationship, and that is beautifully explored.

A great addition to the series. 4 stars.

(This novella is included as a bonus in 'Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers, #3), but is also available to purchase separately.)

This novella was previously published in Zanetti's book Wicked Burn. Cara and her vampire mate Talen have weathered many storms but things are getting better. Unfortunately demons are after Cara and they must fight to survive again. A lot of action and romance packed into a short story!

ARC via NetGalley.~

This is actually a bonus novella from on of the Realm books. I can't remember which one though.

From the start of the Dark Protectors series, every reader of Ms. Zanetti has, ~ and still love~ this hero. From the way he entered Cara's life, to the way he adored Janie, on how much he love his son, Garret till his love for Hope. And how much he love his family that really made a mark in my heart.

The war is over, and yet our hero really do not know how to relax. Hence the vacay to Hawaii. However, with the war being over, it does not mean that all is well. As you read this novella, we are given a chance to be awed on how much powerful a pissed mated vampire can be.

I love this man. He is the ideal husband that everyone should have...okay..not the too much alphaness, and the vampire thing. But the overall love that he feels for his mate, Cara.

Intense, passionate, pure devotion, and a love that will last forever. Those are the words that will always be stuck in my head when it comes to Talen. I have read a lot of alpha men, and yet, he is one of those handful of men that I cannot forget no matter what.

I look forward to reading the next book of the Realm Series!

I was given an ARC in exchange for a honest review by NetGalley and Kensington books.
Action from begin to end. It won't disappoint.

OMG I loved them in Fated and I love them even more now all these years later in their relationship! Talen & Cara simply rock as mates! The perfect match for each other in every single way possible. Rebecca remains one of my favorite paranormal romance writers. She just knows how to do it! The storyline is as intense as Talen & Cara's love and need for each other! Amazing! 5 stars!!

Getting back to my favorite book couple in Rebecca Zanetti's Dark Protector series was downright THE BEST thing that could of happened! This novella is a TREASURE! I have adored and wanted Talen since Fated and when I found out there was a novella with Cara and Talen..I HAD to have it.

This novella gives me goosebumps..the good kind. I enjoyed the heck out reading this story. Talen is still broody, dangerous, sexy as heck and absolutely delicious! The way he treats Cara had me sighing in pure happiness and when he shows his dominant side...holy hell my knees get weak and my panties are a lost cause. These two still SIZZLE together. I love the absolute love you see between them and the way the sex just scorches. And the action..still incredibly, over the top, AMAZING! My heart pounded wildly and I loved every second of this amazing novella. If you LOVE Talen...you will LOOOOVE this novella! Seriously, I still want MORE.

Talen is perfect and I give it a GIVE ME MORE RIGHT THIS SECOND OR I WILL SCREAM FIVE SHOOTING STARS! You still have incredible mind boggling passion and some serious, heart stopping action. A real treat for Talen and Cara lovers!

Just when I think I can’t love this author any more, she provides a little teaser of the original couple that started this amazing series.

Talen is and always will be the Karys we remember most with his dark, broody persona and his intense and passionate devotion to his long suffering mate, he is everything you should expect from a warrior Vampire without a filter. While Cara is the calming force behind his aggression, she is also the one person that could be his undoing; as if anything ever happened to Cara, Talen would destroy the world.

I breathed this story in easily, as I hadn’t realised how much I missed this intriguing couple and Talen’s dominant, abrasive and thoroughly sexy presence. Thank you Ms Zanetti.

While Talen is a novelly, it was short, to the point, suspenseful and well done. I loved a different perspective on the protectors, and how the war between the demons and the vampires might still somehow be avoided in the long run.
The writing caught me from the start, and I read the story in one sitting.

Talen and Cara have been together for over 25 years. But for most of that time Cara has been frail and fragile whilst recuperating from the Vampire Virus that almost killed her. With their children now grown and leading their own lives, Cara wants to get back into a productive role. Pity the Alpha vampire she is married to wants to continue to wrap her in cotton wool!

Talen is the hottest granddad in the world! He dotes on Janie and little Hope and he knows their son Garrett is doing well at university. But why does Cara need to rock the boat? When a little expedition into the north with samples for testing gets a bit hair-raising, Talen wonders how Cara managed to talk him into this!

Talen is a tightly coiled Alpha and I loves the way Cara wouldn't let him just walk all over her! Great characters, witty banter and I can't wait to see more of Garrett and his friends!

I enjoyed this book. It is part of a series, I would suggest anyone to read the series before this book, as it references previous incidents. It felt like coming home or visiting old friends that always put a smile on your face. I had forgotten the storyline but the more I read the more came back to me and made me smile. This is a great series and this book continues that tradition. I am looking forward to a continuation of the series.

OK, true confession, I marked this book as 'Want to Read' in Goodreads and when I saw it available on NetGalley I leaped at the opportunity to read it, but i'm not sure why. It's a novella in a series I haven't read, it takes place some time after the seventh book and concerns characters with rich back stories. The good news is that it was fairly easy to pick up the context of this novella.

Cara Paulson Karys is a human empath mated to a vampire, Talen Karys. She has been ill for a very long time and Talen has become used to her being fragile. She is finally cured, the long war against (I think) the demons is over and they should be relaxing and enjoying life. The trouble is that Talen is the biggest, baddest vampire out there and he takes alpha male to a new level. Cara wants to spread her wings a little, maybe teach botany classes at a local university but Talen won't hear of it.

So, having tried to start this series once I know that it is full of big, bossy, dominant vampires who protect their mates (it's all kind of Black Dagger Brotherhood-style vampires) with plenty of haut sex and this novella isn't any different.

I was intrigued by the blurb, how does a married couple, with adult children, adapt to a life in peacetime after two decades of war? How does a warrior learn to step back and stop barking orders? Well the truth is he doesn't really, he gets his own way by dominating his mate sexually until she agrees to submit to his orders.

This was both more and less than I expected/ hoped. Maybe if I had read any of the seven previous novels I would better appreciate Talen's emotional journey and realise what a big change he has made. As it was, I felt that Cara tried to express some independence and was overruled.

Probably more suited to people who have read the series.

I have read at least 85-90% of everything so far published of Ms Zanetti's and I love it all. The worlds she creates and the chemistry between her MCs is wonderful and new. Honestly a breath of fresh air!

Great short story giving us an update on Talen and Cara from the Dark Protectors series!

The long war between the vampires and demons is finally over and Cara, who was ill during that time and most of the 25 years she's been married to Talen, is healthy and ready to move forward with her life goals. Unfortunately, her very alpha vampire husband does not agree with her plans.

Although it has been awhile since I've read the first story, Fated, which began the series, it was wonderful catching up with Talen and Cara, meeting their adult children and grandchild, plus other characters from the series.

And the banter back and forth between Talen and Cara? Very hot AND funny! (You will have to read it to see why!). The depth of love they share for one another is so evident, whether they're facing each other or fighting an enemy.

This is a great story on its own but if you're familiar with the series, you will enjoy this even more!


Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

I am in love with Talen Kryas! He has been my favorite through out the entire series. When ever I'm reading about him I picture Jason Mamoa. Sigh.
The war is over and peace and serenity should be making everyone happy...but Cara and Talen are unsettled and antsy. Talen has treated Cara delicately for years because of the virus when he's longed to fully claim her. He's been holding back but Cara is about to push him passed his limit and he's about to release his true beast and Cara can't wait!

After years of war Cara Kayrs is feeling better and with her Vampire husband Talen Kayrs in tow, she departs for a trip that should be met without danger. Cara is thrilled to be spending time with Talen and out from the protection of the Dark Protectors but not everything goes as planned and she becomes a target.

If you read the fist book in this series than you know this couple. They are one of my all time favorite couples and this was another delightful read about them. Had several of my favorites that made appearances in the short story. One of the best series out there.

Action filled with hot and funny moment s what else to want?? It was perfect!

Another great addition to the Dark Protectors series!