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Teaseday – Excerpt from Hunter’s Moon (Vampires Realm Romance Series Book 9)

 

Today’s tease comes from the book Hunter’s Moon, which is the ninth book in my popular Vampires Realm romance series, and a vampire / werewolf romance novel.

Crisp air rushed through Nicolae’s black fur in a constant stream, shifting with him as he wove through the dark forest, keeping pace with the bulk of the local timber wolf pack. The group ahead of him, led by the grey alpha, snarled and played, riding up on each other’s shoulders as they ran. Nicolae bounded after them, his paws pounding the uneven ground and his footing sure. He ducked under a low branch and then leapt over a fallen tree, landing softly in the fresh leaf litter on the other side. Mountains stretched into the distance before him through the woods, their craggy peaks highlighted by glowing white snow. The fat moon flickered between the bare branches above him and called to his blood.

Nicolae obeyed.

He raced with the pack down the slope towards the hidden glade in the forest. Leafless trees gave way to tall pines that towered above him, blocking the light, and his eyes adjusted, the dark world around him sharpening and his senses following suit. Cool fingers of wind caressed his ears as he headed in amongst the pack and joined in their play, enjoying the clear wintry air and the bright night with them. Several younger wolves in the pack snarled and nudged him, and he playfully responded, gently shouldering them as they ran and fighting for dominance. He let them win even though they were far smaller than he was.

Nicolae wasn’t interested in gaining rank within the pack. He was here to enjoy the moment and the company. Running with the timber wolves under a full moon excited him, took him away from the complications of the human world and set him free. There was nothing in the world as exhilarating as surrendering to his true nature.

Animal sounds filled his ears, undetectable to the humans who lived in the rugged mountainous region of Canada. The deer down in the valley ahead were moving, heading for a safe place to spend the night. He could picture them now as they waited nervously in the shadows of the trees around the glade, alert and aware of the wolves that ran in the dark forest. They would move and make it out onto the narrow strip of grazing land between the banks of woods at the valley bottom before the wolves reached them.

Tomorrow, there would be reports of a wolf attack on the deer, and how the Casey’s horses had panicked, and Nicolae would have to pretend that it startled him to hear such a thing.

That he hadn’t participated in the hunt and the kill of deer.

That he wasn’t a wolf.

A burst of wings broke the silence, owls fluttering from their roosts and heading high into the sky. Hungry wolf eyes instantly tracked them for a heartbeat of time and then the pack moved on, their focus returning to playing and hunting the deer. The day birds settled down in their nests, safe from predators for another night, unbothered by the wolves running below.

The pack began to streak ahead and Nicolae returned his attention to them. His blood rushed and his heart thundered. He felt wild. Alive. The leaders were dark blurs in the distance, almost blending in with the night, silent predators built for this terrain. Younger wolves jostled for position nearer to him. He raced to catch up, the cold air burning in his lungs and a sense of freedom flowing through him.

A howl cut the night and the wolves shifted as one, turning right towards the mountain, away from the glade and the grazing land beyond. Something had caught their attention. The howl came again and Nicolae listened this time, deciphering it. Wolf-speak was old and varied from pack to pack, but he had studied this one closely, and long enough that they had accepted his presence on the mountain. They no longer feared him. It had taken him a century of working with each generation, but he had gained their trust and their friendship, and had learned how to communicate with them.

He pounded up to the peak of a bare hillock, threw his head back, and howled at the moon through the barren trees.

The answering call told him why the wolves were now running with intent.

There were men on the mountain.

Men who didn’t belong there.

Nicolae ran down the other side of the hillock and rejoined the wolves, running close to them now, amongst the pack. The sense of calm and playfulness disappeared. The wolves were hunting, a sliver of fear flowing through the entire pack, alertness that called to his instincts. He focused on the woods ahead, mapping them and monitoring for a sign of the men. It was unusual for hunters to come onto the mountains at night, especially when winter’s grip was closing on the area.

A distant noise snapped the group to attention. The alpha snarled. Nicolae stretched his superior senses farther ahead of them. They whispered of danger. He sniffed and caught the scent of men on the wind. No one that he recognised. The grey alpha snarled again, this time in Nicolae’s direction. Nicolae answered with a growl. There was no reason to fear the humans.

He would protect them if it came to a fight.

He doubted that it would. Humans rarely hurt the wolves and never bothered him. They were probably looking for deer. He glanced at the moon. It was late to be hunting, and not just in the year. The sun had set hours ago and midnight was approaching. What prey were they after? The bears were already heading into hibernation, and deer didn’t come this far up the mountain in winter. The only animals up here were small game and the timber wolves.

A trickle of fear slithered down his spine. His hackles rose in response.

Were they after the wolves?

Nicolae snarled, sending a message to the pack.

They turned and moved in a silent dark stream down into the valley, away from the hunters. Nicolae lumbered onwards alone, towards the hunters he could sense in the distance. It was rocky ground where they were and the sparse trees would offer him little cover, but it was a risk he had to take. If the hunters saw him, he would head back down towards the valley, where the forest was thicker. He had to make sure that these men weren’t a threat. He needed to protect the wolves.

Nicolae slowed to a trot as he reached the stony ground and lowered himself until his softer stomach fur brushed the leaf litter and rocks. He crawled forwards, moving as quietly as possible, stalking the hunters. They stood in a clearing, the moon highlighting them with threads of silver. Nicolae stopped behind the broad trunk of the nearest tree, as close as he could get without them noticing him.

Their murmured conversation masked the sound of his soft huffs. His heart thumped against his ribs.

Four men. Dark haired. They were difficult to make out even in the moonlight. He could tell they were tall, and that the two who had their backs to him were broad built, possibly even bigger than he was in human form. Their black fatigues caused them to blend into each other and the woods beyond, and he couldn’t make out any of their faces or the builds of the other two men.

“I’m telling you she’s gone down towards that valley,” one of the men whispered, his accent local sounding enough. He was Canadian at least. Nicolae couldn’t see him clearly from his position behind the tree and bushes, but he couldn’t risk moving.

“Did you see how she moved? I’ve never seen something move that fast. Is that normal?” This voice had a tremor in it that spoke of inexperience and fear.

What were they hunting? Referring to animals as female was nothing new to him but it didn’t sound as though they were hunting bear or deer. Were his suspicions correct and they were after the wolves?

Nicolae looked down towards the valley. The local timber wolf pack were all there and most of them had been with him all night. The distant howl that had alerted them to the presence of the hunters had been a scout. It hadn’t given word of an altercation with the men. If there had been one, the wolf would have reported it to the pack.

He glanced the other way, towards the peak of the plateau and his cabin. Beyond it was the settlement. Were they hunting his sort of wolf? Impossible. No one in these parts knew of the werewolves. They lived quietly amongst the humans, blending in and keeping to themselves. None more so than him. He didn’t belong to that pack. He didn’t belong to anyone.

He cast his gaze over each hunter in turn, scrutinising them with his senses and putting their scents to memory. What were they doing on the mountain? One of the men looked in the direction of the valley and Nicolae stilled. They weren’t dark haired. They were all wearing black woollen hats, and the one he could see had night-vision goggles on.

Nicolae shuffled back a step and hunkered down when the man turned towards him. Even the bushes around the trees had lost their foliage this far up the mountain. If he moved so much as a millimetre, the man would spot him through the infrared goggles. His heartbeat doubled and it felt impossible to keep still. He wasn’t sure what sort of weaponry they had, but with the goggles, the men already had the advantage. They would be able to see him at a distance. There would be no quick escape into the darkness. Anticipation sent adrenaline to his muscles and they coiled in readiness. The wolf pack howled in the distance. The man turned away. Nicolae dared to peek through the twigs of the bushes at the men.

The one who had looked towards him was facing the others again, his hand hovering on the hilt of a vicious-looking hunting knife that hung from his utility belt. Nicolae glanced at the man next to him. A similar knife hung from his belt. Were they armed only with knives? He tried to see their hands but most of the men had them in front of them, or the bodies of the others hid them. They started talking again, calm and unfazed by the surrounding darkness and distant wolf howls.

Something about them didn’t feel right. Their poise, their calmness, set them apart from the casual hunters that often came to the area, and gave him the impression that they were experienced in night manoeuvres and possibly trained in combat. In fact, he would hazard a guess that either they were in the military or they used to be. The only one who didn’t feel like a threat was the one who was afraid. His heart pounded faster than the other three men’s did, pushing at Nicolae’s desire to attack. He clawed for control, his focus turning inward for a moment as he struggled against his animal instincts.

“I say we go down.” The one in the middle of the group this time. His agreement with the first voice caused a murmur to run through them. The three men who had spoken turned towards the fourth, tallest, man.

The man stepped forwards, into the clearing, and Nicolae got a good look at him. The cold calculating edge to his expression warned Nicolae that this man was more than a hunter of animals. He had seen such faces before, in his past, on merciless killers that were acquainted with death and cruelty, and revelled in it.

Nicolae slunk further into the shadows, battling dark splintered memories that branded his mind with horrific images of violence and bloodshed, and seared his body with fierce pain. Each scar on his skin turned to flame beneath his black fur and he fought the urge to snarl. It had been so long since he had relived the nightmare of his past that he had forgotten how to deal with the pain. It threatened to cripple him, to force him from his animal state and expose him to the hunters. He battled the memories, using every ounce of his strength and willpower to remain hidden and as a wolf, but his control began to slip.

Screams taunted him, pleas for mercy and desperate cries for protection. His muscles bunched tight, bordering on cramping, and his heart wrenched in his chest as he relived everything in such vivid detail that it felt as though he had been transported back to that time, to the hellhole in which they had tortured him and his blood kin. Images of them swam in his mind, shifting in and out of focus, bloodied and beaten, eyes full of despair that turned to hope as they fell on him. He felt himself reaching out to them even though he couldn’t move, trying to grasp the fragile visions as frantic need to comfort them flooded him. They slipped through his fingers, faces turning hollow and emaciated as they screamed, clutching themselves. His limbs shook, weak down to his bones, and he tried to shun the images, not wanting to witness their deaths again.

Not wanting to relive the horror of his failings.

He ground his teeth, biting down hard until his sharp canines cut into his gums and the taste of blood flooded his mouth. The metallic scent brought darker memories with it. They crowded his mind, driving him to the edge of despair, and threatening to break his hold on his wolf form. He couldn’t lose it here. The hunters would see him. They would kill him before he had a chance to fully transform and escape into the woods. He would expose everyone to danger. He fought to remain focused, clamping his jaw and sucking in deep gulps of night air through his nose. The crisp edge to the air and the scent of the woods grounded him enough that he could shift his focus to the present and his surroundings, pushing away the terrifying memories.

“We go down,” the hunter said at last, snapping Nicolae back to them and giving him a point of focus to hold on to, helping him clear his mind.

He breathed hard, gradually bringing himself back under control. The smell of the night soothed him and his pulse began to level again, his blood no longer blazing in his veins.

Nicolae looked up at the moon through the trees, needing to see it and see that he was free. His past laid thousands of miles away and a hundred years ago. Out here in the wild, he was free of the world that had once enslaved him. He was free of the vampires.

Two of the men moved past the one who Nicolae had decided was their leader. They brought their night-vision goggles down over their eyes and shouldered weapons that caused Nicolae to hesitate. The fourth man moved and did a sweep of the area.

Nicolae stared at the crossbow and the shiny tip of the dart aimed straight at him, his breathing faltering at the sight of it. The man moved on, scanning behind the group, and then followed them down into the woods.

Bows?

When was the last time he had seen a hunter use a bow? He couldn’t recall one in recent years. Everyone used high-powered rifles with accurate sights now. Even he did.

The timber wolves howled in the valley.

Nicolae tried to make out what they were saying but it was difficult with the men distracting him. He crawled through the undergrowth, tracking them from a distance. Whenever one of the men turned his way, sweeping the area with their crossbow, he flattened himself against the ground and waited. Their progress through the forest was slow but they were heading towards the wolves. If they came too close to the pack, he would break cover and head down to warn them.

The hunters maintained their silence as they wove through the woods, giving Nicolae difficulty. It was hard to move without making a sound when the leaf litter was so deep and crisp. He placed each paw carefully, moving with stealth and keeping far enough away that they wouldn’t hear him.

“I still say that she went up,” one of the men whispered after they had been walking for over twenty minutes and Nicolae caught sight of the leader through the dense tree trunks.

The man held his hand up in a fist and the group halted. Nicolae stopped too, one paw in the air. It trembled with the exertion of holding it there. He gradually lowered it to the ground, holding his breath as he did so, and then exhaled when none of the hunters looked his way. The leader turned towards the man who had spoken and something silent passed between them.

Nicolae knew a threat when he felt it. It seemed the man who had spoken did too because he bent his head and remained silent as the group continued down towards the glade. Nicolae reached out with his senses, searching for both the wolf pack and the prey of the hunters. Could it be a bear?

They had talked about her being quick. Bears were fast when they had to be. He’d been on the receiving end of a few charges in his lifetime. They weren’t as fast as wolves though.

He sensed the timber wolf pack on the grazing land far below. The alpha howled and Nicolae paid him no heed, only using the sound to confirm their position on his senses was correct. He couldn’t feel any other animals besides a few birds and small creatures. The high-tech crossbows these men were packing said that they weren’t after prey smaller than a wolf, not unless they enjoyed a challenge. Even then, they would probably go after big game. Hunting large animals with only a bow would be more exciting and dangerous. A challenge most hunters would relish. Which brought him back around to bears.

The men stopped a few hundred metres up the mountain from the glade. Their leader raised his goggles, looked towards the rugged horizon, and then turned towards the other three.

“She might have gone to ground.” It was the one who had almost seen him. The leader looked thoughtful, his face shadowed and difficult to make out.

Two of the men he hadn’t got a good look at earlier were in broken moonlight now, their night-vision goggles pushed up on their foreheads. They were young, one of them around his late twenties and the other into his thirties. Nicolae suspected it had been the youngest man who had sounded scared. The other one had a hard set to his jaw and coldness in his eyes. The sort of look a man got after seeing a lot of death.

Nicolae had that look sometimes.

“I shot her.” There was certainty in the man’s gravelly voice. None of the others looked as though they were about to doubt him.

Nicolae sniffed, trying to catch a scent on the chill air. If they had shot whatever animal they were after, then it would be bleeding. He would be able to track it.

“The poison will take care of her in that case.”

Nicolae froze. Poison? He looked at the bolts loaded in the crossbows. Just what was it they had shot and now wanted to find? Hunters didn’t normally poison their prey.

Not unless their prey was strong enough to survive arrows and bullets and come after them. He shook that thought away. There was no reason for him to get jittery. In the century he had lived in the area, not once had anyone attacked the werewolves.

“I don’t want to risk it. I want to find her.” The leader this time.

The alpha wolf howled again and Nicolae listened.

Blood.

They were hunting something.

Nicolae tensed, torn between breaking cover and heading down to see what the wolves had smelt, and remaining to listen to the men and ensure they left the mountain.

He raised his nose to the breeze and sniffed. He could smell it now, sharp and coppery, coming up from the valley.

A bolt zipped past him, thudding into a tree barely inches from his nose. Nicolae ran, keeping his rear down and weaving through the narrow gaps between the trees to cover himself. Another bolt narrowly missed him.

“Don’t waste ammo unless you’re sure it’s what we’re here after,” the leader said.

Nicolae pounded through the forest, away from the men and down towards the valley. He picked up the scent of blood and followed the trail. It grew stronger, fresh and sharp in the clear air, cutting through it. He sniffed the ground at intervals, trying to see if the animal had bled onto it so he could investigate the scent and determine what sort of creature it was.

The pine trees grew dense around him as he neared the glade. Their scent obscured the subtler one of the blood, making it impossible for him to tell what it belonged to. It didn’t smell animal.

It wasn’t werewolf.

He rounded a tree and spotted something in the clearing ahead.

Human.

The timber wolves broke out of the woods on the other side to Nicolae, heading for the body. His heart slammed against his ribs and he crashed through the undergrowth and out into the glade. He dashed across the open ground, passing the body, and leapt into the group, snarling and snapping at them, driving them back. His teeth clashed with those of the more persistent wolves but he was careful not to draw blood. His attack wasn’t about hurting them. It was purely to force them to leave the human alone. It was to protect them. If they ate the body, the locals would hunt them down and slaughter them all. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

The alpha growled.

The rest of the pack cowered, lowering their rears and bowing their heads. Some of the younger ones at the back whimpered and whined.

The grey alpha came forward, smaller than Nicolae but bigger than the other wolves, and stared at him.

Nicolae breathed hard and held the alpha’s yellow gaze.

The pack was hungry. With winter setting in, it was important that they fed well, but he couldn’t allow them to harm this human. The alpha didn’t move. Nicolae could understand his need to protect his pack and provide for them.

He huffed, turning the air misty for a second with his warm breath, and then came to a decision. He looked deep into the alpha’s eyes, communicating with him alone. He would hunt and leave them a deer at his cabin in exchange for the human. Was that acceptable?

The alpha wolf stared at him a moment longer and then turned and trotted silently into the forest. The pack followed.

Nicolae huffed again.

He would do as he had promised and give them a deer as soon as he could go out and hunt. During harsher winters, he often provided for them. Wolves were a proud race, just like their werewolf brethren, but this pack no longer took offence at his offerings.

Nicolae knew the pain of not being able to provide for the pack, of failing in his duty to protect them, and because of those experiences he knew that he had asked a lot of the alpha tonight. He was grateful the wolf had chosen to accept the deer and, to show it, he would find the largest one he could.

He turned and sniffed his way back to the human. She lay on the leaf litter, motionless and pale. Covered in blood. It had a strange smell. Some part of it was human but the scent was different, familiar. Was it the poison that made it smell so wrong?

The woman’s eyes were closed, her fair hair spread across the ground in a golden wave. Moonlight shone down into the glade, the bare branches of the trees splitting it into bright shafts that bathed her. He sniffed again and listened. No heartbeat but he couldn’t be sure. Twin darts punctured her black fatigues, one in the left of her chest, up from her heart, and the second in the right side of her stomach. Could she have survived that?

He caught the scent of the hunters on the darts.

Why had they killed her?

She was dressed like them.

Nicolae listened again for a pulse. None came.

There were some things that he couldn’t do as a wolf. He shuffled back a few paces to give himself more room and then focused. His bones popped and body twisted, the black fur on it slowly disappearing as he transformed back into his normal form. He grimaced and growled quietly, containing his pain for fear of alerting the hunters to his presence. He wasn’t sure if they had gone and he wasn’t sure if the woman was dead. He couldn’t let either of them know what he was. His ribs stretched and his limbs cracked back into human forms still covered in patches of fur. It swept backwards, towards his shoulders, revealing deformed fingers that pushed out into normal shapes. His muzzle compressed, his teeth receding, and he moved onto his hind legs, standing with a wobble. Pain ripped down his spine with the final shift of his bones beneath his now human skin, and he bit back his desire to throw his head back and scream out his agony.

Nicolae clenched his fists and breathed deep, waiting with closed eyes for the pain to pass and his heartbeat to level again.

Centuries of life as a werewolf and whenever he spent too long in his animal form, he still felt the pain as he had during the first change.

The moment it subsided, he crouched beside the woman, naked and unashamed. He touched her throat. She was cold and he couldn’t feel a pulse. Dead.

He ran his hand over his messy dark hair and frowned, thinking over what he should do.

His gaze assessed the two darts. Blood saturated the black material around them. He touched it, brought his fingers to his nose, and sniffed. He could smell the poison. Strong. Why had the hunters killed her? If he had found her before coming across the hunters, he would have said they had belonged to the same party. Only this woman wasn’t armed.

Nicolae looked around the clearing for a weapon.

When he looked back at the woman, she was staring at him with dark eyes.

Her left fist flew towards him.

Nicolae rolled backwards into a crouch, barely avoiding the punch. She lunged, trying to grab him, gasping and wheezing. Blood pumped from around the arrow in her abdomen. The dart must have punctured her lung.

His gaze met hers again and he froze. The words of warning to keep still fled his lips.

Fiery orange eyes pinned him with the deadliest of stares.

Nocens.

She bore her fangs and Nicolae backed away, his eyes still locked with hers, panic sending an icy wave through his blood.

What was a vampire of the Nocens bloodline doing in Canada?

She snarled and then slumped backwards, hitting the dirt hard. Nicolae didn’t move. He couldn’t tell if she was dead or not but he wasn’t about to risk his neck by checking her. His gaze darted between the arrows. There was a lot of blood on her, and around the glade. The arrows were poisoned. He dragged in a shaky breath.

The scent of her blood hit him and, now that he knew why he recognised it, he couldn’t bear the smell.

Nicolae shook his head at the first assault of memories, desperate to keep them at bay. He wasn’t there now. He was free. He had paid for it in blood and death, but he was free. The images came, relentless, horrifying visions of violence and pain, punishment in dark barred corridors, screams that echoed through the entire compound. He fell forwards, breathing hard, clawing the dirt into his fists and holding on. Cries. Blood. The sting of the whip against his back. He arched forwards and growled, his teeth elongating. The laughter of his cruel masters. His neck burned, aching under the pressing weight of an iron collar. The humiliation of his brethren.

Blood ran in a fetid river before his eyes, trickling over damp dark stones and along the gutter in front of the cells, mixing with faeces and urine. Shackles clanked in the dim light. Bars rattled under the duress of a fruitless attack by a prisoner.

He wasn’t there.

Nicolae yelled his rage at the starlit sky. It burst from him, desperate and feral in its sound, and echoed around the distant mountains. A disconsolate howl from the valley answered him. The alpha. The sound of it and the message it contained soothed him and granted him relief. He shut the pain down, clearing his mind of the past and focusing on the present, but there was no comfort in it now.

His gaze snapped to the vampire.

He pushed himself back onto his feet and stood over her, staring with hatred burning in his gut. The hunters were still searching for her, and it wouldn’t be long before they reached where he was. They would finish her off. If she managed to survive both the hunters and the poison until daybreak, then nature would take care of her. The sky was clear. When the sun rose, it would spill into the glade. She wouldn’t be strong enough to escape it. Her kind deserved to feel pain.

He would never involve himself with vampires.

He strode away from her.

No matter how beautiful they were.

That thought arrested his steps. He frowned over his shoulder at her. The cold air curled around him, chilling and stiffening his bare body. He stared at the vampire and then at the horizon through the trees, and realised with self-loathing that he wasn’t strong enough to do it. As much as he despised her kind, he wasn’t a monster like them. She wasn’t the same bloodline as the ones who had enslaved him. She had done nothing to deserve his bitterness. If he left her, it would plague him and he would regret it. If he needed a reason to help her, he would do it for the sake of information about the hunters. They had to be the reason that she was so far from home.

Nicolae went back to her. She looked small and fragile as she lay on the dirt. Her appearance belied her true nature but it couldn’t fool his senses. When she had come around, he had felt her strength. Was she strong enough to fight the poison? He placed his palm against her forehead. She wasn’t burning up yet. If the poison was the type most vampire hunters used, then there was still time to help her.

Part of him said to leave her. Her kind had given him nothing but pain. She should feel it in return.

He couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing. Watching a dying vampire succumb to the sun and poison would be a petty form of vengeance. His heart had let go of his desire for revenge almost fifty years ago now, cleansed by his quiet life in the wilderness. Only the nightmarish memories kept it alive in him.

Nicolae sighed and picked her up, shifting her into his arms and cradling her against his bare chest in a way that didn’t disturb the bolts. If she woke again, he would drop her in a flash and distance himself. He doubted that she would though. She had probably used the last of her strength fighting him.

Was he really going to do this? If he brought her into his home, if he helped her heal, then he would be helping the enemy.

In times of war, it was acceptable to help the enemy of your enemy. The hunters had tried to kill her. They were a threat to everything he had built here, and everyone that he knew.

He had to help her.

Even when he knew it would place him in danger.

The hunters were after her.

They would be after him too now.

 

Did you enjoy today’s tease?

Caris Roane is also posting a Teaseday snippet, so be sure to check out her blog and read it! http://www.carisroane.com/2013/01/teaseday-the-darkening-3/

 

Hunter’s Moon

F E Heaton

The horror of the night he failed to save his werewolf pack from the cruelty of their vampire masters has haunted Nicolae for one hundred years, driving him deep into the Canadian wilderness in search of peace. That peace is threatened when unfamiliar hunters and the scent of blood lead him to a beautiful woman and a hard decision—face his past and help her or risk losing everyone he cares about again.

Bearing a heart filled with grief and with vengeance on her mind, Tatyana is intent on killing the hunters she’s tracking and returning to her vampire bloodline, but her plan didn’t include being shot with poisoned arrows or rescued by a glowering alpha werewolf who stirs forbidden hunger in her.

When the hunters make their move, will Nicolae be able to stop them before it’s too late? Will he be able to overcome the darkness in his heart and embrace his desire for a vampire? And can Tatyana face her fears and risk her life for the sake of forbidden love?

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

 

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in the Vampires Realm romance series yet, they’re all available at major ebook retailers and some are available in paperback, and you can find the links and samples of the books at my website:

Prophecy: Child of Light (Vampires Realm Romance Series #1)

Prophecy: Caelestis & Aurorea (Vampires Realm Romance Series #2)

Prophecy: Dark Moon Rising (Vampires Realm Romance Series #3)

Eternity: The Beginning (Vampires Realm Romance Series #4)

Spellbound (Vampires Realm Romance Series #5)

Reunion (Vampires Realm Romance Series #6)

Seventh Circle (Vampires Realm Romance Series #7)

Winter’s Kiss (Vampires Realm Romance Series #8)

Hunter’s Moon (Vampires Realm Romance Series #9)

Masquerade (Vampires Realm Romance Series #10)

 

Manday Hotties – Do you like the men in your mancandy fix to be clean or dirty?

 

It’s time for the Manday Hotties Hop again and I’m continuing to bring you sexy new mancandy this year. So… here’s two new hotties for you to drool over…

 



 

 

Which shot is your favourite? Do you prefer your men clean or dirty?

 

Visit the other blogs in the hop:

 

Sensual Sunday – Read a sexy excerpt from Bewitch (Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series book 5)

 

Sensual Sunday is brought to you today by Bewitch, which is the fifth book in my popular Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series. Bewitch is now available on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBookstore, Kobo Books, and other retailers.

Sensual Sunday always features a hot excerpt from one of my paranormal romance books and for the next few weeks it will focus solely on Bewitch. Read on for this Sunday’s sensual snippet…

Elissa crossed the room and stopped before Payne, standing close. He didn’t look at her. His gaze remained glued on the strip of wall above the door.

She shook off her nerves and raised her hand. Was she really going to do this? Her fingers shook and she focused, trying to steady them and her trembling heart. She ran her fingertip along his collarbone. No reaction. Her gaze leapt up to his. The colours in them remained muted. He looked like a man waiting for a long jail sentence to end, as though everything depended on surviving until he made it back through that door. Why didn’t he just leave then?

Did the ring mean that much to him that he was willing to endure her company and wait until she changed her mind and did things his way?

“Is the ‘friend’ with a problem your lover?” The thought that she might be caused a weird tight sensation behind Elissa’s breastbone and acid in her stomach.

He reacted to that, his gaze darting to her and darkening. “No.”

It went back to the door.

It was progress. He didn’t have a lover. Elissa found that oddly relieving.

She upped the stakes and ran her finger over his lower lip. He bore his fangs at her but nothing more.

“I don’t like strong silent types,” she muttered and focused her magic, willing it to reveal the object of his focus.

Her insides lit up.

He was locked on her like a heat-seeking missile on an inferno. She delved a little deeper with her magic, unravelling the threads of his feelings. They were murky. Probably his mixed genes at play. She searched and found a glimmering red ribbon of desire amongst them. He did want her. There was so much black in his feelings though. She hoped it was just his genes muddling her spell and not a sign that he held endless darkness and pain inside him. She lowered her hands to his chest, resting her palms against the rock hard muscles hidden beneath his soft grey shirt.

Elissa tiptoed and shivered as their bodies came into contact. She brought her mouth to his ear, making sure their cheeks brushed. His heart thundered like a war drum against her hands and she realised something shocking. He was trembling too. She closed her eyes as he moved, his cheek against hers and his breath cool on her throat. Mother earth, it felt so good that she forgot what she had intended to say.

Her cheek heated against his.

Elissa swallowed and remembered what she had meant to ask him. “Why did you call yourself Payne?”

 

Did you enjoy today’s hot sexy snippet?

 

 

Bewitch

Felicity Heaton

A vampire with a past stained with blood and a soul tainted with darkness, he is perfect in his self-control, never surrendering to his darkest desires. Now a beautiful witch in the shadowy fae underworld threatens to reawaken long denied hungers and tempts him with carnal pleasure.

Payne despises the incubus side of his mixed genes and refuses to give it free rein, but when the wickedly sexy Elissa offers him a possible way to help a friend, he finds it difficult to resist paying the price, even if it will be his undoing—one night of passion at her command.

Elissa is a witch down on her luck until Payne comes crashing into her life. The dangerously handsome male is the key to fulfilling a promise she made, but he is also forbidden, and surrendering to the wildfire passion he stirs within her means risking ruin and death.

When one incredible night of fulfilling their deepest fantasies leads to more than just a pathway to keeping a promise and saving a friend, will they be able to overcome the barriers that stand between them and forever?

 

Available in e-book from:

Amazon Kindle Stores:

US/International | UK | Germany | France | Canada

Apple iBookstores:

US | UK | Canada | Australia | New Zealand

Other Retailers:

Author’s website | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

(Coming soon to Barnes and Noble Nook and Sony Reader Store)

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

 

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series yet, they’re all available at major ebook retailers and in paperback, and you can find the links and samples of the books at my website:

Covet (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #1)

Crave (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #2)

Seduce (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #3)

Enslave (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #4)

Bewitch (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #5)

 

Caris Roane is also posting a Sensual Sunday snippet, so be sure to check out her blog and read it! http://www.carisroane.com/2013/01/sensual-sunday-2-24/

 

Snippet Saturday – Author’s Choice – Her Demonic Angel (Her Angel romance series book 5)

It’s time for Snippet Saturday! Each week has a theme or is author’s choice. This week the theme is Author’s Choice.

When selecting the snippet for last week’s post from the fifth book in my Her Angel romance series, Her Demonic Angel, I found another snippet from earlier in the book that I really wanted to share but that didn’t fit the theme… so I’m going to use it this week for my author’s choice post!

This is much earlier in the novel, just after Veiron has rescued Erin from the clutches of his master, the Devil, and is trekking with her through Hell. He’s found a safe place for her to rest, but Erin can’t sleep.

 

Erin pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I have nightmares when I sleep.”

He found that both difficult and easy to believe. She had been through a lot and seen things that would haunt her forever, but she hadn’t shown any sign that she had been having a nightmare when sleeping in his arms.

“I’ll keep the demons out of them too.”

She smiled. “I’m not five. I doubt you can keep my nightmares away. If you can, and it’s another power of yours, I wish you had been around my whole life.”

“Why?”

She lowered her chin and rested it on her knees, and looked up at him through her fringe. He had thought she had looked small and fragile when sleeping in his arms. He had been wrong. The way she had curled up and was holding herself, the tone of her voice, and the trace of fear in her eyes all combined to leave her looking vulnerable, and it made him want to pull her onto his lap and wrap his arms around her. Not just because he wanted to protect her, but because he knew she was letting him see this side of her, that she wasn’t this unguarded with her fears and her feelings around others, and it touched him. A kindred spirit. He hadn’t realised how strongly she felt things and that she guarded her heart as fiercely as he guarded his.

Her eyes met his, open and honest, speaking to his tainted soul. “I’ve always had horrible dreams… the things I see… my parents even had me tested once to put all our minds at rest.”

Veiron leaned towards her in the cramped cave, reached over with his right hand and brushed the black lengths of her hair from her face, hoping to comfort her. “What sort of things do you see?”

“Places like this sometimes… only worse. Horrible things that I don’t want to speak about.” She looked away and then closed her eyes.

“You didn’t have a nightmare when you were in my arms.” He wasn’t sure why he put that one out there. Tormenting himself? He was the big bad hero who chased away Erin’s nightmares and made everything right. Her knight in tarnished armour. Yeah, right. It didn’t matter what he did, or how alike they were beneath the surface. As soon as she realised he was one of those bastards she hated so much, it would be game over and goodbye Veiron. Kill it before it started. It was the only way to save himself.

“I didn’t. Can I sleep next to you?”

“Sure.” Way to resist and keep that all necessary distance between them. What was it about this woman that had him going against his better judgement? It was more than her beauty and how similar they were to each other. It ran deeper than that.

Erin moved closer, flashed him a tired but grateful smile, and settled on her side with her head on his thigh. Hell. He warned the part of his anatomy that she had chosen to snuggle up right next to not to get ideas. Those dirty thoughts spinning out of control in his mind were not going to happen.

Do not touch her. Do not lay a hand on that smooth but dirty slender arm of hers and stroke it to see if her skin feels as soft as it looks. Do not.

Veiron ran his fingers along the length of her arm.

“Veiron,” she whispered, his name like ambrosia to his aching soul as it fell softly from her lips. “I can’t sleep. Talk to me.”

“What about?” Any subject but himself. Keep it professional. Keep some distance. Any subject but himself.

“About you.”

“Sure.” Fuck. Why didn’t he just smash his fist through his ribcage and tear out his heart right now to save himself the inevitable pain in his future?

“Are you fallen?”

He grimaced.

“You don’t have to answer that if you don’t want to.” She tipped her head up, rolling slightly onto her back so she was looking at him. “Tell me if I’m being too nosy.”

He didn’t want to answer it, and she damn well was being too nosy.

“I am,” he said rather than refusing her and wished she would go to sleep. He shouldn’t have woken her. He should have tried to carry her down the slope. He might have made it to the ledge even with her extra weight rather than tumbling into a volcanic abyss.

Veiron looked down at the bubbling flame-filled plain below. Fiery painful death was beginning to look good but dying was off the menu. Not going to happen. Death meant rebirth, and rebirth meant a return to Heaven and forgetting everything until he fell again.

“Did they cut off your wings?” She glanced away when his gaze darted to meet hers. “You don’t have to answer that.”

If he didn’t have to answer any of these questions, then she should stop asking them and just go to sleep.

“How do you know my sister?”

Evidently, she had taken his silence to mean he wasn’t answering any questions about wings. If she knew he still had wings, she would ask what they looked like, and then it was a small leap to realising just what sort of creature’s thigh she was using as a pillow.

“We had a problem in common. I helped her and Marcus deal with it.”

“Is Marcus an angel too?”

“Of sorts.”

She smiled. “Are all angels of sorts? You say that every time. You don’t like to talk about angels, do you?”

He shook his head. It wasn’t his favourite topic. Just the word had his hatred bubbling to the surface and awakened his desire to unleash every drop of his rage on Heaven and Hell.

“Do angels wear robes and fly around Heaven playing harps and singing?”

Veiron laughed. “Fuck, no. We wear armour and fly around carrying out our master’s wishes with angelic weapons… and those missions often entail spilling blood in copious quantities.”

“Like warriors?” She was starting to sound sleepy.

“To the core.” He stroked her arm and then her black hair from her face, curling it behind her ear so he could see her face while she slept. She closed her eyes and sighed out her breath, resting her cheek against his thigh. Her right hand settled further up his leg, her heat burning through his black jeans and making him painfully aware of her proximity and touch, and how good she felt against him.

“I think you’re my guardian angel,” she murmured and his fingers froze against her face.

She didn’t notice. A soft snore broke the heavy silence.

A guardian angel. He hadn’t been one of those in centuries and he had no desire to ever become one again. Not a guardian angel. He was her demonic angel, a man driven by cold fury to pursue something that might end in his death and inevitable rebirth.

Veiron stared into the hazy heat filled distance.

When that rebirth came, he would make sure it was into a different world, one devoid of the Devil and God. They would both pay for the vicious game they played with his life against his will.

 

Did you enjoy the snippet?

 

More about the book:

Her Demonic Angel

Felicity Heaton

A demonic angel with a heart of ice, Veiron walks a dark path with vengeance on his mind. Nothing will sway him from his mission to destroy his master… until he risks his life to enter Hell once more to save a mortal female. The fiery beauty makes him burn with hungers he must battle and needs he cannot deny, tempting him to surrender body and soul to her.

Erin is convinced her refusal to do the Devil’s bidding will see her die in a terrifying realm straight out of her nightmares. The last thing she expects is the lethally sensual warrior who breaks into her cell and awakens the darkest desires of her heart and a fierce longing to know the heat of his caress.

Pulled into an incredible world where war is set to ignite and darkness is on the rise, Erin races with Veiron to escape the Devil’s legions in a journey fraught with danger and filled with passion that flares white-hot.

When Erin is faced with a life-shattering realisation and an extraordinary destiny, will their love give them the strength to battle both Heaven and Hell or will they be parted forever?

 

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore US | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Sony Reader Store | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

 

 

Don’t forget to visit the other authors who are participating to read their snippets…

Lauren Dane

Shiloh Walker

Mari Carr

Delilah Devlin

Jody Wallace

Shelli Stevens

TJ Michaels

Leah Braemel

McKenna Jeffries

Taige Crenshaw

Felicity Heaton

Caris Roane

Myla Jackson

HelenKay Dimon

 

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Every month I send out a newsletter packed with information about my books, any tours I’m on, all my latest promotions and giveaways, and there’s also a prize draw for a $50 Amazon Gift Card in every issue. Not only that, but each newsletter has exclusive content with a new episode of my Her Angel Interludes every month. So if you’re wondering what has been happening in that world, you can join Nevar in his adventures in my newsletter.

On top of those benefits, I also do giveaways and exclusive sneak previews for my books in the lead up to their release. If you’re waiting on Unleash, then you’ll get to read five chapters of the book before anyone else and be in with five chances to win a signed paperback copy of the book too, just by joining my mailing list!

Sound good? Well, it gets even better. You’ll also get a notification email whenever I release a new book, complete with an excerpt and all the links. And, you’ll be the first to hear when I have a new promotion running or I’m holding a huge giveaway at my Facebook Fan Page or other places.

All this dropping conveniently into your inbox, meaning you don’t have to lift a finger to find my new release at Amazon or see if I have a giveaway running. You’ll always be the first to know.

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Vampirerotique Winter Book Tour – All the latest posts and Bewitch (Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series book 5) reviews!

The Vampirerotique Winter Book Tour has been underway for a few weeks now, and I trust you’ve been enjoying it and all the posts, character interviews, and fun stuff. Here’s a round-up of the posts so far and also some snippets from the recent reviews of Bewitch, the latest book in the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series.

Don’t forget to visit the Vampirerotique Winter Book Tour page to enter the Grand Giveaway for your chance to win a $100 or $50 Amazon Gift Card!

 

Bewitch Book Reviews

“Payne is a hot, brooding vampire/incubus with mommy and daddy issues. Elissa is a sexy, spirited witch who is wild at heart, but still afraid to dip her foot in the pool. Add these two together and you get BOOM! This couple is fantastically HOT! I loved them… This series just keeps getting better. These books are short and sweet, but boy do they pack a punch! Ms. Heaton puts her heart and soul into each character and it shows. Great series! Can’t wait for the next installment.”

The Romance Reviews — 5 out of 5 – TOP PICK! — Read the full review

“The author skillfully weaves her characters together into a story that was fast-paced and filled with surprises. Her ability to develop strong narratives, with beautifully crafted one-liners, forever impresses me. Her creation of two powerful characters in Bewitch is impressive… If you are looking for a spicy hot, paranormal romance with characters that you will fall in lust and love with, be sure to check out the Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series. ”

Bex N Books — 4.5 out of 5 — Read the full review

“A pretty fast-paced story without the feeling of being rushed, Bewitch is sure to please a wide range of audiences. Fans and newcomers to the series alike will enjoy reading along as Payne and Elissa ignite the pages. Bewitch is a recommended read!”

GraveTells — 4 out of 5 – Recommended Read! — Read the full review

“Together these two (Payne and Elissa) really burned up the pages, not only with hot steamy sexy scenes, but also with undeniable passion that neither could ignore. The love, the redemption and the forgiveness that was rewarded to each of them pulled at my heart-strings and made me love how these two developed a deep understanding and connection for each other.”

Bitten by Paranormal Romance — 4 out of 5 — Read the full review

 

Bewitch

Felicity Heaton

A vampire with a past stained with blood and a soul tainted with darkness, he is perfect in his self-control, never surrendering to his darkest desires. Now a beautiful witch in the shadowy fae underworld threatens to reawaken long denied hungers and tempts him with carnal pleasure.

Payne despises the incubus side of his mixed genes and refuses to give it free rein, but when the wickedly sexy Elissa offers him a possible way to help a friend, he finds it difficult to resist paying the price, even if it will be his undoing—one night of passion at her command.

Elissa is a witch down on her luck until Payne comes crashing into her life. The dangerously handsome male is the key to fulfilling a promise she made, but he is also forbidden, and surrendering to the wildfire passion he stirs within her means risking ruin and death.

When one incredible night of fulfilling their deepest fantasies leads to more than just a pathway to keeping a promise and saving a friend, will they be able to overcome the barriers that stand between them and forever?

 

Available in e-book from:

Amazon Kindle Stores:

US/International | UK | Germany | France | Canada

Apple iBookstores:

US | UK | Canada | Australia | New Zealand

Other Retailers:

Author’s website | Kobo Books | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

(Coming soon to Sony Reader Store)

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

 

Vampirerotique Winter Book Tour Dates

jan30th
Paranormal Haven
Welcome to the world of Vampirerotique
jan31st
Book Savvy Babe
Introducing Bewitch
feb1st
AwesomeSauce Book Club
Interview with Javier
feb4th
Paranormal Cravings
Introducing Covet plus excerpt
feb6th
Bex N Books
Author interview
feb8th
United by Books-
Interview with Callum
feb10th
Sassy Book Lovers
Exclusive Excerpt
feb11th
GraveTells
Special interview with Payne at Vampirerotique
feb14th
Page Flipperz
Interview with Snow
feb15th
Reading Between The Wines
Character Love Letters – Love Letter from Snow to You
feb18th
Romancing the Dark Side
Introducing Crave plus excerpt
feb20th
I Smell Sheep
Alpha Male Diner with Payne
feb22nd
The Jeep Diva
Exclusive Sexy Excerpt
feb24th
Riverina Romantics
feb25th
Underworld Love Addiction
feb27th
Lucy Felthouse
mar1st
Satin’s Bookish Corner
mar4th
Secret Sanctuary of Books
mar6th
Book Lovers Hideaway
mar8th
Cocktails and Books
mar11th
Close Encounters with the Night Kind
mar13th
Full Moon Bites
mar14th
The Book Nympho
mar15th
Under the Covers Book Blog
mar18th
Romance Book Junkies
mar20th
Fangtastic Books
mar22nd
Madame D’s Boudoir
mar25th
Reading the Paranormal
mar27th
Fictional Candy

Have you been enjoying the tour so far? What has been your favourite moment?

 

WIP Wednesday – Eternal Mates Series and Unleash (Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series book 6) with Sneak Peek!

I’m talking about two different series today, and two rather different books. I finished the first draft of the first book in the Eternal Mates series on Saturday, and the completed book is around 94500 words. I wrote this first draft in a record 11 days, which is quite impressive, even if I do say so myself. I haven’t decided what I’m doing with it yet. I’ve been debating the future of the series and whether it will be another one I indie publish. The more I read about NYC and book contracts and publishers at the moment, the more reluctant I am to hand over this book. I’m not sure why I want an NYC deal now. Five years ago, when indie books were few and far between and ebooks were going nowhere slowly, NYC seemed fantastic and an amazing place to be. Now, I’m not so sure. I make a living as an indie writer, I have fantastic readers who are all amazingly supportive and always seem to be chomping at the bit for my next book. I’m not sure what NYC can offer me that I can’t do or achieve for myself. Do you guys care that I’m not a big NYC published author?

There are so many variables when it comes to NYC, and every chance that a book contract with them right now might limit what I can do as an indie, or may mean this series doesn’t end up as I envisaged it, or might end up never seeing the light of day for years, or ever.

It’s a tough decision, and one I’ll be thinking about while I work on the book. It may turn out that I decide to write the first three books of this series and the Guardians of Hades series, and release them in 2014, all 2 months apart or something crazy. Would you like that?

I haven’t worked on this next book this week really… but wanted to update everyone on it…

 

 

This week, I’ve been mainly focused on marketing work because I’ve been meaning to tackle it for some time now but never found the time, and I don’t want to go through this whole year without getting a better plan in place for my books and my career.

On Monday, I printed out Unleash (Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series book 6) and I’ll be beginning the second draft of the book next week, after reading this book at the weekend. I can’t wait to delve back into it and I’m really excited to see how it turned out. Hopefully, it won’t require too much work to get it into shape, but I know there are things I need to address in the book. Small things, but they’ll take time to fix up. Mainly description and detail stuff.

The reason I’m mentioning Unleash at all today is because I made a solemn vow on my Facebook fan page to consider posting a sneak peek of the book and since everyone has been so good, and so many of you are desperate for a tease of this book, I decided to post a snippet from the opening chapter…

As with all my sneak peeks, this is first draft, and yes… this is the opening of the whole book. Prepare for a cuteness overload though, as you’ll be seeing Snow in a whole new light.

Unleash – Sneak Peek

“Snow.”

The gentle feminine voice curled around him, warming him in spite of the frigid cold that bit at his fingers and nose. A sense of joy spread through him as he tried to run through the deep snow, his small legs and arms pumping hard, his focus locked with determination on his prey. The owl’s wings were bright even though no moon shone tonight. The crisp white blanket spread across the landscape highlighted everything as though his night vision was already as acute as it would be when he matured.

“Snow.” The voice called to him again, tender with affection and laced with amusement, but also a note of concern.

Mama.

Snow ran harder, giggling and arms reaching, stretching towards the bird in flight above him. Colours danced across the inky starlit sky beyond, ribbons fluttering on an unknown breeze in the heavens. He had never seen anything as beautiful as this night.

The snow began to shallow, the incline leading him deep into the valley basin. Mountains rose around him, pure white ragged canvases that reflected the luminescent turquoise, pink and blue shimmering above them. Breathing hard, he slowed to a walk and scanned his surroundings, searching for the owl. His hearing sharpened and he caught the quiet flutter of wings and the whisper of a branch shifting as the owl landed in a nearby copse of trees.

His mother’s voice was distant as she called to him. He knew he should return now before he made her frantic again, but he wanted to capture the owl and show his papa that he had grown since last winter and was able to hunt now. Papa would be proud if he killed the owl.

Snow hunkered low, his pale furs and white hair allowing him to blend into his stark environment. He stalked towards the trees, his eyes fixed on the owl, keeping as close to the ground as he could and moving silently through the icy snow that reached his knees.

Mama called again.

He stilled and slowly looked back over his shoulder, following the trail of his footprints through the snow, torn between returning to her and continuing.

“Snow!” The usual softness in her voice was gone, replaced by fear.

Snow stood swiftly and frowned.

His hands were warm.

Wet.

He looked down at his hands and stumbled backwards, eyes wide and heart thumping wildly. Blood.

His eyes darted from his drenched arms to the snow around him. Blood slashed across the snow too, stark crimson against pristine white.

Snow panicked and bolted for the trail that would take him back to his mother, his heart thundering hard against his chest and limbs shaking so badly he could barely keep himself from falling to the ground.

“Snow.” His mother’s voice was frantic now, terrified.

Mama.

Hot tears burned his eyes and he ran harder. His foot snagged on a tree limb hidden beneath the snow and he slammed into the cold embrace of the earth. His arms shook as he pushed himself up and his heart missed several beats when he saw that the landscape around him had changed. The mountains were different. He looked back over his shoulder. The moon was full and a lake nestled amongst the mountains, glittering under its silvery light.

His mother called again, and he found the strength to shove to his feet and run, faster this time, using all of his speed and his limited senses to scour the strange land for her.

A beautiful chateau loomed ahead, warm golden light glowing in several of the windows of the grand stone building. Conical towers speared the dark sky in places, the deep brown tiles obscured by snow, giving the place a gothic appearance suited to this nightmare unfolding before him.

A bloody trail led towards it, cutting across the snow, black in the moonlight.

Snow followed the wretched trail, knowing it would lead him to his mother, fearful that he was already too late to save her.

 

Did you enjoy that sneak peek?

Do you care that I’m not an NYC author and what do you think of having 3 books from the Guardians of Hades Series next year, and maybe 2-3 from the Eternal Mates Series?

 

Teaseday – Excerpt from Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel Romance Series Book 4)

 

Today’s tease comes from the book Her Guardian Angel, which is the fourth book in my popular Her Angel romance series.

It was the location that alerted Marcus to the fact that this wasn’t his world.

A golden sunset filled the sky directly before him, the sun slowly sinking into the infinite ocean, its light rippling on the water and sparkling like diamonds. The soft sound of waves gently breaking against the pristine white sandy shore filled the silence along with the rustling of the swaying palm trees in the light refreshing breeze that came from the sea, carrying a salty tang and her fragrance.

Amelia.

She sat on a chipped white metal pole that created a railing along the seafront, separating the sun-bleached wooden boardwalk from the sand, her back to him and shoulder-length dark hair dancing as the breeze caught it.

The sound of the ocean and the warm breeze soothed away the anger he felt over Taylor and Einar’s trick on him. They had sent him into Amelia’s inner world rather than to his own. He would have a word with his old friend when he woke. This wasn’t allowing things to progress naturally at all. This was matchmaking.

Marcus walked across the boardwalk to Amelia and leaned his elbows on the metal railing that ran at waist height to him. Amelia didn’t look down at him. She continued to stare into the distance, her skin glowing in the warm light of sunset and her hair threaded with golden highlights. Marcus drank his fill of her beauty, taking his time to put her face to memory as it looked in this moment. A slight smile played on her lips, shining in her eyes, and he knew without asking that she was happy here.

It was definitely her world.

But it wasn’t her happiness that gave it away.

He hated sand.

It got in his feathers.

He looked down at himself and shook his head when he saw that he was only wearing a pair of loose black swimming shorts. That wasn’t going to happen either. Water was a pain to get out of his feathers, worse than sand, and for some reason his wings were out and he couldn’t convince them to go away.

Were they out because Amelia wanted to see him this way? This was her world which meant that in part she was controlling it, and controlling him too.

When he turned to ask her about his wings and whether she wanted to see them, his gaze caught on the skimpy black bikini top she wore. He stared unabashed at the flimsy triangles of material barely covering her breasts, his stomach tightening and temperature rising, and then slowly lowered his eyes to her hips. A short black near-see-through strip of material covered her from waist to just past her backside, tied on her hip closest to him. The light fabric fluttered in the breeze, revealing her creamy slender thigh.

“It’s peaceful here,” she said, distant sounding. “Am I dreaming?”

Marcus forced his focus back up to her face. “I do not think so. We are both awake. Taylor can make a world in which we can hide but I am not sure how long it can last.”

“I’m scared, Marcus,” she whispered and her grey eyes finally came to meet his.

“Of me?” He wasn’t sure why he said it. The gnawing feeling that she feared him now had lingered at the back of his mind since he had rescued her from the Hell’s angels and revealed his true self to her, but he hadn’t intended to say anything about it. Her look instantly softened, warming again, and she smiled.

“No. You’re the only thing that doesn’t frighten me.” She went to touch him but he shifted to one side, enough that her attempt failed, and stared at the ocean.

How could she look on him so kindly and with such compassion? She had seen him fight those Hell’s angels, had witnessed him kill without hesitation and had been covered in blood because of him. He had shown his darkest side to her and she still looked at him with warmth in her grey eyes. It astounded him and drove him to question her, to confess the things that he had done and the reason he had warned her away from him. Need burned deep in his heart, a desire to know if she really could feel something for a man like him.

“I am a guardian… but there are times when I have been a warrior…” Marcus couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He clenched his fists and stared intently at the sunset, afraid of what he would see if he turned to face Amelia. Would she look upon him with such warmth after his confession? He didn’t think so, and while he wanted to stop now before he ruined everything between them, the greater part of him needed her to know what sort of man he was and why he felt he didn’t deserve the love of such a pure and beautiful woman. She might have managed to convince herself that he had only done what was right when he had killed those demons in front of her but she had feared him at the time. He knew that. He had frightened her. Now he had to do that again so she would know him, and he would see in her eyes and hear in her voice whether she could ever bring herself to love him. “A bringer of death. I am not a good man, Amelia. I have killed many without remorse… hundreds… if not thousands.”

He uncurled his hands and stared at his palms. Hands made for killing in the name of Heaven. He had followed those orders without question, obeying his superiors, loyal to his duty and happy to carry it out. Not once in his life had he regretted the things he had done. Not until he had met her, and then he had wished it all away.

He had wanted to be a better man so she would love him.

He could see that now. For all his attempts to remain distant from her, he had fallen for her, but new to the experience, he had not realised his feelings until she had first touched him, thrilling him with little more than a brief caress and bringing him to life with emotions he had never known existed.

“If you’ve killed, then I believe you did so out of loyalty, just as Einar said about you. You killed to protect others, and to protect me. I can’t offer you absolution, Marcus, but I can forgive you for killing others in order to protect me. You are a good man. I believe that.”

Marcus looked up to find her watching him, her grey eyes not full of icy cold or hatred, but full of the warmth and tenderness that had been in her words. There was no fear in her, only a calm that he knew was real and it touched him, warming his chest and making him crave a stronger connection to her. She smiled, twisted towards him, still holding on to the railing she sat on with her left hand, and stroked the unruly strands of his hair from his face.

And he stared at her.

Awed and transfixed by the beautiful acceptance she showed towards him.

For her, he could be a good man. He could be the man that she deserved.

“Was that why you stopped me the other night when we kissed, or was it because you’re an angel and it was wrong?” She lowered her hand from his face.

“No.” His eyes followed her hand, leapt to her thigh, and then he lifted them to her face again.

There was such understanding in her eyes.

“Was it because you’ve never been with a woman?”

Marcus exhaled and stared out to sea. The sun had set and a full moon was rising in its place, beautiful as it hung over the darkening ocean.

“Einar told you?”

Amelia made a small noise and then touched his hands where they were clasped together in front of him. He looked up at her, wanting to explain and needing to ask her not to believe him any less of a man because of it, and she dipped her head towards him. She kissed him before he could utter a word, her lips soft against his, slowly shifting in mesmerising waves that drew him into responding. He leaned into the kiss, eager to taste her again and believe that this was another good sign. When she broke away, briefly resting her forehead against his before sitting up, she was smiling at him.

“I think it’s beautiful that you waited so long,” she whispered and his heart leapt in response, turning his insides with it. He stared up at her, torn between kissing her again and saying something that would bring another smile to her face.

“I never really thought about it. I never cared about mortals.” Marcus straightened and then cupped her cheek, keeping her eyes on his. “But I care about you.”

Amelia’s smile was brilliant and he thought that she would kiss him, but she slipped down from the railing on the other side, landing softly in the sand.

A mixture of light from the strings of white lights that hung between the palm trees, illuminating the boardwalk, and the moon played on her, turning her skin pale and eyes dark. It had turned dark quickly and the moon was far higher in the inky sky now. How long had the kiss lasted? It had felt like barely a heartbeat had passed but it must have been close to an hour.

She crooked a finger at him.

“I think we should swim.”

Marcus warily eyed the sand and then the water. “Unwise. I don’t seem to be able to put my wings away.”

She looked at them and his eyes widened when they shrank into his back.

“No excuses.” She reached over the railing to him.

Marcus vaulted it and looked down at the warm sand beneath his bare feet. Amelia laughed and ran down to the sea, leaving footprints in the soft sand for him to follow. He hoped his wings didn’t reappear. Just as he looked up, Amelia untied the slip of black material around her waist and tossed it aside.

A deep pulse of arousal beat through him at the sight of her in such a small scrap of fabric. Her bikini bottoms didn’t cover her buttocks at all. A single dark line disappeared between them, leaving them on display. Hell. His groin responded in an instant, cock twitching against the loose swimming trunks. He had been intent on mentioning that he couldn’t swim but the thought of playing with her in the shallows and seeing her wet all over had him striding towards the sea.

She smiled and crooked her finger again, and Marcus could only obey. He followed her into the shallows and then hesitated as a gentle wave came rolling in and the dark water reached his waist. The current wasn’t strong but he didn’t dare venture further out. Taylor hadn’t mentioned what would happen if one of them got into trouble inside this world. Would his consciousness be trapped here if he drowned?

Amelia took hold of his wrist and tried to tug him into deeper water. He stood firm and she frowned.

“You can’t swim, can you?”

“I don’t know. I have never tried.” He might be able to swim. Angels sometimes remembered how to do things that they had experienced in a previous lifetime. If he had known how to swim then, he could instinctively remember it now, but he wasn’t willing to risk drowning in order to find out.

It didn’t seem to bother Amelia. She splashed his bare chest and face, and he responded by sweeping his arm across the warm water, sending a wave rushing towards her. She ducked under the surface and the water settled around him, lapping at his waist. He turned on the spot, searching for Amelia. When she didn’t surface after a few seconds, his pulse picked up and he waded further out, fearing that something had happened.

Something brushed his backside and he turned sharply, causing ripples to spread outwards from his chest. His senses blared in warning but he wasn’t quick enough. Amelia launched out of the water, looped her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. Her playful attack caused his heels to dig into the soft wet sand under his feet and he fell backwards, sending them both underwater.

It went straight into his mouth and stung his eyes.

He broke the surface a split-second later, coughing the vile water up, and Amelia re-emerged, her sheepish smile visible in the strong moonlight.

She swam towards him and then around him, and his anger faded away when she came to stand behind him and stroked his back.

“They’re beautiful. Are they really a curse?” she whispered, her warm fingertips tracing the wings marked on his shoulder blades.

Marcus stilled, his focus so intently fixed on her that every light touch stirred his insides, fanning his desire for her. Her breath washed over his wet skin, teasing it and he closed his eyes, wanting to absorb how he felt when she was so close to him. Warm. Hungry. Mad for her.

“Apparently so,” he said and she came around him. He caught her bare waist and drew her flush against him. She surprised him by taking hold of his shoulders, lifting herself up and wrapping her legs around his waist. He groaned and clutched her backside to support her, and then remembered the flimsy thing she was wearing on her lower half. He pressed his fingers into her bare bottom and groaned again, his body stirring and aching as he familiarised himself with her soft flesh.

“How did you get them?” Amelia leaned in and peppered his shoulder with kisses, gradually working her way along towards his collarbone and then his neck. He couldn’t think straight to answer her when she was touching him like this. It seemed like torture to have to think at all. She placed a single wet kiss on his jaw and then leaned back and rested her hands on his chest. Her pupils were wide in the low light, darkening her eyes, and he stared into them. “Well?”

She really expected him to answer.

“I got drunk and when I came around, I was sleeping face down and couldn’t call my wings. Heaven called me back to them and I discovered that someone had drawn this curse on me whilst I was unconscious.”

Her hands ran up his chest to his shoulders and then she leaned towards him and caressed his shoulder blades, her breasts pressing against him.

“That’s terrible.”

He murmured his agreement and stared at her mouth.

“It explains why you didn’t want to drink the wine. And you’re really an angel?” Her eyes searched his.

Marcus nodded.

She glanced away and a sense of sorrow flowed through him. He frowned and ducked to one side, trying to see her face so he could understand the sudden change in her emotions. Her gaze met his and the edge of hurt in it compelled him to comfort her even though he wasn’t sure what was wrong.

“What is it?” he whispered, his brow furrowing as he waited for her to speak.

“Einar said that you aren’t omniscient… or some fancy word… that you couldn’t have stopped my mother from dying… I wished that you could have.”

He did too. Watching her grieve had been one of the most difficult trials he had ever endured.

“I wish I could have been there for you.” He let the confession slip out quietly, unsure of whether it would only hurt her further to know that he had seen her suffering and had done nothing about it.

Amelia rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, her breath skittering over his collarbones. Marcus closed his eyes, leaned his cheek against her forehead, and held her close to him, comforting her in the way he had wanted to then. Waves lapped against them, rocking them back and forth. It had been a long time since he had felt such peace.

“I could sleep here, like this. It’s so hard to sleep these days.” Her words were a bare whisper and she sagged against him.

He remembered the couch in her apartment and the blanket. “You haven’t been sleeping well?”

She shook her head. “Not since that break in.”

Marcus frowned. He hadn’t thought to piece the two together. Her mother had died during a break in and one had occurred in the apartment building they shared. It had frightened her and he hadn’t noticed it. That was why her ex had shaken her up by trying to bang her door down. She had feared him breaking in and hurting her.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and pressed her close to him, enveloping her slender form in his protective embrace. Desire to call his wings out and wrap those around her too, to cocoon her completely, ran deep in his veins but he held them at bay.

“I will never let anything happen to you, Amelia. I promised you that and I mean to keep my word.” The hardness in his voice surprised him as much as the intensity of the emotions that beat in his heart at the thought of her coming under attack and being afraid.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, rested his lips there for a few heartbeats of time, and then drew back. Amelia emerged from his embrace, her eyes sparkling with tears. He kissed away the ones that had fallen onto her cheeks. She raised her head into his kisses, until their lips were a hair’s breadth apart.

“You really are an angel.” Her lips brushed his as she spoke, stirring his passion.

When she went to speak again, he swooped on her lips, silencing her. Her words became a quiet moan that sent a shiver through him and he held her closer, one hand supporting her backside and the other splayed between her shoulder blades.

He didn’t want to talk anymore.

He wanted to show her without words how she made him feel, how much he craved her taste and her touch, and that he needed her. He hadn’t promised to keep her safe and protect her because he was an angel. He had made that vow because he was a man, and he cared about her.

Marcus ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth and she opened to him, her tongue coming out to play with his and tease it inside. He slanted his head and claimed her mouth, plundering it with his tongue and drawing another heated groan from her. She shifted against him, pressing closer until her warm body was flush against his, driving him mad with the need to caress every inch of her, to taste her and seek out her sensitive spots with his lips. The water lapped at his waist, knocking against him, and he turned with her and carried her back to the beach.

The moment he was clear of the water, he laid her down on the hard sand and covered her body with his.

 

Did you enjoy today’s tease?

Caris Roane is also posting a Teaseday snippet, so be sure to check out her blog and read it! http://www.carisroane.com/2013/01/teaseday-the-darkening-2/

 

Her Guardian Angel

Felicity Heaton

A simple mission becomes a fight for survival in this fantastic instalment in the Her Angel series.

A guardian angel dedicated to his duty, Marcus will do whatever Heaven asks of him, but even his loyalty has its limits. When his superior orders him to gain Amelia’s trust through seduction, Marcus starts to question his mission and his feelings for the beautiful woman he has watched over since her birth.

Amelia has gone from one bad relationship to another, so when a gorgeous guy moves in next door looking like Mr Right, she hopes he doesn’t turn out to be another black knight in disguise. But there’s more to Marcus than meets the eye, and when he rescues her from three demonic men, Amelia is thrust into his nightmarish world—a world where God and the Devil exist, and only one angel can save her from death—Marcus, the angel she’s falling in love with.

On the run from demonic angels and the Devil himself, aided by Marcus’s angel friends and their amazing women, fighting for survival against the odds, Marcus and Amelia discover a love that will last forever.

A love so strong it will shake Heaven and Hell.

Available in e-book from:

Author’s website

Amazon Kindle | Amazon Kindle UK | Amazon Kindle Germany | Amazon Kindle France | Amazon Kindle Canada

Apple iBookstore USA | Apple iBookstore UK | Apple iBookstore Australia | Apple iBookstore Canada | Apple iBookstore New Zealand

Barnes and Noble | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk | Barnes and Noble

 

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in the Her Angel romance series yet, they’re all available at major ebook retailers and in paperback, and you can find the links and samples of the books at my website:

Her Dark Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #1)

Her Fallen Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #2)

Her Warrior Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #3)

Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #4)

Her Demonic Angel (Her Angel Romance Series #5)

 

Manday Hotties – A triple treat of mancandy hotness for you this Monday!

 

It’s time for the Manday Hotties Hop again and I’m continuing to bring you sexy new mancandy this year. I’m feeling generous today and have a triple treat for you…

 



 





 

 

Which shot is your favourite? I’m a little bit drawn to #2, but that’s probably my inner alternative girl talking.

 

Visit the other blogs in the hop:

 

Sensual Sunday – Hot new excerpt from Bewitch (Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series book 5)

 

Sensual Sunday is brought to you today by Bewitch, which is the fifth book in my popular Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series. Bewitch is now available on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBookstore, Kobo Books, and other retailers.

Sensual Sunday always features a hot excerpt from one of my paranormal romance books and for the next few weeks it will focus solely on Bewitch. Read on for this Sunday’s sensual snippet…

Payne moved, coming to stand behind her. Elissa didn’t look at him. It was hard to ignore her desire to turn and face him. She could feel him close behind her, her body tingling with awareness of his, veins filling with hunger to turn and step into his embrace, tiptoeing to bring her lips to his. Would he kiss her or push her away? She continued to tidy, picking up all her tongs, tweezers, spoons and stirrers and putting them into the desk drawer. She frowned, pausing with her hand on the front of the open drawer.

“Why did you choose the name Payne?” She knew fae kept their real names secret and with good reason. A fae’s real name could be used against them. If someone with power used it, the fae would be unable to resist their commands. She focused on the man behind her. He didn’t know much about fae or incubi, but she bet he knew about the name thing.

He didn’t answer.

Elissa turned to face him. “Don’t be shy. You can tell me since we’ll be working together.”

He glared at her. She smiled. His expression only darkened. Her smile only broadened. She liked the undercurrent of tension that rippled through him whenever his eyes met hers. Every time they did, the struggle returned, causing lines to bracket his sexy mouth and his eyes to narrow. Oh, he could fight it all he wanted, could fight her all he wanted, but in the end she would win and get her way.

He stepped back and folded his arms across his chest, revealing the lines of his fae markings as they tracked up the underside of his forearms. They curved upwards before disappearing under his shirtsleeves. Where did they go? She wanted to know. Did they snake over his biceps? Did they extend beyond his shoulders? Would he push her away if she traced them with her tongue or moan in pleasure and hold her closer?

That last one shocked her and she forced her eyes away from them.

 

Did you enjoy today’s hot sexy snippet?

 

 

Bewitch

Felicity Heaton

A vampire with a past stained with blood and a soul tainted with darkness, he is perfect in his self-control, never surrendering to his darkest desires. Now a beautiful witch in the shadowy fae underworld threatens to reawaken long denied hungers and tempts him with carnal pleasure.

Payne despises the incubus side of his mixed genes and refuses to give it free rein, but when the wickedly sexy Elissa offers him a possible way to help a friend, he finds it difficult to resist paying the price, even if it will be his undoing—one night of passion at her command.

Elissa is a witch down on her luck until Payne comes crashing into her life. The dangerously handsome male is the key to fulfilling a promise she made, but he is also forbidden, and surrendering to the wildfire passion he stirs within her means risking ruin and death.

When one incredible night of fulfilling their deepest fantasies leads to more than just a pathway to keeping a promise and saving a friend, will they be able to overcome the barriers that stand between them and forever?

 

Available in e-book from:

Amazon Kindle Stores:

US/International | UK | Germany | France | Canada

Apple iBookstores:

US | UK | Canada | Australia | New Zealand

Other Retailers:

Author’s website | Kobo Books | Smashwords | All Romance eBooks

(Coming soon to Barnes and Noble Nook and Sony Reader Store)

 

Available in paperback from:

Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

 

If you haven’t had a chance to read any of the books in the Vampire Erotic Theatre romance series yet, they’re all available at major ebook retailers and in paperback, and you can find the links and samples of the books at my website:

Covet (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #1)

Crave (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #2)

Seduce (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #3)

Enslave (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #4)

Bewitch (Vampire Erotic Theatre Romance Series #5)

 

Caris Roane is also posting a Sensual Sunday snippet, so be sure to check out her blog and read it! http://www.carisroane.com/2013/01/sensual-sunday-2-17/