Chronicles of the Shifter Directive Companion Guide

by Scarlet Hyacinth

  Frequently Asked Questions

  Scarlet, there’s not too much detail on the middle castes or on certain magical species. Why?

  In the seven books which form the main arc of Chronicles, I focused on pairings and relationships between dragon-shifters, fae, sprites, werewolves, and generally the species which have more detail. However, I have every intention of adding more stories that will explore the other castes.

  Wait a minute. I thought you said the series was complete.

  It is. The main arc of Chronicles is complete, but since the world I created was far too large to cram into seven books, I decided on continuing it with a different arc. Anticipate Chronicles of the Shifter Directive, Interludes, coming soon.

  Scarlet, I read the stories and I noticed you missed some characters. I’m confused.

  Some of the characters you encountered have been omitted on purpose. For example, for the purpose of clarity, I excluded most episodic characters which don’t really appear more than once and aren’t that relevant. Additionally, due to my desire as to not to provide too many spoilers, this list includes characters who are alive at the beginning at the main arc, or were alive at a certain point (historical characters). Therefore, the offspring born throughout the series will not appear.

  Hmmm… There are some details that I found in the books that don’t appear in the guide and some information that is in the guide doesn’t really appear in the books. Why?

  Of course, there will be things that I couldn’t include because they would have spoiled the story. As for the extra details, they are created with the sequel in mind, and they will appear in one of the later stories.

  Not all the characters listed in the guide are present in the family trees. Why is that?

  I decided to make the family trees only for the main characters. Therefore, some of the secondary characters who are pretty important in the stories have been excluded.

  I have another question which you didn’t answer. Can you help me?

  I always love reader feedback. If you have any other questions, feel free to email me at any time at my address scarlet.hyacinth@gmail.com.

  Blurb

  Hundreds of years ago, werewolves and vampires started a war that nearly wiped out all of humankind. They lost, and to pay for their crimes, they became the slaves of the draechen, trapped by the provisions of the new Shifter Directive.

  Now, Alpha Graham Powers still maintains hope that he will be able to free his people. When he is captured by a draechen patrol, he finds someone who might be more important to him than freedom itself. His mate, Caelyn Sutharlainn.

  Caelyn is a sprite, belonging to a species that tried to cooperate with the nearly omnipotent draechen. But when Caelyn meets Graham, he knows he cannot allow the strong, proud Alpha to be crushed by the draechen’s ruthlessness.

  Together, the two attempt to flee the draechen forces. But does their love have a chance of holding its own against an empire? Can the werewolf and the sprite find their way in a world that refuses to accept them?

  Extra Scene: Preview

  When Caelyn first opened his eyes, he couldn’t figure out his exact location. Morning light filtered through a pair of gauzy curtains, making strange shadows dance on the bare walls. The sheets of the bed he lay in felt scratchy on his naked skin. This certainly didn’t seem like a room in one of his parents’ homes, or in a residence of the draechen imperial family.

  Then, a familiar scent hit his nostrils, and Caelyn remembered he’d left all of that behind. He had a mate now—Graham, a handsome werewolf who took his breath away. He and Graham had been on the road now for several days, and they’d stopped at this hotel the previous evening. They’d fallen into each other’s arms the moment they’d entered the room and had made love all night long. Caelyn had some aches and pains in spots that had never before experienced it. But that was all right. Caelyn loved feeling that enduring sensation, as if Graham remained inside him.

  Which reminded him… Where was Graham now? The side of the bed where he had slept still smelled like him, but it was no longer warm. He must’ve been gone for quite some time. Given that they were still on the run from the draechen, Caelyn would have actually panicked if not for the mate bond that told him Graham was hale and whole.

  Even as he thought this, the door of the room opened and Graham walked inside. He smiled at Caelyn and said, “Hi. Sorry about that. I wanted to return before you woke up, but it seems I’m a little late.”

  He made his way to the bed and sat at Caelyn’s side. “I brought breakfast,” he explained, placing a paper bag next to Caelyn.

  Caelyn couldn’t help but smile back at his mate. “You always take such good care of me.”

  “Of course. You’re my mate, angel. How could I not?”

  Before Caelyn could reply, Graham opened the bag. The smell of pastries hit Caelyn’s nostrils, and, as if on cue, his stomach growled. Chuckling, Graham offered Caelyn a donut from inside. “Eat up,” he said. “You’re going to need your strength.”

  Graham’s words held a hint of innuendo that reminded Caelyn of their little sex fest the night before. He licked his lips of the sugar, noting with satisfaction the way the werewolf’s eyes fixed on his lips. His body was already responding to Graham’s proximity, his rising lust and the sinful memories Graham’s comment had stirred in his mind.

  And so, instead of taking the donut from Graham, Caelyn kept eating it out of the werewolf’s hand, never once looking away from his mate’s face. When he finished munching on the pastry, he held onto Graham’s wrist and started licking Graham’s fingers clean.

  Before he’d met Graham, he’d been a virgin, so he had no idea how to actually seduce people. Sure, he was a sprite and his powers of illusion could have been considered useful in that regard. But Caelyn had never even tried it, and he’d known next to nothing about lovemaking. However, his new bond with Graham guided his steps, showing him what he needed to do. Caelyn followed his instincts and fellated Graham’s fingers like he would have Graham’s dick.

  Graham released a low growl and started to thrust his fingers in and out of Caelyn’s mouth in an imitation of the act they both craved. With his free hand, he tore the sheet off Caelyn’s body, exposing his nudity. Caelyn moaned, his mate’s desire flowing over him, feeding his own hunger, this time for something entirely different from food.

  Soon, Graham could no longer withstand Caelyn’s teasing caresses. He pulled his fingers out of Caelyn’s mouth and left the bed. Caelyn would have actually protested, except he realized all too well that this was a natural progression toward something far more intimate.

  “I want you, angel,” Graham said, his voice filled with gravel, his hands clenched into fists. “Tell me I can have you.”

  Already, Caelyn was beyond words. His vocal chords were completely frozen, and he couldn’t have spoken to save his life. He did need to reassure Graham, because as always, the werewolf worried about him and his ability to take another coupling after their love making the night before. This time, too, their bond came in handy. “Come to me,” he sent to Graham using their mental connection. “I’m yours.”

  This was Caelyn’s absolute truth, the one thing he was certain of in this strange reality that seemed to change more and more every day. Amidst all the confusion, Caelyn remained convinced that he belonged to Graham, from the very moment their gazes had first met, or maybe even before then.

  Caelyn’s words seemed to enflame the werewolf even more, and the lingering remnants of his control snapped. Graham quickly toed his shoes off and discarded his garments with almost violent zeal. Caelyn could only watch in enraptured lust as his mate stripped for him. With every button Graham snapped free and every seam Graham reaped, Caelyn grew a little more light-headed. By now, his cock was so hard it hurt, and the fire burning inside him was rising to unbearable proportions. He needed Graham’s touch so much it hurt, but at the same time, he couldn’t even reach for his mate, too entranced by the sight of his mate
’s naked form.

  He finally snapped out of his trance when Graham joined him on the bed once more and crawled on top of him. As Graham crushed their mouths together, Caelyn gasped and parted his lips, granting the other man entrance. Graham thrust his tongue into Caelyn’s wet cavern, exploring him ruthlessly, taking no prisoners, making Caelyn burn for more. Caelyn wrapped his arms around Graham’s neck, all the while grinding against his mate, needing the friction more than he did his next breath.

  Then again, oxygen was overrated. Caelyn could easily go for the rest of his life breathing in just Graham’s love and desire for him. How had he even existed before meeting Graham? He couldn’t imagine it now.

  Graham’s hands traveled all over Caelyn’s body, leaving behind trails of fire. His lust for Caelyn seemed to linger wherever he touched. An incomparable blaze rose between them, so intense Caelyn’s skin sizzled and his blood even boiled.

  His mate peppered his face, his lips, even his eyelids with kisses, some gentle, some teasing, others so impossibly passionate they became desperate. But as much as Caelyn enjoyed it, or maybe for exact same reason, he found that he needed more. He wanted, craved, burned for the complete union with Graham. The werewolf’s hard dick nudged his hip, reminding him that they were only just beginning.

  As if in confirmation of Caelyn’s thoughts, Graham suddenly broke free from his embrace. Their gazes met and held, and just the heat in Graham’s eyes seemed like a physical caress over Caelyn’s body. The werewolf’s normally honey-brown orbs had grown nearly black with lust, twin oceans of desire in which Caelyn could have easily and happily drowned. And then, Graham straddled Caelyn’s chest, effectively bringing his dick close to his face. Caelyn’s mouth watered just at the sight of his mate’s hard member so close to him. He wanted to reach for it, but his mate’s gaze kept him completely trapped, a willing slave to Graham’s desires.

  Graham rubbed his dick over Caelyn’s lips, providing him with a teasing taste of what was to come. Caelyn moaned, the scent of his mate’s pre-cum going to his head like the most potent of aphrodisiacs. Mercifully, Graham didn’t torture them for much longer and finally fed his dick into Caelyn’s mouth.

  Pleasure exploded through Caelyn, Graham’s rapture filtering into him from their mate bond. Caelyn became a vessel of that bliss, fully surrendering to Graham’s mastery of him while never looking away from Graham’s face. There was something particularly beautiful and freeing in losing himself to Graham’s strength and his domination. At the same time, though, Caelyn experienced a special kind of bliss upon seeing the pleasure written in Graham’s handsome features, knowing that he had been the one to snap the control of this proud and powerful Alpha, and most importantly, that he’d given his mate the gift of this rapture.

  He’d have loved to make Graham come just by using his mouth. It wasn’t an entirely selfless desire. Already, Caelyn was on the edge of climax just after having sucked Graham’s prick. He suspected that if he only tasted Graham’s spunk, he would follow his mate over the edge. But Graham had other ideas. Before Caelyn could claim his prize, the werewolf pulled his dick out of Caelyn’s mouth and flipped him on all fours, silently guiding him to remain in this position. By this point, Caelyn’s arms were shaking, but he did his best to comply. His reward came seconds later, when Graham spread his ass cheeks and licked a wet stripe over Caelyn’s crease.

  Caelyn screamed. He couldn’t have possibly suppressed it. Already, he’d been so close to climax, and Graham’s taboo caresses melted his need for Graham into an unyielding, merciless, gnawing hunger, an ache so powerful it nearly hurt. His anus clenched, practically begging to be filled. Somehow, perhaps through the strength of his desire, Caelyn managed to make his voice work long enough to utter a single word. “Please!”

  Graham didn’t immediately give him what he wanted. Instead, he thrust his tongue into Caelyn’s ass, stretching him and preparing him for invasion. Caelyn clawed at the pillows as the slick muscle wormed its way inside him, a promise of what he truly craved. It was so impossibly good, and yet, not nearly enough.

  All the while, Graham released small, muffled sounds of pleasure. Before he’d mated Graham, Caelyn would have never thought someone would actually enjoy doing something like this to another person, but Graham certainly did, and that only added another layer to the sensations already flowing over Caelyn.

  Still, Caelyn was very relieved when Graham finally lifted his head, his tongue abandoning Caelyn’s body. Caelyn momentarily felt bereft, deprived of Graham’s touch, but it was all worth it. His mate gripped of his hips, and his cock nudged against Caelyn’s opening. Caelyn tried to push back, to hasten things along, but Graham’s tight hold on him kept him from doing so. He could only release a frustrated whimper and hope that Graham wouldn’t torture him for much longer.

  Not that he didn’t understand Graham’s actions. Of course he did. After all, saliva didn’t make the best lubricant, and Caelyn still felt the aftermaths of the night before. Caelyn wouldn’t have minded a little pain, but Graham did. Even if Caelyn had coaxed him into sex, that would never change.

  And so, in spite of their shared urgency, Graham took his time. His dickhead popped past the ring of guardian muscle of Caelyn’s hole. Inch by excruciating inch, the werewolf’s thick member pierced Caelyn’s willing flesh. In a way, because of the slow pace, Caelyn could feel everything even more intensely. Graham’s breath on his nape, the scent of his lust and his sweat, and most of all, the heat of his dick as he invaded Caelyn – all of it came together, creating a cocoon of delight that separated them from the world. Truly, Caelyn was surprised that he hadn’t even come on the spot, but he realized now that he craved far more than a purely sexual union. He needed to be claimed, taken, branded, in that way only Graham could ever manage.

  At last, Graham was fully seated inside him, and Caelyn found himself unable to maintain his previous positions. His muscles, his bones, the very core of his being seemed to have melted in the blaze of the passion he shared with his mate.

  Even so, Graham wrapped an arm around his waist, keeping him from falling, protective as always. For a few moments, he stilled inside Caelyn, giving him time to adjust. Just as Caelyn thought his mind would short-circuit out of pure need, he pulled out of Caelyn and thrust back inside. In the process, he hit Caelyn’s prostate, so hard Caelyn’s saw stars. Caelyn cried out his mate’s name, over and over, like a prayer, now practically in tears.

  Graham set a pace, at first going slowly, then faster and faster, building up to an almost violent rhythm. Caelyn loved every second of it, loved the perfection of his mate’s prick plunging in and out of him as he embraced the full extent of his lover’s passion. These were the moments when Graham truly unleashed his nature as a werewolf, as a shifter. They were precious for Caelyn, because through them, he and Graham became even closer.

  Caelyn and Graham moved together like longtime lovers, united in a dance as old as time, in the most intimate way two men could possibly be. Distantly, Caelyn registered the bed was shaking and creaking alarmingly. A lamp on the nightstand crashed to the floor, and a nearby chair toppled over. Lights danced through the air, or maybe through Caelyn’s vision. The previously bland walls of the hotel room now glowed with a thousand of hues in all the colors of the rainbow.

  With every thrust of Graham’s cock, Caelyn grew closer and closer to climax, until finally he couldn’t take it any longer. He tilted his head, offering himself to his mate, silently pleading for Graham to take what was already his. Seconds later, white-hot pleasure-pain exploded over him. His connection with Graham tightened until he couldn’t tell where he ended and Graham began. His orgasm and Graham’s swept over him like a tidal wave, purifying him of everything that wasn’t Graham’s love and affection. Graham’s memories flashed in Caelyn’s mind, and his emotions lived in each of Caelyn’s heartbeats. Their very souls reached for each other, and Caelyn lost his very sense of self as he became one with Graham.

  Alas, nothing qui
te so perfect could last forever, and Caelyn was forced to return to reality. But even as the haze of the mind-melting climax started to dim, the contentment and the happiness lingered as he found himself still in Graham’s arms.

  For a while, they just lay there together, breathing hard, not speaking. Finally, Graham abandoned the bed and went to the adjoining bathroom. A few moments later, he returned with a wet washcloth and gently cleaned Caelyn’s body.

  As Graham joined him once more on the mattress, Caelyn curled close to his mate’s chest. He suspected that the werewolf had things all wrong. He wasn’t the angel, but Graham, one of those avenging, protective warriors who guided the way for lost souls, when nothing seemed right for them. He’d definitely showed Caelyn the truth, a truth that Caelyn had been too afraid to see, but that he could now face, because of Graham’s strength.

  Obviously catching onto the thoughts, Graham kissed his temple and said, “Oh, angel. It’s not like that. You’re the light that made my life so much brighter, a gift which I never expected receiving. You are my strength. I don’t even know what I did to deserve you.”

  Caelyn didn’t argue with that, simply because he knew it would have been futile. Instead, he replied, “I love you, Graham.”

  “I love you, too, Caelyn,” Graham answered, his hold on Caelyn tightening. “So very much.”

  With those sweet words still echoing in his ears, Caelyn closed his eyes and relaxed in his mate’s embrace. He was well aware that they still had a fight ahead of them, but no matter what anyone said or did, he and Graham were perfect for each other. As he surrendered to slumber, Caelyn did so with a smile, knowing that not even the draechen could challenge what Caelyn and Graham had—a mate bond built through true love.

  Interview with Scarlet Hyacinth