New Release Blitz @Bethany17801501 - Sanctuary by Bethany Shaw (Hunted #1)

 

SANCTUARY

The Hunted Book 1

by Bethany Shaw

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Cover Artist: Indie Ebook Cover Boutique

Release Date: February 21, 2015

Tess Monroe is a werecat on the run. Pursued by Hunters, an elite group of humans tasked with extinguishing the entire shifter species, Tess stumbles upon a safe haven. Due to a long-standing feud, she receives an icy reception. Determined to reunite with her loved ones, she accepts the help of, Nate, a werewolf. The attraction to Nate is instantaneous, and Tess trusts him despite his packs archaic beliefs and traditions.

Werecats can’t be trusted. They are the enemy. That’s the motto Nate Tucker grew up with, but when he meets Tess, he can’t help feeling protective of the beautiful feline. He knows he shouldn’t care about her, and he shouldn’t be attracted to her, let alone desire her, but the feelings are undeniable. Tasked with escorting her to a nearby pride, Nate must fight his passion for Tess. An interspecies romance is forbidden. But as they unravel secrets from the past and discover new threats, a taboo romance is the least of their concerns.

Excerpt 1

Nate pulled off at an exit. It was nearly three in the morning. He was exhausted, hungry, and needed a break from the endless darkness of the freeway. He scanned the rearview mirror, ensuring no one was behind him. The road was dark and vacant. It had been for miles, but he had to check to be sure. Better safe than sorry.

He didn’t want to stop for a long time. There was no doubt in his mind that they were being pursued. As long as they kept moving, they should be okay. Although, he swore at times that the Hunters had supernatural tracking abilities. It was the only thing that could explain how they found shifters sometimes.

Nate drove up to a twenty-four hour Taco Bell and came to a stop just short of the drive thru. He looked over at his passenger. Tess was sound asleep. Her long hair draped over her face like a curtain. He took a moment to appreciate the soft rise and fall of her chest that accented the swell of her breast. She truly was magnificent.

Reaching out, he tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear, letting his finger trail down her silky cheek. Tess stirred, her eyes fluttering for a moment as she leaned into his touch. What am I doing, he wondered as her breathing evened. She’s a werecat, and I’m a wolf, any feelings I have are forbidden, he reminded himself again. Why do I have to keep reminding myself to keep my hands off her? I need to find a wolf when I get home and get the whole mating process over. At least that way if she comes back, I won’t have to worry about whatever this is.

He moved his hand away from her, instantly missing the contact. Wake her up and ask her if she’s hungry. How hard is that? His hand reached out for her again, but he jerked it back. No. Don’t touch her. Say her name. Do something, but for the love of God don’t touch her.

“Tess,” he said huskily.

“Hmmm,” she murmured as she sat up with a yawn. Her eyes blinked open a small smile pulling at her lips as she met his gaze.

He cleared his throat. Don’t make eye contact. “I was going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?” he asked, pointing to the empty drive thru.

Tess squinted at him for a moment as she slowly took in their surroundings. “Oh. Yeah. Sure,” she mumbled as she yawned again. “Where are we?”

“Ohio. Just crossed over the border. Thought we could get a quick bite and I’ll need some more specifics from you about where we’re going,” Nate explained.

“I have the coordinates. We are going just outside of Cincinnati. We shouldn’t be too far from it,” she sighed. “Are we being followed?”

“Not that I can tell. The roads been empty behind us for some time.” He pulled out his cell phone and opened up his Google maps app. “Here. Why don’t you put in the coordinates and I’ll order us some food. Want anything in particular?”

Tess squinted and then wrinkled her nose. “Taco Bell?”

He shrugged. It sounded good to him.

“A couple beef tacos,” she mumbled as she took his phone.

Her slender fingers grazed against his and he closed his eyes, trying to ignore the electricity rippling through his hand from the touch. He shook his head and pulled forward through the drive thru.

“Can I help you?” a male voice crackled over the intercom.

“Five beef tacos.” He’d eat what she didn’t since she hadn’t given a number. Surely she was starved too. “A burrito supreme, chili cheese burrito, two chicken tacos, and two Pepsi’s.”

“Hungry?” Tess asked, arching her brow.

“Yes,” he grinned. Anytime he transitioned, he always burned a ton of calories, and he needed to replace them. It was like that for all werewolves. He wondered if the same were true for werecats. Surely they had similarities as much as they did differences.

“According to this we’ll reach the pride in about thirty minutes,” Tess said, drawing him out of his thoughts.

Wow. They were close. He dug his wallet out and drove to the window, passing a card to the attendant. She promptly swiped it and handed the card and food over. The scent of cheap taco meat filled the car, and he inhaled greedily. His stomach rumbled as his mouth salivated. I can’t wait to dig into my burrito. Nate set the bag between them and drinks in the cup holder.

“Hop back on the highway,” she instructed.

“Got it,” he replied as he unwrapped a burrito. He took a large bite out of his food and swallowed it.

Tess set the phone down on her knee and let out a long breath. She ran a hand through her hair before picking up a taco from the bag.

“I’m sure it will be okay,” he tried to assure. “I’m not dead yet,” he teased around another bite.

She gave him a small smile before taking a nibble out of her food. “It’s not so bad,” she commented as she lifted her soda up and took a sip from the straw. “I just want to get to the pride. My family… we were close. It would be nice to know they’re okay—that they made it out. It makes me sick to think of what might have happened.”

His own stomach twisted at the thought. He’d seen what hunters did to those they captured, and it wasn’t pretty. After they’d tortured them for information they killed them and then burned the village and all of its occupants. If he had a quarter for all the forest fires hunters had started he’d be rich. Not only were they destroying shifters, but they were harming natural wildlife too. It was disgusting.

“You’ll be safe there,” Tess commented drawing him from his thoughts.

“Your prides let go of the feud?” he asked curiously. The wolves certainly hadn’t. You’d think it happened yesterday.

Tess set her food down on the wrapper. “You don’t know what really happened do you?”

Nate took a sip of his drink and looked at her. He knew the story his mother had told him. Given her hatred, he was beginning to wonder how accurate it was. Anger and racism could blind you from the truth. What if he had it all wrong? What if the wolves were spreading stories to keep the werecats at bay? But why?

“The story I’ve always been told is that a community of werecats and werewolves lived within thirty miles of each other. They were working together to stop an attack from the Hunters. During a mission, a male werecat raped a female werewolf. The werecats refused to bring him to justice and when the Hunters attacked the werewolf pack, the cats never came to help. A lot of wolves died in that attack, including my grandma’s sister and younger brother,” he summarized. His mom had given a much more detailed account, but he didn’t see the need to retell it to Tess.

Tess clucked her tongue and pursed her lips. “Um. No.”

“No?” he questioned.

“That’s not what happened,” she stated.

“I’ll admit my story could be wrong—”

“It is,” she interrupted adamantly.

“And you know this how?” he asked. “You weren’t there.”

“Neither were you,” she countered. “I’ve seen the evidence to support the werecats side.” “From a feud that’s lasted decades? How?” he asked skeptically. She was full of it now. There was no way she could know what had transpired all those years ago.

“First of all, the wolf and the cat weren’t in a relationship. They were good friends. The pack only assumed they were having an affair, and made up the story about the rape because they couldn’t stand the idea of an interspecies relationship, and wanted to make sure no one else got any ideas. And to make sure that there was a rift between the two species. Prior to the attack on the pack, the pride was under siege. There was no one to come to the packs aide because the pride had been destroyed. By the time the pride survivors made it there the pack had been desolated, and any survivors had fled.”

“You don’t know the truth behind your story anymore than I do behind mine,” he remarked.

She lifted her brow, silently challenging him. “Actually, I do. There were thirteen survivors from the pride. The werecat and wolf being two of them. He had family on the west coast, and he brought her there too. They joined a pride in Washington State, the same pride that I grew up in.”

Nate did a double take. Her eyes held his and her jaw was set firmly in place. She was serious. Is that what had happened? Why would she lie? Why would the wolves lie? What was the point in holding onto a feud for generations? To keep different species from mating. That seemed a little farfetched, or did it? Even now, interspecies mingling between different genders were strongly discouraged. There was the occasional hookup, but same species didn’t truly mate most of the time, sure they could still procreate, but there was a difference between finding your true mate and mating out of obligation to duty. Why would anyone think that two different species could truly mate, let alone have children? Was that even possible? Probably not. How would that even work?

“Wow,” he stated unsure what else to say. What could he say? “And your not just yanking my chain?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No.” “Why would the wolves lie? What do they gain from carrying on the feud with the werecats? Sanctuary needs as much help as it can get,” he thought aloud. It didn’t make sense.

Tess looked away and out the window. “I’m sure they have their reasons,” she said after a long moment. “It’s possible that they really believe that’s what happened too. I mean, the pack was destroyed except for a few. If the one’s who made up the lie all perished, then there would be no one to set the story straight.”

Could what she said be true? Questions whirled through his mind. If what she said were true, then they needed to figure out a way to get the truth out there. That was the only way the feud would ever end—at least for the wolves. He opened his mouth to speak, but the GPS spoke first instructing them to take the next exit.

Tess squirmed in her seat, squinting to see in the darkness. There was no way she was going to talk to him now. She was too worried about her family. Not that he could blame her. Later. We’ll talk about it later, he promised himself.

Excerpt 2

Nate opened the door for Tess as he led her into the TV room. He smiled and motioned to the large couch. She took a seat and got comfortable.

He picked up the remote and eased down onto the opposite end of the couch. As much as he’d like to sit close to her, Tess’ perfume was intoxicating. He could be easily overwhelmed with desire for the werecat. Better to watch the movie at a distance. With the click of a few buttons, he brought up the red Netflix screen.

“You did it,” she laughed as she shifted so she could look at him.

“It took a little work.” Liar. You spent the better part of the afternoon rerouting wires and fiddling around with this. He handed the remote over to her. “Ladies choice.”

She leaned forward, her fingers grazing over his as she accepted the controller. He gritted his teeth as heat engulfed him. His cock hardened at her touch and his wolf roared to life, ready to claim her. He inhaled sharply. The desire for her seemed to be getting worse. Would it be so bad to give in? He could get her out of his system and then he could mate with a nice wolf in a few weeks. Would she be open to the idea? If they both agreed to a fling with no strings attached, it could work. No. He groaned inwardly. One night with Tess wouldn’t be enough. I still want her.

“I suppose I should spare you the sappy romance,” she teased, drawing him from his thoughts.

What did she say? Think. Romance. Right. “You don’t strike me as the type of girl who likes those,” he replied.

“I could go for a good action flick,” she agreed. “How do I do this exactly?” she asked looking down at the remote.

He scooted closer, his shoulder bumping against hers. His length throbbed against the restriction of his pants. She looked up at him, and her breath caught in her throat. He watched as her tongue darted out to wet her lips. So close—so beautiful. I want to taste her. I need to. Make a move.

“How do I…” she trailed off, locking gazes with him. “Nate.”

He growled low in his throat, enjoying the sultry way his name rolled off her tongue. “Tess.” He reached up and brushed strands of hair from her face. The silky locks slid through his fingers.

When she didn’t recoil, he moved closer, cupping her face with his free hand. His thumb traced tiny circles over her smooth cheek.

“Your pack won’t approve,” she spoke quietly.

“I don’t care what they think,” he answered honestly. He didn’t care. For years, he’d been following laws that made no sense to him. It didn’t bother him to break rules that he didn’t believe in. Tess was… there were no words to describe whatever was happening between them. The urge to claim her, to take her was driving him insane. He had to have her. Now.

Tess bit her lip, seemingly unconvinced.

Nate brushed a finger over her soft, plump lips. “They don’t have to know. It can be just tonight. No strings.” I’m such a liar. There is no way one night will be enough. We can sort that out in the morning. Maybe she feels the same.

Tess nodded with a sigh. Needing no further encouragement, he leaned in pressing his mouth to hers. Her lips were softer than he imagined. They were so full, and they moved harmoniously against his. More. I need to feel every inch of her silky skin.

He growled, pulling her closer, needing to feel her plush body pressed against his. Her mouth parted, and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring every inch that she allowed him to.

Tess gripped his shoulders and shoved him back. He frowned momentarily confused until she slid one of her lithe legs over his waist and straddled him. Her lips found his again. The light kisses quickly changed to heated nips and feverish clashing of tongues. Their teeth gnashed together as they both fought for control. Her nails dug deliciously into his shoulders, marking him as hers. He reveled at the thought as the urge to make her his filled him.

He gripped her waist firmly, lifted her, and then laid himself over her on the couch. Tess mewled beneath him, her hands raking up and down his back, lifting the hem of his shirt up, and over his head.

Yes. I need more. I need her. Claim her.

Nate and Tess are awesome. If you love reading about shifters then you ...

By Jo on February 20, 2015

I couldn't put the book down. I actually stopped studying so could finish it. Nate and Tess are awesome. If you love reading about shifters then you will need to add this to your book list. I give it 5 out of 5. Bethany Shaw is great and I can't wait for the next books.

***

Feb 20, 2015Cilicia White rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a new shifter series with each story with its own HEA but with a continuing storyline. This story starts off with Tess, a Werecat, wounded and running for her life. She is being hunted by The Hunters, who hate all shifters and she stumbles into a bar being ran by a half shifter. Nate, a werewolf, is determined to help her even though there is a long standing feud between the two. Nate takes her to Sanctuary, a place were different species gather to hide from the world, but Tess is not welcomed because of what she is. Tess just wants to find her family while Nate just wants to save her. These two have an instant attraction but Nate knows his pack will not accept her and Tess knows this also. When the two leave to find Tess' family there is trouble and Tess and Nate are forced to take shelter where the attraction comes ahead. They soon learn that they are true mates and this can and will lead to problems. When Nate's sister is taken by the hunters, we learn there is a traitor in their mist. Will Tess and Nate have their HEA and will the find his siter before something bad happens?

I was given a copy of this book for a honest review...

***

Feb 19, 2015Gabrielle ~ Bhlack Benehvolence ~ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay to be honest I don't give very many reviews because I feel that I cannot be objective enough to express my opinion regardless of whether or not I liked the book. Every once in awhile though a book will be brought to my attention with an intriguing story line and engaging characters, Bethany Shaw's Sanctuary just so happens to be one of these books!

This was my first book by Ms. Shaw and it was truly an awesome read, I've always loved shifter novels and her's was no exception. It had to be one of the best shifter stories I've read in a while! after my literary journey with Tess and Nate I found myself wishing for their happily ever after, They deserve it! I thought.

The emotions the author expressed in the story seem to leap out and wrap themselves around the reader, especially during scenes of suspense, there was a tenseness in some of the scenes that you could easily feel. Similar to when you watch a suspenseful movie and find yourself thinking Be careful guys!

The first chapter does a nice job of grabbing your attention from the very start, you can very easily feel Tess' emotions; her pain and fear, it's these emotions that keep you reading!

Sanctuary Purchase Links 
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Bethany Shaw I am happily married to my husband of almost nine years and have two wonderful children. I have always loved reading and writing and am thrilled to have published my first novel. Paranormal romance is my go to genre and the genre I prefer to write in. I love the unique feel of creating an entirely different world and implementing it into the human verse.   

   

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Reading, Writing, and Book Reviews

  Author Bethany Shaw

Review @Mandy_Harbin - Surrounded by Woods by Mandy Harbin (Woods Family #1)

Surrounded by Woods

Woods Family #1

by Mandy Harbin

Goodreads blurb:  When Mikaela Patterson must take on a client with specific requirements that no single women be allowed on his property, she keeps her broken engagement a secret. She doesn’t realize her client and his sons are mountain lion shifters whose instinct to mate with any available woman turns deadly.

Josh Woods is her client's eldest son, and he is immediately drawn to Mikaela. Knowing his father would never allow an available woman on the property, Josh doesn't understand his fascination with her. Josh and Mikaela fight their attraction because of their own secrets, but when the truth comes out about Mikaela's true availability and Josh's animal instincts, they must be prepared to face the consequences.

About the Author:  After reading Danielle Steel’s Summer’s End, Mandy became hooked on reading romance. Of course she was probably too young to be reading books like that at the time, which made it even that much better! She dabbled in writing throughout adolescence and justified studying it in college under that wonderful umbrella of liberal arts. Living in Arkansas, she figured writing was a dream and not a career, so when she went back to get her master’s degree, she studied business. It wasn’t until she was staying up late to write—after working full-time, spending time with the family, and studying mind-numbing business nonsense—when she realized something had to give. The love of writing prevailed. She still lives in Arkansas with a few classes shy of an MBA but now with more time to submerge herself in her craft.

Connect with Mandy:

~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~

My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!

The cover is beautiful!!  I’d take Josh and his cat anyday ;)

This is an adult book due to the sexual content and scenes which were very steamy.

I’ve had this book for more than a year, and I’m not sure why I didn’t read it sooner.  This is my first time reading Mandy’s work, and it is definitely not my last.  This book surprised me because normally I want action not just dating or sexual drama, but Mandy did a phenomenal job of pulling me into the story and not letting go.  I know it says this book is around 75 pages, but it felt much fuller a story than 75 pages and I have no idea how she managed it but awesome!!! :) 

Mikaela is an awesome female lead because she strong and quick witted and is excellent with her banter.  I was definitely laughing out loud several times when her and Josh were having words.  Josh is strong, sexy, and very devious which I love :)

Mandy’s shifter world is more like cats in the wild which is really cool and makes it a unique twist for what I’ve read thus far.  Of course I didn’t want it to end, so now I want more!!!  It is a good thing I have book 2 as part of a bundle shifter set I bought!!!  YAY!!!

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves shifter reads and being free it is a great way to get to know this author’s work!!!

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~ B&N ~ Smashwords ~

Review @authorabby - Given to the Pack by Abby Weeks (Wolfpack Trilogy #1)

Given to the Pack

Wolfpack Trilogy #1

by Abby Weeks

Goodreads blurb:  This is the remarkable first book in the stunning new Wolfpack Trilogy. It tells the story of Aisha, a curvy girl who is abused and humiliated by her boyfriend, Heath. He makes her believe that she is fat and ugly. When she moves to Alaska, she learns that there are men in the forest who can shift into wolves. They are more than willing to show her just how beautiful and desirable her body really is. Will you join Aisha on this remarkable, soul-stirring, journey?

About the Author:  Hi, my name is Abby. I hope you enjoy my exciting new romance and erotica stories.

I love stories about strong, female protagonists that give you a good character arc and background to the action as well as providing the steamy details of what they get up to. I am particularly attracted to themes like wife-swapping, voyeurism, exhibitionism, and public and group encounters.

I am thirty-years-old and live in the beautiful forests of rural Ontario, Canada, with my two dogs.

I hope you enjoy my stories. You are always welcome to contact me at: abby@type-writer.net

Connect with:

~ Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads ~

My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!!

***Received a copy of the ebook for an honest review

The cover is way sexy though if they are Hunter and Heath, I’d like to slap them both :)

Okay, I was totally sucked into this story, but parts of it for me were like driving by an accident and not being able to take your eyes off the horrible thing happening.  This is absolutely an adult book, so if you are not an adult find another book to read.  Things happen in this book that are not nice and pretty like emotional abuse and rape that is like date rape where there is major pressure to do the things wanted and basically her giving up and letting them do whatever they want.  I do not want to give the story away, but I wanted to give a heads up to those readers who will not read things containing such parts.

Throughout the book, Aisha is trying to be strong and knows things are going on that she wants to stop, but her fear stops her from taking any action.  I think she is building up to a strength that no one realizes she has, but right now that is just my gut feeling :)  Heath is a jerk and scumbag, and I don’t think I like him at all.  This book makes me wonder if things portrayed here actually happen in the wilds of Alaska, but I have no clue if it is true or just something out of the author’s mind.

I have lots of questions about Packer and the other shifters, and I secretly hope that the people in Dead Wolf are wrong about how they think of them and that Aisha’s gut is closer to the truth.  I really need to know what happens next, so I’m going to head off to read book 2 now :)

I recommend this book to readers who don’t mind multiple partner scenes and darker sexual content but also have to have their shifters in the mix too!!

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~ B&N ~ 

Friday Reveal @Month9Books & Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals - Nobody's Goddess by Amy McNulty (Never Veil #1)

Welcome to this week's 
M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we will be unveiling the prologue for

Nobody's Goddess
Never Veil #1 
by Amy McNulty

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

In a village of masked men, each loves only one woman and must follow the commands of his “goddess” without question. A woman may reject the only man who will love her if she pleases, but she will be alone forever. And a man must stay masked until his goddess returns his love—and if she can’t or won’t, he remains masked forever.

Where the rest of her village celebrates this mystery that binds men and women together, seventeen year old Noll is just done with it. She’s lost all her childhood friends as they’ve paired off, but the worst blow was when her closest companion, Jurij, finds his goddess in Noll’s own sister. Desperate to find a way to break this ancient spell, Noll instead discovers why no man has ever loved her: she is in fact the goddess of the mysterious lord of the village, a Byronic man who refuses to let Noll have her right as a woman to spurn him and who has the power to fight the curse. Thus begins a dangerous game between the two: the choice of woman versus the magic of man. And the stakes are no less than freedom and happiness, life and death—and neither Noll nor the veiled man is willing to lose.

Nobody's Goddess 
Never Veil #1
by Amy McNulty

Publication date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.

Prologue
When I had real friends, I was the long-lost queen of the elves.
A warrior queen who hitched up her skirt and wielded a blade. Who held her retainers in thrall. Until they left me for their goddesses.
Love. A curse that snatches friends away.
One day, when only two of my retainers remained, the old crone who lived on the northern outskirts of the village was our prey. It was twenty points if you spotted her. Fifty points if you got her to look at you. A hundred points if she started screaming at you.
You won for life if you got close enough to touch her.
“Noll, please don’t do this,” whispered Jurij from behind the wooden kitten mask covering his face. Really, his mother still put him in kitten masks, even though eleven was too old for a boy to be wearing kittens and bunnies. Especially ones that looked likely to get eaten for breakfast by as much as a weasel.
“Shut up, I want to see this!” cried Darwyn. Never a kitten, Darwyn always wore a wolf mask. Yet behind the nasty tooth-bearing wolf grin—one of my father’s better masks—he was very much a fraidycat.
Darwyn shoved Jurij aside so he could crouch behind the bush that was our threadbare cover. Jurij nearly toppled over, but I caught him and set him gently upright. Sometimes I didn’t know if Jurij realized who was supposed to be serving whom. Queens shouldn’t have to keep retainers from falling.
“Quiet, both of you.” I scanned the horizon. Nothing. All was still against the northern mountains save for the old crone’s musty shack with its weakly smoking chimney. The edges of my skirt had grazed the dusty road behind us, and I hitched it up some more so my mother wouldn’t notice later. If she didn’t want me to get the blasted thing dirty, she should have let me wear Jurij’s trousers, like I had been that morning. That got me a rap on the back of the head with a wooden spoon, a common occurrence when I was queen. It made me look too much like a boy, she scolded, and that would cause a panic.
“Are you going or not?” Darwyn was not one for patience.
“If you’re so eager, why don’t you go?” I snapped back.
Darwyn shook his wolf-head. “Oh, no, not me.”
I grinned. “That’s because you’re scared.”
Darwyn’s muffled voice grew louder. He stood beside me and puffed out his chest. “I am not! I’ve been in the commune.”
I poked toward his chest with Elgar, my trusty elf-blade. “Liar! You have not.”
Darwyn jumped back, evading my blow. “I have too! My uncle lives there!” He swatted his hand at Elgar. “Get that stick away from me.”
“It’s not a stick!” Darwyn never believed me when I said that Elgar was the blade of a warrior. It just happened to resemble a tree branch.
Jurij’s quiet voice entered the fray. “Your uncle lives there? That’s awful.” I was afraid he might cry and the tears would get caught up in the black material that covered his eyes. I didn’t want him to drown behind the wooden kitty face. He’d vanish into thin air like everyone else did when they died, and then we’d be staring down at Jurij’s clothes and the little kitten mask on the ground, and I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from giggling. Some death for a warrior.
Darwyn shrugged and ran a hand over his elbow. “He moved in there before I was born. I think a weaver lady was his goddess. It’s not so strange. Didn’t your aunt send her man there, Jurij?”
Jurij was sniffling. Sniffling. He tried to rub at his nose, but every time he moved the back of his hand up to his face, it just clunked against the button that represented the kitten’s nose.
I sighed and patted Jurij on the back. “A queen’s retainer must never cry, Jurij.”
Darwyn laughed. “Are you still playing that? You’re no queen, Noll!”
I stopped patting Jurij and balled my hands into fists. “Be quiet, Darwyn! You used to play it, too!”
Darwyn put two fingers over his wolf-mask mouth, a gesture we had long ago decided would stand for the boys sticking out their tongues. Although Darwyn was the only one who ever did it as of late. “Like I’d want to do what some girl tells me! Girls aren’t even blessed by love!”
“Of course they are!” It was my turn to put the two fingers over my mouth. I had a tongue, but a traitorous retainer like Darwyn wasn’t worthy of the effort it took to stick it out. “Just wait until you find your goddess, and then we’ll see! If she turns out to be me, I’ll make sure you rot away in the commune with the rest of the unloved men.”
Darwyn lunged forward and tackled me. My head dragged against the bush before it hit the ground, but it still hurt; I could feel the swelling underneath the tangled knots in my hair. Elgar snapped as I tried to get a grip on my attacker. I kicked and shoved him, and for a moment, I won the upper hand and rolled on top of him, almost punching him in the face. Remembering the mask, I settled for giving him a good smack in the side, but then he kicked upward and caught me in the chest, sending me backward.
“Stop!” pleaded Jurij. He was standing between us now, the little timid kitten watching first one friend and then the other, like we were a dangling string in motion.
“Stay out of this!” Darwyn jumped to his feet and pointed at me. “She thinks she’s so high and mighty, and she’s not even someone’s goddess yet!”
“I’m only twelve, idiot! How many goddesses are younger than thirteen?” A few, but not many. I scrambled to my feet and sent my tongue out at him. It felt good knowing he couldn’t do the same to me, after all. My head ached. I didn’t want him to see the tears forming in my eyes, though, so I ground my teeth once I drew my tongue inward.
“Yeah, well, it’ll be horrible for whoever finds the goddess in you!” Darwyn made to lunge at me again, but this time Jurij shoved both his hands at Darwyn’s chest to stop him.
“Just stop,” commanded Jurij. Finally. That was a good retainer.
My eyes wandered to the old crone’s cottage. No sign of her. How could she fail to hear the epic struggle outside her door? Maybe she wasn’t real. Maybe just seeing her was worth twenty points after all.
“Get out of my way, you baby!” shouted Darwyn. “So what happens if I pull off your mask when your queen is looking, huh? Will you die?”
His greedy fingers reached toward Jurij’s wooden animal face. Even from behind, I could see the mask tip dangerously to one side, the strap holding it tightly against Jurij’s dark curls shifting. The strap broke free, flying up over his head.
My mouth opened to scream. My hands reached up to cover my eyes. My eyelids strained to close, but it felt as if the moment had slowed and I could never save him in time. Such simple things. Close your eyes. Cover your eyes. Scream.
“DO NOT FOOL WITH SUCH THINGS, CHILD!”
A dark, dirty shawl went flying onto the bush that we had ruined during our fight.
I came back to life. My head and Darwyn’s wolf mask spun toward the source of the sound. As my head turned, I saw—even though I knew better than to look—Jurij crumple to the ground, clinging both arms across his face desperately because his life depended on it.
“Your eyes better be closed, girl!” The old crone bellowed. Her own eyes were squeezed together.
I jumped and shut my eyes tightly.
“Hold that shawl tightly over your face, boy, until you can wear your mask properly!” screamed the old crone. “Off with you both, boys! Now! Off with you!”
I heard Jurij and Darwyn scrambling, the rustle of the bush and the stomps of their boots as they fled, panting. I thought I heard a scream—not from Jurij, but from Darwyn. He was the real fraidycat. An old crone was no match for the elf queen’s retainers. But the queen herself was far braver. So I told myself over and over in my head.
When the last of their footsteps faded away, and I was sure that Jurij was safe from my stare, I looked.
Eyes. Huge, bulbous, dark brown eyes. Staring directly into mine.
The crone’s face was so close I could smell the shriveled decay from her mouth. She grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me. “What were you thinking? You held that boy’s life in your hands! Yet you stood there like a fool, just starin’ as his mask came off.”
My heart beat faster, and I gasped for more air, but I wanted to avoid inhaling her stench. “I’m sorry, Ingrith,” I mumbled. I thought if I used her real name, if I let her lecture me like all the other adults, it would help me break free from her grasp. I twisted and pulled, but I couldn’t bring myself to touch her. I had this notion that if I touched her, my fingers would decay.
“Sorry is just a word. Sorry changes nothing.”
“Let me go.” I could still feel her dirty nails on my skin.
“You watch yourself, girl.”
“Let me go!”
The crone’s lips grew tight and puckered. Her fingers relaxed ever so slightly. “You children don’t realize. The lord is watching. Always watching—”
I knew what she was going to say, the words so familiar to me that I knew them as well as if they were my own. “And he will not abide villagers who forget the first goddess’s teachings.” The sentence seemed to loosen the crone’s fingers. She opened her mouth to speak, but I broke free and ran.
My eyes fell to the grass below my feet as I cut across the fields to get away from the monster. On the borders of the eastern woods was a lone cottage, home of Gideon the woodcarver, a warm and comfortable place so much fuller of life than the shack I left behind me. When I was near the woods, I could look up freely since the trees blocked the eastern mountains from view. But until I got closer …
“Noll! Wait up!”
My eyes snapped upward on instinct. I saw the upper boughs of the trees and almost screamed, my gaze falling back to the grass beneath my feet. I stopped running and let the gentle rustlings of footsteps behind me catch up.
“Jurij, please.” I sighed and turned around to face him, my eyes still on the grass and the pair of small dark boots that covered his feet. Somehow he managed to step delicately through the grass, not disturbing a single one of the lilies that covered the hilltops. “Don’t scare me like that. I almost looked at the castle.”
The toe of Jurij’s boot dug a little into the dirt. “Oh. Sorry.”
“Is your mask on?”
The boot stopped moving, and the tip of a black shawl dropped into my view. “Oh. Yeah.”
I shook my head and raised my eyes. There was no need to fear looking up to the west. In the distance, the mountains that encircled our village soared far beyond the western fields of crops. I liked the mountains. From the north, the south, and the west, they embraced our village with their jagged peaks. In the south, they watched over our fields of livestock. In the north, they towered above a quarry for copper and stone. And in the east, they led home and to the woods. But no girl or woman could ever look up when facing the east. Like the faces of men and boys before their Returnings, just a glance at the castle that lay beyond the woods against the eastern mountains spelled doom. The earth would shake and threaten to consume whoever broke the commandment not to look.
It made walking home a bit of a pain, to say the least.
“Tell me something important like that before you sneak up on me.”
Jurij’s kitten mask was once again tight against his face, if askew. The strap was a bit tangled in his dark curls and the pointed tip of one of his ears. “Right. Sorry.”
He held out the broken pieces of Elgar wrapped in the dirty black shawl. He seemed very retainer-like. I liked that. “I went to give this back to the—the lady. She wasn’t there, but you left Elgar.”
I snatched the pieces from Jurij’s hands. “You went back to the shack? What were you going to say? ‘Sorry we were spying on you pretending you were a monster, thanks for the dirty old rag?’”
“No.” Jurij crumpled up the shawl and tucked it under his belt. A long trail of black cloth tumbled out immediately, making Jurij look like he had on half a skirt.
I laughed. “Where’s Darwyn?”
“Home.”
Of course. I found out later that Darwyn had whined straight to his mother that “nasty old Noll” almost knocked his mask off. It was a great way to get noticed when you had countless brothers and a smitten mother and father standing between you and any form of attention. But it didn’t have the intended effect on me. I was used to lectures, and besides, there was something more important bothering me by then.
I picked up my feet to carry me back home.
Jurij skipped forward to join me. One of his boots stumbled as we left the grasses behind and hit the dirt path. “What happened with you and the crone?”
I gripped the pieces of Elgar tighter in my fist. “Nothing.” I stopped, relieved that we’d finally gotten close enough to the woods that I could face forward. I put an arm on Jurij’s shoulder to stop him. “But I touched her.” Or she touched me. “That means I win forever.”
The kitten face cocked a little sideways. “You always win.”
“Of course. I’m the queen.” I tucked the broken pieces of Elgar into my apron sash. Elgar was more of a title, bestowed on an endless number of worthy sticks, but in those days I wouldn’t have admitted that to Jurij. “Come on. I’ll give you a head start. Race you to the cavern!”
“The cavern? But it’s—”
“Too late! Your head start’s over!” I kicked my feet up and ran as if that was all my legs knew how to do. The cool breeze slapping across my face felt lovely as it flew inside my nostrils and mouth. I rushed past my home, not bothering to look inside the open door.
“Stop! Stop! Noll, you stop this instant!”
The words were something that could easily come out of a mother’s mouth, but Mother had a little more patience than that. And her voice didn’t sound like a fragile little bird chirping at the sun’s rising. “Noll!”
I was just an arm’s length from the start of the trees, but I stopped, clutching the sharp pain that kicked me in the side.
“Oh dear!” Elfriede walked out of our house, the needle and thread she was no doubt using to embroider some useless pattern on one of the aprons still pinched between two fingers. My sister was a little less than a year older than me, but to my parents’ delight (and disappointment with me), she was a hundred times more responsible.
“Boy, your mask!” Elfriede never did learn any of my friends’ names. Not that I could tell her Roslyn from her Marden, either. One giggling, delicate bird was much like another.
She walked up to Jurij, who had just caught up behind me. She covered her eyes with her needle-less hand, but I could see her peeking between her fingers. I didn’t think that would actually protect him if the situation were as dire as she seemed to think.
“It’s crooked.” Elfriede’s voice was hoarse, almost trembling. I rolled my eyes.
Jurij patted his head with both hands until he found the bit of the strap stuck on one of his ears. He pulled it down and twisted the mask until it lined up evenly.
I could hear Elfriede’s sigh of relief from where I was standing. She let her fingers fall from her face. “Thank the goddess.” She considered Jurij for a moment. “There’s a little tear in your strap.”
Without asking, she closed the distance between them and began sewing the small tear even as the mask sat on his head. From how tall she stood above him, she might have been ten years older instead of only two.
I walked back toward them, letting my hands fall. “Don’t you think that’s a little stupid? What if the mask slips while you’re doing that?”
Elfriede’s cheeks darkened and she yanked the needle up, pulling her instrument free of the thread and tucking the extra bit into the mask strap. She stood back and glared at me. “Don’t you talk to me about being stupid, Noll. All that running isn’t safe when you’re with boys. Look how his mask was moving.”
His mask had moved for even more dangerous reasons than a little run, but I knew better than to tell tattletale Elfriede that. “How would you know what’s safe when you’re with boys? You’re already thirteen, and no one has found the goddess in you!” Darwyn’s taunt was worth reusing, especially since I knew my sister would be more upset about it than I ever was.
Elfriede bit her lip. “Go ahead and kill your friends, then, for all I care!” The bird wasn’t so beautiful and fragile where I was concerned.
She retreated into the house and slammed the door behind her. I wrapped my hand around Jurij’s arm, pulling him eastward. “Come on. Let’s go. There’re bound to be more monsters in the cavern.”
Jurij didn’t give beneath my pull. He wouldn’t move.
“Jurij?”
I knew right then, somewhere in my mind, what had happened. But I was twelve. And Jurij was my last real friend. I knew he’d leave me one day like the others, but on some level, I didn’t really believe it yet.
Jurij stood stock still, even as I wrenched my arm harder and harder to get him to move.
“Oh for—Jurij!” I yelled, dropping my hands from his arm in frustration. “Ugh. I wish I was your goddess just so I could get you to obey me. Even if that means I’d have to put up with all that—yuck—smooching.” I shivered at the thought.
At last Jurij moved, if only to lift his other arm, to run his fingers across the strap that Elfriede had mended. She was gone from my sight, but Jurij would never see another.
It struck them all. Sometime around Jurij’s age, the boys’ voices cracked, shifting from high to deep and back again in a matter of a few words. They went from little wooden-faced animals always shorter than you to young men on their way to towering over you. And one day, at one moment, at some age, earlier for some and later for others, they looked at a girl they’d probably seen thousands of times before and simply ceased to be. At least, they weren’t who I knew them to be ever again.
And as with so many of my friends before Jurij, in that moment all other girls ceased to matter. I was nothing to him now, an afterthought, a shadow, a memory.
No.
Not him.
My dearest, my most special friend of all, now doomed to live or die by the choice of the fragile little bird who’d stopped to mend his strap.

Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently spends her days alternatively writing on business and marketing topics and primarily crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.

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Review - Red of the Wood by Rosanne Graystone

Red of the Wood

by Rosanne Graystone

Goodreads blurb:  Witches and wolves don't mix well.

At least, that's what Amalthea was raised to believe. All her life, she's been taught to beware of the woodland after sundown. So when her grandmother is cursed, it's up to the daring young witch to brave the darkness in search of a rare, night-blooming flower crucial to lifting the curse.

Sebastian never thought he'd have a chance to tell her how he felt. The girl was a witch, after all, from a whole family full of 'em. Still, when she sets foot in the woods after dark, his inner wolf wants nothing more than to claim its mate. The problem is, everyone knows witches and wolves don't mix well...

*This sexy, romantic short story is all about an alpha werewolf and the witch he loves. Contains mature content.*

About the Author:  Rosanne Graystone is an author of paranormal romance and light erotica. She writes for all the hopeless romantics in the world. You can find her debut short story, A Night to Remember in the Amazon Kindle store.

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My Thoughts - 4 out of 5 Unicorns - I really liked it!!!

There are two versions of the cover, and I like both of them :)  Very cool!!!

This is a short read only about 30 pages :)  This is a fairy tale twist meaning it is loosely based off Little Red Riding Hood (at least seems that way to me!!) but it is a the author’s own version.  I have been seeing more of these types of stories recently and have found I really enjoy reading them :)  This is for adults because it does have a pretty steamy scene.

I like both Amalthea and Sebastian as characters.  Amalthea is courageous considering she has been told to never go in the woods, but she does it because she loves her grandma.  Sebastian is strong, and he seems to go his own way rather with the crowd.  I can’t say much more because it will give the story away, and I’d hate to ruin it for anyone.  Of course I did wish it was longer because it was over way to quick :)

I did find out that the 2^nd book is coming soon, so I’m excited to see what comes next.

I recommend this to readers who love shifters and witches and to those who enjoy fairy tale type stories :)

Interested in reading???

~ Amazon ~ AmazonUK ~