by M. A. Church
“Not a problem. Actually.” Dolf removed his truck keys too. “Here. Take this too. The location is out in the middle of nowhere, and I’m certain Carter doesn’t want to take his Corvette out there.”
Carter shook his head frantically. “Hell no, and thank you.”
“You’re welcome. See you in the morning.”
“Good night, you guys.”
Dolf grabbed Tal and Kirk and herded them upstairs. Dolf said something to Kirk, and Kirk’s husky laugh echoed back to us.
Carter followed me to Dolf’s truck, and we left.
“Tell me about this place and what it means. I gather from your conversation this is important to you.”
“You know how we are—werecats and their rituals.” I drove since I knew where we were going. “There’s actually two things that go on at the circle. The joining ceremony usually happens when werecats mate. It’s basically the induction of a new mate. I should also mention that mating isn’t the same thing as joining.”
“Ah, okay.”
“Since you aren’t joining the clowder, we won’t be doing that. That ritual involves our Alpha, the betas, and the elders. The new member swears fealty to the Alpha, which is nothing more than promising their loyalty to the clowder and promising to keep paranormal society a secret from humans.”
“Interesting.”
“The ceremony takes place at the Circle of Stone. It’s on clowder land, and it has belonged to them for as long as the clowder has been here. It’s an actual circle made of large, bulky boulders at least four feet across and eight feet high.”
“Sounds like Stonehenge.”
“You wouldn’t be the first to point that out. So the new member swears an oath, like I said, and that’s it. There’s usually a small party afterward, welcoming the new mate.”
“Simply fascinating. Does anyone know who built it?”
“The story goes the first clowder members did.”
“Ah, I see. This place is only for Dolf’s clowder. Not cat shifters in general?” As we drove, the city gave way to country. Streetlights became fewer and fewer.
“Nope. It’s ours since it’s on our clowder’s land.” I frowned. “I mean theirs.”
Carter reached across the console and took my hand. “I’ve noticed you no longer refer to it as your clowder.”
“Because I’m not part of Dolf’s clowder anymore.”
“You may not officially be part of their clowder, but you are still part of them, and they are still a part of you. You may be mated to a werewolf and part of my pack, but you will always be a werecat. They’re your people—your friends. You lived your life there, and I don’t expect you to give that up. All this play on pronouns isn’t necessary. I know what you mean.”
“You can take the cat out of the clowder, but you can’t take the clowder out of the cat.”
“Exactly.” Carter smiled. “I’m not going to get upset if you refer to them as your clowder.”
The heavy burden on my heart lifted. I’d needed to hear Carter say that, because referring to my old clowder as if I no longer were a part of it was killing me. I might not be a member of the clowder, but I would always be a part of it.
“Thank you. Trying to pick my way through the minefield of pronouns… yeah.”
Carter squeezed my hand. “That’s what mates are for. Now that we have that settled, how far is it?”
“Not too much longer.”
We continued on, and the darkness closed in around us. Eventually the road we were on dead-ended into an opening in the woods. There it was. It was like one moment there was an empty field, and the next, it was there. Always wondered if our goddess magically shielded the place so prying human eyes couldn’t see it.
The truck’s headlights illuminated the circle, and my attention was drawn to the stones in the middle of the field. How many times had I watched a new mate be welcomed? I’d always assumed my day would come and I would get to enjoy the ritual. It had never crossed my mind I wouldn’t.
I parked and let the lights shine on the structure in front of us. “This is The Circle of Stone. Oh. The circle is magical too.”
“Magical?”
“Hopefully you’ll see what I mean. Come on.”
I shut the truck off and clasped Carter’s hand as we moved nearer to the stones. The surface of some was worn smooth and flat across the top while others came to a point, a finger reaching for the star-filled sky.
“It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah, it really is.”
Carter placed his hand on one of the boulders, and his breath caught. “I can feel the energy from the stones. It’s crawling up my arm and down my body.”
“You can feel it?” I asked, surprised. Since Carter wasn’t part of the clowder, I wasn’t sure he could.
“Yes.”
My cat stirred, also interested. “What does it feel like?”
“It’s not unpleasant. You know what static electricity feels like? It’s like a slight shock, then a tingle.”
“You might find it interesting that the grass inside the circle is always green, even in the dead of winter.”
“Truly magical, then.” Carter rubbed his hand up and down the boulder. “I can feel…. It’s almost like a divine presence.”
Excitement rushed through me. Could it be? I knew our goddess always put in an appearance when we came here, but I hadn’t expected it to happen for us. Overjoyed, I tugged Carter inside the stones together.
“Holy shit.”
“What? Tell me,” I demanded.
Carter tightened his grip on my hand. “It’s the damnedest thing. No sooner than I stepped inside the circle, a wave of heat swept through me. My vision wavered as power unlike any I’ve ever felt raced through my body, leaving behind warmth.”
I was practically dancing from foot to foot in excitement. “Oh goddess, you feel her.”
“Her?”
“The goddess Bast. What else, Carter? Please tell me.”
Carter took a deep breath. “Whatever this is, it isn’t sexual. It’s more of a sense of acceptance.”
A lightness filled my soul. A flash of light caught my attention, and then another. Whatever it was filled the circle, blinking crazily around us.
“What… what’s going on?”
I held out my hand, hoping one would alight on me. “Those aren’t lightning bugs, in case you were wondering. Remember me mentioning this place is magical?”
“Yes.”
More flashes of light bobbed and weaved around us. “My goddess has welcomed you into her heart, and so have I, Carter.”
Stunned, Carter looked at the flashing lights. “Aidric,” he whispered. Pleasure shone on his face.
It was happening. It was really happening. I urged Carter down to his knees with me, an idea taking hold. I might not be able to have the formal ceremony, but I could have this. “I, Aidric LeClair, pledge my loyalty and my life to you, Alpha Carter Lovelock of the Dark Lake Pack. I will love you, defend you, and keep to you in good times and in bad. This is my pledge in this most sacred place and under my goddess’s eyes.”
“Babe.” Carter swallowed, then cleared his throat repeatedly. “There’s no way I’m going to remember all that. Help me?”
My big Alpha asked for help, something I was sure he rarely did. And help him I would. “Okay, repeat after me. I, Alpha Carter Lovelock….” I repeated the rest of the saying.
“I, Alpha Carter Lovelock of the Dark Hills Pack, pledge my loyalty and my life to you, Alpha-mate Aidric LeClair.”
“I will love you and defend you….” Again I led him through it.
“I will love you, defend you, and keep to you in good times and in bad. I lay my pack and my heart at your feet. This is my pledge in this most sacred place and under your goddess’s eyes, and by the will of my wolf god, Fenrir.”
Tears poured down my face after he finished speaking, and I threw my arms around Carter. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Fo
r now and ever more. Thank you for showing this to me.” Carter lifted his head and stared up into the sky. “And thank you too, Goddess Bast. Thank you for giving Aidric to me. We were at sixes and sevens in the beginning, but now? We stand as one.”
I sent prayers of thanks up to my goddess and to his wolf god. I no longer questioned why this mating happened, because Carter was right. We stood as one.
More from M.A. Church
Fur, Fangs, and Felines: Book One
A snowstorm in the South—on New Year’s Eve—is a perfect recipe for a catastrophe. After two soul-crushing bad breaks, Kirk’s waiting for disaster number three to strike when, naturally, two stray cats arrive on his doorstep during the storm and decide to make themselves at home. Tenderhearted Kirk lets them stay even though there’s something decidedly odd about his overly friendly felines.
Out of the punishing weather and full of tuna, Dolf and Tal are happy to be snug in Kirk’s house. But then their human goes outside for firewood and suffers a nasty fall that leaves him unconscious. Now the two cats have no choice but to reveal themselves.
Kirk wakes up to find the two kitties are actually Dolf and Tal. They’re cat shifters—and his destined mates. Being part of a feline threesome is enough for Kirk to grapple with, but soon he learns they come from a clowder that doesn’t believe humans and shifters should mix. Kirk knew those two cats would be trouble. Little does he know the real trouble lies ahead.
Fur, Fangs, and Felines: Book Two
A cool morning, a yard full of birds, and a kitty on a mission. What more could a werecat want? Beta Heller Wirth has it all, except a mate—a shifter mate, that is. The last thing he wants is one of those dangerous humans who kill without remorse. Heller knows about that firsthand. So what does the goddess Bast do? She gives Heller exactly what he does not want—a human: business owner Lawson Dupre.
Lawson hasn’t a clue what just happened in his car detail shop. One minute a cute client is about to pass out, and then he perks up and starts flirting. Next thing, he runs out the door like the hounds of hell are after him. Learning that Heller is a werecat doesn’t freak out Lawson. He happens to be one of those rare humans who knows paranormals exists. He even lives with one. Watch the fur fly as Heller and Lawson battle hurt feelings, misguided beliefs, and a power shift in Heller’s clowder.
Fur, Fangs, and Felines: Book Three
Can two very different men find the love they need to survive?
Remi Ginn’s an easygoing werecat with a love of snarky T-shirts. He would be perfectly happy with a human mate. Is that what the goddess Bast gives him? Of course not. Instead she gifts him with Marshell, a Vetala, a snakelike nonshifter who drinks blood to survive. A man who’s just as toppy as Remi—and even more powerful than the West Falls Clowder’s Alpha and heir apparent.
While Remi is deciding whether he can handle the fates’ choice, hunters attack Marshell. Afterward, in an explosion of passion, Remi and Marshell mate and Remi declares Marshell his. Now they have to figure out how to make their relationship work as they dance around each other.
The clowder is in turmoil, and Remi’s acceptance of Marshell rocks the very foundation of the insular group. The consequences will be far-reaching. And if that isn’t problem enough, the situation with the hunters is far from resolved… as proved by the appearance of an Alpha werewolf.
To be loved by a dragon is to be treasured.
A hundred years ago, werewolf Alpha Montgomery took a risk driven by desperation—he borrowed money from the ancient dragon Warwick Ehecatl, putting up the pack lands as collateral. Now the debt is due, and dragons don’t forget—or forgive. Warwick demands Montgomery’s son, Avery, and three businesses as compensation. As an Omega, Avery knows he is basically useless to his pack, so he might as well agree. He soon has second thoughts, though. Warwick is fearsome, and he’s free to do as he likes with Avery.
Warwick knows his race’s reputation, and he even admits some of it is deserved. But he’d rather cut off his tail than let his innocent mate’s light go out. It won’t be easy, but buried deep, there’s something between them worth safeguarding.
Clay McDonald finds the perfect car on Craigslist and is quick to send the seller a text:
Is your penis still for sale?
AutoCorrect strikes again. Damn—he should’ve proofread. How embarrassing.
Luckily Darrell Anderson, a mechanic and the owner of the Prius, is more amused than offended, and the two men agree to meet. When they do, the attraction is instant, and a date is arranged. But a series of mishaps, misunderstandings, and misplaced assumptions sorely test the new relationship.
In a contemporary romantic comedy about the perils of technology and dating in the modern world, a text that went so wrong might just lead to something so right—but only if Clay can refrain from jumping to conclusions and give love the benefit of the doubt.
Readers love the Fur, Fangs, and Felines series by M.A. Church
Trouble Comes in Threes
“A delightful story filled with laughter, a whole lot of sexual heat, and love.”
—Rainbow Book Reviews
“I loved this book! It was exciting and a unique but still traditional take on shifter romances.”
—The Kimi-chan Experience
Behind the Eight Ball
“Once again, M.A. Church delivers a fun, playful, sexy story about a feline shifter and his human mate.”
—Gay Book Reviews
“It’s a worthy and entertaining addition to the series.”
—The Novel Approach
It Takes Two to Tango
“If you love cats, don’t miss out on this series!”
—Prism Book Alliance
“I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a pretty lighthearted paranormal series that includes action, humor, feisty housecats and plenty of sex and romance.”
—Sinfully: Gay Romance Book Reviews
M.A. CHURCH is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full-time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching her beloved Steelers, or watching HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two children.
She is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Contact M.A.:
Blog: machurch00.blogspot.com
Twitter: @nomoretears00
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Church/173797619379487
The Harvest FB fan page: www.facebook.com/#!/theharvest00
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church
Amazon: www.amazon.com/M.A.-Church/e/B007A8JA4C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Email: [email protected]
By M.A. Church
A Country Boy at Heart
In Enemy Hands
Love Wins (Dreamspinner Anthology)
One Pulse (Dreamspinner Anthology)
Texting, AutoCorrect, and a Prius
Wrapped in Leather
DREAMSPUN BEYOND
#5 – Dragon’s Hoard
FUR, FANGS, AND FELINES
Trouble Comes in Threes
Behind the Eight Ball
It Takes Two to Tango
At Sixes and Sevens
THE GODS
Priceless
Perfect
Pure
LEAP OF FAITH
Shadows in the Night
To Touch the Sky
With Julie Lynn Hayes
MOONLIT SKIES
Be My Alien
Be My Human
Published by DREAMSPINNER PRESS
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Published by
DREAMSPINNER PRESS
5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886 USA
www.dreamspinnerpress.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of author imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
At Sixes and Sevens
© 2017 M.A. Church.
Cover Art
© 2017 Paul Richmond.
http://www.paulrichmondstudio.com
Cover content is for illustrative purposes only and any person depicted on the cover is a model.
All rights reserved. This book is licensed to the original purchaser only. Duplication or distribution via any means is illegal and a violation of international copyright law, subject to criminal prosecution and upon conviction, fines, and/or imprisonment. Any eBook format cannot be legally loaned or given to others. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Dreamspinner Press, 5032 Capital Circle SW, Suite 2, PMB# 279, Tallahassee, FL 32305-7886, USA, or www.dreamspinnerpress.com.
ISBN: 978-1-64080-059-5
Digital ISBN: 978-1-64080-060-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017912392
Published November 2017