The Journal Keeper (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

The Journal Keeper

Kidnapped by a pair of crazy men claiming to be her mates, Rianne Winthrop agrees to travel with them back to their homeland. At least until she can call the local psych ward to come pick them up. When she realizes they’ve also stolen the book that was to be her big break, she knows she can’t leave until she finishes the translation. Only then will the literary community truly accept her.

At the urging of Merlin’s sister, Nikolas Krystoph and Dorin Ferghas travel to the human realm to retake the wizard’s journal and end up finding their mate. Though she believes them to be insane, the only insanity they suffer from is Rianne’s constant rejection. Even as they take her back to their homeland, Rianne resists making any commitment. But when one of their own begins to threaten her life, they will stop at nothing to keep her, and the journal, safe.

Genre:
Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Paranormal, Shape-shifter

Length:
84,658 words
 

Leerene Evans

MENAGE AMOUR

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

IMPRINT: Ménage Amour

THE JOURNAL KEEPER

E-book ISBN: 978-1-62241-060-6

First E-book Publication: August 2012

Cover design by Christine Kirchoff

All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

If you have purchased this copy of 
The Journal Keeper
 by Leerene Evans from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

Regarding E-book Piracy

This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

This is Leerene Evans’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. Evans’s right to earn a living from her work.

Amanda Hilton, Publisher

www.SirenPublishing.com

www.BookStrand.com

For Amy, Katherine, and Danielle, three amazing ladies who have been there for me every step of this process. The three of you have been with me from start to finish. I couldn’t have done this without you.

THE JOURNAL KEEPER

LEERENE EVANS

Copyright © 2012

His muscles twitched spastically as sweat dripped down his body. White-blond hair had come loose from the thong that kept it back, brushing across his jaw with each movement. His breath came in gasps, visible in the below-freezing air. Every inhale sent needles through his chest, every exhale easing the sharp pain. The snow that fell around him went unnoticed as he lunged for the man across from him.

With a yell, Nikolas Krystoph attacked, turning the snow red beneath him as he fought against the newest addition to his regiment, Gaibe. The lad was smaller than him, as most of his men were, barely coming up to his chest, but the wolf was fast.

As the two dueled, it became clear this was a match of strength versus speed. Nikolas stood taller and wider than most within the castle walls, thanks to his mother. Polar bears were the largest shifters in the northern kingdoms, making them one of the most feared clans in Laurasia. At six foot seven inches and weighing nearly three hundred pounds, all of it muscle, Nikolas towered over all other members of the Royal Guard and most of the members of the Royal Court. There were two other polars who worked as advisers to the king and queen, but Nikolas was the only one on the Guard, something that would likely never change. No normal polar bear would ever step foot in the wolves’ territory, let alone work for their leaders. The two polars on the Royal Court had mated with wolves, thereby becoming banished from their bear community. The polars were one of the few shifter clans who still held on to the old ways of keeping the bloodline pure. Those who found mates outside of the polar community were banished for life. If they fought the sentence, they and their mate were killed.

Nikolas was assigned protection of Prince Dorin Ferghas of the Wolf Clan and had been since the polar came of age. His regiment was the fiercest in the Guard because Nikolas would accept nothing less as his men worked on guarding the entire royal family.

“Give up, whelp,” Nikolas snarled as he circled the man in front of him.

“Not a chance,” Gaibe sneered, his golden eyes flashing.

Nikolas swung at him, but Gaibe leapt out of the way just in time, avoiding Nikolas’s large paws, his hands shifting while the rest of his body remained human. The polar’s ice-blue eyes flashed dangerously as he growled at his opponent, frustrated that the boy remained in his human form. Gaibe simply grinned wolfishly before darting out in an attempt to startle his sparring partner. Quick as lightning, Nikolas grabbed the pup by the throat, easily lifting him off the ground.

“What have I told you? Never go for the obvious attack,” Nikolas growled in the wolf’s face.

Frustrated, Nikolas cast the wolf aside, ignoring the yelp as he landed a few yards away, no doubt breaking something in the process. Nikolas turned away, glaring at the rest of his men lined up along the sparring field.

“Any more takers?”

“Not today, Krystoph,” a man said, walking out onto the field.

Everyone around dropped to their knees, heads bowed as Prince Dorin strode up to Nikolas. The Prince of the Wolves was nearly half a foot shorter than his polar guard and half his size. While regular runs with the pack and daily fighting exercises kept the prince in shape, his body was not as muscular as the other man. Where Nikolas was fair, Dorin was dark. His brown hair, cut closer to his head, was darker than chocolate, his eyes like soft caramel. Every step he took spoke of power and control as if he stalked his prey.

“Arise, all,” Dorin insisted, coming to stand in front of Nikolas.

“Your Highness has need of me?” Nikolas questioned, rising slowly.

“Not just I. Morna has just arrived and wishes to speak to both of us,” Dorin told him.

“The witch? What need has she of me?” Nikolas frowned.

“Come see for yourself. She was quite insistent that you be present for her reading,” Dorin explained.

“Dismissed,” Nikolas shouted to his men before following the prince back to the castle.

“You have been avoiding me again, Nikolas,” Dorin murmured as they walked through the castle doors.

“Nay, Highness. I have simply been busy training your guard,” Nikolas denied.

“Lie to yourself, but not to me. I know you too well for that.” Dorin glared.

“It is…improper,” Nikolas mumbled gruffly.

“Why? Because you are not wolf?” Dorin frowned.

“Nay, because I am not royal.”

Reaching out, Dorin grabbed hold of Nikolas’s collar and pulled him into a nearby alcove, hiding them from sight. Once safely behind the tapestry, Dorin pulled Nikolas down to his slightly shorter frame.

“Listen to me, Nikolas, for I will only say this once. I chose you because you are my friend and I care for you. I do not wish to see you fade away without a mate. You know as well as I that the polars will not allow you to return to your homeland to mate with one of their females,” Dorin growled, glaring at his oldest friend.

“I’m not worthy to share your mate. The people will reject us all if I am involved,” Nikolas stated.

“Ridiculous. That is your polar mentality speaking. My people will accept both you and our mate because it is often our way. The people will only find issue in the fact that you are a polar shifter, but even that fear is unfounded because you have already proven yourself time and again in battle. The people respect and admire you, Nikolas. Why can’t you see that?” Dorin hissed angrily.

Nikolas looked down at the man who had stood beside him for as long as he could remember. Ever since he came to the wolf clan, Dorin and he had kept close to each other, drawn by a bond neither had fully understood. While Nikolas struggled with his banishment from his home clan, Dorin had kept the larger shifter from completely giving up hope. Dorin had promised Nikolas as children that they would always be friends, always be together. At the time, he never would have guessed his friend would later insist on sharing a mate.

“I don’t see why this is an issue since neither of us has felt the pull for any of the females your mother parades in front of us. Why must we argue over something that has not yet come to pass?” Nikolas asked, seeking to end their disagreement.

Dorin stared up at Nikolas, his eyes narrowed in a mix of suspicion and annoyance. Eventually the wolf turned away.

“We need to be going. Morna should not be kept waiting,” Dorin insisted, leaving the alcove first.

Nikolas sighed heavily, knowing Dorin was angry with him, but entirely unclear how to fix it. With no other option, he followed his friend from the alcove.

* * * *

The king and queen were seated in their usual places upon the dais when Dorin and Nikolas walked into the throne room. Their private guards lined the walls, with one on either side of the thrones. King Silal was still an impressive man, despite his increased age. His once black hair was now gray, and wrinkles lined his face from years of running his clan. The body that had once fought through countless battles had lost most of its muscles, but when he stood tall, all eyes moved to him. His queen was just as impressive, still beautiful after all this time. Visess’s blond hair was slowly turning white, and blue eyes edged by laugh lines lit up every time her husband walked into the room. The king and queen had ruled for nearly seven thousand years together, and they knew the time was coming for them to step down.