Win an Amazon Gift Card with Suzette Rose Cauler's Book Tour: Nikki's Fated: Wolves of River's Bend 1

Welcome to Sensuous Promos book tour for Suzette Rose Cauler and her HOT new release, Nikki's Fated [Wolves of River's Bend 1]  

 

 

Be sure to enter the rafflecopter contest below for your chance to win an Amazon $20 Gift Card!

 

Wolf shifter Nikki Black never expected her love life to mean the difference between lasting peace and all-out war. Especially when her fated, Luke Andres, wants nothing to do with her. Forced to join to prevent bloodshed between their rival clans, Nikki and Luke enjoy a blistering night of passion before facing another complication—Luke’s brother is also Nikki’s destined mate.

Mason Andres is passionate, loving, and sexy, and Nikki falls hard for him, thrilled that he feels the same. She wants the same love-match with Luke, but that’s the one thing Luke can’t risk giving her. Fighting destiny to keep his heart safe from the only woman who can claim it, Luke makes plans that could separate them for good. But when love and passion run soul-deep, fate can overturn even the best-laid plans.

Will Luke admit his love for Nikki before it’s too late, or will his wounded heart destroy the trio’s shot at lasting happiness?

PURCHASE LINKS:

http://www.amazon.com/Nikkis-Wolves-Rivers-Publishing-Menage-ebook/dp/B00QFVZIZK/

http://www.bookstrand.com/nikkis-fated

 

 

 

Excerpt:  

“Nikki—” her father began, clearly not getting that she didn’t want to talk to him.

“Excuse us.” A large hand reached between them to take Nikki’s arm. “They’re playing our song.” It was Luke, and Nikki wouldn’t have been more surprised if one of the guests suddenly sprouted wings and flew away. He was asking to dance with her? Was that a smile she saw? Nikki actually looked to the sky for the lightning that was sure to strike at any minute.

Warily, she allowed him to lead her onto the temporary dance floor and wrap his arms around her waist.

He whispered in her ear as he swayed to the slow music, rocking her along with him. “Let’s make it look good.”

Nikki wrapped her arms around his neck, perplexed but hopeful. Maybe he was going to behave decently toward her now that they were officially joined. “Thank you—for rescuing me over there.”

“You looked like you needed to get away. And we do have a common enemy. One thing we can both agree on right now is how much we loathe our fathers for this.”

Nikki shook her head. “Who would have thought it would take mutual anger to bring us together?” She looked up into his gray eyes and the rest of the world just seemed to melt away. She felt every hard line of his body, every muscle, and if she wasn’t mistaken, that was the beginnings of an erection pressing up against her belly. His arms tightened around her and her gaze drifted from his eyes to his full lips and back again, even as her own lips parted in anticipation of his kiss. Maybe the rest of their joining day wouldn’t be so bad, she thought, as he leaned closer, the desire to kiss her clear in his eyes. But then he surprised her by moving toward her ear instead of her lips.

“I did you a favor, getting you away from the old man, but let’s not get carried away.” His lips grazed her ear as he whispered, sending tiny waves of anticipation straight to her core.

“What do you mean?” She pulled back to look up at him and had to remind herself, not for the first time, that it would be a mistake to get lost in his eyes. Unfortunately, his mouth was just as dangerous a focal point. His lips screamed sex, and on the few occasions she’d made the mistake of watching his mouth while he talked, her pussy had immediately gotten wet and she’d managed to miss at least half of what he’d said.

“Look, I know I was a sort of a dick at first…”

“Sort of? That’s the understatement of the century.”

“Fair enough, but the point is, I made it clear I didn’t want a mate, that I wasn’t ready. And I want you to know it’s not about you.”

“Oh great, is this one of those ‘it’s not me, it’s you’ speeches? Because if it is, spare me. I already know it’s you.” She had to work hard to keep her voice even and matter-of-fact.

“You don’t sugarcoat much, do you?” He had the nerve to sound amused.

“Nope, I’m a straight-shooter.”

“Good, so you’ll appreciate what I have to say. You’re a beautiful woman, and being close to you like this has an incredible effect on me. I want you—badly. There’s no question of that, but wanting you doesn’t change how I feel about this joining. I went through with it for the same reasons you did, but I don’t want you to set yourself up for disappointment.”

“Okay…” She wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about, and once again, he was the king of the understatement. She could clearly feel how hard he was for her. Frankly, she wouldn’t be surprised if his erection tore a hole in his pants.

“Look, what I’m trying to say is that you shouldn’t expect this to be a love match. That…It’s just not in me. I’ll do my duty, but…that’s it. I can’t offer you more than that.”

“I don’t know what to say.” Nikki hated that his words hadn’t dampened her desire any. The last thing she wanted to do after that speech was want him.

“I have a feeling that doesn’t happen very often.”

They danced in silence as one song ended and the band struck up another slow favorite. “Say something,” Luke said.

“What for? You have this all figured out. I’m stuck with a mate who is determined to never love me. What do you expect me to say to that?”

“Well…” He stroked his knuckles over her cheek, then her lips. “We can still enjoy each other.”

Oh, God. Her pussy tightened at his touch. Nikki knew she’d live to regret how excited his words made her feel, but just then, she didn’t care. The call of her mate’s body was just too strong. “So, you want to fuck me, but you plan to keep feelings out of it. Got it.”

His armed tightened around her waist and he trailed a single finger down the side of her neck and over her collarbone, stopping where the tops of her breasts swelled out of her dress. “Tell me you don’t feel the same.” He leaned down and buried his nose in her neck. Damn it, he was smelling her. “You can’t hide how badly you want me.”

Her nipples were hard enough to cut glass and her pussy was so wet she needed to change her panties. “I can’t hide it, so I won’t bother denying it.”

“And you can accept that we won’t have a love match?” He was facing her again, his lips just inches from hers.

“What possible difference does that make? As you pointed out, we’re stuck with each other now.”

Luke smiled again, and this time she could swear it was genuine. Leaning in further, he claimed her mouth in the first real kiss they’d ever shared. His lips were the perfect combination of smooth and sensual, and firm and demanding, and Nikki couldn’t help but lean into his kiss, into him.

When he finally released her mouth, she was breathless. He looked down at her and she could swear his eyes were darker than normal.

“Good,” he said. “Because I, for one, am tired of waiting for the fun part to begin.”

 

 

Bio:

Suzette Rose Cauler has loved books (all types really) for as long as she can remember. As a child, she'd get lost in books for hours, using a flashlight to read under the covers long past bedtime. She read her first romance novel as a preteen and was immediately hooked by the swoon-worthy heroes and daring, spunky damsels. Though her reading tastes have definitely matured, Suzette continues to enjoy romance novels, especially those of the erotic, paranormal, fantasy, or historical variety. She writes almost as voraciously as she reads and typically falls head over heels in love with her heroes.

 

Though everyday types of romantic situations do appeal to her, stories that include adventure, intrigue, or danger have always made Suzette's heart go pitter patter. If they incorporate some science fiction too, she is even happier. You'll find elements like these in most of her stories as well as strong heroines who can fight their own battles but sometimes enjoy letting someone else take the lead.

 

Suzette lives on the East Coast with five special people who help keep her spirit young and her imagination fresh.

 

 

Website: www.suzettecauler.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzcauler

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suzettecauler

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzettecauler1/

 

 


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Guest Post: The Alpha's Challenge by Raven McAllan

I am so very proud to be able to say, I'm a siren author. When Siren-Bookstrand accepted The Alpha's challenge, I cried. With happiness I hasten to add. I was elated. This story nagged at me, and the characters alternated between shouting at me, and nudging me gently in the direction they wanted me to go.

I love my wolf shifter with a hint of darkness.

Why? Well here's the blurb…

When human Ari Mackintosh lets wolf shifter Jacob Wolfe know she fancies him, fur and sparks fly. Especially, as Jacob isn't a mere shifter. He's the Alpha of his pack and a Dom to boot.

Jacob cannot believe his luck when he discovers that the woman he’s been lusting after from afar not only knows about shifters, but is turned on by seeing him shift. It becomes clear that Ari knows far more than she ought to when she recognized him in his wolf form.

It challenges Jacob, as it’s his duty to keep the pack safe. There are rules to follow—rules that he breaks one by one, as he cannot resist Ari’s natural submissiveness.

When push comes to shove and Jacob reveals his secrets, he is fully aware that they might send Ari away screaming.

He has to take the chance and trust that she will stay.

Have I caught you imagination? I do hope so. The Kinfoyle pack is one we'll hear a lot more about I think…

Here's a tease…

“Ari? You okay?”

“Yeah, sure. Ah, don’t mind me. Maybe I’m hormonal or something.”

 Nope. Jacob sniffed. Definitely not hormonal. He’d sense that. It was one thing that helped all male wolf shifters in his pack know when to keep shtum and agree with their hormonal mates. Luckily in their pack it didn’t happen unless it was time to mate.

“But I dread to think what else she’ll think of,” Ari went on. “Riding on his back? Could you even do that? Ride a wolf’s back? Or a man in wolf’s clothing.”

“Who knows?” Jacob shrugged, and did his best to look clueless.

 Sometimes, with help, but that’s a whole new ball game. So are the spanking, the claw, and definitely the “something else.” However he didn’t say a word. It was probably a good thing he didn’t look like a shifter. He had to live and eat, and human flesh had never appealed to him. He preferred chicken. However, her ideas intrigued him. As long as he was involved. It struck him he was thinking of her as the client, and no one else. If he was wrong, there could be problems.

Ari shook her head. “Some people. That reminds me, I’ll need to see where I can hunt out a wolf costume.” She opened a deep desk drawer and began to rummage in it. “Fuck it, where’s that sodding list of costumiers. I’ll have to increase my stock if I keep getting requests like this.”

Wolf costume? Jacob bit his lip and drew blood. Enough to stop him responding in a way guaranteed to have Ari run for the police and demand the local zoo attend or something. Even without the distraction of a bleeding lip he wanted to close his mind to anything other than the way he could respond to her challenge.

Don’t shift. Do not shift. He concentrated on Ari’s bum as she left the desk and walked round him to open a tall cupboard, and ignored the way his skin burned and his mind begged for release. He’d shift once he was safe on his own land.

“Let me know if you want me,” he said and ignored the desperation in his voice. After all, he only wanted her and not some shifter-lusting person. However he wouldn’t see her stuck. “Dinner, tomorrow?”

Ari turned from the cupboard and stretched her arms over her head. Her skirt hem lifted and the lacy edge of a stocking showed for a second. The action also un-tucked her shirt, and stretched it tight over her boobs. The mesh cups of her bra showed through the fine silk, and her nipples were visible as a dusky shadow. If only he could rip away those coverings and feast his eyes on her tits, before savouring each one in turn.

If he didn’t realize that wish, at least Jacob got a tantalising glimpse of her midriff and his cock hardened.

“Love to.”

Jacob blinked. He sure would love to… “Ah, Dinner. Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.” Damn it, I need to get my head out of unlikely-to-happen scenarios and control my cock. He walked towards her, resisted the urge to lift the shirt even higher and see just how dark those nipples were, and went to kiss her cheek. She turned her head and he kissed her on the lips instead. Ari gave a soft sigh and opened her mouth just enough for him to slip his tongue between her lips, if he wanted to. Jacob gave into temptation. He wanted to.

Her scent surrounded him and he sensed her astonishment. However, she didn’t pull back. Instead she moaned deep in her throat, a sexy, happy, and aroused sound, and drew him in. Jacob pulled her closer until his cock rested against her. Ari wriggled and ran her hands down his spine. Did she know what that did to him? She couldn’t. Nevertheless he had to stop her before she reached the one spot guaranteed to start his shift. For him it was the tiny indentation where in his shifted state, his tail was.

It was the hardest thing in the world to end the kiss and put space between them. How he managed he had no idea. The only thing he knew was he’d have to give himself a hand and come as soon as possible. Or his shift would be hell. And this was one of the nights where he led everyone in the area, as they shifted en masse and celebrated their heritage.

They were both breathing deeply and erratically as Jacob walked to the door. The air was heavy with their arousal, and he couldn’t control the way his heart jumped and his mind shouted “at last!” It had been a long wait to see if she’d ever respond to his subtle wooing. It had taken him even longer to accept he wanted her, a human, as his mate, and no one else would do. Today had been the first time she’d sent out the unconscious signal, showing him it could be time to act.

Buy link

http://www.bookstrand.com/the-alphas-challenge

Well what can I say?

I'm growing old disgracefully and loving it.

Oh and I live on the edge of a Scottish forest, and rattle around in a house much too big for us.

Our kids have grown up and flown the nest, but roll back up when they want to take a deep breath and smell the daisies so to speak.

I write in my study, which overlooks the garden and the lane. I'm often seen procrastinating, by checking out the wild life, looking—only looking—at the ironing basket and assuring tourists that indeed, I'm not the bed and breakfast. That would mean cooking fried eggs without breaking the yolks, and disturbing the dust bunnies as they procreate under the beds. Not to be thought of.

Being able to do what I love, and knowing people get pleasure from my writing is fantastic. Long may it last.

http://www.ravenmcallan.com

http:/ /www.ravenmcallan.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/rmcallan        (my page)

https://www.facebook.com/ravenmcallan            (author page)

https://twitter.com/RavenMcAllan

Happy reading,

Love R x

Check out: FORBIDDEN FRUIT [Z PAC ALPHA SHIFTERS 3] #MM #GLBT #MANLOVE

Hi everyone, thanks for hosting me today to talk about my newest release, Forbidden Fruit.  This is the 3^rd book in my Z Pac Alpha Shifters series and with this story I’ve added quite the surprise, taking this portion of the series to a scary time for the members of Zarantaria.

To understand a little bit more of my shifters series and the different species within them, I’ve prepared a short summary for you below. Be sure to read to the very bottom of this post for your chance to win an eCopy of this new release!

3D World Creation by Planet Postmoderna LLC

Four species live amongst one another in a land known as, Zarantaria. The large island of Zarantaria is a vast land with virtually every terrain imaginable.  It is rich in both forest, hard scapes and natural waters, some of which are fed from rivers and streams, which come from the waters that surround them.

Large rock formations make up a massive mountain range known as the Tetopas, which stretch through the valley out onto the farthest southwest corner of the island where the Sparticians live. 

While the island is roughly one hundred miles in width and nearly half that size in height, it is surrounded by a vast body of crystal clear water known as, The Ulstrea Sea which goes on as far as the eye can see. Ulstrea feeds several small rivers which flow into fresh water lakes within the Tetopas. While being a mountainous area, there are some tropical elements held within this land as well, such as beautiful plants and flowers. There are gorgeous sunsets of pink and purplish hues, which disappear into the shimming waters of Ulstrea.

 Surrounding the Tetopa Mountains are three other territories, which are home to the Panthtarians in the north west territory, the Concorrians in the north east territory and the Lynxians in the south western territory.

While most of these species live together in harmony with one another, there has always been an unspoken power struggle between the Sparticians and the Panthatarians, which lends to some conflict whenever they cross paths. Both species are the more dominant of their population, with the Concorrians and Lyxians being the more passive species. With the Sparticians heading up the biggest branch of law enforcement, the The Oath Keepers, The Panthatarians have always been said to have a dark side and all of Zarantaria are warned never to cross them.

Zarantaria is land that holds incredible beauty and intense emotions. Like with all strong feelings one can often times expect to find themselves experiencing passions that can both delight and bedevil.

Forbidden Fruit [Z Pac Alpha Shifters 3]

     Rourke Falco is single, lonely, and has no desire to even look for a mate. When his restlessness starts to take hold of him, he takes time away from the territory he works and live in. His hopes are that he may find some peace in the nearby blissful Unicyn Forest. 

     Ty Neston is a loner. When he becomes stricken with a problem that feels so good it is nearly painful, he escapes into the forest within the Sergin Valley. 

     Whether by luck or fate, Ty and Rourke cross paths with one another more than once. Ty is unable to deny his attraction for the Rourke and makes his move. Their uniting might have been fleeting if it hadn't been for a fruit that Ty had brought along the way. 

      Unrelenting passions and unmistakable lust set the stage for these two as they test the boundaries of species while exploring the depth of their connection.

Purchase link: 

http://bookstrand.com/forbidden-fruit-brooks

ADULT Excerpt:

Rourke stared out into the woods. Trees blanketed the area around him and made the forest seem darker than it actually was. If someone was lurking out there, he would never see them from where he stood. He was going to have to venture out into that same darkness in order to find whoever was stalking him.

He had just been about to take that first step when goose bumps formed on his body and the eeriest sensation washed over him. Completely frozen, Rourke stood, waiting silently for what he felt was right behind him.

As he opened his mouth to speak, the words were stolen right from him when he felt a warm breath hit the back of his neck. He should have been terrified at that moment. He had no idea who this person was. Yet the heat he felt from that simple gesture gave him a completely different reaction.

Lust.

He could feel it growing in himself just as he sensed it from his silent observer.

Rourke slowly turned, not entirely sure what he expected to see.

When he was completely turned around he saw a man who he didn’t recognize. His hair was thick and black, cut short against his head. When his eyes met the person standing behind him, he was surprised to find that he was a few inches shorter than Rourke.

He looked down at him. With the flickering of the campfire Rourke could tell they were a magnificent blue, the kind that reminded him of the sea on a bright sunny day. Tonight they didn’t appear bright, though. They looked dark and mysterious. They looked tortured.

“Who are you?” he asked.

“Ty.”

“What are you…doing here?” Rourke asked, hesitating as he felt the warm breath of this man hit his bare chest.

“I want you.”

Rourke was taken aback by his response. It was so blatant, and he offered no apology for his blunt reply.

“You…want me?”

Ty leaned in and placed his head closer to the hollow between Rourke’s neck and shoulder. He inhaled deeply and let out a primal grumble.

“Do I know you?” Rourke asked, trying to ignore how turned on he was getting.

“No.”

Whoever this man was, with his short answers and promiscuous behavior, it was obvious that he wasn’t from these parts of Zarantaria. Rourke was certain he would have recognized him if he was. The combination of his hair, olive skin tone and gorgeous blue eyes left the mind whirling with possibilities. This man, the one who calls himself Ty, was not the type who would be easily forgotten. This was the kind of male Zarantarian that Rourke knew he could never forget.

“Where did you come from?” Rourke asked.

Ty shook his head and lifted his hand. He cupped the side of Rourke’s cheek and massaged his thumb across Rourke’s stubbles. “That doesn’t matter.”

“What do you want?”

“I already told you,” Ty answered matter-of-factly and pressed his body into Rourke’s.

When Rourke felt the outline of Ty’s hard cock press against his upper thigh, his own dick swelled with excitement.

He had no idea who this man was. He had no idea where he came from. All he knew was, that no matter how crazy it seemed, he wanted Ty as well. He may regret it in the morning, but right then, in the moment, he was going to take what Ty was offering. He had to. His body begged him to.

Rourke reached down between their bodies and stroked the thickness that was poking at him. A small droplet of pre-cum leaked through Ty’s shorts, enticing Rourke all the more.

He pulled away and slowly rubbed at his own cock. Closing his eyes, he recalled just how long it had been since he’d been with another male.

“Fuck, you are beautiful,” Ty whispered. “Take off your jeans. I want to see you.”

Rourke opened his eyes, slightly embarrassed that he felt so vulnerable to this man. He always considered himself to be in charge whenever he dealt with sex, but at the present moment he felt like putty in Ty’s hands as he began unbuttoning his jeans.

Ty licked his lips and quirked up an eyebrow as he watched Rourke. The hunger Rourke saw in him only intensified his own. He had never minded casual interludes before, in fact he usually welcomed them.

This though, this was different. This man had come out of nowhere. Rourke had no idea who he was, where he had come from, or whether or not he’d ever see him again. For all Rourke knew he could be a figment of his over stressed imagination.

He didn’t care either way. If this man was a damn mirage, Rourke was going to fuck him. He needed this. He wanted this. He wanted him.

Other books in the series:

Bookstrand.com/Taylor-Brooks

A little bit about Taylor:

I first fell in love with writing when I penned my first book for Siren Publishing, Take Me. I’m also an avid reader and find myself drawn to the stories of gay lovers. I think the passion these types of stories hold to be absolutely beautiful. This also explains why it’s my genre of choice for writing.

In addition to my Sultry SoCal, Rocky Mountain Man Hunt, and Z Pac Alpha Shifter series, I have many stories brewing inside my head just itching to break free. So stay tuned and I strive to come up with new and exciting ways to tease and please the readers.

Connect with Taylor:

http://taylorbrooks.net 

http://authortaylorbrooks.blogspot.com/ 

http://twitter.com/AuthorTBrooks

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTaylorBrooks

http://www.pinterest.com/authortbrooks/

https://www.goodreads.com/TaylorBrooks

http://www.amazon.com/author/taylorbrooks

Welcome Milly Taiden...

Today I have Milly Taiden as my guest!!

Milly Taiden was born in the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the Dominican Republic. She grew up between New York, Florida and Massachusetts. Currently, she resides in New York City with her husband, bossy young son and their little dog Speedy.

She began writing when she learned to put words together and her first book consisted of two homeless dogs living in a park for her second grade English class. She didn’t win a prize, but she acquired a love for writing that never went away.

When she’s not working full-time, texting with her best friend Heidi in England, chastising her son for pulling the dog’s ears, shopping with her sister Jewel or watching scary movies with her husband, she can be found writing on her laptop. She’s addicted to shoes, chocolate, Dunkin Donuts coffee and all Jimmy Thomas covers. 

A major reader when she can get her hands on a good book, she loves reading all Mina Carter, Cynthia Eden, Cynthia Sax, Dianne Duvall and Laurann Dohner among others.

Milly loves this time of year, especially scary movies. Here’s what she had to say about them…

Halloween is a wonderful time for me. I love anything and everything that has to do with horror and being scared. I’m such a fan that I will be under blankets watching intently, and listening to the horrific sounds of someone being scared to death. I love it!! My 5 favorite scary movies for Halloween are the following:

Halloween (The original). There’s something about watching the original Michael Meyer make Jamie Lee Curtis run for her life. It’s awesome! Not to mention that whole walking slowly and taking his time but still catching you still creeps me the hell out!

An American Haunting. Wow. That movie scares the crumbs out of me each time I watch it. That little girl getting beat up over and over again. You have no clue what the heck is going on until you get to the end. And then you want to just cry for her missing innocence. What a movie.

The Howling. Remember them? How could I not have wolves as one of my favorite movies? The truth is I love all the Howling movies. Those werewolves and all their sick needs to kill and destroy. I know I have issues because I liked the first so much I had to see all the others.

The Amityville Horror. Another classic. That movie just kicks ass. That family moved to that house and had no idea of the crazy things that their dream home was going to give them. I still can’t go to houses that look like that without feeling all kinds of scared. 

Stephen King’s Rose Red. This movie just ROCKS! If you have not seen it, you are missing you. Rose red is the story of a house that’s alive. And you would not believe the kind of stuff that goes on in there when a group of people go to spend the weekend. This is THE original creepy movie. It feeds on all the suspense and scaring a person with taunts and hints. It truly pulls you in and then spits you out. You can’t watch it and not be worried about going to the bathroom alone afterwards. LOL.

Thank you for having me in your blog Nicole! I’ve had a lot of fun talking about Halloween Movies I love to watch.

Not so fast, Milly. Tell us about your book Sharp Change! I absolutely love the cover and am dying to hear more. Please stay and tell us more…

Only the hottest sex can cool a wolf in heat...

After her sister is bitten by a werewolf, geneticist Sophia Reece begins researching shape-shifters and isolates a gene she calls Furry Beast—FB for short. But in her excitement over her discovery—dancing in the lab is never a good idea—she has a teeny little accident with the samples, one canine, one feline, and winds up landing on the syringes, pointy side up.

Werewolf Chase is head over heels in lust with Sophia. He can’t stop thinking about the human’s sexy body or how badly he wants to get her naked. But she acts as if he has fleas. So why, all of a sudden, does she stare at him like a wolf in heat? And what smells like cat?

When she experiences her first mating heat, Sophia isn’t prepared for the new feelings she’s experiencing, and her secret desire for Chase refuses to remain under wraps. For Chase, this is his wildest fantasy come true—to finally get his hands on the curvy, caramel-skinned Latina. But when some serious predators come sniffing around her research, Sophia will have to find out what she’s really made of, and Chase will have to decide if he’s man—or wolf—enough to make things permanent...

Amazon : ARe : B&N

Excerpt

Holy hell!

She’d done it.

Sophia stared at the computer screen and couldn’t believe her eyes. Number and letter sequences in front of her drove her excitement. A slow sliver of fear raced up her spine when she thought of what could happen if the information got into the wrong hands, but it wasn’t enough to stop her from smiling ear to ear.

She’d finally singled out the particular chromosome in the DNA strand that made shape-shifters shift. This little baby was the hottest ticket in Shifterville. It’s what bonded with the rest of a person’s DNA and created the furry beast that lived inside them.

If it were a person she’d kiss it, hug it, probably spank it for being bad and making it so hard for her to find it. She grinned; she couldn’t help herself. Julia would be able to have a choice in life now after being attacked by a rogue werewolf the previous year.

The one positive outcome was that her sister had met River, the beta of his pack and her current husband. Talk about love at first bark. His animal had taken one look at her sister and had literally rolled over for her to pet his tummy. It was sweet and kind of creepy, considering how damn big he was in his wolf form.

River was a real nice guy too, but nothing beat freedom of choice in Sophia’s mind. He loved her sister and treated her better than any other man she’d ever been with, not to mention the man was absolutely gorgeous. Then there was his brother, the pack alpha.

Thoughts of Chase, the alpha of the Black Meadows pack, made her heart torpedo in her chest and rockets go off in her stomach. The better-than-a-sundae, delicious-looking man, with golden brown skin and enough muscles to share with his friends, turned her into a puddle of goo.

The man had so much sex appeal her girl parts were ready to lift a white flag in surrender just by looking at him. Even thinking of him made her tongue wag. Seeing him was like having your favorite desert and knowing you couldn’t eat it.

She was very aware of her physical appearance whenever he came around her. She was short, fat, and shy, and now that she’d hit thirty-two, she also felt old.

She had long ago given up on the idea of finding Mr. Right and had started focusing on Mr. Right Now. Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked out so well either. She ended up dating boring, geeky people, and sex tended to be nothing to write home about.

Shit, sex tended to be nothing she’d want to try again with any of those guys, having been responsible for her own orgasms for as long as she could remember. Heat crawled across her skin when she thought of the last guy she’d been with, Jake the Snake, before she’d moved to town. He was the reason she’d ended up looking for a new job.

He’d stolen her research and tried to pass it off as his own. Luckily, she always backed up her work with multiple copies and had months of data to prove the work was hers.

She blinked and squinted tired eyes, then rubbed cold fingers under her rimless glasses, drawing in a deep breath. A burst of energy rushed through her blood when she thought of what she’d just accomplished. Exhilaration made up for the lack of sleep. She’d been burning the candle at both ends working and doing her own private research.

She swatted away the guilt that tapped her shoulder over using the lab resources for her own experiment. Too much depended on the results of her first test to worry about being found out. And if she was—oh well, they did encourage “groundbreaking” and “outside the box” research.

Her sister Julia would have kittens if she knew. Or should she say puppies, now that Julia was a wolf shifter? The woman had been a straight pain before, but now that she had a dramatic animal inside, she’d taken theatrics to a whole new level. Her tears could appear and disappear faster than Superman at the scene of a crime.

As the older sister, Julia always wanted to take care of Sophia, so two years ago Julia had packed up her life and moved with Sophia to the town of Black Meadows.

Black Meadows was by no means a small town, but with only the research facility and a car plant, it was easy to see people as either scientists or engineers. Then there were the blue-collar plant workers and the small-business owners.

Looking through the microscope at the samples of the particularly special FB chromosome, Sophia had to smile. Yes, she had called the chromosome Furry Beast. It was her special way of keeping herself from losing her mind after working on this for what felt like forever.

Finally she’d pulled a sample of DNA from both sets of shifters and created a pure chromosome strand of cat and wolf. A slow smile slid across her face. She could swear she heard birds chirping and a Hallelujah Chorus above her head while she stared through the small eyepiece of her microscope.

“Goddamn, I fucking rock!” Laughter and excitement unlike any she’d ever experienced, not including meeting man-candy Chase, popped and fizzled through her until she was bouncing on her stool, grinning like a fool.

Now that she thought of man-candy Chase, her brain did the usual X-rated stripping of those rock-hard limbs. Mmm, man-candy Chase… He was her biggest temptation. If she had an affliction it was called Furry Beast Alpha, or FBA for short.

Side effects included, but were not limited to: making a woman stop, stare, and drool on the spot; panties somehow finding themselves off and thrown his way; and finally, if said subject were to smile, blacking out from sudden excitement.

She was still unable to figure out how one minute he could be smiling at her, and the next she would be sitting down on a chair counting fuzzy bunnies running across her field of vision.

Thank goodness she still hadn’t gone as far as the panty throwing, but she was tempted…God, she was tempted. Every single time she got near him, her hands itched to tear off the little slip of lace, wave her arm in the air, and yell “pick me, pick me!”

She giggled and bounced in her seat, causing her short hair to tickle the nape of her neck. Looking to celebrate, she turned on the radio at her desk to some dance mix. She stood up and stretched, lifting her white T-shirt in the process and showing her softly rounded belly. All alone in the lab, she didn’t care if she showed some skin.

Her full breasts strained against the cotton while her stonewashed jeans clung lovingly to her generous hips. When she bent down to stretch her back, the move made her jeans ride low, and cold air caressed her lower back enough to show off the one thing she had ever done to be wild—a tattoo of a pink and purple fairy on her upper right cheek. Thankfully, there was no one around to see that.

She started singing along completely off-key to some song that talked about being sexy and knowing it. Snorting to herself, she knew even singing it was a lie. There were no feelings of sexiness anywhere in her—they only happened when FBA was around.

She pulled out two syringes, filled each with both werecat and werewolf chromosome, and laid them on the small collection tube tray. She sang louder as she moved. It wasn’t like there was anyone around to hear her sad attempt at singing.

She needed to find her special vials so she wouldn’t confuse these specimens with any of her other samples. She put away the older mixed strands she wasn’t actively using in the cold storage only she had access to.

Because she was the head of the genetics department, she was allowed her own work space. It also meant she got a big lab to use for her research. Other than equipment and coded papers, the place was kept immaculate. Large and small machines were strategically placed to make the move of samples from one to the other quick and efficient, along with multiple computers and printers.

The lab was also really cold. Goose bumps broke on her caramel skin as she thought of the heater sitting by her desk. Outside the weather was beautiful, but an iceberg lived inside the building.

She knew complaining would do nothing, since the best way to keep instruments from growing bacteria was to keep them cold. She would have to go to her office, which was located right next door, to write her notes before she left, so at least there she’d be warm.

Bopping to the music, she was careful of the extension cable that crossed the floor. She’d used all the electrical plugs by her computer, so she’d run an extension cord to power the amplification machine.

Holding her precious tray of sharps, she walked toward her other metal table to get to her special colored vials.

Shaking her hips, she lifted one sneaker over the white cord and then the other. The cord caught on her right foot.

What came next she would later tell herself was due to her own stupidity at trying to sing, dance, and walk when she was not as coordinated as she liked to think.

Falling forward in a sickening loss off balance, she saw the floor rush up to meet her face. Instinctively she let go of the tray to stick her hands out and break her fall. Everything around her narrowed to just the sound of her breathing. Distantly, she heard the metal tray clatter across the concrete floor, and she landed on top of it.

Something stabbed her between her breasts.

She winced and picked herself up off the floor. The damn underwire in her bra, it always tended to break through the casing. She wouldn’t have bothered with them if they didn’t make her breasts look so lingerie-catalog good.

“Ouch, dammit!” Looking down at the tray, she saw that the sharps were not on the floor. Panic seized her, and sharp blades of terror stabbed her gut while she scanned the ground. A pinching sensation in her chest drew her attention to where the two long sharps dangled from the area between her breasts.

Icy fear numbed her brain and lodged in her throat, making it impossible for her to breathe. Frantic, she pulled the two long needles out carefully and examined the amount in each.

There was a minute amount missing from each of them.

A panicked scream wrenched out of her. Her first thought was to take a blood sample and check for any alterations in her DNA. After a second thought and some frenzied breathing, she decided a few days of wait were probably best. No notable change would show up straight away if there was a delayed reaction. If there had been any life altering changes to her DNA, she would see it for sure in a few days.

Tears of frustration filled her eyes. Had she destroyed all her hard work with a stupid accident? She’d have to wait until Monday when she returned to the lab to run tests, unless there were any strange occurrences sooner.

Her stomach churned at the thought of her foolishness, but there was not much she could do other than wait and see. She stood, carefully grabbed the two vials with shaky hands, and stored her previously untainted samples.

She secured her storage freezer with her fingerprint and voice, which turned on the double-locked safe. There was no way in hell she was going to take any chances with what was in there. It was a good thing the freezer was made of the thickest metal out there and resembled a bank vault.

She headed for her office. Her previous happiness turned into a desolate sense of impending doom when she thought of the notes she would have to write to detail the calamity from that night. Then she would head home for a nice long soak and finally catch up on much needed sleep. She was going to get the rest she’d denied herself for the past long months.

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