Awakening
Dracones
Book 1
by
Sheri-Lynn Marean
Genre:
Dark Paranormal Fantasy Romance
If
it lives, it can die … even immortal dragon shifters. Unfairly
cursed and then mercilessly hunted for a thousand years by a powerful
group of druid witches, the Dracones fight for their very
survival.
After
their village was massacred, Tierney and her friends fled the realm
of Tartaria for Earth, keeping their identity secret. Only you can’t
run from the past—a point made crystal clear when
twenty-one-year-old Tierney gazes into the tormented eyes of the man
she loves.
His
failure to protect his brother long ago left Jax broken and full of
rage. Now as his Awakening approaches, his powers grow unpredictable.
If he survives the emergence of his dragon, he fears he will endanger
the one he loves above all others—Tierney.
Their
past catches up when Tierney has a brutal vision. The Ilyium have
found them, triggering ancient instincts in the Dracones and now
Tierney and Jax must overcome their legacy and learn to trust in
themselves in order to avoid the Ilyium’s sinister plans.
This
is the first book in the Dracones series for readers age 18+.
If
you are a fan of dark, steamy, paranormal romance, get Tierney and
Jax's story and be swept up into a magical world of betrayal filled
with immortal dragons, shapeshifters, werewolves, wereleopards,
vampires, witches and angst ridden sensual heat.
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Tierney’s smile always brightened his day. With her, he felt like he could do anything, but his attraction to her when he turned fifteen was like a light bulb being turned on. He already knew he loved her, but when she began to change from a gawky teenager into a sexy woman, his feelings intensified.
Her appearance, combined with her touch and pure soul, never failed to drive the darkness inside him away. She always filled him with light, making him forget his past. His craving became so bad he started to avoid her, which only made it worse. Like an alcoholic craving the bottle, he ached to get close but was afraid if he gave in, he wouldn’t be able to tear himself away. And she deserved more than a piece of shit like him who couldn’t even control his emotions.
Now, six years later, he still had a hard on for her, making it near impossible to concentrate on anything else.
The fear on her face drove all sexual thoughts away, making him cringe. Sami sure pegged him when he called Jax an ass. “Hey, Tiern, how ya doing?” He stepped through the door, his heart racing as he fought the need to go to her and offer comfort. Her brilliant amethyst eyes met his, and Jax’s breath caught in his throat, paralyzing him. “Jax…”
His name on her tongue filled him with arousal and he stared at her inviting lips. Would they be as delectable and sweet as they seemed? Guilt consumed him as he caught the hurt in her eyes before they darkened with anger. He ached to pull her into his arms and tell her everything would be okay, but if he did, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from wanting more.
Eyes narrowed, her anger scorched him. “What do you want?”
What did he want? Damn. What a loaded question. You, of course. He wanted to touch—
kiss—every inch of her. He wanted to feel her arms around him, forget the darkness in his soul… “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said, suddenly uncomfortable under her scrutiny. Her glare stung him deep in a part of himself he tried to forget even existed.
Revelations
Dracones
Book 2
Forged
in the nightmare of his upbringing, twenty-one-year-old Samarias
harbors a dark secret, one that as his dragon awakens, threatens to
destroy not only him but those he loves as well.
After
killing his Fallen father and watching his soul mate die, Sami is
thrown another curve ball and ends up in a downward spiral of
depression--until he’s sent on a rescue mission to Calgary.
Faced
with the opportunity for a different future, Sami is conflicted. But
when he’s suddenly confronted by a new enemy, a vampire that can
walk in the day, along with the demons of a past he thought dead,
Sami has some harsh choices to make. Choices that could make or break
old and newly budding relationships.
“What are you doing here, Sami?” she whispered
the question, gazing up at him.
“Brimstone…uh, needed a ride and I’m trying to
help find your sister.” Sami gazed down at her, noticing that her lips were
just inches from his. Her scent surrounded him, making it hard to concentrate
on anything except how close she was, and the wondrous feelings racing through
him.
“No, that’s not it, is it?” Her eyes narrowed
angrily on him.
“I don’t understand…why do you hate me?”
“Who says I hate you?” Her eyes widened in
surprise and her voice grew husky as she spoke. Cocking her head to the side
just a bit, Hellfire ran her smoky eyes up and down him, making his blood boil
under her gaze. Sami fought to stay calm. It sure seemed like she hated him,
although now…
“I know what you want…” Her eyes continued to
look him over as her hands reached out to touch him again.
“What?” Sami shivered. Her hands slowly ran up
the muscles of his chest to his pecs beneath his T-shirt, before moving on to
squeeze the muscles in his upper arms. He didn’t dare take his eyes off
her.
“Mmm…nice…” She bit her lip as she surveyed him,
silver eyes glittering with mischief. Sami’s blood ran hot and he strained
against his jeans. He held his breath as her gaze slid down to his waistband.
Her tongue darted out and wet her lower lip before worrying it between her
teeth. Then silver eyes met his, shocking him at the fire he saw in them. “This
is what you want…isn’t it?” she asked and wrapping her fingers in his hair, she
pulled his head down.
The second Sami’s lips touched Hellfire’s, his
blood rushed furiously in his. She tasted better than he could have ever
imagined.
“This! This is
what you want, isn’t it?” She breathed and pulled away, making him groan. He
was on fire, and all his pain and darkness had gone. He wanted her so badly,
his pulse was racing, and his dragon was roaring like a gorilla beating its
chest for more.
Betrayed
Dracones
Book 3
A
newly awakened immortal Dracones with tenuous control of his dragon
powers, Samarias barely survived her the first time. Now she’s
back.
Coldly
rejected by Hellfire, A Phoenix shifter and his soul mate, Sami
struggles with a reason to live. He finds that reason after rescuing
one of the very special and rare Genesis Dracones. With an unexpected
second chance at happiness, he’s determined to make it work.
An
unforgivable betrayal has pushed Hellfire to stand alone against the
world. She vows never to allow a man into her heart again. Not even
one who makes her knees weak, and her heart pound like
thunder.
Only
now, her sister faces danger trying to free a pack of magical wolves
in another realm, and Hellfire is frantic to rescue her. With no
other choice, she seeks assistance from the only male who can help
them. The same one she heartlessly tossed away. Sami. Knowing she may
lose her sister is heartbreaking enough, but it is possible she’ll
lose more than that to the man who wants to claim her heart.
HELLFIRE FLEW THROUGH THE COLD
RAINY night to her meeting. I didn’t ask for any of this. She didn’t need any more
strange and fucked up in her life than she already had. She was fine the way
she was and though her family relied on her, she herself didn’t need
anyone. If that’s so, why does he haunt your dreams? A
voice whispered in her head.
“Yeah, he haunts
my dreams, but not in a good way,” Hellfire murmured as she tilted her wings
and began her descent through the frigid air. But the whisper in her head just
laughed.
Those aren’t the dreams I mean…
Hellfire growled. She didn’t want to admit she
had dreams of the sexy emerald-eyed man candy she’d tasted once, and who’d left
her wanting more.
What had I been thinking?
Hellfire circled the area where she was supposed
to meet the one she hoped would help find her sister or at least give her some
answers.
“Nix, when I find you, I’m going to wring your
impulsive little neck for worrying me,” Hellfire muttered thinking about her
sister, as she landed in the small moonlit clearing.
Stressed out and filled with the familiar unease
that had been plaguing her since her life had flipped upside down, Hellfire
shook the cold rain from her short dark hair. She grimaced when a soggy chunk
of pink fell over her eye. Shoving it out of the way, she pulled her damp black
wings close around her. She stayed in her Phoenix form, ready to take off if
needed, while searching the darkness.
“Samuels,” she growled, sensing the presence of
others close.
With barely a whisper of sound, a shadow
separated from the dark trees and swiftly closed in on her. Hellfire stepped
away as a sword swung at where she’d been standing. Instead of stepping away
again, Hellfire moved towards the black robed swordsman and swung her wing out,
spinning with it. Blood welled up from a wound in the man’s neck where the
razor-sharp edge of her wing caught him. Hellfire moved in and shoved him away.
Down he went, gasping for breath with his hand on his neck. She caught the
movement of another only a second before it was too late and spun back around
then using her body as momentum and her wings as weapons, she easily disarmed
the second swordsman.
While she held her attacker’s own sword against
his throat, she fought not to wince at the sharp pain in her side. She could
feel blood seeping down her leg. Shit! Bloody wound
re-opened…
Without moving the sword and keeping an eye on
her second attacker, she glanced down at the first man. “Thought they were just
feathers, did you?” She grinned.
Many had mistaken the thin, razor sharp obsidian
blades in her wings for feathers. They usually didn’t live long enough to
realize their mistake and it looked as if this one wouldn’t either.
“Enough.” A moment later, the shadows separated
and a tall, eerie figure in a black-hooded robe stepped forward.
“Why Samuels, nice of you to join us,” Hellfire
said, keeping one eye on her Ilyium captive.
“You’ve proven yourself, now let him go,” Samuels
said, indicating her captive.
“They attacked me. I told you I just wanted to
speak with you,” Hellfire said, feeling pissed. She didn’t need any of this
shit, she already felt like crap, and now her side burned worse than when she
was first hurt.
“Why did you call this meeting?” Samuels asked in
a deep, yet deadly quiet voice.
Hellfire shivered not from the December chill,
but rather from the feeling of danger that consumed her whenever she was around
Samuels. “I’m calling in my favor.”
That caught his attention. He shot a quick glance
at the Ilyium male she held at sword point, before the weight of his gaze
settled on her. Hellfire stiffened up at the gleam of his eyes as he studied
her, though she couldn’t see anything else of his features. “Not sure what you
mean but let him go and we’ll talk.”
So, that was how he was going to play it? She’d
saved his miserable ass. If she hadn’t been hiding up in the rafters that day a
few years ago, Deacon’s kill squad would have finished him off. She still
didn’t know why she had interfered. Samuels was still her enemy but she hated
Deacon more, so maybe because the enemy of my enemy, and all that shit…
Now, she suspected he didn’t want his minions
knowing he owed her a debt. “I’ll let him go, but I’m keeping his sword,” she
said.
“Fine.”
Hellfire stepped away from the hooded man and
lowered the sword slightly.
“Go to the truck,” Samuels commanded the
man.
“What about him?” The man nodded at his buddy who
now lay dead on the ground.
“You can come back for his body later,” Samuels
said and waited while his minion left the clearing then he turned back to
Hellfire. “What do you want?” he asked.
“See how easy that was. I just wanted to have a
conversation. We didn’t need all this,” she said, waving disdainfully down at
the dead Ilyium, although she never minded killing any of these bastards. What
had once been hatred among all the supernatural races was now more of a
vendetta against them for murdering her parents. Now, she hated that she needed
their help.
Hellfire wondered if there was going to be some
unforeseen retaliation for this. What the hell, she thought with a mental
shrug. She’d just add it to the list of those wanting to kill her. First, she
had to eat crow, although she’d do that and worse for her family.
“I’m looking for my sister, Nix. I believe she’s
in trouble and has gone to a place called Tartaria.” She could feel the
Ilyium’s eyes drilling into her and had to resist the urge to squirm. Although
Hellfire had no clue of his ranking in the Ilyium, there was a presence about
him that had told her, right from the beginning that he was pretty
powerful.
“You know why she went there, don’t you?” she
asked with sudden insight.
It was a moment before he said anything. “I do.
What do you want from me?”
Hellfire felt her frustration rise. “Why did the
King of the Nightwalkers, Val Jean, send Were-wolves to capture my sister?” she
asked, not answering his question.
Samuels glanced away for a moment. When he looked
back at her, he said, “He wants to prevent her from her destiny.”
“Her destiny?”
“Yes. It is prophesied that a Dos-virgin Phoenix
will save the Raizarch wolves by sacrificing herself.”
“Dos-virgin Phoenix? Sacrifice?” Hellfire
repeated.
“Yes, Dos as in two or in this case, a twice
virgin—”
“All right. I get it,” Hellfire growled. She
sucked in a breath as understanding dawned. “A Phoenix that has never had sex
or gone through a fiery death.”
Hellfire also vaguely remembered Nix talking
about a dream she used to have…something about saving wolves, but she didn’t
remember her saying anything about a sacrifice. Had Nix always known?
“You’re telling me she dreamed of her destiny?”
Hellfire asked, feeling the beginnings of panic trying to take hold.
“Yes. The Raizarch wolves were tricked into
service by Val Dagan over five hundred years ago, and they need her sacrifice
to escape Galias.”
“Val…? Wait. What kind of sacrifice are we
talking?” she asked. Samuels didn’t answer and since she wasn’t sure she really
wanted to know, she went back to the first question. “Val who?” She was trying
not to think about the rest of what Samuels said, but had only ever heard of
Val Jean.
“Val Dagan. He is the true Nightwalker
King. He lives in the dark realm of Galias and is Val Jean’s oldest brother. He
is a true tyrant.”
Hellfire looked at him in disbelief. “Val Jean
has Supes experimented on, keeping the ones he fancies as pets. I think he’s
taken after his brother very well actually.”
“You know nothing, little girl. Val Jean is kind
compared to his brother. But if the wolves escape Galias, Val Dagan will flee
Galias and we will all know what true terror is.”
“Why would he flee?” she asked.
“The wolves are all that keep his subjects in
line. Without the wolves, his subjects will turn on him, and he will
die.”
That didn’t sound so bad. “Couldn’t the portal
just be closed after the wolves make it through, keeping Val Dagan in Galias?”
she asked.
Samuels shook his hooded head slowly. “No, Val
Dagan’s wizard, Arckell is the one who locked the portal thus keeping the
wolves imprisoned inside Galias. It takes a lot of magic to…shall we say, overrideArckell’s magic, and open the portal. But…the blood of a Dos-virgin Phoenix during the Super-blood-moon
eclipse will do it.” Samuels paused and Hellfire suspected he was debating
whether to say more.
“So?” she asked, prompting him to do just
that.
Samuels sighed. “If your sister succeeds in
freeing the wolves then Val Dagan will have no reason to keep the portal
locked. He will flee his world, and mark my words, he will cause death and
destruction wherever he goes. Val Dagan believes anyone other than his
Nightwalkers are mere cattle—food, to be eaten and left for dead.”
Great…yet another reason to stop Nix from
fulfilling her destiny.
Samuels had slowly begun to circle her as if
examining her. Hellfire turned with him, keeping him within her sight.
“I know what you are thinking but you must also
understand, these wolves are cursed into their wolf form when their true form
is human. They are allowed to change into their human form once a week for six
hours at night. It’s said this is so that any Nightwalker who wants to, can use
them for sex,” he said.
Hellfire blinked, but she couldn’t let pity sway
her. “Sucks to be them. How many wolves are we talking about?” she asked, once
again not sure if she really wanted to know.
“Last I heard…about two-thousand.”
Huh, well, shit! “That many? Why don’t the wolves
rebel?” Hellfire asked.
“Val Dagan always keeps one or two of the
Raizarch king’s daughters as captives to ensure obedience.”
“Fantastic,” Hellfire muttered with a sigh. No matter what happened, others will suffer.
Thaniel
Dracones
Book 4
Abandoned.
Abused. Trust doesn’t come easy to twenty-year-old Thaniel. So when
he picks up a stalker, his instincts scream run! Yet
living on the streets is lonely, and she appears harmless …He
should have run.
Betrayed—turned
into a monster and thrust into the dark world of leopard, wolf and
dragon shifters, Thaniel quickly lands in the clutches of sadistic
Werewolves. Imprisoned and with no hope of escape, he finally
welcomes death. Until three very strange beings enter his life. Like
a beacon, they offer Thaniel an impossible dream—the promise of a
home, safety, love.
Scared
to believe that anyone could want him and more confused than ever,
Thaniel seeks answers, only the truth may be more than his bruised
heart can survive.
**For
readers 17+ Can be read in sequence or standalone. Get your tissues
ready and dive into Thaniel’s heart breaking, magical world to find
out what happens next. *Warning* There is a sweet Polyamorous/Ménage
relationship with Bisexual elements.
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Heart thudding, Thaniel jerked awake, senses
tingling. Someone’s here. Thaniel scanned
the pitch-black room. A room he shouldn’t have been able to see anything in,
but with his new night-vision eyesight, courtesy of being a monster, he saw the
faint blue outline of the meat hook hanging from the ceiling.
Not letting his gaze or thoughts linger on
that, he searched the small room. Even though he knew he was still alone, he
couldn’t help it, something had pulled him out of the nothingness of his mind
and set his skin to prickling—setting his senses on high alert.
His gaze drifted from the faint blue outline
of the lightbulb overhead to the dripping tap near the end of the mattress.
While he could reach the tap, his chains prevented him from reaching the
dangling cord that turns the light on—of course. But at least he had water, a
bucket, and a drain.
When he realized that the Were-wolves had
abandoned him, it hadn’t mattered much. What had hurt was Real abandoning him,
though it wasn’t a surprise. He’d expected it to happen sooner or later.
A man with little to say, Thaniel knew Real
just tolerated him and would one day leave or turn on him. After all, it was
what everyone did. For once, he wished someone wouldn’t leave him. Wouldn’t
hurt him. He longed for someone to love him. At that thought, Thaniel let out a
faint snort. That was too much to ask. Who could possibly ever want him?
For probably the millionth time he wondered
what it was about him that made everyone leave him. Why was he so unlovable?
What did he do wrong? All his life he’d wanted answers. He’d imagined the day
he’d confront his dad, what he’d say. Then his dad would tell him it was all a
big mistake, and he’d have someone who would love him once again. In reality
though, he knew it was all a big fat fairy tale. It would never happen.
Finally his hunger pains ceased. Still, he
continued to drink from the tap. Eventually though, he stopped caring
completely whether he even lived or died, and stopped drinking. What was the
point? Instead, he just lay on the mattress, unmoving. He waited for the end to
take him away, dreaming of freedom from this horrible, empty world.
He’d dismissed the idea of trying to commit
suicide when he learned that his new body healed much faster than normal.
Besides, back then he’d still believed he might be set free, or that Real would
help him escape. But now he knew the only escape would be to just let his body
shut down. Surely then he’d die, wouldn’t he?
Curled up on his side, Thaniel now strained to
hear whatever it was that had drawn him from oblivion. But he was locked in a
soundproof room, and even with his enhanced senses, he caught nothing but the
beating of his own heart. Had the wolves come back to finish him off? That
would be good—end his miserable existence.
Still, his beast screamed that he wasn’t alone
and the feeling grew stronger, making him tremble. What if the wolves had
returned to torment him some more?
When a flashlight shone into the room from the
little window set in the door, he jumped. Then he scooted up and pressed
himself into the corner, drawing his legs up to his chest. No, maybe he wasn’t
ready for this after all.
Then the door opened.
Filled with fear, Thaniel caught the
unfamiliar scent of three people. Two males and a female. Who are they? What do they want? His trembling grew
worse.
“Hey, we won’t hurt you,” a husky male voice
said.
Thaniel cringed, pressing the sharp bones of
his back snug into the corner. He tightened his arms around his legs, as if he
could protect himself. At least his long hair, as snarled and matted as it was,
hid most of his naked body. Through the filthy mess hanging from his
head, he peered timidly at a dark shape in the doorway. It was a large
male who had spoken.
“I’m going to turn on the light,” the voice
cautioned as his visitor eased into the room.
An involuntary whimper slipped out of Thaniel
as the light came on, blinding him. He sucked in a deep breath and shielded his
eyes against the pain that lanced his skull.
“You’re okay. I promise we won’t hurt you,”
the guy said.
Still not used to the light, Thaniel lowered
his arm just enough to watch the man crouch down. Though only dark shapes, the
other male and the female he’d scented entered as well, while the first guy
slowly edged closer to Thaniel.
When the guy cursed, Thaniel hunched his
shoulders, wishing he could shrink away and disappear. His trembling increased
as he kept his gaze lowered from the three strangers. The wolves taught him
well; never make eye contact unless given permission.
As the three stared at him, Thaniel sensed
their horror and shame filled him. He tried to melt more firmly into the
concrete at his back, but had nowhere to go.
He lowered his head further to his knees, not
wanting them to see him. He knew he was disgusting. Filthy. Smelly. He was
covered in dried blood from all the times he’d been beaten, whipped, and
tortured. Suddenly he wished he’d cleaned himself more. At first, he used the
icy water to wash off, but after a while it was hard to care how he looked or
smelled. And a part of him thought—hoped––that maybe, if he was disgusting
enough, the Weres would leave him alone. It really hadn’t worked, but he still
hadn’t wanted to sweeten the pot by being clean.
Thaniel shifted uncomfortably, shaking under
their silent gaze. Who are these people? Could
he have been wrong about Real abandoning him? After all, he had promised to
rescue Thaniel from this hell hole. “W-who are y-you? W-where’s R-Real?”
Thaniel asked without looking up. His voice came out scratchy from lack of use.
“I’m Jax,” the guy crouched in front of him
said, and his tone fairly vibrated with anger.
Thaniel’s shaking increased as the air around
them thickened with some kind of dark, otherworldly power. What is that? He whimpered, completely terrified. What are they going to do to me?
The biggest of the three and also male, turned
and left the room. Then the woman spoke. Her soft, sweet voice caught Thaniel’s
attention, momentarily distracting him from his terror. Even knowing that he
shouldn’t, he couldn’t seem to help it—he was drawn to look. Slowly, he dared
to peek up at her through his hair, just a little, and blinked. His eyes
weren’t used to the light and he could only make out a dark shape. Then she
moved closer and his eyes quickly adjusted.
Thaniel swallowed deeply, shocked. He’d never
seen another person quite like her. She appeared to be in her early twenties
and was utterly beautiful, and somehow he sensed that she was very different
from anyone he’d ever met.
Understanding purple eyes gazed down at him
and Thaniel felt his fear slowly slipping away. Purple? He
didn’t know people could have purple eyes. He held his breath as she tucked a
strand of long, wavy black hair behind her ear then crouched down beside the
big guy––the one called Jax, who seemed of similar age. She lay her hand on
Jax's shoulder.
Thaniel swallowed as anger pulled the black
brows on Jax’s face into a severe frown. Bright blue eyes stared back at
Thaniel. Somehow, Thaniel knew Jax wasn’t angry at him. Then the strange,
deadly power that he’d forgotten about while trapped under the scrutiny of
these two strangers dissipated. His shaking eased.
“You’re going to be fine. We’re here to help
you. I’m Tierney.” The purple-eyed female introduced herself without taking her
eyes from his. “We want to get you out of here.”
Then Jax pulled his hoodie off over his head.
“Here you can, ah—” Jax pursed his lips and hesitated. “You can put this on
when we unchain you,” he said, and held the hoodie out to Thaniel.
Thaniel blinked but didn’t take it. What is this, some kind of trick? He’d been tricked
like this before. On the streets, in the foster homes by the other children, by
his own mother. No. No way was he falling for it again.
“You’re going to be all right,” Tierney repeated soothingly, and
although he’d learned his lesson not to trust in the hardest way imaginable,
her melodious voice somehow managed to ease him even more. Why did she have
this effect on him? How?
Rogue
Dracones
Book 5
Soroyan
was meant to be king of the wolf pack. Raven was an avenging angel
sent to patrol the Fallen—until evil warrior witches attacked and
sank them both into darkness with no room for anything or anyone but
vengeance.
A
promise to his dead mate and hatred kept Soroyan, an immortal wolf
shifter alive. But four hundred years is too long. With his volatile
power under tight rein, he’s done his duty to protect his pack.
Only now, a purple-eyed female he tried to hate, has shattered the
ice around his heart.
For
twenty years Raven has hunted the enemy—closed off and alone. Until
the big bad wolf awakens her. He sets her blood on fire, except she
also senses a dark void eating away at him. Afraid to feel again,
Raven must decide how much she will give up to save the male who just
may be her second chance at love.
Book
five for readers 17+ If you enjoy dark, sexy wolf shifters,
dragons, angels and other magical beings, get Dracones Rogue and fall
in love with Soroyan and Raven.
**.99
Sept 22- Oct 9th!
Raven yanked her hand away when a shock
crackled between them. Instant hunger surged through her and she swallowed,
freezing under his intense, burning gaze.
Flames began to whip through her entire body,
sending heat to her core with an intense ache of need. Why did she have to
react this way around him? Resorting to sarcasm, Raven smirked. “Wasn’t sure if
I was going to get you back, or be stuck with a giant black wolf with red
eyes,” she said, but when he didn’t answer, her throat went suddenly dry and
she swallowed, not daring to look away. Turquoise eyes filled with stark need,
stared steadily back at her, assessing, studying, wanting, and collar or not,
she knew this was an extremely powerful male.
“You should have left me,” he finally said and
she blinked in surprise that he’d spoken. Still, she could see and feel the
soul weary defeat in him and scowled as it resonated with her on a level she
didn’t even want to think about. It also made her want to take it away so badly
she almost hurt for him.
“I could have hurt you,” he muttered when she
didn’t say anything, and turned his gaze back up to stare at the ceiling. Raven
knew it was a dismissal, he was giving her a chance to leave.
“You wouldn’t have hurt me,” she said quietly,
knowing deep in her heart that it was true and unable to move away from
him.
Soroyan scowled and then turned to look at her
again. “You took a big chance.”
“Sometimes you have to take a chance.”
Soroyan narrowed his gaze on her, studying
again. “You don’t even know me, why did you help me?” he asked and even though
she felt his attraction to her and had been feeling it for days, it was clear
he was also puzzled by her.
Having spent most of her life alone, she had
sensed a connection to him almost from the beginning and now, it melted her
heart that he would ask such a thing. “Does it matter if I know you or not?” she
asked, but he didn’t answer. “We seem to have this …” she said and waved her
hand between them, “a connection or something, and I felt your struggle.” She
shrugged her shoulders again. “I couldn’t just leave you like that.”
The large, intense male watched her and more
heat bloomed inside, causing a fire to curl and twist its way throughout her
body.
He broke the stare and her breath caught in
her throat when his searing gaze began to travel all over her. Like a warm
breath, his eyes slowly traveled from the tips of her toes up her bare legs to
pause at her black lace undies. She swallowed as his eyes lingered, then slowly
moved upward, to the too-small shirt she was wearing that hugged her breasts
like a second skin.
Had she anticipated this moment when she put
the shirt on? Unsure, and uncaring, her body came alive and in that instant,
she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone.
Mouth suddenly dry as her body responded to
him, she licked her lips.
“You should go,” he warned and his deep, husky
voice drew a shiver through her. The need to feel his hands on her and him deep
inside of her tightened things low inside, making her wet.
Raven was tempted to look down to see what
kind of reaction he had to her, but held his gaze instead. His bluish-green
eyes grew dark and flared with awareness as he drew in a deep breath, taking in
her scent.
She quivered in anticipation, knowing that as
a wolf, he’d be able to smell her desire.
What are you doing? This is
a bad idea! But no matter what her brain said,
her body, her soul, wanted this and she couldn’t tear her gaze from his. His
eyes reminded her of a volcanic lake she’d once come across on another world.
It was deceiving and appeared icy-cool, calm, and as ancient as time itself.
Yet it had been the exact opposite, burning in intensity.
Very aware that her window to leave was
quickly slipping away, Raven drew in a deep breath. “What if I don’t want to?”
The pulse beat strong and fast in Soroyan’s
neck and Raven had the urge to bend over and lick it. Drawn to him like she’d
never been with anyone, finally her reservations drifted away like a whiff of
smoke, as if they’d never been.
“You like to play with fire,” he said, his
naked hunger burned bright in his eyes, making butterfly wings tickle her
insides. Even though it was insane, she couldn’t resist. He was just so
breathtaking, so sexy, she just had to taste him once again.
“Your wolf is beautiful,” she breathed in a
challenge, breathless at the desire throbbing like a living entity between them
both.
Soroyan stilled, every inch the predator, and
watched her as she leaned close and lowered her lips to his.
At contact, flames sparked between them and
suddenly steel bands slipped around her to hold her firmly but gently against
his chest. The wild, masculine taste of him was overpowering as his mouth
opened to her. She moaned at the heady flavor, knowing she was lost.
Then he jerked away and with a growl that was
non-threatening, flipped her onto her back. A gasp slipped from her lips in
surprise.
She started to rise up, but he pressed her
back down and Raven was mildly shocked at her own lack of resistance. She’d
always been dominant, but suddenly the thought of letting go, letting someone
else take control, turned her on more than she thought possible.
She settled back with a smug grin as Soroyan
rose over her on all fours. His eyes glowed, a fierce challenge that made her
quiver with anticipation. Oh yeah, baby. She could get used to this.
Her skin began to tingle and though she was
poking the beast again, she couldn’t make herself stop. Still, she knew without
a doubt that he wouldn’t hurt her.
Her beast was curious at who could draw such a
reaction from her. She gave him a little grin. Then she eased her grip on his
waist and slowly, seductively, spread her arms out on the bed then letting her
legs go loose, she did the same with them as much as she could, opening herself
in invitation—accepting his challenge and adding her own to the mix.
“Raven,” he groaned and a heady feeling of
power washed over her. “Don’t play with me. I am close to losing control,” he
said and the desperation in his eyes only fanned the flames of passion inside
of her.
She held onto his scorching gaze and ran her
fingers down his sides in a light caress just above his hips, careful of his
wound. She smiled when he shuddered. But as badly as she could feel his need,
he continued to hold himself with a stillness that she knew had taken years to
command.
Slowly, she began to move her fingers up over
his tight abs, then across his chest, playing with the fine dusting of chest
hair. She let her own desire fill her eyes as she worked her way up and over
his shoulders to tangle in the silky black hair at the back of his neck. “Maybe
I don’t want you in control,” she whispered, slowly licking her lips. Her heart
stuttered when his eyes widened and heat coiled between her legs.
With a growl of raw hunger he lowered himself
over her.
Born
in Scarborough Ontario, Canada, Sheri-Lynn has lived in many
different places. The main ones being Toronto, Montreal, London
Ontario, Alabama, Texas, & Alberta. Sheri-Lynn now resides in
British Columbia, Canada with her husband, three kids, one dog, three
cat’s & numerous chickens. Sheri-Lynn never imagined she'd one
day be an author. Instead, she grew up riding and working with
racehorses, drawing and selling animal artwork, and of course
reading. Sheri-Lynn fell in love with reading at age twelve when she
read The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. She has not stopped
reading. With a wide variety of reading interests, Sheri-Lynn’s
passion presently is the paranormal romance genre. One day, after
reading an unsatisfying book, she decided to write her own book, with
her own characters, doing what she wanted them to do. She began to
type and the characters came to life in her head. She has never
looked back.
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