Lia Davis's Blog, page 5

New Release Alert! 15 BRAND NEW stories, 1 shared world of wolves, witches, and vamps.

I have a release TOMORROW!


I’m been so busy, I haven’t been keeping you guys up to date on everything.


This baby has 15 BRAND NEW, NEVER PUBLISHED stories!


 


Dark Moon Falls 


Featuring bestselling authors:


Melanie James · A.K. Michaels · Bella Roccaforte ·Robbie Cox ·Lia Davis ·Justine Winter ·Tami Lund ·Elaine Barris ·S.J. Pierce ·Heather Hildenbrand ·N.L. Hoffmann ·DJ Bryce ·Susan Griscom ·Alyssa Rose Ivy ·Nadirah Foxx



High in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, the sleepy town of Dark Moon Falls has secrets …


Hot wolf shifters pursue their one true mate, witches pursue their own agenda, and humans are caught in the middle. At Dark Moon Falls, danger, intrigue, and romance lurk around every corner.



This boxed set includes 15 new steamy stories you’ll want to get your paws on!

Get it now for only 99 Cents! The price goes up on Nov 13th!



Dark Moon Falls is a bundle of BRAND NEW stories from your favorite authors that banded together to bring you an amazing, suspenseful, and seductive NEW multi-author shared world.


 


Lia’s book is LEVI.


A single father, rogue hunter with a tortured past gets his second chance to love, but he will first have to survive the demon who’s stalking his mate.




Get it today from your favorite eBook store:
Amazon | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

Voss is FREE!

Voss is free NOW through 11/15.

Grab your copy today and tell your friends!

 

 

Voss

Coven’s End, Book Two

Get your FREE copy from Amazon

 

I’m arguably the biggest, strongest Lycan in the pack.

My father would have it no other way. He raised me to mate the Princess and become the High Alpha.

He was wrong.

The High Alpha is letting his daughter choose her own mate. He’s letting her choose love.

My competition is fierce. The cocky Vampire prince and the Princess’s best friend and sentry both hold a piece of her heart. But too bad for them, so do I.

They aren’t backing down.

Then the Vamp suggests we share her. If we truly loved her like we say, why make her choose?

I don’t know if I can do it. I didn’t intend it to happen, but I already love her.

One thing is for sure. I’m not walking away from her.

Kane is FREE!

If you’ve been on the fence about starting The Collective World series, now is your chance to own them for free! (this part only goes in the first one. The others start with the below.

Kane is free TODAY through Sunday, 11/10. 

Grab your copy today and tell your friends!

 

Kane

Coven’s End, book 1

Get it for FREE at Amazon

Bad boy. Alpha. Lethal.

Some say those are qualities of a good leader. Others disagree.

Heir to the Vampire throne and Lilith’s only son, I’m being forced to find a mate.

Unfortunately for my beloved mama, I found my fated mate already.

No one compares to her.

The problem?

She’s a Lycan princess— completely off limits. If that’s not bad enough, I’m not her only potential mate.

Can I ignore the pull of my fated mate to make my mother happy and take the throne?

Exciting things coming this week! #Freebooks #coverreveals #giveaways

Did someone say free books?

Oh yeah, that was me.

LA and I are running a huge sale to close out the year. If you’ve been on the fence about starting The Collective World series, now is your chance to own them for free! Each week a different book will be FREE.

Kane is free NOW through Sunday, 11/10. Be sure to grab your copy and tell your friends!

Here are all the free days!

Kane 11/6 – 11/10

Voss 11/11 – 11/15

Quin 11/16 – 11/20

Jillian 11/21 -11/25

Hell Fire 12/1-12/5

Cover Reveals!

This Saturday, November 9th, I’m throwing a party in the fan group to reveal not one but THREE covers!

You don’t want to be among the first to see the reveal of the last two Ashwood Falls book covers—A Tiger for Two and Claimed by the Alpha—AND the reveal for the first in the Lucifer’s War Trilogy, Consort!

The event will be held in the fan group starting at 8:00 pm EST and end at 10:00 pm EST.

If you’re not in the group, you can do so here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LiaDavisFanClub

Dark Water release giveaway

Happy Monday! As you should know by now, Dark Water, the second book in the Academy’s Rise trilogy released on Friday. Yay!  And if you didn’t know YOU DO NOW! Hurry run over to the page and get your copy

To celebrate the release, we have a little giveaway going on this week. The Rafflecopter widget is at the end of the post. BUT FIRST, read an excerpt from Dark Water.

 

Dark Water Excerpt

© 2019 Lia Davis and L.A. Boruff

 

Halfway through the lecture, which I normally enjoyed, the door opened.

His scent hit me first since I had my forehead resting in my palm, propped up on the desk. I jerked, knocking my notebook off of my desk with a clatter.

Half the room turned to look at me, the other half looked at the hunk of sex appeal that had walked in the room and knocked me over with his scent.

“Holy shit.” A whisper from my right drew my attention, but I couldn’t manage to look away. I knew the speaker from school.

“Andee, you ain’t kiddin’.” We hadn’t been close, but anyone could bond when someone that bad-boy hot walked into the room.

That asshole heard me, and as he inhaled, his head swiveled from greeting my Paw to looking for me. He’d scented me.

The Tall Glass of Fuck Me stared at me as I fought the urge to jump up and claim him in front of the entire class. And my Paw.

Lucifer’s leg hair, the last fucking thing I needed was a third mate. And a vampire, to top it off. Just like Meda. What kind of fated mate, romance novel, made-for-tv bullshit were my ancestors thinking?

The only open seats in the room were up front, directly in front of Paw, and right be-fucking-side me. “Don’t you sit there,” I warned him under my breath. All heads swiveled to me. Everyone but the witches, anyway. The vamps and lycans all heard my warning with their excellent hearing.

The stranger, my mate, smiled. He knew exactly what was going on. I leaned slightly out into the aisle so I could see him from head to toe. Mainly, I wanted to see if he had a boner to rival the lady-boner I had.

His fucking black fucking jeans were so tight on his Adonis-belt style body that the entire room could see the outline of his dick as it pushed against the material.

Everyone except Paw, who walked around the desk and stood slightly behind the blonde. The hollows of his cheeks deepened as Paw introduced him. “This is Kevin, everyone. Kevin, this is pretty much the whole school. I teach history to everyone at once, like it or not.”

“Pleasure,” he said in a British accent.

Every woman in the room, and a couple of the men, sucked in a breath at the sound of his sultry voice, myself included.

Those bitches could breathe as hard as they wanted, this hot motherfucker was mine. As hard as I wanted him, equally, I didn’t. He sauntered forward, the buckles on the leather of his coat jingling softly as he moved his cocky self to the seat beside me.

“Don’t.” I raised my eyebrows at him.

“Don’t what?” Paw asked.

As an empath, this was my idea of torture. The room was a big ball of anticipation, curious what was happening between me and the new sultry, sexy, slender… son of a bitch I couldn’t take it.

Jumping up, I finally looked away from Kevin and straight into the eyes of Randell. His fury and confusion pelted my emotions. Nope. Nuh-uh. I noped it right out of the room, using every ounce of speed I possessed.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dark Water Exclusive Excerpt Reveal

Keep reading for an exclusive excerpt from Dark Water by Lia Davis & L.A. Boruff…
It releases September 13th!!!

 

 

RESERVE YOUR COPY NOW:
US → https://amzn.to/2Z4Mg9y
UK → https://amzn.to/2Z9cN60
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BLURB:

As firstborn, my sister, Meda, will be High Alpha to all the lycans and vampires in the world—The Collective. She’s just found her mates and one of the three is heir to a huge witch Circle, which will one day unite the three major paranormal races.

I dodged a major bullet there. Thank Lucifer. I’m not a leader. I’m not someone to look up to. I like to do my own thing and go my own way.

Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I’m fighting a mating bond myself. As if I needed three guys hanging on to my every freaking word.

And now, I’m having visions of what’s to come. It isn’t pretty.

My sisters and I must race against time to figure out what the vision means and how to stop the pending evil from destroying everyone we love.

Failure isn’t an option.

 

ENJOY THIS STEAMY PREVIEW!!!

Rushing up the stairs, I kept my fingers proverbially crossed that I wouldn’t run into anyone. Especially not Randell.

Think about the hot-headed sentry and he appears. I almost turned around and went back down when I heard the top floor door open. I peered up the stairs and saw Randell. Of course. Instead of running, I straightened my spine and held my head high. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Randell hadn’t made any move to claim me. In fact, he seemed dead set against the mating. So, fuck him.

When I moved past him, he scented the air. Then, faster than I anticipated, he grabbed my arm and whirled me around to face him. “What the fuck, Tala?”

I glanced down at his hand then met his heated stare. “Apparently, I have another mate.”

Randell jerked back as if I slapped him, releasing me. I didn’t say another word, just started up the stairs again. He could’ve followed or he could’ve left. I really wasn’t in the mood to care what he did. Unfortunately, he was in the mood to argue. The fact that I smelled like another man and sex didn’t help anything.

When I entered the dorms I shared with my sisters, I didn’t bother to close the door. Randell was right behind me and would be even more pissed if I slammed the door in his face. However, the thought did cross my mind.

I went straight to my room because I needed to shower. Not for Randell’s benefit, but my own. Fenton’s scent was driving me crazy. Add in Randell’s and damn, I was ready to fuck both of them. At once.

Nope. I shut that thought down. As mates, I was sure eventually that would be on the agenda, but my body responded too readily to the idea, which meant I needed to let it go for now. Damn.

I did close my bedroom door, which did nothing to keep the growly sentry out, of course. Randell barged in with a snarl. I glanced at him with one raised eyebrow. He crowded me, trying to intimidate me. Whatever. It wouldn’t work.

“What are you doing?”

I placed a hand on his large chest and pushed. It was effective enough to make him take a step back. “I am going to take a shower.” If he didn’t move I’d show him who was the damn alpha in this relationship.

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

I knew what he meant. With a sigh, I crossed my arms and glared at him. “You have made it clear that you don’t want this mating.” Like he had any choice in the matter. I poked him in the chest. “So don’t get in my face because I found a second mate and acted on the flood of desires that comes along with it.”

He growled again. “You didn’t think it would be good to talk to me first?”

Oh, Hell no. My fangs lengthened and my wolf snarled. Fury built inside me and my water boiled under the surface, this time out of anger, not desire. I may not have been a fire element like Meda, but I could pull on her heat to boil my water. “You don’t have a say in what I do. You are my sentry, here to protect me, not order me around.” Sometimes, like now, Meda’s heat came to me in anger or desire, whether I called on it or not.

I needed a cold shower to calm me down. Hell, what I needed was to drown in my water. Although water would never kill me, no matter how long I stayed under, when I was in the water I didn’t need to breathe, because I was the water.

“You can’t say I don’t get a say,” he said in a deadly low voice.

I laughed humorlessly. “Says who?” Turning on my heels, I entered the bathroom, slamming the door behind me. Stripping out of my clothes, I tossed them into the hamper. Jerking the shower curtain open, I turned on the cold water. I was so pissed at Randell that my internal water was still boiling hot. I needed the cold to counter it or I risked losing control. Hopefully, it would calm me down in the process.

Several minutes after I stepped under the cold sprays, Randell joined me. Damn it, I was still pissed at him. Why did he have to bring his gorgeous ass—and dick—into my shower? “Don’t. I’m pissed.” Giving him my hardest glare, I tried to ignore his hard cock when I really wanted to bounce on it. Damn him.

“I know.” He stepped closer and I groaned as his cock pressed against my hip. Then he fisted his hand in my hair and pulled. “I never said I didn’t want to mate. I’m still processing it. What I don’t want is for everything to change. Mating you changes everything.”

 

 

About Lia

Lia Davis is the USA Today bestselling author of more than forty books, including her fan favorite Ashwood Falls Series. A lifelong fan of magic, mystery, romance and adventure, Lia’s novels novels feature compassionate alpha heroes and strong leading ladies, plenty of heat, and happily-ever-afters.

Lia makes her home in Northeast Florida where she battles hurricanes and humidity like one of her heroines. When she’s not writing, she loves to spend time with her family, travel, read, enjoy nature, and spoil her kitties.  She also loves to hear from her readers. Send her a note at lia@authorliadavis.com!

 

About L.A.

L.A. (Lainie) Boruff lives in East Tennessee with her husband, three children, and an ever growing number of cats. She loves reading, watching TV, and procrastinating by browsing Facebook. L.A.’s passions include vampires, food, and listening to heavy metal music. She once won a Harry Potter trivia contest based on the books and lost one based on the movies. She has two bands on her bucket list that she still hasn’t seen: AC/DC and Alice Cooper. Feel free to send tickets.

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Lia’s mid-year, summer update

For those of you who are subscripted to my newsletter, you got this update last week. I wanted to post the update here as well, for anyone who might have missed it.

My summer is busy. I’m working hard on many projects. But the biggest change over the last month is taking a writing/outlining job. This will help ease some the financial stresses I’ve been having and set me on the right path to continue to do what I love — write amazing stories for all of you!

Yes, this does mean I’ll have to move things around again. I know this doesn’t sit well with many readers and maybe come off as breaking your trust in me. But I promise I’ll get my shit together very soon. * grins *

The first change will be to move the release dates for the last two Witches of Rose Lake books to later this year or early next year. If you preordered them you will get a noted from Amazon that the date was moved. I will move them out to March and April of 2020. BUT if I get them completed before then, then I may hit publish early. I’ll have to see how things go over the next six months.

Next, Mating Chaos (Ashwood Falls book 11)! I will be moving this date UP. MC will release in earlier October and will go up for preorder soon.

Dragons of Ares – I’ve been getting a lot of messages about when Seth’s book will be out. There are about three more books left in the series. My goal is to finish out the series in 2020.

My goal with these changes is to finish two series next year so I can move forward with brand new worlds and to continue with the Wolves of Whiskey Hollow, which will be rebranded with new covers mainly because the artist is no longer doing covers.

Another question I’ve gotten that I thought everyone would like to know the answer to is, how long with the Academy Rise books be?  AR trilogy books will be novel-length at 50,000 + words.

AND the Collective World will get one trilogy that surrounds Lilith and Lucifer’s story.

Thank you so much for being awesome fans! I love you guys!

 

My release schedule for the rest of 2019

July 31 – Hell Fire (Academy Rise 1)

August – Dark Waters (Academy Rise 2)

September – Dead Air (Academy Rise 3)

October – Mating Chaos (Ashwood Falls 11)

No releases in November or December.

#ThrowbackThursday Excerpt for Bundles of Pink

Get it at  Amazon 

Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited

Cam stood in the middle of the community center and took in all the pink. She’d never been a girlie-girl and pink wasn’t one of her favorite colors. However, Shay—her best friend and sister-in-law—insisted the triplets needed pink in their lives.

Blaine came up behind her and slid his arms around her, his hands flattened on her very large and slight oval belly. “That’s a lot of pink.”

Cam nodded. “Yep. When they turn five, I’m starting them in the junior enforcer training.”

Blaine bit down on her shoulder, sending zap of hot, liquid desire through her. “No, you’re not.”

She leaned into him so his front pressed against her back and cupped his head. His Alpha power flowed in the mating link, wild and raw. She loved it. Loved him.

“You two look hot.”

Cam’s heart danced as Graham’s words entered her mind. She met Graham’s heated gaze as he crossed the room. When he reached them, she grabbed his black T-shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. “Where were you?”

“Talking with Nevan. He’s a bundle of anxiety. The idea of possibly being a father and not knowing for sure is fucking with him big time.”  Graham placed his hand over Blaine’s, which were still on her belly.

Cam frowned. “I’ll talk with Dani when she gets here. We might go to the house for a private girl talk.”

Just then Cam sensed that her brother’s mate, Sable, entered the center. With a smile, Cam waved the female over. Blaine let out a soft growl and Cam slapped at his thigh because it was all she could reach at the moment. “Hush. She has proven herself as a loyal packmate.”

“I wasn’t growling at her. Well, not directly. She’s tense like she’s upset.”

Cam scented the air. Pregnancy screwed with her senses. It was one reason her mates didn’t want her working her enforcer duties while pregnant. She was too vulnerable. Sable wasn’t just upset, she was pissed. “Looks like Sable, Shay, and I are going to the house for that girl talk. I’ll text Dani on the way.”

Cam stepped out of Blaine’s embrace and kissed each of her mates before crossing the room to Sable.

The tension faded when Sable stopped in front of Cam. “Hi.”

“What’s up?” Cam wasn’t the type to beat around the bush about anything. Neither was Sable. So the female wasn’t going to brush off whatever upset her.

There was still some tension among the Pack members with Sable there. Some dickheads couldn’t accept she killed her own parents to save them all. No, that wasn’t good enough for some.

“Your brother.”

Cam pressed her lips together to hold in a laugh. She knew all too well what her alpha-male, growly brother was like.

Sable glared at her. “It’s not funny.” A small smile formed on her face. “He wouldn’t let me train with the Enforcers even though Dani cleared me to do so for a few more months. Nigel’s no better. Father and son are tag teaming against me.”

A laugh burst from Cam. “I’m not sorry. I was ordered den mother duties as soon as my mates found out. Believe me, I feel your pain.”

#ThrowbackThursday Excerpt from Alpha Challenge

Available at  Amazon

Read it for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

 

He caught Rhea’s lavender scent and he met her stare instantly. She was back in wolf form and beautiful. Her scent drove him crazy. When she caught up with him, she rubbed her body against his. He groaned and playfully nipped at her. She walked few feet in front of him then laid down in the grass. It was an invitation for him to come with her.

He stretched out beside her, loving the way his cat and her wolf connected. However, this was as close as she allowed him—casual touches and a stolen kiss when he caught her off guard.

He shifted back to human not caring that he didn’t have any clothes to change back into. He stared down at her and ran his hand through her silky copper fur. Words failed him when it came to telling her how he felt, what he feared. What secrets do you hide from the world, Mate?

After a few long moments of him stroking her fur, she shifted to human form and stared at him, her brows drawn. “You seem a little too serious today. What is it?”

He lifted one shoulder and lowered his head to claim her lips. The kiss was soft and quick. He didn’t dare deepen in it. After all, they were in a clearing with the kids nearby. “I can’t shake the feeling there’s something coming. That we are in a false sense of peace.”

Rhea nodded. “I feel it too. Addyson said Will had a vision while they were on a walk the other day. He picked up a rock and started shaking, saying mutants over and over. She said she’d never seen him so fearful.”

Rhea shivered as if the thought of mutants sent cold fear to her core. Alec moved closer to her, drawing her into a hug. His cat purred with satisfaction of having their mate in their arms. When she didn’t push him away, he sighed.

Addyson was his stepmother. Will was her adopted son, making the teen Alec’s brother. A tightness formed in Alec’s chest. He hadn’t taken the time to get to know the kid. In fact, he hadn’t really made an effort to welcome Addyson into the family.

Rhea touched his cheek, bringing his focus back on her beautiful blue eyes. She frowned. “What is it?”

“I’m a jerk. Cold-hearted ass.”

She pressed her lips together as if she were holding in a smile. “It’s about time you admitted it. I wish I had a recorder.”

He sat up and gave her his back. “I’m serious. I haven’t gone to Dad’s house to visit with Addyson or get to know my new brother.”

Sitting up, Rhea leaned into his back and wrapped her arms around his chest. “We’ve all been busy with the rebuild of the den. Addyson and Will understand. They will be there when you’re ready.”

Alec covered her hands with his and leaned into Rhea a little more. She knew what to say to bring him out of his self-loathing. And she was right. His stepmother and adopted brother were Scribes, they knew why Alec distanced himself from others. They had the ability to see the past, present, and future by touching an object or person. Alec bet his dad had filled them in on details Keegan would know.

Their abilities were also why Will had a vision of mutants. That confirmed Alec’s suspicions that blood-thirsty creatures were still out there. “Where did Will have this vision?”

Rhea let go of him and shrugged. ”Addy didn’t say. Keegan stopped by and she quickly change the subject.” Rhea frowned. “I’m not sure why Addy hadn’t told him or why she would hide it from her mate.”

Alec wasn’t sure why his stepmother would keep something like Will’s vision from his father. Maybe she wasn’t really deliberately keeping it from him. Maybe she hadn’t had a chance to tell him. “The mutant could’ve been in the area before the Onyx den was destroyed.”

Rhea’s features seem to relax. “That could be true. We might all be worrying over nothing.”

“You don’t believe that any more than I do.” He raised his brows, challenging her to argue with him.

She poked him in the chest and then nipped at his nose. “Yeah but I like the sound of not living in fear.”

Something dark passed over her features and she averted her gaze. He touched her cheek drawing her attention back to him. “There will be a day when we are free from looking over our shoulders and fighting evil.”

She hardened her stare and frowned. “That might not be in our lifetime.”

Studying her, he tried to get a read on her emotions, but she threw up a wall between them. Before he could reply she shifted into her wolf. When he reached for her, she ran off, heading for the tree line where a few of the kids had wandered off to.

Releasing a sigh, Alec scanned the area. The field was almost a perfect circle surrounded by the forest and large enough the kids could run and play games without being on top of each other. His gaze flicked to where Rhea’s wolf disappeared as she reentered the field with a sulking pup named Charlie in her teeth.

He chuckled at the sight, imaging how she’d be with her own kids. Their kids.

Rhea sat Charlie down and nudged his backside with her nose and growled to let him know it’s not a good thing to leave the field on his own.

Moments later Ana and Kieran rushed into the opening from the other side of the field. Fear widened their gazes. “Get the kids and get back to the den,” she sent the order to Rhea.

Not hesitating, Rhea obeyed the command and howled to tell the kids it was time to go. Alec jumped up and yelled, “Everyone run to the den!”

On the heels of the command two mutants charged out of that forest. Kieran rushed forward, tackling one of them to the ground. The second one locked its sights on Rhea and every primal lethal part of Alec screamed.

Shifting into his leopard he ran toward Rhea and the kids she was redirecting. Brenna barreled passed him in a blur of motion just as two more mutants rushed into the field. Rhea shifted into her human form and grabbed two of the kids, both in their wolf forms, and ran.

Sammie’s whimper echoed in the air and Alec turned in time to see a mutant snatch her and a leopard cub and dematerialize. What the fuck? The mutant reappeared, empty handed. Alec charged at him. The fucker smirked at him and grabbed Brenna and two more kids and disappeared before he could reach them.

Fuckers could teleport. He roared and scanned the area. Luna and Hayden had joined the fight, each fighting a mutant in their human forms. The sobs of scared children gripped his heart as we watched several sentries guarding a group.

“Alec!”

He snapped his attention to Ana as she pointed to the edge of the field where four kids huddled together as if frozen in place with fear. Fuck. He ran across the field and when he got within a few feet from them another mutant ported in, snatched the kids, and dematerialized.

“No!” Rhea screamed and rushed passed him, into the forest. He had no idea where she was going. He grabbed her by the waist and held her to him while she fought to be released.

“Let me go,” she snarled.

Before he replied everything around them got quiet. She gripped his arms, sinking her nails into his skin and began to shake. He sensed her anger. It flowed around them like snake waiting to strike.

He hugged her trembling form and kissed her temple. “We’ll get them back.”

She nodded and then fell still. She twisted around to meet his gaze. Her blue irises lit up with power and determination. “You bet your ass we will.”

#ThrowbackThursday Excerpt from A Jaguar’s Judgement

Get it at  Amazon 

Read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited

The light dusting of snow crunched under his shoes as he made his way to the building that had been used for storage until a few weeks ago when Sable had turned herself in. She had fought with the Pack and helped Ana direct her power. Jared understood why. Sable had protected Ana since Felix stole her from her mother’s womb. They were sisters in every way but blood.

The selfless act, knowing she would be taken into custody, added another crack to the wall around his heart.

Jerking the door open, he entered the one-room building and froze mid-step as the floral scent of his mate slammed into him. Closing his eyes briefly, he slowed his breathing and pushed away the storm of desire brewing inside of him.

When he opened his eyes, he scanned the small space. The room didn’t look like a cell. It was a damned apartment. An area rug covered the floor at the center of the room. A mini refrigerator sat in the corner with a microwave on a shelf over it. The only personal item, however, was the female’s duffle bag in the far corner. His gaze found Sable sitting in the middle of a futon with a tablet in hand. “They let you have Internet?”

She didn’t look at him. “It’s bugged. They watch everything I do.”

Her voice carried a hint of tiredness, along with annoyance. He bet the latter was due to his presence. Good. “Find anything interesting?”

She didn’t answer. His cat growled and clawed at him. The man stood his ground in the doorway. The cold breeze helped to keep his mind clear.

“Close the door or leave. Better yet, do both.” She picked up a cell phone and typed something before setting it back down on the cushion next to her.

He tracked her movements, curious who she was texting and why. Without conscious thought, he drifted closer to her. Each step made it hard to maintain control over his need to touch her, yet he couldn’t stay away. Yes, he was an idiot.

The door slammed shut, jarring him out of his thoughts. He snapped his gaze up and met her teal eyes, glaring back at him.

“What do you want?”

You, naked and panting. He shook his head. The lack of sexual release had made him insane. However, Sable was his mate. Enemy or not, he’d want her like no other and wouldn’t rest until he had her. Yep, he was fucked.

“Have you talked to Nigel?” It was the only thing Jared could think of to say. Because “I want to fuck you senseless” just didn’t seem appropriate.

Sable’s lip thinned. “Yes, I speak to him all the time. Like you, he has access to this shack.”

He ignored the growl of irritation in her tone and crossed his arms. “Rhea says he’s very advanced and could start taking some college courses online.”

“I know. I met with the den mother this morning.” Sable returned her attention to the tablet. “Why are you really here, Jared? You’ve never been big on small talk.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about him? Why did I have to find out from Kieran?” Anger filtered into his words. Nigel was his son, and he deserved to know who his father was. “Better yet, why did you tell him I was dead?”

Sable jumped to her feet and came nose-to-nose with him. “You hurt me, Jared. I didn’t want to see you again or have you in our lives. Besides, you were dead to me.”

He peered into her eyes, searching for any sign of untruth, but what he found made his chest constrict around his hammering heart. There was true pain in the depths of that teal-colored gaze. Hardening his stare and masking his own emotions from her, he bit out, “Your betrayal wounded the bond, not me.”

She didn’t flinch at his harsh tone. She’d always been good at hiding behind that sheet of ice around her heart. “What was I supposed to say? Oh, by the way, my father is the boogieman of the shifter world? The king of all bastards. I’m sure that would have gone over well.”