Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance (122 page)

Kara’s jaw dropped as David shapeshifted into a dark-eyed man. Clad in black leather pants, a black shirt and doeskin boots, he stood well over six feet tall. Wind lifted the man’s shoulder-length black hair, each strand tipped with silver, glinting like polished chrome.

Tristan, the Silver Wizard, a member of the Brehon, the four powerful wizard judges of OtherWorlders. Kara lowered her gaze, but Ryder did not, and neither did Aiden.

Her brother leaned against the railing, and folded his arms. “Tristan. Last time Ryder and I saw you years ago, you kicked our asses for shifting into our wolf forms when those Skins jumped us outside the bar.”

“I could have fried your asses for that indiscretion. But you were both drunk and I had mercy,” the wizard said evenly.

“So now what the hell are you doing here?” Aiden asked.

“I came here to help Ryder assume leadership. And now it’s time for me to step aside.”

“Terrific timing.” Ryder growled. “You couldn’t have gotten here sooner, say when Alastair was ruining the pack?”

“Things were meant to happen as they will unfold.”

“Stop sounding like a damn fortune cookie,” Ryder snapped. “Where were you when everything was going to shit?”

“At your side, as you will recall. Do not judge me, Lupine.”

The wizard’s voice was dangerously soft.

But Ryder ignored the warning. “Alastair turned psycho long before I was pushed into challenging him. He hurt Kara!”

“You have free will, Ryder. You did not choose to leave,” the wizard pointed out. “And neither did Kara. You did this because of your love for Kara, and your respect for her father. Is that not true? If not, correct me.”

Ryder fell silent at that.

He gave them a critical look. “Alastair committed many wrongdoings and now it is time to heal. It is up to you, and Aiden and Kara, to forgive the past and move ahead. To forgive Alastair for all he did.”

A knot formed in her stomach. Kara stepped forward and looked directly at the powerful wizard. “I can forgive him. I know now what it is like to love so completely, your heart shatters when your mate is missing.”

Her mouth wobbled and her voice dropped to a bare whisper. “I just wish, wherever he was, he’d be at peace. He never had any peace after she died.”

The wizard gave her a gentle smile. “He’s with your mother now, Kara, and they are at peace, in Tir Na-nog, the land where the departed live, home to the Brehon. He did what he did because he loved her so much he could not bear the pain of losing his mate. He’s suffered enough in his earthly life.”

The wizard gave Ryder a solemn look. “You will find the official death certificate for Alastair on his desk. It is dated for today. With the death certificate you may fully assume ownership.”

“How did you get the death certificate? We buried him on the property and never informed the authorities. It’s why I kept forging his signature to pay bills and purchase food,” Ryder asked.

Tristan gave a mysterious smile. “You are not the only one who can forge signatures, Ryder Carrington. What is the use of having power as a wizard if I cannot help my people? It was the last action I had to take to set you on your way to leading the pack.”

The wizard waved a hand and vanished.

Aiden snorted. “Always the showmanship. Comes and goes when the fun gets started.”

Something inside her tight chest eased at last. “Come on. Both of you.”

Taking their hands, she led them inside, past the dining hall. They walked down the steep steps. Kara found the hidden key and unlocked the basement door. At her father’s office, she walked inside as they silently waited. Kara remembered all the love her father once showed her, and how cherished she once had felt, before her mother died.

“I forgive you, Dad. Be at peace,” she whispered, placing a palm on the table where he’d hurt her so much.

They went into the cell where Ryder had been imprisoned. Ryder placed a palm on the wall where he’d marked the days with his own blood. “I forgive you, Alastair. Be at peace.”

Then they walked upstairs. Aiden led them outside onto the porch. He turned, his expression deeply troubled.

“I can’t do this.”

“You must,” she said gently. “You must because you need healing. Dad is gone now, and you have to carry on.”

His silky black hair became tousled as Aiden shoved a hand through it. “There is no place where I suffered the most, like you two did. I never shared what the old man did to me. I know what he did to you.”

“Tell us, Aiden,” Ryder said.

His expression turned haunted. “He didn’t beat me as he did to you, Ryder. He didn’t burn me, like he did you, Kara. He hurt me with words. Every day, telling me I was incompetent and could never rule a pack of my own because I cared too much. He said I’d be even bigger fool if I fell in love because love is a bitch that will rip your heart apart. And an alpha must never let that happen. I made a vow to him that I’d always remain strong, and never let a woman capture my heart.”

Kara blinked and put a palm over her brother’s strong, beating heart. “Then he placed the deepest wounds of all on you, Aiden. That’s why you must forgive him.”

Aiden sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He placed a trembling hand over his chest. “I forgive you, Dad. Be at peace.”

Tears glistened when he opened his eyes. Aiden gruffly wiped them away. “Damn, enough of this. I’m going to the barn to supervise my men. They’re probably flirting with all your available females right now, Ryder. Don’t be surprised if a few steal away in my truck.”

“It’s the mating heat,” Ryder agreed, sliding an arm about her waist. “Turns level-headed males mindless with lust. All they think about is the mating frenzy.”

She watched her brother leap off the porch and head for the barn. In the yard, children played and shrieked as they chased a soccer ball. The sounds of hammers in the distance assured her that this pack would soon get back on its feet and with the assistance of the sold antiques and coins, Aiden’s new pack would thrive as well. Perhaps she’d visit in the future. But she would never return there.

For her heart belonged here with her pack. Her heart belonged to Ryder. And here, at home, she’d remain, ruling at his side.

The End

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The Mating Heat
and I hope you enjoyed it.

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.

At precisely 7 p.m. a woman walked into the hotel and hesitated at the top of the stairs. The tantalizing scent of lilac and vanilla teased his Lupine senses. Mesmerized by the vision of ethereal beauty, Darius stared. Dressed in a green floral dress, clutching a big black designer bag, she wore pink strappy heels that accented legs that, whoa, went on forever.

Gone were the coltish lines of youth, replaced with a mature female form. Masses of shining hair the color of corn silk spilled down her backside. She was voluptuous, with generous breasts, wide hips and a slight curve to her belly. She had grown up and filled out quite nicely. But the flushed cheeks, full rosebud mouth and big violet eyes remained the same. 

It was Sam, his mate.

He’d wanted her for 10 years. No one but Sam could satisfy him. Every other woman paled in comparison. Darius felt as if he’d been handed his life back.

He set down the wineglass, unable to drag his gaze away. Ten years spent mourning her loss. Ten years spent with other women in his bed simply to forget her. Ten years spent dreaming of holding her close, only to awaken and find his arms empty.

The dreams had been woven from opaque memories he’d fought to keep alive. And now Sam stood on the steps in the flesh. He could taste her scent on his tongue, hear the increased pounding of her heart, see her expression alight with hopeful anticipation. She was real.

He forgot about the Skins crowding the bar.
He forgot he was meeting her on the pretext of a blind date.
He forgot everything, except the ancient Lupine call to mate and claim.

The slow heat building inside him became a consuming need, then a possessive frenzy triggering the instinct to rush up the stairs, tear off her clothing, toss her down on all fours and cover her. Mine, he snarled silently. 

Deep inside, the man wrestled for control of the wolf. With every ounce of considerable strength, he roped his beast and held it at bay. Thoughts of Sam naked and soft beneath him burned through his brain. Darius gripped the table’s edge.

Something cracked beneath his hands.

He looked down.

The marble table had a wide fissure running through it. Oops. 

Covering the line with his linen napkin, Darius drew in a deep breath. He adjusted his tie and tried to look like any other normal, eager man hopeful for a first date. Maybe a glass of wine leading to animated talk and then a good dinner, and if he was lucky, a tumble between the sheets.

Not what his wolf snarled to do. Forget the wine, the food, the formalities. Get the female naked, and pleasure her so completely that her brain cells scrambled, then do it again and again until she clung to him, begging, screaming his name, sealing the bond of flesh between them. Keep her trapped in his bed for three days until she lay exhausted, her belly filled with his young.

Oh yeah, yeah
, his wolf panted, nodding eagerly.
Let's do it. Let’s make a baby.

"Down boy," he murmured. "Easy. Let's make dinner first."

Look for
The Mating Rite
, Book 4 in the Werewolves of Montana series, coming out late April 2014. Darius discovers that his mate is not dead after all and he will do anything to have her…

Bonnie Vanak is a USA Today best-selling author. Her books take readers from the exotic, sweeping sands of Egypt to the majestic beauty of Montana. The Mating Heat is the prequel to her best-selling Werewolves of Montana series and never before published.

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The Mating Heat (prequel)

The Mating Chase, Book 1 (Dale’s story)

The Mating Hunt, Book 2 (Kyle’s story)

The Mating Seduction, Book 3 (Jackson’s story)

The Mating Rite, Book 4 (Darius’ story, release date late April 2014)

The Mating Challenge, Book 5 (Aiden’s story, release date TBA)

The Mating Season, Book 6 (Tristan’s story, release date TBA)

Mastyr Vampire Zephyr, a one-man fighting force, struggles to save the life of a woman who despises his warrior ways.

He won’t give up his warrior life to please a woman…

Zephyr can’t keep away from Alesia and feels obligated to keep her safe. They’d broken up, unable to reconcile painfully opposing views on what should be done to the evil Invictus pairs. But when several wraith-pairs attack her diner, he flies her to safety, taking her home where they’re trapped together for the entire day. His chronic blood-starvation problem surfaces and it soon becomes apparent that she’s the key to taking away decades of suffering. But if she offers to take care of his needs, will he be drawn in once more only to have her disapproval ruin the moment yet again?

Surrendering is dangerous…

Alesia wishes Zephyr would just leave her alone. She broke up with him months ago and wants to start a new life. The trouble is, he’s still the one man who can curl her toes. But when several deadly Invictus pairs attack her diner, Alesia has no choice but to go home with Zephyr, something she’s promised herself never to do. Trapped all day with the powerful warrior, she finds it hard to resist the comfort of his arms and the sensual feel of his lips pressed to hers. Will it hurt to offer to meet his blood-needs just this once or will surrendering leave her more vulnerable than ever?

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Hunger - Preview Chapter