First Peek at Guardian Witch Book Five

Shh, don't tell my editor...

I can't wait any longer to give you just a tiny peek at the next Ari book.

Release day is only a couple of months away, so I thought it was time to share. Just remember, this is the unedited version, and even the title is currently up for grabs. I don't think this snippet will give much away, except introduce you to an interesting little character, a werejavelina, that we haven't seen before.

Set up:

The night before this scene there was a terrible bar fight between a group of werejavelinas passing through town and local elves. Afterward, the surviving javeys, who are unwelcome everywhere because of their nasty tempers and crude habits, left town in a hurry.
As this scene opens, Ari has just left her office for the day and is making a regular stop at the local shifter shelter on her way home.

Snippet:

The suspicious face that peered from the shelter window immediately smiled and opened the door for her.

"Guardian, I'm delighted to see you, especially tonight. I sure could use your advice.” The matronly-looking woman was the werewolf in charge of the facility. “Got a bit of a problem.”

She swung the door wide, and Ari immediately saw the source of the trouble. A young werejavey. “I thought they left town.”

“Well, not this one. They either forgot about him or just didn’t want to mess with him.” The woman whispered behind her hand. “Only a baby, but he sure is unpleasant. Stinks, and language straight from the sewers.” The headkeeper wrinkled her nose, then turned to her charge. “Mangi, this is the Guardian. Say, hello, and try to mind your manners.”

The half-boy, half-hog javey snorted at her. “All I want from y’all is food, none of yer prattle. Do this, don't do that. Ya ain’t my mama.”

“And thankful I am about that,” the woman retorted. She looked at Ari and lifted her shoulder. “What am I going to do with him? He showed up about an hour ago, and already he’s run everybody else out for the night. I can’t keep him here, but I can’t turn him away either.”

“Where’s your home?” Ari asked him.

“S'none of yer bus'ness. 'Sides, ain't got one no more.” The javey scratched his snout.

Great. A homeless, unwelcome visitor. What were they going to do with him?

                         That's all you get for now. :) But watch for more in the coming weeks.
                                                                             Thanks so much for stopping!