Thursday 30 April 2020

Shadow Man #BlogTour

Shadow Man
Grayson Duet: Book One
By Catherine Wiltcher
AVAILABLE NOW & FREE IN KU
#shadowman #santiagoseries #catherinewiltcher #cartelromance
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2THCLNc
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2TunNLG
Amazon AUS: https://amzn.to/39sLmtC
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/39u96Of
Add to your TBR: https://bit.ly/2R96iOg
SHADOW MAN is a brand new mafia romance from the author of the bestselling Santiago series... 
This is the first part of a duet, but there are NO emotional cliffhangers.
Genre: Mafia/Cartel Romance 
Cover design by ME Kusel, Steamy Designs
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2R96iOg

Synopsis
Cause and consequence: Two words that haunt me. When I was stolen, I learned to hate. When he saved me, I learned to fear. I ran from him, following a trail of the dead, from Miami all the way to Colombia. Now I’ve fallen into darkness again, and he’s the only one I see. But he’s a shadow man. A bad man. A soldier. A killer. The red right hand to the devil himself. We’re a dirty contradiction: I’m the girl who can’t be touched, whom he refuses to set free. We’re a dangerous obsession: There’s damage running deep in both of our souls. Caught up in a cartel war I want no part of. Trapped between love and hate. One night will change everything... For years, Joseph Grayson killed in the name of Dante Santiago. Now, he kills for me.



My Review
With every rose there are thorns. There is no beauty without the beast. Shadow man is my first read by Catherine Wiltcher and this is the first half of a duet.

The shadow man is Joseph. He isn’t a good guy but he is the only one to save Anna. The story unfolds giving a few pieces of the puzzle at a time. The past, the present and the strength to move forward. Anna went through a bad experience but the reason is something she wants to forget. She doesn’t care about herself or life. Joseph is the only one who sees her but he doesn’t want the broken version. Only Anna can fix herself. Joseph will be her shadow to keep her safe. She will try to run but in the end, she needs to face the reality head-on.

Raw, gritty and so bad you will want more. This is the story of two damaged people. Their pasts mould them into the characters they become. Their story is one of love and war. This is just the beginning.

ARC in exchange for an honest review. A suspense thriller which is set in a bad world. 




Meet the Author
Catherine Wiltcher is a former TV producer and a self-confessed alpha addict. Her writing is best described as sinfully sexy, and her characters always fall hard and deep for one another. She lives in the UK with her husband and two young daughters. If she were stranded on a desert island, she'd like a large pink gin to keep her company. Cillian Murphy wouldn't be a bad shout, either... For book and blog updates, please visit www.catherinewiltcher.com

Stalk Catherine:
Facebook:                        https://bit.ly/2SVOdmR
                          Facebook Group:            https://bit.ly/2M6Bg6X (‘Dante’s Devils’)
Goodreads:                      https://bit.ly/2M8EKFO
Twitter:                            https://bit.ly/2SORh3R
Instagram:                       https://bit.ly/2sjtmy2
Bookbub:                         https://bit.ly/2sxiVal

Mistletoe & Cocoa Kisses AudioBook Tour and Giveaway!


Mistletoe & Cocoa Kisses 
Heart of the Family Series Book 1 
by Stacy Eaton 
Narrated by Lisa Beacom 
Genre: Contemporary Romance 


Robin Cove has had enough of her boss, is over her boyfriend, and makes a split-second decision to leave it all behind. Too bad she didn’t check the weather forecast before she left. Stranded on the side of the road when her old car breaks down, Robin fears her impulsive action will be the death of her as her body temperature steadily lowers to dangerous levels.

Matt Landry is slowly making his way home in the storm when he finds an unconscious woman on the side of the road and rushes her home to his father Chris to save her.

When Robin wakes up, she finds herself in the kind of home that she has always dreamed of having, except for the handsome man with the surly attitude. As much as Robin wants to stay, she knows she’ll never win him over and needs to find the right future for herself.

Will Robin’s future bring her back to Chris and his kids, or will Chris lose the chance to have the love of a woman who will never leave him and the family he has always wanted? 





AUDIO SAMPLE 







Stacy Eaton is a USA Today Bestselling author and began her writing career in October of 2010. Stacy took an early retirement from law enforcement after over fifteen years of service in 2016, with her last three years in investigations and crime scene investigation to write full time.

Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, who works in law enforcement, and her teen daughter. She also has a son who is currently serving in the United States Navy, and two grandchildren. 

When Stacy is not writing, she enjoys photography and relaxing on the beach. 









My voice is my passion.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts from the University of Nebraska, I've worked as an actor on stage and on the radio over the last 20 years. During this time, I studied voice extensively, and I sing jazz and other styles of music professionally. I am the featured vocalist on the album “The Road” by the band Under the Bus. 
To keep developing my acting skills, I studied improv at The Second City, Annoyance
and Comedy Sports Theaters among others. Most recently, I graduated from the ACX Master Class for audiobook narrators and am now focused on my work as a professional voice actor.
As an audiobook narrator, I’ve recorded dozens  of books that are now available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes. I discovered that narration provides the perfect outlet for my unique skills and talents.



$20 Amazon 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!




SAVAGE (Rosewood #3) releases on 21st May.#Cover Reveal

💚🏈 COVER & BLURB REVEAL 🏈💚

SAVAGE (Rosewood #3) releases on 21st May.

𝗣𝗥𝗘-𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥: mybook.to/SAVAGE

I had the life most guys only dreamed about: the house, the parties, the girls... until one girl showed up and ruined it all. 

She doesn’t belong here. Not in the bedroom across the hall. Not in my house. Not in my town. And certainly not in my life.

It wasn’t really her fault... or mine. 

We were caught up in the sins of our parents. 

She thinks she’s strong, but she doesn’t have a clue as to what I’m capable of. 

My name is SAVAGE after all. 

I will break her...

But uncovering her secrets just might destroy me.

𝗣𝗥𝗘-𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥mybook.to/SAVAGE

𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗦: http://bit.ly/SavageEVENTS
𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗦: https://forms.gle/YRRGgxqFqJ7W6xsL9

𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 with THORN FREE with Kindle Unlimited: mybook.to/THORN


#coverreveal #comingsoon #preorder #bullyromance #bullymance #enemiestolovers #highschoolromance #highschoolbullyromance #hatetolove #rosewoodhighseries #darkbullyromance#youngadultromance #newadultromance #naromance #yaromance #kindleunlimited #mustreadseries #tracylorrainebooks



Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills is now available on audio!

★ ★ ★ AVAILABLE NOW ON AUDIO ★ ★ ★ 

 

Dear Ava, a gripping enemies-to-lovers high school romance from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills is available now on audio! 

Listen today!
Audible: https://amzn.to/2zyDf1x
Audible Worldwide: http://mybook.to/dearavaaudio 

Read today on Kindle Unlimited>> http://mybook.to/dearava 


WSJ bestselling author Ilsa Madden-Mills delivers a gripping, enemies-to-lovers, secret admirer, high school romance.
The rich and popular Sharks rule at prestigious, ivy-covered Camden Prep. Once upon a time, I wanted to be part of their world - until they destroyed me.
The last thing I expected was an anonymous love letter from one of them.
Please. I hate every one of those rich jerks for what they did to me. The question is, which Shark is my secret admirer?
Knox, the scarred quarterback.
Dane, his twin brother.
Or Chance, the ex who dumped me...
Dear Ava,
Your eyes are the color of the Caribbean Sea.
Wait. That’s stupid.
What I really mean is, you look at me and I feel something real.
It’s been ten months since you were here, but I can’t forget you.
I’ve missed seeing you walk down the hall.
I’ve missed you cheering at my football games.
I’ve missed the smell of your hair.
And then everything fell apart the night of the kegger.
Don’t hate me because I’m a Shark.
I just want to make you mine.
Still.
Not part of any other series. Dark high school romance. Recommended for 18+.
A short excerpt of Dear Ava appeared in Team Player 2. (No longer available) This is an all-new, full-length version.

Wednesday 29 April 2020

Billionaire's Fake Fiancée #Blog Tour & Review

BFF - BT banner.jpg
The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée by Annika Martin
Release Date: April 28th
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The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée


The Billionaire's Fake Fiancée, a sexy romantic comedy by New York Times bestselling author Annika Martin.
I’m no Prince Charming, and the last thing I want is a Cinderella.
My instructions were simple: scour the city for a fake fiancée who’s not my type at all. Have her on my jet Monday morning, dressed appropriately for a yacht vacation.
I need a woman believable enough to convince a certain client that I’ve changed my playboy ways…yet nothing like the supermodels and socialites I usually have on my arm.
Somebody too annoying to tempt me—no emotional entanglements, thank you very much. This is business only.
If she’s unfazed by my looks and wealth, all the better.
Should be easy. Right?
Apparently not, because my people go and hire Tabitha. My hairdresser.
What were they thinking? Yes, I said annoying, but I didn’t mean her, the most frustrating woman in the world.
Tabitha is sunshiny. She has a pet hamster. She loves Hello Kitty, and she gets under my skin like nobody else.
As if that’s not bad enough, the minute we step on deck, she thinks that certain people on the yacht are up to something shady—based completely on her soap opera knowledge.
She won’t listen when I tell her she’s being ridiculous.
But as the days go by, I find that we’re actually having fun. And our fake kisses are heating up. And suddenly her wild theories aren’t sounding so strange after all…
BFF - AN.jpg
Download your copy today!
Apple Books: https://geni.us/nCpIs
Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/39XpK80
Blog tour Teaser.png


“We need a practice kiss.” My gaze falls to her lips and my mind goes blank. “Did you not read the contract?” I bite out. “This relationship is to be purely platonic.” “Oh, I know. And before you think I’m jonesing to kiss you, please know, I’m just trying to do a professional job at this, and the kiss is important. Because I can tell you right now, when people do the fake engagement ploy and get busted, it’s often because they’re forced to do a first kiss in front of suspicious people. Everybody can tell a first kiss.” “Have you been involved in other fake engagement situations?” I ask. “No, but, you know, it’s a thing. Trust me.” “It’s a thing?” I ask, incredulous. “Well, on soap operas,” she adds. I groan. “Jesus Christ, save me from your ridiculous soap opera wisdom.” “What? There is a lot of life wisdom in soap operas.” I give her a hard look. “And the fact is, with people who have never kissed, there’s a lot of trepidation. They’re like, How do I start off? Where do I put my hands? Which way should I tilt my head?” “Those are not questions that would cross my mind during a kiss. Ever.” “Please. Spare me from the knowledge of what crosses your mind when you kiss a woman,” she says. “I’m just telling you, people aren’t stupid. They’re capable of recognizing a first kiss. We need at least one practice round. Unfortunately.” I swallow. Somewhere down on Wall Street, trading is in full swing. I have rates to check, reports to analyze, spreads to monitor, but the idea of pulling her to me and kissing her crowds all of that out. My hands flex. A practice kiss. I can’t think of a worse idea. “We’re not a couple who enjoys public displays of affection.” She does her playful wince. “Okay, buuuuuut…what happens when they toast our engagement? We can’t exactly shake hands.” Will people do that? Gather around and expect us to kiss in front of them? I focus on the window. The whole idea here was not to be tempted or distracted. “If I decide we need a practice kiss,” I inform her, “then and only then will we have a practice kiss. And I’ll do the kissing.” “It has to be more than a peck,” she says. “Just in case that’s what you’re imagining.” “Rest assured, a kiss from me would be the opposite of a peck.” “The opposite of a peck,” she echoes, as though she finds it funny. “The polar opposite.” My gaze has gone back to her lips. They’d taste like some sort of sugary berry. Her dark hair would be thick and cool in my grip, her ass soft and firm. My mind won’t stop spinning on kissing her, now. “I’m trying to help you pull this off,” she says. “Think of the times you’ve had a first kiss. The wild rush of it. The buzz of it. It’ll be so obvious.” I frown. Who the hell has she been sharing these mind-altering first kisses with? “Don’t worry, I get this is business,” she says. “You’re not at all the type of guy I go for, either.” “No? Do tell—what type of guy do you go for?” “For one, he would scoff at the idea of a private jet. And he would never wear or even possess cufflinks. Or if he did, there’d be a string attached to the cufflinks because he would’ve made them into an awesome toy for little Seymour. That would be a guy for me.” “Sounds like a loser,” I growl.

Loved it. Funny, entertaining and cute smiley face. He’s a workaholic and she’s a fun hairdresser. What happens when you sprain your wrist and can’t pay the rent? You take a temporary job.

Rex O’Rourke is all business. He doesn’t know how to have fun. When a magazine article puts him in an unfavourable position with a client, he’s in need of some help.

One business trip, one fake fiancée and a small cabin on a cruise. What could go wrong?

Tabitha is all kinds of fun and even though Rex is grumpy she can’t help liking him. Her upbeat personality could win anyone over but Rex isn’t just anyone.

This book is addictive. 5 stars. Another hit from Annika Martin.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
 


Annika Martin loves fun, dirty stories, hot heroes, and wild, dramatic everything. She enjoys hanging out in Minneapolis coffee shops with her writer husband, and also likes birdwatching at her bird feeder alongside her two stunningly photogenic cats, especially when she should be writing. She’s heavy into running, music, saving the planet, taking long baths, and consuming chocolate suckers. She’s worked a surprisingly large number of waitressing jobs, and has also worked in a plastics factory and the advertising trenches; her garden is total bee-friendly madness and her most unfavorite word is nosh or possibly fob. A NYT bestselling author, she has also written as RITA award-winning author Carolyn Crane.

Connect with Annika:

Hate You #Release blast #KU #Review

💕 HATE YOU IS LIVE AND FREE WITH KU 💕 

𝗢𝗡𝗘-𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗡𝗢𝗪 $2.99 for a limited time or FREE with KU

"𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴-𝘵𝘰-𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 h𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚-𝙛𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧, 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙨𝙩, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦. 𝘐 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬!" 𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘤𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘰

𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿...

She made it so easy. She was everything I wasn’t—everything I didn’t want to be.
A reminder that from the moment I was born, I was the outcast. The rebel.
I went against everything that was expected of me and created a life on my terms. I built my own empire, carved out my own destiny.
Then she shows up at my tattoo studio, representing everything I tried to escape. She expects to just fit in… like she ever could.
Tabitha Anderson.
The posh girl trying to prove everyone wrong... that she can be something else—someone else. She hates me because she knows I’m right.
Or so I think. Turns out this isn’t the first time we’ve met, and our hate has history. We have history.
I might not have remembered, but I damn sure won’t forget now. Won't forget how her smile is always directed at everyone but me.
If everything changes and she proves she does fit in, will it still be hate I’m feeling or something else entirely?
And if I’m wrong, then she’s right where she belongs... with me.

𝗢𝗡𝗘-𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗡𝗢𝗪 $2.99 for a limited time or FREE with KU
𝗔𝗗𝗗 𝗛𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗕𝗥: http://bit.ly/Hate-You-GR


Trick You (Rebel Ink #2) is coming 16th July
PRE-ORDER NOW: mybook.to/TrickYou

.
#nowlive #nowavailable #oneclick #mustread #contemporaryromance #enemiestolovers #hatetolove #newadultromance #sistersbestfriend #bestfriendsbrother #officeromance #alpha #alphahole #kindleunlimitedromance #kindleunlimitedbooks #tracylorrainebooks #releaseboost @tracy_lorraine_author

The tattoo artist with a secret and a rich girl who wants to escape the pressure.

Zach is damaged and brooding. He doesn’t fall for girls. He doesn’t let anyone get too close, until her.

Tabitha wants to live her own life against the resistance of her rich parents. She takes a job in a tattoo parlour as a receptionist. Little does she know the owner is the one person she love to hate.

Zach is all alpha and he resists his fate the best he can.

Enemies to lovers. Hate you has hot chemistry and is a real page turner.

*ARC in exchange for an honest review.


A Wolf's Treasure Tour and Giveaway!


A Wolf's Treasure
The Kinkaid Werewolves Book 5
by L.E. Wilson
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

She's the treasure he never thought he'd find…



Shifter Duncan Kincaid enjoys dancing. Country dancing to be precise. After all, the lasses love nothing more than a man who can swing them around a dance floor. And that's the other thing Duncan loves- the lasses. A wink and a smile is all it takes to have a partner for the night, until a Faerie with dark curls and brazen curves throws him off his game and shakes him to his core.

He's a danger to her life, and a risk she's willing to take.

With his I-know-what-you-look-like-naked green eyes, sexy brogue, and cocky grin, Duncan is the type of wolf Ryanne wouldn't normally waste her time with for more than a night. But underneath the playful exterior, she senses a haunting sadness, one that calls to her own dark soul and distracts her from her purpose.

The murder will just have to wait.





Duncan tried to slow his racing heart, but it was impossible to do with his mysterious lass sitting right beside him.
Right there beside him.
In his Jeep.
Blethering on with him about the wolves who had come into the club and ruined his night.
Not that it hadn’t already been ruined by the fact that his mysterious stalker had been about to leave with someone else. A human, for Christ’s sake. And one wearing one of those stupid hats.
However, whoever had started the brawl? Aye, he’d be thanking him the next time he saw him. Buy the man a beer. Because of him and his temper, Duncan had had the perfect opportunity to hold the lass in his arms. To feel her soft curves and smell her sweet scent.
It was as though fate had intervened to put the two of them together. Aye, it was fate, and had nothing at all to do with the fact that he’d barreled through fists flying at his face and leapt over tables to get to her. Luckily, everyone had been too busy either fightin’ or fleein’ to pay much attention.
A quick look in the rearview mirror confirmed the lass was right. Those three wolves were running full out behind them now, not caring at all who might see them. Duncan growled low in his throat and she looked over at him, one eyebrow lifted in question. Gods, but she was bonnie. A braw female, for sure.
And she was a Faerie. Of the na maithe tribe, if he were to take a guess. Because if she were anything else…
No. He wouldn’t even think of it.
He’d figured it out the first time he’d seen her when she’d run off with the speed of a vamp. If it wasn’t for the fact that it was day at the time, he couldn’t have been convinced she wasn’t one. However, vampires would never be running about in the woods in the middle of the day. Even with the canopy of the trees, it was too risky. They could be exposed to the sun, and anything more than a few seconds and they’d be a cloud of ash blowing through the pines.
And he’d known she wasn’t a shifter. He would’ve scented another of his kind a mile away out in the open like that. So, that left only one other thing he knew of that she could be.
And tonight, when he had her wee self in his arms, he’d caught a good whiff of her. She didn’t smell like a wolf, or a vamp. She smelled like primrose, blooms from his homeland.
And he would bet she tasted just as sweet.
Another growl rose in his throat, this one hungry with lust. To feel this way again shook him through and through, and he cleared his throat, trying to disguise the sound before the lass heard.
“They’re getting closer,” she said.
Duncan closed his eyes for a second, letting the sweet tones of her voice rain over him. “We’re almost tae th’ freeway. They will no’ be able tae keep up with us then.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Steel infused his back and he gripped the steering wheel as he told her, “Aye, lass. I will no’ let them get tae ye. Dinna fash yerself.”
“How are you so certain they’re after me?”
At the last minute, Duncan spun the wheel, heading east instead of north. He’d lead them out to the mountains. If this came down to a fight, it would be better to be away from his home and out of sight of the humans, and there would be less traffic this way. “I saw th’ way th’ leader latched on to ye at th’ club. They had no interest in me at all, and they knew I was there.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Aye, lass. I can smell another wolf th’ second he or she comes into th’ room. Miles away sometimes if we’re out in th’ open. It would be th’ same for any shifter.”
“Really? That far?”
“Aye.” Duncan checked the mirrors and merged onto the highway. Making his way to the far-left lane, he stomped on the gas.
“What’s your name, wolf?”
He opened his mouth to tell her, paused, and only said, “Duncan. My name is Duncan. What’s yours?”
She repeated his name, then told him hers. “Ryanne.”
He felt her eyes on him. Watching him for a reaction. “Ryanne,” he repeated. “That’s a bonnie name. It suits ye.”
He felt her visibly relax beside him. It was obvious she didn’t want him to know a lot about her. But if she was there on some kind of secret mission, why follow him around? Why expose her presence when she did?
“They shifted,” she told him. “They’re coming,” she added a little louder. “Duncan.” Facing front, she tightened her seat belt.
“Aye, I see them.” He stomped down on the clutch and shifted into fifth gear, hitting the gas hard. The fookers were fast, but he knew these roads. Knew these woods. And he was faster. He had to be. There was no way he was going to let them get their paws on Ryanne. He didn’t know why they were after her, but he assumed it was because she was Fae. Even though the war was over, there was still a lot of packs who hunted them.
He, himself, was still somewhat wary of the forest people. Although a few of his friends and pack mates had mated with Fae lasses, and Duncan tried not to treat them any differently than any other, if he were to be honest with himself, they still struck fear in his bones.
Even the sweet thing sitting beside him.
But that hadn’t stopped his wolf from rushing to her side when danger arose. And once his beast had made it’s mind up about something, there was no stopping it.
Even if it meant taking on the three who were following them.
It was a perplexing thing, that the beast inside of him was so adamant about this particular lass, and it was definitely something to think about when he had a moment’s peace. However, Duncan quickly shoved the thought aside. He had no time to worry about it at the moment. Right now, he just needed to get her to safety, and then get back to his pack and tell them what he knew about these wolves who were invading Cedric’s territory without the alpha’s permission.
“I think we’re losing them,” Ryanne said. The relief she felt was evident in her tone.
Duncan checked the mirror. Then he checked again. He looked to either side of the vehicle, then behind
them again.
“What’s wrong?”
“There’s only two wolves back there,” he told her. “I dinna ken where th’ third one is.” Duncan floored the gas pedal. The police could just add to the chase if they happened to see him.
Ryanne held one hand up the window, shielding her eyes from any glare from the lights on the dashboard, though he knew she could see as well as he could in the darkness. Twisting around, she searched behind them, then leaned across his lap to look out his window, the dark curls pulled on top of her head softly brushing his jaw.
He inhaled the sweet smell of her.
Fookin’ hell.
His insides twisted, and for a few seconds, he completely forgot where he was and what he was supposed to be doing. But then she was gone again, back on her own side of the Jeep.
His wolf howled at the loss, pacing restlessly beneath his skin. Duncan took a deep breath and focused on the dark road ahead of him.
“Where did it go?” she asked him.
“I dinna ken. But this can no’ be good.”
“You have to lose them. If they catch me…” She let the words trail away.
He knew well what would happen if they caught her. The Fae weren’t ones he would ever mess with if there was no need. At least not one on one. But there were three of those wolves. If he thought he could take them alone, he’d stop the Jeep and shift, but one against three weren’t very good odds. If he took on one, or even two, that would leave the last one to go after Ryanne. And it was very possible, in all the confusion of a fight, it would get its jaws around her wee throat before she could protect herself. “I’m tryin’, lass.” He glanced over.
She was looking at him with large dark eyes. Eyes full of worry and something else.
Trust.
“They will no’ get their paws on ye,” he promised her. Motioning with his head, he indicated the “oh, shit!” handles beside her seat and along the top of her window. “Hang on, Ryanne. We’re aboot tae go off road.”
Checking behind them, he saw he was finally gaining ground, although there was still no sign of the third wolf. Of course, it didn’t mean anything. It could’ve broken off from the others in an attempt to cut them off further ahead.
Or maybe he’d gotten taken out by one of the big trucks, the only other vehicles on this dark highway this late at night. It wasn’t likely, but one could hope.
Perhaps if they fought together…
No, he couldn’t risk it.
He wouldn’t take the chance of getting hurt, or even killed, and leaving his female defenseless.
Duncan frowned. Where the fook had that come from? The lass wasn’t his.
Did he want her to be?
Och. Now was not the time to be thinking about such a matter. Their only chance was to get out of their
sight and lose them, then circle back and get to his pack.
He watched the landscape as they sped down the highway. The turn he was looking for would be coming up very soon. If he could get around it, their pursuers would lose sight of them, and there was a turnoff on the left. An old, dirt road that led up the mountain, completely unnoticeable if you didn’t know it was there, half covered with overhanging branches and brush covering the tire tracks. The highway began to weave in and out through the mountains here. With any luck, they could disappear into the trees and be gone by the time the wolves chasing them came around the corner.
“Hang on,” he told his passenger. “The turn off is just ahead.”
Ryanne gripped the handles, leaning her body forward. “I don’t see anything.”
“Oh, it’s there,” he told her. “Just a little ways more…” He checked the mirror as they started around the curve. The wolves disappeared from his line of his sight just as he’d hoped. Cutting off the headlights, he wrenched the steering wheel to the left, cut across the grassy median—just missing an oncoming truck—and drove straight into the trees.
Downshifting into low gear, Duncan crawled up the side of the mountain, praying to all the gods the big engine of that truck would hide the noise of the Jeep. He didn’t worry about them seeing him. His Vina was painted the perfect color green to blend in with the forest around them, just like the lady she was named after.
Ryanne laughed as they bumped along up the mountain, soft, throaty notes that were music to his ears, and despite the danger they were in, he couldn’t help a small smile in return.
About a mile or so up, he pulled off the trail, wedging the Jeep between some thick pine trees, and cut the engine.
“What are we doing?” Ryanne asked.
“We’re waiting,” he told her. “If I keep going, there’s a verra good chance they’ll double back and hear us. So, we’ll sit. And we’ll wait. And stay inside where they will no’ scent either o’ us.”
“For how long?” She sounded almost disappointed that the excitement was over.
“As long as it takes, lass. Sometimes, although it may no’ be as exciting, patience is th’ best practice.”
She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t argue anymore. Sighing loudly, she stared out the front windshield. Duncan did the same, cracking his window a bit, but there was no sign of the strange wolves by sight, sound, or scent. Only the pungent aroma of the pine trees, wet from the misty rain.
Now that they were out of danger, at least for the moment, Duncan found he could think of nothing at all to say. His usual sugary tongue felt like it was coated in tar, heavy with bland and boring words, just like the one other time he’d tried to speak to her. It was a predicament, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Talking to females was not a problem he’d ever had before. So much so, he was often accused of being a flirt.
And maybe he was. Though most of the time, he did it on purpose just to rile up their males. And other times, he did it just to prove that he could…
He gave himself a mental shake. What had he been thinking about?
Oh, aye. The lass beside him. She was a mystery. But more than that, there was something unique about her. He found himself craving her company at odd moments, and yet he could barely utter a word when he was finally near her. He felt like a right eejit, hoping every day to see her, and then not knowing how to act when he did.
“So, what pack are you from?” she asked, pulling him from his contemplations.
Her question surprised him. “Ye dinna ken?” When she shook her head, he told her, “I’m part o’ th’ Pacific Northwest pack.” He paused, but only briefly, because for some reason he could only say nothing at all or blather on like he didn’t have an ounce of sense in his head when he was around her. “I live here. I’m supposed tae be here. I’m no’…” he stumbled to a halt. Och. Why could he not seem to form a coherent thought? It was better when the wolves were chasing them. At least then, his own wolfish instincts had taken over and kept him focused.
For the most part.
“Does it hurt?”
He frowned, wondering if she could read his thoughts. Aye, it did hurt. Verra bad. He was not the stumbling fool she must think him to be. And honestly, he didn’t know if his ego could take the beating.
“When you shift. Does it hurt?”
Oh. That. “Aye, it hurts.”
“Can you stop it?”
“Stop it from hurting?”
“No. Stop the shift. Can you stop it from happening?”
Duncan didn’t see the harm in telling her. “Sometimes. Sometimes no’.”
“Like when you’re angry?”
“Aye, if my temper gets th’ best o’ me.”
“Can you shift at will? Or do you have to be mad or something?”
He tried to guess the reasoning behind her questions. “If yer worried whether I can take care o’ ye if those other shifters show up, dinna fash yerself. Me and my wolf will do what needs tae be done, and all ye will need tae do is run th’ way I seen ye do before.”
Something hit the windshield, and she jumped.
“It’s just a pinecone, lass. Knocked down by the rain.”
She watched drops hit the windshield, nodding. But he could hear her heart pounding and her breath whooshing in and out of her lungs at a rapid rate. Tentatively, he reached over and placed his hand over hers, still tight on the hand grip. “Ryanne, I swear tae ye, I will no’ let them harm ye. I will protect ye with my life if th’ need arises.”
Her head tilted, little lines furrowing the smooth skin between her eyebrows. “Why would you do that?”
Why, indeed? He didn’t know, but he felt it with certainty all the way down to his bones. “Yer…” He started to say something along the lines of her being a female, and therefore needing his protection. But then he stopped. That wasn’t right. She didn’t need his protection. He knew firsthand what a Fae lass was capable of. Although three wolves at once would be a bit much, she could easily outrun them if she had a head start.
Duncan thought about that for a minute.
Heat crept up his neck to burn his cheeks. Had she been playing with him? Allowing him to play the big, strong male and lead her to safety? “I dinna ken,” he ground out. “Ye obviously dinna need my help.”
She gave him a funny look. “No, I probably didn’t. But it was nice to have it anyway.”
If his face burned before, now it was so hot he raised a hand to touch the skin of his cheek, just to check if it was melting from the bone. He’d acted a fool. Involving himself in something he shouldn’t have, when what he should’ve been doing was hightailing it out of the club and reporting back to Cedric.
Conflict rumbled deep in his chest, and he rubbed the center of it. But what if something had happened to the lass? What if she wasn’t able to get around the humans? What if she’d been seen as the supernatural she is? Or worse, what if the wolves had caught her before she got out? She could be lying in a ditch on the side of the road, the life seeping out of her…
Och. He was turning into his maw!
The gods rest her soul.
“Duncan.”
He pulled himself from his thoughts. It was hard to look at her, feeling foolish as he was, but somehow, he managed. “Aye?”
The smile that lit her face was tiny and sweet and stopped his heart completely. “Thank you. For helping me get out of the club and to safety.”
Words tumbled around on his tongue, but his throat closed and he was unable to utter any of them. So, instead, he just nodded.
“Do you scent those wolves? Are they anywhere near us?”
He turned his nose to the window and breathed deep. Turning back to her, he shook his head.
She unbuckled her seat belt. Leaning toward him, she caught his eyes. “It’s very, very important you tell no one about me. No one,” she emphasized. “Not even your alpha. Okay?”
Overcome by the sight and scent and warmth of her so close to him, Duncan nodded. “Aye, lass. No one will know ye were here.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. Then she pressed a kiss to his still-burning cheek. Before he could regain the ability to do more than blink at her, she opened the door and hopped out into the rain.
Duncan jumped out his side and ran around the front of the Jeep. To do what? Say something to make her stay? To see if he would ever see her again? But she had left him as she had before, running away into the forest faster than his eye could track her. The rain that kept them hidden from the wolves also washing away her scent.
Arrows tore through his chest, until he was near doubled over from the loss.


L.E. Wilson writes Paranormal Romance starring intense alpha males and the women who are fearless enough to tame them—for the most part anyway. ;) In her novels you'll find smoking hot scenes, a touch of suspense, a bit of gore, and multifaceted characters, all working together to combine her lifelong obsession with the paranormal and her love of romance.



Her writing career came about the usual way: on a dare from her loving husband. Little did they know just one casual suggestion would open a box of worms (or words as the case may be) that would forever change their lives.

Lattes and music are a necessary part of her writing process, and sometimes you'll find her typing away at her favorite Starbucks. She walks two miles to get there, to make up for all of those coffees.





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