FATE UNEXPECTED by Marisa Chenery

FATE UNEXPECTED by Marisa Chenery

Earth Defender-Book One

A summer storm of red rain changed life as Kylah knew it, and her in ways she couldn't imagine. Humans around the world sickened and died, or turned into wild creatures with red eyes that hungered for flesh. Her planet was on the verge of extinction, and there was nothing anybody could do about it.

Rune, a Dracan mercenary, had signed on with the Xphens to fight for them during the Earth conquest. Having Kylah capture him changed everything. She had him questioning which side he wanted to be on.

Kylah finds herself drawn to the large cat-eyed alien. Fleeing with Rune to the Cascade mountain range, she lets her feelings for him cloud her judgment. From two different planets, theirs is a relationship that could end before it had a chance to start.

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Excerpt:

Kylah drove away in the pre-dawn darkness and forced herself to not look back. It suddenly hit her that she left behind what had been the happy world with her parents. It hadn’t bothered her when she’d prepared to make the trip, but now that she actually did, tears burned the backs of her eyes.

She pushed them away. She’d cried more than enough in the days after she’d awakened from her sickness. Mostly when she’d had to dig a grave in the backyard to bury her dad. Before the illness, it would have been a monumental task, but it’d been relatively easy for her. It was physically putting him into the ground and covering him with dirt that had been tough.

At Curlew Lake, Kylah parked her car between two others that had been abandoned. Since she hadn’t washed hers since the aliens’ arrival, it blended in. If people happened to come across it, she didn’t want it to stand out.

Kylah climbed out, then went to the trunk where she’d stored what she’d taken with her. She took out her sword, and one of the backpacks that had some necessities in it like a couple bottles of water and a few energy bars. Before she lugged the rest of her things into the bush, she wanted to scout the area and pick out a spot that would be a good place to set up her new home.

She closed the trunk, strapped on her sword and shouldered the backpack. Kylah had been to the lake many times, and knew the area fairly well. She started walking on one of the trails, then cut into the trees. Dawn was about an hour away. She wanted to have a location picked out before the sun rose. There was no telling if any of the turned had ranged that far.

Kylah bypassed the lake and headed for the more mountainous area where the bush was thicker. She walked at a brisk pace for the new her, which would have had someone else having to run to keep up.

She slowed, then came to a stop to hide behind a large tree when she stumbled across a sort of clearing in the midst of the forest. Kylah peeked around the thick trunk to get a better view. It looked as if some of the trees had been cut down to create it. The logs lay in a pile near the edge of the space.

It was a campsite, but not a human one. The circular perimeter was enclosed in what she supposed was a force field. With her keen eyesight, she was able to see the waves of energy. Inside it, there were two white metallic-looking dome structures. Alien versions of tents? She could only guess. Next to them were two vehicles that looked sort of like wheel-less motorcycles.

Kylah drew fully behind the tree. An idea swirled inside her mind. It was crazy, but it was time for the aliens to be the prey. And there was a possibility she could get answers as to what the hell they’d done to her planet along with why they were there.

She took a deep breath. She was going to do it. She was going to see if she could capture one of the aliens. A single dome looked as if it could hold only one occupant. Maybe inside them were the two she’d seen last night in town. The spot was close enough to Republic for a basecamp.

To set her plan into motion, Kylah silently ran through the trees to the opposite perimeter. She had to draw the aliens out. With that force field up, there was no way she could sneak into their camp. So she caused a disturbance they wouldn’t be able to ignore.

Kylah threw back her head and let out a drawn-out howl like one the turned would make. She added a few loud growls for good measure. To top it off, she let loose a shrill scream as if she were a woman who was being pursued by the turned. At the sound of alien voices speaking in urgent tones, she ran at her fastest to the back of the camp.

She smiled. The two aliens were indeed the ones she’d seen in town. The furred one touched some kind of wrist device that was strapped to his arm, then ran off in the direction where she’d been. Kylah gazed at the one who looked very much like a human. He was the one she wanted, and not because she still thought he was a hunk.

After a few more seconds and the furry alien didn’t return, Kylah made some more growls to lure the other one to her. He took the bait. She hid behind a tree and drew her sword. She’d knock him out, then get him farther up on the mountain before his buddy returned.

She took a quick glance. He was headed right for her. As he neared her tree, she walked around it as he passed before silently coming up behind him. She raised her sword, drew it back, then with the flat of it, hit him on the back of his head hard enough to knock him out. He hit the ground like a ton of bricks.

Acting quickly, she took out two zip ties that she had in her backpack. She’d been prepared for anything. She jerked his arms behind his back and bound his wrists together. She did the same to his ankles. Thankful for her super strength, she bent and managed to hoist him over her shoulder. She straightened. He wasn’t exactly light, but she’d be able to carry him a distance to where the other alien wouldn’t find them. At least she hoped or it all could go terribly wrong with her being captured.

As she ran at her top speed while weighed down, the other alien called out a single word. Rune. She bet that was the name of her prize.

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HER ANCIENT HYBRID by Marisa Chenery

HER ANCIENT HYBRID by Marisa Chenery

Brolach is old. Ancient. A hybrid, half vampire and half werewolf, he’s a true immortal who can never die. He’s lived for three thousand years, but has slept buried for two of them. It isn’t until a female comes to the hill where he sleeps does he come awake, ready to protect her, his vampire side knowing she’s his mate.

Physically threatened by her ex-boyfriend while out on a hike in the grasslands has unexpected results for Waverly. A man, muddy and covered in dirt, explodes out of the ground to rescue her. After he turns into a wolf and chases off her ex, she soon loses it when he turns his attention to her.

With the help of Waverly, Brolach adjusts to the new world he’s awakened in to. The new life he sets about making with his mate is soon threatened by one of the vampires who’d killed his family and had buried him alive.

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Excerpt

Brolach was three thousand years old and had “slept” through two thousand of them. He was the only one of his kind—a hybrid, half vampire and half werewolf. Even though he’d been under the ground for so long he’d been partly aware of the surface world. People traversed the area, and as the years went by, the language they spoke changed. His mostly-asleep brain learned it enough to understand it.

Something brought his mind closer to wakefulness before he was ready to be roused. There was a presence on the hill where he was buried. It drew him and captured his attention as nothing had done for centuries. It was female, which caused a part of him to stir.

Soon a male joined her. Brolach listened to their conversation, his sensitive hearing able to pick up each word spoken. The longer he listened the more he awakened from his long slumber. The need to protect the female came to life. Never before had he’d felt like that toward a member of the opposite sex. The vampire side of him instinctively knew she was his. His mate. The werewolf wouldn’t know for sure until he had her scent in his nose.

The sound of the male’s voice raised in anger would have had Brolach’s hackles rising if he’d been in wolf form. It wasn’t until the female screamed did he come fully awake. The sound was full of fear.

Brolach burst out of the ground. His fangs lengthened at the sight of the male holding the female by the arm with a raised fist, ready to strike. Brolach snarled his upper lip and growled a warning. All his protective instincts roared to the surface. He latched his gaze on to the human who threatened his mate.

He surged into action. Brolach closed the distance between them, broke the male’s grip on the female and tossed him away. He landed with a shriek, then whimpered as Brolach approached him. He was tempted to kill the weaker male, to drain him of the blood he needed after his long sleep, but he decided against it. This new world he awoke to wasn’t the same as the one he’d known. Death wasn’t doled out so easily or frequently as it’d once been.

Rather than take the male’s life, Brolach reached for the werewolf half of himself and brought on the change. He took on his wolf form in a matter of seconds. His hackles rose and he growled as he made a threatening step toward the male. That was enough to send the human scuttling backward before he clumsily gained his feet and took off running down the hill.

Once he was sure the male wouldn’t come back, Brolach turned to take his first good look at the female who was his mate. She had long, light brown hair that she wore loose around her shoulders. She was the perfect height to tuck her head under his chin when he held her against his chest. Her hazel eyes were wide and filled with fear, but that didn’t take away any of her beauty. His cock stirred to life for the first time in two thousand years.

He slowly walked toward her, which had a whimper pushing out of her. Even though she was scared of him, Brolach didn’t stop until he stood directly in front of her. He shifted back to his human form, thinking she’d find it easier to handle.

He took a deep breath. Her scent filled his lungs and his head. He found it intoxicating, and it set off his werewolf’s senses. His wolf side recognized her as his mate along with the vampire. She was his. A mate. The first woman he’d ever wanted to claim.

Brolach reached out for her only to have her suck in a lungful of air and then let it out in a high-pitched scream. That didn’t bother him so much as how fast her heart beat. The sharp bitter scent of her fear grew stronger. As she opened her mouth to scream again, he caught her chin in his hand and forced her to look him in the eyes.

With his vampire ability to compel lacing his words, he said softly, “You’ll no longer fear me. You’re perfectly safe. No harm will come to you. We’ll leave this place and you’ll take me to your home to provide me with food and clothing.”

All at once, she calmed down. Her heart beat at a normal rate, and the scent of fear blew away on the slight breeze. She nodded as her gaze remained fixed on him. “Okay,” she said, sounding in a daze.

“What’s your name?”

“Waverly.”

“I’m Brolach.”

“Brolach,” she repeated in the same dazed voice.

“I’ll release you now. No more screaming. You’ll always feel safe with me.”

He stopped compelling, releasing the hold he had over her mind. Waverly blinked a few times, coming back to herself. Brolach hoped never again to have to use it on his mate. If there had been any other way to have calmed her, he would have chosen it rather than take her free will away.

Waverly took a deep breath and looked him up and down. “Come on. We’d better get out of here before someone sees you.”

Brolach stayed at her side as she headed down the hill. As they walked, he gazed at the landscape around them. It really hadn’t changed much over the last two thousand years. He still recognized it as the land where he’d hunted buffalo and deer.

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MILES' REDEMPTION by Marisa Chenery

MILES' REDEMPTION by Marisa Chenery

Roxie's Protectors-Book Seven

Miles knew using Dirk’s online dating service wouldn’t be the best way to find his mate and is proven right when his date stands him up. But his bad luck turns to good when his would-be mate walks through the restaurant’s doors.

Kareena has been on a dating dry streak since her fiancé of seven years dumped her the year before. She wants the hottie who sits close to her and her friends’ table to be the one to end it, but she doesn’t have enough nerve to go up and talk to him. After meeting Miles, her life ends up going in a direction she never thought would exist. She soon learns she's the only thing that can secure Miles’ redemption.

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Excerpt

Her heart beat faster as she neared his table. You can do this, she told herself as a pep talk. As his gaze latched on to her and didn’t waver, Kareena lost her nerve. She quickly changed direction and walked as fast as she could in her drunken state to the women’s washroom.

Once she was closed inside, she groaned as she silently called herself all kinds of vile names. While she was there, she used the toilet. Kareena was sure her friends were all shaking their heads at her. She hadn’t always been like this. Before her ex, she’d been more outgoing with the opposite sex, but since her breakup, she’d found she couldn’t get back into her old groove. Even though it’d been a year, Kareena hadn’t been out on a single date. With her busy work schedule, and trying to get over being dumped by her fiancé, she hadn’t made a point of getting back into the dating world. And being over thirty, she didn’t think that’d be an easy task, anyway.

She washed her hands and took some deep, calming breaths. She’d march back out and walk straight to the guy’s table. She’d introduce herself and then ask him to take her to his place and screw her brains out. No. Kareena wouldn’t say that. Maybe he’d be more interested in sneaking her into the men’s room and taking her against the washroom stall door. She shook her head, which only made the room spin a bit. Where the hell had that idea come from? The men’s room? Ah, gross. She had to be drunker than she’d thought. Or horny enough to do the hunk anywhere. It had been a year since she’d last done the horizontal mambo, after all.

Kareena left the washroom and headed once more in the direction of the table where, thank god, the hottie still sat. His gaze latched on to her, and it felt as if he physically touched her breasts when it lingered there. She forgot to breathe as her pussy grew wet, an ache building deep inside it.

In her inattention, she stumbled into a chair, which made a screech as the legs dragged across the hardwood floor. Embarrassed by her klutziness, Kareena lost her nerve again and made a beeline for the table where her friends sat. She couldn’t even look over at the hunk to see what his reaction was.

She slid onto the bench seat, grateful to see a full glass of wine on the table in her spot. Kareena picked it up and took a big sip. She looked at all her friends and found them giving her disappointed looks.

Kareena shrugged. “All right, I’m chicken shit and couldn’t do it.”

“You need to get out of the slump you’re in,” Alice said.

“I will. It just won’t be with him unless he comes over to talk to me.”

“If he doesn’t?”

“Then it wasn’t meant to be.”

There was still disapproval on her friends’ faces, but they didn’t say anything else. Kareena finished her wine, knowing full well she’d gone over her limit and would probably come to regret it in the morning. Right now, she just felt way too good to care.

Once they’d taken care of the bill, all four of them slipped off the seats, then headed for the restaurant’s entrance. Kareena was definitely not very steady on her feet, but she managed to keep in a straight line.

It didn’t remain that way when she reached the doors. She stepped back so Lacy could open them, and Kareena’s sense of balance went all out of whack. She would have fallen, but a set of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind and pulled her against a hard, male body. She turned her head to look up at who held her and saw it was the hunk. Her mouth suddenly went dry, especially when the unmistakable ridge of his erection pressed into the small of her back. Arousal tore through her, making her knees even weaker.

He smiled. “I’ve got you.”

“Hi,” she said, the one word coming out a bit slurred.

“Let me help you outside.”

Kareena didn’t say a word as he shifted her to his side and tucked her under his arm. He was tall—at least six-foot-three. She liked tall men since she was no munchkin. The heat from his body seemed to envelope her as she put her arm around his waist to anchor herself. The scent of his cologne hit her nose, and she dragged in a lungful, liking the smell.

Outside, her friends gave her encouraging smiles and said their goodbyes, leaving Kareena alone with the hottie. She was sure she’d get phone calls from all of them tomorrow.

She looked at the hunk and found him intently watching her. Her pussy clenching with need, Kareena said the first thing that came to her mind. “I’m Kareena. Why don’t you take me to your place?” Of course all her words kind of slurred together, but the smile he flashed her said he didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m Miles,” he said in his deep voice. “Are you sure you’re in any condition for that?”

“I’ll admit I’m a bit drunk, but I’m good.”

“How about I drive you home instead?”

“Okay. You can spend the night with me.”

He chuckled and walked her over to the parking lot and a fancy black Audi. With a push of a button, he had the car unlocked. Once he had the passenger door open, he helped her onto the leather seat and waited until she’d buckled her seatbelt before he closed her inside. In a matter of seconds, he was behind the wheel and starting the engine.

Kareena settled deeper into the seat as Miles backed up and then drove out of the parking lot. Her eyes grew heavy as he merged with the traffic. Unable to keep them open any longer, she fell into a deep sleep.

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A WARRIOR TO LOVE by Marisa Chenery

Today on our Cyber Launch Party Blog, we're celebrating a new release in Marisa Chenery's popular Warrior Hunger Series with Ellora's Cave!

A WARRIOR TO LOVE by Marisa Chenery

Book four in the Warrior Hunger series.


After a disastrous blind date leaves Alexis stranded, she hits up a handsome stranger in the restaurant for his cell phone. She connects to more than the cab company. One look from him has her pulse racing and other notable body parts standing at attention. Their instant chemistry has her night making a turn for the better.

A Warrior of Anubis since 1920, Konner finds the loneliness of his life getting to him. And being celibate for the last five years certainly isn’t helping matters any. But the sexy damsel in distress stirs passions long buried. He has to have her—in his life and in his bed. She’s everything he’s ever wanted in his long existence. But the nature of who he is could end this love affair before he has a chance at forever.

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An Excerpt From: A WARRIOR TO LOVE Copyright © MARISA CHENERY, 2012 All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc. “I was going to suggest we do something else after we eat, like going to a nightclub, but how would you feel about going to my place? We can play some video games,” he said with a smile. “See who the better gamer is.”  Alexis had the distinct impression that if she said yes, playing video games wouldn’t be the only thing they would be doing. Not that that bothered her. She’d use any excuse to get someplace alone with Konner.  “All right. You’re on,” she said. “So what does the winner get?”  Heat flared in Konner’s eyes. “Anything they want. Within reason, of course.”  “Of course.”  Alexis would try her damnedest to be the winner. The thought of telling Konner to take his clothes off while she watched sent a flood of warmth through her body. Though ending up the loser would more than likely be something she’d enjoy as well. The way his gaze seemed to eat her up as he stared at her, Konner’s thoughts could be going down the same road as hers.  “Then we’re on?” he asked in a voice that had gone a little husky.  “Definitely. Just be prepared to get your ass beat.”  “You’re pretty confident you’ll win. You’ve never played against me before. I might be the one beating your cute ass.”  She gave him a smile. “We shall see.” Even though it was an offhanded remark about her ass, a thrill still went through Alexis to know Konner thought it was cute.  They finished the rest of the food. To speed things up a bit, Alexis packed in the chopsticks and picked up the rolls with her fingers. Konner paid their bill, and they were soon outside getting into his car.  When they reached the Southport Corridor neighborhood, Alexis realized Konner had never said what he did for a living. Whatever it was, she had a feeling it paid really well. That was proven correct when he pulled into the driveway of a majestic-looking Queen Anne house that sat on a large corner lot. The property had black wrought-iron fencing all around it. It also looked to be worth a fortune. Konner parked in front of a two-car detached garage and shut the engine off.  Alexis waited for him to come around and open the door for her. Konner seemed to be a gentleman that way, always opening and closing it. With a hand on the small of her back, he guided her to the double doors at the front of the house. Inside, they stepped into an entranceway that had mosaic floors.  “How big is this place?” she asked as Konner shut the door they’d come through behind them.  “It’s sixty-four hundred square feet.”  “That’s huge. I guess you don’t have to worry about feeling you’re running out of space.”  Konner chuckled. “No, I don’t. Come on. I’ll show my media room. That’s where I have my systems set up.”  He led her to a door that had a flight of stairs going down to what turned out to be a finished basement. Her eyes widened when she took in the catering kitchen.  “Someone could use this basement as an apartment with the kitchen and all.”  “I like my privacy too much for that, and I don’t need renters to pay for the place. Besides the kitchen and media room, I have a thousand-bottle wine cellar down here as well.”  She blinked. “A thousand bottles? You can’t have that many down here.”  Konner chuckled. “No, I don’t. The cellar is more for a wine collector, which I’m not.”  He led her to his media room. There was a large LCD television hanging on one wall with a thick-cushioned couch facing it. The entertainment unit sitting under the TV had two gaming systems set up on it and the shelves inside were filled with games.  Alexis sat on the couch as Konner walked over to the entertainment unit. “So what game do you have in mind for us to play?” she asked.  He selected one off the shelf and held it up. “This. It’s a shooter. Whoever gets the most kills during a match wins.”  “You’re on. Just to give you fair warning, I’m pretty good at games like this.”  Konner turned on one of the systems, then put in the game disc. “So am I,” he said as he took a seat next to her before he handed her a wireless controller.  As they played, Alexis soon found out Konner was as good as he’d said. He was definitely giving her a run for her money. She even wondered if she’d be able to beat him. Plus, it didn’t help that he sat so close their thighs touched. His body heat sank into hers, making her very aware of him. With each breath she took, she pulled in the scent of his aftershave and the one that was totally his own. Alexis found it hard to keep her full attention on the game, which caused her to make some silly mistakes that worked out in Konner’s favor. If he was as affected by her nearness as she was by his, he didn’t show it. And it sure didn’t seem to hinder his playing abilities, either.  But somehow Alexis managed to pull off the win in the last few seconds of the match. She let out a whoop as their scores appeared on the TV screen. The difference was only by one kill, but she’d take it.  “I guess that makes me the better gamer,” she said as she turned to look at Konner.  “Or you just were lucky,” he replied.  “Either way I still won.”  Konner took the controller from her, then stood and returned hers and his to the entertainment unit. He took out the game disc and shut off the system before he once again sat beside her.  “All right, winner. You can have anything you want. So what will it be?”  Alexis didn’t even hesitate. “You.”   LIKED THE EXCERPT?? CLICK HERE TO BUY THE eBOOK

MILES'S REDEMPTION by Marisa Chenery

MILES'S REDEMPTION by Marisa Chenery

Roxie's Protectors

Miles knew using Dirk’s online dating service wouldn’t be the best way to find his mate and is proven right when his date stands him up. But his bad luck turns to good when his would-be mate walks through the restaurant’s doors.

Kareena has been on a dating dry streak since her fiancé of seven years dumped her the year before. She wants the hottie who sits close to her and her friends’ table to be the one to end it, but she doesn’t have enough nerve to go up and talk to him. But after meeting Miles, her life ends up going in a direction she never thought would exist. And she soon learns she is the only thing that can secure Miles’s redemption.

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Chapter One

Shutting off the engine on his black Audi, Miles let out a loud breath. He looked at the building in front of him. He had no idea why he’d allowed Jaden to talk him into this. It wasn’t going to work, no matter how accurate Dirk thought his online dating service was. There was no way in hell Miles would find his mate this way.

He got out of the car then pushed the button on the remote on his keychain to lock it. To make Jaden happy, and to make her stop bugging the crap out of him, Miles had finally caved in and set up a date with the mortal woman who was supposedly his closest match. From her picture on the dating service’s website, this Gail looked attractive enough, but he really had his doubts she’d end up being his mate. For one thing, she was mortal. Her lifespan was so much shorter than his. He was almost a thousand years old and was guaranteed to see another two thousand birthdays. And Miles knew, along with the rest of the werewolf population, there was no way to turn a mortal into one of their kind. He’d prefer his mate to be a werewolf so he wouldn’t have to suffer through losing her too early.

Miles headed for the entrance to the restaurant slash bar he’d chosen to meet up with his date. He snorted. He’d never thought he’d “date” anyone again. Ever since his relationship with Jaden’s mother—who hadn’t been his mate—had ended, he’d only sought out women who would be happy with a quick tumble in the sack and then move on. He hadn’t wanted anything else until Jaden had brought up the subject of him finding his mate. Deep down inside, he’d wanted what his daughter had with her mate, Leif.

He stepped inside the restaurant and went over to the hostess who smiled as he approached. “I have a reservation for two,” Miles said then gave her his name.

She took him to a table in the center of the room and placed two menus on its surface before she left. As Miles snagged one and pulled it in front of him, he hoped his date wouldn’t keep him waiting long. A quick look at his watch told him he was a few minutes early.

A waiter appeared and asked if Miles would like to order a drink. Miles decided he might as well and asked for a beer. A minute or so later, the waiter came back with his drink before leaving Miles alone once again.

More people came into the restaurant, but none of them was his date. Having an excellent view of the entrance from where he sat, Miles looked in that direction each time the door opened. And each time he didn’t see the mortal who was to meet up with him.

Fifteen minutes went by and then a half hour. Miles was already on his second beer when he reached the conclusion that he’d more than likely been stood up. Just to make sure, he took out his smart phone and checked the email account he’d set up just for communicating with his would-be “dates.” Sure enough, there was an email from Gail sent forty-five minutes earlier, saying she had to cancel and asking if they could arrange to meet another time.

Miles mentally crossed her off the list, not that there were any others on it besides Gail. This also gave him another reason why the online dating service wasn’t for him. He didn’t like being stood up by a woman he hadn’t even met and had only communicated with through the Internet.

With a sigh full of disgust, Miles lifted his bottle of beer to his lips and took a swallow. He’d finish this then go home. There was no point hanging around. Maybe he’d even order something from the restaurant for take-out.

He’d just looked down at the menu in front of him to see what he’d like when a new scent barreled into him like a speeding train. His head snapped up, and his gaze focused on the entrance. His grip on the bottle he held tightened as his cock went instantly rock hard, his mating urge slamming into him and riding his ass hard. Miles had to hold back a growl that threatened to punch out of him as he spotted a group of four women who’d just come into the restaurant. One of them was his would-be mate. He separated her scent from all the others in the large open space and dragged it deep, memorizing it.

As the hostess led the small group farther into the room, Miles kept his gaze glued to them. They came closer to his table. It was then he was able to zero in on which woman was meant to be his. He focused solely on her. The urge to go to her and drag her into his arms was hard to resist.

Instead, he settled for taking in everything about her. Shoulder-length light brown hair shined in the overhead lighting. Miles guessed her to be around five-foot-seven, tall for a mortal woman. Her dark brown eyes flashed as she laughed at something one of the other females said. He ran his gaze down her body from her beautiful face to a slim, curvy body and long, toned legs showcased in a pair of snug-fitting black jeans.

Miles’s cock jerked as he drew in another lungful of her scent as she walked past his table. He continued to follow her with his gaze, pleased to see the group snaked around tables and ended up sitting at a booth straight across from where he sat. He had an excellent view of his would-be mate as she slipped onto the bench seating.

He drained the last bit of his beer then set the bottle on the table. A short while later, his waiter approached him. This time Miles ordered something off the menu, not for take-out, and another beer. He’d be staying right where he was until the woman who was meant for him showed signs of leaving the restaurant. Drawn to the female who was meant to be his, the mating urge making it hard to focus on anything but her, he wouldn’t be going home until he’d taken steps to have them on the road to becoming mates.

*

“Here’s to the birthday girl,” Kareena said as she lifted her glass of wine toward her friend, Alice. “And to Lacy, who finally woke up, realized how much of an asshole her boyfriend was, and dumped his ass.” Kareena, Alice, Lacy, and their other friend, Natalie, took sips of their drinks.

“I guess that is something to celebrate besides me being one year older,” Alice said. She looked at Lacy. “Kareena is right, though. Evan was an asshole, and you can do so much better.”

Lacy sighed. “I know, I know. All I can say is the sex had been pretty damn good, and I stupidly turned a blind eye to Evan’s bad points because of it.”

“At least you came to your senses before you wasted years with him,” Natalie said. “He was the type of guy who would keep you around until he’d found something better.”

Kareena nodded. “Yeah, count yourself lucky. From firsthand experience, it’s not fun having to go through that.”

Up until last year, Kareena had been engaged for seven damn long years. Her ex had asked her to marry him when she’d been twenty-four. They’d been together for a year at that point. She’d been so happy and had agreed when Victor suggested a long engagement. Kareena had figured it would give her plenty of time to plan the wedding of her dreams. She’d never expected it to be quite so long. After a while she’d wondered if Victor actually really wanted to get married. She’d put some pressure on him to settle on a date. That had blown up in her face when he’d suddenly decided he didn’t want to be with her anymore. Now at thirty-two, Kareena figured Victor had taken some of the best years of her life. Ones she’d never get back.

Lacy, who sat next to Kareena, patted Kareena’s hand. “Your ex was an asshole too. And he has no idea what he gave up, but it’s his loss.”

“Thanks, Lacy,” Kareena said. “Now no more negative thoughts. Let’s get this celebration going.”

With their food and second round of drinks served, Kareena relaxed and set out to enjoy herself. She and her girlfriends didn’t get together like this as often as they used to. With all of them busy in their jobs, it was hard to find time when they all could meet up without someone’s schedule coming into conflict. Being an ER nurse, Kareena’s was the hardest one to work around.

On her fourth glass of wine and feeling a bit on the drunk side, Kareena figured one more drink would be her limit. She’d take a cab home, so it wasn’t as if she had to drive. After a week of twelve-hour shifts at the hospital, she needed to let her hair down and unwind.

Natalie, who sat on the opposite bench and on the outside like Kareena, cleared her throat. “Ah, Kareena, I think you’ve caught the notice of the hottie sitting alone a couple of tables away.”

“What?” she asked as she went to turn her head to look. Natalie stopped her before she could even get a glimpse.

“Don’t look,” her friend said. “At least don’t be blatant about it. Don’t make it appear as if you’ve noticed him. Make him work for it.”

Kareena rolled her eyes. Natalie was the type of woman who liked to make a man practically jump through hoops before she agreed to go out with him. Kareena wasn’t like that, but to make her friend happy, she did a slow sweep of the room, her gaze lingering for a few seconds longer on the table Natalie had indicated before finishing up with the rest.

She met her friend’s gaze. “Holy shit. You weren’t kidding when you called him a hottie. He’s freaking gorgeous.”

Natalie smiled. “I told you. And he’s stared at you since we sat down.”

Her other friends made sounds of appreciation when they too looked at the man. He wasn’t hard to miss with his blond hair so light it almost appeared white and his cover model face. And from what Kareena had seen of his upper body, the guy was really muscular, his wide shoulders and chest filling out the dark blue button-down shirt he wore to perfection.

“Who is to say he’s looking at me?” Kareena asked. “He could be watching any of you as well.”

Alice shook her head. “Nope, his gaze is right on you.” She moaned. “Oh god, he just smiled, which makes him even better looking.”

Kareena had to look again to see if Alice was right or not about him only focused on her. She turned her head in his direction then had to bite back a groan. He did indeed seem to stare at only her. Their gazes met, and her body responded with arousal. Her pussy clenched, and her nipples grew taut when she thought she saw hunger flash in his eyes even from the distance between him. Her blood heated, and she felt her face grow flush. She had a hard time tearing her gaze off him.

“I think you should go pick him up,” Lacy said.

Kareena stared at her friend as if she’d lost her mind. Kareena was drunk but not that drunk. “No,” she said firmly. “I’d have to have a hell of a lot more than this to drink to even consider it.”

Natalie pushed her drink over to Kareena. “Here, have mine. Pound it back, then go over to his table.”

“Go on,” Alice added.

“You can’t let him get away,” Lacy said, making it so all her friends had ganged up on Kareena.

She couldn’t believe she even considered doing it. Kareena reached for the drink Natalie had given her and drank it down in a few swallows. She then grimaced at the taste. Her friend’s drink had been vodka mixed with cranberry juice. Kareena hated cranberries, but the vodka would hit her harder than the wine.

“All right, here I go,” she said as she slid off the bench and stood.

Kareena found she wasn’t very steady on her feet as she slowly headed in the hunk’s direction. She was thankful she hadn’t worn high heels. She would have already ended up on her ass if she had. And wouldn’t that made a great first impression?

Her heart beat faster as she neared his table. You can do this, she told herself as a pep talk. But as his gaze latched on to her and didn’t waver, Kareena lost her nerve. She quickly changed direction and walked as fast as she could in her drunken state to the women’s washroom.

Once she was closed inside, she groaned as she silently called herself all kinds of vile names. While she was there, she used the toilet. Kareena was sure her friends were all shaking their heads at her. She hadn’t always been like this. Before her ex, she’d been more outgoing with the opposite sex. But since her breakup, she’d found she couldn’t get back into her old groove. Even though it’d been a year, Kareena hadn’t been out on a single date. With her busy work schedule, and trying to get over being dumped by her fiancé, she hadn’t made a point of getting back into the dating world. And being over thirty, she didn’t think that would be an easy task, anyway.

She washed her hands and took some deep, calming breaths. She’d march back out and walk straight to the guy’s table. She’d introduce herself then ask him to take her back to his place and screw her brains out. No. Kareena wouldn’t say that. Maybe he’d be more interested in sneaking her into the men’s room and taking her against the washroom stall door. She shook her head, which only made the room spin a bit. Where the hell had that idea come from? The men’s room? Ah, gross. She had to be drunker than she thought. Or horny enough to do the hunk anywhere. It had been a year since she’d last done the horizontal mambo, after all.

Kareena left the washroom and headed once more in the direction of the table where, thank god, the hottie still sat. His gaze latched on to her, and it felt as if he physically touched her breasts when it lingered there. She forgot to breathe as her pussy grew wet, an ache building deep inside it.

In her inattention, she stumbled into a chair, which made a screech as the legs dragged across the hardwood floor. Embarrassed by her klutziness, Kareena lost her nerve again and made a beeline for the table where her friends sat. She couldn’t even look over at the hunk to see what his reaction was.

Sliding onto the bench seat, she was grateful to see a full glass of wine on the table in her spot. Kareena picked it up and took a big sip. She looked at all her friends and found them giving her disappointed looks.

Kareena shrugged. “All right, I’m chicken shit and couldn’t do it.”

“You need to get out of the slump you’re in,” Alice said.

“I will. It just won’t be with him unless he comes over to talk to me.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

“Then it wasn’t meant to be.”

There was still disapproval on her friends’ faces, but they didn’t say anything else. Kareena finished her wine, knowing full well she’d gone over her limit and would probably come to regret it in the morning. Right now, she just felt way too good to care.

Once they’d taken care of the bill, all four of them slipped off the seats then headed for the restaurant’s entrance. Kareena was definitely not very steady on her feet, but she managed to keep in a straight line.

It didn’t remain that way when she reached the doors. She stepped back so Lacy could open them, and Kareena felt her sense of balance go all out of whack. She would have fallen, but a set of strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind and pulled her against a hard, male body. She turned her head to look up at who held her and saw it was the hunk. Her mouth suddenly went dry, especially when she felt the unmistakable ridge of his erection pressing into the small of her back. Arousal tore through her, making her knees feel even weaker.

He smiled. “I’ve got you.”

“Hi,” she said, the one word coming out a bit slurred.

“Let me help you outside.”

Kareena didn’t say a word as he shifted her to his side and tucked her under his arm. He was tall, had to be at least six-foot-three. She liked tall men since she was no munchkin. The heat from his body seemed to envelope her as she put her arm around his waist to anchor herself. The scent of his cologne hit her nose, and she dragged in a lungful of it, liking the smell.

Outside, her friends gave her encouraging smiles and said their good-byes, leaving Kareena alone with the hottie. She was sure she’d get phone calls from all of them tomorrow.

She looked at the hunk and found him intently watching her. Her pussy clenching with need, Kareena said the first thing that came to her mind. “I’m Kareena. Why don’t you take me back to your place?” Of course all her words kind of slurred together, but the smile he flashed her said he didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m Miles,” he said in his deep voice. “Are you sure you’re in any condition for that?”

“I’ll admit I’m a bit drunk, but I’m good.”

“How about I drive you home instead?”

“Okay. You can spend the night with me.”

He chuckled and walked her over to the parking lot and a fancy black Audi. With a push of a button, he had the car unlocked. Once he had the passenger door open, he helped her onto the leather seat and waited until she’d buckled her seat belt before he closed her inside. In a matter of seconds, he was behind the wheel and starting the engine.

Kareena settled deeper into the seat as Miles backed up then drove out of the parking lot. Her eyes grew heavy when he merged with the traffic. Unable to keep them open any longer, she fell into a deep sleep.

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WARRIOR'S SURRENDER by Marisa Chenery

WARRIOR'S SURRENDER by Marisa Chenery

Book Three in the Warrior Hunger Series

Jaxon never wanted to tie himself down to a single woman, not even when he was mortal. When a sexy temptress collides with him on the street, dumping her coffee all over his chest, he sees the opportunity for another installment of his modus operandi - seduce, bed and then leave. But this fiery woman sees through his attempts and refuses to be just another notch on his bedpost.

Chyna is prepared to walk away when it becomes clear Jaxon plans to hit it and leave. She has a plan of her own and knows seduction is a two-way street. Once she gets him in bed, he won’t want to leave. But she gets more than she bargained for when her lover shows his other, furry side and reveals his true nature - as a shifter and warrior to an ancient Egyptian god. She must then decide if she is brave enough to stay...or if she will be the one to walk away. 

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Chapter One

Jaxon strolled down the street with no real destination in mind. Even though he’d hunted his prey for most of the night before, he’d taken to the streets of San Diego the following day, midafternoon. Not to hunt. He was just restless. The thought of sitting at home, waiting for the sun to set once again so he could seek out evildoers, as was his job as one of Anubis’ warriors, wasn’t something Jaxon wanted to do. Thus, he was out wandering.

French by birth, he’d been alive since 1772. He’d taken his vow to serve Anubis in 1798 when he’d been a soldier with Napoleon’s army. They’d been in Egypt to take the first step against British India to drive the British out of the French Revolutionary War. Taking part in the last battle where the British had defeated the French, Jaxon had almost lost his life, had been pretty near death. He’d been wounded during a naval attack by Nelson in the Aboukir Bay, just off the coast of Egypt. Jaxon had been on the French ship Orient. Wounded by British cannon shot, he’d managed to escape the burning ship before it exploded. Barely reaching the shore, Jaxon had called out to any Egyptian god to save him, and Anubis had been the one to answer.

Now he lived in San Diego. For the most part, he was content with his new life. Every once in a while he’d get restless, but he always managed to get over it. He’d grown accustomed to being alone. And he didn’t miss the fact there wasn’t a woman at his side to share his life. Even as a mortal he hadn’t wanted a wife.

He turned a corner, which took him to the front of a coffee shop. Jaxon grunted, then sucked in a sharp breath as a woman talking on her cell phone, who had come out of the building, crashed into him, spilling her hot coffee on the front of his shirt. Ignoring the stinging burn on his chest, he grabbed her by her arms to right her.

She pulled her cell away from her ear and gave him a look of horror. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Were you scalded by the coffee?”

Luckily for him, being immortal meant whatever burn he received had healed in a matter of seconds. The only damage done was to his shirt, which had a big stain across the chest.

“I’m fine,” he said. “No harm done.”

The woman said a few words into her phone before she ended the call and put it inside her purse. “Look what I did to your shirt. Here, hold this.”

She passed him her cup of coffee before she dabbed at the front of his t-shirt with one of the paper napkins she held. Obviously not satisfied with that, she pushed another up under his shirt and dabbed it from the inside as well as the outside.

Jaxon’s cock stirred as the backs of her fingers rubbed against his chest. While she was busy trying to clean him up, he took the time to get a really good look at her. She was pretty with the kind of looks that drew him to a woman. Her long, brown hair fell over her shoulders, looking soft to the touch. He had the sudden urge to sink his fingers in the silken mass and take her mouth with his until she moaned. His dick liked that idea because it went rock hard two heartbeats later.

She must have noticed the state he was in. Her movements stilled just before her brown-eyed gaze lifted to his. Her breath seemed to catch as she stared at his mouth. A pale shade of pink appeared on her cheeks. She pulled her hands away.

“Ah, I’m really sorry,” she said. “Let me make it up to you. I’ll buy you a drink this evening. And I’m Chyna, by the way.”

Jaxon ran his gaze down her body, liking what he saw outlined by her blouse and fitted skirt. The high heels she wore made her legs look long and toned. He wouldn’t mind getting her into bed for a night, having them wrapped around his waist as he pounded into her. He could afford to take the night off from hunting. With the crime rate in San Diego low, there weren’t as many evildoers around as there had been when he first moved to the city over ten years ago.

He nodded. “A drink would be nice. I’m Jaxon.”

She smiled. “Great. Meet me at the Waterfront Bar, say around seven? Do you know where it is?”

“Yes. And seven sounds fine.”

“I’d stay and talk but I’m in the middle of my lunch break and I have to get back to the office. So I’ll see you later this evening.”

After taking her coffee back, Chyna gave him one last smile, then walked away. Jaxon turned to watch her, his gaze landing on her bottom. The restlessness he’d felt earlier had magically disappeared with the prospect of meeting up with Chyna again, and the chance of getting to know her a whole lot better while he had her in his bed.

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LOVE EVERLASTING by Marisa Chenery

LOVE EVERLASTING by Marisa Chenery

Wolves of East Anglia

For the last seven years, Brand has only longed to make Elsa his mate. After meeting her when she's sixteen and having to wait until she's old enough to claim her, his chance to make her his seems to slip through his fingers. But when the opportunity comes to win her, he acts quickly.

Having to deal with her idiot ex-fiance, Elsa is more than happy to see Brand arrive to take her ex's place. She falls hard and fast for Brand, but he comes with a world she doesn't understand a disturbing world that makes it hard to accept the love Brand offers her, no matter how much she wants to.

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Excerpt:

Chapter One


Brand heard the sound of the mewling cries of a newborn baby coming from upstairs as he headed to the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast. Finding that room empty, he put some bread into the toaster before pouring himself a cup of coffee from the coffeemaker that had been programmed to run around the time the occupants of the manor house awoke.

He’d just sat at the large kitchen table with his food and coffee when Nika walked into the room carrying her two-week-old son, Luke. Brand noticed she looked tired.

“Did you get much sleep last night?” he asked.

“Not really,” Nika replied as she pulled out a chair from the table and sat. “Luke still wants to eat every two hours. Garrick got up a couple of times with him since I’m now supplementing Luke with formula, but it wouldn’t be too fair of me to make Garrick do more than that after hunting Fenris’s get all night. Garrick needs his sleep too.”

The baby made some fussing noises, and Nika put Luke up on her shoulder and patted his back. The infant soon settled.

“Give Luke to me,” Brand said, and held out his arms across the table for Nika to pass him the baby.

She shook her head. “You’re eating.”

“Nika,” he said, “give me the baby. I can eat and hold him at the same time. You need some food as well.”

“Fine. I’m sure you won’t take no for an answer. You never do.” She handed Brand the baby. “I’m not all that hungry, so I’ll be quick. I know you want to go out again, and I won’t hold you up.”

Brand positioned Luke on his shoulder and rubbed the baby’s back until he stopped squirming. Brand turned his head and kissed Luke’s soft cheek as he dragged in the infant’s scent. Even though he hadn’t told anyone, he loved the smell of babies and hoped one day to have one of his own.

“It’s fine, Nika,” he said. “Don’t rush. I have nothing pressing to do.”

As she put some bread into the toaster, Nika asked, “Where is it that you go when you leave? You never say a word about what you do. You’re gone all day and come back to have dinner then go hunting.”

Brand took a sip of coffee before he answered. He liked to keep his daily excursions his business. “Around.”

Nika turned to face the table. “Around? That’s it? I have a feeling Maggie knows, but she isn’t telling.”

Maggie, Dolf’s mate, was the only person he’d said something to about what he’d kept hidden for so many years. And he’d only done it to try to convince her how Dolf would feel if she continued to hold her mate at arm’s length, afraid to accept Dolf as hers.

In way of answer, Brand picked up a piece of toast off his plate and took a big bite. That just caused Nika to shake her head.

He knew she’d hoped to get him to talk, but he wasn’t ready to do that. Maybe one day, though the chances were pretty slim. He wasn’t much of a talker and kept his emotions close. Even as a mortal, he’d been that way.

Brand waited until Nika had finished her breakfast before he handed the baby back and then headed out the front door of the manor house. He went to the large, detached garage and got into his silver Lexus LFA sports car. It didn’t take him long to pull out onto the long, gravel drive and onto the road.

He drove to middle of Norwich and parked at the side of the road two blocks from his destination. On foot, he traveled the rest of the distance as he did day after day. At least today it wasn’t raining, and he wouldn’t end up soaked to the bone from standing out in it.

Slowing his pace as he neared the small building containing a number of flats, Brand looked toward the window on the second floor that faced the road. He came to an instant stop and shifted closer to the wall of the building beside him, though he could still see what took place at the smaller one.

A woman had her head stuck out the window as she yelled at a man who stood on the pavement looking up at her. Brand’s gaze greedily soaked up the sight of the woman—his mate. Though she didn’t know that yet. With his acute hearing, he heard every word she said.

“I told you to come for your shit last week, Teddy,” the woman said sharply.

“Oh, come on, Elsa. Just because I didn’t come and get my stuff when you wanted doesn’t mean you can stop me from picking it up today.”

“Fine,” Elsa called down. “You want your shit right now? I’ll give it to you.” She disappeared for a few seconds, then returned and pushed an armload of clothes out the window to rain down on Teddy. “Don’t go just yet. There’s a little bit more.” Elsa disappeared again just before more clothes went sailing through the air.

“Do you know how much of a bitch you’re being right now?” Teddy called up to her, anger tingeing his words. He scrambled around, picking up his belongings off the pavement. He then shoved the lot into the car parked on the side of the street in front of him.

Brand stiffened, not liking the tone the other man used. Elsa was Brand’s mate, and as such, he wouldn’t tolerate another male abusing her so. But he kept his silence for now, wanting to watch how this played out.

“I’m being a bitch?” Elsa yelled. “Then I guess that makes you an asshole, Teddy. You’re the one who decided to dump me, your fiancée, to take up with your old girlfriend. You’re lucky I haven’t done more than throw your clothes at you. And by the way, I’m keeping the furniture. I paid for most of it, anyway. So sod off. I can’t stand the sight of you.”

“The way you’re acting now, I’m thinking I made the right decision. You can keep the bloody furniture, but I want the laptop. I bought that. And don’t you dare throw it out the window.”

“Will you go away if I give it to you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be down in a minute then.”

Brand shifted his gaze to the entrance of the building. Elsa stepped through the door less than a minute later, carrying a laptop. She shoved it at Teddy. “Take the damn thing and leave.”

“I think I should come up and make sure there isn’t anything you’ve forgotten to give me that is mine,” Teddy said as he tried to sidestep around Elsa.

She moved with him, blocking his attempts. “No way in hell are you coming up to the flat. It’s mine now. I even had the landlady take your name off the lease.”

Teddy put out his arm to shove her aside, and that was enough to have Brand closing the distance between him and the other two people. Once Elsa had come down from the flat, he’d inched closer to the couple.

“Everything okay?” Brand asked, his question directed at Elsa.

She nodded. “Yes. He was just leaving.”

“No, I’m not,” Teddy said sharply.

Teddy went to step around Elsa again, but Brand shifted so he stood directly in front of the smaller man, who ended up bouncing off Brand’s chest. Brand took great satisfaction in the fact that he had twice the muscle mass Teddy had, and that he towered over the man.

Brand bent his head slightly, looked Teddy direct in the eyes, and said, “Leave.” He spoke the one word with a hint of a growl and a snarl of his lip.

The other man audibly swallowed, clutched the laptop he held close to his chest, and quickly turned on his heel. Without looking back, Teddy got into his car and drove away, cutting off traffic in his haste.

Brand turned back to Elsa. He couldn’t help but run his gaze over her gorgeous face, taking in her long, light brown hair and slim, curvy body. She stared at him with her hazel eyes. This was the closest he’d been to her in the past seven years. The first time they’d met she’d only been sixteen. Now she stood before him a mature woman and obviously one who was sure of herself.

With that one chance meeting, Brand had known she was the one meant for him—his mate. Back then, his wolf had thrown its head back inside him and had howled with longing. As it was doing right at this moment. Even though none of his other fellow warriors had yet to find their mates at that time, Brand had known what Elsa was to him. Only her age had stopped him from claiming her. Walking away from her that day had been the hardest thing he’d ever done, but that hadn’t stopped him from watching over her all these years to make sure she was protected and happy. He’d even gone so far to ensure her happiness by not interfering when he’d found out she’d become engaged. He would have let her marry another man if that had been what she truly wanted. He’d found out about her engagement six months before when he’d followed her to a local pub where she’d met up with a bunch of her friends to celebrate. It’d just about torn Brand’s heart out.

“Ah, thanks,” Elsa said. “Teddy was being a bit of a wanker.”

“No problem.”

They stood staring at each other for a couple of seconds before Elsa broke the silence. “Do I know you? You look awfully familiar.”

“No, you don’t.”

She smiled. “You don’t say much, do you?”

Brand shrugged. “Not really.”

“So you’re the strong, dark, and silent type. Nothing wrong with that. Must mean you’re more of a thinker.” She held out her hand. “I’m Elsa.”

He wrapped his much bigger one around hers, glorying in the feel of the skin-to-skin contact. His cock twitched, and he became semi-aroused. “Brand.”

“Well, Brand, it was nice to meet you.”

Elsa made to let go, but he didn’t release her. “Have a drink with me at the pub this afternoon.”

She hesitated for a few seconds before she nodded. “Sure. Why the hell not? I can drink to seeing the last of my asshole ex-fiancé while I’m at it. Tell me the time and the pub and I’ll be there.”

“How about the White Stallion? It’s just down the street from here. Around three?”

Elsa tugged her hand free once he loosened his grip. “Sure. Sounds good. See you then.”

Brand watched her walk back into her building before he went down the street. He didn’t go very far. He still had to watch over Elsa and, especially, make sure Teddy didn’t come back to bother her again.



* * * *

Elsa closed her flat’s door behind her and locked it. She leaned against it with a big smile tugging at her lips. With a silly giggle, she ran to the window and looked down, hoping to catch another glimpse of Brand before he left, but he ended up being nowhere in sight.

She went to her bedroom and surveyed the mess she’d made while collecting Teddy’s clothes to throw out the window. She had to admit it had felt good watching them rain down on him. After a year and a half of being together, it just went to show Elsa really hadn’t known her ex-fiancé, after all. Never had she thought he would have broken their engagement to jump at the chance of getting back with his former girlfriend. She’d known Teddy and the girl had been in love—he’d told her that much—but she’d thought for sure he’d gotten over the woman and that he’d loved Elsa more. Boy had she been wrong. He’d dumped her and became engaged to his first love on the same day. That’d been a nice slap to Elsa’s face.

But things were looking up for her. Meeting Brand was exactly what she needed. In looks, Brand was all man with his big muscles and gruff, quiet exterior. Teddy had none of those things. Compared to Brand, Teddy came across as a wimp. He really hadn’t been the type of guy Elsa was attracted to. Now reflecting back, Teddy had just been comfortable to be with.

Brand, on the other hand, made her panties wet just from looking at him. He had past-the-shoulders black hair and dark blue eyes. She wanted to eat him up. Or at the very least lick every inch of his well-muscled, hard body. She also liked the fact he was really tall at six feet five. Teddy was only an inch and a half taller than her five foot five. It’d been pretty funny to watch her ex bounce off Brand’s chest.

Elsa set to work cleaning her bedroom. She’d also give her flat a bit of a cleaning, just in case she ended up inviting Brand over after their drink at the pub. Actually, if she had her way, he would be coming here. Even though it’d only been a couple of weeks since Teddy had broken things off with her, Elsa was more than ready to move on. And Brand looked as if he’d be the man to help her do that.

Her phone rang, and Elsa walked over to the nightstand to pick up the cordless. “Hello?”

“Hey, Elsa. How’s my little sis doing today?”

Elsa smiled at the sound of her sister’s voice. Renea was two years her senior. “Much better. Actually, a lot better.”

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve heard you sound this chipper since that fuckwad Teddy walked out on you. Something must have happened.”

That was her sister—she could swear with the best of them. She’d actually rubbed off a bit on Elsa, much to their mother’s disappointment. “More like a someone.”

“You met a new guy?”

“Yeah.”

“When did this happen? When we spoke yesterday, you were still cursing Teddy.”

“Oh, I did a little of that to his face when he came demanding his stuff back.” Elsa went on to explain what had happened with Teddy and how Brand had stepped in.

“He sounds delicious,” Renea said with a sigh. “If Brand happens to have any single friends, you can always send them my way.”

“I thought you and Jacob were still going strong.”

“That was last week. You know me. It doesn’t take much for me to get bored with a man and then move on to the next one.”

“I don’t think you’re ever going to settle down,” Elsa said with a laugh. “Mum bemoans that she’ll never have grandchildren since the two of us aren’t settling down.”

Renea chuckled. “And she’d had such high hopes for you once you became engaged to Teddy.”

“Well, I still have plenty of time. I’m only twenty-three. We both do. On that note, I’m going to let you go. I have to do a little cleaning up around here. I trashed my bedroom getting Teddy’s clothes out of it.”

Renea chuckled again. “I wish I could have been there to see his face when you shoved his things out the flat’s window at him. I’ll let you go, but I want details tomorrow on how your date went with Brand.”

“Will do. Talk to you tomorrow.”

Elsa ended the call, and then placed the cordless back on its base. Time was slipping away, and she had to get to work on the flat. Her thoughts on Brand, she straightened her room before attacking the living room.



* * * *

At five to three that afternoon, Brand sat in his car parked at the side of the road just down from Elsa’s flat. He waited for her to come out of her building. Since the pub wasn’t that far from where she lived, he figured she might walk to the White Stallion. He’d already decided he’d let her get halfway there before he drove to the pub. That way he could watch her for a bit and then drive ahead to meet her when she arrived.

A minute later, Elsa stepped out onto the pavement. Brand sucked in a sharp breath at what she wore. She had on a pair of skinny blue jeans that were molded to her shapely, long legs. They also showed off her bottom in a way that had his cock going instantly hard. A lavender short-sleeved blouse and black high-heeled ankle boots completed the outfit. She was gorgeous. Brand let out a low growl as a man walked by her and then turned his head to take a second look as she went in the other direction.

After starting the car, Brand waited for an opening and then merged with the flow of traffic. He slowed a bit as he drove past Elsa. She didn’t look in his direction and kept walking. He arrived at the pub and parked in the lot next to the building. He got out of the car and headed toward the front entrance, pushing the remote on his keychain to lock the vehicle’s doors.

Reaching the pavement in front of the pub, Brand stopped and turned to look in the direction Elsa walked. He saw her a short distance away. She must have seen him because she waved. He waved back, enjoying the sight of how she moved as she came closer.

“Hi, Brand,” Elsa said once she stood in front of him. “Did you just drive by me in a silver Lexus?” He nodded. “I thought that was you.”

“Shall we go inside?”

“Sure.”

With a hand on the small of Elsa’s back, Brand guided her to the entrance and into the building. Her scent wrapped around him. The small contact made his blood flow hotter, rushing to fill his cock. He’d never thought he’d get to touch Elsa in any way or spend one-on-one time with her. For the first time since he’d found her, he actually had hope that she’d be his mate.

Inside the pub, Brand guided Elsa over to one of the tables at the back of the room. He sat so he faced toward the front of the building, which gave him a good view of the entrance. He never left himself in a position where someone could sneak up on him.

After the waitress took their drink order—a glass of white wine for Elsa and a dark ale for him—Brand turned his attention on Elsa and found her staring at him. He gave her a questioning look.

She smiled. “Sorry, I don’t mean to stare, but I still think you look familiar. As if I should recognize you from somewhere.”

“As I said before, we’ve never met. Maybe I just have one of those faces that everyone finds familiar, and they seem to think they know me.”

Elsa shook her head with a chuckle. “I doubt that. You’d have to be pretty average-looking if that were the case, and you’re far from it. You’re too good-looking.”

Brand smiled, liking that his mate found him attractive. “Thanks for the compliment.”

“I bet you have women telling you that all the time.”

He reached across the table and captured Elsa’s hand. “If they do, I really don’t pay much attention to it. Right now all I care about is what you think of me. Your opinion is more important.” Brand watched Elsa’s cheeks darken to a pretty shade of pink.

She looked down and then back up at his face. “All I can say to that is, wow. You must hold me in high regard, even though we just met. You barely know me. What if I turn out to be a big bitch?”

He gave her a crooked smile. “Oh, I know you aren’t.”

The waitress returned and served them their drinks. Once she left them alone, Elsa said, “So you figure you already have me pegged, do you? Do you have some kind of psychic power that you haven’t told me about?”

Brand shook his head. “No, but I’ve been around enough women to know when one isn’t the type of woman I want to be with shortly after I meet her.”

Elsa took a sip of her wine. “Really? It’s too bad I don’t have that talent, or I might have saved myself a lot of trouble when it came to Teddy.”

“Were you two together long?” Brand already knew the answer, but he still needed to ask the right questions, or Elsa would wonder if he let something slip by accident. She was smart and would pick up on anything she considered out of the ordinary.

“Long enough. In total, it was just over a year.”

“Did you love him?” Brand held himself completely still as he waited for Elsa to answer.

She sighed. “Now that I reflect back on it, probably not. I think I was more in love with the idea of being in love, if you know what I mean. In some ways, Teddy breaking off the engagement was the best thing he could have done for me. At least he didn’t dump me and go back to his ex after we were married. That would have been worse.”

And Brand would have made sure Teddy paid for it, considering what Brand would have given up for the other male to marry the woman who was Brand’s.

“So you’re over Teddy then?” he asked.

She snorted. “I’m over the ‘love’ I had for him, but not over the anger quite yet. The man’s a rat. He could have ended things better than he did. Instead the idiot told me exactly why we were over. His ex-girlfriend had taken him back, and he’d already asked her to marry him. He’d said they couldn’t make it official until he ended things with me. He’d even had the audacity to ask for the ring back that he’d given me so he could give it to his new fiancée.”

Brand suddenly had second thoughts about letting Teddy walk away without facing some kind of consequences. Yes, the other man’s leaving left everything wide open for Brand to claim Elsa as his, but Teddy had insulted Elsa.

“I should pay Teddy a visit,” he said. “Make him squirm a bit.”

Elsa looked solemnly at Brand and then burst out laughing. Brand’s brows furrowed in confusion. She held up a hand, her laughter slowly fading. “I’m not laughing at you. I promise. I just had the mental picture of Teddy pissing himself and screaming like a little girl if you were to show up on his doorstep. The man’s a wimp. He’d probably faint at your feet if you so much as lifted a fist in his direction. You saw today how he couldn’t get away from you fast enough.”

“Well, if he bothers you again, I won’t let it go.”

“If he does, you have my blessing to scare the shit out of him. The fuckwad—as my sister calls Teddy—would deserve it.”

Brand barely managed to hide the smile that tugged at his lips. His mate had a bit of a potty mouth, and he liked it. That meant she wouldn’t hold back if they ever had an argument. She would give it to him with both barrels, which was a good thing. He was the first person to admit he tended to have a domineering personality. If Elsa were the type of woman to sit back and let him do or say anything he wanted, they’d never last. And if he had his way, they’d be together forever.

“Enough about Teddy,” Elsa said. “The more I talk about him the more pissed off I get. So what do you do for a living, Brand?”

“A little of this and that. Nothing you’d consider a real job, I’m sure.” Watching over Elsa had become his day job while hunting werewolves was his night job. He couldn’t tell her about either of those things though.

She took another sip of wine and twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers while she looked at him. Brand itched to reach out and touch the silky mass that fell over her shoulders. He wanted to bury his face in it and just breathe Elsa in.

“Judging by the car you drive,” she said, “I’d say money isn’t a problem for you.”

“No, not really.” Being immortal and having lived for over a thousand years, he’d had plenty of time to amass a fortune. “What do you do?” He’d followed her to work once, but he really didn’t know exactly what her job was.

“Nothing exciting. I’m a bookkeeper at a smallish roofing company. I went to the University of East Anglia for accounting and finance.” Elsa smiled. “Most people think my job is boring, pushing numbers around all day, but I like it. I could have taken my education further to certify myself for something higher. I didn’t. I prefer just being a bookkeeper. Not as much stress.”

Brand stroked his thumb across the back of her hand. He liked listening to Elsa talk, especially about herself. He wanted to learn everything there was about her. “Nothing wrong with liking what you do, no matter what type of job it is.”

Elsa shifted her hand under his and linked their fingers together. “I think we’ve talked enough about me. What about you? Have you always lived in Norwich?”

“Yes. I was born here and can’t see myself ever leaving.”

Back during the time of his birth, it hadn’t been a city, just a settlement called Northwic, which had eventually grown, merging with others until it became the largest walled town in all of medieval England.

“I feel the same way,” Elsa said. “I would never want to live in a city as big as London. Too many people for me.”

Their conversation turned to other subjects with Elsa doing most of the talking. Brand held her hand the entire time, but she didn’t seem to mind. Seven long years he’d waited for this. The last year had been agonizing. He’d waited for her to grow up only to lose her to another man. He’d kicked himself over the stupid mistake he’d made of waiting longer than he should have to approach Elsa. But now he had the opportunity to rectify it. After today, he wouldn’t let anyone, or anything, come between them.
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TAMING HER HEART by Marisa Chenery

TAMING HER HEART by Marisa Chenery

Wolves of East Anglia

Maggie can't deny she's drawn to Dolf, and she'd like nothing more than to get to know him better if the whole "fur" thing didn't freak her out, that is. After having been kidnapped by the pack leader of the werewolves sired by Fenris the wolf, she figures Dolf should be the last person to blame her for harboring a healthy dose of fear toward anything that howls at the moon. Though she's determined to get over the traumatic incident, right now, becoming Dolf's mate is the furthest thing from her mind.

Dolf is certain Maggie is his mate, but her terror toward his kind is keeping them apart. Worse yet, he has no idea how to win over her heart and, just as importantly, her trust. Her body and soul belong to him, and Dolf will stop at nothing to make Maggie his, even if it means ending the life of the werewolf responsible for keeping his mate from his arms.

Question is, can he?

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 Chapter One

The night closed around Dolf as he got out of his black Porsche 911 Carrera S and headed out on the hunt for the werewolves sired by Fenris the wolf. At one time, he’d lived for it. As one of the warriors that Tiw, the Anglo-Saxon god and Sky Father, had charged to protect mortals from the beasts who hunted them, Dolf was good at what he did. He was his happiest while wielding a sword in his hand as he struck down his enemies. That was, until he’d found Maggie.

Walking down one of the streets in Norwich, it appeared to be like any other English street.

Except around here, one never knew what could be lurking in the dark shadows, ready to spring. It only took a single bite from one of Fenris’s get to change a mortal into what had attacked him.

Dolf kept his senses alert to his surroundings, hoping to come across his prey. There was one bastard in particular he wished to find each night he hunted—the pack leader of the enemy. It was because of Stephen that Maggie, Dolf’s would-be mate, was absolutely terrified of werewolves. That included Dolf, since Tiw had given all of his warriors the ability to shift into what they hunted to give them a better chance of taking down the beasts they faced.

If Dolf ever managed to get his hands on Stephen, he’d tear the fucker apart with his sharp teeth and claws while in werewolf form before sinking his silver-steel sword through his black heart. After abducting Maggie and keeping her prisoner in his pack’s den, Stephen deserved it.

Dolf wouldn’t rest until he put the bastard down. He’d watch as Stephen’s body was consumed by Tiw’s god-fire, wiping him out of existence as if he’d never been.

Thoughts of Maggie and what she meant to Dolf had his wolf throwing back its head, howling mournfully. Both it and the man longed for their mate. He ached to seek her out at her parents’ house, drag her into his arms, and never let her go. But the way things now stood, that would never happen. He’d tried to see her shortly after he and his fellow warriors had rescued her, but all he’d gotten was the door slammed in his face after he’d seen the terror in Maggie’s eyes.

That had felt as if someone had taken a knife to his guts.

Catching a scent on the slight breeze blowing in his direction, Dolf slowed his steps. A werewolf was nearby, not the one he sought, but still one of his prey. In the area where he hunted, the homes were spaced out with large back gardens and ample places to hide in the shadows.

Dolf stopped in front of one house that was cloaked in complete darkness, giving away the fact that no one was home. He sniffed the air, following the scent trail around to the side of the property. Several tall bushes were planted there, and the werewolf’s scent seemed to be coming directly from them.

He shook his head at the beast’s stupidity. Where he hid offered no protection, nor did it stop Dolf from being able to detect him. With stealthy movements, he worked his way to where his prey was concealed and willed his sword onto his back. He reached over his shoulder and grasped the handle to unsheathe it. The blade quietly hissed as it came free of its scabbard. The silver mixed with the steel shone in the moonlight.

A blur of dark brown fur shot out from the bushes and charged Dolf. He deftly stepped out of the way and, at the same time, brought up his sword, catching the werewolf across its chest. The beast howled as its skin sizzled from making contact with the silver. Dolf expected another attack but slowly lowered his weapon when the werewolf shifted to his human form.

“What the fuck,” his prey said while he pressed a hand to his wound and scowled.

To say this was unlike any normal werewolf behavior he’d witnessed would be an understatement. Fenris’s get usually didn’t back down, especially when confronted by one of Tiw’s warriors. Their pack members knew all about them.

“Tell me you did not just cut me with a fucking sword,” the werewolf spat.

Dolf frowned. “Ah, yeah, I did. It’s what I do.”

“So you go around jabbing it into innocent people, whenever you feel like it?”

Now, this was getting downright weird. “I’d hardly call you innocent. You’re a werewolf.”

The other man sniffed the air. “By your scent, I’d say you are too.”

It was Dolf’s turn to scowl. “I’m nothing like you. I can shift into werewolf form, but I’m one of the Anglo-Saxon god’s warriors.”

“A god? You expect me to believe that shit?”

Dolf was really confused now. “Are you playing some kind of game to delay the inevitable? All the members of your pack know about me and my fellow warriors. You consider us the bad guys because we kill as many of your kind as we can. It’s our job to protect mortals from Fenris’s get. And the best way to do that is to end your existence.”

The werewolf shook his head. “I haven’t a fucking clue what you’re talking about. I don’t know about any pack. I’ve been on my own.”

“How can you be? When was your first shift?”

“Two nights ago.”

Dolf gave the werewolf a direct look. “You should’ve been drawn to the pack’s den by instinct after you were bitten. Then, on the night of the first full moon, you shift while another pack member takes you out and watches over you as you claim your first victim.”

“You mean, kill someone?”

He nodded. “Yes. That’s what your kind live and breathe for—bloodlust and death.”

“No, man,” the werewolf said as he shook his head in denial. “No fucking way. I don’t want to kill anyone, though the idea of hunting down a rabbit, or even a deer, doesn’t sound too bad. But not people. Never that.”

Dolf felt as if everything he’d ever known about werewolves sired by Fenris had gone straight out the window. This newly turned didn’t act like one of his kind should. And the fact he hadn’t found the pack had Dolf wondering if it had disbanded. The night he and his fellow warriors had rescued Maggie, they’d learned the werewolves had become divided. Not all of them had liked Stephen being the leader.

He scratched his head. Dolf believed him. The werewolf didn’t show the typical aggression associated with his kind. Looking into his eyes, Dolf didn’t see the soul of a killer, either. “If that’s the case, I have to admit I haven’t a clue what to do with you. My gut is telling me you aren’t like the others.”

“Then let me just walk away.”

Dolf shook his head. “I can’t do that. You’re still a threat to mortals. You might not go around killing them, but one bite from you will turn them.”

The werewolf held up his hands as if to hold Dolf off. “I’m not going to do that. You have my word.”

“Shit,” Dolf said under his breath. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t take the werewolf’s life just because of what he was. If he did, it would make him no better than the beasts he hunted each night. He trusted his gut, and it usually wasn’t wrong. He couldn’t believe he was going to do this, but he didn’t see any alternative. “What’s your name?”

“Chris.”

“I’m Dolf. Well, Chris, I think you need to come with me. I can’t leave you running around loose, especially if you’re lurking in bushes.”

“I wasn’t doing that.” Chris gave him a sheepish look. “I-I was hiding.”

“From what?”

“You. You smell like a werewolf. I don’t know how the hell I know that, I just do. The encounter I had with the one who attacked me was more than enough.”

Dolf shook his head in disbelief. “It’s called instinct, Chris. And it goes to show you can’t be left to your own devices. Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Nowhere bad. I have to bring you to someone who’ll have the final decision about your fate.”

Chris backed up a few steps. “Ah, I really don’t like the sound of that—deciding my fate. I’m not going anywhere with you if it means I’ll end up on the tip of your wickedly sharp sword.”

“What would you rather do? Wait around until you finally run into another of your kind? I can tell you right now you’ll be considered weak and fair game. You’d come out the loser in a fight. And I know for a fact you wouldn’t survive it.”

A look of uncertainty flashed across Chris’s face before he blew out a deep breath. “All right, I’ll go with you, but you have to promise me you won’t just up and kill me without giving me a chance to defend myself. My life has gone to the loo enough already.”

Dolf held out his hand. “You have my word.”

Chris hesitated for a second before he closed his around Dolf’s and they shook. “I’m going to hold you to it.”

“It goes against my honor to do anything less. Come on, I have to stop somewhere first.” He sheathed his sword at his back and then willed it away.

Dolf led Chris to his car. The other man whistled. “You have a sweet ride, Dolf. Any chance I can take it for a spin?”

“Not in this lifetime,” Dolf said with a snort. He aimed the remote on his keychain at the Porsche and pushed the button to unlock the doors. “Get in.”

Once they were both buckled in, Dolf started the car and drove away from the curb. He had no idea what Raed would say about him bringing a werewolf to the mansion, but Dolf still didn’t know what else he could do. As their leader and one-time king, Raed would have the final decision. But he had to make a stop before returning home.

Having driven this same route every night for the past couple of months, Dolf could do it with his eyes closed. It didn’t take too long to arrive at his destination. He pulled over to the side of the road and looked at the house across from him.

It was torture, but he couldn’t resist going to Maggie’s house to check and make sure she was safe. She was his mate, and it was his right to protect her. Each time he came, he hoped like hell he’d be able to catch sight of Maggie. Even a quick glimpse would do, something just to tide him over for another day. So far, he’d driven away disappointed each time, feeling as if he were no closer to making Maggie his.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dolf caught a shadowed figure walking down the sidewalk toward the house. His whole body seemed to come alive when he turned his head and saw it was Maggie. Alone. That had him growling softly as he shot out of the car and headed to intercept her before he could think about what he was doing.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing walking around outside at night by yourself?” he asked gruffly. “It’s not safe for you.”

Maggie came to a sudden stop, her eyes widening. “Stay away, Dolf. Leave me alone.”

Dolf fisted his hands at his sides, fighting the urge to pull her close. Standing in front of her, smelling the scent that was uniquely hers, made his cock go instantly rock hard. Inside, his wolf threw back its head and howled, longing for his mate, wanting to claim her. But he made no other move to get closer, not when he could smell her fear and hear the sound of her heart beating at too fast of a rate.

“Then answer my question,” he said in an even tone, not wanting to scare Maggie any more than he knew she already was.

She took a step back. “It’s none of your business.”

Dolf had to stiffen his body to stop himself from closing the gap between them. “It is, and you know the reason why. Tell me,” he said through gritted teeth.

Maggie shook her head. “I won’t accept you. Not ever. I can’t.”

Though it felt as if someone had taken his sword and stabbed him through the heart, he showed no outward sign how much her words had hurt him. “That might be so, but it doesn’t make it go away. Not for me. You’re my ma—”

She quickly cut him off before he could finish. “Don’t even say it. I don’t want to hear it.”

Dolf sighed. “I’ll let it go for now. Just tell me why you’re out here alone.”

Maggie looked undecided, but then she surprised him when she lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I’ve cowered enough. I’m not going to let what happened make me a virtual prisoner in my own home, scared to leave it in case I get taken again. I’m not going to live out the rest of my life being afraid of my own shadow. If I do, the bastard will have won.”

A surge of pride washed through Dolf. This was the Maggie he wanted to see, to get to know better, not the woman who looked at him with fear. He ran his gaze over her long, black hair and pretty face before he settled on her green eyes. He ached to touch her, to claim her kissable lips while he learned her taste.

“I commend you on what you’re doing, but it doesn’t make it any safer. Stephen is still out there. We have no idea where he is.”

Maggie’s face turned white, but she seemed to be keeping it together. The only other thing that gave her away was the scent of fear growing stronger on her skin. “I can’t keep looking over my shoulder. It’ll drive me crazy. I want my life back to the way it used to be before I learned werewolves existed … before I met you.”

Dolf took another shot to the heart. “I would never do anything to hurt you.” No longer able to keep his distance, he shifted closer. “I’d give up my life for you,” he said softly.

Maggie silently stared at him. Dolf looked into her eyes, trying to show her with his gaze that he meant what he said. He’d been alone for so long, and now that she’d come into his life, he didn’t want to give her up. They barely knew each other, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t impacted him greatly. He’d never be the same without her.

A moment seemed to pass between them when it looked as if Maggie really saw him for the first time. As if she’d seen past what he was to peer inside at the man, not the immortal werewolf warrior. Dolf slowly raised his hand, wanting to reach for her. To touch her skin. But the spell that had come over them suddenly shattered when a male voice called Maggie’s name.

“Maggie?” Chris called again as he crossed the street. “Is that really you?”

She tore her gaze off Dolf and turned to the other man. A large smile spread across her face, one she’d never given to Dolf. “Chris! It seems like ages since I last saw you.”

Dolf held back the growl that threatened to rumble out of him as he watched his mate walk into Chris’s arms and hug him, giving another man what he so desperately craved.

Chris released Maggie and smiled. “I thought you were still in Canada, going to school. When did you get back?”

“A couple of months ago. After I finished university, I decided to come home.”

“Why didn’t you get in touch with me?”

Maggie took a quick glance at Dolf before she said, “I would have, but I got caught up in something. It’s okay now, though.”

Dolf cleared his throat loudly, not liking the idea of being left out of the conversation. “So, Chris, you know Maggie then?”

The werewolf nodded. “For quite some years now. We went to school together. We actually went out on a couple of dates but decided very quickly we were better as friends rather than boyfriend and girlfriend.”

Maggie looked at Dolf and then back to Chris again. “You know Dolf?”

Chris nodded. “We just recently met.”

Ignoring Dolf, Maggie said, “Oh. Look, I have to get back inside, but we should get together, Chris.”

“I’d love to. I’m not sure when yet.” Chris’s gaze flicked over to Dolf. “How about I email you.”

“All right. You already have my address.” Maggie hugged Chris again. “It was really nice seeing you again. Hope to hear from you soon.” Without a backward glance, she walked away and headed into the house.

Once she was out of sight, Dolf took hold of Chris’s arm and walked him back to the Porsche. He didn’t say anything until they were inside and driving away. Mostly because Dolf needed the time to get his emotions back under control. Seeing Maggie touching Chris so easily made Dolf want to rip the werewolf to shreds. And it had everything to do with him feeling jealous.

Finally calm enough to talk without a growl lacing his words, Dolf said, “Maggie and you are obviously close.”

“We are.”

“Well, the fact you are might’ve just saved your ass.”

“Why?”

“Maggie is my mate, and you’re going to help me get her over her fear of werewolves. In my book, you’ve just become a valuable tool. You’re going to show her that not all of us are bloodthirsty killers.”

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