Mireille Chester's Blog, page 21

Stay by S. Mulholland

Synopsis:
Eighteen year old Alexandra Angel has finally made it out of her abusive mother’s house alive, now going to St. Norbert College in the small town she grew up in; she wants to experience living her own life, free of abuse, but on the night she meets Jason Roberts; her fate has something different in mind.
Alexandra and Jason have a strong connection but the closer she gets to him, the further he shuts her out. This doesn’t stop Alexandra’s heart from falling in love with Jason and she fears that he might not feel the same way about her. Jason holds a lot of mystery and secrets that Alexandra tries to figure out and on a night when they are to meet, he never shows up, leaving her to mourn the loss of his absence.
Months later, he returns to tell her he’ll never be able to be with her the way that she wants to be with him. Hurt for the second time by the man she loves, Alexandra decides to move on with her life with what others told her to be “the perfect man”, Zac Millington. As time with him goes by she realizes that things were never as they seemed…as he seemed.
If you had the opportunity to change what becomes your worst nightmare, would you take the chance to change it or pretend like that nightmare is what’s meant to be?
Stay is a romantic depiction of how two people that are meant to be together are torn apart by the one thing they both have in common. As they both go through their own versions of abuse, will they be able to stay after finally finding each other again?

Excerpt: (Might differ from published version)
“Alexandra…let me hear you say it…” He whispers.
All thoughts evaporate from my mind at the sound of his voice.
I want to turn around and face him but his hands go to my hips then, slowly turning and walking me towards something.
As we come to a stop his body presses into me from behind pushing me up against the door that shut moments ago.
I slightly open my eyes but everything is blurry which confuses me until his hands roam every curve of my body making me close them again.
My heart rate picks up and I hope that he can’t hear how loud it’s beating. “Say what?” I ask breathlessly.
His hands stop their exploration at my stomach.
I gasp when pulls me back into him and I feel every inch of his hardness.
I try to open my eyes again so that I can see him but I can’t. I’m so in the moment with this man that my brain doesn’t seem to be functioning correctly. All I know is that his voice alone is lighting my body on fire.
One of his hands leaves my stomach and I feel my hair being moved to the side. His lips start to torture me on my neck and I shiver. He places feather like kisses there and I struggle not to let my knees buckle.
“Say that you understand your mine and nobody else’s…” He says when he gets near my ear.



Bio:
I’m from Green Bay, Wisconsin. I went to a small private college in a town called De Pere before joining the U.S. Navy in 2006. After my short career in the military, I got married and started having kids. I have two munchkins now. I’ve been a stay at home mom for a couple of years.
This past Christmas, my husband got a Nook Color as a gift and he never got to use it because it was always glued to my hands. I never liked reading but once I picked up that Nook—I was addicted. So I’ve read a TON of books and it’s become my getaway. I started writing as a hobby but after I finished Stay, my husband encouraged me to get out there…so here I am. I love listening to music and find it inspirational and I think that it goes hand in hand with writing.


Pages/Contact:
Msuly86@gmail.com              Facebook Page        Blog          Goodreads          Twitter
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/smulhollandstay
Spotify: User Name—Author S. Mulholland

Teaser Tuesday (Dreamwalker)

Well, whoever bet on two weeks can kiss their money goodbye!  Three in a row, baby!  Lol! Alright, so this week, let's do one from Dreamwalker! Yay!  I have to thank everyone who took part and helped spread the word about the cover reveal.  You guys are truly phenomenal!
Enjoy and stay safe!
:)  Mireille


“Did you have a good sleep?” inquired Kate.
“Yes and no.  I don’t sleep very much and when I do, it’s lightly.  You never know when some of my uncle’s guards might stumble upon me.  You trashed about in your sleep last night.  Did you have a bad dream?”
Kate blushed.  “Yeah.  I dreamt that Veenata was trying to drown me.”
He grunted.  “I don’t know what got into her.  She’s usually mischievous, but she’s never hurt anyone intentionally.  You’re not feeling any ill effects, are you?”
She shook her head.  “Just the nightmare.  Is it true what I read in the books?  Is the lake her prison?”
He nodded.  “She used to be an elf.  When the sorcerer Loddos fell in love with her, he offered her everything she could possibly want.  Unfortunately for him, her heart already belonged to another.  Loddos killed him and again asked for her hand.  She refused him again.  He then banished her to the lake until she changed her mind.  When he was captured for the murder of her true love, no one was aware she’d been cast into the waters.  He was executed before he could break the spell and so she remains doomed to spend her life there.”
Some of Kate’s anger toward the nymph dispelled.  “Can’t another sorcerer get her out?”
“No.  The type of spell he cast can only be undone by him.  Some sorcerers put secondary ways of ending a curse into the spell, but if Loddos did, no one has found it yet.  For the most part, everyone has given up on Veenata.”
“No one goes to see her?”
Quallen shrugged.  “I do.  My sister did.  There are a few elves who still visit.”
“That’s so sad.”  Kate frowned.
“It is, though it’s no reason for her to try and drown you.”
She gave a small smile.  “I agree.”

Teaser Tuesday (Crossover The Chosen One Trilogy:book one)

Whoa yeah!! That's two weeks in a row!  This week's teaser comes from Crossover, the first book in the Chosen One Trilogy.
Enjoy and stay safe!
:)  Mireille


The following morning I woke to the noise of Tara and Ben making bets.
“I don’t know why you bother, sweets.  You know you’re going to lose.”  Tara grinned at him.
“You just wait.  Goop has been getting much quicker on his turns.”  Ben patted his deer between the eyes.
Tara shrugged.  “It’s your new bow.”
He laughed.  “It’s going to stay my new bow.  But can you bear to part with your emerald dagger?”
She snorted and made sure her saddle was on tightly.
“You’re going to want to see this, Shlova,” Jasper said as he took my hand and stood me up.
We followed behind the two of them as they led their deer a little way down the trail.
“I don’t know why they bother making bets.  They never do exchange prizes,” he laughed.
“So you know Tara and Ben from before?”
He nodded.  “I was doing some scouting along the Wedelven border when I came upon a lone Wedelve high in a tree.  She was surrounded by dogs and was casually taking them out, one by one, every time one would try to come up after her.”
Tara looked back and grinned.  “Jasper was nice enough to lend me a hand.  When we were done getting rid of them all, I brought him home so I could feed him a decent meal as a thank you.
I had just come back for a few days and when we got to talking, Jasper told me about being on the lookout for you, that the queen thought you might be coming back soon.  I had brought some pictures back, so I showed him the one of you.  I wasn’t sure if we were both talking about the same person.”
Jasper started to laugh.  “I fell off of my chair.”
“Literally.  He took the picture in his hand, his eyes got big and he stood up real fast, tripped on the chair and fell over.”
“I had been dreaming about you for two years prior to that day, but had always assumed you were probably at the castle and I hadn’t seen you yet.  When she gave me the picture and I realized that you were the one I was dreaming of, I have to admit, I was completely baffled.”
Tara laughed.  “He thanked me for his meal and left like his ass was on fire.  That was about four year ago.”
I smiled.  “You poor thing.  You must have thought it was a lost cause.”
He nodded.  “I did.  Not only was I fated to the one being who could save or destroy us all, she wasn’t even in this world!”

Dreamwalker Cover Reveal! (and early release)

OMG!! I know I wasn't going to release this one until June 1st, but I can't do it! We all know how good I am at keeping surprises, so I pushed publish!  Yay!  So here you have them! The paperback cover and the ebook cover and the links of where you can get the books. :D  Hope you love Quallen and Kate as much as I do!



If there’s one thing thirteen year old Kate loves, it’s a good book.  Her new favorite series, Quallen’s Quest, follows the Faerie prince in the land of Kallaryn as he goes from one adventure to another.  When Kate awakens in Prince Quallen’s secret cave, she’s sure she’s dreaming.  Events unfold and adventure follows as Quallen promises to help her get back.  Is she really in Kallaryn and if that’s the case, will she ever be able to get back home?

Dreamwalker is an older middlegrade/younger YA fantasy novel.



Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/search/searc...
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/M.G.-Chester/e/...
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...

Teaser Tuesday (Kendall's WIP)

Let's see how many Tuesdays in a row I can remember to post a teaser!  lol Those of you who know me are taking bets now.  What are you guessing? Three? Six? Today's?  Hahaha Well, for as long as I remember, I promise to put up little parts of books currently published and those that have yet to be released. For today's, I picked a part from Kendall's WIP.  I have no idea what it's called yet, but it will come to me. :)
Enjoy!



The heat was warm on his face and he sighed.  Kendall stretched his arms back and placed them behind his head.  This was his favorite place to be.  The small creek that flowed past his cabin was always calm and beautiful.  The tall blue grass that grew along the water’s edge swayed gently in the breeze.  After all of the death and destruction of the Chosen One’s war, the peace was more than welcomed.  His father would be happy, he thought.  Both of them.  His shifter and human fathers had both been believers in the eventual peace between the races.  Granted, there were still skirmishes between a few rogue packs, but for the most part, beings lived in harmony.
The breeze blew black bangs into his eyes and carried the sound of laughter to him.  He smiled.
“I thought we’d find you here,” announced Brice.
Kendall shrugged, not bothering to get up.  “Can’t a cat relax after a hard day’s work?
Matthew snorted.  “What hard day’s work?”
His friends sat beside him, chuckling.
“Well, then, what have you two been up to?”
“We’ve been helping Hayden with her displacement spell.”  Brice threw a stone into the creek.
Kendall grinned.  “Oh?”
“Yeah.  That’s why we’re here.  She can handle displacing both of us from one side of the clearing and back again.  She’d like to add a third.”
Kendall nodded.  “It’s not like me to say no to the Chosen One,” he chuckled.
“Care to rephrase that?”
He looked to the treeline and smiled as Hayden entered the clearing, her hand in her mate’s.  Jasper nodded in greeting.
“One of these days, you’ll get used to being called that,” teased Kendall.
She smirked.  “Not likely.  You’re sure you don’t mind letting me do this?  Jasper tried to help, but for some reason I can’t displace him.”  She gazed up at her mate who shrugged.
“I have no idea.”  His blue eyes held hers for a moment before he blinked.
Kendall watched them, slightly jealous of the fact they had found each other.  It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy for them; he just wished his fating dreams would become clearer so he could find the one he was meant to be with.  Of course, after ten years of having the same blurred dreams every night, he wasn’t going to get his hopes up.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”  Hayden gave him a hug.
He shook his head.  “Nothing.  Now.  Where do you want us?”
She smiled.  “Why don’t you go stand by your cabin and I’ll try to move you to the other side of the creek?”
Kendall nodded and was followed by Brice and Matthew.  Hayden took a deep breath to concentrate.
“Just think of the other side of the river and I’ll do the rest.”
The men stood shoulder to shoulder to help pass the energy from the spell more easily to each of them.  Kendall closed his eyes, heard Hayden mumble the displacement spell under her breath, and felt the push of her magic against him.  He caught his breath at the sudden feeling of falling which only lasted a second.
“Relax, chum.  It’s done.”  Matthew laughed as Kendall opened one eye slowly.


Hope you've enjoyed!Stay safe:)  Mireille

Thank God it's Friday so Here's an Excerpt!

It's been one hell of a week (mostly for the good) and I'm exhausted. lol June 1st is rolling up quickly and I can't wait until my readers and their children get lost in Kallaryn.  Are you as excited about next Friday as I am?  I want to share the cover!
But since I can't, I thought I'd share a part of the story with you.  So, here's an excerpt from Dreamwalker, the first book in my new middle grade series Faerie Dreams.
Enjoy and stay safe!
:) Mireille


“There’s another change of Quasny’s clothes in here.  Get into something dry.”  He took his pack with him and disappeared into the woods.
Kate made her way behind a large bush filled with purple berries and changed.  Back on her blanket, she huddled close to the fire.  She didn’t have long to wait for Quallen’s return.
“It seems it’s bread and cheese for supper,” he grumbled.
She noticed he’d changed his pants but not his tunic.  He caught her glance.
“I can’t move my wings.”
“I’ll help you.”
“It will dry.”
She rolled her eyes.  “Your wet wings are lying against your wet tunic.  At this rate, you’ll still be wet in the morning.”  She motioned for him to turn around.  “Get your arms and head out and I’ll pull it backwards and get your wings through.”
It took a bit of effort to get the tunic off without hurting the prince’s wings, but with some careful maneuvering, they got it done.
“You’re hurt!”  She used the wet tunic to put pressure on the cut on his side.
“It’s fine.  It’s actually healed quite a bit.  I supposed you can’t go up against a dragon and expect to come out unscathed.” He shrugged.  “I must have reopened it when I pulled you out of the lake.”
“Did you get it? The ring?”
He shook his head.  “No.  It was the wrong dragon.”  He took over putting pressure on his side and went to get a dry tunic.
Her heart sank.  “Do you know where to look next?”
“No.  I’m at a standstill.  I have no idea how to go about saving my mother.  I need that ring.  Only someone pure of heart can wear that ring.  The instant my uncle puts it on, he’ll be proven evil.  The ring will project his worst secret for all to see.”
“What if he refuses to wear it?”
“Well, then they’ll know he has something to hide.  Either way, the kingdom will have to start doubting his intentions.”  His violet eyes met hers and he ran a hand over his face.  “I won’t allow him to do more wrong than he’s already done.”  Quallen made sure his injury was no longer bleeding before coming to stand by her again.
Kate took up one of the blankets.  “Here.  I’ll dry them as best I can before we try to get the tunic back on.”
Quallen hesitated before turning.  She softly patted them down then gently held them up in an attempt to get them to stay upright.
“Sorry.  They must not be dry enough yet.”  She let the wings hang down once again.
“It’s not your fault.”
“Can you feel them?”
He nodded.  “I just can’t move them.”  He handed her his tunic and she carefully slipped it over his wings.  Once they were through safely, he pulled it over his head and tucked his arms through the sleeves.  He turned and smiled.
“Thank you.”
“It’s the least I can do after you saved my life.  Not to mention you’re helping get me home.”
He handed her a piece of bread with some cheese.  “I thought you were dreaming,” he teased.
Kate tried to smile, but couldn’t.  “Getting pulled into the lake, feeling like I was going to die… that didn’t feel like anything I’ve ever dreamt before.”
Quallen sat beside her, but facing away from the fire so his wings could dry.  “Well, whether this is a dream or not, we’ll get you home.  Promise.”

I'm Back, Baby!!

Haha! So those of you who are new to the whole Mireille Chester experience are looking at this very naked blog and thinking, back? Was she ever here? Well, as a matter of fact, I was. Not here, specifically, but believe it or not, I used to run a fairly successful blog. Unfortunately, due to the stalkerish tendencies of a crazy person, I felt I needed to become someone else.  Well, months later, I've come to realize that I miss being myself, I miss all the people I'd come to know, and that as my other self, I get writer's blog from hell.  Don't ask why, I don't know.
Those of you who know me are going, "She's doing a giveaway!!"
Yep.
I am.
And what better way to kick off my return to myself than to giveaway a signed set of series that started it all, The Chosen One Trilogy.

Read the excerpt from Crossover, the first book of the three, then go enter the giveaway! It's international, of course!


“This can’t be real,” I whispered.
“I’m so sorry.”  His voice was quiet.  He held my face gently in his hands.  “Are you ok?”
I gazed into his eyes and nodded weakly.  We stayed like that for a minute, looking at each other.  He looked away first and turned his focus to Dodge.
“Do you think?” he asked.
I jumped.  “I didn’t say anything.”
He looked back down at me and was quiet for a moment.  “Alright.  Let’s go.”
“What?  Where?” I started to panic.  Coming here had definitely been a bad idea.
“I’ll explain on the way.”  He took my hand and started leading me to Dodge.
“Wait!  I...I have to get home.  My mom and dad will think something happened to me!”
I looked at my watch and then my phone.  Ten o’clock.  AM.  “What’s going on!”  I pulled my hand free of his and stopped walking.
He kept walking towards Dodge.  “She doesn’t want to go.  I can’t make her.”  He stuffed my sweater back into my saddlebags and saddled him for me.  He went back to the blanket and rolled it up before tying it where it belonged.  His eyes widened and he looked at Dodge.  “Yes, those are my orders.”
The surprised look turned into a glare.  “No.  I can’t.”
There was a pause.  “I don’t know why.”  He shrugged.
I noticed that his shoulder was bleeding.  “You should put some pressure on your shoulder,” I mumbled.
Jasper turned to look at me then back down at his shoulder.  “I’m fine.”  He looked back towards Dodge and nodded.  “Why don’t you get on Dodge and I’ll take you back to the main trail.”  His voice saddened.
“But... I... You...”  The confusion hit me like a ton of bricks.  I sat on the ground and closed my eyes. “Wake up,” I whispered to myself.  “Wake up, wake up.”
I heard him sit in front of me.  “What part of this seems like a dream?” he asked softly and took my hands in his.
“All of it.”
He moved both of my hands to one of his and used the other one to brush some stray hairs back behind my ear.
I slowly opened my eyes.
“Ask away,” he said, keeping his eyes locked on mine.  He frowned. “Wait.”  He turned to Dodge.  “No.  She needs to know.  She’s about to have a meltdown.”
I started to object to that comment and stopped.  He was right.  I was having a meltdown. Here I was, imagining that this most beautiful man was sitting across from me, arguing with my horse about my sanity.  I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry, so I did both.  It came out as a snort.
Jasper seemed about to say something so I held up a finger to stop him.  I started with the obvious.
“Am I awake?”
He smiled. “Yes.”
“Is my watch broken?”
“No.  Things from there don’t work here.”
“Where is here?”
“Quelondain.”
I paused and took a deep breath.  “Did you turn into a tiger?”
“Yes.”
I looked into his eyes, trying to find any indication that he was lying, joking.  “How?”
“I am one of the Namael.  We are able to change our shape.”
“You can turn into anything?”  This was ridiculous.
He shook his head.  “No.  I turn into a tiger.  That’s it.”
“You talk to Dodge.”
“And he talks to me.  I can hear his thoughts.  But I can’t do that with all animals.”
“What is he thinking now?”
“He is not pleased.  It is not my place to explain things to you.  My job is to find you and get you to Queen Melana.”
“How does he know all of this?”
“He is one of your guardians.  He is from here.”
“Does he change into a human?”
Jasper laughed.  “No.  He is just a horse.”
Dodge stomped his foot.  Jasper laughed even harder and looked at him.  “Oh, don’t be so sensitive!  I didn’t mean it like that.”  He turned back to me.  “Anything else?”
I looked into his eyes for a moment, my train of thought starting to slip away.
Dodge and Jasper’s heads snapped up to look at the other side of the clearing.
“A pack!”  Jasper growled.  In a flash he was on his feet.  He picked me up and threw me into the saddle.  “Go!” he yelled at Dodge.  “I’ll meet you in the blue woods!”
Dodge spun and galloped off past the waterfall and deeper into the forest.
I couldn’t think.  Only years of riding was keeping me in the saddle.  I held the reins but didn’t used them.  Dodge seemed to know where he was going.
Behind us, I heard a deep growl and some excited barks.
Dodge ran for all he was worth and soon the sounds of the fight faded away.
I let Dodge have his head and he continued at a speed I had never thought possible of him.
After a while he slowed to an easy lope but kept heading deeper into the woods.   We made it up a hill and I caught my breath at the sight.



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The Hero Gets the Girl by Robert Eaton

The last stronghold in the east has fallen, burned to ash by the demon hordes of Angra-Jyn. Those who survived the slaughter – the women and children – find themselves in chains. Corralled deep within the demon’s fortress, dreams of escape wither under their masters’ flogs. Death seems the only relief from a life of slavery beneath the scorching sun.

The only hope rests in the young Champion and the tiny band of knights who still resist the demon’s wrath. Still licking their wounds after a brutal defeat, the knights know they must rally quickly if they are to survive. Insecurity and hopelessness threaten to tear them apart, but where blade and magic fail them, love pushes them blindly on. Will it save them, or lead them to destruction?

My Review:
I have to start this review by saying that Robert Eaton has done it again.  I absolutely love his writing.  Darcy's story continues in this second book and even though he's filled with the evil of Angra-Jyn, I love that you can still see his human side trying to come through.  Ara's quest to save her family is full of adventure.  Brianna's journey into discovering herself is quite a game turner.  I really liked that she came to play such a big part in this novel.
Robert's world is once again awe inspiring.  The detail he goes into lets you get completely lost in the action as it unfolds.  His characters are real.  To say that he is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors is an understatement.
I can't wait to see what happens in the next novel in this series.

Christmas Giveaway!! One International, One Can/US

Alright, everyone!
Here it is.  My huge Christmas giveaway! I am giving away two sets of my books in paperback.  Yep.  You heard that right.  Two lucky winners will get all five signed books.  This is to say thank you for all of your support and enthusiasm when it comes to my worlds and stories. I may have the best readers on the planet. :D So how do you enter? Well, find the rafflecopter that fits you (whether you're form Canada/US or international) and follow the directions. The contest starts now and will run until January 1st. Keep in mind that the Chosen One Trilogy does have sexual scenes and is better suited for adults.




a Rafflecopter giveaway



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck, everyone! Have a great holiday season!
Stay safe,
:)  Mireille

Monday's Tidbit (yet to be named trilogy)

Today's Tidbit comes from the new adult Quelondain trilogy.  Seriously, when it comes to shapeshifting tigers, Jasper is getting some competition.  :D  I'm absolutely loving writing about Kendall's adventure and I can't wait to see what else happens with this one.
Happy reading and stay safe!

:)  Mireille


“Grow up,” he mumbled to himself.  “You’re thirty and a bit old to be thinking the bad people are after you.”
But then again, it fit, didn’t it.  The men that were after him were definitely not good people.  By the moons, how had he managed to let himself get separated from the rest of his friends, though it served him right; he’d been the one daft enough to shift in front of them after knowing it was a bad idea to do so.  It had just been a reflex, really.  When a man comes at you with a dagger, it’s just easier to deal with when you’re a tiger.  Most bad people are scared of tigers.
He glanced at his surroundings.  It truly was beautiful here, in a strange and different kind of way.  He looked up at the starlit sky, searching for the moons to help lighten his mood.
Had Sarah really thought he’d meant to hurt her?  He wasn’t sure why it bothered him that she’d been so scared.  It had been the right thing to do, he argued with himself.  They’d never suspect she might have known what he was.  He growled.  What was wrong with these beings?
He remembered asking his dad what made some men bad and others good.  He’d just been a cub then, not much older than five.  His dad had shrugged and told him it was hard to tell, but that when he knew, he’d be sure to let Kendall know.  A year later, Kendall had watched from his hiding place under a blanket as his father had been killed simply because he could shift into a tiger.  His train of thought was interrupted by a noise to his left.  He froze.  The sound came again and he crouched low before making his way closer.
Kendall stared.  It was a child.  Should he leave?  Maybe it was a trap.  He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, careful not to reveal his position behind the bush.  He ran a hand through his shaggy black hair.  He turned to leave then stopped as another small sob shook the child’s tiny frame.  He growled.
“Damn it.”  He took another look around the woods, his light blue eyes processing anything that might be a threat before stepping out from behind the bush.  “Hello, there, Sweetling.  What seems to be the problem?”
The little girl jumped to her feet and pulled a dagger from her belt.  It was almost bigger than her.  Her own blue eyes were narrowed with suspicion and still full of tears.  Kendall held his hands up and away from his own dagger.  From the way she was holding hers in front of her he was sure she didn’t know how to use it.
“There, there, now.  No worries.  How old are you, Sweetling?”
“Six.”  Kendall had to strain to hear the answer.
“What’s your name?”  He squatted so he could look her in the eyes.  When he was standing she just came even to his hip.
“Reinstaboultalshatynn.”
Kendall fought the urge to gawk.  “Nice to meet you, Reinstab…”  He smirked and was glad to hear her giggle.  “Can I call you Rein?”
She nodded.
“I’m Kendall.”  He glanced around once more.  “Where are your mum and dad, Rein?”
A fresh stream of tears spilled down her face.  He patted the shoulder length, curly blond hair awkwardly.  Rein pointed and he walked in that general direction.  He looked down as a small hand took his and was about to tell her to let go when he noticed the scared look on her face.
“Take my other hand, Sweetling.  I’ll need this one if I have to pull my dagger.”  He reached around and pulled her to his other side.
“Over there.”  Rein’s voice was just a whisper.  Kendall motioned for her to stay put and be quiet, then crouched low and made his way so that he was hidden behind a fallen tree.  Careful not to be seen, he peeked into the clearing.  His heart jumped in his chest.  In the center of the clearing was a tree.  Scattered around the base of the tree lay ten beings, young and old, all of them slaughtered.  He swore under his breath.
“I want you to stay right here, do you understand, Sweetling?”
Rein nodded and he made his way cautiously toward the tree and the bodies it seemed to be watching over.  He knelt down and peered at the injuries.  Whatever had killed them hadn’t been an animal.  The cuts were too deep and too clean.  He noticed that all of them, men and women, had light to dark blond hair.  The ones who had died with their eyes opened all had eyes in varying shades of blue.
Kendall jumped back as an arrow planted into the body of an old man he’d been inspecting.  He pivoted and shifted, his long tiger stride getting him out of the clearing before another of the arrows managed to get lucky.  Rein’s eyes bugged out of her head at the sight of the big cat jumping over the fallen tree.
Kendall shifted back and picked her up under one arm.  He never stopped running.  An arrow thudded into a tree not too far from where he had just been.
“By the moons, Rein, I can’t run fast enough carrying you.”  He stopped and put her down.  He looked up at the sound of screaming and yelling coming from the direction of the clearing.  He ran a hand over his face and his week-long stubble scratched at his palm.  Could he take them on?  He growled.  They’d just taken out ten beings and he was just one.
Rein was staring at him, her eyes wide with fear.
“No worries, Sweetling.  I won’t be leaving you.”
“We need to run?”  Her voice was just a whisper.  “Away from the herd?”  Her tiny nostrils flared.
Kendall nodded.  He wasn’t sure where the herd was, but if it was close to where they were, then away from it was the option of choice.
“Where is the herd?”
She gestured toward the clearing.  “My herd.”
He frowned.  He hadn’t heard anyone talk like this since unless they were talking about packs.
Rein looked back toward the sound of the men coming closer.  She stomped her foot.  Kendall watched confounded as she shifted into a cream coloured filly with long graceful legs.  Had she been a regular horse he’d have guessed her to be a yearling.  She blew out of her nose and shook out her short mane.  An arrow thudded into the tree ten feet from them.
“Alright, Sweetling.  Let’s run.”  He shifted.