Blurb:
Some
decisions are easy to make, especially when it comes to the well-being of your
mate. Even if the decision means ending the life of another...
Just
when Shawnee thought her life would finally settle down, an unexpected visit
from Vanessa’s family sparks an unraveling of a different sort. The visitors
bring news that the Pride is in trouble. Dugan, a weretiger who relentlessly
bullies the most vulnerable members, threatens to take over. Shawnee returns
with Vanessa to her homeland and, with the help of Xany and an unsuspecting
submissive, works to bring down Dugan before he dismembers the Pride. Can
Vanessa stand up to her nemesis and restore the Pride to safety? Will she break
under the pressure, or can Shawnee protect her mate from the torment? Shawnee
quickly learns to draw on the strength of her pack family and with a keen bit
of luck, may very well be the key to saving the Pride and her mate.
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Excerpt:
Chapter One
"Doctor Twofeathers?" The
charge nurse called my name as I stood on the desk, reaching for a book on the
highest shelf of the medical library.
"Yes?"
"There's someone here to see
you," she said, her lips pursed in a way that tried to stifle a small
smile.
"Is it a walk-in?" I hopped
down from the desk and straightened my lab coat. It wasn't everyday that I got
caught climbing for answers. The look on the nurse's face told me I hadn't
played it off as coolly as I'd hoped.
"You...could say that." A wry
grin lifted the corners of her mouth. "A very handsome walk-in."
Could
it be Mal? A rush of excitement shot through me as the nurse
nodded toward the door. I followed her to the nurses' station by the entrance
of Stormhill Hospital Center's emergency room. I'd worked here for a few weeks,
part-time at the request of my pack. Despite the hospital administrator urging
me to work full-time, it just wasn't in my best interest. Ultimately, it was my
decision. I knew that spending too much time away wouldn't be the best approach
to strengthening our new bonds. Even though I only spent less than twenty-four
hours a week out of the house, it seemed like a lot more. The part-time
position afforded me the opportunity to work on building up a private practice
at the cabin. This made Vanessa happy and soothed by the fact that my work
outside the house was temporary.
Waiting for me by the front desk was my
mate, Mal. I tried my best to keep the surprise from my doctorly poker face, but
I couldn't help it, really. He greeted me with a casual hug, then held up the
brown paper bag he carried.
"I thought we'd have dinner
together tonight. I bribed Beth into telling me when you were taking your
break," he said, shooting a glance at the young brunette receptionist.
"Bribed her with what?" I
laughed.
Beth turned in her chair, a cheeky smile
plastered across her face. She held out her hands and Mal tossed her a giant
wrapped sandwich.
"With food." A grin spread
across his lips, lending light to the stark curve of his jaw. The overwhelming
desire to kiss him was hard to suppress.
"Thanks, handsome boyfriend of
Doctor T," Beth's voice carried on a light chuckle as she set her dinner
on the desk.
"She's the best." I smiled at
Beth before waving at Mal to follow me. "We can eat in my office."
My office at the hospital was a cozy
space tucked into the corner of the first floor. The windows looked out into
the parking lot and the trees beyond it. It was the first time that Mal had visited
me, and I wanted to show him everything. He looked around at the charts and
graphs on the walls, then lifted an eyebrow at the chalkboard someone had used
for a game of hangman.
"The residents sometimes share the
office," I explained through a laugh. His expression lightened as I nudged
the door closed behind me.
"Is it usually this quiet
here?"
"Only after midnight," I said
as he set the bag of food down on the desk. Mal turned around to lean against
it and smiled at me. His eyes wandered over me from head to toe.
"What?" I asked and followed
his gaze, wondering if some sort of ER goo or hospital stench covered me.
"You really do look like a doctor," he said, voice laced with surprise as
his eyebrows flicked upward.
"I am a doctor." I laughed and made my way over to wrap my arms
around his neck. He gave a light tug to the stethoscope that dangled along my
chest then used it to pull me closer.
"You sure are," he said, and
in an instant, his lips pressed to mine.
Relief flooded me as the soothing mate
bond thrummed happily between us like an invisible strand connecting our souls.
The heat between our bodies was wonderfully unbearable. He let go of the
stethoscope, then slipped his hands under my lab coat to rest on my waist.
"How are things at home?" My
voice seemed to sigh.
"Vanessa is driving Xany crazy."
He laughed as his fingers stroked along the waistband of my scrubs, igniting
the familiar ache of desire in my belly. "When she tries to start a
conversation or ask her a question, Vanessa's responses are just totally
weird."
"Poor Xany." I couldn't help grinning
at the notion. Vanessa's responses were peculiar on a regular basis, and during
heat time, they were practically unfathomable.
"I think Xany and Ana went to
Imogene's this afternoon to escape for a while. It's been strange for everyone
hanging around a feral weretiger that's in heat." His hands came to rest
on the small of my back. The heat of him swallowed me whole.
"I don't usually notice until she completely stops speaking in full
sentences." I shook my head. "Is Mom okay?" I asked, and toyed
with the collar of his shirt. I couldn't bring myself to query any further. My
mother had been back in my life for barely a month before I started working
again and, I had to admit, I wasn't putting in my best effort to reconnect with
her. What would she think when she discovered all of my secrets?
"She's the most patient wolf I've
ever seen." He smiled.
"I know." I closed my eyes.
His chin pressed against my forehead. "Thank you for coming to see me
tonight."
"My pleasure." With a grin
that seemed malevolent at best, his hands dipped into my pants and cupped my
rear. I gave his ponytail a firm tug when his hardness pressed against me.
"Is it?" I smiled. If my
werewolf had taught me anything, he'd taught me how to play. And to take the
bait.
Bio:
Max
regained her confidence when she began writing scholarly articles and research
theses on her first trip through graduate school. It took several years for her
to break the habit of the formal writing that marred her creativity. An
additional Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing was Max’s biggest
support in this. Max writes primarily sci-fi/fantasy, paranormal romance, and
Young Adult stories.
For more information visit:
www.maxellendale.com
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