Rane's Giants

by Lynn Ray Lewis

  Email: lynnraylewis@gmail.com

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynnray.lewis.75

  Excerpt from Weekend Surrender

  The Surrender Series Book One

  by Lori King

  Rachel slammed the closet door behind her as she emerged dressed in her sexiest, country cutie clothes. Her stonewashed blue denim miniskirt barely covered the bottom curves of her ass cheeks. It was paired with a man’s red and blue plaid dress shirt, and the shirttails were tied just under her perky B-cup breasts. She left the buttons open so her tits were clearly visible rising out of the top of her blood-red satin pushup bra.

  Her tanned midsection was completely bare except for the crystal belly ring that dangled in her belly button. From the back she knew the view would be of the half dollar size daisy tattoo she had gotten when she turned eighteen, just above the top of her black belt. The hand-tooled leather was clasped between her hips bones, with a large belt buckle in the shape of a star. On her feet were a pair of black cowboy boots with silver embellishments, and her long, slim legs were bare.

  She was dressed to kill with every intention of causing a few heart attacks tonight. Her chestnut brown hair hung down to the middle of her back in large wavy curls, and she ran her fingers through it carelessly as she walked.

  Her makeup was applied with precision so her oversized chocolate brown eyes were nearly as prominent as her blood-red lips. She had always hated the fullness of her lips, but men seemed to love them. Mitch always called them dick sucking lips.

  She hated Mitch now.

  Mitch deserved Connie Sanders. The bleach blonde tramp had been trying to sink her claws into Mitchell Edwards for more than six months, and she had finally gotten her way. Well screw them both. If plastic boobs, and a spray-on tan was what Mitch got off on, then he deserved Connie.

  Rachel was going to go out and find a man to fuck her heartbreak away. She wanted raw, dirty, raunchy sex. Not the soft, gentle missionary sex Mitch seemed to favor. She wanted to be shoved against a wall, or held down by her wrists as a large muscular man devoured her completely. That’s why she created this plan.

  It was a Friday night, and that meant a packed house at Robin’s, the local bar that Rachel had waited tables at through college. She had met Mitch there, and he would no doubt be there tonight playing darts with his cronies, while Connie giggled and preened over a watered down margarita. So in order to prove to the world that Rachel Lia Morgan was completely and utterly over her ex-boyfriend, she was going on the prowl on his turf.

  There were usually dozens of hot men at Robin’s on the weekends. All of the local ranchers and ranch hands from the outskirts of Stone River usually hit the bar on Friday night looking for some action. Never before had Rachel considered indulging in a one-night stand, but tonight was her night.

  She spritzed a little bit of her favorite perfume on her throat, and then grabbed her small purse. On her way out the door she noticed her cell phone was blinking with a missed message. She climbed into her silver Ford F150 as she hit the play message button.

  “Rach, I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I want to apologize. I didn’t mean for you to find out about Connie like that…Rach? Please call me so we can talk this out. You can’t just throw two years out the window. I made a mistake, damn it—”

  The voice clicked off as she hit the delete button, and dropped her phone back into her purse. Mitch could beg and plead all he wanted, but she had already made her peace with their breakup. She wasn’t interested in his excuses anymore. She turned the volume up on her truck radio, so Miranda Lambert’s tune “Mama’s Broken Heart” blared out the windows into the night, and headed toward her freedom.

  The bar’s parking lot was packed with work trucks. With exception of only a handful of cars that probably belonged to the female patrons of the bar. Rachel backed her truck into a small parking stall at the back edge of the lot, right next to a black Dodge Ram Quad Cab that looked like it had rolled off the lot and onto the ranch just a few hours ago. Realizing she had parked rather close to the truck, she carefully opened her door, and slipped out into the small space.

  A large masculine hand covered hers, where it rested on the top edge of her truck door, and she gasped.

  “Sunshine, if you nick my new truck with your door, I’m going to have to spank that cute little ass raw.” The voice in her ear sent a shiver over her skin, and she flushed at his words.

  She turned her head to see who was behind her that would have any right to speak to her like that, and she nearly groaned out loud when her brown eyes met those of Parker Brooks. Parker Brooks was one of the four Brooks brothers who owned Brooks Pastures-a local cattle ranch. The four brothers shared two things in common, their love of ranching, and their smoking hot good looks. Dark hair, dark eyes, long lean muscular cowboy bodies, all tucked up under a cowboy hat. It made Rachel’s blood sing just thinking about the four of them.

  Excerpt from Mated

  The Wolf Pack Book One

  by Avery Gale

  Jameson Wolf had been almost ready to head home when he’d taken one last look out of the front windows of his office. Looking down over the sidewalk below, he wondered why the waiting line was so long on a frigid Friday night. He’d started to turn back to the room when his eye caught on a flash of red. Damn it to hell, he’d always had a thing for auburn haired women. Redheads were rare among shifters so he took a closer look. It might have been her long flowing mane of red curls that caught his attention, but there was something about her saucy attitude that drew him in. Watching her, he saw her easy rapport with the tiny blonde beauty she was with and he liked the fact that she seemed oblivious to the fact that she turned the head of every man near her.

  Making his way down the steep circular staircase he was assailed by the overpowering scents of both humans and his peers who had braved the biting cold January night in the wind swept city. He saw the red-haired beauty enter through the heavy doorway a split second before the scent of his mate barreled over him. It was as if every neuron in his brain had been suddenly struck by lightning and was now crackling with electrical energy. His vision tunneled and his sole mission became to find the owner of that scent and mark her as his.

  As he neared the red-haired beauty who had caught his eye earlier, the exotic fragrance he’d been following became more and more potent. Could I actually be that lucky after all these years? Stepping up behind her he took a deep breath letting her scent soak deeply into his soul. Even though he loved the fresh citrus smell of her hair, it was the essence of her that was nearly overpowering in its allure. It pulled him in and made every one of his senses come sharply into a pinpoint focus. He’d heard his friends describe this moment, but he had truly believed that their words had been little more than romantic folly—until now.

  When she turned toward him, he became instantly aware that she’d been planning to escape. There was a look of panic in her eyes—what he didn’t understand was what had spooked her. Awareness and anxiety were coming off her in heavy, crashing waves. He could smell fear in humans and shifters, but that wasn’t what he was picking up. No, she wasn’t afraid of him, but she wasn’t thrilled to have been found either. Interesting. Mating scents are an almost overwhelmingly powerful draw for both male and female shifters so there was no doubt she had known her mate was near. So why was she trying to leave?

  Both Jameson and his brother, Trevlon, were the Alphas of their pack and had been since their fathers were killed by rivals seven years ago. They had always known they’d follow pack tradition and share a mate, but they hadn’t had any luck finding her despite having traveled all over the globe searching. How has this beauty flown under our radar? She is exactly the type of woman we are both attracted to. “What is your name, beautiful?” Jameson knew his words had come out as more of a growl than a question, but considering how close he was to claiming her right here in the middle of the club, it was the best he could do. He relaxed a bit when he saw her deer in t
he headlights look. Good – I’m happy to know she is as slammed by the attraction as I am.

  “Kit.” He heard the wobble of nervousness in her voice and could tell she had barely been able to squeak out the word so he just waited. He saw her draw in a deep breath through her mouth and almost laughed at her ineffective attempt to avoid breathing through her nose. He tried to suppress his smile when she repeated the gesture because it was a futile attempt to escape the scent of her mate.

  Once a shifter found their mate, their bodies were taken over by overwhelming sexual urges that lasted for weeks. He’d seen pack members all but disappear during that time because they could barely leave their bedrooms. He waited patiently as she finally seemed to come back to awareness and answered, “I mean, Kathleen, my name is Kathleen Harris.” She was trying to look around him, which was amusing because she couldn’t be more than five feet three or four inches tall and that was including the ridiculously high-heeled black leather stiletto boots she was wearing.

  He was sure she hadn’t meant to give him her nickname because it was likely something she reserved for those she considered close friends, so when he addressed her again, he used it deliberately. “Well, Kit, follow me, please.”

  He turned on his heel and started back toward the staircase when she reached out and grasped his forearm. “Wait, I can’t go with you. I don’t even know you. And my friend will be looking for me.” The instant she touched him he’d felt a jolt of electricity arc between them and then tiny bolts of lightning streaked up his spine. Damn, her touch did that through the fabric of his shirt, what would it feel like when they were skin to skin?

  The twin bond between him and Trev had always been incredibly strong, so he wasn’t at all surprised when his phone rang. “Where are you? Are you okay?” Typical Trevlon, straight to it—he couldn’t be troubled to utter a polite greeting.

  “Standing in front of a woman I want you to meet. We’re in the bar, but we’ll be on our way upstairs as soon as we locate her friend to let her know where we are heading. Meet us in the office in five.” Jameson disconnected the call and turned to one of his staff that was walking by. He quickly gave the man a detailed description of Kit’s friend and instructions to stay close to her and keep her safe until she was ready to leave the building. At that time, he was to accompany her to the office. Jameson stood six foot seven inches tall in his boots, so he could easily see the tiny blonde on the other side dance floor and directed the young man to her. Jameson was glad it had been Charlie who’d been the first to walk by. He trusted the young shifter to do exactly as he’d been told.

  Turning back to Kit, he realized for the first time that he had taken the hand she’d used to grab his arm and was holding it in his own. He’d been rubbing small circles over the inside of her wrist with his thumb. As his gaze met hers he felt her pulse speed up and watched as her pupils dilated. “Come along, Kit. We need to talk.” This time he did smell fear so he pulled her into his arms and leaned down so his words would be painted over the soft shell of her ear like a warm brush of air, “I won’t hurt you—ever. Be brave, sweet kitten.”

  Excerpt from Rush Against Time

  Twisted Fates Series Book One

  by Willow Brooke

  Jessa Meadows shifted her weight between each foot unable to stand still. Today had proven to be even worse than the previous with no end in sight. The past few months had been a hurricane of agonizing disastrous events. With a huff, she slung her silky golden hair over her shoulder and handed the huge cup of coffee across the counter to the disgruntled and obviously caffeine deprived woman. When she turned around to grab the glass blender pitcher, she knocked it off onto the tile floor and it exploded into shards.

  Jessa cursed under her breath at the broken glass that lay scattered around her feet. The past six months she had been slammed straight into her first heat with a vengeance. The more she fought it, the longer it dragged on and the more intense it grew. What was supposed to be a milestone in growing up as a shifter had become a living nightmare. It was similar to human puberty, only jacked up on steroids. A shifter could not scent their mate or be scented by their mate until after losing their virginity, or receiving a kiss from them. It was expected of all shifters to experiment sexually during this time, where in the human world it was socially and morally wrong to scratch every hormonal itch. Like wild animals, they would bang every single wolf who so much as gave them a wink and a smile. It was an animalistic fuck fest, and Jessa wanted no part of it. Her wolf fought for control, lunging at every weak spot in an attempt to take over. She was mentally drained, and physically restless. Obviously clumsy could be added to the growing list now, too. Yippie freakin’ skippy. Frustration pooled in the rims of her eyes and threatened to spill as she cleaned up the shards.

  Every man within sniffing distance was all up in her personal space, eagerly offering his services in every humorous and pathetic way possible. The problem was, she refused to give her virginity to the first mutt that came along. It might be unheard of in shifter society, but Jessa wanted her first time to be meaningful. The idea of falling on her back for the first horn dog that came along at the right time made her stomach turn.

  Lost deep in the recess of her thoughts while robotically preparing the next order at Mocha Express, her wolf growled and pranced in a challenging dance at the scents that wafted in her direction. The sudden yelp from the group of girls at the counter was a reality mental slap. The animalistic noise must have slipped out, because they now looked at her as if she had grown a tail. She had to resist the urge to peek behind her and make sure she hadn’t. Super. Jessa offered up a sweet smile, hoping it would dissipate their sudden shock. Mocha Express was one of the few chains that catered to both humans and otherworldly creatures, offering treats and beverages for shifters, vampires, and many other magical creatures that humans were oblivious to. Plus, it provided cover for the group that occupied the attached mansion.

  Vampires and shifters took up residency at Gates Manor, a huge mansion that dated back into the eighteenth century. The eclectic group of paranormal prodigies worked together to keep the balance of the world in order. To prevent the devil from spreading evil through demon possessions and taking over the magical community, angels banded together with this elite group and gave direct orders for them to follow. Not many knew of the group’s existence, and great measures were taken to keep it that way. They were known as the Guardians by the select few who helped and fought with them on each mission.

  Michael Stone was the head vampire in the agency, who was in charge of all of the vampires on the continent. He had a huge army of vampires at his ready who fought without question and at a moment’s notice. His wife, Christina, was the most powerful witch who originated from the first bloodline. Her aunt Autumn had been until Christina accepted her powers in the moon ritual. Together, the duo was unbeatable. Most witches needed three to harness magic to their full abilities. Autumn and Christina didn’t.

  Next was Alan Black, one of Autumn’s two mates. He was the alpha of the wolf shifters in Northern America and represented them in the Guardians. Her other mate, Braden Wilder, was the alpha of the jaguar shifters in North America and also member of the Guardians. Together, they all made up one big, happy—odd family.

  Working the day shift at Mocha Express meant more humans and the need to contain her wolf better, but it also meant less shifters that her mangy mutt would try to jump on. It was a catch-22.

  Unfortunately, word must have gotten out of her schedule change. The door chimed announcing the arrival of the mob of six shifter men, all sporting huge grins and hungry looks. The intensity shooting from their eyes confirmed the hunger they had wouldn’t be sated with Danish rolls or pastries. Anger immediately boiled through her veins. Tough luck, boys. You aren’t getting your hands on my cookies. Make a move. I dare you.

  Quickly drawing her attention back to the task-at-hand, she hurriedly finished the order and braced herself for the scene that was about t
o unfold. With her wolf chomping at the bit, she gritted her teeth and shoved the animal back into its restraints. Time for some fun. Let’s see if you boys can keep up! She plastered the biggest smile she could muster, and turned to her overeager customers. “Good afternoon, gentlemen! What can I get for you today?”

  Excerpt from Jasmine’s Escape

  The Otherkin Series Book One

  By Keira Kendrik

  The door to the outer office opened and Gladys ushered in two young women who smiled tentatively at him. He stood and came around his desk to shake their hands as Gladys made the introductions.

  “Phoenix Raine, this is Keni Creswell and Olivia Paxton.” Gladys introduced them then smiled gently at the two women as she exited the room.

  “It’s nice to meet you both, why don’t we sit over here?” He indicated the sitting area.

  The two women took seats on the couch while he sat in the armchair. Keni Creswell was average height, about five foot three. She had blonde hair that hung down her back in a ponytail with large blue eyes. Olivia Paxton stood a few inches taller than her friend and had brown hair that fell to her shoulders. Her eyes were a light brown and seemed to mirror her friend’s in worry. Beside him on a small table was a pad and pen for notes, but he usually didn’t need them as he remember everything that was said.

  “Why don’t we start with why you are here today?” he prompted.

  Keni sat forward and handed him a picture of a very beautiful woman. She had long brown hair with blonde highlights, curvy figure, and the most captivating green eyes he had ever seen. He was intrigued with her and didn’t even know who she was. He snapped out of his perusal of the unknown woman when Olivia spoke.

  “That is our friend, Jasmine. Jasmine Dupree. She went missing two weeks ago and the police aren’t really doing anything to find her,” Olivia explained. “Mr. Raine, we know something very bad has happened to her. She wouldn’t just disappear without telling one of us where she was going.”