FORGET ME KNOT by Melissa Glisan

FORGET ME KNOT by Melissa Glisan

Dog Wild Series Book Two

Dr. Celena Black tied regrets around her fingers like Forget-Me-Knots – each one about the man-wolf alpha, Madden “Red” Silvestri. After a decade of keeping his distance, Red needs Celena’s help as badly as he needs her love, but can their tangled past forge a clear future?  

As the weedy wildflower between rose triplets, being unforgettable wasn’t even a dream for Flora Daniels. But dreams are what Lupercus’ twin, Frank Horne, blames for his animalistic attraction to the natural beauty.  

What are a werewolf and a Roman god to do when everything goes to the dogs?

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~Excerpt~

Hands jammed in his pockets, Madden simply glared up at her from the bottom of the stairs. Celena felt her stomach twist and burn, she wished she could dig out her bottle of stomach tonic and take a healthy swig, but as tired as she was it would knock her on her behind. The last time she had seen Madden she passed out at his feet, a repeat performance was not needed. In fact, the original performance had been utterly unnecessary. 

He looked too good to stand there glaring. Too many days, nights and long boring afternoons in classes, boardrooms and laboratories, she had found her mind slipping back to his ready smile. By the look of the lines between his brows, he hadn’t smiled in a very long time. Swallowing back the tang of guilt, Celena moved away from Ashley to the top of the stairs, and whispered, “Madden?”

Moving incredibly fast, he ended on the step below her, Celena schooled herself not to flinch away.
Standing nearly nose-to-nose, she had forgotten how he wasn’t very tall, five-foot eight-inches to her diminutive five-foot two-inches. It never seemed to matter; Madden always seemed the biggest baddest guy around. That hadn’t changed. Her body ached to move that half-inch closer and lean against the heat of his body, but it wasn’t her right. Remember! Be in control of yourself, be confident! 

Instead she caved. “I’m so sorry that you don’t smile anymore.” Without thinking, her thumb swept up and eased the tightly creased skin of his brow. “Your smiles were always home for me.” His hearing was keen, so she risked the whisper, knowing it reached only his ears. But she couldn’t help but startle when she felt his fingers ghosting along the back of her pleated skirt, up the backside of her thighs and around to rest a moment just above her wrist bones. The slide of his hands on the outside of her jacket was enough to raise goose flesh on the untouched skin of her arms. His T-shirt emphasized the heavy musculature of his arms and shoulders, a scant second before pulling her into the safety of his embrace as his fingers drug through her hair cupping her back. 

“Don’t be sorry.” Madden bumped his nose softly against hers, nuzzling closer as his breath fanned across her cheek. Of all the stormy receptions she’d dreaded, being in his arms like this was more like a secret dream held in her heart. “Are you okay?” 

“Uh huh.” Her mind stumbled along in a haze of warmth and her tongue went numb. It was amazing how fast buckets of intelligence went out the window from just being in his presence. Unbidden her hands cupped his face, fingers sliding into the thick hair she’d fantasized about since high school. Oh stars, her mind hazed over completely at the sleek silky feel of his hair. 

Lips brushed past hers and she gasped, following his mouth, enrapt by his dark spicy scent flowing past her nose. A gentle pressure along her back and she sagged forward, forgetting to breathe as the long, hard length of him seared her from knees to breasts. 

“Maybe they should get a room,” Ashley’s soft words jolted Celena and she jerked, sealing her mouth against Madden’s. His lips were firm and hot, drugging, as they closed on her own making her forget about the others, the stairs, or the cold. Her world narrowed to the taste of maple syrup on his lips as his tongue gently swept against her own. Her heart raced so hard and fast that the dark behind her eyelids spun crazily and for a giddy moment she couldn’t care less—if she died now it would be in joy. But as much as her heart rejoiced another part of her body woke and decided that more would be better before leaving good old terra firma. 

“Red?” a strange female voice called from the doorway, and Celena pulled back, refusing to look away, hoping against hope as she stared into his burning gaze that the woman wasn’t a friend or worse, his wife. “Why don’t you bring your lady in out of the cold and introduce her to everyone. I’m sure we’d all like to meet her.” Madden shifted and dropped his arms to her waist pulling Celena even closer. Stars and stones, her eyes widened in astonishment, was that him digging into her belly?

He roughly cleared his throat. “Meet you guys inside in a few Lora, Celena and I need to talk.”

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DARKNESS RISING by Alexandra Kane

DARKNESS RISING by Alexandra Kane

The Phoenix Files, Book One

City council secretary Lalah Norris is propelled into the center of a scandal. Born of two African American parents with the panthera trait, Lalah's a no-nonsense woman who, when she finds out about the money laundering ways of the city's assistant manager Dell Christopher, will risk her job to see him pay for his crimes. Little does she know, the loss of her job will be the least of her worries.

When she refuses to be intimidated by Dell's thug, she's kidnapped and locked away. Rescue comes in the form of a mysterious Chinese man, Junjie Yu, but Lalah finds herself being taken against her will for a second time. When the night is over, she's forced to join PHOENIX, a covert organization that assists law enforcement on the Federal, state and local level through the use of shifters, sorcerers, and all manner of 'gifted individuals.'

But which will be more dangerous: her new role in the secret organization, or her burning attraction to Junjie?

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~Excerpt~

Lalah awoke in a pool of cold, sticky blood. Her clothes clung to her like a slimy second skin, the metallic scent invading her nostrils. Corbin, Dell Christopher's thug, lay a few feet away from her, unmoving. His body was covered with claw marks, and a particularly large one traversed his chest beneath the jagged, ripped halves of his dress shirt. I must have shifted. Her head throbbed, and she cursed. If Corbin woke up, he would demand to know how she, a petite black woman, had suddenly been replaced by a ferocious panther. It wasn't a conversation she wanted to have.

I'm not a killer. But if I'm here when he wakes up, what choice will I have?

Sitting up slowly, she reeled from the crushing pain in her temple. The morning sunlight was streaming through the kitchen window, casting a very clear light on the grisly scene. Her cloudy mind, however, shrouded the events of last night from her memory. She stood, walking slowly around him, and crossed the kitchen to the foyer. As she passed her grandmother’s antique mirror, she saw her reflection and was shocked at the sight. Her thick mane of wavy black hair was a tangled mess. Small splatters of dried blood were on her cheeks, and there was a large purple bruise on her forehead. Touching it, she winced. That must be why I can’t remember.

This was short term memory loss, because she was fully aware of who she was... Lalah Norris, secretary to city councilwoman Gloria Phillips. She scheduled meetings, took phone calls, and pushed paper for the citizens of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Working in City Hall made her privy to the the conversations of other city officials as they passed her desk. Okay, she was eavesdropping, but with her super- panther hearing she really couldn't help it. That was how she knew that Dell Christopher, the assistant city manager, had his hand in the cookie jar. He was involved in several schemes, all of which involved stealing funds from the city's taxpayers.

From Lalah's conversations with the other assistants working in City Hall, she found out that his corrupt ways were common knowledge among the 'underlings', as they called themselves. None of them, however, was willing to risk their job by blowing the whistle on Dell. Now it looked like the politician was resorting to intimidation to keep his dirt swept under the rug.

She jogged up the carpeted stairs to her bedroom. I've gotta get my stuff and get the hell out of here. Her heavy breathing filled the silence around her as she stuffed a few tee shirts and underwear into a large purse. Her mind was jumbled with frantic thoughts of how this situation would play out. What if the neighbors had heard a noise? If somebody called the cops, Lalah knew she'd be in trouble. Wild animal attacks in North Carolina were rare...what would she say to them? No doubt they'd throw my black behind in jail like Mama throwing catfish in the deep fryer. No, there was no way she was waiting around here. None of the scenarios she could think of ended well for her.

Lalah was startled by a slow, creaking sound coming from downstairs. Afraid that someone would discover Corbin, she jogged down the steps and dashed into the kitchen. To her horror, he was gone. Only the pool of blood remained on the ecru linoleum in the place where he had been. Scanning the floor, Lalah noticed a few bloody footprints leading to the garage. She produced a heavy metal rolling pin from her tool drawer and slowly followed them out the side door. She descended the three stairs into the darkened garage, the rolling pin poised in swinging position.

A hand shot out and grabbed her ankle, pulling her down.

Her head hit the concrete floor and everything was consumed by blackness.

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