Trust the Moon

by Jamie Craig

  The side of the bed came sooner than she anticipated. Her back paw met open air, and she tumbled over the edge of the mattress.

  By the time she hit the floor, she was back in her human form.

  Josh was beside her in an instant, giving her his hand to help her to her feet. Cam the cat watched her from the bed inquisitively. The serious look on his face was almost enough to make her smile; she had never seen an expression like that on a cat before.

  “What happened?” Josh asked. “Did you hurt yourself?”

  “Only my ego.” She rubbed at her bottom. “And maybe my ass. Falling off the bed is not my favorite way to get rug burn.”

  “It’s not mine either.” He sat on the edge of the bed, and Cam immediately nudged his arm. “Did Cam startle you?” To Sara’s surprise, Josh scooped him up. Cam did not like to be handled when he shifted, especially when he was so small. But Josh cradled him easily, rubbing his ears. “You have to admit, he’s not very scary like this.”

  He wasn’t—hadn’t been. And he was even less so now that she was five feet taller than him. “I lost my concentration,” she said. “I can probably do it again.”

  She sat on the floor, unwilling yet to go up onto the bed. There was no room for flight up there, at least, not without falling on her ass again. It also brought her down to the level of Josh’s lap and Cam’s steady eyes, and for a long minute, she gazed at him.

  “You never used to like to be petted,” she said to Cam.

  He chattered again, his eyes drooping as Josh continued to stroke him. “He’s not always a big fan of it, but after you…when he shifted, we both ended up being pretty lonely. He didn’t have anybody to shift with, and I didn’t want to just pretend there wasn’t an animal roaming through the house. So, we gradually worked out a compromise.”

  It wasn’t a concept Sara was familiar with. She had always had shifters around her, always had somebody she trusted to share it with, from her family all the way up to Cam. Until she’d been abducted, the notion of being alone had been a foreign one, especially when she took another form.

  Slowly, she stretched out an arm, fingers skimming over the ruff of Cam’s neck. “I never thought about how Cam was coping being alone,” she confessed quietly. “Well, I did in the beginning. Before I stopped trying to think of Delta.”

  Cam closed his eyes blissfully as they both petted him. “He wasn’t entirely alone. I helped when I could. People were constantly coming over, and they offered to help in any way they could, but he just sort of shut down without you.”

  The coarse hair at her fingertips brought back other, stronger memories than the ones that had driven Sara away. Nights spent under the desert moon, curled into the body heat of his chosen spiritual form, his tongue rough against her skin when he would absentmindedly lick her. Or soaring high above the dry earth only to come diving down at a breakneck speed to land on his outstretched wrist.

  Cam had always said she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. In any form.

  When there’s a tiger—and a lion—on your tail, there’s no escape…

  Theirs to Capture

  © 2009 Shelli Stevens

  Delilah is strong, independent—and a princess on the run. Her father, King of the Falcon kingdom, wants to unite her with Pierce, Prince of the Tiger kingdom, and Jason, Prince of the Lions. Never can she imagine giving herself to one man if there is no love—let alone two! So she flees her home in hopes of avoiding the union.

  Delilah may be dead-set against the plan, but Jason and Pierce have no doubts. She is the one they want to complete their triad, to be their mate. She alone has the power to form the bond that will, in turn, join all their kingdoms in peace.

  They’re prepared to use every means of pleasure to convince her they are all destined to be together. But first they have to catch her…

  Warning: This book is hot! Hot! Hot! Threesomes, m/m, and capture fantasies, oh my!

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Theirs to Capture:

  Her head shook from side to side, the panic in her eyes increasing. “I won’t do it. I won’t, Pierce.”

  “Yes, Delilah, you will.” He slid his hand up the back of her neck, holding her head still as his mouth descended onto hers.

  Her lips remained tightly pressed together, refusing to open to his tongue. With a soft laugh, he nipped lightly at her bottom lip. Her gasp of surprise gave him the opportunity to slip inside the forbidden cavern of her mouth.

  Her hands slammed against his chest, attempting to push him away, but they were no more effective than if she had been using her wings. Instead, the touch of her soft hands inflamed him further. His cock throbbed, lengthened and pressed into her belly.

  He sought her tongue, teasing it with soft gentle flicks, before curling his own around it and sucking gently. It only took a moment to realize she’d stopped pushing against him, and instead those delicate hands now explored his chest openly.

  Lifting his head just a bit, he murmured a throaty, “Yes. Touch me, Delilah.” Then he claimed her mouth again.

  Her hands moved downward on him. Down his chest, to his abdomen. The breath locked in his chest. Lower, just a little lower.

  She hesitated only a moment before her fingers slipped those last few inches. His cock twitched against the edge of her hand and when she finally wrapped her fingers around his flesh, he about came in a heartbeat.

  Until she squeezed. Tightly.

  Pierce froze, his knees locking as pain signals rushed toward his brain.

  “Delilah,” he choked out. “That’s a bit hard.”

  “So I noticed.” She smirked. “I asked you to release me, Pierce. Now back off or I’ll break it in half.”

  “I’m not sure that’s possible, little one.” But he took a step backward, his only thought for the moment that she needed to release her death grip on his cock.

  Her fingers unwrapped from around him and, just as fast, she slammed her palms against his chest, pushing him backward.

  Pierce stumbled, trying to regain his footing and reach for her at the same time. She spun, ready to take flight.

  Relief poured through him as she was swiftly grabbed by Jason, who’d come up silently behind them.

  “Jason!” She retreated, obviously startled, and bumped right back into Pierce.

  Pierce drew in a deep breath, grabbing her hips to hold her immobile. He willed himself to control the anger that now burned in his gut. She’d threatened to break his cock in half like it was a damn sausage at a festival.

  “This time, Delilah, you’ve gone too far.” Jason shook his head, his eyes suspiciously bloodshot. “I do believe we will have to agree upon some form of punishment to bestow upon you.”

  Punishment. Pierce slid one hand down to the rounded curve of her ass and squeezed the soft flesh. Now that sounded like a lovely idea.

  Delilah whimpered, and though he couldn’t see her face, he could well envision her wide eyes and the realization that she’d gotten herself in too deep.

  Pulling his hand back, he swung it forward again to connect sharply with one round cheek.

  “Oh!” Her shrill cry echoed in the woods, sending birds scattering up into the trees.

  Delilah arched away from Pierce’s hand, but with Jason so close in front of her, the movement forced her body flush against him.

  Pierce stepped forward again, so she was sandwiched between both their bodies. Jason closed his hands over Pierce’s hips, trapping her between them.

  The result was an image so close to what they’d experience once they all joined together. It was so intimate and erotic that it startled him. Heat radiated between their bodies as a sizzling undercurrent heightened all of Pierce’s senses.

  His gaze locked with Jason’s and he saw the same awareness in the other prince’s eyes.

  “You feel it, little one,” Pierce whispered against her ear. “Don’t you?”

  Romeo and Juliet never had to worry about being skinned alive

&nb
sp; Howling for My Baby

  © 2009 Beverly Rae

  Sydney Skeller’s father is spitting bullets over her reluctance to join the family business as a shifter hunter. The last thing Daddy needs to know is why—she yearns for a lover who’s man enough for a relationship but animal enough to give her the wild ride of her dreams. After a treadmill mishap lands her in a tangled heap with Jason Cannon, she wonders if she’s finally found her beast, er, man. One session in bed and one bite later, she’s sure. Now if only she can keep her father from mounting Jason’s head on a wall…

  Jason is all man on the surface, but wolf shifter down to the bone. He’s more than ready to stop “playing the pack” and find his one true mate, and Sydney of the luscious curves is the woman of his dreams. Finding out that she comes from a family sworn to eradicate his kind isn’t a deal-breaker. But her outrageous plan for him to masquerade as the wolf in hunter’s clothing, right under her father’s very nose, could be asking more than he ever expected to give.

  Warning: Readers, be aware of stranger side effects. These side effects may include but aren’t limited to biting strangers, asking furry strangers to bite you, purposely falling off treadmills to collide with handsome strangers, enjoying hot sex with wild strangers, and baying at the moon to meet other moon-influenced strangers. If you notice any of these side effects, contact the author immediately. You may be in her next book!

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Howling for My Baby:

  Benjy whipped out a cosmetic mirror and checked his reflection. “Jason, dog, what’s up with you? You’ve been in a foul mood all day.”

  Jason groaned every time he thought about last night. The girl he’d hooked up with had barfed all over his bed. He’d cleaned her up and gotten her home safe and sound, but the bar thing was getting old. Besides, he was fed up with those when-will-you-stop-bringing-home-a-bimbo scowls from the maid. Maybe he should sell his condo and retire to his pack home in the mountains—with or without a mate.

  Not for the first time, he wondered what it would be like to have a permanent woman, his destined mate, in his life. The one who could talk to him, laugh with him—and give him a wild ride in bed. He let his mind wander to the curly-headed woman of his dreams and knew with absolute certainty he’d recognize her when they met. But with the pack’s personal fitness business finally taking off, who had the time to search for Ms. Right?

  “When are you going to admit you prefer me over some miniskirt-wearing, silicone-injected bitch?” Benjy sidled closer.

  Jason shoved him away. Annoyed when two men coming out of the gym snickered, he gagged on his coffee. “Damn it, man, if you weren’t the best accountant the pack has, I’d wrap a choke collar around your neck so tight you’d have to breathe through your ass.”

  “Oooh, goody.” Benjy ran his eyes down his frame. “You like it rough, huh, Jay-Jay?”

  “I promise you, you shit, if you don’t at least try to act normal, I’m going to tear your heart out.”

  “Gay is normal, you politically incorrect beast.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Idiot here.” Yet when Benjy tried to hug him in a gesture of forgiveness, he jumped out of reach. “But you know what I mean. And don’t call me Jay-Jay.”

  “What you mean is…you want me to act like a straight man, right? Okay, if that’s what my hunky macho leader wants, that’s what my hunky macho leader gets.” Benjy pulled his tangerine polo shirt out of his perfectly ironed khakis, ruffled his hair, and slouched. Shoving his thumbs into his pockets, he sauntered ahead of Jason and deepened his voice. “How’s this, dude?”

  Jason laughed and followed his friend through the automatic sliding doors of the gym. “You’re acting like John Wayne on hormone replacement therapy. Yet, as sad as your act is, it’s still an improvement. Keep it up.”

  “Urgh, you beast.” Benjy rolled his eyes, returned to his usual perfectly put-together self and let Jason lead the way to the office. They quickly located the gym’s newest manager.

  “Steve Wilson? I’m Jason Cannon and this is Benjy Boudoir. Welcome to the company. I believe the previous manager, Rob Manger, told you we’d be stopping by?”

  “Yes, sir, Mr. Manger told me.” Steve offered his hand to first Jason, then Benjy. “I’m very happy to be one of the team.”

  After shaking hands, they followed Steve into the office.

  Steve took a seat in front of a computer resting on a mahogany desk and pulled up the gym’s financial records. “Before he left, Mr. Manger filled me in on what reports you’d need. I compiled everything into this software for easier viewing.” Spinning around to face them, he frowned, the lines furrowing his forehead making the twenty-five year-old appear ten years older. “I keep an excellent record of all transactions.”

  Jason patted him on the shoulder, both to reassure him and to nudge him out of the chair. He motioned to Benjy to take his place. “I’m sure you do. This is simply a routine check and nothing for you to worry about.”

  Benjy’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “Now if you two will excuse me, I’ll put on my accountant’s hat and play with some numbers. Although I’d much rather play with somebody else’s numbers.” He winked at Steve, causing the young man to stumble sideways in his haste to put distance between them.

  “Uh, would you like to look around while Mr. Boudoir goes over the records?” Steve moved toward the door, ready, willing and obviously anxious to get away from Benjy.

  Jason gestured for Steve to exit first. “Lead the way.” He followed the eager manager around the outskirts of the workout area, letting him drone on about the new equipment. But his mind couldn’t concentrate on the young man’s words. Instead, his thoughts kept drifting to last night’s dream. Clearer than ever before, he’d seen a picture-perfect image of the woman with brown hair with red highlights. What’s more, he’d heard her howl—hearing the call within his heart along with his dream, and he knew what it meant. His mate was close.

  “Sir, we’re coming around to the treadmill area. We’ve added several rows of treadmills because those are our most popular machines. They’re the best in the industry with programmable settings…”

  Jason stopped behind one of the whirring machines, missing the rest of the manager’s description. A woman clad in black bike shorts and a neon pink workout top ran on the belt, her short curly hair glinting copper fire from the bright lights above her. He tilted his head to one side and examined the full roundness of her bottom. Now there’s a target any man would want to aim his shaft at. I do like the junk in her trunk.

  Suddenly, she twisted toward him and their gazes met and held. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.

  “Hey, sweetheart, you’d better watch out—”

  Her big beautiful eyes grew large and she let out a yelp. In one awkward motion, her feet flew out from under her and she crashed on her side on the still-moving belt. She slid with the conveyor, headed quickly toward the end, and slammed into his legs.

  “Argh!” Jason went down hard, landing on top of the woman, whose upper torso bumped up and down with the off-center glide of the belt. Yet, even though she pushed on his chest to get him off her, he couldn’t help but enjoy the soft pressure of her breasts against him.

  “Ow! This thing’s got me!”

  The panic on her face erased the lust-filled ideas spreading through his body and mind. Gripping her bra-like top, he pulled her off the treadmill. Or at least he attempted to. Trying to ignore the spectacular view of her ample cleavage, he peeked behind her. “Shit. The back of your top’s caught in the mechanism.” He looked around to see where the young manager was. “Steve, don’t just stand there. Turn this thing off.”

  Steve scrambled past them to the control panel and pushed the red emergency button. Amazingly, the treadmill continued to run. “I can’t get it to stop. Hang on while I get in front and pull the plug.”

  “Hurry! It hurts!”

  Frightened eyes captured Jason and he could think of only one thing to do. Shifti
ng enough to change his fingernails into claws, he punctured through the fabric of her workout top and pulled. The garment ripped, tearing away from her body, and the woman screamed louder. Freed from the monster machine, Jason and the woman scrambled apart. She clutched her arms in front of her generous breasts while he tried not to gawk in wonder. Stare, hell, yes—but not gawk.

  “Are you crazy?”

  She stood, arms crossed, protecting precious little of her chest—How lucky can a man get?—and glared at the crowd surrounding them. Several men whistled and hooted, bumping against each other for a better view of the half-naked woman.

  “Why are you yelling at me? I helped you, remember?” He licked his lips and tried to keep his focus on her face. Her mouth worked, searching for the right words and giving him time to notice the fullness of her lips.

  “Give me your shirt, you jerk.” She widened her eyes more, indicating the people around them. “Right now.”

  Quickly, he whipped off his denim shirt and held it out to her, silently chastising himself for not thinking of it first. Holding it open, he held it in front of her, hoping to shield her from not only his wandering eyes, but the rest of the club’s patrons. She inched closer to grab the shirt. With a final scowl at him, she dashed for the locker rooms.

  “I got it!”

  Jason turned to Steve, who stood holding the power cord high like an Olympic gold medal. At last, the treadmill ground to a stop. “Great, man. Good work.” The memory of luscious breasts tickled his mind, yet he couldn’t let go of the sight of her angry eyes.

  Turning to stare after her, he knew he’d found his mate.

  Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

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