STORY EXCERPT

A car pulled up and stopped on an old, gravel road. When a woman jumped out, the car took off, on the Continental Divide in Montana, where the forest was thick and wildlife was found in abundance. She was glad it was August, as the temperature that day was in the mid-sixties.

Knowing they’d be perfect for her needs, she’d worn the old clothes she’d bought at a thrift store. A far cry from the expensive, custom-made clothes she normally wore, the woman now had on faded jeans, scuffed-up tennis shoes, a frayed tank top and a denim jacket. Completing her outfit was a thick, but threadbare, vest. She had also gone without her normal daily hairstylist and makeup expert. She and her mate had talked over their plan, and she knew what needed to be done.

Her man had hired a mage to cast a spell on Karma, one that would hide her deceit. Then Vincent had gotten rid of the old woman, tying up loose ends.

After picking out a nice, flawless, four-carat diamond, that night they’d gotten roaring drunk. She and Vincent had had very rough sex, to the point she was now a mass of cuts, bruises, claw marks and bites. Although it hurt like hell, it was more than enough to convince anyone she’d been abused. When she got within a quarter mile of the Rathan Pack border, she took off running. Crossing over into their territory, she slid to a stop, falling on her ass when confronted with warriors guarding the perimeter.

“Help me. Help me, please.” Allowing herself to feel her wounds so she could shed real tears, she kept glancing behind her. “He’ll kill me if he catches me. Please help me.”

One of the guards, Benson, helped her up. Not being able to miss the defensive wounds on her wrists and hands, and all the bruises on her face and neck, he asked. “Who’ll kill you? Who are you?”

“My name is Beth. Beth Whitfield,” she answered with a half-truth. “James, the man, the beast that forced me to mate with him, he’ll kill me when he finds out I’m gone. Please, I beg you. I request sanctuary,” Karma begged, falling to the man’s feet. Technically, she hadn’t lied. She’d used her mate’s middle name. Using own her middle and maiden names, she hadn’t given him her mated name, the one that would’ve alerted all of them to danger knocking at their door.

The warrior took a deep breath. Not scenting a lie on her, he said,

“We’ll take you to our alpha. It’s his call whether he’ll grant you sanctuary or not,” the warrior replied in a gentle voice. Getting out his cell phone, he called the man.

“Sir? There’s female here who is asking for sanctuary. She claims she was forced to mate and the man will kill her if he catches her.”

Karma heard a voice on the other end to the line. Hanging up, Benson gazed at her.

“Come with me.”

She took in everything around her while being escorted into the pack compound. A breathtaking view surrounded her while being taken to the office, where she was introduced to Dane Bannister, Alpha of the Rathan Pack. A large pack, he was a strong alpha with a good reputation of being fair and honest. He was also known to take in those less fortunate.

Karma explained her situation and the man carefully listened, asking occasional questions. At last, she was done and sat drinking a cup of hot tea from beneath the blanket his female had given her.

“I’ll give you a probationary sanctuary. If you show yourself to be honest and reliable, you can stay.” When he stood, she sat the tea down and dropped the blanket, rushing forward to kiss his hand. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Alpha Bannister.”

The man gently smiled at her and had his mate take her to her room in the single female’s dorm after first sending her to see the healer.

Five days later, she’d waited for nightfall while everyone had settled in for the night. Just the night noises made the tall trees sway and the aspens quake in the breeze off in the distance. Over the course of the next two months, Karma watched, passing along information by calling Vincent with a hidden cell phone. Never did either of them use their true names, and used a long-established code. Anyone listening would think she was simply calling a friend if she were caught with it.

She told him where the guards were posted, how many, when and what time the pack was most vulnerable. Now was the time to strike.

As the guards ran their routes that night, they were systematically killed using darts and pulled out of sight. When all were gone, Vincent Strickland’s army of warriors came pouring into the pack land. Catching the Rathan pack off-guard, they proceeded to savagely slaughter the entire pack. Men, women, pups, it didn’t matter. All Vincent wanted was the land and the resources. To him, the people were expendable.

After fierce fighting that entire night and into the next day, by the time it was over, only Dane was left. Making his last stand, he’d managed to grab nine kids, including his own two pups, shoving them into a cave. Cornered and outnumbered a hundred to one, Dane fought like the animal he was, until at long last, he too finally fell. What he hadn’t known at the time was, someone had sneaked into the cave from another entrance and killed the pups he was defending. He never knew it was Karma Strickland. Dane’s sacrifice had all been for naught. That day, he’d lost his pack, his mate and his pups. His entire world was gone.

Thinking the alpha was dead, Strickland didn’t have time to celebrate. Being closest to them, the palace had been called when one of the warriors had crawled into Dane’s office, calling for help just before he died. Being notified too late, the damage was already done by the time the Empress’s troops arrived to help. However, due to evidence found at the scene, she sent her elite assassins, the Wraith, after them and captured Strickland and his men, placing them all into custody.

All save Karma, who was still using her fraudulent name. By the time warriors transported Strickland and his warriors, Karma was still close and had changed into another outfit, this one making her look as if she was terrified and hiding with the others. That is, until the women also fought. Then she managed to slip away during the chaos.

ADULT EXCERPT

“We can’t do this, Dane. We’ll get into trouble, you know that. I don’t want anything to happen to you on account of me. Please. They’ll just scold me, but you could end up in prison or even be executed. Please. Don’t do this,” Joey begged.

“You’re truly concerned. For me.” Dane sounded shocked. No one had ever cared that much before. Not letting go, instead he drew the gorgeous blond to him and snuggled into his neck and hair. “Mmm, baby, you smell so good.”

Trying to keep his cool so he could talk some sense into the determined man, Joey wasn’t fairing too well. Every time Dane touched him, another brain cell turned to mush. After all, he was hurting just as badly as the bigger man.

After coaxing his mate, Dane kissed Joey again, relaxing his mate, making him compliant. This time he kissed him slowly, reverently, running his big hands up and down Joey’s back. The small one shuddered and tried to crawl away.

With the last of his resistance crumbling, Joey finally gave in. Feeling like he was in a pool of desire, he sank into his own yearning, as it overwhelmed him. He tried to crawl under the man’s skin, wanting to stay there. The alpha had laid him down on the furs he had spread out, and Joey writhed and squirmed under his mate.

With Dane on top of him, he couldn’t think. He didn’t want to, just wanted to feel all that smooth, silky skin. Dane was his own private nirvana. For the first time in his life, someone truly wanted him and the very thought of it made him dizzy with desire. He belonged to Dane Bannister. It was a simple fact, and as wrong as he knew it to be, Joey hoped the alpha would never leave him.

Dane turned around, moving between Joey’s toned legs, getting comfortable. He felt as if he was born to be there, fitting perfectly in a sixty-nine position. The alpha took the tip of his lover’s cock into his mouth, sliding his tongue down his manhood. Wrapping the slick muscle around Joey’s length, he ran it up and down, making his mate cry out in pleasure. Dane slid his tongue along the slit, tasting the sweet nectar of his man then took Joey to the root, pulled up until he heard the little one hiss, bowing forward, reaching for his lover’s mouth. Dane, at long last, knew paradise, loving his man. Joey was his and always would be, come hell or high water. They’d face it together.

Joey wiggled, chanting his name, and mewled. Taking Dane in his mouth just enough to suckle the head, he hummed his pleasure at the taste. It wasn’t easy to concentrate on what he was doing with Dane taking him, but he was determined to give his man as much pleasure as he was giving him. Dane’s hard shaft had a wide girth and was a good nine inches long. Having never done this before, Joey didn’t know what to do, so he mimicked Dane’s actions, making the big man moan and thrust his hips forward into his mouth. He figured he must be doing something right, so he took another couple of inches until he gagged, not able to swallow anymore. Dane released Joey with a pop. He raised his head and smiled, saying, “It’s okay, baby. Just take what you can. You’re doing great. It feels so good.”

Joey tried again, this time going slower and a little less deep. He wasn’t ready for deep-throating and Dane knew it. He could tell by Joey’s movements just how inexperienced his mate was. It thrilled both him and his wolf, who was demanding they claim their mate. Pushing his wolf side down, Dane went back, talking around Joey’s cock.

“Oh yeah, baby, ohhh hell yeah, keep doing that.” His face scrunched up while the veins in his neck flexed and bunched. Joey could feel Dane’s jaws clinch and the next thing he knew, hot cum spilled into his mouth. Swallowing all he could, most escaped out the sides of his mouth, trickling down his cheeks.

Dane went to work on Joey with a vengeance, making him cry out as his orgasm built inside him. Before he knew what hit him, he was jerking, cum shooting from his cock, and couldn’t seem to stop. Aftershocks hit him and he closed his eyes, letting go and relaxing as his mate had told him to.

When at last, with them both sated and tired, Dane slid around so he could hold his precious one.

“Your first time giving head, baby?”

“Yeah,” Joey exhaled. “Didn’t I do it right?”