Shiloh Walker's Blog, page 10

Resign En Masse? I wouldn’t

Sigh. My latest, latest letter to RWA. Keeping you all informed, but also posting these as I send because RWA isn’t answering anybody and I have no plans to see my voice lost in the void that has become the RWA leadership.

My letter, sent 1/4/2010 @ 9pm approx.

FYI, I do hope that somebody is reading and taking these emails to heart.  I suspect at least a few are, but considering that at least one board member, Ms. Szereto, is apparently helping to spread Damon Suede’s false narrative that RWA will flounder and fall without him, I just wanted to make a few things clear.

There are rumors going around that the board is considering resigning en masse so RWA goes into receivership.

First… if you want the romance community to look on in shock and horror as you burn your careers to the ground, well, I guess you can take that route.

Second…when you joined the board, you signed on with the understanding that your responsibility was to the membership…whether you got that memo or not.

Again, your responsibility lies with the membership, not to the president, or the ED or anybody else. The membership.

Resigning en masse could lead to the org going into receivership, and from my understanding, that doesn’t mean the organization will be dissolved, either. I suspect, with three million in assets, the courts would look at what the membership wants. And many of us authors would also likely to reach out to voices in positions of authority in the field and ask them to flex their voices, so to speak, as well.

However, resigning en masse simply to bring this about could likely be considered recklessness.

Yep. Recklessness.

And recklessness, along with willful misconduct, are two things that allow board members and directors of nonprofits to be sued personally.
Willful misconduct could involve, I’d think, shady tricks with the Code of Ethics, strongly encouraging somebody to file a bullshit ethics complaints.

I also believe that neglect of duties was a touchy area that opens board members up to liability.

If the staff of a nonprofit is engaged in misconduct and these actions are missed through a lack of oversight, then the board…well, you get the picture.

In the long run, it really would be to the benefit of everybody if Damon Suede resigned — or was removed by the vote of the sitting board members, as he really isn’t eligible, and anybody else involved in this bullshit mess also stepped down.

Because if you haven’t figured it out, we’re not letting you drag RWA down into the dirt on your way out. As always, BCC’d to a lawyer friend and yes, this will go up on the blog and the forum.  For transparency’s sake.

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Newest letter-two in one day

Just when you think shit can’t get any weirder within the so-called leadership at RWA.

Guess what? The president who would be king shouldn’t even be in his position.

Read on for the details.

Well.

Here we go.

To the members of the board

Yet more interesting information coming from twitter.  Damon Suede never should have been allowed to run for president-elect, much less now be president. Per his own website, he has only published four novels and several are actually under RWA’s length to be defined as such.

Per the bylaws, the works published must be novels, not novellas. Below is Damon’s backlist. I’ve bolded the works that are qualifying per RWA’s defintion of romance novel.

Horn Gate (2013. 24k)

Grown Men (30k)

Hot Head. (2011. 112021 words) 

Bad Idea (2013. No word count given)

Pent Up (2015. No wordcount given.)

Lickety Split (2017. 100585 words)

Therefore, I demand he removed immediately as having him ensconced as president is a violation of the bylaws, as clearly stated below.

Per the P&P manual, we have our definition on what constitutes a romance novel, by length. I bolded the needed text.

1.25. “Eligible Novel” means a work of Romance Fiction of more than 40,000 words (as determined by computer word count) that is or has been commercially available.    

RWA’s P&P

Per the bylaws: (I bolded the relevant text)

Section 11.2. Qualifications. In order to be eligible for a Board or Advisor position (whether elected or appointed), a candidate must: (1) have been a General member for a minimum of five years, with lapses in membership of less than 6 cumulative months; (2) not have a material conflict of interest that would disqualify the person from holding the intended office; (3) not have been found guilty of a Code of Ethics violation; (4) not be a publisher, acquiring editor, or agent who actively acquires romance fiction or actively offers representation to writers of romance fiction, as further described in RWA policy. An individual who has served a full trm as President is no longer eligible to run for or hold any Board or Advisor positions. Candidates for specific positions must also have the following qualifications:

RWA BYLAWS

11.2.1. President-Elect. Candidates for President-Elect must: (1) have been General members for a minimum of five consecutive years immediately preceding filing for office; (2) be the author or co-author of at least five published romance novels as defined in RWA policy; (3) have published or contracted to publish at least one romance novel, as defined in RWA policy, within the two years immediately preceding filing for office; and (4) must have completed one full year of Board service but cannot have more than six years of accumulated Board and Advisor service.

RWA BYLAWS

And yet, per Damon Suede’s website, he has only published four novels. There are a four short stories, but they do not count, nor do the novellas.
Damon Suede was not eligible to run for president-elect at the time he chose to do so, whether through his own ignorance or willful intent to deceive, therefore, he must be removed from office. Attempts to retroactively change the P&P or belaws, of course, will not change this fact.

As always, in the name of transparency, so both my readers and fellow authors know where I stand, I will be posting this letter, in its entirety, to my blog and the RWA forums and the letter has also been bcc’d to a lawyer friend.

My complaints and letters to RWA will not disappear quietly into the night.

SO. There we have it.

Yet more bullshit.

For those wanting more on this disgusting mess, make sure you read Claire Ryan’s blog, because she is keeping the details up to date on all the bullshit.

STOP THE PRESSES

So, I went to twitter to grab a link for the passage above and FOUND THIS BULLSHIT!

SO, naturally. I had to send another. fricking. letter.

This is a screenshot from twitter.

I have no idea who supplied it.

But this is pure, outright bullshit.A group of 9000 dues-paying members does not exist on the backs of two people, nor their staff.

Yes, the staff at RWA works hard.  However, they also work for the membership and if they fail to carry their duties and work FOR the membership and not their own agendas, then we do not want them.

WE CAN HIRE NEW STAFF. Would it be easy? No. But it can be done.

Nor do we need a president or board members who share or spread false information.

I DEMAND this information corrected.AND YES, it’s going on my damn blog. I was just putting the finishing touches on my last post when I found this, so it’s going to be a two-fer.

Also, I’ve taken the liberty of finding one of the attorneys who handles non-profits at Pillsbury’s Houston office and bcc’ing as well. If the attorney reading this is by chance the attorney who will be handling RWA’s audit, I feel they should be aware of the false narratives being spread by the board of directors. If the attorney isn’t the one involved, perhaps they could be kind enough to share the word if they know who is taking the case. There are a great many concerns from the members of RWA that are going unaddressed by anybody and we’re tired of it.

RWA belongs to THE ROMANCE WRITERS who form it.

— ​​
Shiloh Walker
http://www.shilohwalker.com/website/

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My latest, latest letter to RWA’s Board & Prez

Yes. Another. Why?

Well, it seems there are some people out in twitter-land getting the message from… I dunno…somewhere, gosh-darnit that RWA will cease to exist without the illustrious Damon Suede.

Now… onto the letter! Warning, I’m punch-drunk, short on sleep & patience at this point, plus on top of dealing with the asthma flare to end all asthma flares, I had to go to the ER today because my grandmother was there and I’m the nurse who has to go when family goes. It’s a thing. In other words, there are probably missing words, and there is an extra helping of sharp, biting wit, at no additional cost.

The letter:

Hello

Thanks to some tweets, it’s come to my attention that there’s a rumor circulating, one that hopefully neither the president nor any person in a leadership role is responsible for, that some people are under the mistaken belief that RWA will cease to exist if the acting president steps down.  

For the record, I want to get something out of the way real quick since we have some new board members on hand. I’m Shiloh Walker and I’m about as blunt as they come. I’m also one of the many, many, many members who is insanely tired of the lack of transparency and the utter silence coming from the majority of our leadership over the past few days.  FYI, I am not blaming the new board members for that–at all. But I’m also not going to pussyfoot around things, either.

Some people seem to have gotten the impression that Damon Suede’s stepping down will mean the end of RWA and that’s just bullshit.
I hope you’ve read the by-laws, because if you have, then you know this to be the case as well.

The by-laws were written for a reason, folks, and this is one of them. Being members of the board, I’m assuming everybody in receipt of this has read said by-laws, but just in case…

See section 10.5.4   …. for your convenience, I’m adding it below. Please see the bolded font.

10.5.4. Vacancy in the office of the President. If the office of President becomes vacant, the President-Elect shall assume the office of President, and the office of President-Elect shall remain vacant until the next general election. If at any time both such positions are vacant, the Board of Directors shall appoint a new President (who may but need not be a member of the Board of Directors at the time of appointment), who shall serve in such position only until the expiration of the Board term that ends immediately after the next general election; at the time of such election, the members shall elect a President and President-Elect.  

No. A non-profit with three million dollars in its coffers, in some way or the other, will not come to a halt because Damon Suede with his manly shoulders isn’t there to prop things up for us little women.

After all, Damon’s only been the president for a week or two, and in that week or two, two notable literary agencies have announced they are ending their relationship with RWA, several independent agents have made it clear they will not attend RWA events, Bookstore Romance Day has ended its sponsorship with RWA despite RWA being their largest sponsor, more than thirty chapters have called for Damon’s resignation… oh, and both Neil Gaiman and Chuck Tingle have made it clear on twitter that they think our president is a laughingstock. And their considerable reach seems to agree with them.

I mean, really.  

https://twitter.com/ChuckTingle/status/1213120260859023360
https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/1211181223453896704

If this is what Damon does in just under two weeks, I don’t think we can handle seeing what will happen next.

There is no doubt in my mind that Damon’s machinations with the ‘secret ethics committee’ that never should have been formed, along with his manipulations have helped bring this about.

Is he solely responsible? Of course not. The racist underbelly inside RWA helped foster the atmosphere where all of this happened and simply made it this easier. But Damon’s action haven’t helped, and have, in fact, made things progressively worse.

As much as I’d like to believe it was sheer misunderstanding that led to the tweets I’ve read that both Damon and at least one board member seem to be spreading the idea that Romance Writers of America will cease to exist if a two-week president resigns as he should, well. I’ve got an expansive imagination but it only expands so far and it looks as though Damon has built a reputation where he’s known to be quite adept at telling people things that aren’t entirely true, if it seems to benefit him.

Board members, it’s your responsibility to act in the best interests of RWA. 

We don’t need to discuss the fact that a president who is misleading members, hiding from the membership and refusing to address them and has proven to have a track record of lying about knowing a popular satire author FOR CRYING OUT LOUD, as well as various members behind their backs simply to advance his own position or for his own pleasure–whatever the reason may be–isn’t in anybody’s best interests.

We simply need to focus on the optics. RWA needs a fresh start. Numerous chapters and members are calling for it, and now we’re losing the presence of agents at our conferences because this bleeding continues.

I’ve yet to see any hard confirmations of publishers refusing to attend, but I won’t be surprised if that’s next.

Is this the sort of legacy you want to leave behind? The year RWA crumbled? Because if things go on as they are, that’s what will happen.

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My LATEST letter (yes, another) to RWA

Alternative title: RWA, get your head out of your ass & Damon Suede, exit, stage left.

YES, folks…it’s still ongoing.

The president has gone so far as to appoint new board members like he doesn’t have a petition en route for a recall election.

Numerous members & several chapters have started calling for an audit of RWA, as well as Damon Suede’s resignation.

In the words of the amazing John Lewis, it’s time to make some good trouble.

My letter…

——-‐———–



To Ms. Ritter, RWA’S BOD & Mr. Suede


It has become glaringly obvious that despite the obvious unrest and displeasure of numerous members of RWA that the board and the current president plan to continue operating as though nothing major has happened over the past week.

We have had mostly silence from the board and the staff and the president has yet to address the membership directly.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is not normal.

Attempting to steam roll forward in blatant disregard of those who have spoken up, and sending out statements like the last one that were worded with veiled but ominous threats toward the membership at large is not normal.

Any true leader worthy of the name, however much they prize their position, would have read the room by now and realized that the best path toward healing and the best path forward would be to resign.

The actions of the board which came to be because actions that Damon Suede himself must bear much responsibility, thanks to his little two-step with his secret ethics committee, have left a black eye upon our organization.

The irregularities of forming a secretive ethics committee with the current ethics committee knowing nothing about it, combined with sudden P&P changes made to how ethics committees are formed and when (note, these changes appear to smooth over every back-ass thing you tried to do regarding the Milan complaint), and having a liaison (which isn’t part of the P&P the board keeps tossing at us) who happens to be the man who now finds himself at the center of this mess our organization is in cannot be overlooked.

There is simply no way to come back from this without serious in visual changes in leadership and that doesn’t mean the resignation of those who stepped down in protest.

Last week, you sent out a statement claiming there would be more transparency and there has been nothing but more muddied waters, victim blaming and obfuscation.

All of this makes me feel as if there’s something more going on that RWA’s staff and current presedent do not want coming to light.

Therefore, as a member of RWA, I call for the following:

) I call for the resignation of Damon Suede.

2) I call for an immediate, full, forensic audit of the Romance Writers of America.




Shiloh Walker

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Why I’m Not Leaving RWA

For reference, the statement is here. Until they hide or bury it, then here’s a google doc copy.

Also, if you’re not familiar with RWA, let me point out some hypocritical bullshit in this statement…particularly this bit:

Our Code of Ethics and procedures cannot be selectively or inconsistently applied on a situational basis.

It’s so funny, cuz this all started when Courtney Milan tweeted

This book is a fucking racist mess.

Her tweets are here.

Now, this is the killer. From RWA’S Code if Ethics, which per their statement:

cannot be selectively or inconsistently applied

SOCIAL MEDIA & DISCUSSION OF BOOKS ARE EXCLUDED! The Code of Ethics is here, but the salient bit is quoted below.

Specifically excluded from this section are exchanges of business information, true statements, personal disagreements, honest discussions of books, non-RWA operated social media posts, and marketing materials.

So basically, the board & president currently ensconced don’t inconsistently or with bias apply the COE, except when they do.

Now…onto my post.

I’m not leaving RWA.

I know after today’s crap statement, a lot of us are even more pissed.

No, I’m not assuming-I’ve read statements here and twitter.

It’s obvious that mewling, whining why do you have to make us look bad pathetic excuse of a response to our concerns is nothing but an attempt from those running things to make us sit down, shut up and behave.

It’s bullshit. Moreover, it’s directly contradictory to their last statement in which they claimed to want to rebuild trust.

No, they want us to be quiet and stop causing trouble.

RWA’s staff and/or board violated the policy they claim they are adhering to without bias when they circumvented the rightfully selected ethics committee. They had no right to choose on in secret, nor change the P&P while all of this shit was going down to make it seem as if they had the right.

RWA’s staff seems to have been gatekeeping which ethics complaints make it to the ethics committee and that’s bullshit. They aren’t the ones selected to vet the complaints.

It’s seems blatantly clear that what RWA wants is to force the pissed-off people to be silent-or to leave so they can remake RWA into the image they see fit. With the money we’ve have paid into via dues, conference fees, etc.

BULLSHIT.

As long as our marginalized members are willing to stay and fight, I feel I can do no less.

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RWA Board, Staff & President…not good enough

Your recent letter was full of victim blaming, oopsies & oh, we tried!
It’s not an effective response from effective leaders and no. This isn’t going to settle or calm down.



First, the complaint never should have gone to the ethics committee as honest discussions about books coming from authors on social media is specifically EXCLUDED from the code of ethics!


Second, you are not practicing fair standards across the board when you change policy in what looks like an attempt to cover someone’s ass.



It appears the timeline was:



8.27.2019
Suzan Tisdale files an ethics complaint against Courtney Milan. It should be noted that Tisdale clearly stated she was opening her own publishing company in just over a month, so should no longer be considered solely an author or general member, but an associate member.


8.31.2019
Alison Kelly recuses herself from the issue.

Former president Helenkay Dimon requests Courtney Milan’s resignation from ethics committee.


9.11.2019
Kathryn Davis files ethics complaint against Courtney Milan. Again, note that Milan called out racism in one of Davis’s books-open criticism is permitted by the code of the ethics. There were no attacks on Davis herself.

10.1.19
a call for volunteers for the ethics committee went out, as per usual, with sign-ups remaining open until 10.11


10.5.19
RWA policy is amended, giving then president-elect the authority, with the ED, to appoint a new EC chair-this is AFTER the call for new committee members went out.



P&P is also changed, making the call/formation of a new ethics committee to haapen in the 4th quarter, rather than the 1st -but this isn’t on the calendar year. The fourth quarter would have been July-September 2020. Again, a call for new committee members has already gone out.



So if calls when out for new volunteers from 10.1 to 10.11, how was a new ethics committee selected, trained, brought up to date and given such a touchy topic that was then resolved by them within a couple of weeks?


Why was the president elect needed to be a liaison? It’s never been needed before and why was this done after a call for new volunteers went out? Who decided this was okay or even necessary?


Where & how was this new committee formed? Selected? Prepared?


And why did they ignore the facts that social media posts discussing books is specifically excluded in the code of ethics, as well as the fact that a publisher voiced the first complaint?

This statement isn’t good enough.

Damon Suede & Carol Ritter have lost our faith, and Damon at the very least, needs to resign.


Shiloh Walker

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An open letter to RWA’s president, BOD

An open letter to the RWA’s staff, executive director, board and Damon Suede, current RWA president:

While I doubt I am the first person to contact you about this, I would like to add my voice to those demanding answers over recent issues regarding the actions taken against Courtney Milan by RWA on behalf of Suzan Tisdale, who while a member of RWA is also a publisher, and Kathryn Lynn Davis, another member who currently acts as an editor for Ms. Tisdale.

I am fully aware that the decision was reversed and according to the statement,
I see the decision is ‘pending litigation’ although frankly I am
confused as to why.



The RWA membership deserves to know why this even made it to the ethics
committee to begin with.

First, Ms. Milan’s statements on Twitter were clearly
referencing a book. It states in the bylaws that honest discussions of books
are allowed.



From section 7:

Specifically excluded from this section are exchanges of business information, true statements, personal disagreements, honest discussions of books, non-RWA operated social media posts, and marketing materials.

RWA Code of Ethics

Ms. Milan’s statement regarding Ms. Davis’s book, and I quote,

“Someone sent me a link to a book written by the other editor, Kathryn Lynn Davis and it is a fucking racist mess.”

Courtney Milan, Twitter

That, clearly, is about the book and surely, Ms. Milan, a Chinese American woman, is qualified to decide whether a book involving Chinese characters is laden with racist tropes.

Are we no longer allowed to point out problematic issues in books?

If that is the case, then why haven’t I been brought up on ethics complaints? Is because I’m white? Did I not piss off the right member? Should I have offended somebody who was a friend of Sue Grimshaw?

Or was Courtney Milan simply targeted? I’ve got to be honest, it certainly seems like Ms. Milan was targeted.

Second, Suzan Tisdale has absolutely no business filing ethics complaints against anybody within RWA. She should no longer even be a member of the PAN loop and her membership needs to be changed to an associate.

It was obvious in her complaint that she is no longer simply an author. She is a publisher who is actively acquiring.

Why did RWA even consider an ethics complaint from two
members who don’t belong in the general membership, but should be listed as
associates?

By definition, they aren’t actively working solely as romance
writers anymore since they are publisher/editor for Tisdale’s publishing
house.



Since when did Romance Writers of America become an advocate for the
publisher over the writer?

What’s next? Can Harlequin come in and target writers next or did Ms. Tisdale get special consideration?

Third, I would like to know more about how this secret ethics committee was formed. If we are governed by our bylaws then please explain where in the bylaws we can find more about the process that was used to select these members.  We do have a right to know that.

The unsigned statement to the general membership claimed:

We answer first to our members, and so we would like to take this time to provide clarity and a path forward.

RWA statement

Clarity. That’s a funny word. It’s kinda like…clear.
Which means transparent.

If the BoD really wanted to provide clarity, the letter would have been signed. More information would have been provided. And there wouldn’t be resounding silence…still.

So, in the spirit of the clarity RWA’s statement claims
to be willing to provide, please give more information about why this
secret ethics committee was formed, what process was used, where the guidelines
for said process can be found—for clarity, of course.

Fourth, I would like to know why legitimate ethics complaints, particularly from women of color, seem to go ignored by either the staff or the ethics committee. It would almost seem as though the staff is weeding through them and not passing them on. This is beyond troubling and I believe an audit is in an order and that answers must be provided to the membership.

Fifth, the membership deserves to know why there seems to be a disconnect between the members who resigned from the board in protest over these actions and those who stayed.

With the exception of Carolyn Jewel, the former president, the
members who resigned are all women of color. I find it impossible to believe
that these women would have acted against Courtney Milan, another woman of
color, for calling out racism unless they were not fully informed of all
circumstances.



Sixth, why in the world is the board and current president so quiet right now?
Yes, it may be a holiday weekend, but RWA’s house is currently burning down for
all the world to see. Are you going to wait until there’s nothing but ashes
before you address the general membership?

If so, let me just say I hope none of you are involved in volunteer work with your local fire departments.  Typically, action is taken while the blaze is going. Not long after.

This hit national news in a way nothing involving the romance community ever has, not even the plagiarism scandal from earlier this year involving Nora Roberts.

This is not the time for a strong and determined leadership to be quiet.

We deserve answers and you owe them to us.

Seventh, and last but most certainly not least, I think it’s
time for Damon Suede, Carol Ritter and all staff, board and committee
members who were associated with the ethics complaint against Courtney Milan to
step down.

This isn’t personal. It’s business.

The unsigned letter addressing the RWA membership harped on and
on about rebuilding trust.

Well, this is how you start, ladies and gentlemen. You step
down. You broke the faith and trust of thousands of members and the faith and
trust that RWA had in the publishing community is now in shambles.

It cannot be rebuilt on tainted ground and the current board, executive director, president and all parties associated with that bogus ethics complaint are tainted.

As the saying goes, the buck stops here. You want to act
like leaders, this is probably the only way to do it. Step down.
—
Shiloh Walker
http://www.shilohwalker.com/website/

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Merry Christmas

Hope it’s wonderful, merry & blessed!

The post Merry Christmas appeared first on SHILOH WALKER.

Read Chapter One – The Wolf’s Willow – Paranormal Romance

I’m going to give Wattpad a try.

Posted the first chapter of my current WIP there late last night and would love to hear what you think!

The Wolf’s Willow

Zee had never been one to believe in knights, shining armor or otherwise, but then, at seventeen, she met Niko Lochlann, the nineteen year old Therian shapeshifter who made her own wolf want to sit up and beg…or do other things.

Niko charmed her, courted her, promised to love her for always, then abruptly, cast her aside and threw her out of his territorial lands the very day he’d asked her to marry him. Now, ten years later, she’s an outcast, living secluded away from her family and the pack that would have been her own when she gets word her father is dying. But there isn’t much she can do–or even much she wants to do. After all, it was her father who played part in the deception that had Niko turning away from her.

Braced for the worst, Niko waits for news about the woman who had lied to him, betrayed him, broke his heart as he waits at her father’s side so the man doesn’t die alone.

He expects to hear she’ll be coming to North Carolina with her mate, or a lover, at the very least. But the news that comes isn’t what he thought he’d hear and when he finally gets answers, he learns that everything he was told a decade ago had been wrong…and he threw away the love of his life over lies. And she’s been being punished for it ever since.

Now he has to find her, find a way to mend a heart he’d damaged…and convince her to give him one more chance.

http://www.wattpad.com/817333112-the-...

If the embed doesn’t work, go here… and if you’re registered with wattpad, I’d love feedback.

The post Read Chapter One – The Wolf’s Willow – Paranormal Romance appeared first on SHILOH WALKER.

My new WIP

For those who get my newsletter, you already had the chance to see this. For those who don’t…

This is what I’m working on.

The Wolf’s Willow

The Preternaturals, Book 1
Upcoming Paranormal Romance
Release Date to be determined

buy links, cover, blurb to be post later

Zee actually flirted.

And giggled.

And smiled so hard her face hurt.

Through it all, the hungry things within her demanded freedom.

She smashed them down time and again with the ease that came from years and years of containing those aspects of her nature. It hurt. Lately it had hurt more than normal. But tonight that pain was edged with something sweeter.

Finally, she might be able to have sex and do something about the physical needs she’d had to stifle for so long.

A wolf wasn’t meant to be alone.

And the other aspect of her nature…it withered and died without touch. If she didn’t have Therian blood within, she would have wasted ago long ago. She didn’t know much about that part of her heritage, because there had never been anybody to teach her, her mother dying not long after she was born. But she’d read about the wasting.

More than an hour after he’d first arrived, Duke moved in so close, she felt the warmth of his breath brush over her lips and she had to choke back the whimper that almost escaped, thrash the other part into submission—and it didn’t want to listen.

“I’ve got this crazy need to kiss you, Zee. Am I risking life and limb if I try?” Duke’s eyes, so dark a brown they appeared black, held hers.

“No.” She licked her lips and hoped he’d kiss her, hoped he’d touch her…even as she hoped he’d never notice how new all of this was to her.
He reached up and cradled her cheek in his hand and then his mouth was on hers. Soft at first, his tongue tracing the curve of her lower lip before seeking entrance to her mouth.

This…kissing…this, she remembered. A hungry noise escaped and she eased closer—or tried to. Duke stood next to the stool where she perched and her position made it awkward. But then he moved and in what felt completely natural, she parted her jean-clad thighs and he stepped between them, deepening the kiss.

She broke away to gasp for breath—and maybe ask if he’d come upstairs to the apartment where she lived.

But he was already kissing her again, with more focus and determination this time.

She moaned and reached up, cupping the back of his head, the short, raspy feel of his hair abrading her palm.

“Son of a—fuck, Donner!”

A scent hit her—holly, cedar, birch…and fur and wildness and sweet mountain air.

Pack…except, no. It wasn’t pack. Not anymore—pain spliced through her heart, tearing and clawing. It all happened in microseconds while she clung to Duke and then she wasn’t even touching him.

The big, strong military man was stumbling back into a wooden table, but he moved fluidly with the movement, eyes going sharp as he instinctively recognized a threat. He drew a knife from his boot—as an officer with one of the military branches, he’d be authorized to carry any number of weapons, and he moved fast…

But not fast enough. Panic clawed at her and she swiped out, emptying the drink and smashing the glass. She wasn’t military trained, or part of a lethal pack, but she was no push-over, either. No meek thing to be thrown around and abused—not again. Not anymore.

Then it didn’t matter, because Donner was there, slamming a fist into the Therian wolf who’d entered the bar and seen her being kissed by a man who wasn’t the Prime who had laid claim on her years before.

It didn’t matter that he’d never actually followed through.

Therians understood and respected their own customs and laws before anything else. And to them, Zennia Day belonged to Nikolai Lochlann, the Prime of Appalachia, a man who lived hundreds of miles and several states away, the man who’d once promised he’d love and care for her always…then told her to get the fuck out of Appalachia.

And stay out, Zennia. You’re not welcome here.

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