Soulseeker

  Hamon…

  Valen urged him on, no voice, but thoughts and images that bombarded him, calling him.

  Hamon…

  He held firm to the link that kept him with his body, and Valen twined more urgently, fear rising to darken the link.

  Rian retreated further, back into his body. He reached out, trying to touch that incorporeal cheek. For an instant, there was almost…

  His hand passed through, and grief struck them both.

  “I cannot go, Valen. I have things to do here, for this lifetime. In time, I can join you, but not now. Not yet. Please, let me do this. I will not abandon you, not ever turn against you as I have before. Forgive me, brother.”

  He could feel the hesitance pulsing from Valen’s insubstantial form. Trust would be something hard-earned after what he had done over the years.

  “I am sorry for what you endured, on so many levels, from so many of us who should have just loved you, but I need to live, Valen. I may leave these borders, but I will never leave you again. I am a soulseeker. And if you would aid me in that, meet me upon the soul plane, I would be honored.”

  The intensity faded, the wraith’s color bleaching to an almost soft pearlescent shade.

  “You are my brother,” Valen said, and Rian gasped at the first words they had exchanged. “I would help you, protect you, as I could not with Arran.” The sense of regret and guilt was sharp and jagged. “I could not harm him, could not protect him. Could not protect you. I failed.”

  Rian shook his head. “That is over, Valen. The past is over. Just be with me now, in this time, and maybe we can both heal.”

  The wraith’s attention speared the Hawks. “I do not trust him. He is not good enough for you.”

  Rian gave a choked laugh. “And here I was thinking I was not good enough for him. We will see what time brings. Nothing and no one is perfect, as you well know. I think I love him, at least as much as I can. I believe he feels something for me. That is all we have been given, and from here, I think we have to do it for ourselves, make of it what we will. There are no sureties in anything.” He glanced back and met Hamon’s eyes with hope and warmth in his own.

  Warmth enfolded him for the briefest of moments, then Valen faded abruptly.

  Approval or acceptance, but the way was clear.

  He felt Hamon step up to his side. Hesitation, a brief glance over his shoulder at all that lay behind, then the prince of Rashma stepped over the border, and left the past in his wake…

  EPILOGUE

  Rian felt the energy of his twin, and he stirred from sleep, blinking dazedly.

  Valen’s form moved closer, and he reluctantly rose from Hamon’s embrace, leaving his lover deeply asleep.

  Valen looked calm, his features clear and sharp.

  Rian felt the energy of the soul plane enfold him and he looked around, searching for the soul he was meant to help, but his twin shook his head, gesturing for him to follow. He did so, curious and enjoying the company, as he did each time he came here.

  They traveled but a short way, until the gleam of a gate, a portal, shone before them. A path to the world outside.

  Valen gestured, a soft smile upon his lips, and Rian came closer.

  It was not the first time he had used a gate to see the living from this vantage point, but usually it was for a soul’s need, family left behind, loved ones needing to be let go before they could pass through to where they belonged.

  Never for himself.

  He drew a sharp breath, not understanding at first, then a smile grew, and something settled within him, something healed at last.

  Arran walked, holding a little boy’s hand and cuddling the small girl close. They were laughing, the children chattering freely.

  The love between them was almost visible, clean and clear of taint. Beautiful in its intensity.

  Darkness banished at long last.

  ~ About the Author ~

  Writing has always been of the utmost importance to me, often a means of expressing frustration, anger and grief during terrible times in my life. It was also there for the joys and triumphs, a faithful companion through it all that never failed me. I do indeed love to write and have over twenty books sitting idle in my computer, waiting… I started off writing under the name of J.C. McGuire, with three historical books, “My Name is Aelida” Book 1 & 2, (a two part novel of Arthurian Briton and the strength of a woman in a world where men rule and her ancient bloodline is more important than her happiness. These books have been re-released as a four part series with Etopia Press, The Ascension, The Gloaming, The Conquered, The Triumph), and “Shadow of the Sun”, a very emotional novel of Alexander the Great and his lover Hephaistion. Done from Hephaistion’s viewpoint, (we all know that he dies in the end) it was the hardest thing I have ever written. I still get tears when I read it. I still love all of those books and actually read them as if someone else wrote them!!

  “Shadow of the Sun” got me into the male/male genre and I began to write under J.C. Owens. I enjoy writing of the beauty of men loving men, plus the conflict in what a person thinks they want, versus what they truly need to become themselves.

  I love to hear from my readers and always appreciate suggestions and comments for future books. Sharing a love of reading and good, hot sensuality between men is always a cause for celebration!

  Discover more about J. C. Owens here

  http://www.jcowensauthor.net/

  ~ Also by J. C. Owens ~

  The Falling

  J. C. Owens

  Once a proud warrior, now a demon's whore.

  Brenaith had once been a warrior of renown, companion to the King of Artepia. Now he suffered in captivity as a demon's whore, his country overrun by a race his people had not believed existed. Driven to the edge of madness by his tortures, the final blow comes when his master, a demon lord, gifts him as a blood servant to a Shadow Knight, Shaynith-una, a monster of legend that destroys even souls. Brenaith does not expect to survive the bonding by Shaynith-una, who is rumored to hold divine blood and is held in awe by other demons.

  But with time he begins to see Shaynith-una as more than the monster he is reputed to be. The knight is a demi-god. Half demon god, half elf, the son of rape and darkness, mind taken and molded by his demonic deity father. And Brenaith's fate and hope are both bound to Shaynith-una for good or for ill.

  Can Brenaith break Shaynith-una's conditioning and discover what and who really lies behind the knight's facade...or will darkness always rule?

  Buy The Falling here

  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-falling-4

  The Ice Prince

  J. C. Owens

  Honor. Trust. Exile. Will love overcome the lies?

  Raised in lies and isolation, denied all knowledge of his family, Aidan awakens one day to find the manor in a state of excitement. Two foreign generals have come for him. They claim he is their long lost prince, the sole survivor of a rebellion that killed the royal family and usurped the throne of Ceratas. And he, Aidan Telan Ameris, is being escorted home to be crowned king.

  Naive and submissive he might be, but stupid Aidan is not. Political machinations are something he has never been exposed to, but everything about his upbringing suddenly makes sense. The long hours studying books of history, the training with pistols and swords… He’d been groomed for this moment since his earliest memories. But he knows without a doubt that he’s no prince. He’s nothing but a pawn in a game he can’t possibly understand.

  When their carriage is attacked en route to Ceratas, Aiden is taken prisoner by the leader of the rebel forces. General Torin Amaldis Greyan can’t help but feel for the poor young man, even if he is the enemy. And soon the heat between them grows to something neither can ignore, something that burns much hotter than warfare.

  But nothing is simple in the struggle for Ceratas. There are those who wish to use Aidan to destroy both Torin and his country. When both of them are captured, used against each other to br
eak their wills, Aidan and Torin must find the strength to trust each other in a way neither finds easy, if they’re to save each other—and their country…

  Buy The Ice Prince here

  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-ice-prince-3

  Tarsus

  J. C. Owens

  The despised white centaur may be the key to Varan’s heart…

  Born into hatred, his odd white coat a source of disgust to his centaur tribe, Tarsus is well used to mockery and contempt. But when he’s kidnapped from his high-blood family by a rival faction, he realizes his torment has only begun. Beaten and sentenced to death, he’s brought before the princess Nalain, heir to the centauran throne. But rather than order his execution, Nalain gives him to her brother, the general Varan, as a servant, a plaything to amuse him before the hideous white centaur’s eventual, inescapable death.

  The huge centauran Varan is disgusted with his new servant, yet he soon begins to see the gentle soul that lies beneath the filthy, matted white hide. Even as a captive, the young centaur strives to be of service to all around him, even to those who show him nothing but contempt. Odd, given his bloodline—son to the feared and powerful Shar, whose evil has caused so much suffering for the centaurs of Varan’s tribe. It’s not long before Varan finds himself drawn to Tarsus in ways he never dreamed possible, and the passion that stirs between them becomes something that neither can live without. Until war comes to the centaurs, and with it rumors that Tarsus might not be the guileless servant he seems, and how everything Varan has ever known—his clan, his home, his love for Tarsus—is doomed…

  Buy Tarsus here

  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/tarsus-4

  Betrayal

  J. C. Owens

  Secrets, madness, lies…and a love forged in the flames of betrayal.

  Imprisoned, starved and abused by his captors, Darcel finds his only escape in the depths of madness. But he’s tormented by his own demons, who taunt him with the memories of his past and of his beloved prince, Alasar of Rais. The man who condemned him to this prison for killing the enemy’s high king. The man who betrayed him, when he should have returned a hero. After three years of torment, Darcel is about to give up, to turn himself over to the demon for the blessed release of death. Until he hears the pounding of boots up the prison stairs and finds Alasar in his cell, overjoyed at finally finding him, distraught at his condition, and desperate to save him, with no knowledge of how his friend had come to be there.

  After tending his wounds, Alasar transports Darcel back to the palace by sledge, no easy task since it’s deep winter and Darcel is barely alive. But when the enemy raiders attack their party and capture Darcel, it’s clear they seek vengeance for the murder of their king. Until their new king, Harlech, explains that Darcel was not captured, but sold to them. By Alasar.

  Caught in a tangled web of secrets, lies, and betrayal, Darcel does not know whom to trust—or whom to serve. With two warring leaders both demanding his loyalty, and both men earning his love, how is Darcel supposed to know what’s real, or where his heart truly lies?

  Buy Betrayal here

  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/betrayal-115

  Wings 2: Dominion of the Eth

  J. C. Owens

  The collar would stay, for Rylis would never free Tamrin...

  Childhood memories of the Eth did no justice to what Rylis Tanyan would encounter in the depths of the Teeathun forest. But what he had treasured before had betrayed him, and now he must fight to escape the confines of the forest and his feelings for Tamrin, the Eth whom he'd loved long ago...

  Buy Wings 2: Dominion of the Eth here

  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/dominion-of-the-eth

  Taken

  J. C. Owens

  Kidnapping the brother of a mob boss was madness... If only it had stayed that simple.

  It had all gone wrong. Sent as a mercenary to kidnap Kirith Martinelli from his tropical island home, Landon finds himself on the wrong end of a job gone bad. But there's more to Kirith than meets the eye--and he's taken Landon as his captive. Kirith makes Landon an offer he can't refuse: stay with him for three months—until he tires of Landon's body--and then Landon may go free.

  Fearing his own criminal family more than the man before him, Landon agrees. Three months will buy him enough time for his brothers to lose his scent, and freedom will be his. But freedom has a steeper price than Landon bargained for. He can't ignore the sadness and loss behind his captor's beautiful eyes, and Landon finds himself wondering if three months will be enough—for either of them...

  Out of the Darkness

  Taken Book II

  J.C. Owens

  Can a heart learn more than just violence?

  Enzo is “the Martinelli,” the head of the Martinelli family drug empire. He has known very little softness in his life, only the love of his younger brother and his niece. But when fate leads him to rescue a brutalized young man, he finds he cannot let the young man go without trying to help him. It’s his chance to do something good for someone who desperately deserves it, a distraction from the mafia life or murder and intrigue. But he wishes the submissive young man would quit fawning and calling him “master.” While he’d love to take the young man up on his sexual offers, Enzo’s tastes run to the darker side, and that’s the last thing the young man needs.

  Chase Connors hasn’t known love in a long time, maybe not ever. As a slave to a sadistic master, he’s learned to get what he needs with sex. He doesn’t understand why this new “master” has been so generous—bringing him to live at Tanglewood, his vast family estate, sending him to college, and showing him affection—when to everyone else he’s hard and distant. The only way Chase knows to thank him is with his body—but Enzo appears to be straight, if his pregnant girl friend is any indication. But when Chase sees Enzo kissing another man, he knows he has a chance to win over the dominant Enzo. Seeing his chance, he stalks Enzo on his own turf—a nightclub called Dark Whispers—and gives Enzo a show he simply cannot refuse. Until someone else comes gunning for the Martinelli, and a horrible explosion destroys everything…

  Buy Out of the Darkness here

  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/out-of-the-darkness-19

  Wishes

  J. C. Owens

  Sex slave to an alien culture...

  Lt. Auri finds his job aboard the diplomatic cruiser both frustrating and exhausting, but he's determined to prove himself to his new captain. Despite the diplomatic importance of their mission, Auri is wary of the catlike Felinians, who have a reputation for enjoying human company, willing or not. But when he's ordered to witness the signing of the trade papers with the Felininans, Auri never imagines that he's about to be betrayed.

  Sold into an alien culture, Auri finds himself the newest man in the Felinian leader's erotic harem. Kanar claims him as his "mate," but Auri longs for freedom. Though his feelings for Kanar begin to grow, Auri stubbornly refuses the Felininan and the other men of his harem, leading to loneliness and grief. But how can he open himself up to his captor, and to the love of more than one partner?

  More M/M Romance from Etopia Press

  The General’s Hostage

  A. C. Fox

  Two powerful men. Two bitter enemies. One chance at love.

  Tav Cyrdath, a powerful wind adept and a brilliant general, leads the last free humans in a war against the Boa Visk, monsters who have enslaved most of humanity. But when the man who rules Illunvia refuses to surrender, Tav is forced to take the city by sword and magic. Victorious, he intends to execute the human traitor who has done so much harm by defying him. But when the defeated ruler, Duric Darmain, begs him to spare the citizens of Illunvia, Tav finds himself overcome by sudden mercy. He takes the man as a hostage instead, intending to use him in a trap against the monsters who have set this war in motion. Duric is defeated, broken...and yet Tav can't get his enemy out of his mind. But how could he ever feel this way about
a man who has betrayed all Tav stands for?

  Duric knows he was only a puppet ruler for the Boa Visk, yet he has done all he can to shield his people from the cruel overlords. Now he is a prisoner, fallen from power, hated and scorned as a traitor. And yet the enemy general begins to treat him with a curious respect and eventually even kindness. He dares not trust again, but this one-time enemy makes him want to yield his heart as hostage, even as he struggles to conquer the fears he can't escape...

  Magic can heal wounds, but hearts must be mended with love. Both men have deep scars. Both have seen dark times. But the chance at love exists...if only they can embrace it before the Boa Visk return.

  Buy The General’s Hostage here

  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-general-s-hostage

  The Exchange Student

  Mark Allen Gunnells

  Sometimes love lives in the past…

  In an alternate 2014, time travel is commonplace, regulated by the government. 17-year-old Trevor Bartley has been selected to be an exchange student to the year 1963 to study the civil rights era. The rules: do nothing that could alter the natural flow of time. But when he meets his host family, he finds himself incredibly drawn to 17-year-old Nick Keaton. In his own time, Trevor would have pursued his feelings without a second thought, but in 1963, when an entire race was subjected to violence and hate, pursuing his feelings openly would be dangerous in the extreme. And that was if Nick were even open to the idea.