It was a mixed group; men as well as women, not all of them soldiers, but everyone eager to get their hands dirty. It was a rare pleasure, travelling to the mainland, which had traditionally been their home many generations ago, before the humans had forced them out during the Great War.
The crowd consisted of land animals—predators, as one would expect. Wolves, like Teaq, and bears mostly. The most notable exceptions were the eagles, who would circle the skies as the hunt took place. Lookouts.
Of course, for the moment, everyone was in their human form. But once they got onto the mainland, they couldn't risk being seen. Their truce with the humans forbade them from entering their territory. The islanders were simply too large to be mistaken for fellow humans.
Luckily their animal side would enable them to disguise their presence during the hunt. It also made it unnecessary for them to carry weapons ashore.
"Ready?" Teaq called out as he boarded the ship.
The captain—the only fox on-board—nodded. "Yes, General."
"We'll sail to the White Cliff," Teaq ordered.
"Raise the sail! Rowers, take your positions!" the captain shouted.
Teaq closed his eyes and took a deep breath of salty sea air. It smelled of opportunity, but also of a looming threat.
They were not a seafaring people by origin, but by necessity. Still, they had adapted fairly well in the centuries since they'd taken up residence on the Black Isles. The water didn't bother them anymore. Neither did the harsh climate.
Farming was an impossibility on the Isles, but most of its residents preferred meat or fish over vegetables anyway.
Indeed the islanders' biggest struggle wasn't their own, but the continuing conflict with the Sea Folk, who considered the Black Isles part of their own territory. It was this ongoing war that made today's hunting expedition twice as dangerous.
Not only did they risk the truce with the humans on the mainland if they were discovered, they also had to be on the lookout for Sea Folk soldiers who might try to ambush them along the way.
It was these and similar thoughts that occupied Teaq as the longship started to cut through the choppy waters. He studied the expressions of the remaining hunting party, only to find that they were a lot less thoughtful than himself, and a lot more excited.
Obviously they were looking forward to spending a few hours on a land much more vast than their own. He was too. But as General, he didn't have it in him to ignore the dangers that lurked all around.
So he turned to face forward, his hand firmly gripping the butt of his sword, and scanned the waters for any sign of the enemy.
Until finally, two hours into the journey, the stark white cliffs of the mainland came into view.
Out Now!
About the Author
Dear Reader,
Thanks for reading Claimed by the King. This is the first book in my brand new Shifters of Black Isle series, a collection of stories set in a fantasy world full of mystery, magic and fantastical creatures. I hope you're as excited about the rest of the series as I am!
I may have only released my first book in 2015, but I'm not new to writing in general. In fact, my mom still tells me to this day about how I would make up stories, and attempt to record them in my clumsy, shaky handwriting from the moment I learned to read and write. From there I went on to write fan fiction and other stuff meant for my own eyes only.
I've always enjoyed stories of the fantastic and paranormal. Vampires, shape shifters, witches and magic, all featured in the books I loved the most, even when I was still growing up. But it wasn't until much later that I got into romance. One of the first writers (an independent author just like me!) I came across was Tina Folsom, via her Scanguards Vampire series. I was hooked. From there I went on to read more paranormal romance until I found a new kind of hero I loved: bear shifters, like the kind written by Milly Taiden, Zoe Chant, and T.S. Joyce. What I love about bears is how they can be all strong and independent, a bit reclusive, and almost grumpy, but they always end up having a heart of gold (plus they tend to know their food, and we all know that a man who can cook is doubly sexy). All that (except for the shifting into a powerful bear) almost exactly describes the sort of man I ended up falling for and marrying in real life, so it's no surprise that this is what I started my publishing career with.
As thing stand right now, I plan to release all of my work on all major ebook retailers. Most titles are also available as paperbacks, as well as in audio, as length permits.
To find out more, check:
LoreleiMoone.com
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or get in touch via Facebook or email at [email protected]
x Lorelei
The Shifters of Black Isle:
The Alpha Squad Series:
Scottish Werebears:
Vampires of London:
Claimed by the King Page 12
