Zoe Perdita's Blog, page 3
March 7, 2017
Manuscript Monday: Another X? And maybe some guilty sex too. . . .
Sorry I didn't post one of these last week. This book has been kicking my ass in the worst way. I had to shelve it while my editor goes over it so I don't stab myself in the eye with a fork or something else drastic.
Ugh.
Anyway, the book will hopefully be ready for a late March/early April release. I hope.
*cries*
Onto the sneak peek (which I hope doesn't suck). Spence and Hunter have secrets. And X is up to something. Note: this might contain typos and will be further edited.
"Actually, that does remind me of something else. I saw X." “What?" Hunter said and his throat closed up. "X? Which one?" He might be able to come clean about his other vigilante activity, but telling Spence what kind of deal he made—yeah—not ready for that. Not sure if he'd ever be ready for that. "The real one. A liquor store got robbed down the street from the bodega the other night. I kind of chased the guy into an alley—I know—don’t get mad. I didn't know what else to do. But X was there. He knocked the guy out, cuffed him to a dumpster and left.”Hunter stared at Spence for a long moment and let out a breath. The kitchen light flickered above their heads. "And you didn't follow him?" Spence's cheeks colored. "No. I had to finish closing, and Denise would've been suspicious if I had. I was tempted.” "So, the real X is back on the street?" "Yeah," Spence said and worried his bottom lip. “Only—he seemed a little different." "Different how?" Spence shrugged, and Hunter's fingers stopped in the midst of their massage. "Shorter, I guess. I don't think it was imposter X, if that's what you mean. It was just. . .weird. Like he didn't fill out the uniform.""You think there’s a third X out there? How many motherfucking Xs are on the street? Why don't we be X too?" "Maybe it was the real X, and I judged wrong. It's not important anyway. Not unless he comes after us."Now that was an uncomfortable thought. They didn’t need two Xs on their asses. They could barely deal with one. Spence smiled again and slipped off his chair. The kitten hopped to the floor to start exploring, and Spence leaned in to do some of his own. With his lips. They wandered up Hunter’s jaw—hot and needy—and Hunter’s fingers curled around Spence’s shoulders. Gripped him as his tongue darted in between Spence’s perfectly parted lips. No matter what, the effect Spence had on him was palatable. His skin sizzled under Spence’s hands, how they pressed into the hard muscle on his stomach and slid under Hunter’s shirt. Edging it up until they burned against his bare flesh. He sucked in a breath and Spence’s tongue invaded his mouth—all heat and slick wetness. Hunter sucked on his tongue and his cock stirred. Lust throbbed in his chest, his groin. And he groaned as Spence’s lips trailed down his neck, kissing and nipping at the flesh. Sucking until the bright pinch of pain mingled with the pleasure coursing through him. “Want you. In my mouth,” Spence breathed, and how the hell could Hunter resist that?“Yeah,” he managed, and his hips rocked into Spence’s touch. Spence’s fingers snagged on the button and zipper of his jeans. Hunter swallowed the guilt that clogged his throat. The thing that told him everything he was doing was to save his own ass and not to protect Spence. That wasn’t true. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Everything he did was for Spence, one one way or another.
Ugh.
Anyway, the book will hopefully be ready for a late March/early April release. I hope.
*cries*
Onto the sneak peek (which I hope doesn't suck). Spence and Hunter have secrets. And X is up to something. Note: this might contain typos and will be further edited.
"Actually, that does remind me of something else. I saw X." “What?" Hunter said and his throat closed up. "X? Which one?" He might be able to come clean about his other vigilante activity, but telling Spence what kind of deal he made—yeah—not ready for that. Not sure if he'd ever be ready for that. "The real one. A liquor store got robbed down the street from the bodega the other night. I kind of chased the guy into an alley—I know—don’t get mad. I didn't know what else to do. But X was there. He knocked the guy out, cuffed him to a dumpster and left.”Hunter stared at Spence for a long moment and let out a breath. The kitchen light flickered above their heads. "And you didn't follow him?" Spence's cheeks colored. "No. I had to finish closing, and Denise would've been suspicious if I had. I was tempted.” "So, the real X is back on the street?" "Yeah," Spence said and worried his bottom lip. “Only—he seemed a little different." "Different how?" Spence shrugged, and Hunter's fingers stopped in the midst of their massage. "Shorter, I guess. I don't think it was imposter X, if that's what you mean. It was just. . .weird. Like he didn't fill out the uniform.""You think there’s a third X out there? How many motherfucking Xs are on the street? Why don't we be X too?" "Maybe it was the real X, and I judged wrong. It's not important anyway. Not unless he comes after us."Now that was an uncomfortable thought. They didn’t need two Xs on their asses. They could barely deal with one. Spence smiled again and slipped off his chair. The kitten hopped to the floor to start exploring, and Spence leaned in to do some of his own. With his lips. They wandered up Hunter’s jaw—hot and needy—and Hunter’s fingers curled around Spence’s shoulders. Gripped him as his tongue darted in between Spence’s perfectly parted lips. No matter what, the effect Spence had on him was palatable. His skin sizzled under Spence’s hands, how they pressed into the hard muscle on his stomach and slid under Hunter’s shirt. Edging it up until they burned against his bare flesh. He sucked in a breath and Spence’s tongue invaded his mouth—all heat and slick wetness. Hunter sucked on his tongue and his cock stirred. Lust throbbed in his chest, his groin. And he groaned as Spence’s lips trailed down his neck, kissing and nipping at the flesh. Sucking until the bright pinch of pain mingled with the pleasure coursing through him. “Want you. In my mouth,” Spence breathed, and how the hell could Hunter resist that?“Yeah,” he managed, and his hips rocked into Spence’s touch. Spence’s fingers snagged on the button and zipper of his jeans. Hunter swallowed the guilt that clogged his throat. The thing that told him everything he was doing was to save his own ass and not to protect Spence. That wasn’t true. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Everything he did was for Spence, one one way or another.
February 22, 2017
Manuscript Monday: Spence and Hunter get kinky.
I know this is two days late. My bad. I meant to post it on Monday, and I forgot what day of the week it was. Again. I need one of those things that reminds me. . . .
Anyhow, since I'm knee deep in Darkvale stuff, I had to go looking for inspiration. Mostly sexy superheroes doing kinky things. Thank you, fangirls. You always deliver.
Also, there's a lot of Dick Grayson bondage. I'm not complaining. At all.
On another note, Sync & Shadows (Darkvale Book Four) will be out in the middle of March. I'm currently reworking the end while I'm editing. I'm also releasing a bundle of all three Darkvale books and the Halloween short!
I think both Patrick and Hunter would like to be in that last position.
Here's the first snippet from Sync & Shadows! They're in a warehouse. Is is the same warehouse from Titan Unleashed? Maybe. . . . .
And since they'd handled everything important, a little celebration couldn't hurt. Hunter only had one thing in mind.He grabbed Spence, wrapped him in his arms and yanked him off his feet. Their lips melted together in a kiss that singed his soul. Spence's mouth—hot and compliant—tangled with Hunter’s. His tongue dipped inside Hunter's mouth and wrestled for dominance.Though, Hunter knew who always won that fight. Giving in to Spence was like breathing. Spence's fingers, still gloved, brushed through Hunter's curls. Snagged on the back of his neck and held him close. Their hearts thundered against each other, and Spence wrapped his legs around Hunter's hips and ground their are cocks together.A few months ago, he wouldn't have had the strength to do that, and Hunter wouldn't have had the muscle to hold him up. The vigilante business was good for more than one thing.“You look so fucking hot in that suit," Hunter growled and nipped at Spence's bottom lip. He pulled it between his teeth until Spence whimpered, and his fingers dug into the back of Hunter's neck. Hunter's cock throbbed. Curled. An ache in his tight pants. Spence's hungry mouth slipped over Hunter's strong jaw and down his neck. Sucking and biting and leaving all kinds of wonderful marks in its wake. The marks were one of Hunter's favorite parts of their sex life. He could look at them later, run his fingers over them like physical proof of how much Spence wanted him. How much Spence needed him. Unlike all the other guys Hunter screwed around with, Spence wasn't using him for anything. This was love.Spence would do anything for him, and the feeling was mutual. Always had been. Always would be. Not even imposter X could tear them apart. Once Hunter did that crazy asshole’s stupid favor, they’d be done. Free.Spence's mouth trailed to the front of Hunter's throat and lapped at his Adam's apple. Nipped at the flesh. His fingers slipped over the smooth leather of Hunter's jacket, but he didn't try to remove it.That was even hotter than if he had."Yeah, you look gorgeous in this. Need you on your knees," Spencer breathed. Heat flooded Hunter's cock, and he couldn't help but comply.He fell to the ground and spread his legs. Spence straddled him, and Hunter's weight rested on the heels of his boots. It strained his dick against the inside of his pants—the pain and pleasure mingling together until they were nearly unbearable.This is the anticipation he liked. The thing Spence gave him.Imposter X thought he knew what Hunter wanted, but he didn’t. Not really. Not the way Spence did. "Here?" Spence asked.Hunter nodded, any words he said would be begging Spence to do something more. The longer he held off, the better it would be in the end.Sure, a quick jerk off while they showered together was always fun, but never as fun as this.Spence stood and yanked the tire iron out of Hunter's boot. "Put your mask on.” Hunter slid it over his face, flushed from there make out session, and his chest heaved. The air inside the mask was too thick, and he couldn’t get a proper breath.Spence slipped his own mask over his face and righted it. Only his eyes shone out. Even his lips were hidden under the black fabric. It's like they were strangers, but they still knew each other so intimately.Spence always knew how to play up Hunter's kinks in the best possible way.Then, Spence took Molly and slipped her down Hunter's jaw. The cold metal burrowed past the fabric and a shiver rocketed down his spine. Without being able to see Spence's expression, Hunter had no clue what he was thinking. No clue what came next. That was part of the fun.He slid Molly down Hunter's chest. Down and down until it pressed into Hunter’s rock hard cock. “I’m going to keep this right here while you suck me off. Got that?" Hunter nodded. Bit the inside of his mouth. "Only suck you off? How about you fuck my mouth?"Spence's other hand snagged Hunter's hair and pulled him close to his groin. "Good idea. Find it with your lips and teeth.” They played this game before. ‘No hands’ is what Hunter called it in his head. One of his favorites.Now, with Spence's shadows, it was even better. Because they wound around Hunter and kept his arms pinned to his sides. Kept him from moving. Before the bond had to be an actual physical thing. They still used them frequently. Handcuffs and leather and stuff like that. The shadows worked in a pinch. Plus, they were always there.p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
A comfort that Hunter never knew he was missing.
Anyhow, since I'm knee deep in Darkvale stuff, I had to go looking for inspiration. Mostly sexy superheroes doing kinky things. Thank you, fangirls. You always deliver.
Also, there's a lot of Dick Grayson bondage. I'm not complaining. At all.
On another note, Sync & Shadows (Darkvale Book Four) will be out in the middle of March. I'm currently reworking the end while I'm editing. I'm also releasing a bundle of all three Darkvale books and the Halloween short!
I think both Patrick and Hunter would like to be in that last position.
Here's the first snippet from Sync & Shadows! They're in a warehouse. Is is the same warehouse from Titan Unleashed? Maybe. . . . .
And since they'd handled everything important, a little celebration couldn't hurt. Hunter only had one thing in mind.He grabbed Spence, wrapped him in his arms and yanked him off his feet. Their lips melted together in a kiss that singed his soul. Spence's mouth—hot and compliant—tangled with Hunter’s. His tongue dipped inside Hunter's mouth and wrestled for dominance.Though, Hunter knew who always won that fight. Giving in to Spence was like breathing. Spence's fingers, still gloved, brushed through Hunter's curls. Snagged on the back of his neck and held him close. Their hearts thundered against each other, and Spence wrapped his legs around Hunter's hips and ground their are cocks together.A few months ago, he wouldn't have had the strength to do that, and Hunter wouldn't have had the muscle to hold him up. The vigilante business was good for more than one thing.“You look so fucking hot in that suit," Hunter growled and nipped at Spence's bottom lip. He pulled it between his teeth until Spence whimpered, and his fingers dug into the back of Hunter's neck. Hunter's cock throbbed. Curled. An ache in his tight pants. Spence's hungry mouth slipped over Hunter's strong jaw and down his neck. Sucking and biting and leaving all kinds of wonderful marks in its wake. The marks were one of Hunter's favorite parts of their sex life. He could look at them later, run his fingers over them like physical proof of how much Spence wanted him. How much Spence needed him. Unlike all the other guys Hunter screwed around with, Spence wasn't using him for anything. This was love.Spence would do anything for him, and the feeling was mutual. Always had been. Always would be. Not even imposter X could tear them apart. Once Hunter did that crazy asshole’s stupid favor, they’d be done. Free.Spence's mouth trailed to the front of Hunter's throat and lapped at his Adam's apple. Nipped at the flesh. His fingers slipped over the smooth leather of Hunter's jacket, but he didn't try to remove it.That was even hotter than if he had."Yeah, you look gorgeous in this. Need you on your knees," Spencer breathed. Heat flooded Hunter's cock, and he couldn't help but comply.He fell to the ground and spread his legs. Spence straddled him, and Hunter's weight rested on the heels of his boots. It strained his dick against the inside of his pants—the pain and pleasure mingling together until they were nearly unbearable.This is the anticipation he liked. The thing Spence gave him.Imposter X thought he knew what Hunter wanted, but he didn’t. Not really. Not the way Spence did. "Here?" Spence asked.Hunter nodded, any words he said would be begging Spence to do something more. The longer he held off, the better it would be in the end.Sure, a quick jerk off while they showered together was always fun, but never as fun as this.Spence stood and yanked the tire iron out of Hunter's boot. "Put your mask on.” Hunter slid it over his face, flushed from there make out session, and his chest heaved. The air inside the mask was too thick, and he couldn’t get a proper breath.Spence slipped his own mask over his face and righted it. Only his eyes shone out. Even his lips were hidden under the black fabric. It's like they were strangers, but they still knew each other so intimately.Spence always knew how to play up Hunter's kinks in the best possible way.Then, Spence took Molly and slipped her down Hunter's jaw. The cold metal burrowed past the fabric and a shiver rocketed down his spine. Without being able to see Spence's expression, Hunter had no clue what he was thinking. No clue what came next. That was part of the fun.He slid Molly down Hunter's chest. Down and down until it pressed into Hunter’s rock hard cock. “I’m going to keep this right here while you suck me off. Got that?" Hunter nodded. Bit the inside of his mouth. "Only suck you off? How about you fuck my mouth?"Spence's other hand snagged Hunter's hair and pulled him close to his groin. "Good idea. Find it with your lips and teeth.” They played this game before. ‘No hands’ is what Hunter called it in his head. One of his favorites.Now, with Spence's shadows, it was even better. Because they wound around Hunter and kept his arms pinned to his sides. Kept him from moving. Before the bond had to be an actual physical thing. They still used them frequently. Handcuffs and leather and stuff like that. The shadows worked in a pinch. Plus, they were always there.p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
A comfort that Hunter never knew he was missing.
February 15, 2017
Super Bundle Sale!
Okay, so I'm almost done with Sync & Shadows, but the book is rough so I'm not gonna do an MS Monday until next week when I have time to edit it a tad.
But I do have two new bundles and they're both on sale for 99 cents until Friday!
Check them out!
Bound (A Gay BDSM Anthology)
Wolf Pack Complete Series
Hurt Me
Thomas signs up for a sexual practices study at his university to help pay the bills, only to find the grad student leading the study is none other than his long lost love, Elliot Tucker. The study involves whips, bondage and levels of pain and pleasure Thomas never imagined he’d enjoy – but every lesson leaves him longing for more.
As old feelings surface, Thomas struggles to break down the walls Elliot built around himself. However, Elliot’s thesis is on the line, and the closer he gets to Thomas the less he’s able to control his dominant urges.
But Thomas isn’t backing down –- not until the two men take a second chance at first love.
Safeword
When a mysterious stranger offers Hiro a chance to get clean and off the streets, he takes it without hesitation. Maxwell, his savior, introduces him into the world of BDSM – and Hiro relishes in the pain, pleasure and control – delighting in his newfound role of sub to the sexy and powerful man.
But Maxwell’s hiding a secret – a dead boyfriend that overshadows their budding relationship. Can both Dom and sub heal the wounds from their pasts and forge a future together?
Sin for Me
Brother Pío has spent his entire life in a secluded Spanish monastery where he hides a fearful secret. Not only is he attracted to men, he also finds pleasure in pain. Instead of offering a path to sanctity, the thongs of his whip drive him into a flurry of lustful thoughts and desires.
When Brother Matthew, a monk and traveling scholar, arrives he turns Pío’s world upside down. The man gives Pío the pain and release he needs, but at what cost? As Matthew helps Pío come to terms with his conflicted feelings, their relationship gives way to danger when the other monks grow suspicious.
However, Matthew can’t remain in Son Rullan forever forcing Pío to choose where his loyalties lie: with the Church or with his lover?
Each novella contains graphic gay BDSM sex scenes.
Wolf Pack Complete Series
[image error]
Mate (Silver Mountain Wolf Pack)
Jake Anderson, a detective, is a lone wolf and he doesn’t want it any other way. When he moves to Kellogg, Idaho, he’s greeted by the powerful pack that runs the small town. Worse yet, the pack’s alpha is his new boss – the handsome and rugged Captain Holden Walker.
While Jake doesn’t want a mate, he can’t deny his overwhelming attraction to the alpha – or the needs of the rest of Holden’s pack. But giving up his body to Holden and his life to a pack isn’t what he has in mind.
Each pack member, from the angry beta to the lowly omega, are in search of mates – and Jake’s entrance into the town changes everything. They have to deal with a pair of Eurasian wolf brothers, a wounded werecat and a new wolf who puts the beta’s position in the pack at risk.
Jake knows the truth -- wolves mate for life. But will he aid the Silver Mountain wolf pack or let his only chance for happiness slip away?
Warning: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes.
Russian Wolf Pack
Alpha Bait (Russian Wolf Pack One)
Sam grew up next door to a house full of hot as hell Russian brothers, but something about the boys was always off. After he's attacked by a huge white wolf as a teenager, Sam leaves the town and his friends behind.
Seven years later, the death of his parents brings Sam back to his former life. Now he has to deal with the five sexy brothers all grown up, the return of the huge white wolf and his overwhelming desire for the gorgeous Russian men. But Yuri, the oldest brother, isn't happy with Sam's return. He claims Sam is wolf's bait and that he needs the five sexy brothers to protect him from werewolves hell bent on claiming him as their own.
Will Sam accept their protection at the price of his freedom?
Warning: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes and a gay menage.
Wild (Russian Wolf Pack Two)
When Wild, a lone omega, stumbles into a trap in the woods, a mysterious alpha saves the little wolf and takes him in. The man cares for Wild's wounds and offers him a new chance at life. But the sexy wolf stirs feelings the omega has never experienced – making Wild believe this man is his mate. He just has to prove it to the alpha first.
Caleb, a great white wolf, lives alone, and he prefers it that way. He doesn't need a young, lively whelp keeping him company, no matter how attractive the young man is. Especially when Wild wakes the need for a mate inside him – a need he buried a long time ago.
With a rival wolf pack hungry for Wild's blood, and a dangerous hunter on the loose – can Caleb protect the little omega without giving into his animal instincts and claiming the young man as his own?
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; color: #323333; -webkit-text-stroke: #323333} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Warning: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes.
But I do have two new bundles and they're both on sale for 99 cents until Friday!
Check them out!
Bound (A Gay BDSM Anthology)
Wolf Pack Complete Series
Hurt Me
Thomas signs up for a sexual practices study at his university to help pay the bills, only to find the grad student leading the study is none other than his long lost love, Elliot Tucker. The study involves whips, bondage and levels of pain and pleasure Thomas never imagined he’d enjoy – but every lesson leaves him longing for more.
As old feelings surface, Thomas struggles to break down the walls Elliot built around himself. However, Elliot’s thesis is on the line, and the closer he gets to Thomas the less he’s able to control his dominant urges.
But Thomas isn’t backing down –- not until the two men take a second chance at first love.
Safeword
When a mysterious stranger offers Hiro a chance to get clean and off the streets, he takes it without hesitation. Maxwell, his savior, introduces him into the world of BDSM – and Hiro relishes in the pain, pleasure and control – delighting in his newfound role of sub to the sexy and powerful man.
But Maxwell’s hiding a secret – a dead boyfriend that overshadows their budding relationship. Can both Dom and sub heal the wounds from their pasts and forge a future together?
Sin for Me
Brother Pío has spent his entire life in a secluded Spanish monastery where he hides a fearful secret. Not only is he attracted to men, he also finds pleasure in pain. Instead of offering a path to sanctity, the thongs of his whip drive him into a flurry of lustful thoughts and desires.
When Brother Matthew, a monk and traveling scholar, arrives he turns Pío’s world upside down. The man gives Pío the pain and release he needs, but at what cost? As Matthew helps Pío come to terms with his conflicted feelings, their relationship gives way to danger when the other monks grow suspicious.
However, Matthew can’t remain in Son Rullan forever forcing Pío to choose where his loyalties lie: with the Church or with his lover?
Each novella contains graphic gay BDSM sex scenes.
Wolf Pack Complete Series
[image error]
Mate (Silver Mountain Wolf Pack)
Jake Anderson, a detective, is a lone wolf and he doesn’t want it any other way. When he moves to Kellogg, Idaho, he’s greeted by the powerful pack that runs the small town. Worse yet, the pack’s alpha is his new boss – the handsome and rugged Captain Holden Walker.
While Jake doesn’t want a mate, he can’t deny his overwhelming attraction to the alpha – or the needs of the rest of Holden’s pack. But giving up his body to Holden and his life to a pack isn’t what he has in mind.
Each pack member, from the angry beta to the lowly omega, are in search of mates – and Jake’s entrance into the town changes everything. They have to deal with a pair of Eurasian wolf brothers, a wounded werecat and a new wolf who puts the beta’s position in the pack at risk.
Jake knows the truth -- wolves mate for life. But will he aid the Silver Mountain wolf pack or let his only chance for happiness slip away?
Warning: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes.
Russian Wolf Pack
Alpha Bait (Russian Wolf Pack One)
Sam grew up next door to a house full of hot as hell Russian brothers, but something about the boys was always off. After he's attacked by a huge white wolf as a teenager, Sam leaves the town and his friends behind.
Seven years later, the death of his parents brings Sam back to his former life. Now he has to deal with the five sexy brothers all grown up, the return of the huge white wolf and his overwhelming desire for the gorgeous Russian men. But Yuri, the oldest brother, isn't happy with Sam's return. He claims Sam is wolf's bait and that he needs the five sexy brothers to protect him from werewolves hell bent on claiming him as their own.
Will Sam accept their protection at the price of his freedom?
Warning: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes and a gay menage.
Wild (Russian Wolf Pack Two)
When Wild, a lone omega, stumbles into a trap in the woods, a mysterious alpha saves the little wolf and takes him in. The man cares for Wild's wounds and offers him a new chance at life. But the sexy wolf stirs feelings the omega has never experienced – making Wild believe this man is his mate. He just has to prove it to the alpha first.
Caleb, a great white wolf, lives alone, and he prefers it that way. He doesn't need a young, lively whelp keeping him company, no matter how attractive the young man is. Especially when Wild wakes the need for a mate inside him – a need he buried a long time ago.
With a rival wolf pack hungry for Wild's blood, and a dangerous hunter on the loose – can Caleb protect the little omega without giving into his animal instincts and claiming the young man as his own?
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 14.0px Arial; color: #323333; -webkit-text-stroke: #323333} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Warning: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes.
February 6, 2017
Sync & Shadows Cover Reveal and Darkvale Series News!
It's been awhile! I know!
I have news about the Darkvale Series, mostly that I'm combining it with the Broken Heroes series. I should've done it to begin with, but I'm a dork sometimes. Okay, most of the time. *face palm*
So the new reading order will be like this:
1-Titan in Chains (Darkvale Book One)
2- Hunter & Hunted (Darkvale Book Two)
3- Titan Unleashed (Darkvale Book Three)4- Sync & Shadows (Darkvale Book Four)
Also, Sync & Shadows will hopefully be out in early March!
I have new covers that will reflect the changes.
Check them out!
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 14.0px; font: 12.0px Times; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 16.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #1d2129; -webkit-text-stroke: #1d2129} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
January 2, 2017
Lost Wolves Series Super Sale!
Are you guys ready for another super sale on my books?
Yes? I thought so!
This time it's the Lost Wolves Series to celebrate the last book, Beta and the Black Prince.
Omega in the Shadows (Lost Wolves Book One) is free.
The other four books are all only 99 cents. The sale runs from today (Jan. 2nd) to Friday (Jan. 6th), and it's on Amazon only. Also, remember, Beta and the Black Prince is only $2.99 for another week!!!
Check it out on Amazon.
Enjoy!
Yes? I thought so!
This time it's the Lost Wolves Series to celebrate the last book, Beta and the Black Prince.
Omega in the Shadows (Lost Wolves Book One) is free.
The other four books are all only 99 cents. The sale runs from today (Jan. 2nd) to Friday (Jan. 6th), and it's on Amazon only. Also, remember, Beta and the Black Prince is only $2.99 for another week!!!
Check it out on Amazon.
Enjoy!
December 27, 2016
Beta and the Black Prince (Lost Wolves Book Six) Released!
Yay! The last book in the Lost Wolves series is finally here! I really hope you guys like it. I meant to post this yesterday, but I had to run errands and didn't get the chance. Sorry!
You can get the book here:
Amazon
All Romance
It's only $2.99 for the next two weeks. Also, I'll be running a sale on the whole Lost Wolves series later this week so stay turned!
Kamil, a beta wolf, has been nothing but loyal to his alpha, Maxim, from the time they were pups. That loyalty is tested when King Lucien calls in his favor to Maxim. Lucien needs someone to hunt down the Ottoman wolf who has the power to destroy his kingdom, and Maxim sends Kamil on the mission.
Now, the beta wolf who always stood on the sidelines is now thrust into the center of a dangerous political struggle between two warring shifter kingdoms. At its heart is an alluring and dangerous wolf – Aslan, the bastard son of a Sultan, and the very wolf Kamil was sent to bring to King Lucien.
Problem is, that wolf is also Kamil’s mate.
Will Kamil betray his king and his mission for a chance at love?
You can get the book here:
Amazon
All Romance
It's only $2.99 for the next two weeks. Also, I'll be running a sale on the whole Lost Wolves series later this week so stay turned!
Kamil, a beta wolf, has been nothing but loyal to his alpha, Maxim, from the time they were pups. That loyalty is tested when King Lucien calls in his favor to Maxim. Lucien needs someone to hunt down the Ottoman wolf who has the power to destroy his kingdom, and Maxim sends Kamil on the mission.
Now, the beta wolf who always stood on the sidelines is now thrust into the center of a dangerous political struggle between two warring shifter kingdoms. At its heart is an alluring and dangerous wolf – Aslan, the bastard son of a Sultan, and the very wolf Kamil was sent to bring to King Lucien.
Problem is, that wolf is also Kamil’s mate.
Will Kamil betray his king and his mission for a chance at love?
December 18, 2016
First Chapter Sneak Peek: Beta and the Black Prince (Lost Wolves Book Six)!
OMG, guys. The book comes out in just over a week!
I might be dead by then because the last episode of Yuri!!! on Ice comes out this Wednesday, and I have a feeling it may kill me. At least you'll get to read the last Lost Wolves book.
Seriously. This motherfucking show. It's brilliant and wonderful and after that last episode *internal screaming*
First, we got the kiss!
Then, we got this hug. *dies* We better get a wedding in the last episode. And a couple skate.
Now that I've fangirled properly, here's the first chapter of Beta and the Black Prince (Lost Wolves Book Six). Kamil and Aslan get off to a rocky start, but those are the most fun, right?
Enjoy!
Chapter One
Bandits on the Road
Beta wolves followed their alpha's orders.
Kamil understood that. He'd held that belief close to his heart since he was a boy and first met Maxim, his alpha, the wolf he knew deep in his bones he'd serve until the day he died.
Though, at the moment, Kamil wished he hadn't followed this particular order since it left him stranded somewhere between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire: horseless, wounded and without supplies.
A sharp breeze blew through the stunted grass, dry after the summer's heat. The dirt road was pitted, and the dust kicked up with the breeze and stuck to Kamil's skin until he felt grittier than he had before.
He limped. The slash on his thigh stung, and he'd need to change the bandage when he made camp that night.
The inhabitants of the villages on the outskirts of Bulgaria were the least trusting of any Kamil had ever met. Although to be fair he hadn't met many humans outside the ones who lived in Moravia, his home kingdom, and the hunters he'd killed in battle.
These humans stole his horse and most of his supplies. Had there not been a mob with silver weapons—weapons that could poison his wolf blood—he'd have shifted and fought them. He was, by all means, the second strongest wolf in Moravia next to his alpha, King Maxim. But the chance of being overwhelmed was too great, so he'd fled.
Plus, he was here to hunt down a wolf from the Ottoman Empire and deliver him to King Lucien (one of Maxim's allies) before he could finally go home.
That led him here—to the plains and the dirt road that led to the heart of the Ottoman Empire. These weren't strictly shifter lands. No magic simmered under the surface of the earth. Old Ones didn't reign here and protect it with their strange powers, but no human settlements were in sight either. Not even a farm.
It was neutral ground. Nothing but hills and grass and dirt with the occasional spike of short brown mountains. Perhaps the Ottomans kept it that way on purpose to cut down on hunters.
Kamil winced and moved forward. At least the damn mob left him the clothes on his back and the sword at his hip. In all fairness, he'd cut down six of them before they chased him out of town. He hoped they were all worthy of death. At the very least, he could take comfort that they attacked first.
His brown leather boots were coated in a layer of thick dust, as were his pants (jeans, the humans called them) and the shirt and leather jacket Elijah Kane supplied him with. In all his life, Kamil never thought he'd take a gift from that omega, but times changed. In the last few years it seemed that everything changed.
Kamil took one step at a time. When he got to Istanbul, things would improve. Or they'd get worse. If Yue, the moon goddess, was as kind to him as she'd been these last few weeks, the rest of his mission would face equally terrible luck.
She rose over flat plains. The sun dipped to the West and burned the sky with brilliant orange light.
Kamil licked his lips and frowned at the empty knot in his stomach. He hadn't eaten in over a day, and he'd only had a drink at a small stream that morning. But that stream didn't flow to or from Istanbul, so he'd had to leave it behind for this part of the trek.
If he wanted to eat, he'd need to shift and hunt. He hadn't spotted a deer all day, but there was smaller game. Rabbits would make a meal if he killed enough of them. Perhaps he'd even find a large bird to feast on. Now he needed a place to rest before the light failed completely.
He squinted in the distance and saw a mound of rocks. Upon closer inspection, the rocks were actually the shell of an old house set off the road. The roof and windows were missing, but at least it had a few walls. That meant Kamil could light a fire without the whole plain spotting it.
However, first he needed to hunt.
Weariness crept up his bones and through his muscles as he stripped and shifted into a large wolf. Brown fur sprouted from his body the same warm chestnut as his hair. While he wasn't as large as an alpha, his build was stocky and strong. He took one final precaution and buried his sword before he trotted off to find dinner.
Kamil caught and devoured three rabbits before he spotted the copse of trees from the top of a hill. It was tucked into a gentle valley, and the faint whisper of water over rocks called to him. He licked his bloody chops and watched.
Night had fallen in earnest by then.
Several horses munched on the grass around the spring. Horses with saddles and bridles. That meant humans or fellow shifters. At the moment, Kamil didn't know which he'd prefer.
Humans might not guess what he was, but hunters would try to kill him regardless. Fellow shifters might be as prone to rip out his throat as hunters, depending on their disposition.
He pressed his belly to the cool earth, the grass tickling his nose, and thought about what brought him so far from his home, his life, everything he knew and plopped him here.
Really, it was all Lucien Mircea's fault—the Bloody King and his damn request.
It started on a day in late summer. The pups, Ana and Olo, were old enough to run in both human and wolf forms. It had been two years since they'd been born and the former Queen gave up her life as a normal shifter to protect all of them as a mysterious Old One.
They bounded through the grass in the garden's inner courtyard while Sasha, Maxim's mate and the other king, trotted after them.
Kamil splashed cold water on his face and grimaced as it trickled down his neck, chilling the sweat on his skin. Maxim hadn't joined him for the training session that day, which was unusual. The King enjoyed training with the Captain of the Guard and the fellow soldiers on most mornings.
Kamil smelled the hint of foreign wolves on the air, former enemies turned allies, Elijah Kane and his alpha mate, Rowan, which accounted for Maxim's absence. Whenever they showed up something terrible seemed to hang on the horizon. Their meeting with Maxim must've taken place during practice, so Kamil waited for his King and alpha to fill him in on what they'd found.
Perhaps it was Cosmos, the traitor who nearly destroyed everything two years before.
Olo scampered toward Kamil and pawed at his legs. He whined until the beta gave in and picked up the pup. He was the smaller of the two which meant Ana was the alpha and Olo a lower rank. Not that his parents cared either way. His fur was the color of a winter sunset, pale orange, and he had the same dark eyes as Maxim. He lapped at Kamil's cheek.
"He forgot how to shift back again," Sasha said and smiled apologetically.
Ana stood next to her father in human form. A dirty shift dress had been thrown over her tiny body. Kamil had no doubt the shift had started the day crisp and white. She looked like her mother with the blonde hair and kind eyes. Kamil often wondered if it hurt Maxim to look at her. While Maxim and Ana had never been in love romantically, they were good friends.
"He'll learn if he's anything like Maxim," Kamil said and nearly bit his tongue. Maybe he shouldn't point out that the pups weren't Sasha's too, by blood anyway.
Sasha didn't flinch. He chuckled and his eyes got that strange soft glow that only seemed to show up after the pups were born. "Let's hope he is."
Before Kamil could respond, one of the human pages came with a message for him to speak with Maxim immediately. The pup in his arms had settled comfortably, and Sasha walked next to him. It was useless for Kamil to say he wanted to go alone. Whatever Maxim had to tell him would make it to Sasha's ears eventually.
The way Sasha's lips pursed as they neared the King's study twisted Kamil's gut. What did he know that Kamil didn't?
Far too much, it turned out.
Maxim sat at his desk, his chin resting on his steepled fingers. He nodded at Sasha, and Ana bounded up and climbed into her father's lap without so much as an invitation. The smile that lit Maxim's good eye eased some of Kamil's tension.
"Was it Lucien?" Sasha asked as he shut the door.
"Yes," Maxim said. He looked right at Kamil, and Ana started singing a song that didn't make sense. Most of it was gibberish with a few words thrown in for good measure.
Olo's ears perked.
"What favor does he desire?" Kamil asked.
Maxim rubbed the bridge of his nose where the eye patch that covered the empty socket left a callous. "He requests I send a spy into the Ottoman Empire to find a wolf he needs to consult with about a recent attack. Since Wallachia is an enemy of the Turks, he can't send one of his own without getting them killed."
Kamil had a good idea what kind of consultation the Bloody King had in mind. It wouldn't involve much talking, he guessed.
The request hung in the air and was greeted with silence. Since Lucien had saved Sasha's life, in a way, he couldn't ask for a steep enough favor. At least, that's how Kamil assumed Maxim saw it.
"I can't go back there," Sasha said after a few moments of Ana's song. She'd gotten to a part about a frog and the flowers that hung over the stream. Her tiny fingers curled in Maxim's auburn waves.
Kamil never asked what crimes the omega committed in his long absence, but he had an idea they were a great many.
"I know," Maxim grumbled. "Neither can Elijah for reasons he refuses to explain. However, he said his brother and Zev would aid the wolf of my choosing, if that wolf wanted the help."
"Who did you choose, Max?" Kamil asked though he wasn't certain why. He was the only other wolf in the room. The only natural choice, even if he was woefully unprepared for the world outside Moravia's borders.
Maxim looked at Sasha then. "Ana, daddy needs a moment alone with Kam."
Ana pouted, but she didn't argue. She climbed off his lap and approached her other father. Kamil handed Olo, still in wolf form, to Sasha and the three of them left.
Maxim waited for the door to click shut before he spoke. "I would do it myself if I could, please know that."
Kamil almost admonished Maxim for that. An alpha didn't have to explain his orders, but Maxim was like that. He'd always been like that, and perhaps that's why he was such a strong leader—he wanted everyone to understand his decisions even if they didn't agree with them.
"The kingdom needs you. Sasha and the pups need you. I doubt King Lucien thought you'd perform his favor personally," Kamil said.
Maxim shook his head. "Perhaps. I'd hoped he'd ask for something simple, not for one of my pack to step into the war between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire."
"Nothing is ever simple," Kamil reminded him gently. Because it was true. Their border had seen more turmoil in the last decade than most, but none of it had been with fellow shifter kingdoms. "Why are they at war?"
"Historically, it's some ancient dispute I doubt even they remember. A wolf roused the Ottomans with an army of his own full of shifters infected with a special strain of rabies and they were all dressed as Wallachian soldiers. Now the Ottoman's are out for Wallachian blood. A war is brewing, and Lucien needs our help to stop it," Maxim said and yanked the patch from his blind eye. The gaping hole and jagged scar didn't suit his otherwise handsome face.
"And Lucien's Old Ones can't protect the barrier?"
Maxim shrugged. "He said his kingdom took a great loss recently and he's still rebuilding his forces. When I was there, I hardly saw any other shifters. Perhaps his Old Ones are complacent, or they don't like him. I only know what he says and what he wants: a word with a member of the Ottoman court."
"Is it a general? Someone in the Ottoman army?" Kamil asked. "The King?"
Maxim snorted. "According to Elijah, Lucien calls him the Black Prince. And the Ottoman's have sultans, not kings. So a spy has to sneak into Istanbul, root out this Black Prince and bring him to Lucien. I need you for this," he said with the sort of solemnness only he could muster. "I need a wolf I can trust completely on this mission."
Kamil knew it was coming, still the weight of that request hung heavy and unpleasant on his neck. His home was Moravia. He'd left once, and that had been on a mission to save Maxim's life. He'd succeeded, and now his alpha asked him to risk everything again.
How could he refuse?
Maxim had a kingdom to run, a mate to protect and pups to raise. Kamil only had his orders.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Kamil said with a quick bow.
As he turned to leave, Maxim huffed. "Kam, I'm sorry. I don't know who else to send."
Kamil swallowed the lump in his throat and walked away without responding.
After Elijah and Rowan explained the situation in greater detail, Kamil packed his bags and left the only kingdom he'd ever known.
Kamil had agreed to this mission, and he'd see it through no matter what. Maxim counted on him. He'd never let his alpha down.
That sentiment led him here—to the plain outside of Istanbul and the humans who camped there.
One of the horses raised its head, and Kamil caught its scent on the air. That was his horse! That meant either these humans stole the horse from the mob who attacked him or—
One of the humans stepped through the trees, his arms laden with branches, and Kamil recognized that man's odor as well. The fetid stink of unwashed skin and blood. Wolf's bane hung beside it, not only draped over the man's neck but also soaked into his clothes. It'd been the same in the Bulgarian village.
Hunters.
And they'd probably rallied the mob into a frenzy so it would kill Kamil. Whether it was because they knew he was a wolf or they just wanted his horse, Kamil didn't know. While riding a horse across the human territory of Western Europe was the surefire sign of a shifter that wasn't the case this far to the East. Petrol was harder to come by due to the poverty left from the former Soviet government. The villages were so poor most couldn't afford cars to begin with.
Hell, most of them couldn't afford food.
The wound on his leg itched. From his spot on the hill, Kamil couldn't make out how many hunters milled in the trees below. The individual smells were too far off and mingled with the surrounding plains and animals which made it impossible to distinguish between them.
Kamil guessed the number was below ten but greater than five.
If he weren't thirsty and hungry the odds would be in his favor. As it was, they weren't.
He sneaked closer to get a better look. Even if the hunters couldn't smell him, he moved downwind so the horses didn't catch his wolf musk and bolt into the night. Once he reached the trees, Kamil crept toward the water, a tiny spring that bubbled from the earth and turned into a stream. Thankfully, the hunters camped far enough away that Kamil could drink without detection.
He lapped at the cool water for several minutes, his ears perked. After he'd had his fill, he moved closer. The water sloshed in his stomach.
Kamil got as near as he dared and peered at the hunters gathered around their fire. They roasted a boar over it, large and dripping with fat. Kamil's mouth watered and his stomach clenched.
It turned out three rabbits didn't make a good meal when a wolf was that hungry.
There were eight men gathered there. They all wore dirty brown shirts and jeans. Most of them sported full beards, much like the one Kamil grew over the length of his journey so far.
He might be able to kill the men one at a time if they were lured from the camp, but that would be difficult to do on his own. Not to mention, he couldn't go back and make camp himself this close to a group of hunters.
What in Yue's name was he supposed to do?
Before he formed a plan, Kamil caught the glint of bright eyes in the shadows on the other side of the clearing. They were rimmed with gold and shone in the darkness.
He blinked. Sniffed the air and caught the hint of unfamiliar musk. And yet he could've sworn he'd smelled it before. Or perhaps Kamil dreamed he had.
It was far too distinct—rich with spice and the hint of honey and citrus.
The other wolf hid just beyond the hunter's camp, and it watched him.
Kamil stared right back. His hackles stood on end, and his muscles bunched. Was he so tired that he didn't notice a strange shifter out there? Or did the humans mask it?
No matter.
It left Kamil with a larger problem. Should he ask the other wolf for help or was it an enemy also?
One could never tell.
As quickly as the strange wolf came, it bared its fangs and slunk back into the shadows. There was a slight rustle in the darkness, hardly perceptible to Kamil's shifter hearing.
Suddenly, an arrow flew through the trees and lodged into one of the hunter's throats. The man sputtered and fell forward, bleeding out as the other men scrambled to defend themselves from the attack.
Three more arrows found their targets, which left four remaining hunters. One of them tumbled into Kamil's hiding place, a gun ready in the man's hands. However, the hunter had no idea what he was getting into.
Kamil leapt forward and tore at the flesh of the hunter's neck. It ripped beneath his sharp fangs, spilling blood down Kamil's fur. The wolf's bane on the hunter's clothes singed and the stench of it made him lightheaded. He released the dying man and stepped back, panting.
Too bad he had to get so close to kill them as a wolf. He would have fought as a man if it weren't for his leg and the unfortunate fact that he'd have to fight nude if he shifted back now. Fighting hunters armed with wolf's bane and silver while naked sounded less than pleasant.
Kamil growled and jumped back into the fray. The remaining hunters scattered in the trees as if they could hide from wolves.He found one soon enough trying to mount a horse. Kamil ripped at the man's leg and chomped until he heard the snap of bone. The hunter screamed and twitched as Kamil's fangs sunk into the femoral artery. The man would bleed to death in minutes with a wound of that nature.
Two left.
Kamil perked his ears.
Listened for the sound of the remaining hunters.
A choked whimper rang from the dark plain and quickly faded to nothing. The other wolf must have killed that one. Only one left.
The final hunter was near the water, following the stream toward whatever safety the man thought he could find.
There was none.
Not in this place.
Kamil bounded after the hunter as fast as his injured leg allowed. The cut wasn't deep and would heal within a few days, at most. He didn't bother sneaking quietly. He could take this last hunter down without any problems.
Yue hung bright above him and a great sweep of stars twinkled in the sky around her, a cloak of sparkling white light.
The man turned just as Kamil was upon him, and a bright flash of silver cut through the air. Kamil ducked. Rolled. But the sting of silver pressed into his side, just enough to nick the flesh. The sting raked across his body.
He growled but dared not move. The hunter jabbed the knife into his ribs, angled up and pointed right at his heart. One stab and it'd kill him. While shifters were heartier than their human counterparts, they weren't immortal. And that was a death wound waiting to happen.
The man snarled something in his native tongue, but Kamil didn't understand a word he said beyond 'wolf.'
He had no time to think of an escape. A way to free himself from the dangerous point of that knife. Before the hunter breathed another word, an arrow shot through the air and stuck right into the man's eye.
He fell over dead, and Kamil spun, paws kicking up dirt and chest heaving. His entire body trembled, and a trickle of blood seeped from the slash on his side.
He'd almost failed Maxim, and he hadn't even reached Istanbul yet.
What sort of beta was he?
Then Kamil noticed the wolf who saved him stood several meters off, near the clearing with the fire. Even with the shadows flickering around him, Kamil saw that the wolf, who was in his human shape, dropped the bow. He motioned for Kamil to come closer though he also spoke in a different language. It wasn't as harsh and abrupt as the dead hunter. It felt smooth and alluring as it crept into his ears.
Probably Turkish.
The wolf saved his life. No one would do such a thing just to kill their prey later. It made no sense.
Kamil shifted back into a man. He limped into the clearing, naked and bleeding from two wounds though the one in his side was only a scratch.
The other wolf held up Kamil's clothes, the ones he'd left at the ruins of the house. Kamil spotted his sword balanced on a rock near them.
Had this wolf been following him and he'd never realized it? Dammit!
The wolf managed to dress in the time it took Kamil to get there, and he wore the same sort of clothing as the bandits, dirty jeans and a shirt with a leather jacket. He had long black hair that was braided down his back—the sign of Ashina's Chosen—and his eyes were a bright hazel in his soft brown face, the same color as cinnamon. His cheeks were rough with a dark beard as unkempt as Kamil's own.
A knot lodged in Kamil's throat. He was beautiful, even with a smudge of blood on his cheek and dirt on his forehead.
He spoke again, his voice sonorous, but Kamil still had no clue what he said.
Kamil shrugged. "I don't speak Turkish," he said in stilted English. If this wolf knew another language that might be it.
The wolf blinked and nodded. "English good?"
Kamil shook his head. What little English he knew had been taught to him in the last few years. It stumbled across his tongue, and he wished the barrier of the shifter territory reached this far so they could understand one another. Old One's magic provided that, even if it didn't allow other technological conveniences like electricity.
Still, perhaps they didn't need language to understand. They'd worked together to kill those hunters. So he took his clothes from the wolf and set them with his sword. Before he dressed, he'd wash first.
The wolf seemed to understand and held out a hand toward the water.
The firelight didn't reach the stream, but wolves had enhanced night vision. Kamil found his way, but his back prickled as he dipped into the water and it had nothing to do with the chill in the autumn air. That wolf watched him from the clearing.
Or perhaps Kamil just felt as if he did.
He rinsed quickly, scrubbing as best he could to rid his body of the dust and blood that accumulated over the last several days—most of it within the last few minutes. Once reasonably clean, he drank one last time and shook himself dry. It didn't work nearly as well in his human shape.
Kamil was going to dress again, but the mystery wolf stepped next to him and filled a small copper kettle with water straight from the spring. He shook his head and carefully put a hand on Kamil's arm.
His touch was hot and dry, and it sent a sudden shock to Kamil's groin.
He bit his lip and let the wolf lead him back to the fire.
"Hurt?" the wolf said and pointed at Kamil's thigh.
Kamil nodded and winced as he sat. He put his clothes over his lap, even if the other wolf already saw him nude. He didn't want to offend one of Ashina's Chosen, who had stricter religious laws than the shifters who followed Yue.
The wolf put the kettle on the fire and ripped a leg from the boar. He handed it to Kamil with a smile crinkling the corner of his eyes.
The meat, thankfully, was still tender and moist. It practically fell off the bone when Kamil sunk his teeth into it and chewed. He finished the whole leg, bit the bone in two and sucked out the marrow.
The other wolf watched him, his hazel eyes bright. "Good?"
"Yes," Kamil said and wiped his mouth.
"Eat. More," the wolf said and handed Kamil another leg. He'd eaten some of the boar himself though his appetite was nowhere near as ravenous.
Between the two of them, they finished off the wild pig.
Kamil noticed the hunter's bodies were no longer in the clearing. While Kamil washed the other wolf must've moved them.
Now he removed the kettle from the fire and poured half into a teapot and the other half into a bowl. He either had his own supplies, or he was familiar with what the hunters possessed. He put something that smelled distinctly like apple into the kettle and dipped a cloth into the bowl. Then, he brought the cloth to Kamil's injured leg and pressed the hot water against the wound.
His touch skimmed Kamil's skin lightly, careful not to prod. He made a clucking sound with his tongue against the roof of his mouth and shook his head.
Kamil fought the urge to wince and took a deep breath instead. The wolf's musk filled his nose and made him lightheaded, even with the fire roaring in front of him and smoke clogging the air. He bunched his hands at his sides and pretended it was normal.
It was normal that this wolf touched him so easily. And that his touch made Kamil's heart pound. Distantly, he felt the slight beat of a second heart and instantly discounted it. He was weary from his journey and his injuries. The fight with the hunters pushed him too far. He needed rest more than anything else.
He didn't really feel the connection Yue promised her brood.
Next, the wolf rinsed the cloth and pressed it into Kamil's wounded side. That did sting, due to the silver and little black lines which spread from the wound. The blood that leaked from it was black, and the wolf squeezed until the blood ran red again. Then he bound both wounds and looked at Kamil with a question in his eyes.
"Name?" he asked.
Shit. Kamil was supposed to be a spy for Lucien. Perhaps a spy needed a fake name, but nothing sprung to his mind. He went with the truth. "Kam. Kamil."
"Kam Kamil?"
Heat crept up his cheeks. "Yes. Name?" he asked and motioned at the wolf.
"Aslan," the wolf said and bowed his head. His mouth curled into a smile behind the beard, and Kamil's heart skipped a beat.
Why in Yue's name did that happen?
Kamil didn't want to think about it. His body and mind were too tired to dwell on the possibilities. Thankfully, Aslan didn't try to speak further.
Kamil dressed, and Aslan poured the tea from the pot into two copper cups. They drank. It tasted as richly of apples as it smelled.
Soon after he took the fourth sip, Kamil felt his eyelids droop. The weariness he'd known earlier overwhelmed him—dragged him toward sleep.
A sick knot of fear grew in his chest.
Was this tiredness unnatural or not? It could've been caused by the meat or—the tea!
Kamil tried to throw the cup, but it tumbled out of his hands and spilled on the dirt instead.
Aslan shook his head and set his cup next to his feet. It was empty, which meant he drank as well. Perhaps he put the drug in Kamil's cup only. "You fought longer than I thought you would. Sleep now, handsome beta, and you'll feel better in the morning."
He spoke perfect English with the hint of an accent. He sounded nothing like the gentle wolf of a few minutes before.
Kamil struggled to stand, but his legs didn't obey his command. He tumbled, face first, into the dirt instead. Or, he almost did, but Aslan caught him and hauled him up.
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The last thing Kamil saw was the wash of impossibly bright stars behind that treacherous wolf's face and how Aslan's hazel eyes burned with the same light.
I might be dead by then because the last episode of Yuri!!! on Ice comes out this Wednesday, and I have a feeling it may kill me. At least you'll get to read the last Lost Wolves book.
Seriously. This motherfucking show. It's brilliant and wonderful and after that last episode *internal screaming*
First, we got the kiss!
Then, we got this hug. *dies* We better get a wedding in the last episode. And a couple skate.
Now that I've fangirled properly, here's the first chapter of Beta and the Black Prince (Lost Wolves Book Six). Kamil and Aslan get off to a rocky start, but those are the most fun, right?
Enjoy!
Chapter One
Bandits on the Road
Beta wolves followed their alpha's orders.
Kamil understood that. He'd held that belief close to his heart since he was a boy and first met Maxim, his alpha, the wolf he knew deep in his bones he'd serve until the day he died.
Though, at the moment, Kamil wished he hadn't followed this particular order since it left him stranded somewhere between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire: horseless, wounded and without supplies.
A sharp breeze blew through the stunted grass, dry after the summer's heat. The dirt road was pitted, and the dust kicked up with the breeze and stuck to Kamil's skin until he felt grittier than he had before.
He limped. The slash on his thigh stung, and he'd need to change the bandage when he made camp that night.
The inhabitants of the villages on the outskirts of Bulgaria were the least trusting of any Kamil had ever met. Although to be fair he hadn't met many humans outside the ones who lived in Moravia, his home kingdom, and the hunters he'd killed in battle.
These humans stole his horse and most of his supplies. Had there not been a mob with silver weapons—weapons that could poison his wolf blood—he'd have shifted and fought them. He was, by all means, the second strongest wolf in Moravia next to his alpha, King Maxim. But the chance of being overwhelmed was too great, so he'd fled.
Plus, he was here to hunt down a wolf from the Ottoman Empire and deliver him to King Lucien (one of Maxim's allies) before he could finally go home.
That led him here—to the plains and the dirt road that led to the heart of the Ottoman Empire. These weren't strictly shifter lands. No magic simmered under the surface of the earth. Old Ones didn't reign here and protect it with their strange powers, but no human settlements were in sight either. Not even a farm.
It was neutral ground. Nothing but hills and grass and dirt with the occasional spike of short brown mountains. Perhaps the Ottomans kept it that way on purpose to cut down on hunters.
Kamil winced and moved forward. At least the damn mob left him the clothes on his back and the sword at his hip. In all fairness, he'd cut down six of them before they chased him out of town. He hoped they were all worthy of death. At the very least, he could take comfort that they attacked first.
His brown leather boots were coated in a layer of thick dust, as were his pants (jeans, the humans called them) and the shirt and leather jacket Elijah Kane supplied him with. In all his life, Kamil never thought he'd take a gift from that omega, but times changed. In the last few years it seemed that everything changed.
Kamil took one step at a time. When he got to Istanbul, things would improve. Or they'd get worse. If Yue, the moon goddess, was as kind to him as she'd been these last few weeks, the rest of his mission would face equally terrible luck.
She rose over flat plains. The sun dipped to the West and burned the sky with brilliant orange light.
Kamil licked his lips and frowned at the empty knot in his stomach. He hadn't eaten in over a day, and he'd only had a drink at a small stream that morning. But that stream didn't flow to or from Istanbul, so he'd had to leave it behind for this part of the trek.
If he wanted to eat, he'd need to shift and hunt. He hadn't spotted a deer all day, but there was smaller game. Rabbits would make a meal if he killed enough of them. Perhaps he'd even find a large bird to feast on. Now he needed a place to rest before the light failed completely.
He squinted in the distance and saw a mound of rocks. Upon closer inspection, the rocks were actually the shell of an old house set off the road. The roof and windows were missing, but at least it had a few walls. That meant Kamil could light a fire without the whole plain spotting it.
However, first he needed to hunt.
Weariness crept up his bones and through his muscles as he stripped and shifted into a large wolf. Brown fur sprouted from his body the same warm chestnut as his hair. While he wasn't as large as an alpha, his build was stocky and strong. He took one final precaution and buried his sword before he trotted off to find dinner.
Kamil caught and devoured three rabbits before he spotted the copse of trees from the top of a hill. It was tucked into a gentle valley, and the faint whisper of water over rocks called to him. He licked his bloody chops and watched.
Night had fallen in earnest by then.
Several horses munched on the grass around the spring. Horses with saddles and bridles. That meant humans or fellow shifters. At the moment, Kamil didn't know which he'd prefer.
Humans might not guess what he was, but hunters would try to kill him regardless. Fellow shifters might be as prone to rip out his throat as hunters, depending on their disposition.
He pressed his belly to the cool earth, the grass tickling his nose, and thought about what brought him so far from his home, his life, everything he knew and plopped him here.
Really, it was all Lucien Mircea's fault—the Bloody King and his damn request.
It started on a day in late summer. The pups, Ana and Olo, were old enough to run in both human and wolf forms. It had been two years since they'd been born and the former Queen gave up her life as a normal shifter to protect all of them as a mysterious Old One.
They bounded through the grass in the garden's inner courtyard while Sasha, Maxim's mate and the other king, trotted after them.
Kamil splashed cold water on his face and grimaced as it trickled down his neck, chilling the sweat on his skin. Maxim hadn't joined him for the training session that day, which was unusual. The King enjoyed training with the Captain of the Guard and the fellow soldiers on most mornings.
Kamil smelled the hint of foreign wolves on the air, former enemies turned allies, Elijah Kane and his alpha mate, Rowan, which accounted for Maxim's absence. Whenever they showed up something terrible seemed to hang on the horizon. Their meeting with Maxim must've taken place during practice, so Kamil waited for his King and alpha to fill him in on what they'd found.
Perhaps it was Cosmos, the traitor who nearly destroyed everything two years before.
Olo scampered toward Kamil and pawed at his legs. He whined until the beta gave in and picked up the pup. He was the smaller of the two which meant Ana was the alpha and Olo a lower rank. Not that his parents cared either way. His fur was the color of a winter sunset, pale orange, and he had the same dark eyes as Maxim. He lapped at Kamil's cheek.
"He forgot how to shift back again," Sasha said and smiled apologetically.
Ana stood next to her father in human form. A dirty shift dress had been thrown over her tiny body. Kamil had no doubt the shift had started the day crisp and white. She looked like her mother with the blonde hair and kind eyes. Kamil often wondered if it hurt Maxim to look at her. While Maxim and Ana had never been in love romantically, they were good friends.
"He'll learn if he's anything like Maxim," Kamil said and nearly bit his tongue. Maybe he shouldn't point out that the pups weren't Sasha's too, by blood anyway.
Sasha didn't flinch. He chuckled and his eyes got that strange soft glow that only seemed to show up after the pups were born. "Let's hope he is."
Before Kamil could respond, one of the human pages came with a message for him to speak with Maxim immediately. The pup in his arms had settled comfortably, and Sasha walked next to him. It was useless for Kamil to say he wanted to go alone. Whatever Maxim had to tell him would make it to Sasha's ears eventually.
The way Sasha's lips pursed as they neared the King's study twisted Kamil's gut. What did he know that Kamil didn't?
Far too much, it turned out.
Maxim sat at his desk, his chin resting on his steepled fingers. He nodded at Sasha, and Ana bounded up and climbed into her father's lap without so much as an invitation. The smile that lit Maxim's good eye eased some of Kamil's tension.
"Was it Lucien?" Sasha asked as he shut the door.
"Yes," Maxim said. He looked right at Kamil, and Ana started singing a song that didn't make sense. Most of it was gibberish with a few words thrown in for good measure.
Olo's ears perked.
"What favor does he desire?" Kamil asked.
Maxim rubbed the bridge of his nose where the eye patch that covered the empty socket left a callous. "He requests I send a spy into the Ottoman Empire to find a wolf he needs to consult with about a recent attack. Since Wallachia is an enemy of the Turks, he can't send one of his own without getting them killed."
Kamil had a good idea what kind of consultation the Bloody King had in mind. It wouldn't involve much talking, he guessed.
The request hung in the air and was greeted with silence. Since Lucien had saved Sasha's life, in a way, he couldn't ask for a steep enough favor. At least, that's how Kamil assumed Maxim saw it.
"I can't go back there," Sasha said after a few moments of Ana's song. She'd gotten to a part about a frog and the flowers that hung over the stream. Her tiny fingers curled in Maxim's auburn waves.
Kamil never asked what crimes the omega committed in his long absence, but he had an idea they were a great many.
"I know," Maxim grumbled. "Neither can Elijah for reasons he refuses to explain. However, he said his brother and Zev would aid the wolf of my choosing, if that wolf wanted the help."
"Who did you choose, Max?" Kamil asked though he wasn't certain why. He was the only other wolf in the room. The only natural choice, even if he was woefully unprepared for the world outside Moravia's borders.
Maxim looked at Sasha then. "Ana, daddy needs a moment alone with Kam."
Ana pouted, but she didn't argue. She climbed off his lap and approached her other father. Kamil handed Olo, still in wolf form, to Sasha and the three of them left.
Maxim waited for the door to click shut before he spoke. "I would do it myself if I could, please know that."
Kamil almost admonished Maxim for that. An alpha didn't have to explain his orders, but Maxim was like that. He'd always been like that, and perhaps that's why he was such a strong leader—he wanted everyone to understand his decisions even if they didn't agree with them.
"The kingdom needs you. Sasha and the pups need you. I doubt King Lucien thought you'd perform his favor personally," Kamil said.
Maxim shook his head. "Perhaps. I'd hoped he'd ask for something simple, not for one of my pack to step into the war between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire."
"Nothing is ever simple," Kamil reminded him gently. Because it was true. Their border had seen more turmoil in the last decade than most, but none of it had been with fellow shifter kingdoms. "Why are they at war?"
"Historically, it's some ancient dispute I doubt even they remember. A wolf roused the Ottomans with an army of his own full of shifters infected with a special strain of rabies and they were all dressed as Wallachian soldiers. Now the Ottoman's are out for Wallachian blood. A war is brewing, and Lucien needs our help to stop it," Maxim said and yanked the patch from his blind eye. The gaping hole and jagged scar didn't suit his otherwise handsome face.
"And Lucien's Old Ones can't protect the barrier?"
Maxim shrugged. "He said his kingdom took a great loss recently and he's still rebuilding his forces. When I was there, I hardly saw any other shifters. Perhaps his Old Ones are complacent, or they don't like him. I only know what he says and what he wants: a word with a member of the Ottoman court."
"Is it a general? Someone in the Ottoman army?" Kamil asked. "The King?"
Maxim snorted. "According to Elijah, Lucien calls him the Black Prince. And the Ottoman's have sultans, not kings. So a spy has to sneak into Istanbul, root out this Black Prince and bring him to Lucien. I need you for this," he said with the sort of solemnness only he could muster. "I need a wolf I can trust completely on this mission."
Kamil knew it was coming, still the weight of that request hung heavy and unpleasant on his neck. His home was Moravia. He'd left once, and that had been on a mission to save Maxim's life. He'd succeeded, and now his alpha asked him to risk everything again.
How could he refuse?
Maxim had a kingdom to run, a mate to protect and pups to raise. Kamil only had his orders.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Kamil said with a quick bow.
As he turned to leave, Maxim huffed. "Kam, I'm sorry. I don't know who else to send."
Kamil swallowed the lump in his throat and walked away without responding.
After Elijah and Rowan explained the situation in greater detail, Kamil packed his bags and left the only kingdom he'd ever known.
Kamil had agreed to this mission, and he'd see it through no matter what. Maxim counted on him. He'd never let his alpha down.
That sentiment led him here—to the plain outside of Istanbul and the humans who camped there.
One of the horses raised its head, and Kamil caught its scent on the air. That was his horse! That meant either these humans stole the horse from the mob who attacked him or—
One of the humans stepped through the trees, his arms laden with branches, and Kamil recognized that man's odor as well. The fetid stink of unwashed skin and blood. Wolf's bane hung beside it, not only draped over the man's neck but also soaked into his clothes. It'd been the same in the Bulgarian village.
Hunters.
And they'd probably rallied the mob into a frenzy so it would kill Kamil. Whether it was because they knew he was a wolf or they just wanted his horse, Kamil didn't know. While riding a horse across the human territory of Western Europe was the surefire sign of a shifter that wasn't the case this far to the East. Petrol was harder to come by due to the poverty left from the former Soviet government. The villages were so poor most couldn't afford cars to begin with.
Hell, most of them couldn't afford food.
The wound on his leg itched. From his spot on the hill, Kamil couldn't make out how many hunters milled in the trees below. The individual smells were too far off and mingled with the surrounding plains and animals which made it impossible to distinguish between them.
Kamil guessed the number was below ten but greater than five.
If he weren't thirsty and hungry the odds would be in his favor. As it was, they weren't.
He sneaked closer to get a better look. Even if the hunters couldn't smell him, he moved downwind so the horses didn't catch his wolf musk and bolt into the night. Once he reached the trees, Kamil crept toward the water, a tiny spring that bubbled from the earth and turned into a stream. Thankfully, the hunters camped far enough away that Kamil could drink without detection.
He lapped at the cool water for several minutes, his ears perked. After he'd had his fill, he moved closer. The water sloshed in his stomach.
Kamil got as near as he dared and peered at the hunters gathered around their fire. They roasted a boar over it, large and dripping with fat. Kamil's mouth watered and his stomach clenched.
It turned out three rabbits didn't make a good meal when a wolf was that hungry.
There were eight men gathered there. They all wore dirty brown shirts and jeans. Most of them sported full beards, much like the one Kamil grew over the length of his journey so far.
He might be able to kill the men one at a time if they were lured from the camp, but that would be difficult to do on his own. Not to mention, he couldn't go back and make camp himself this close to a group of hunters.
What in Yue's name was he supposed to do?
Before he formed a plan, Kamil caught the glint of bright eyes in the shadows on the other side of the clearing. They were rimmed with gold and shone in the darkness.
He blinked. Sniffed the air and caught the hint of unfamiliar musk. And yet he could've sworn he'd smelled it before. Or perhaps Kamil dreamed he had.
It was far too distinct—rich with spice and the hint of honey and citrus.
The other wolf hid just beyond the hunter's camp, and it watched him.
Kamil stared right back. His hackles stood on end, and his muscles bunched. Was he so tired that he didn't notice a strange shifter out there? Or did the humans mask it?
No matter.
It left Kamil with a larger problem. Should he ask the other wolf for help or was it an enemy also?
One could never tell.
As quickly as the strange wolf came, it bared its fangs and slunk back into the shadows. There was a slight rustle in the darkness, hardly perceptible to Kamil's shifter hearing.
Suddenly, an arrow flew through the trees and lodged into one of the hunter's throats. The man sputtered and fell forward, bleeding out as the other men scrambled to defend themselves from the attack.
Three more arrows found their targets, which left four remaining hunters. One of them tumbled into Kamil's hiding place, a gun ready in the man's hands. However, the hunter had no idea what he was getting into.
Kamil leapt forward and tore at the flesh of the hunter's neck. It ripped beneath his sharp fangs, spilling blood down Kamil's fur. The wolf's bane on the hunter's clothes singed and the stench of it made him lightheaded. He released the dying man and stepped back, panting.
Too bad he had to get so close to kill them as a wolf. He would have fought as a man if it weren't for his leg and the unfortunate fact that he'd have to fight nude if he shifted back now. Fighting hunters armed with wolf's bane and silver while naked sounded less than pleasant.
Kamil growled and jumped back into the fray. The remaining hunters scattered in the trees as if they could hide from wolves.He found one soon enough trying to mount a horse. Kamil ripped at the man's leg and chomped until he heard the snap of bone. The hunter screamed and twitched as Kamil's fangs sunk into the femoral artery. The man would bleed to death in minutes with a wound of that nature.
Two left.
Kamil perked his ears.
Listened for the sound of the remaining hunters.
A choked whimper rang from the dark plain and quickly faded to nothing. The other wolf must have killed that one. Only one left.
The final hunter was near the water, following the stream toward whatever safety the man thought he could find.
There was none.
Not in this place.
Kamil bounded after the hunter as fast as his injured leg allowed. The cut wasn't deep and would heal within a few days, at most. He didn't bother sneaking quietly. He could take this last hunter down without any problems.
Yue hung bright above him and a great sweep of stars twinkled in the sky around her, a cloak of sparkling white light.
The man turned just as Kamil was upon him, and a bright flash of silver cut through the air. Kamil ducked. Rolled. But the sting of silver pressed into his side, just enough to nick the flesh. The sting raked across his body.
He growled but dared not move. The hunter jabbed the knife into his ribs, angled up and pointed right at his heart. One stab and it'd kill him. While shifters were heartier than their human counterparts, they weren't immortal. And that was a death wound waiting to happen.
The man snarled something in his native tongue, but Kamil didn't understand a word he said beyond 'wolf.'
He had no time to think of an escape. A way to free himself from the dangerous point of that knife. Before the hunter breathed another word, an arrow shot through the air and stuck right into the man's eye.
He fell over dead, and Kamil spun, paws kicking up dirt and chest heaving. His entire body trembled, and a trickle of blood seeped from the slash on his side.
He'd almost failed Maxim, and he hadn't even reached Istanbul yet.
What sort of beta was he?
Then Kamil noticed the wolf who saved him stood several meters off, near the clearing with the fire. Even with the shadows flickering around him, Kamil saw that the wolf, who was in his human shape, dropped the bow. He motioned for Kamil to come closer though he also spoke in a different language. It wasn't as harsh and abrupt as the dead hunter. It felt smooth and alluring as it crept into his ears.
Probably Turkish.
The wolf saved his life. No one would do such a thing just to kill their prey later. It made no sense.
Kamil shifted back into a man. He limped into the clearing, naked and bleeding from two wounds though the one in his side was only a scratch.
The other wolf held up Kamil's clothes, the ones he'd left at the ruins of the house. Kamil spotted his sword balanced on a rock near them.
Had this wolf been following him and he'd never realized it? Dammit!
The wolf managed to dress in the time it took Kamil to get there, and he wore the same sort of clothing as the bandits, dirty jeans and a shirt with a leather jacket. He had long black hair that was braided down his back—the sign of Ashina's Chosen—and his eyes were a bright hazel in his soft brown face, the same color as cinnamon. His cheeks were rough with a dark beard as unkempt as Kamil's own.
A knot lodged in Kamil's throat. He was beautiful, even with a smudge of blood on his cheek and dirt on his forehead.
He spoke again, his voice sonorous, but Kamil still had no clue what he said.
Kamil shrugged. "I don't speak Turkish," he said in stilted English. If this wolf knew another language that might be it.
The wolf blinked and nodded. "English good?"
Kamil shook his head. What little English he knew had been taught to him in the last few years. It stumbled across his tongue, and he wished the barrier of the shifter territory reached this far so they could understand one another. Old One's magic provided that, even if it didn't allow other technological conveniences like electricity.
Still, perhaps they didn't need language to understand. They'd worked together to kill those hunters. So he took his clothes from the wolf and set them with his sword. Before he dressed, he'd wash first.
The wolf seemed to understand and held out a hand toward the water.
The firelight didn't reach the stream, but wolves had enhanced night vision. Kamil found his way, but his back prickled as he dipped into the water and it had nothing to do with the chill in the autumn air. That wolf watched him from the clearing.
Or perhaps Kamil just felt as if he did.
He rinsed quickly, scrubbing as best he could to rid his body of the dust and blood that accumulated over the last several days—most of it within the last few minutes. Once reasonably clean, he drank one last time and shook himself dry. It didn't work nearly as well in his human shape.
Kamil was going to dress again, but the mystery wolf stepped next to him and filled a small copper kettle with water straight from the spring. He shook his head and carefully put a hand on Kamil's arm.
His touch was hot and dry, and it sent a sudden shock to Kamil's groin.
He bit his lip and let the wolf lead him back to the fire.
"Hurt?" the wolf said and pointed at Kamil's thigh.
Kamil nodded and winced as he sat. He put his clothes over his lap, even if the other wolf already saw him nude. He didn't want to offend one of Ashina's Chosen, who had stricter religious laws than the shifters who followed Yue.
The wolf put the kettle on the fire and ripped a leg from the boar. He handed it to Kamil with a smile crinkling the corner of his eyes.
The meat, thankfully, was still tender and moist. It practically fell off the bone when Kamil sunk his teeth into it and chewed. He finished the whole leg, bit the bone in two and sucked out the marrow.
The other wolf watched him, his hazel eyes bright. "Good?"
"Yes," Kamil said and wiped his mouth.
"Eat. More," the wolf said and handed Kamil another leg. He'd eaten some of the boar himself though his appetite was nowhere near as ravenous.
Between the two of them, they finished off the wild pig.
Kamil noticed the hunter's bodies were no longer in the clearing. While Kamil washed the other wolf must've moved them.
Now he removed the kettle from the fire and poured half into a teapot and the other half into a bowl. He either had his own supplies, or he was familiar with what the hunters possessed. He put something that smelled distinctly like apple into the kettle and dipped a cloth into the bowl. Then, he brought the cloth to Kamil's injured leg and pressed the hot water against the wound.
His touch skimmed Kamil's skin lightly, careful not to prod. He made a clucking sound with his tongue against the roof of his mouth and shook his head.
Kamil fought the urge to wince and took a deep breath instead. The wolf's musk filled his nose and made him lightheaded, even with the fire roaring in front of him and smoke clogging the air. He bunched his hands at his sides and pretended it was normal.
It was normal that this wolf touched him so easily. And that his touch made Kamil's heart pound. Distantly, he felt the slight beat of a second heart and instantly discounted it. He was weary from his journey and his injuries. The fight with the hunters pushed him too far. He needed rest more than anything else.
He didn't really feel the connection Yue promised her brood.
Next, the wolf rinsed the cloth and pressed it into Kamil's wounded side. That did sting, due to the silver and little black lines which spread from the wound. The blood that leaked from it was black, and the wolf squeezed until the blood ran red again. Then he bound both wounds and looked at Kamil with a question in his eyes.
"Name?" he asked.
Shit. Kamil was supposed to be a spy for Lucien. Perhaps a spy needed a fake name, but nothing sprung to his mind. He went with the truth. "Kam. Kamil."
"Kam Kamil?"
Heat crept up his cheeks. "Yes. Name?" he asked and motioned at the wolf.
"Aslan," the wolf said and bowed his head. His mouth curled into a smile behind the beard, and Kamil's heart skipped a beat.
Why in Yue's name did that happen?
Kamil didn't want to think about it. His body and mind were too tired to dwell on the possibilities. Thankfully, Aslan didn't try to speak further.
Kamil dressed, and Aslan poured the tea from the pot into two copper cups. They drank. It tasted as richly of apples as it smelled.
Soon after he took the fourth sip, Kamil felt his eyelids droop. The weariness he'd known earlier overwhelmed him—dragged him toward sleep.
A sick knot of fear grew in his chest.
Was this tiredness unnatural or not? It could've been caused by the meat or—the tea!
Kamil tried to throw the cup, but it tumbled out of his hands and spilled on the dirt instead.
Aslan shook his head and set his cup next to his feet. It was empty, which meant he drank as well. Perhaps he put the drug in Kamil's cup only. "You fought longer than I thought you would. Sleep now, handsome beta, and you'll feel better in the morning."
He spoke perfect English with the hint of an accent. He sounded nothing like the gentle wolf of a few minutes before.
Kamil struggled to stand, but his legs didn't obey his command. He tumbled, face first, into the dirt instead. Or, he almost did, but Aslan caught him and hauled him up.
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The last thing Kamil saw was the wash of impossibly bright stars behind that treacherous wolf's face and how Aslan's hazel eyes burned with the same light.
December 5, 2016
Manuscript Monday: First Kiss
It's still Monday!
I meant to post this in the morning and got busy with other work related things, but it's still Monday so it counts.
Also, Yuri!!! on Ice! OMG. I didn't know I could love it any more, then Episode 9 happened. *sigh*
Now for more of Beta and the Black Prince! Kamil and Aslan have their first kiss under weird circumstances.
Enjoy!
"I'm sorry," Kamil whispered into the still night air.
The section of the city was quieter than most. Residential, he guessed, and the bustle that maddened the rest of Istanbul didn't reach this far. Not so late in the evening. From the ache of his muscles, they must've been moving for hours.
Aslan stood completely still, and Kamil was sure he would raise a fist or a claw or, hell, even shift and rip at Kamil’s throat.
He did none of those things.
Slowly, the Prince turned to face him, hazel eyes bright in the light of the moon. Kamil expected a sneer, but instead the Prince only looked weary. "You have nothing to apologize for."
Kamil stood in stunned silence for several minutes.
What? He had plenty to apologize for.
"I'm the one who insisted we go down. If I hadn't, then—"
"They would have killed him slowly. More painfully. Me killing him, that was a kindness. Believe me," Aslan said, his voice as rough as it had been back in the courtyard. The thread that linked them together felt more like barbed wire. It dug into Kamil’s heart until the pain made him want to scream.
Kamil moved before he realized what he was doing. As if Yue pushed him forward, pushing him towards the mate he never wanted or thought he needed. But Aslan looked like he needed something right now, and the only one around to give it was Kamil.
If he thought about it too much he’d stop and, shit, he needed to think about this. But the pain in his chest, like old wounds that had been torn open for the hundredth time, filled him. The only way to get it to stop was by replacing it with a different sensation.
He moved slowly. First letting his shoulder press into Aslan's gently. The Prince glanced at him from the corner of his eye and didn't shove him away.
While they had stripped in front of each other, seen each other nude more times than Kamil wanted to think about, Aslan hadn’t gotten as close to Kamil as he had that first day in the bath. Sure, they slept in the same bed, but that didn't mean they slept wrapped in each other's arms.
Far from it.
In that moment, Kamil couldn't figure out why they didn’t.
"This is dangerous territory, beta." Aslan whispered against Kamil’s rough lips.
"It feels like I've been in dangerous territory for the past few weeks."
The shadow of a smile flickered across Aslan's mouth and he let out a pained bark of laughter.
Kamil shouldn't be trying to understand this other wolf. This enigma of pain and lies he would eventually have to betray. Who would come to hate him in no time at all. And yet Kamil couldn’t stop himself if he tried.
His arm snaked around Aslan's waist and yanked him close. His other hand snagged on the prince’s bare shoulder. The skin was as slick with sweat as his own and hot to the touch. Aslan’s nose brushed Kamil's, and his musk—that infuriating musk that filled Kamil's nights and days and even invaded his dreams—enveloped him completely.
"If anyone caught us. . . .” Aslan breathed.
"Is anyone watching?" Kamil said and kicked himself internally. He needed to back away, not start things. But the need that filled Aslan snaked into him. The spikes on his heart squeezed harder. Throbbed in unison with Aslan’s.
Aslan's eyes scanned the surrounding walls. He shook his head, and his fingers grasped Kamil's cotton shirt. They tangled in the chain that dangled from Kamil's neck and pulled him closer.
As close as they could get while clothed.
The impossible heat of Aslan's lips engulfed him, and Kamil’s entire body was devoured by it—the inferno coursing through him, a mixture of lust pushed to the edge and ancient hurt that needed so badly to be mended.
And what better way to mend it than this?
In all of Kamil’s thirty-four years, he’d never kissed anyone like that before. He’d never felt the passion tingle across his skin the way it did with Aslan pressed firmly against his chest and their lips and tongues battling for some strange form of dominance.
No.
Not dominance.
It was more like they were both seeking absolution. Or Kamil was seeking it on Aslan's behalf.
Yes, it was better to think of it that way than the other.
Still, his mouth definitely should not have slipped over Aslan's chiseled jaw and wandered down that sleek brown neck, picking at the flesh yet not daring to leave any marks. And his groin shouldn't have surged with pleasure at the keening sounds the crawled out of Aslan's throat.
"Bastard. Trying to seduce me," Aslan moaned and shoved Kamil against the crumbling brick wall. It knocked the breath from his lungs, and he wiped his mouth and stared at the other wolf.
"I'm not trying to seduce you. But I thought this is what you needed."
It sounded stupid when he said it out loud. And no way in hell would the Prince believe it.
Aslan smiled, and his eyes regained some of that lost light. "I need a lot of things, and a lover isn't one of them."
Kamil felt the heat rise to his cheeks and scratched the back of his neck. "You—"
"What? I fancy men? That’s right. But it's not exactly accepted. And in case you didn't notice I saved your life tonight. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t throw it away."
Kamil's heart throbbed faster in his chest. Or perhaps it was Aslan's. It was difficult to differentiate them now. When had it gotten so hard, and why hadn’t he noticed it until this moment?
He sucked in a breath of the cool night air and couldn't tear his eyes away from the Prince.
"But this. You have to feel it. To know."
Kamil couldn't bring himself to utter the word ‘mate.’ Like it was some terrible thing and not the fate most wolves dreamed of.
The laughter that erupted from Aslan's mouth was anything but kind. It was bitter and dripping with disdain instead. "I was waiting to see if you’d say anything about that little problem. Of course I've noticed. I'd be an idiot not to. But what shall I do about it? Announce to the palace that my slave, a man, is whom your goddess decided I belong with. I can’t do that."
Kamil swallowed, but the lump in his throat didn't go down. Probably a lack of saliva. His mouth felt as dry as the moon shining over them at that moment. Here he thought he would be the one to hate that they were mates, to be irritated by it and not want it, and yet it was the other way around.
That twisted his heart. Ridiculous, he knew. He never needed at mate before so why did he need one now?
He didn't.
“You’re right. I’m just your slave," Kamil said and put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes. He stood at his full height, several inches taller than Aslan.
Aslan stopped smiling and considered him. "That's more like it. Soldier. Beta. You’re good at playing slave, but that's the idea, right? We’re playing. When you find your traitor, you’ll leave.”
Kamil's chest constricted. “You could come with me.”
Aslan’s eyes widened. “Honestly? Do you think I’m some meek princess in need of rescuing? No! In case you haven't noticed we have a problem of our own. If I don’t stop the Sultan soon, he’ll start a war that will rip our Empire apart.”
"What's going on?"
"Why should I tell a slave?" Aslan asked and leaned his hip against the wall. The guilt and hurt were still a tight ball inside his stomach but they’d eased somewhat. Enough for Kamil to ignore them once again.
Aslan must’ve ignored them too.
"Because I might be able to help. I'm a soldier, remember? I was Captain of the Guard. Still am, once I get out of here."
He hoped Aslan believed him. He never cared if the prince believed him before.
How had one kiss changed that?
"If I tell you, you'll be in it just as deep as me. And if we’re caught, we die." Aslan’s gaze bored into Kamil.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} That's what mates are for. The words flitted across his mind, and he bit back the urge to say them. "Tell me."
I meant to post this in the morning and got busy with other work related things, but it's still Monday so it counts.
Also, Yuri!!! on Ice! OMG. I didn't know I could love it any more, then Episode 9 happened. *sigh*
Now for more of Beta and the Black Prince! Kamil and Aslan have their first kiss under weird circumstances.
Enjoy!
"I'm sorry," Kamil whispered into the still night air.
The section of the city was quieter than most. Residential, he guessed, and the bustle that maddened the rest of Istanbul didn't reach this far. Not so late in the evening. From the ache of his muscles, they must've been moving for hours.
Aslan stood completely still, and Kamil was sure he would raise a fist or a claw or, hell, even shift and rip at Kamil’s throat.
He did none of those things.
Slowly, the Prince turned to face him, hazel eyes bright in the light of the moon. Kamil expected a sneer, but instead the Prince only looked weary. "You have nothing to apologize for."
Kamil stood in stunned silence for several minutes.
What? He had plenty to apologize for.
"I'm the one who insisted we go down. If I hadn't, then—"
"They would have killed him slowly. More painfully. Me killing him, that was a kindness. Believe me," Aslan said, his voice as rough as it had been back in the courtyard. The thread that linked them together felt more like barbed wire. It dug into Kamil’s heart until the pain made him want to scream.
Kamil moved before he realized what he was doing. As if Yue pushed him forward, pushing him towards the mate he never wanted or thought he needed. But Aslan looked like he needed something right now, and the only one around to give it was Kamil.
If he thought about it too much he’d stop and, shit, he needed to think about this. But the pain in his chest, like old wounds that had been torn open for the hundredth time, filled him. The only way to get it to stop was by replacing it with a different sensation.
He moved slowly. First letting his shoulder press into Aslan's gently. The Prince glanced at him from the corner of his eye and didn't shove him away.
While they had stripped in front of each other, seen each other nude more times than Kamil wanted to think about, Aslan hadn’t gotten as close to Kamil as he had that first day in the bath. Sure, they slept in the same bed, but that didn't mean they slept wrapped in each other's arms.
Far from it.
In that moment, Kamil couldn't figure out why they didn’t.
"This is dangerous territory, beta." Aslan whispered against Kamil’s rough lips.
"It feels like I've been in dangerous territory for the past few weeks."
The shadow of a smile flickered across Aslan's mouth and he let out a pained bark of laughter.
Kamil shouldn't be trying to understand this other wolf. This enigma of pain and lies he would eventually have to betray. Who would come to hate him in no time at all. And yet Kamil couldn’t stop himself if he tried.
His arm snaked around Aslan's waist and yanked him close. His other hand snagged on the prince’s bare shoulder. The skin was as slick with sweat as his own and hot to the touch. Aslan’s nose brushed Kamil's, and his musk—that infuriating musk that filled Kamil's nights and days and even invaded his dreams—enveloped him completely.
"If anyone caught us. . . .” Aslan breathed.
"Is anyone watching?" Kamil said and kicked himself internally. He needed to back away, not start things. But the need that filled Aslan snaked into him. The spikes on his heart squeezed harder. Throbbed in unison with Aslan’s.
Aslan's eyes scanned the surrounding walls. He shook his head, and his fingers grasped Kamil's cotton shirt. They tangled in the chain that dangled from Kamil's neck and pulled him closer.
As close as they could get while clothed.
The impossible heat of Aslan's lips engulfed him, and Kamil’s entire body was devoured by it—the inferno coursing through him, a mixture of lust pushed to the edge and ancient hurt that needed so badly to be mended.
And what better way to mend it than this?
In all of Kamil’s thirty-four years, he’d never kissed anyone like that before. He’d never felt the passion tingle across his skin the way it did with Aslan pressed firmly against his chest and their lips and tongues battling for some strange form of dominance.
No.
Not dominance.
It was more like they were both seeking absolution. Or Kamil was seeking it on Aslan's behalf.
Yes, it was better to think of it that way than the other.
Still, his mouth definitely should not have slipped over Aslan's chiseled jaw and wandered down that sleek brown neck, picking at the flesh yet not daring to leave any marks. And his groin shouldn't have surged with pleasure at the keening sounds the crawled out of Aslan's throat.
"Bastard. Trying to seduce me," Aslan moaned and shoved Kamil against the crumbling brick wall. It knocked the breath from his lungs, and he wiped his mouth and stared at the other wolf.
"I'm not trying to seduce you. But I thought this is what you needed."
It sounded stupid when he said it out loud. And no way in hell would the Prince believe it.
Aslan smiled, and his eyes regained some of that lost light. "I need a lot of things, and a lover isn't one of them."
Kamil felt the heat rise to his cheeks and scratched the back of his neck. "You—"
"What? I fancy men? That’s right. But it's not exactly accepted. And in case you didn't notice I saved your life tonight. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t throw it away."
Kamil's heart throbbed faster in his chest. Or perhaps it was Aslan's. It was difficult to differentiate them now. When had it gotten so hard, and why hadn’t he noticed it until this moment?
He sucked in a breath of the cool night air and couldn't tear his eyes away from the Prince.
"But this. You have to feel it. To know."
Kamil couldn't bring himself to utter the word ‘mate.’ Like it was some terrible thing and not the fate most wolves dreamed of.
The laughter that erupted from Aslan's mouth was anything but kind. It was bitter and dripping with disdain instead. "I was waiting to see if you’d say anything about that little problem. Of course I've noticed. I'd be an idiot not to. But what shall I do about it? Announce to the palace that my slave, a man, is whom your goddess decided I belong with. I can’t do that."
Kamil swallowed, but the lump in his throat didn't go down. Probably a lack of saliva. His mouth felt as dry as the moon shining over them at that moment. Here he thought he would be the one to hate that they were mates, to be irritated by it and not want it, and yet it was the other way around.
That twisted his heart. Ridiculous, he knew. He never needed at mate before so why did he need one now?
He didn't.
“You’re right. I’m just your slave," Kamil said and put his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes. He stood at his full height, several inches taller than Aslan.
Aslan stopped smiling and considered him. "That's more like it. Soldier. Beta. You’re good at playing slave, but that's the idea, right? We’re playing. When you find your traitor, you’ll leave.”
Kamil's chest constricted. “You could come with me.”
Aslan’s eyes widened. “Honestly? Do you think I’m some meek princess in need of rescuing? No! In case you haven't noticed we have a problem of our own. If I don’t stop the Sultan soon, he’ll start a war that will rip our Empire apart.”
"What's going on?"
"Why should I tell a slave?" Aslan asked and leaned his hip against the wall. The guilt and hurt were still a tight ball inside his stomach but they’d eased somewhat. Enough for Kamil to ignore them once again.
Aslan must’ve ignored them too.
"Because I might be able to help. I'm a soldier, remember? I was Captain of the Guard. Still am, once I get out of here."
He hoped Aslan believed him. He never cared if the prince believed him before.
How had one kiss changed that?
"If I tell you, you'll be in it just as deep as me. And if we’re caught, we die." Aslan’s gaze bored into Kamil.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} That's what mates are for. The words flitted across his mind, and he bit back the urge to say them. "Tell me."
November 22, 2016
Alpha's Reign Super Thanksgiving Sale!
Guys! All the Alpha's Reign books are on sale right now, and Cole (Alpha's Reign Book 1) is free! Check them out!
AmazonAll Romance
Free until Nov. 25th!
Humans nearly died out over a hundred years ago, but the age of wolves is just beginning. . . .
Alphas rule what’s left of the world, and humans are little more than slaves. If a human is lucky enough to get bitten by an alpha, a whole new world opens up to them. A world of danger and luxury – sex and submission to their alpha.
Trent is a powerful alpha wolf intent upon building the best pack. He has an omega, Akito, and a plan to get revenge on the wolf who wronged him, but Trent needs a strong beta to help him get what he wants. He found the perfect one – Akito’s old crush—Cole. The only problem is Cole hates wolves, especially alphas.
Cole is a party boy with nothing left to live for. At least, that's what he thought when he met Trent. The alpha pushes Cole to his limits both physically and sexually. Cole swears he’s not gay, but Trent and Akito wake desires Cole never knew he had – dark desires. Even worse, Cole’s falling in love with Akito.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 15.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Immersed in a world of lust and revenge, will Cole give in to Trent’s dominance or fight to the bitter end?
AmazonAll Romance
99 cents until Nov. 28th!
Trent Yagami, alpha wolf, needs all the power he can get to rule Neo-Tokyo. But when Akito, the human who is supposed to be his omega, disappears he puts his plans on hold. Saving his omega is more important than anything – even revenge.
The only thing Akito Izumi wants from his alpha is the bite that would finally turn him from useless human into a wolf capable of protecting himself and the men he loves – Trent and their beta wolf, Cole. However, his alpha refuses to give it. Then the most powerful wolf in Neo-Tokyo attacks, and Akito is torn between the will of two alpha wolves—the one Akito loves and the one who’s willing to bite him.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #181818; -webkit-text-stroke: #181818} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #181818; -webkit-text-stroke: #181818; min-height: 15.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} While Akito fights for what he wants, is Trent’s desire enough to bring Akito back to his embrace?
AmazonAll Romance
99 cents until Nov. 28th!
When Trent is taken captive by Boss Yagami, his mates, Akito and Cole, will do anything to bring him back, but rescuing their alpha isn’t as easy as it seems. For one, Boss Yagami is safe behind the walls of his fortress. For another, Trent might not want to be saved if it risks the lives of his pack.
Inside Boss Yagami’s stronghold is the last place Trent wants to find himself. He escaped his father’s clutches once and vowed to never go back. He’s been starved and beaten, weakened so he can’t escape, but Trent won’t give up on seeing his mates again. Most of all, he’ll never rule Neo-Tokyo the way his father does, but his dangerous instincts might not give him a choice.
If Akito and Cole help end Boss Yagami’s reign, can they also subdue Trent’s alpha urges with the strength of their love?
AmazonAll Romance
Free until Nov. 25th!
Humans nearly died out over a hundred years ago, but the age of wolves is just beginning. . . .
Alphas rule what’s left of the world, and humans are little more than slaves. If a human is lucky enough to get bitten by an alpha, a whole new world opens up to them. A world of danger and luxury – sex and submission to their alpha.
Trent is a powerful alpha wolf intent upon building the best pack. He has an omega, Akito, and a plan to get revenge on the wolf who wronged him, but Trent needs a strong beta to help him get what he wants. He found the perfect one – Akito’s old crush—Cole. The only problem is Cole hates wolves, especially alphas.
Cole is a party boy with nothing left to live for. At least, that's what he thought when he met Trent. The alpha pushes Cole to his limits both physically and sexually. Cole swears he’s not gay, but Trent and Akito wake desires Cole never knew he had – dark desires. Even worse, Cole’s falling in love with Akito.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; min-height: 15.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
Immersed in a world of lust and revenge, will Cole give in to Trent’s dominance or fight to the bitter end?
AmazonAll Romance
99 cents until Nov. 28th!
Trent Yagami, alpha wolf, needs all the power he can get to rule Neo-Tokyo. But when Akito, the human who is supposed to be his omega, disappears he puts his plans on hold. Saving his omega is more important than anything – even revenge.
The only thing Akito Izumi wants from his alpha is the bite that would finally turn him from useless human into a wolf capable of protecting himself and the men he loves – Trent and their beta wolf, Cole. However, his alpha refuses to give it. Then the most powerful wolf in Neo-Tokyo attacks, and Akito is torn between the will of two alpha wolves—the one Akito loves and the one who’s willing to bite him.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #181818; -webkit-text-stroke: #181818} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; color: #181818; -webkit-text-stroke: #181818; min-height: 15.0px} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} While Akito fights for what he wants, is Trent’s desire enough to bring Akito back to his embrace?
AmazonAll Romance
99 cents until Nov. 28th!
When Trent is taken captive by Boss Yagami, his mates, Akito and Cole, will do anything to bring him back, but rescuing their alpha isn’t as easy as it seems. For one, Boss Yagami is safe behind the walls of his fortress. For another, Trent might not want to be saved if it risks the lives of his pack.
Inside Boss Yagami’s stronghold is the last place Trent wants to find himself. He escaped his father’s clutches once and vowed to never go back. He’s been starved and beaten, weakened so he can’t escape, but Trent won’t give up on seeing his mates again. Most of all, he’ll never rule Neo-Tokyo the way his father does, but his dangerous instincts might not give him a choice.
If Akito and Cole help end Boss Yagami’s reign, can they also subdue Trent’s alpha urges with the strength of their love?
November 21, 2016
Manuscript Monday: A beta and a wolf without a rank
Guys!!!!
I need to do another Yuri!!! on Ice post, but until then, the show has gotten even better. It's like the sports anime gods blessed us with something so perfect I'm not sure what to do. It's beautiful in every way. *sigh*
And gay. Did I mention Yuri/Viktor is canon! My reaction to the kiss: ;lahdfhoekhanfdhkfnasd!!!!!
I don't even have to look up fanart for this show. The screen caps are perfect enough.
Anyway, more on that later.
Now it's time for a sneak peek at Kamil getting to know Aslan. Oh, and the book will be out after Christmas. Enjoy!
While Kamil washed and soaked with his fellow guards regularly, it was never this intimate. Still, he needed to do this for Maxim. Play the part—whatever his part was supposed to be. So Kamil stripped the dusty clothes from his body, kicked off his boots, and walked into the room.
He tried not to look at Aslan, who moved a cloth over his chiseled arms. He washed quickly, scrubbing his skin clean of a surprising amount of dirt.
Kamil joined him and did the same. He focused on the sensation of the rough cloth against his flesh and not the heart that throbbed next to his.
Yue’s mercy, what was happening here?
Kamil wasn’t looking for a mate, especially not one of Ashina’s Chosen who happened to drug him the first time they met. While Kamil had nothing against sex. He’d taken lovers on occasion in a fit of loneliness. Female lovers. Though he’d never been in love with any of them.
He’d never been in love with anyone.
When they were younger, Kamil watched from a distance as Maxim gawked at his slight omega servant for months. He knew how his alpha felt about Sasha, and the idea that a wolf would choose their mate over their own wellbeing (or the wellbeing or their pack) astounded him.
Love was a hindrance more than a help. He saw that first hand. Watched it destroy his dearest friend. But love also saved Maxim and Sasha in the end, and Kamil had a hand in reuniting them.
However, love and lust weren’t the same thing. Whatever else Kamil did, he wasn’t going to fall in love with this wolf. He might have to fall in bed with Aslan, for the sake of the mission, but that couldn’t be helped.
Kamil finished washing his body and poured the water over his hair. That would take more work, and he’d hardly gotten his body sudsy when Aslan brushed past him. The touch had to be on purpose because there was plenty of space in the bathroom for both of them to move. It’s not that Aslan touched him, it was just the slightest slip of his shoulder against Kamil’s side, but it stole his attention.
Aslan’s skin was slick and wet, and Kamil turned and watched the other wolf slink into the tub, his black hair plastered to his skin like a cloak. It was so long it brushed the top of his delicately curved ass.
Kamil’s blood felt close to boiling. He never thought he’d think of another man’s ass as delicate, but that’s the only word that jumped into his mind when he saw it.
His heart thumped faster, and he quickly finished with his hair. The water in the basin had cooled considerably, but the goose bumps on his skin kept any other thoughts at bay. Thoughts he shouldn’t have about a mysterious wolf.
A wolf he would undoubtedly be forced to betray at some point.
Because Aslan was his enemy. Any Ottoman prince was his enemy.
Kamil followed Aslan to the tub. The heat of it sunk into his skin, and Aslan gave him an appreciative nod. He dragged his hazel eyes over Kamil’s body, and Kamil knew how Maxim felt. He didn’t have as many scars as his alpha, but the beta had his share. A wolf didn’t become the Captain of the Guard without being wounded from time to time.
He lowered himself into the water as Aslan’s eyes leveled with Kamil’s cock. The prince raised an eyebrow, which was thick and black and curved like the ear of a cat.
"You're a soldier," Aslan said.
"Yes." It wasn’t a question, but Kamil felt compelled to answer it regardless.
"Do you have a pack? A kingdom?"
Kamil wasn’t a good liar, not out right, so he pursed his lips and frowned. Let his frustration with the mission show more than anything else. "I do."
"I don’t need to know the details. They’d probably bore me, and you don’t seem like the talkative type, which I can appreciate. But I must know one thing," Aslan said. His fingers slid over the sides of the tub and flicked over the razors.
"What?" Kamil asked, unable to take his eyes from those hands. The fingers didn’t look like they belonged to a prince, unless it was a prince used to hard labor. They were brown and calloused.
"Do you come from Wallachia?"
The razor glinted in Aslan’s grasp, and Kamil wondered if the prince would slit his throat. Probably. That meant he couldn’t give the prince a reason.
He kept his expression neutral. Shook his head. It wasn’t a lie. Not really. "No. Moravia. It’s in Slovakia."
Maxim had no business with kingdoms so far to the south, so his name shouldn’t be known. Especially not in relation to King Lucien and Wallachia.
"I thought you were from the north," Aslan said. "You smell like it."
Kamil shrugged, because he wasn’t sure what a northern wolf smelled like or if that got him off the hook.
Aslan didn’t give him any hints either way, but he slipped closer, the water moving around his body and sloshing into Kamil’s chest.
Kamil didn’t want to think about scent at a time like this—nude and in a bath with another wolf. A wolf who happened to smell heavily of the orange tinted soap, heady musk and unknown spices. Not to mention the floral oil that clogged his nose. All scents Kamil was certain didn’t exist in his world before this moment.
"Why are you so far from home?" Aslan asked.
Another half truth would serve. Kamil took a breath through his mouth to clear his head. "I’m hunting a traitor."
Aslan’s bright eyes widened. "On behalf of your alpha?"
Kamil pinched his lips together. Would this prince welcome a wolf from another kingdom? Aslan seemed more pragmatic than Maxim in that way. "Yes."
"Who is this traitor?" Aslan asked and his fingers brushed over the sharpened edge of the razor he held.
"His name is Cosmos."
Aslan’s keen eyes narrowed. ”I’ll send out word of your quest. And that beard? Do wolves to the north sport them or is this just an unfortunate accident since you’ve been seeking your traitor?"
Kamil didn’t know how Aslan managed to be so close without their bodies touching. He tried not to think about that and brought a hand to the hair on his cheeks. It was rough and wiry, unlike the hair on his head, and he shrugged. "Some do. I didn’t have time to shave since I set off. And those hunters stole my supplies in Bulgaria and roused a village to attack me."
Aslan’s mouth twitched. "Hunters? No, those were bandits. You must’ve wandered into their village by mistake."
Kamil blinked. "Bandits? But they reeked of wolf’s bane and carried silver weapons."
"Well, they’re not stupid bandits. Of course they have to be prepared for shifter attacks, but they don’t hunt our kind. They rob and kill who they please. The land between Wallachia and our Empire has been ravaged by too much war and the human government didn’t know how to deal with it. They’ve left the people outside of the large human cities to suffer. It’s no wonder they resorted to banditry."
It reminded Kamil of the lands outside of Moravia, the ones left to the human warlords like the Butcher. They too gave little care to any life, human or otherwise, but it was power and greed that drove them not desperation.
"But you slaughtered them. Why do so if you understood their plight?"
Aslan let out a short burst of laughter. "And you aided me mightily, even in your injured state. Why did you slaughter them with me?"
It was a fair question.
"I thought they were hunters," Kamil said.
"And if you knew they were bandits would you have refrained?" Aslan breathed in Kamil’s ear. His chest slid against Kamil’s shoulder, hot and prickled with dark hair.
"No. They tried to kill me. Us," Kamil said and dared not move.
"Yes, and you’ve been trained to kill when you need to. You’re quite good at it. Proficient, I’ll bet."
It was true. Kamil officially took his first life when he, Maxim and Sasha assassinated Brano, the former Captain of the Guard. Kamil was a mere seventeen at the time, and that death set off several other deaths necessary for Maxim to eventually gain the throne.
"I’m a soldier, like you said."
Aslan nodded and opened one of the small jars. It was filled with a cream that he patted on his cheeks. "I too don’t often grow a beard but my predicament this last month made it difficult to shave. I’m sure you heard all about it from my bedroom."
Kamil licked his lips. No use lying about it when Aslan figured otherwise. "You were banished to the borderlands."
"Yes. It seems we have much in common. However, I’m going to shave myself first. Then I’ll shave you, Kam."
Kamil let the annoyance show on his face. No need to hide it when he already told this prince who could call him ‘Kam’ and who couldn’t.
He watched as Aslan moved to a small, circular mirror set against the wall. It was the only mirror in the bathroom, and Kamil hadn’t seen any in the bedroom. Perhaps Turkish wolves didn’t care what they looked like. Or they only had small hand mirrors. Glass tended to be difficult to make, especially in shifter territory, and it was much too expensive to transport from human territory.
Aslan scraped the razor over his skin, the sound of it sharp in the quiet bathroom. Even with a whole bustling city outside the palace’s walls, and a palace filled with countless shifters outside the window, the only sound Kamil focused on was his breath and Aslan’s razor.
He moved quickly and cleanly, removing the beard from his cheeks and neck in several minutes. He hadn’t nicked himself once.
Kamil braced himself against the back of the tub and waited.
Aslan splashed water on his cheeks to rinse away the hair, and revealed the smooth brown skin. His cheekbones were more pronounced than they’d seemed under the beard, and his lips were delicately bowed.
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}
"Your turn," Aslan purred and swished toward him.
I need to do another Yuri!!! on Ice post, but until then, the show has gotten even better. It's like the sports anime gods blessed us with something so perfect I'm not sure what to do. It's beautiful in every way. *sigh*
And gay. Did I mention Yuri/Viktor is canon! My reaction to the kiss: ;lahdfhoekhanfdhkfnasd!!!!!
I don't even have to look up fanart for this show. The screen caps are perfect enough.
Anyway, more on that later.
Now it's time for a sneak peek at Kamil getting to know Aslan. Oh, and the book will be out after Christmas. Enjoy!
While Kamil washed and soaked with his fellow guards regularly, it was never this intimate. Still, he needed to do this for Maxim. Play the part—whatever his part was supposed to be. So Kamil stripped the dusty clothes from his body, kicked off his boots, and walked into the room.
He tried not to look at Aslan, who moved a cloth over his chiseled arms. He washed quickly, scrubbing his skin clean of a surprising amount of dirt.
Kamil joined him and did the same. He focused on the sensation of the rough cloth against his flesh and not the heart that throbbed next to his.
Yue’s mercy, what was happening here?
Kamil wasn’t looking for a mate, especially not one of Ashina’s Chosen who happened to drug him the first time they met. While Kamil had nothing against sex. He’d taken lovers on occasion in a fit of loneliness. Female lovers. Though he’d never been in love with any of them.
He’d never been in love with anyone.
When they were younger, Kamil watched from a distance as Maxim gawked at his slight omega servant for months. He knew how his alpha felt about Sasha, and the idea that a wolf would choose their mate over their own wellbeing (or the wellbeing or their pack) astounded him.
Love was a hindrance more than a help. He saw that first hand. Watched it destroy his dearest friend. But love also saved Maxim and Sasha in the end, and Kamil had a hand in reuniting them.
However, love and lust weren’t the same thing. Whatever else Kamil did, he wasn’t going to fall in love with this wolf. He might have to fall in bed with Aslan, for the sake of the mission, but that couldn’t be helped.
Kamil finished washing his body and poured the water over his hair. That would take more work, and he’d hardly gotten his body sudsy when Aslan brushed past him. The touch had to be on purpose because there was plenty of space in the bathroom for both of them to move. It’s not that Aslan touched him, it was just the slightest slip of his shoulder against Kamil’s side, but it stole his attention.
Aslan’s skin was slick and wet, and Kamil turned and watched the other wolf slink into the tub, his black hair plastered to his skin like a cloak. It was so long it brushed the top of his delicately curved ass.
Kamil’s blood felt close to boiling. He never thought he’d think of another man’s ass as delicate, but that’s the only word that jumped into his mind when he saw it.
His heart thumped faster, and he quickly finished with his hair. The water in the basin had cooled considerably, but the goose bumps on his skin kept any other thoughts at bay. Thoughts he shouldn’t have about a mysterious wolf.
A wolf he would undoubtedly be forced to betray at some point.
Because Aslan was his enemy. Any Ottoman prince was his enemy.
Kamil followed Aslan to the tub. The heat of it sunk into his skin, and Aslan gave him an appreciative nod. He dragged his hazel eyes over Kamil’s body, and Kamil knew how Maxim felt. He didn’t have as many scars as his alpha, but the beta had his share. A wolf didn’t become the Captain of the Guard without being wounded from time to time.
He lowered himself into the water as Aslan’s eyes leveled with Kamil’s cock. The prince raised an eyebrow, which was thick and black and curved like the ear of a cat.
"You're a soldier," Aslan said.
"Yes." It wasn’t a question, but Kamil felt compelled to answer it regardless.
"Do you have a pack? A kingdom?"
Kamil wasn’t a good liar, not out right, so he pursed his lips and frowned. Let his frustration with the mission show more than anything else. "I do."
"I don’t need to know the details. They’d probably bore me, and you don’t seem like the talkative type, which I can appreciate. But I must know one thing," Aslan said. His fingers slid over the sides of the tub and flicked over the razors.
"What?" Kamil asked, unable to take his eyes from those hands. The fingers didn’t look like they belonged to a prince, unless it was a prince used to hard labor. They were brown and calloused.
"Do you come from Wallachia?"
The razor glinted in Aslan’s grasp, and Kamil wondered if the prince would slit his throat. Probably. That meant he couldn’t give the prince a reason.
He kept his expression neutral. Shook his head. It wasn’t a lie. Not really. "No. Moravia. It’s in Slovakia."
Maxim had no business with kingdoms so far to the south, so his name shouldn’t be known. Especially not in relation to King Lucien and Wallachia.
"I thought you were from the north," Aslan said. "You smell like it."
Kamil shrugged, because he wasn’t sure what a northern wolf smelled like or if that got him off the hook.
Aslan didn’t give him any hints either way, but he slipped closer, the water moving around his body and sloshing into Kamil’s chest.
Kamil didn’t want to think about scent at a time like this—nude and in a bath with another wolf. A wolf who happened to smell heavily of the orange tinted soap, heady musk and unknown spices. Not to mention the floral oil that clogged his nose. All scents Kamil was certain didn’t exist in his world before this moment.
"Why are you so far from home?" Aslan asked.
Another half truth would serve. Kamil took a breath through his mouth to clear his head. "I’m hunting a traitor."
Aslan’s bright eyes widened. "On behalf of your alpha?"
Kamil pinched his lips together. Would this prince welcome a wolf from another kingdom? Aslan seemed more pragmatic than Maxim in that way. "Yes."
"Who is this traitor?" Aslan asked and his fingers brushed over the sharpened edge of the razor he held.
"His name is Cosmos."
Aslan’s keen eyes narrowed. ”I’ll send out word of your quest. And that beard? Do wolves to the north sport them or is this just an unfortunate accident since you’ve been seeking your traitor?"
Kamil didn’t know how Aslan managed to be so close without their bodies touching. He tried not to think about that and brought a hand to the hair on his cheeks. It was rough and wiry, unlike the hair on his head, and he shrugged. "Some do. I didn’t have time to shave since I set off. And those hunters stole my supplies in Bulgaria and roused a village to attack me."
Aslan’s mouth twitched. "Hunters? No, those were bandits. You must’ve wandered into their village by mistake."
Kamil blinked. "Bandits? But they reeked of wolf’s bane and carried silver weapons."
"Well, they’re not stupid bandits. Of course they have to be prepared for shifter attacks, but they don’t hunt our kind. They rob and kill who they please. The land between Wallachia and our Empire has been ravaged by too much war and the human government didn’t know how to deal with it. They’ve left the people outside of the large human cities to suffer. It’s no wonder they resorted to banditry."
It reminded Kamil of the lands outside of Moravia, the ones left to the human warlords like the Butcher. They too gave little care to any life, human or otherwise, but it was power and greed that drove them not desperation.
"But you slaughtered them. Why do so if you understood their plight?"
Aslan let out a short burst of laughter. "And you aided me mightily, even in your injured state. Why did you slaughter them with me?"
It was a fair question.
"I thought they were hunters," Kamil said.
"And if you knew they were bandits would you have refrained?" Aslan breathed in Kamil’s ear. His chest slid against Kamil’s shoulder, hot and prickled with dark hair.
"No. They tried to kill me. Us," Kamil said and dared not move.
"Yes, and you’ve been trained to kill when you need to. You’re quite good at it. Proficient, I’ll bet."
It was true. Kamil officially took his first life when he, Maxim and Sasha assassinated Brano, the former Captain of the Guard. Kamil was a mere seventeen at the time, and that death set off several other deaths necessary for Maxim to eventually gain the throne.
"I’m a soldier, like you said."
Aslan nodded and opened one of the small jars. It was filled with a cream that he patted on his cheeks. "I too don’t often grow a beard but my predicament this last month made it difficult to shave. I’m sure you heard all about it from my bedroom."
Kamil licked his lips. No use lying about it when Aslan figured otherwise. "You were banished to the borderlands."
"Yes. It seems we have much in common. However, I’m going to shave myself first. Then I’ll shave you, Kam."
Kamil let the annoyance show on his face. No need to hide it when he already told this prince who could call him ‘Kam’ and who couldn’t.
He watched as Aslan moved to a small, circular mirror set against the wall. It was the only mirror in the bathroom, and Kamil hadn’t seen any in the bedroom. Perhaps Turkish wolves didn’t care what they looked like. Or they only had small hand mirrors. Glass tended to be difficult to make, especially in shifter territory, and it was much too expensive to transport from human territory.
Aslan scraped the razor over his skin, the sound of it sharp in the quiet bathroom. Even with a whole bustling city outside the palace’s walls, and a palace filled with countless shifters outside the window, the only sound Kamil focused on was his breath and Aslan’s razor.
He moved quickly and cleanly, removing the beard from his cheeks and neck in several minutes. He hadn’t nicked himself once.
Kamil braced himself against the back of the tub and waited.
Aslan splashed water on his cheeks to rinse away the hair, and revealed the smooth brown skin. His cheekbones were more pronounced than they’d seemed under the beard, and his lips were delicately bowed.
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"Your turn," Aslan purred and swished toward him.
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