Mind Mates (Pull of the Moon Book 2) (33 page)

They looked warm because his star-spangled irises were spiked, not with silver, but with gold.

“Y-your eyes…”

“I know. Saw it in the bathroom mirror just now.” His smile was ear to ear. “I’m mated too.”

But Emma couldn’t return his smile. “I’m so sorry. Now you can’t get rid of me…or my berserker.”

“Sweetheart.” He took her hands. “The berserker saved you. It has never bothered me.”

“Never?”

“Except that it bothers you. I love you with or without it. But frankly, I’m glad you have it.”

“You’re
glad
for my berserker?” She stared at him, wondering if aliens had eaten his brains.

“Emma, I’m a battle mage. I have the training and power to wipe out whole villages. Now, I’d never hurt anyone and especially would never hurt you, but it’s a relief to know if I went out of my mind and tried, you’d wipe the ground with me.”

“I-I never thought of it that way.”

“So what do you say? Marry me, Emma. Make an honest witch out of me.”

Heart too full for words, she simply reached out and hugged him to her breast. Which led to another long round of mating.

No. Lovemaking.

They managed to dress by the time the ferry docked. Gabriel drove them to Scottville, to the pack compound.

Sitting in the passenger seat of the same car she’d left in, Emma watched the condo come into sight. She’d so nearly lost her freedom here, her will, her very
self.

Gabriel parked the car, then, as she continued only to stare, laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I’m with you.”

Time to deal with the consequences.
She got out of the car and marched into the alpha’s building—hell,
she
was alpha now—straight to 1B, the harem condo, and threw open the door.

“You’re free.”

Women, eyes dark and bruised, slinked toward the lighted lobby. No sounds came from them.

Finally one less hollow-eyed and beaten-looking than the rest said hesitantly, “You’re the new alpha?”

“Yes.”

“You’re kicking us out?”

“No!” Emma choked back a sob. “You’re welcome to stay. But you’ll have a new apartment. Clean. No locks to keep you prisoners. Food. I’ll set up a stipend so you’ll never have to rely on the alpha’s goodwill again.”

When the women only continued to stand there, Emma phoned her neighbor, the pack cousin who’d been kind, made her an interim beta to be ratified in Manistee Forest, and deputized her to watch over the freed harem. She snared a male to find a vacant condo, and another to prepare a meal for the starved females.

During the whole time, Gabriel stood with her, a silent but potent buttress.

After she’d made the initial arrangements, she couldn’t put it off any longer.

She went to 1A.

Opening Bruiser’s apartment, she stood outside and mulled on consequences. She was alpha now. Good, in that she could free the harem. Bad, in that she was back to the good-girl shtick, supersized. “I don’t know if I want to do this. I don’t know if I can.”

“The treasury is here,” Gabriel pointed out. “There will be bills to pay. It’s only practical.”

“I suppose.”

“Tell you what. After you take the cash and valuables out?”

“Yes?”

He snarled, “We’ll burn the place down.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

His palm on her back in warm support helped her inside. She opened a bedroom door to a huge rumpled bed, the tang of unwashed he-wolf, and the stink of fear. She slammed it shut. “Napalm might not even do it.”

“I’ll open the next one.”

“Thanks.”

He opened the second bedroom door and gasped. She peeked around his bulk.

The whole room was stuffed to the rafters with treasure. Graceful furniture, coin displays, shining gold and silver jewelry, even antique dolls. She wandered into the room, opening chests to heaps of rich silk and sliding open drawers to the glitter of gemstones and precious metals.

“This is worth a small fortune.”

Gabriel, in another corner, lifted a cloth cover. “This is worth a large fortune, I think.”

She turned with a frown. “What is it?”

“A painting. A famous painting. I recognize it from a museum I toured once. It was on loan.” He lifted the cover to show her. “But I didn’t recognize the signature then.”

She came to him, immediately drawn by the painting, a fawn that looked so alive it would jump off the canvas, velvety browns and vivid greens. She peered closer. In the corner, in yellow and red oil that scrolled like a living flame, was the name of the artist.

Ezra Singer.

“Oh my God.” She covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes filling with happy tears. “The journal…it wasn’t the last of my father’s art. I have one last thing to remember him by.”

“Um, hate to disillusion you.” Gabriel lifted cover after cover. “But you have more than one last thing. These are all your father’s.”

Her gaze jumped from canvas to canvas, each more beautiful than the last.

Joy surged in her heart. “I’d heard Bruiser’s treasury was rich because of some famous paintings. But the fact that they’re Dad’s…these are the true riches.”

“Yes.” But his eyes weren’t on her father’s paintings. Those gold-shot eyes were warm on her.

“I love you, Gabriel Light.” She took his hands. “Life may not be easy, but what can’t we do together?”

“I love you too, Emma Singer.” He bent and kissed her. “We may make mistakes—”

“Because life is messy.”

“Life is messy,” he agreed. “But we’ll deal with the consequences—together.”

She laughed. The worries would return, but for now she was truly happy. “As long as I get to make life messy with you.”

Thanks for reading Mind Mates. I hope you enjoyed it! Would you like to know when my next book is available? You can sign up for my new release email list at http://eepurl.com/orpxf Reviews help other readers find books. I appreciate all reviews whether positive or negative.

Continue reading for excerpts from Masked Attraction (Pull of the Moon Prequel) and Cin Wikkid: April Fools For Love by Mary Hughes,
Chasing Dreams: Leap Year
by S.L. Carpenter and
Surprise for Three: Leap Year
by Remi Bond.

Masked Attraction

Daniel Light loved Zoe Blackwood when he was a gangly dork. Now a powerful wizard prince, a masked ball gives him a new chance to woo her.

Wolf shifter Zoe, desperate to recreate the feelings of romantic love she had in high school, throws the ball as her last chance at romance before her wolf forces her to mate. The romantic memory was courtesy of rich, classy, dorky Daniel, the only boy she could always count on yet never really noticed. When he shows up at the ball, he's still rich and classy, but not dorky at all, and she notices his lion's prowl and deadly grace plenty. The question is—can she still count on him?

Coming between them is an evil fire wizard and an ancient parchment with a deadly prophecy.

Warning: A wolf shifter on the cusp of mate-or-else, a smokin' hot wizard who won't let anything stand in his way, and fun in closets.

Contains material intended for mature audiences. Reader discretion advised.

Enjoy the following excerpt from
Masked Attraction:

Zeus put a heavy arm around her shoulders. “Let’s you and me get to know each other, Lady Mystery.”

Zoe gritted her teeth and told herself she was overreacting. Flirt. Enjoy. “Sure.”

His fingers traipsed along her collarbone until they took a walk on the wild side of her sternum, spelunking down her cleavage.

Enough was enough. She cleared her throat to make some classy excuse to beat his head into the wall.

Before she could, a buzz at the door distracted her. She glanced up as the crowd parted.

A blond man glided in like a panther, stopped, and stood there, as tall and confident as if he owned the place. He was built like a true Greek god, inverted triangle torso on long, strong legs. His golden hair shone lustrous in the electric light. His strong features accented by a rakish black mask drew the eye of every female in the room.

Zoe peeled off Zeus’ arm and moved from him as if he’d never existed.

The blond man’s gaze swung to her—and stopped.

The instant connection sang in her ears, in her blood, so powerful and shocking it kicked the air out of her lungs.

The man started toward her, cutting through the crowd like a sleek ship.

Her breath returned in quick, excited puffs.

His scent hit her as he neared, catapulting her back in time to cheerleading sweaters and smoking blunts in the woods…and the burnt scent of an almost-failed chemistry class.

“Damn my paws,” she muttered.

Daniel Light.

Cin Wikkid

THE WRONGED DAUGHTER

Cinderella hungers to escape from under Widow Wikkid's grinding thumb. But to snare a plum job at Prince Industries, Cin desperately needs her degree, and she can't wrap her mind around tax accounting.

Then scarred but sexy Rafe Montoya ignites her imagination with his brilliant tutoring—and, as they work together in his cozy apartment, he sets her body on fire. She thinks he's the one for her, until he starts pushing her to attend Gideon Prince's marriage-mart ball.

THE HANDSOME PRINCE

Rafe is really Gideon Prince, head of Prince Industries. He must name his bride by his April first birthday or suffer the loss of his family fortune.

Rumors say he's still single because women love his money and looks, not him. Is he lonely or just another duplicitous tycoon?

THE GLASS SLIPPER TEST

Hopefuls flock to Prince's birthday ball, but only the woman who is kind, wise, and generous will win his heart. Is it Cin, or will her stepmother, as she always does, snatch the prize for her own daughters?

And on the night of the ball, when Cin discovers Rafe’s true identity, can she even accept his final test?

Warning: Rags-to-riches fairytale meets the texting generation. Stepsisters who are a blush-brush shy of a full makeup set, and a ball gown built like a tank. Contains material intended for mature audiences. Reader discretion advised.

Enjoy the following excerpt from
Cin Wikkid:

Rafe watched her over the rim of his coffee mug, cobalt eyes twinkling.

Hesitantly, Cinderella told him about the mock hearing. “Is that something you can teach me?”

“Ye-es. Probably.” He frowned, thoughtfully. “How long do we have?”

“Until the beginning of April.”

“Then definitely yes. Though, it will take some pretty intense work one-on-one.” One black brow raised, a challenge. “Are you up for it?”

“I’m not afraid of hard work. Are
you
up for it?” Daringly, she raised both brows in return challenge.

The right corner of his mouth went up, on the scarred side, crinkling his skin and giving his grin a rakish, devil-may-care look. “Hours of intense work, one-on-one, with you? Oh, yeah. I’m up for it.”

The way he purred “
up
for it” implied things beyond study. Physical things. Cin’s stomach swooped and her heart pattered rapidly in response.

Then his eyes dropped to her mouth and heated.

Her whole body went
boom.

She trembled, her heart pounding, her breath sawing in and out, on the cusp of bright truth. Her stepsiblings’ hatred had taught her to cover herself in bad makeup and baggy clothes and work, the contemporary version of sacks and ashes. But Rafe, looking at her like that…as if he not only was attracted to her but was on
fire
…God. She wanted to tear off her rags and
shine.

Chasing Dreams

Michelle has reached a crossroads in her life just as the year offers her an extra day – February 29th. Walking away from an empty relationship and striking out on a new path is reviving feelings—both scary and wonderful. A train trip home offers time to think about her future, and what the Leap Year might bring. It also offers her a good looking drunk, passed out in her sleeping compartment.

Josh is mortified that he crashed in the wrong compartment, but fascinated by the woman who let him sleep and even covered him with a blanket. Their meeting seems pre-destined, as does the passion sparking between them.

But they both have pasts, and sometimes the past can leave a long shadow across the future. Michelle and Josh will have to come to terms with where they’ve been before they can really set off on the ultimate adventure…chasing their dreams.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Chasing Dreams:

Struggling with feelings and the awkward uncertain situation, they walked back to her compartment. Josh leaned down and kissed Michelle. She placed her hand on his neck and let her lips move against his. God, he was so hot. Inside she was on fire, but she had to contain it.

"Goodnight, Josh, thank you for a wonderful evening."

"You sure? I mean I could…"

Michelle stopped him from continuing. "Let's not ruin this with a torrid night of incredible, hot, passionate, earth shattering sex."

"Yeah, that would really be a bad thing," he sighed, looking down at her.

He kissed her forehead then raised her face with his hands and kissed her lips. His hands lowered along her sides, brushing the sensitive skin aside her breast.

"Mmm, oh yes," she murmured.

Her hands found his waist and her knees weakened at the affectionate way he kissed her. Her mouth dropped open and she lifted her head back when Josh blew hot air gently into her ear and squeezed her ass. She almost succumbed to his advances because she was already wet in anticipation for him.

"Josh, I c-c-can't." She hesitated before pushing him back. "I can't just jump into another relationship like this. It's too soon."

Looking down, Josh nodded but was obviously disappointed. He walked to his room and waved at Michelle but didn't turn towards her because his hard-on was making his pants poke out.

Michelle was torn. What should she do?

Available at
Amazon
.