“It’s safe now, Lily. It’s me, Mason.”
“Mason?” She let him help her up, unconcerned with how exposed she was to him. Her only thought was Brayen. He hadn’t moved since he fell. She crawled over to him, sobbing. “Brayen… No.”
Lily turned his body and pulled his head on to her lap. “Brayen, no, don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me… Don’t leave Becca-Rose.”
Mason touched her shoulder gently. “I need to take him to Running Elk. My people will escort you back to the cabin. They’re with your daughter now.”
“I can’t leave Brayen.”
Mason scooped Brayen up in his arms. “He’s my brother, Lily. I would give my life to save his if that’s what it takes. He needs the help of our shaman.”
Grabbing her mouth to keep from screaming, she nodded.
Epilogue
“No fair, you’re cheating again, Uncle Mason,” Becca-Rose said, with her tiny hands on her hips.
Mason looked shocked by her accusation. “Why you… I never cheat. I am the world’s greatest checker player ever. Bow to me, little one.”
“Oh, please,” Becca-Rose replied flippantly. “It’s getting deep in here, Uncle Mason.”
Lily’s mouth dropped open. “Rebecca-Rose! Who did you learn that from?”
Becca-Rose giggled and Mason turned red.
“Lillian, I may have sort of slipped up.”
“Mason,” Lily scolded, doing her best to hide her laughter.
“Uncle Mason, wanna have another tea party?”
Mason groaned, glancing up at Lily for help. She shook her head and laughed. “Oh, no way I’m getting you out of that one, buddy. You said kids were a breeze and that you didn’t see what the big deal was.”
“That’s before I got a good dose of your daughter,” Mason said, winking at her.
Strong arms slid around Lily’s waist. “What’s wrong with my little girl?” Brayen asked, running his hands over her swollen belly. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear.
“I can hear that,” Mason grunted sardonically.
“Like I care,” Brayen shot back. He slid his hand lower and Lily felt the baby kick as if he knew his daddy was touching him. “Oh, he’s a feisty one.”
“He sure is,” Lily agreed.
Brayen stepped around to her side and bent his head, his lips pressed to her stomach. “Hey, Jack.”
She tensed, still unsure about his desire to name their son after Jack. Brayen insisted. He said the man had filled his shoes, loving his wife and daughter and that in the end, even after he was gone, he made sure to protect all of them—including the baby.
Brayen winked up at her. “I hope he gets my height. Becca-Rose is tiny. Like her mommy. Hope our son can at least see above countertops.”
Lily pushed on his face, shaking her head as she laughed. “You’re horrible.”
He resumed his position behind her with his arms around her and his hands on her stomach. “I know.”
“Can I just say your children have the odds stacked against them?” Mason said, tousling Becca-Rose’s curls.
“And why is that?” Lily asked, not sure she wanted to hear his answer.
“It’s simple. They’re part kitty and stubborn as hell. They come by it honestly though.”
“I can’t wait for you to have some of your own, brother,” Brayen said with a laugh.
Mason grunted. “For that I need a woman.”
“What do you need a woman for, Uncle Mason?” Becca-Rose asked softly.
Mason opened his mouth to answer her and Brayen ran over to cover their daughter’s ears. “Oh, no you don’t!”
About the Author
To learn more about Mandy M. Roth, please visit www.mandyroth.com. Send an email to Mandy M. Roth at [email protected] or join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers as well as Mandy: http://groups.yahoo.com/subscribe/Mandy_M_Roth
Look for these titles by Mandy M. Roth
Now Available:
Project Exorcism
Paranormal Payload
Force of Attraction
Point of No Return
King of Prey
Talons: King of Prey
View to a Kill
Sacred Places
Sacred Places
Goddess of the Grove
Droid Wards
Performance Criteria
Magnetic Attraction
The Valkyrie
Going the Distance
Loup Garou
Coming Soon:
Valhalla: The Valkyrie Beginnings
She’s determined not to give in. He’s determined to make her beg.
Point of No Return
© 2010 Mandy M. Roth
Project Exorcism, Book 3
As head of the Sargaidia guards, Nina Janelle is accustomed to getting what she wants out of her men—in battle and in bed. These days, she’s in a losing battle with her panther-shifter heat cycle, each round requiring more and more men to quell her burning need. Until she meets Commission Officer Jordan Vasil. Suddenly, only one man can satisfy her—too bad the cocky pilot grates on her very last nerve.
Nina’s is the only face floating in his mind when Jordan lies alone at night, suffering from unrequited lust. It seems she’d rather slit his throat than bed him—until he finds her in debilitating pain from her efforts to subdue her urges. Ignoring her attempts to push him away, he gives her what she needs. His touch. His body.
Nina’s not quite ready to concede defeat, but she needs Jordan’s piloting skills to find her missing brother. Alone with him in close quarters promises to be more than distracting. Losing control could cost more than her kick-ass reputation. It could cost their lives.
Warning: Contains a hotheaded female who doesn’t like having to rely on any one let alone a man. And an equally stubborn alpha shifter male who’s is more than willing to go toe to toe with her before rocking her world.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Point of No Return:
“Nina? You’re zoning off on me again. Let’s get you inside. Something is wrong.” Jordan reached for her but Nina took a step back.
“I’m fine, Vasil. Really.” She eyed the outer perimeter fencing. Even with it there, the beauty of nature still managed to prevail. She took a deep breath in, savoring the floral scents of her home planet.
He stepped closer, his body touching hers. “The Dsendiyun group do you in?”
She cringed at the thought of the alien race that seemed to make landing on her planet a monthly affair. They were a race whose female population had dwindled to nearly nonexistent. While relatively harmless, they did tend to be very grabby while planet-side. Their ships were either the worst ships ever made or they tinkered with them prior to approaching Sargaidia’s atmosphere in hopes of gaining permission to dock. She suspected that was more the case. A vessel holding nearly thirty of them had required a tow less than four days prior. In those four days, Nina had responded to more complaints from the women of her village—in regards to the Dsendiyuns nasty habit of grabbing a handful of ass whenever the opportunity presented itself—than she had to any other calls.
Jordan had accompanied her on several of the calls, finding the alien race amusing until one of them put his hand on her backside. Nina was then forced to pull Jordan off the Dsendiyun and then had to spend nearly two hours calming Jordan down. She’d spotted the same alien later that night, at a tavern in the heart of the village, and she could have sworn he was more bruised and battered than he’d been when she’d left him.
She raised one eyebrow in question. “By chance did you happen to meet up again with the Dsendiyun you were so fond of?”
He blinked incredulously. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Vasil.”
“Hey, can I help the guy just happened to be where I was?” he asked, faking shock.
“And he just happened to end up looking as though a pikineius beast had at him?”
“Weird, huh?” he asked,
his sexy grin setting the mood.
She snickered and found herself stepping even closer to him. He shocked her by putting an arm around her. Throwing it off should have been her first thought. It wasn’t. She leaned against his muscular body and looked out at the natural beauty all around her.
Jordan stiffened a second before rubbing her arm and placing his chin lightly upon her head. “Pretty out here, isn’t it?”
Nina’s hand went to his chest and the act surprised her. Still, she didn’t pull away. “It’s one of my favorite spots to come and think. I like it because no one else seems to. Makes it peaceful, quiet.”
“Do you want me to go?” he asked, tensing more.
Yes.
No.
Conflicted, Nina let out a shaky breath and found herself clutching his shirt. She lifted her head, her gaze colliding with his. Awareness prickled over her body, slow at first, then with an intensity that nearly made her moan. She wanted this to be the man who stopped the powerful burning, the nearly crippling pain of her cycle, but her mouth refused to open and ask it of him. She chose instead to simply stare up into his emerald green eyes, wondering when the next smart remark would come from him or if he’d find humor in her vulnerability.
He put his hand over hers, cupping it firmly in place. “Tell me to leave, Nina.”
The way he said it sounded as if he was hoping she’d send him away. That he didn’t have the willpower to do so on his own. That was ridiculous. Jordan was one of the strongest men she knew, and that wasn’t even counting his stubborn streak.
“Jordan?”
His breathing was quick and shallow and his eyes narrow as he continued to meet her gaze. Was he aware of her cycle? Did the shifter in him realize she was fertile and that her body craved his?
She tried to back away but the attempt was half-hearted. He held firm to her, his breathing calming slightly. He closed his eyes and the muscles in his neck worked before he looked upon her again. He released her hand but she kept it in place on his chest. “Sorry.”
Taking a deep breath, she stayed near him, drawing in his scent. Musk with a hint of spice. Under it all she could smell his cats and hated admitting how wet they made her pussy. Why did it have to be Jordan? Why did it have to be the one man on the planet who didn’t bend to her whim? Who stood his ground with her. It was her luck to want the man who irritated her the most. She tipped her head as a coy smile overtook her.
Jordan winked and she giggled.
Giggled, of all things.
She wasn’t one of those women yet she was fawning over a man. Even with the knowledge, Nina couldn’t seem to stop herself. At best, she managed to stop grinning up at him and relax. Her gaze returned to the scenery but she stayed pressed to him. She couldn’t recall a time she’d sought a man’s embrace for the sheer comfort it provided. “Can I tell you something and you not have a laugh?”
“Yes,” he said softly. Jordan was famous for his swift wit and temper. Hearing him agree to her terms so quickly surprised her.
“I have never been off Sargaidia. I’m not sure of what to expect out there.”
He was to pilot her off the planet for their retrieval mission. They were taking a shuttle from the Alpha Brig Three and from what she’d been told, Jordan was the best man for the job. With their departure set for morning, she’d find out soon enough what it was like to leave her home planet.
“I know you’ve traveled extensively so this has to sound foolish to you but I’m nervous about leaving and about staying. It’s all so confusing.”
“I’d like to lie to you and tell you how other planets in the quadrant aren’t any different than here, Nina, but I won’t do that.” He wrapped his arms around her fully, his hands going to the small of her back. “Sargaidia’s sister planet, Margaidia, is similar in the sense of its beauty, but it’s covered with a good deal of large cities as well. Buildings as tall as the eye can see, people everywhere, a lot of hustle and bustle. It’s a nice mix if you’re into that sort of thing. I find myself preferring Sargaidia though. Other planets differ depending on which you’re talking about. Some seem to be nothing but machines now. Others seem to be no more than wasteland. Some are little but water for as far as the eye can see.”
Nina did her best to soak in all that he was telling her. “You’ve seen so much, Vasil. How is it you’re content to be here? I mean, I understand why your brother is would stay but I can’t imagine our planet being able to hold someone like you to it.”
There, she’d said it. She’d voiced her biggest fear. She was scared Jordan would leave. He’d been on her planet for a year and a half and she didn’t expect him to stay much longer. Not a man like him. One who had seen the universe and had no commitments holding him to her planet.
He skimmed his hands up her back and cupped her neck. Heat flared through her body. “I like it here, boss, and I have no plans on leaving.” A wry grin spread over his handsome face. “Unless you want me to go.”
“No,” she said a little too fast as she clutched his arm. Her mind screamed at her hand, ordering it to release him but she could no more pry her fingers from him than she could stop the uncontrollable urges he brought about in her. Needing to save face, she stammered out a response, “Umm, I mean, Sevan would miss you. As would your nephews.”
Something Nina couldn’t read moved over Jordan’s face. “Yeah,” he said, dipping his head, his lips closing in on hers. “He probably would.”
“J-Jordan?”
His lips were so close—hovering right there. “Yeah, baby?”
She didn’t scold him for the demeaning pet name. Rather, she leaned up, putting her mouth closer to his. “I should yell, right?”
He laughed softly. His fingers kneaded the back of her neck. “It does seem to be what we do best.”
She focused on his lips. “What’s that?”
“Yell at each other,” he confessed, his thumbs caressing just below her ears. His lips skimmed hers and fire shot through her entire body. She froze, knowing if she dared to move she’d ravish the man.
He used his thumbs to tug at her jawline, pulling her mouth open slightly. “I’m gonna kiss you, baby. You all right with that?”
A second before she would have responded with a yes, Nina sensed someone nearing and pulled back from his touch, putting a good foot of space between them. Jordan reached for her and she lifted her hand to him, stopping just shy of making contact.
“For now,” he whispered. “This will do.”
The wild thing she saved is the man she’ll desire most.
Animal Instinct
© 2010 Michelle M. Pillow
A Ghost Cats Story
Eve Matthews, head veterinarian at Jameson Wildlife Rescue and Preserve, measures success by no one’s rules but her own—much to her rich parents’ distress. A life filled with animals means she’s rarely alone. Still, a little human contact of the male variety would be nice.
The only one in her life right now is Midnight, a black panther she brought back from the brink of death. She doesn’t think twice about bringing him home to keep an eye on him. Changing clothes in front of his golden eyes. Confessing her deepest fantasies to his alert ears. It’s not as if he’ll ever tell anyone her secrets.
Forced to watch her every move, listen to her every word, Viktor is in torment, trapped in panther form while he heals. He aches to fill her nights with the pleasure she craves, but to shift too soon risks death. Until the night she pleasures herself, and he can take no more.
They come together in a cataclysm too fierce to be a dream. But the shifter who left Viktor for dead is drawing near, determined to finish the job he started.
Warning: Contains a voyeuristic cat shifter, a heroine who’s an exhibitionist unaware, and explicit sex that may just give you cat scratch fever. Iced catnip tea recommended.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Animal Instinct:
Viktor looked over the gorgeous, unmoving woman who rested next to him on the bed. He coul
d see her perfectly in the dim light of the bedroom. Only a soft blue glow came in from the window. She was ravishing, so much so that he couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Just his luck, he’d find the first woman he truly desired and cared for in his eternity of living only to be stuck in his shifted form, unable to do anything about it.
Viktor’s injuries kept him from shifting, yet, ironically it was his injuries that brought him to Eve Maitland. A fellow cat shifter named Bartel had stabbed him in the back while he was in human form. Eve’s intervention saved him from being put down like a feral animal. It was only the power of the cat form and the sweet, administering hands of a sexy angel that helped him to heal. Every day he wanted to thank her, but if he tried to become human too soon, he’d die. If he stayed shifted too long, stayed in this place too long, he risked bringing his troubles to his caretaker’s door. Bartel would want to finish what he started. He wasn’t the kind of man to leave loose ends. Viktor was a loose end. Luckily, Eve kept him in her trailer, hidden away. But once she moved him onto the preserve, he’d be easier to track.
Eve’s legs stirred against the bed as she slept. Viktor studied the long line of her body. She unintentionally tortured him day and night with her presence. She talked to him about herself, telling him secrets, whispering her fantasies, asking him questions that couldn’t be answered with his animal throat. It was pure torment. She undressed before him, letting his cat eyes see her body without hesitation or thought. During his time spent under her care, he’d been afforded numerous views of her form—in the shower, the bed, dressing and undressing. A few times when she didn’t know he looked, he’d watched her pleasure herself—wiggling her hips against her exploring fingers, stirring up her feminine scent until it clouded his mind, jerking and panting as she brought herself to climax with a silent cry of release. If he were shifted to human, he’d groan in anguish at the memories of watching her climax by her own hand. Since he was panther, he merely growled low in discontent.
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