My family and I have a couple tradition every year around the holidays. One is we always wear themed pajamas. Last year it was our favorite anime or gaming characters and this year we're going with a Christmas theme. Another tradition is we open one gift on Christmas Eve, we started this one because I get too exited and can't wait to open my gifts.
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So how about you! 

Comment below for a chance to win!

What is your favorite Christmas Tradition?

Life. Love. Forgiveness. Immortality.

If you were given a second chance at life, what would you do with it?

Alasdair McBain-Vale was born into the McBain clan of the Scottish Highlands a little over a century ago has endured much. After his mate died in his arms, Alistaire takes a step back from seeking a companion as he struggles to find his place in the Vale family as well as Vale Valley.

Crevan “Fox” Hannigan, born omega, is a wild card of sorts. Although he was born with a heart defect, he is determined to live his life his way no matter what, like getting pregnant by artificial insemination. After an accident, Fox wakes up with amnesia and feels like a new person; his goals change as he tries to care for a baby he doesn’t remember having.

When Fox and Alistaire meet, sparks ignite; one is wary of moving forward with a relationship, while the other wants to jump in heart first, knowing it was their time to love. 

His Time to Love is book Fifteen in the Vale Valley Season Fiver Series.  
Disclaimer: Blurb is subjected to change. 


Coming January 2021

I'm giving away an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite. To enter to win click on the link and follow the directions.

​http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1fb8d8672/?

The giveaway will be open from the 13th-January 4th. I will announce the winner on January 5th. This giveaway is open to US & CA residents.

Mario refuses to mate, but how will he resist two commanding men seeking their happy ever after?

For years, Mario’s fought the stereotype of being an omega. While working tirelessly to make his company a success, he’s battled his own desires. His parents want grandchildren, but Mario isn’t ready. In his mind, alphas mean heartbreak, and he won’t give up his freedom to make others around him happy. He’ll be damned if he’s trapped by someone who doesn’t care for him again.

Jaivon and his man are blissfully in love, but he knows a third will strengthen their bond. However, uncertainty looms in his heart. Will adding someone destroy what they already have?

Bryce is content with his lover, but knows they need another to complete them. Although he fears the future, Bryce is confident Jaivon will stay. If their bond is broken, it could devastate Bryce forever.

When Jaivon and Bryce meet Mario, he has nowhere to run. Caught between two alphas, the urge to drop to his knees is powerful. Will he submit to his carnal desires or deny those feelings to satisfy his pride?

Refusing his instincts could do more harm than good.

When An Omega Loves is a three book series featuring an omega a willing to mate and two alphas that wish to contain him. This story includes, light angst, dark flashbacks, hot romance, knotting, and a happy for now ending. No pregnancy in this book.

"You’re more alpha than omega."

Goliath has always put the Federation and his family and crew first. He has to find out who killed his father and why it’s the only long-term goal he has for his future. When a chance encounter brings him face to face with what could be a future he never imagined or desired, Goliath must decide if revenge outweighs the possibility of destiny.

Camara defected from the G-Force Federation and his clan for refusing to agree with their rules. He seeks out a new path for himself and his small crew of bounty hunters, capturing criminals all over the galaxy. They live freely by their own laws, not caring about finding a mate. However, one encounter with an admiral in the Gargoyle Federation changes everything.

Will Camara and Goliath resist the pull to each other? Or will they let their misgivings about mating hold them back from experiencing unconditional love? Because there’s no hierarchy with love.

Goliath’s Mate is part of the multi-author G-Force Federation MPREG, sci-fi series. Each book in the series can be read in any order or as a standalone. Join the G-Force Federation gargoyle warriors as they embark on their mission to protect and serve the Federation and possibly find their fated mates. This book is for a mature audience only.

#GotRomance #GotKink #GotFantasy #GotMpreg

Camara walked into the low- lit bar with instrumental tunes playing in the background that didn't fit the establishment, looking around for the person he was meeting. 

He spotted the dark-haired man in the far back corner of the bar and took his sweet time walking over to his companion. He mentally cheered the irritated expression that crossed his companion’s face. He was already twenty minutes late and knew how the dark-haired man was about punctuality. But Camara worked on his own time and no else’s.

“You took your sweet arse time getting here,” his companion growled when he sat down. “You know how busy I am.”

Camara rolled his eyes. “I have shit to do and can’t always drop what I’m doing and come running to see you.”

“Whatever,” his companion said. Camara watched as the other man’s eyes roved over him, no doubt taking in the new scratches on his face from his last hunting trip. “I thought you got into a fight with a bear shifter and not a cat?”

“Have you been keeping tabs on me?” Camara asked, becoming annoyed. 

“Someone has to,” his companion grumbled. “You and your bloody ragtag crew go from one fight to another. So much so you now have the Federation butting into your business.”

“We hunt criminals, what more are we supposed to do?”

“They’re thinking of outlawing bounty hunters.”

“Why? Because we’re doing a better job than they are at catching the criminals they can’t keep under control?”

“Because you and your crew can’t seem to operate in the limits they’ve set forth, Camara. True, you guys do a good job in keeping the crime rate down around the galaxy, but your crew brings in more bounties dead than alive.”

“The memo says, dead or alive. Not my fault they decide they want to run or challenge me because I’m an omega.” 

“Dammit, and you just have to prove to them you’re some badass,” his dark haired companion snapped. “If you’re not scratched up on some part of your body, you have a broken leg or arm. They are watching you and your crew more closely. You have to be careful…”

“Stop nagging me. Better yet, stop acting as if you bloody care about me. We both know you don’t.”

“Where did you get an idea like that from? Have I ever treated you differently from—”

“Why did you need to see me?” Camara asked, cutting him off.

His companion sighed, realizing that Camara didn’t want to hear anything else other than the reason he was there. His companion pulled out a folded sheet of paper and pushed it in front of him. Whenever they met, it was always done old school. Meaning no technology that could be easily tracked back to them ever knowing each other. 

Camara carefully opened the paper and laid it out on the table. He stared down at the hand-drawn image of a handsome man whose dark blue complexion and yellow eyes spoke of his Nasothian heritage, a species that lived on a planet filled with mostly water. They made their homes underwater and could only survive a couple of months on land. His silky jet black hair hung loosely over his shoulders and down his back. Camara could tell from his strong handsome features he was an alpha who wouldn’t think twice about killing someone.

The other image beside the Nasothian resembled a cube, but there were so many fine details it could be anything.

“Who’s this handsome bloke?” He asked, looking up at his companion. 

“That handsome bloke as you call him is Kijima Hasaki, the leader of the resistance army. He’s the most dangerous man in the galaxy. I need you to find him.”

“Well, that’s interesting. They’ve been so quiet I didn’t think they still existed.”

“They never went away, Camara. They’ve just been operating in the dark, but lately they are getting more aggressive.”

“And what’s this?” Camara tapped the cubed object.

“Something I need you to find and soon—before it falls into Kijima’s hands.”

“You’re still not giving me all the information I need.”

His companion ran his hands through his hair and looked at Camara. “You know I can’t tell you much. Camara listen to me, if Kijima get his hands on this weapon, it could mean the destruction of Earth and possibly the galaxy.”

“Then how do you expect me to find Kijima and the weapon when you’re not giving me much to go on?”

“You and I have gone through this already, Camara. I bring the jobs to you then you and that ragtag crew of yours do them, no questions asked. When it’s completed, you get paid.”

“How much?”

“How much what?”

“How much are we getting paid to find this?” he asked, tapping the paper. “This job looks more dangerous than the other’s you’ve thrown my way.”

“Enough for you and your crew to retire. Maybe you’ll finally settle down and find a fucking mate,” his companion gritted out. He got up from his seat. 

“Why me? I’m sure you have others who can find Kijima and this weapon.”

“You’re the only one I can trust,” his companion replied. “I need to go but please find them, Cam.” He looked down at Camara, a worried expression crossing his face. “Don’t let Kijima gets his hands on this weapon, he can and will cause more damage than you can even imagine. He’s not afraid to take millions of lives, or use people to get what he wants.” He reached into his jacket pocket and dropped another piece of paper on the table. “I’ve transferred this amount to your account already. You’ll get the rest when the job is complete.” His companion went to walk away but stopped, resting a hand on his shoulder. “Take care of yourself, please. I’m not the only one who would be deeply heartbroken if something were to happen to you.” 

That time his companion walked away, leaving Camara to his thoughts. He stared down at the paper, committing the information to memory. He’d developed this ability to help him when he needed to remember facts about a bounty. If the information was important to him, Camara would remember names, faces, dates, and conversations. Everything else he labeled as background noise. 

It only took a minute for him to see something, and it was locked away in his mind until he needed it.  Reaching into his pocket, Camara pulled a lighter from his pocket, then picked up the papers. The last one he left unfolded, not needing to know how much he was getting paid. 
​
As much as he hated their interactions, he trusted his companion to not cheat him or his crew. Flipping the top of the lighter open, Camara set both papers on fire, watching them burn to ash before getting up and leaving the bar to start searching for what exactly, he wasn’t sure.

Matters of His Heart

​Love has no limits when it comes to matters of his heart.

Quintus Wolfe
After a tragic moment in his childhood, Quintus and his family move to Vale Valley. Years later, with a thriving construction business, he is surrounded by family and friends. Things are almost perfect for Quintus. All except for one thing: he craves a mate and cubs of his own, but he can’t find the ideal alpha to help him build a family. No one that is, until he is drawn to a sexy vampire who brings out the dark, sexual cravings Quintus never dreamed of before.

Scottland Shelton
After his lover dies, Scott moves to Vale Valley looking for a reason to live again. With his thriving psychiatric practice, his popular band, and a community that depends on him, Scott thinks this is the best he can hope for. After years of living alone, he is caught off guard when he finds himself attracted to a certain sexy, omega contractor.

With Quintus falling in love for the first time, and Scott reluctantly experiencing a new awakening of his long-dormant heart, the pair must figure out their places in each other’s lives while navigating the trials of a new relationship. Add in messy family drama, and secrets galore— it all might be more trouble than either man bargained for. 

Matters of His Heart is the eighteenth book in Vale Valley Series Season Three. Dive back into the sweet little town where anything magical can happen.

Chapter One

“Don’t shoot!”

Quintus sat up in bed, gasping for breath. He was afraid to close his eyes in case the memories of his dream came back to haunt him.

Fuck, why am I dreaming about that night?

Quintus thought he’d put that moment in time behind him. He looked down at his shaking hands, the memory of holding the gun and pulling the trigger came back to him. He closed his hands in a tight fist, clenching his fingers, almost piercing his flesh, hoping the pain would stop the shaking and push the memory away. 

He didn’t need to be thinking about that night. He always woke up at the very moment the gun went off. Quintus knew there were parts of what happened that night he couldn’t remember. He knew he didn’t have a choice, but it shouldn’t have been a decision he had to make while being so young.

He fell back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. Come on, Quin. Stop thinking about it. You’re fine, and so is everyone you care about. He’s dead, and he’s not coming back. He kept repeating the words until his heart stopped thumping loudly in his chest. The past is in the past. He wrapped the covers around himself⁠—the same way Vale Valley had the night he, his mother, and sisters entered the small town. 

Quintus was seven years old when his entire world changed. Now at twenty-six his life was for the better. He couldn’t understand why he was dreaming about that night. After a few minutes, when he started feeling calm, Quintus reached over and picked up his cellphone, switching off the alarm that would have gone off in a little over twenty minutes.

“I might as well get up. Donald will be here for our morning run in a few.”

Putting his phone down, he rolled out of bed and grabbed his sweatpants, putting them on. Walking into the bathroom, Quintus took care of his morning duties before heading down to his kitchen to make his protein shake, adding a bit of Irish moss to the mix. Donald couldn’t understand why he’d drink anything in the seaweed family in the mornings, but Quintus liked the added nutrients he got from it, even though they were shifters and were hard to kill. 

Quintus had met Donald when he’d gone to do an estimate to remodel the house he’d bought. There wasn’t any instant attraction between them. He and Donald had started talking and found out, other than having Grayson in common, they also melded on other things. 

Truthfully, Quintus hadn’t thought he and Donald would have become such good friends with their backgrounds. Donald came from a family of wealth, and everything had been handed to him on a silver platter. Quintus, on the other hand, had to struggle to try and find a place in the world. But that was before he and his family moved to Vale Valley. The small little town was hidden deep in Pennsylvania, invisible to those unable to see and feel its magic. Vale Valley opened her arms to him and his family, giving them a place to belong.

Even at a young age, he could tell Vale Valley was unique. Quintus closed his eyes, trying to block out the memory of what had forced them to run from their home in the middle of the night. They’d never heard of Vale Valley. But Quintus remembered that night vividly. He remembered his mother had been driving on a dark road, and out of nowhere the Vale Valley sign had appeared in front of them. Truthfully, they were only supposed to have stayed for one night, but ended up making and starting a new life in the small town.
Quintus had started attending Vale Valley elementary school and became friends with Grayson Vale, excelling in all of his classes. Once he got to high school, Quintus knew he’d found his calling after his first shop class. He’d been able to let his imagination run wild, and thankful for his teacher. Miss Austin would encourage him and others to not let the limitation of their classroom hold them back. He had later used that same drive and attended Vale University⁠—majoring in carpentry.

During the summer months Quintus worked for Gabriel Wolfe, who owned the only construction company in Vale Valley. Gabriel had later gotten married to his mother and adopted him and his sisters. When Gabriel retired, he turned the company over to Quintus who’d gone back to college a few years later and earned his master’s in business.

Quintus and Gabriel were close, and he’d been happy to walk his mom down the aisle, giving her hand in marriage to the man who treated him like a son and his sisters like his daughters. Gabriel still stopped by the office, but most days he could be found behind the counter of Bella’s Diner. Other than her family, it was one of his mom’s pride and joys.

Setting his empty cup in the sink, Quintus leaned against the counter looking out his window at the vast land that belonged to him. He’d bought the property a few years back and started building his house, which still wasn’t finished. He could ask the guys that worked for him for help, but he wanted to do this project on his own⁠—no matter how long it took. Whenever he found time in his schedule, Quintus would putter on his home. 

There was a quick knock on his back door before it opened, and Donald stepped into view.

“Hey, you’re up early,” Donald said, walking over to his Keurig to make his first cup of coffee. “That’s what...like the third time this week?”

“I never knew you paid attention to my sleeping patterns,” Quintus said to his friend.

Donald had initially shown up in Vale Valley to win Grayson back, but by that time the man had already been head over heels in love with Chance Knight⁠—the current mayor. In Quintus’s opinion, Donald only used Grayson as a front and was searching for something else. He’d yet to ask his friend about it, and didn’t feel he had a right to do it when he was hiding secrets of his own.

“I pay attention to everything,” Donald said, walking over to him and kissing him on the side of his head.
Quintus soaked up the affection. As a cheetah shifter, he craved affection and loved to cuddle with his friends and family.

Donald stepped back and peered into his face. “You look like shit, dude. You have bags under your eyes, and your hair is a mess.”

“You’re filled with compliments this morning, aren’t you?”

Donald shrugged a shoulder. “I call ’em, as I see ’em.” His brows creased together with worry. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’m asking out of concern.”

“I know. And yeah, I am. I’ve just been working late, that’s all,” He lied.

“Tell me something I would believe,” Donald said, not buying it.

“Did you come here to interrogate me or run?”

“What if my answer is both?”

“Then you’ll just have to settle for one. Nothing is going on with me.”

“If you say so,” he said, putting his mug down in the sink. “All right, let’s go.”

They headed outside and undressed, setting their clothes down on the bench for when they got back. Quintus loved the feeling of shifting from man to animal. He closed his eyes and relaxed his muscles, letting the magic take over. Within a second, he was in cheetah form. 

Without waiting for Donald, he took off into the forest⁠—letting his legs carry him to their destination. Running in his cheetah always relaxed him, and at times, it seemed his worries were lifted off his shoulders the faster he ran.

With each pound of his paws against the dewy, morning grass, he lost himself to the sounds of the steady rhythm. The feel of the breeze whistling past his ears, and coursing over his fur. Quintus closed his eyes and let his senses take over. He knew the terrain of the forest having done the run countless of times.
Whenever he ran in his shifted form, he felt one with nature and wished he could stay in his cheetah form all the time, but knew it was a bad idea. Sooner or later, his mind would no longer be human, and he wouldn’t be able to even recognize anyone who meant a lot to him. But it didn’t stop Quintus from staying in his cheetah form as long as possible.

Other than having the recurring dreams lately, he’d been wondering if he would ever find his mate. Quintus wasn’t sure if his mate was already in Vale Valley or if they would be showing up soon, but someone was calling out to him. He could feel his cheetah searching for its alpha mate to claim him⁠—and its need to start a family.

It would have been great of Donald was his mate. They connected on so many levels, but they were nothing more than close friends. Other than Donald being a beta wolf, it seemed as if his friend had an invisible barrier around him that screamed “don’t touch.”

Quintus wasn’t sure if he could handle having a mate and cubs in his life at the moment. He loved children, but he was more bothered because of the dreams he was having. He hoped to the gods it was simply a passing moment in time, and soon things would get back to normal.

His Cherokee ancestors would say they were premonitions of things to come. Quintus wasn’t sure if it was good or bad he remembered what happened in the past, and wondered if he should speak to his mother about his dreams. She was more connected to her Native American values and beliefs than he was. 
Elizabella believed dreams were a way to reveal what was to come—good or bad. Other than his mother, the only other person who knew what happened that night was Rosemary Vale. Arianna and Miya, his sisters, had been just babies, and he was thankful they knew nothing about what happened or what he’d done.

Maybe it's guilt for what I did that night.

There were things from his past he kept hidden. The guilt of lying to his friends about who he was after so many years, was starting to eat at him. He’d become an essential member of Vale Valley, and because of his business acumen, Rosemary Vale, or as he liked to call her Nana Rose, would seek him out for new ideas or thoughts on how to improve things around town.

Rosemary. Mom and I owe her so much.

Rosemary had been their saving grace when they’d arrived in town without a dime to their name and sleeping in their car. It’d been the dead of winter, and Quintus had thought they were going to freeze to death rather than starve. His mother Elizabella had been seven months pregnant and didn’t think anyone would hire her in such a state. 

So, he had learned to play the cute kid who would beg for food for him and his family, bringing it back to the woods for his mom and sisters to eat. It’d happened for two weeks before someone had caught on to what he was doing, and that person had happened to be Rosemary. That day Quintus had no idea she’d followed him back into the woods where they were hiding. He had been meters away from his mother and sisters hiding spot when he’d heard her speak.

“You don’t need to beg for food, little cheetah.” 

Quintus turned and looked up at the woman standing behind him. And even though she might have seemed imposing to him, Quintus wasn’t afraid.

“I have to,” he told her.

“Why?” She asked, kneeling in front of him.

He might not have been afraid, but he wasn’t sure if he could trust her.

“I promise, I won’t tell. You can trust me.”

Quintus snorted in his shifted form, thinking about her words of promise and trust. Those were to the famous last worst of every villain in movies. Trust me, the villain would tell their prey before they slashed their throats open.
But with Rosemary, she’d meant it. He’d scented the truth on her, which was why he had confessed and told her about his pregnant mother and baby sisters waiting for him to bring food to them. That day she’d taken them home with her, and for the first time in weeks, he’d been able to shower, eat, and rest—without worry.

Rosemary had given them a place to stay and had helped his mom get a job after the baby was born. Years later, his mom had saved up enough money to open her own bakery which later became the diner. Elizabella was known for her pies and strong coffee. According to his mother, it had been her pies that had helped seduce Gabriel. But Gabriel would correct her and say it had been her beauty and charm that had made him want to be with her always.

Quintus was happy that in their new life his mother had found love. He didn't want to question why his mother and Gabriel weren't mated. It brought up doubt and worry that his father was still alive. It wasn't something he wanted to think about. 

Not now, not ever. 

Quintus kept telling himself it wasn't his fault, he was protecting his mother and sisters. He hadn't known the gun was loaded. All he’d wanted was for his mother to stop screaming. And had only wanted to scare his father.

Quintus remembered the evil intent he’d felt coming off his father, and had known he couldn't trust his father’s words of love and forgiveness. He had felt, even at seven, their lives would forever be in danger. All his father had to do was leave the house and never come back. 

Quintus couldn’t remember what else had happened before the gun went off. All he recalled was his father crying out “don't shoot” before he pulled the trigger, killing his father instantly.

* * *
An hour later, Quintus opened the back door to his house and walked over to the fridge, getting two bottles of water. He threw one to Donald, who caught it without missing a beat.

“Are you staying for breakfast?” Quintus asked after he guzzled down his entire bottle of water.

“You’re going to make someone a good mate. You’re so attentive and caring.”

“Shut up and answer the damn question.” He threw his empty bottle into the recycling bin and walked over to the sink to wash his hands.

“No, not today. I’m meeting Chance for breakfast.”

“Does Gray know you’re trying to move in on his man?” Quintus asked jokingly.

“A good mate, you’ll be. A comedian, you’re not,” Donald said.

“So that’s a ‘no’ on Gray knowing.”

“One, Chance is not my type. I’m not into alpha males. And two, my feelings for Grayson are nothing more than friendship. I respect his mating with Chance. Hell, I get jealous about how devoted he is and wonder if I’ll ever have a mate who would be just as committed to me.”

“I think anyone who wants to find their mate hopes for the same thing,” Quintus told him. “So why are you meeting with him?”

“Promise me you won’t laugh when I tell you why?” He went to answer, but Donald stopped him. “Please, this is important to me.” Quintus turned and folded his arms across his chest, then nodded. “I’m going to tell him I want to be the deputy mayor. I know I haven’t been in Vale Valley long, and I don’t have many friends—besides you and Grayson. But since coming here, I’ve fallen in love with the place. There’s so much good I can do here. I have the resources and money burning a hole in my bank account, and I don’t want to spend it on frivolous things. I want to invest it in this town.”

Quintus was silent for a few minutes as he studied his friend. He wasn’t sure who the man was before he showed up in Vale Valley, but he liked the man who was in front of him. He listened when Quintus rambled on about everything and nothing at all. He was the one who was more level headed the night they’d found Chance’s body in the woods when he’d been attacked by the former deputy mayor. Quintus could tell the man was a leader and did not mind being in the spotlight. But would also step back and give others their light to shine.

“Your money isn’t going to impress Chance. In fact, don’t mention how much you’re worth.”

Donald nodded and rested his hands on his hips. “What else?”

“Be up front, don’t beat around the bush or try to be coy. He hates that shit. Well, except when Grayson does it. And for what it’s worth, I think you’ll make a good deputy mayor. And if I know Nana Rose, she already knows what you might want to talk to Chance about and gave him a heads up. I’ve suspected for years she has seer abilities or knows someone who does.”

“She seems to be one step ahead of everyone else,” he said with a smile. “If I hadn’t been turned into a werewolf, I would have thought you were crazy—talking about seers.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

“Do you think Chance will agree to work with me?”

“He’s agreed to meet with you, so that means he’s willing to at least listen.”

“All right,” he said walking over to the door. “Let me get home and shower. I don’t want to be late for my meeting.”

“Hey,” Quintus said, stopping him before he walked out of the kitchen. “I meant what I said, it wasn’t lip service. I can tell you will fit in well as the deputy mayor.”

“Thanks, man, that means a lot. I’ll see you later tonight.”

Quintus watched Donald get in his car and drive off. He looked around and realized he didn’t want to have breakfast alone. Usually, after their morning run, they’d have breakfast before going their separate ways. 
Walking out of the kitchen, he took the stairs two at a time and started stripping off his clothes the second he got to the bedroom. Once he was ready for work, he planned on making a stop at his mom’s diner. He knew she’d make him a big breakfast.

Maybe I’ll get the guys a pie or two to have with their lunch.

Chapter Two

Scottland Shelton, Scott to his friends and family, walked into his office and stopped by his assistant’s desk wondering where the hell he was. 

It wasn’t often he’d show up to work and Marlow wasn’t at his desk. Scott couldn’t forget the day he had hired Marlow—he’d been in dire need of help. 

When he’d opened his practice five years ago, he hadn’t counted on it being busy. Scott figured he’d only see one or two patients on his busiest day, so hiring an assistant hadn’t been something he’d originally considered. 

He had no plans on charging the patients he’d see. He had no concerns when it came to him making a living—not with who his family was or his investments. At close to one hundred, he’d amassed a great wealth.

But he'd been utterly wrong in his assumptions.

On the first day Scott had opened his practice, his waiting room had been swamped with new patients. Truthfully, Scott had been overwhelmed until Marlow had walked in and helped him out. It was as if the man had known he’d needed help, or someone had sent him because they’d known what Scott was in for—namely Rosemary Vale. 

The former mayor was more like family than a friend. But according to Marlow, the first time he’d met Rosemary was when Scott had introduced them. 

Scott thought he would've had his life together by now, but he wasn’t anywhere close. He was still figuring things out, just like any other person.

Age has nothing to do with how your life should be going.

“Hey, boss. What are you doing here so early?” Scott turned when he heard Marlow behind him.

“Early? What are you talking about? This is my usual time,” he said looking at his watch and then at the clock on the wall office, before realizing he was an hour early.

“I keep telling you to get a cellphone. Come out of the dark ages, old man.” Marlow snorted as he walked over to stand behind his desk.

“I don’t need a cellphone, what would I do with it? My patients know how to get in touch with me,” he grumbled.

“You are the only man I know who refuses to come into the twenty-first century when it comes to technology.”

“Do we have to go through this every morning?”

“Yup, I’m going to bug you until you buy one,” Marlow answered. “I had to nag you just to get a computer. If I left everything up to you, we would still be using quills and parchment paper. So yeah, I will not rest until you get a cellphone.”

“Then I’ll go with the same answer I give you every other day. The underworld will freeze over before I get a cellphone. Now tell me what’s on my agenda for today.”

“No, you don’t,” Marlow said, narrowing his eyes at Scott. “Just because you’re one hour early, you think you’re going to take away my me-time?”

“Your ‘me-time?’” Scott said in confusion.

“Yup, this is the time I take for myself before my mean old boss shows up and expects me to be at his beck and call.” Marlow walked around his desk, grabbing Scott by the hand, and started ushering him out the door. “I need to consume two cups of coffee, check my social media accounts, and have my bagel.”

“Mean old boss? When have I ever been mean? And couldn’t you have done those things before you came into the office?”

“Scott, I say this with love. Find something to do for one hour and leave me to my morning ritual. You can understand that as a dominant, can’t you?”

Scott didn’t get a chance to answer, because he was shoved out of the office, the door closing in his face. “Hey. Did you forget I’m your boss, and I can fire you?” He didn’t get a response, but he also didn’t expect one. Truthfully, he would never fire Marlow. He was the best assistant Scott could ever find.

Sighing, Scott looked down the long hallway and was happy that no one had been there to see him get kicked out of his office by his assistant.

How embarrassing.

Seeing that he was going to be locked out of his office for the next hour, Scott decided maybe it was an excellent time to take a walk.

I could use a cup of coffee.

Scott’s office was within walking distance to Bella’s Diner, and it would be open for the morning breakfast rush. As he got on the elevator, he noticed people were giving him strange looks. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t seen him before. He shared a building with them.

Maybe it’s because they’ve never seen you outside so early.

Ignoring the onlookers, Scott got off the elevator and went to do something he hadn’t been able to do in a while, and relax with his coffee before he had to go back to the office. He hadn’t been able to do that in the past few weeks. His busiest times were during the winter and late spring. Just before the summer season hit, his patients seemed to need him more. As a psychiatrist, he tried his best to listen and help them with their problems.

Scott knew he was skilled at his job, but there were things he hadn’t learned in medical school that he was facing daily. That’s where his powers of empathy came in. He didn’t use his empathic abilities on every patient—only with his most difficult cases. There were also times he felt as if he wasn’t doing anything in regard to his patients, but he wasn’t going to stop trying. 

Scott knew what one of the common threads where. It didn’t matter if they were shifters or humans, a lot of his patients were dealing with loneliness and not having a mate. He’d seen a rise in new patients in the past few months, when it seemed love had found its way to Vale Valley. 

Scott couldn’t say he was exempt from what his patients were dealing with, because he was an unmated vampire who wasn’t sure if he was ready to find love.

Scott's life hadn’t been so bad for his entire existence—he hadn't always been lonely. He had his family and friends. Scott had found love in one breath and lost it in another. Some by his desire of being young and not ready to commit. And others because of his fears and stupidity. 

Over the years, he'd pushed his lovers away because he couldn't fully give them what they’d desired most, his heart. Even though they were ready to give him theirs. But what hurt more was watching his lovers die. 

A vision of Alec came to his mind, and the hurt of losing his last lover and submissive still burned inside of him. Scott hadn’t cared that Alec wasn't his mate, he loved him more than breath and life itself. He had been willing to do anything to keep him by his side forever.

If only I’d been there.

But there was nothing he could’ve done. No matter how many times he’d told Alec he loved him, Scott couldn't have saved him from himself. Not as his friend and lover. Scott would have turned Alec, but even he had to admit he’d been afraid of what his lover would have been capable of if he had been given the power of a vampire.

Would he have done much more than harm himself?

The night he and Alec had met... it was as if there had been no one else in the room but the two of them. Scott had been completely mesmerized by the curly, dark-haired man who’d been playing the piano with more passion than he'd ever seen. 

His fingers had seductively glided over the piano keys, and Scott had felt as if he was playing for him and no one else. Alec had lifted his head and looked out into the crowd, and Scott had known the second their eyes met that the man would be his.

Scott had introduced himself to Alec after the concert and soon after their romance began. Alec was human, and Scott had told him he was a vampire. His lover had taken it in stride but made him promise if anything were to happen to him and he was on death's door to never turn him. 

At the time, Scott hadn’t thought about it and respected his request, because he thought Alec would be with him for eternity. To him Alec was his mate, even if they weren’t fated. It was the reason why he’d started using Alec’s last name, Shelton. They had been in happy bliss for twenty years. 

But since Alec's death, he wished he hadn't respected his lover's wishes. 

I never imagined Alec would kill himself.

After Alec's death, Scott had been lost and closed himself off from everyone who loved and cared for him. Scott had been a young musician when he and Alec had met. But after his lover's death, he’d quit the band he'd formed and stopped singing. It had been as if the music had died along with Alec. 

Scott had refused to leave the house or see anyone and had surrounded himself in his guilt for not being able to save the man he loved. There’d been a few times he’d wanted to join Alec in the afterlife, but had known his bearer, Braxton Boroson-Dracul and Rosemary Vale would go to the depths of the underworld to find him and bring him back.

Scott smiled, thinking of his bearer and Rosemary's close friendship. Braxton Boroson-Dracul—formerly the god Baldur and the favored son of the god Odin and the goddess Frigg—was a well-known actor. Most wouldn't believe him if he told them about his family relation to the mighty Norse gods. Or that he was the grandson of Dracul—or Dracula to those who believed in the myths. 

There were times he could not believe it himself. 

His bearer Baldur later changed his name to Braxton when he’d started living amongst humans. On more than one occasion, Scott had heard the story of how Braxton and Rosemary met.  It was an instant friendship. Braxton had become bored with his life in the in-between realm and had decided to live amongst humans.

In the beginning, Odin was against it and felt that gods should not mix with those who worshiped at their feet. It hadn’t helped that Braxton had already met and fallen in love with Armand Dracul, the first-born son of Vladimir Dracul the third. His refusal to return to the in-between realm where all the gods lived, had resulted in a battle between father and son. 

History books spoke of a great earthquake that had shaken the world, changing its geographical status for all eternity. But those who knew the truth recalled it had been Braxton and Odin who were in a fierce battle for forty days and nights. Once Odin had grown tired of fighting with his favorite son, he’d allowed him permission to live among his followers.

Scott was grateful for his parents. They’d raised him, his brother, and sister with the knowledge of who they were—vampires with the strength and blood of gods running through their veins. But they’d also taught them to protect and stand up for those who were weak. 

Scott was also thankful for Rosemary, who’d been a constant in his life from birth. He knew of the closeness his bearer shared with the former mayor. It has been said that when the two were together, even Odin shudders in fear of what kind of trouble they could get into.

Scott realized that, even through his loneliness, he had people who loved him. But it didn't stop him from missing the man he’d loved and would possibly love for all eternity. Scott knew he could go to his cousin Hellenna to bring Alec back from the underworld, but he'd kept to the promise he made to Alec. 

As much as he loved his cousin Hellenna, the woman couldn't be trusted to fulfill her end of the deal without wanting something in return. The woman was smart, conniving, and drop-dead gorgeous. Which was how she conned many men and women to do her bidding.

“Scott, you all right?”

Scott was pulled from his thoughts when he heard the question and looked up to see his best friend Chance staring at him. Scott creased his brows, wondering exactly when he’d stopped walking. He recalled his initial plan was to go to the diner.

“Yeah. I’m good, just thinking.”

“Thinking? You look like you were miles away. Anyway, it’s a bit odd to see you out and about so early.”

“What is it with you and Marlow? I’m an early riser,” he said, crossing his arms. He was lying his ass off.
Chance snorted. "Since when? Dude, you're a typical vampire. If it were up to you, you'd get up at sunset. So, what are you really doing up?"

“I thought I was running late for work and rushed out of the house an hour early. Marlow kicked me out of the office because, apparently, he takes his ‘me time.’ What the fuck does that even mean?”

Chance barked out a laugh at his expense.

“It’s not that funny,” he said.

“Actually, it is. I’ve told you that you need to get rid of that cheap ass watch, and buy a new one. Hell, get a cellphone or one of those home media things that will keep you on time.”

“Not you too! I told you, I don’t need a cellphone,” he defended. “Plus, Alec gave me this watch.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Chance said between chuckles. “Keep the watch but get with the fucking times.”

“So, what are you doing out and about, Mister Mayor?”

“Hey, I’m still Chance to you. None of the mayor crap. I’m here to meet Donald. He says he has something he wants to talk to me about.”

“My...aren’t we friendly with the mate’s ex-lover,” Scott teased.

Chance shrugged. “He’s not a bad guy. Besides, Grayson loves me and no one else.”

Scott smiled and nodded. He was happy for his friend. Chance had claimed his mate Grayson over the holidays. He was also a father of triplets. Scott wasn't sure how his best friend did it, but he had to give it to the man. He'd taken over as mayor, played with the band they started together, worked in the shop at least one day of the week, and found time for his family.

“I’m glad to see how much you’ve grown, my friend,” Scott told him. “You’ve turned it to an upstanding family man.”

“Oh gods. What exactly were you thinking about before I interrupted you?”

“The meaning of life,” Scott answered, skirting around the issue. He’d told Chance everything about Alec. About how lost he’d been before moving to Vale Valley and how the town and music had breathed life back into him.

“Please tell me you’re not still blaming yourself?” Scott looked down at the hard pavement, avoiding answering his question. 

“I’m not telling you to let him go, but I’m sure Alec wouldn’t be happy to know you’re still not moving on with your life.”

"I know," Scott sighed, raising his head. "It's not a healthy way to live. If I were one of my patients, I would have told them what you just told me. But he still has a hold on my heart, Chance. I'm fine. I promise."

“What happened to the guy you were interested in a few months ago?”

“Nothing. I decided not to bother asking him out. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind, then.”

“How many times are you going to use that excuse? I know we’d said we would go to the club together before I mated with Grayson...but you could have gone without me.”

“I could have, but I haven’t in the mood. They are all the same, Chance. Well, behaved and well trained.” 
Scott chuckled. “So, what you’re telling me is you’re looking for a challenge?”

"Maybe. And I get it, in the past few months…or years," he said from the expression on Chance's face. "I've lived a miserable existence. I've honestly lost count of how many times I've been with the same sub."

“Then find a new one,” Chance told him.

“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you what I’ve been thinking about.” Chance looked at him suspiciously, and he could almost tell what his friend was thinking. “I’m not leaving Vale Valley. My bearer would drag me back here.”

“Good...so tell me what you’ve been thinking.”

“How about we open up our own club? I’m certain we’re not the only dominants in Vale Valley.”

Chance was silent, and Scott could tell his friend was thinking things over. They were both dominants who’d trained under the same Master after he’d moved to Vale Valley. His friendship with Chance was important to him. The man had seen Scott at his weak points, whenever it was the anniversary of Alec’s death, and never once judged him for holding on to his love.

“So, what do you think?”

“Before I say yes, answer a couple of questions for me.”

“All right.” Chance was probably thinking Scott was using the club idea as a way to avoid  thinking about Alec.

“Aren’t you busy enough?”

“With what exactly?”

“Music, the band, coven, and let’s not forget...your practice?”

“I can write music anytime, we can play and practice at the club, and my coven members are fine living their lives.  As Long as they don’t go rogue or break any of my rules, I don’t need to be involved. And my practice will not suffer. I’ve been thinking of bringing another doctor in anyway.”

“All right then, let’s do it. But if I see you trying to juggle everything all at once and not living a little, I’m going to tell Rosemary what’s going on. You know she’ll tell your father.”

“Oh, for crying out loud. Seriously? You’re going to play the daddy card?”

“I’ll play any card I can to make sure you don’t sink back into a world of self-pity and guilt. Or try to work yourself to death.” Chance told him seriously. “I know you can’t be killed easily, but I don’t care.”

“I won’t,” Scott told him.

The man falls in love and wants everyone to have a mate. It must be a mayor thing to be a nosey matchmaker.
“I won’t let you promise me that because I know it’s one you will never be able to keep.”

Scott knew Chance was right. He could already feel himself pulling back from everyone little by little. In many ways, Scott was like his patients—he was broken and lonely, which was why he never judged them. While he tried to help them, he refused to get help for himself.

“Just promise you won’t tell Rosemary. I don’t need my parents breathing down my neck. They keep dropping the grandchildren hints. Like they don’t have enough between my brother and sister? They have so many kids between them. Even I forget their names sometimes.”

“But you’re their precious baby….”

“There you are.” They both looked to their right when they heard Marlow’s voice. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”

“Uh…” Scott said just as Chance snorted.

“You have patients waiting for you at the office,” Marlow complained, and started dragging him back from the way he came.

“What the hell are you talking about? You kicked me out of the office for your personal time, remember?”

“That was an hour and a half ago,” Marlow said with a huff. “You need a minder.”

“That’s why I hired you,” Scott drawled, not caring he was being dragged.

“I thought I was fired?” Marlow asked without looking at him.

“Hey, I’ll see you for dinner on Thursday. We can work out the details on the club then.” Chance yelled. “That’s if your guard dog will let you.”

Scott could hear the laughter in Chance’s voice and gave him the middle finger, which only made his friend laugh more.

I had so much fun writing Quintus and Scott's story. Their connection to each other was beautiful to watch as they fall in love with each other. Usually, when I write a sex scene or any of my books, I listened to R&B Soul music but with this book it was much different it was a mixture of everything (Rap, Reggae, Pop and R&B ) and I loved it :)

Here's the list below all of the songs can be found on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play. Also the Videos are on YouTube. 27 Chapters so 27 Songs

1. Beyoncé - Sorry
2. Beyoncé  - Daddy's Lesson
3. ​Beyoncé & Kendrick Lamar -Freedom
4. Lizzo & Missy Elliot - Tempo
5. Lizzo - Juice
6. Lizzo - Good As Hell
7. DMX - Ruff Ryders Anthem
8. DMX - X Gon' Give it to You
9. DMX - Slipping
10. DMX - Who We Be
11. DMX - What's My Name
12. DMX - Party Up
13. Busta Rymes - Arab Money
14. The Carters - Ape Shit
15. Wiley, Sean Paul, Stefflon Don - Boasty ft. Idris Elba - Boasty
16. Sean Paul - Shot & Wine ft. Stefflon Don 
17. Stefflon Don - 16 Shots
18. Spice - So Mi Like It
19. Spice & Vybze Kartel - Back Way​​
20. Spice - Cool It
21. Mustard & Migos - Pure Water
22. Cardi B & Offset - Clout
23. Cardi B - Press
24. Cardi B & Bruno Mars - Please Me
25. DJ Khaled, Rihanna, Bryson Tiller - Wild Thoughts
26. Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know
27. Glee Mash Up - Rumor Has It / Someone Like You​

Sirius closed his locker and leaned against it, exhausted.
 
He’d worked a double shift only getting a few minutes of sleep during his breaks. Sirius was not only physically tired, but he was also mentally and emotionally as well. He was getting burnt out with the daily grind of working in the emergency room and wanted to do something less hectic. 
After graduating from medical school, Sirius wanted to be a part of the grind he excelled in when he was an intern. But the older and more experienced Sirius got, he became desensitized and disenfranchised to his job of caring for others. 

Sirius had seen and heard the same expression on his older colleagues and knew that even with their grumbling and complaining, the reason why they stuck around was for the money. Sirius didn’t want to stop being a doctor but was finding so little enjoyment in his job. 

Maybe I should put more thought into moving out of Chamberlin City.

He’d been contemplating the idea over for the past couple years to be precise, ever since the day he was shot in the arm. He wasn’t terribly hurt and recovered quickly, but when Sirius became a doctor, he hadn’t counted on being in fear for his life. 

Before he had gotten shot, he’d been punched, vomited on, kicked, and everything he could think of once he started working in the emergency room. What made things worse was that he could have disarmed the guy easily with a spell, but he could never expose himself as a witch. 

That wouldn’t have been good.

He pulled away from the locker, taking off his scrubs as he went, heading to the shower. He was in desperate need of getting clean quickly. Dunking his under the scalding water, he allowed his mind to wander. He wasn’t in a rush to go home to an empty apartment. 

Sirius lived a lonely life. He didn’t have a best friend or a family member he could visit for Sunday dinner. It was especially worse when he was growing up. The only supernatural he knew was his mother Brigid, who’d died not long after he’d started college. 

Sirius had never met his father. According to his mother, his sire took off when she told him that he was pregnant, never to be seen or heard from again. He also couldn’t pick his father out of a line up if his life depended on it since he’d never seen a picture of the man.  

Sirius couldn’t say he was broken up about not having a father around, he and his mom did well for themselves. Except for Brigid last few years when she was diagnosed with schizophrenia.  During her rough days, Sirius wished he had a friendly shoulder to cry on.

Sirius often wondered what it would be like to meet another person like himself or be a part of a coven.  Brigid was against joining a coven because she didn’t trust people who followed others blindly. She wanted to live her life freely. Sirius respected her reasons, idiotic though they may be, but he knew very little about his kind.

Go to Vale Valley, was whispered in his ear causing Sirius to lift his head up from underneath the water and looked around to see who spoke. He knew it couldn’t be his familiar, since his happened to be a wolf and didn’t talk.

“Fuck. I’m too tired for this shit,” turning back to finish his shower.

“Talking to yourself again, Henson?”

Sirius mentally rolled his eyes when he heard Griffin Presley’s voice. Griffin was his co-worker and when the mood struck fuck buddy. He turned to face his friend who had a towel wrapped around his waist. They’d both weeded through the night shift together for the past two days.

Griffin held out an extra towel that Sirius just realized he held in his hands, as Griffin took off the towel wrapped around his waist, letting it fall to the floor. 

“You left this on the bench,” Griffin said holding it out.

Sirius went to reach for it, but Griffin grabbed his arm and pulled him flush against his body. 

“Are you sure we should be doing this here?” Sirius wasn’t going to say no, it had been a while since he’d had a good fuck. Griffin gave him that sexy as hell smirk that Sirius knew could be trouble. 

“If you promise to be quiet then no one will know what we’re up to.”

Griffin was smart, and a good doctor. Even though they’d slept together numerous times, Griffin still had one slight flaw that stopped Sirius from falling for him completely. He isn’t my mate. There wasn’t a lot that Sirius knew about his kind. Sure he knew spells and how to make some potions as well as knowing that he had a mate out there for him. 

It would have been so much easier if Griffin was his mate since they had a few things in common and had great sex. But when he was with Griffin, he could feel a longing inside of himself that the other man could never suffice. 

“Don’t you feel bad that we use each other for sex?”

“Why, are you starting to feel guilty?”

Sirius tilted his head to the side at the question. Am I? Why the hell did I even ask that question in the first place? 

“Don’t tell me you’re starting to have feelings for me?”

Sirius wrapped his arms around Griffin’s neck and kissed him, shutting the other man up from asking more questions. Their kiss was starting to get deeper when he heard the door to the locker room bang closed. They both separated quickly and chuckled as they looked at each other.

“Come by my place later, and we’ll finish what we started here,” Sirius told him. He grabbed the towel that was still in Griffin’s hand, wrapping it around his waist and walked to his locker to get dressed.

On the drive home, the words Vale Valley came back to him. He remembered his mother mentioning the little town in passing. According to Brigid, it was a small town that accepted supernaturals of all kinds. He’d searched on the internet and found nothing. There wasn’t anyone he could ask for information either. At times, he wanted to curse his mother for keeping him so secluded from their world because of her fears. 

If Vale Valley really exists, there’s no way for me to find it.


“Put the knife down,” Sirius said in an even tone, hoping not to aggravate the junky in front of him. 

How the fuck did he get a damn knife in the first place?

After putting some serious thought into his career, he decided to ask for a transfer to a different department. His request had been denied, but Sirius still hadn’t had the heart to quit. He’d done his internship for both the emergency room and obstetrics but found the emergency more exciting. A choice he was currently regretting. 

Why the fuck does this shit happen to me?

“Just… just give me my clothes, it has what I need.” 

The young man standing in front of him looked scared, and even though he was shaking from withdrawal, Sirius wasn’t going to chance taking the knife away from him. He just needed to keep the guy talking until security could come in and handle the situation. He was thankful that the nurse that was in the room with him remained quiet and did nothing to aggravate the situation further. Sirius also wished she wasn’t in there with him because it would have been the perfect time, to use his powers. 
“I can’t do that, Foster. You need help.”

“I don’t need help. Who told you I needed help? Was it my father? How much did he pay you?”

“I don’t know who your father is, Foster.”

“Everyone knows fucking Franklin Smithe, he uses money to get his way.” 

“I’m not one of the people he can buy, Foster.”

“Anybody can be bought for the right price.”

Foster’s hand started shaking more, and he looked away for a second and Sirius saw his chance. He charged at the young man, knocking the knife out of his hand and jumping on top of him, pinning him to the floor with one of his arms behind his back. Sirius was about to give the nurse orders to treat Foster when the door burst open, and security rushed in. 
“You guys sure took your fucking time,” he snapped.

“Yeah, sorry about that we got held up on the elevator,” one of them said as they walked over and took over the situation with Foster. 

“You could have taken the stairs,” he told them getting up off Foster.

Once they had Foster secured, Sirius walked into his supervisor’s office and informed him that he quit, he didn’t feel the need to explain. He was tired of feeling as if his life was in constant danger when all he was trying to do was help people. Sirius loved his job, but he couldn’t keep doing it when he couldn’t even use his powers to protect himself. 

Maybe it’s time I take a trip and try to find Vale Valley.

Sirius sat on his couch doing a detailed search. He’d entered the name Vale Valley, and all that kept coming up was a small tourist town located in Pennsylvania. The Christmas Holiday was only a couple of weeks away, and Sirius was looking at pictures of the town celebrating and having what he could only assume was a good time. Scanning through more of the photographs, Sirius stopped when he saw someone that looked familiar to him. 

Grayson Vale. Holy hell is he a supernatural? 

Sirius remembered that Grayson had interned at the hospital for a while. Sirius never spoke to him but knew the nurses liked him. He stared at Grayson Vale’s photo and noticed he seemed different, his face glowing with happiness from the last time he’d seen him. Sirius looked under the title of the picture. 

‘The Grand Opening of Vale Valley’s New Health Center, Creatures of Comfort.’
Oh shit, could this really be Vale Valley? This can’t be for real. The town I’ve been searching for can’t be seen. Why the hell did my mother lie to me? Sirius put his laptop on the couch and got up, then started pacing the room.  She said it only shows itself to those who needed a place to call home. 
He stopped mid-pace and looked back at his computer. “Is that why I can see it, because that’s where I’m looking for a new home?” He sat back down on the couch staring off into space. “What the fuck should I do?” Sirius had never been a risk taker, but lately, he’d been feeling bottled in; stopped up, unable to push the cork out. 

What’s holding me back from packing up and moving? I’ve already quit my job, and right before the holiday started. I’m an idiot. I need to start thinking of something new to do. Wait, do they even have a hospital? 
He picked up his laptop and searched for a hospital, finding it on the first try. Excitement bubbled in him as he read more about the wonderful care being offered to the residents at the general hospital. One thing that piqued his interest was the part that said the hospital specialized in male hormone management care. 

What the hell does that mean? 

He didn’t get to ponder the question for too long when he saw a notice for staff wanted. His finger hovered over the mouse as he wondered if he should take the chance and apply for the job. Not second guessing himself anymore he filled out the application and sat back looking around his apartment. All he could do was wait to hear back from them on whether he got the job or not.


Three weeks later Sirius walked into his apartment and slammed the door, pissed off that he’d been passed over on the last job he’d interviewed for. It was working for one of the smaller hospitals in the city. He didn’t see any reason for him not to get the job when he was more than qualified for the position. He was also irritated that he hadn’t heard from Vale Valley General Hospital when he’d hoped they would have contacted him already. 

“This fucking sucks!” He yelled as he dropped down on his couch. He’d called Griffin to see if he wanted to hang out, but the other man hadn’t gotten back to him. “Maybe things between us are over. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.” 

Over the past day or two, Sirius wondered if he should give up and go back and beg for his job back, it was the only option he had. He had some money put away, but the longer he was out of work, the quicker it would go away. He pulled out his cell ready to call his ex-supervisor just as it rang staring down at it, he didn’t recognize the number, but he answered it anyway.

“Hello.”

“Is this Doctor Sirius Henson?”

“Yes.”

“Doctor Henson, I’m Tessa Blake, assistant to Doctor Calista Pond. I’m calling from Vale Valley General Hospital.”

Oh shit!

“Doctor Pond has reviewed your resume and would like to set up an interview now if you are available.”

“Yes, I am,” Sirius said quickly.

“Wonderful, please hold.”

Sirius chewed on his bottom lip as he waited for Tessa Blake to come back on the line.

“Doctor Henson, this is Calista Pond, I’m sorry to keep you waiting. This will be a short interview, from your resume and file you sound as if you have what we are looking for. But let’s go through the formalities.”

Wait, I thought she was only setting up the date for the interview? 

“What can you tell me about yourself that’s not on paper?”

I’m a witch, was the first and only thing that came to Sirius’ mind, but that was something he couldn’t say out loud. “Um…”

Calista Pond chuckled. “I assume no one has ever asked you a question like that?”

“To be honest, no.” Not only did Sirius hate talking about himself, but he also didn’t think he was that interesting anyway.

“Okay how about we start with something simple. Why did you want to become a doctor?”

That was a simple answer. “Ever since I was a kid it’s all I wanted to do. I think I drove my mom crazy with worry when I started diagnosing everyone in the neighborhood at the age of fifteen without a medical license. Helping and healing are all I can think about doing. It’s a part of me as breathing.”

“I see,” Calista Pond said. “It says here that you fast-tracked your way through medical school, was there a reason why you wanted to do that?”
“It wasn’t in my plans. In high school, I always felt that I was being held back so when I was given the opportunity to graduate a couple of years early, I jumped on it and applied to medical school. It was as if I was supposed to be there all along and things just came naturally to me. I didn’t stop studying and soaked up everything I could and before I knew it, it was time to graduate.”

“You’re quite young,” she said to him.

“I wouldn’t call twenty-seven young.” Sirius smiled for the first time in a long time. 

“Compared to me, yes you are. I hope you had some fun during all that studying?”

“Yeah, I did.” He had a lot of fun in fact, he felt a bit too much. 

“Good,” Calista said. He heard a lightness to her tone. “Tell me, Sirius, why are you looking for a new job, especially in a small town like Vale Valley?”

“I’m looking for a new change in my life, and I’m getting tired of living in a big city.” 

The line was quiet for a few minutes, and Sirius couldn’t believe he was opening up to her so easily. He realized as well that he wasn’t as nervous as when they first started talking.

“So when would you like to come out and visit us, all expenses will be paid for of course.”

Did I get the job? “Does that mean I have the job?”

“To the point, but I’d like to meet you face to face. How does next week sound?”

“It sounds great,” he said then a thought came to him. “Would it be okay if I come earlier and check out the town?”

"That’s a wonderful idea,” she cheered. “I’ll have Tessa send you the information you’ll need, and I cannot wait to meet you, Sirius Henson.” 
With that, she ended their call and Sirius had a feeling that the second he entered Vale Valley his life would change. He just couldn’t figure out if it would be for the better. 

Only time will tell.

Copyright © 2019 by Giovanna Reaves

Love is in the air, and Vale Valley’s magic is bringing lonely hearts together.
Sirius Henson
Sirius is both a skilled doctor and a witch who has always been sort of a loner. Being a witch in the human world has been hard on him, since he cannot use his magic for fear of revealing himself. After years of hearing about Vale Valley, he packs up everything he has in hopes of having a new start and being his true self. But with a new life comes new experiences and information and things he wasn’t aware was possible. Will Sirius be able to handle the changes coming with his new life, especially when the bewitching takes effect?
Alphonso Vale
 
After the death of his grandfather Trenton Vale twenty years ago, Alphonso and his parents left Vale Valley.  Although he keeps in contact with his extended family, he could no longer ignore the Vale Valley’s magic calling out to him. He decides to return home for a short visit. As a single father, his only goal was to let his daughter experience the wonder of the small town he still holds close to his heart. A chance meeting the cute doctor makes him want to reconsider moving back to Vale Valley permanently.
 
Bewitching Love is the twelfth book in the second season to the Vale Valley series. It is a heartwarming story of two men falling in love and building their new lives together

Alphonso looked in the rearview mirror watching Tamia and couldn’t help the smile that crossed his face as his three-year-old happily sang along with him before focusing back to the road.
​
Alphonso was heading home to Vale Valley after being away for twenty years. He and his family had moved away not long after he’d turned ten years old. It was right after his grandfather Trenton’s death. At the time, Alphonso didn’t understand why his parents wanted to leave, and in some way, he still didn’t comprehend. Over the years he was sure that his grandmother Rosemary wanted his father Kayne to become the next town’s Sheriff but he’d turned it down.

In Alphonso’s opinion, there was more to the story, and it seemed his parents never wanted to talk about it, no matter how many times he asked. But one thing he knew for sure was how much his parents missed living in Vale Valley. He could see it in their faces each time they talked about the small town or got a call from his uncle LaMarkus.

“Daddy, sing,” Tamia said getting his attention.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweet pea, Daddy got a bit distracted.”

He looked at the GPS and saw that they weren’t that far away from their destination. Even if that was the case, he needed to keep her distracted. Humans who knew nothing about supernatural would never find Vale Valley unless the town wanted its presence known. The small town was also a homing beacon to those who left and one day wanted to return home again.

He started singing again, he glanced in the mirror one more time and noticed that she was rubbing her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she fell asleep. Tamia was a real trooper doing the long drive with him. It would have been easier to fly from Los Angeles to Pennsylvania and would have been there days shorter. After the minor meltdown Tamia had the first time they flew to Florida for Christmas, he’d made up his mind that their next long trip he’d rather drive, no matter the distance.

Soft, even breathing reached his ears and Alphonso knew his little one had fallen asleep. Tamia was the light of his life. He had gotten a phone call while on a business trip three years ago telling him that he was the father of a newborn baby girl. Alphonso had always tried to be careful when it came to his bed partners. Not wanting to leave it up to chance by getting a human pregnant who knew nothing about the supernatural world. No need to cause a national emergency because he couldn’t keep his dick out of trouble. Even though Alphonso was told that with his mixed blood, he’d have a hard time getting his mate pregnant no matter their gender. It had taken his parents years after their mating to have him, and they’d always figured he’d have the same problem.

I guess they were wrong.

Three years ago, Alphonso wasn’t the attentive, put together man and father he was with Tamia. As an entertainment lawyer, he soaked up the life; jet-setting to wherever his wealthy and superstar clients wanted him to meet them or attending lavish, expensive parties hosted by his clients. He’d given a few of his own over the years as well. Alphonso hadn’t been born with a large silver spoon in his mouth but worked his way up to turning what he had into platinum. With the carefree life he was living, Alphonso thought he was always safe with everyone he slept with.

Truthfully, the only thing he remembered about the night he’d slept with Tamia’s mother was that Assandria was a witch. Alphonso was at a party being given by one of his clients and was so surprised when he’d met another person who knew what he truly was. One thing led to another and the next thing he knew, they’d somehow fallen into bed together.
They’d both agreed it was a one-off and went their separate ways, vowing to keep in touch with each other but never did. Until he’d gotten the call that his daughter was born, and he needed to come and get her. Alphonso’s gut reaction was to deny the child until he saw a picture of her adorable face that held all the characteristics of a Vale child. From her button nose to her pouty lips, he knew she was his. The memory of holding her in his arms for the first time came back to him as if it was yesterday.

Alphonso threw a few bucks at the cab driver and hurried out of the car and into the high-rise building searching for the name of the law office that contacted him. He’d been living in Los Angeles for a long time and thought he knew most of the lawyers around town, but he’d never heard of Cristyn Brice. Once he found the name, he took the elevator and waited impatiently for it to get to the thirteenth floor.

“A daughter, I have a daughter. How the hell did that shit happen?”
He paced the length of the elevator trying to remember exactly who the other parent could be. He hadn’t gotten a lot of information on the child’s other parent since he was in too much of a shock at the time. He raised his head and stepped off the elevator, almost bumping into someone in his rush to find the office he was looking for.

“Mr. Vale,” a voice said behind him.

Alphonso turned around, realizing that the person who called out to him was the woman he almost bumped into rushing off the elevator.

“Assandria said you were handsome, and she was right. Cristyn Brice,” the beautiful young woman walked up to him with her hand extended.

Assandria, Alphonso mentally whispered trying to recall where he’d heard the name then remembered the woman he’d met at the party given by one of his top clients, Carter James. “I…” he started taking her hand, shaking it quickly before releasing.

“No need to introduce yourself, I know everything about you.”

“Really,” he said a bit shocked.

“Well, all the important things,” Cristyn said as her eyes trailed up and down his body stopping at his face.

At any other time Alphonso might have flirted back, but he wasn’t in the mood. He was there for business and not pleasure.

“Miss Brice, I was told my daughter is here waiting for me.”

“I see you’re a man that likes to get straight to the point.”

“It would be better if we stick to business.”

“Not to worry, Mister Vale, you are handsome, but I’m not interested.”

“Good to know.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds before Cristyn spoke. “Let’s go into my office.”

“Where’s my daughter?” Alphonso said as they started walking.

“Not going to question that she’s yours?”

“No, strong family traits are hard to deny.”

“I see,” she said looking back at him. “Tamia is with my assistant, and once we are done with all the formal paperwork, you will be able to take her home.”

“Tamia?”

“Tamia Rosemary Vale,” Cristyn said causing Alphonso to gasp. “I believe she said that was your grandmother’s name.”

“Is,” Alphonso whispered. “She’s still alive.”

“I stand corrected.”

They got to her office, and Alphonso dropped down in his chair. Looking down at his clasped fingers he was preparing for what to come.

“Assandria knew she was going to die and had hoped to have told you everything before the day came. But things didn’t work out the way she planned.”

“What was wrong with her?” he asked looking at Cristyn.

Alphonso tried to recall if he scented anything was wrong with her the night they met, and nothing came to mind.

“She had a degenerative disease of the nervous system. She thought she was getting better, but after Assandria found out she was pregnant, things got worse. She had it since she was a child and no form of magic spells, charms, or potions was able to heal her. She was a gifted witch and was able to heal everyone else but herself.”

Alphonso’s eyes widened. “You knew she was a witch?”

“Mister Vale, no, Alphonso, I know more than you think. You are the son of Kayne and Synder Vale, two men who’ve made a name for themselves as celebrity bodyguards. A werewolf and a vampire, funny fairy tales aren’t all lies, are they?”

Alphonso was still trying to figure out how the woman knew what his parents were. Raising his head in the air, he sniffed, and for the first time he realized that Cristyn Brice wasn’t human she was a shifter.

An Eagle. Gods, am I that unfocused that I hadn’t realized she was a shifter this entire time?

“You finally realized I’m a shifter?”

Alphonso didn’t need to respond, she saw the answer on his face.

“Anyway, I wasn’t just Assandria’s lawyer, I was her friend as well.”

“Why didn’t she tell me about the baby?”

Cristyn sighed. “Honestly, as close as we were, that’s something she never revealed to me; no matter how many times I asked. But I do know whatever she did wasn’t out of malice.”

“You said she had a degenerative disease. Is it genetic, does Tamia have it?”

“From the tests we ran…”

He sat up cutting Cristyn off. “Wait, who ran them? You let humans know of our existence?” Fear passed through him at the thought that untrusting humans who wished his kind ill would one day come after his child.
“I’m not stupid, Alphonso, and contrary to what you might believe, Vale Valley might be the only place supernaturals are welcomed. But we have few trusted humans working everywhere, protecting our secrets just as they do in your little town.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just…”

“Nervous, worried, and cautious. I get it. But to answer your question, as far as we can tell she’s fine.”

Alphonso sat back relieved at the thought of his daughter being okay. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“We all need to look out for each other. I’ll protect Tamia the same way I protected Assandria.”

Alphonso nodded. “Okay, so let’s get down to business. I want to meet my daughter and take her home.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for what being a father entails? It means giving up all the late-night partying and all that fun stuff you’re used to.”
“Honestly, no. But I’m willing to put all that behind me to be the father Tamia needs.”

Cristyn stared at him as if assessing if he was telling the truth. “Okay, let’s get to it.”

They went through all the paperwork needed for him to be able to take full custody of Tamia and Assandria’s estate. Between his holdings and Assandria’s, their daughter Tamia would be set for life. Alphonso had no idea that the woman he’d slept with that night was the sole living heiress to a cosmetic company.

According to the papers he was signing, Assandria had stepped down as the CEO a couple of years before they’d met. With her gone, all of Assandria’s holdings went to Tamia. But that wasn’t what was worrying Alphonso, it was the thought that with each paper he signed, he was one step closer to meeting his daughter.  With the last documents signed, Cristyn stood and tapped him on the shoulder.

“Sit tight for a bit. I’ll bring her to you.” She pointed to the door on the other side of her large office. “Go wash your hands and wait for me.”
She walked out of the office and Alphonso did what she instructed. He was too angsty to sit down and paced back and forth waiting for Cristyn to return. He knew nothing about how to take care of babies or raise a kid. He’d been single, living the life, never thinking about settling down or looking for a mate. He knew his fathers worried about him but mostly kept their opinions to themselves. A few minutes later the door reopened and Cristyn entered with a bundle wrapped in her arms. Instantly the scent of familiarity hit him, and he knew he was smelling his blood.

If he’d ever doubted if Tamia was his, her scent confirmed it for him. Taking his steps slowly, he met them in the middle of the room and stood there for a few minutes just staring down at his sweet child. Her dark curly hair was peeking out from under the blanket covering her head. Her chubby cheeks flushed as if she was crying before they entered the room. Tamia scrunched up her face as if she was about to cry and instantly Alphonso reached out and took her from Cristyn’s arms before she could make a sound.

His sweet girl turned her head and opened her eyes, and all Alphonso could do was gasp. The picture he’d seen hadn’t done Alphonso justice in preparing him. Beautiful bright green eyes like his own stared back at him. Holding Tamia in his arms for the first time gave him a sense of peace and calm that he’d never felt before. His fears hadn’t gone away, but he knew that they were going to be all right together.

Since that day in Cristyn’s office, they’d remained friends, and she became Tamia’s godmother. When he’d told his fathers what happened, they weren’t thrilled with him being a single father but spoiled Tamia just the same. Without his parents and Crisytn he didn’t know how he would have made it without their help. Tamia had not only changed the way he saw people but the way he saw the world. It was why he wanted her to meet the family she had in Vale Valley. He’d informed his grandmother that he was coming to spend some time with them and feel the magic of the town.

Alphonso had hoped his fathers would have wanted to take the trip with him, but they had refused. Whatever went down between them and his grandmother was keeping them away from returning back to Vale Valley, and Alphonso hoped one day they would be willing to one day.  Alphonso smiled as he drove past the sign that said Welcome to Vale Valley, already feeling the magic washing over to him.

Thank you for welcoming me back, Vale Valley.
​
Copyright © 2019 by Giovanna Reaves 

Grayson Vale

Following his family’s advice, Grayson goes off to college to expand his horizons beyond his small hometown. Years later, Grayson is ready to head back home after accomplishing his goals, both socially and academically. The holidays are the perfect time to return home with a mission in mind. Grayson is ready to start the next stage of his life, a new business and the man he’s been lusting at from afar for years, the sexy as hell Chance Knight.

Chance Knight

Chance is a mechanic who owns Knights Auto Repair by day and the drummer for his local band Scott and the Crimson Knights by night. He enjoys his life in Vale Valley, and he has a thriving business and friends, the only thing missing in his life is a lover. With the holidays right around the corner, Chance envies the couples he sees around Vale Valley. It’s been a while since he’s had a warm body to cuddle with on the cold winter nights. A night playing with his band ends with a surprise, a sexy little thing he can't get out of his mind. 


When Grayson makes a proposition to Chance for them to become lovers, does he say yes? Or does he walk away from the man that could be his heartbeat?


The Drummer's Heartbeat is the eleventh book in a shared world series about Vale Valley, a small town that is open to all who are searching for sweet love and their own happy ever after.

Chance Knight pulled his head from under the hood of the Chevy. He stepped back and pulled the rag from his back pocket, wiping the grease off his fingers.
​
“How bad is it?” Peter Torrent asked.

“Do you want me to tell you the truth or lie to you and take your money, knowing you’ll bring her back to me in a month with the same problem?”

“That bad?”

“You need a new transmission. It didn’t help matters that you didn’t come in for your last oil change, or the new brakes I ordered for you to go with the new tires sitting in the corner.”

“Shit.”

“Shit is right. You treat your baby like it’s nothing when it needs to be cared for and loved,” Chance scowled.

“Come on, Chance. Man, why do you have to be so hard on me? Can’t you cut me some slack?”

Chance looked at Peter and shook his head. The man might be his friend, but he was also an idiot. “No, I won’t cut you some slack’. It’s going to cost you a little over four thousand to get everything fixed.”

Peter’s eyes widened. “Dollars?”

“No, peanuts,” Chance snapped. “Of course, dollars.” He knew he was in a shitty mood but when he heard Peter’s clunker pulling up in his garage just as he was about to shut switch on the closed sign only added to his shitty mood.

“Come on, man, you have to give me a deal. I don’t have that kind of cash.”

Chance shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, he wasn’t going to bend easily to Peter, no matter how much he begged. Chance closed the hood of Peter’s car and looked at its owner, shaking his head. He could give Peter a good deal, but he’d told the man on more than one occasion he needed to take care of his car. In Chance’s point of view, this was his way of punishing his friend.

“Come on, Chance, I need my car, man.”

“Then take it to another mechanic,” Chance told him as he switched on the closed sign.

“Dammit, Chance, you’re the only mechanic in town,” Peter yelled after him. “And besides you are the only one that I trust.”

“If you trust me, you should have brought the car in a month ago.”

“Are you going to keep bringing that up?”

Chance ignored Peter as he took the stairs two at a time stopping in front of the door that led to his apartment. He reached over to the case that held the extra keys to the loners he kept on hand. He grabbed the first key then turned and threw it to Peter who caught it with one hand.

“Take the fucking blue bug,” he instructed. Peter smiled thinking he’d gotten off easy. “You’re going to pay me every red cent it’s going to cost to fix your piece of junk. And don’t think I’m doing this for you. I’m doing this for Erica, who I know depends you to get her around.”

“You got it,” Peter said happily.

“If the bug gets even a scratch, you’re paying to have it fixed after I kick your ass.”

Peter nodded and walked over to the loner. Chance wasn’t sure why he was being nice all of a sudden, he deserved to let Peter suffer, but he had Erica and the kids to think about in the whole situation.  Fuck, Chance mentally cursed.

“You won’t regret this, I promise.”

“I already do,” Chance grumbled.

“Fuck, you’re a grumpy old bastard,” Peter said opening the door to the bug. “Maybe you need to get laid.”

“Get the hell out of my shop,” he snapped.

Wanting to punch his friend in the face, he took a deep breath scenting the change in the weather. It was a couple of weeks before Halloween, and it was getting colder a lot quicker than usual. The summer had gone by in a blink of an eye where Chance had spent most of the summer working and playing with his band which he enjoyed. They would only do a few lesser gigs after the holidays.

On the outside Chance pretended that he hated the holidays and was given the title of the town’s Grinch and tried to hide away in his apartment as much as he could. Part of the problem was that he tended to spend the holiday alone, which was why he didn’t want to admit that Peter’s statement hit a nerve. He watched as Peter peeled out of his garage and he winced when he heard the scrape of the car on the road.

He knew Peter was a lousy driver and was regretting giving the man one of his spares. He’d met the man six years ago when Peter and his family found their way into Vale Valley. Pressing the button, he stood at the top of the landing and watched to make sure the doors shut down completely.
Chance had no way how to explain the small town of Vale Valley that held five thousand people. It was a mythical place that seemed to accept the abnormal or in the mayor’s case, the normal. Chance had to admit Vale Valley wasn’t like any other town he’d lived in. No other town he knew kept the secret of shifters and every paranormal and supernatural being that lived only in dreams and nightmares.

To Chance and anyone who asked Vale Valley, wasn’t like any other small town in America. Who would believe him if he told them his best friend was a werewolf, and the mayor was well over one hundred years old but looked like she was in her sixties? According to Mayor Rosemary Vale, the magic surrounding Vale Valley only let it become visible to those in who were in need of a place to belong.

Turning the lights off, he opened the door leading to his apartment that took over the entire top floor. When he’d driven by the Welcome to Vale Valley sign twenty-two years ago, he wasn’t expecting to set down roots. Or start a business. He had only planned on spending two days and then move onto another until he could figure something out.

But each time he tried to leave, something held him back. It didn’t help he’d quickly became friends with the mayor who kept telling him that her small town needed a mechanic. The nearest one was three hours away, and she needed some who knew what they were doing.

When he told her, he had no money or capital, or any other excuses he could think of, she handed him and a loan contract and told him to pay it off in installments. She even had the place picked out for him. His first response was to ask her if she was crazy, but secretly he felt it was what he wanted and needed. Six months later he opened Knight’s Auto Repair, and he hadn’t regretted his decision since.

Before settling down in Vale Valley Chance was positive only human beings existed in the world until he saw a wolf turned into a man. At the time when he saw it happened, he’d had a couple of beers and thought he was drunk, but when the man spoke, he knew he was sober.

He walked into his bedroom stripping out of his work clothes, ready to wash the day away. He stood in front of the mirror waiting for the water to get as hot as he loved it. He wasn’t bad looking as a forty-five-year-old mechanic and part-time drummer. He kept his salt and pepper hair long in the middle and short on the sides. He rubbed his slightly hairy chest, flexing his tattooed muscular arms. Chance was kind of a health freak always watching what he ate along with working out every morning. He was sexy and hell, and he knew it.
So why the hell am I single?

Steam started to cloud his vision, and he knew it was time to get in the shower. Chance knew he was single because he had a type. He wasn’t a shifter but knew he had an alpha type personality. The only men Chance seemed to be attracted to were young, thin, and shorter than his six-foot-two height. And if they were fucking pretty, it was a plus to him. According to Scott his band mate who was a vampire and werewolf mix, Chance was looking for was an omega mate. Someone made for him and understood him better than anyone else.

Mate. He scoffed at the idea. I’ll leave all that supernatural shit, to Scott. It’s not a thing not a human thing. Hell, maybe I’m too old to even fall in love.
Dunking his head under the hot water he groaned as the soothing water hit him. He did not understand why he was suddenly thinking about the past or how he ended up in Vale Valley. He’d become a staple in the community and everyone knew each other.

Maybe it was the prospect of getting older and realizing he’d never had a steady lover. In a little under five months, he’ll turn forty-six. He didn’t need to worry about anyone forgetting his birthday, Mayor Rosemary always hand delivered a birthday card to his shop.

Chance had to admit that Mayor Rosemary was right about one thing regarding Vale Valley it was if the town was expecting him. He’d just graduated from college with no direction in life. He and his parents had a falling out because his father wanted him to go to law school like his brothers and sisters did then before working for their family law firm.
Chance had always seen himself as the black sheep of the family and went in a different direction. Only getting his Associate's degree, he gave a big ‘fuck you’ to his parents and law school and set out for parts unknown. There was one thing Chance knew how to do and that was fix cars.

Other’s called him a mechanic, but he saw himself as a doctor who specialized in engines. Chance loved what he did, there was nothing like pulling apart an engine finding the problem and fix it then putting it back together simply to hear that baby purr like a baby kitten.

Chance wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he had a serious hard-on for vintage cars.  Guys back then knew how to make sophisticated model vehicles for the time and people of status. Not like today where they were putting every fucking gadget, they could think of, wanting it to be pretty and expensive, rather than making it feasible and safe.  
Maybe I am a car snob?

He was the drummer for the band he created six years he started with Scott who was their lead singer. They were Scott and his Crimson Knights, who enjoyed writing their own music. And just liked his cars, he liked vintage music that brought out feelings and emotions. They had two local fans but to him and played for every major event that happened in Vale Valley.

For him Scott and the rest of the guys in the band, playing was a loved hobby; it had nothing to do with wanting to be famous or making money. He did enough of that with his shop and rebuilding custom cars on the side. He will never hurt for money. At forty-five years old Chance was set up for life.

Chance’s life was full but not complete. He needed someone compatible to share it with.  A lover to come home to, in the traditional and non-traditional sense. He was a kinky fucker and wanted to be the one to take care of his lover’s every need. He saw himself as a Dominant and wanted the perfect boy. Either case Chance wanted a boy to care for. Maybe Scott was right and what he was looking for was an omega, but there was no chance of him finding one that would be in the kinky shit he was in.

The few submissives he’d met at the BDSM clubs he visited over the years all the seemed same and performed as if the same dominant trained them. Chance wanted someone he could train and mold simply for him. He didn’t want predictability from his submissive, after all, when a boy misbehaves, the fun is doling out their sweet punishment.  Chance shook the thoughts out of his head and concentrated on finishing his shower. Maybe beating the hell out of the drums and drowning the loneliness he felt to some loud ass music sounded good to Chance after the way he’d been feeling lately.

Grayson put the last of his boxes on the floor and looked around his empty bedroom. After six years he was finally going home.
​
 “Are you all set?”

He turned and looked at Anita, his roommate, leaning against the door frame with a sad puppy dog look on her face. They’d met when he’d started university and simply hit it off. According to her, he had ‘fresh meat lost in a big city’ written on his forehead. She’d been a great friend to him and he hoped he was the same to her.

“Yeah.”

“I can’t believe this is the last time we might see each other for a while,” she said to him. Why are you rushing home so quickly?” she whined.

Grayson chuckled. “It’s time for me to go home sweet’s I’ve been here long enough.”

“Can’t you at least stay until after your birthday? That’s what in a couple of weeks, right? I’ll make you an apple pie from scratch.”

“You’re really pulling out all the stops, aren’t you?”

“Hey, I’m just to try to keep my bestie with me for as long as possible.” She walked over to him and pulled him into a tight hug. “I’m going to miss you, small town,” she said using the nickname she gave him from the day they met.

“You can always come with me,” he told her, wrapping his around her slender waist.

“I can’t,” she blurted out. “I just got a new job, remember? And I’m trying to knock out my last classes. Plus, I’m Professor Carter’s teacher assistant this semester.”

“You sound busy,” Grayson commented.

“I’m just trying to be like you.”

“Me? Why?”

“You’re the one was crazy and took more classes than they needed so they could graduate with two Master’s degrees. I’m not sure how you were able to complete your internship with all you had going on.” She pulled out of his arms then walked over to his twin size bed and sat down.   
     
“It wasn’t easy, I sacrificed a lot of my fun time, remember?”

“That’s why you should stay a bit longer.”

“Hey, I stayed a couple months longer than I wanted.”

He was crazy for finishing his studies quicker than most. Taking classes both online and in class, not going home for summer or winter holidays. Getting his degree in sports therapy as well in holistic oriental medicine. The only time he took one was for spring break.

Everyone needs to have fun sometimes.

The only time he’d gone back home was for his great-aunt Ermaline’s funeral which fostered his drive to finish school as quickly as possible. Grayson was the same way in high school, being one of the five students to graduate with not only his diploma but an Associate’s degree as well.

 “It was hard going home for Erma’s funeral even if it was for one day. Gods, it was hard getting on that plane to come back here.”

Anita sighed. “Never knew someone who loved any kind of small town living like you.”

A smile tugged on his lips. “If you ever visited Vale Valley, you’d understand.”

“You’ve been telling me that since I met you.”

 “It’s the truth,” he beamed.

Grayson loved Vale Valley, his grandmother had to talk him into leaving.
“You need experience before you settle down,” she told him. “Trust me, you will understand when the time comes.”

His parents simply nodded and agreed with her. Few people could disagree or argue with Rosemary Vale. She’d been the town’s mayor since forever.
“I bet your parents are happy that you’re finally coming home.”

“Nope, they have no idea I’m coming home. My mom keeps asking if I’m coming home next summer and I keep changing the subject. But I have a feeling she suspects something’s up, since I haven’t given her my graduation date.”

“Goddess you have that sappy look on your face again. Are you sure it’s the town you’re ready to go home to and not some farm boy you left behind?”

He walked over to the door, picking up his bag and suitcase. “He’s not a boy, and as far as I know he’s never worked on a farm.” He smirked. “But I doubt he knows I’m alive. So, for now, I’m just a boy missing his family and small-town living. He shrugged his shoulders. “I did what my parents and Nana wanted by going to college and getting my degrees, now it’s time to go home and full fill my dreams.”

“And what’s that again?”

“Shit, woman, how many times do I need to repeat my plans?”

“As many times as,” she snapped, and Grayson was a bit taken back. 

What the hell is going on with her? 

“I want for you to make me understand why you need to do it in a small town and not here.”

“Because Vale needs me,” he said for the hundredth time since he told her his plans. They’ve disagreed about him opening his own health and aromatherapy center.

“Come on, small town, you worked hard on your degrees and could make a killing working for any national sports team.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You keep telling me that your hometown needs you when I think you’re the one that needs it.”

Of course, I need it. I need to feel and see the towns magic to feel whole again, he mentally yelled. Anita didn’t know about the secrets of Vale or that she had been living with a shifter all these years. But instead, he said. “I know I can. But not everything is about money.”

“Fine, it’s not about money, again why not open your health center here?”
“Seriously, there’s a freaking gym practically on every corner in this state. I came here with a plan in mind and now that I’ve accomplished that, it’s time for me to go.”

“That’s what I don’t get,” Anita said getting up from the bed.

“What do you mean?”

“You talk as if your family is loaded, but I’ve seen the way you eat. At one point I thought I saw ramen noodles coming out of your nose.”

The truth was his family was quite well off. But Grayson was never one to splurge. Other than paying for his tuition and books, he didn’t see the need to spend loads of money just because he had it in the bank. Besides, he was sinking everything he had into building his health center. He grinned thinking of his family and friends that he couldn’t wait to see. His parents didn’t like the fact that he never came home on his breaks, but they respected his drive to go after what he wanted. Grayson walked back over to her and pulled her in his arms. He pulled back and kissed her on the side of her head.

“Call me if you need me.”

She nodded. He was about to walk away but she stopped him by grabbing on to his arm. Grayson looked at her and had the feeling something else was bothering her. It wasn’t about him leaving, she’d known that he was going to leave for months.

“What’s up?” She stared at him for a few seconds and he got a bit worried. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” she told him, but he had the feeling she wasn’t telling him the truth. “I’ll make sure that the movers don’t break anything when they pack your stuff.” She pointed to the boxes behind him. “Go on, get out of here or you’ll be stuck in traffic.”

He stared at her for a few seconds, getting the feeling that she wasn’t being completely honest with him. Something told him that he should stay and talk things out with her and have her tell him what’s really bothering her.

“You know you can tell me if anything is bothering you.”

Anita rolled her eyes. “Goodness, you’re a mother hen. I’m fine.”

Sighing, he realized that she wasn’t going to tell him anything. He leaned and kissed her again on her forehead then walked out of his apartment, and this time she didn’t stop him. Grayson and Anita had shared the apartment for five years. They’d stayed in the dorms their freshman year but decided to get an apartment in their sophomore year. He took the steps down and stood in front of his little car that his dad had gifted to him on his eighteenth birthday. It had kept up with his busy schedule the entire time he was in school and it would take him back home. He would miss Chamberlin City, but not enough to live there for the rest of his life.

Grayson got in his car and started it up, pulling out into traffic. It would take him three days to get home and he couldn’t wait. He wasn’t lying when he told Anita that Vale Valley was special. There was something about his hometown that a big city couldn’t satisfy him. The people didn’t connect or try to get to know each other. Everyone was always pushing and rushing to get somewhere. No one had time to slow down and see what was right in front of them. He missed the slow pace of Vale Valley.

His hometown was as mysterious as it was beautiful, a town that welcomed the natural and the unnatural with open arms. He smirked thinking about his family. His mother was a mermaid, and his father was part werewolf, thanks to his grandmother Rosemary. But his family was a mix of every supernatural under the sun and moon. Witches, vampires, werewolves, mermaids, selkies, and the occasional human who had superhuman strength thanks to their bloodline. His grandmother was also one of the longest living female alpha werewolf and saw her five hundred pack members as her family.

Grayson was sure that people would call him crazy and put in an asylum if he told anyone even Anita that most men living in Vale Valley could get pregnant or that he had cauldron brewing, spell casting witches in his neighborhood. He was sure that no one would believe him that vampires and werewolves existed would they believe him.

One of his friends growing up was a reindeer who’d kick their ass if asked if he’d ever pulled Santa’s sleigh. Grayson was stupid to think that Vale Valley was the only place supernaturals existed but, but it was the only place where they could be themselves.

With the mixture in his lineage, Grayson would be able to get pregnant because he was also an omega. That’s why he was careful on spring break outings, he was young and healthy and loved sex. But he wasn’t crazy. He got strange looks when he told his bed partner to double up on condoms. But it didn’t stop him from having great sex.

From a young age Grayson knew he was an omega, and a bit kinky in bed. The guys he tended to go for were taller, broader in the shoulders, hard muscles, and much older than him. He was twenty-four years old and preferred his men on the mature side and liked to be called daddy in bed.
It turned him on to say and he saw how much it turned on his bed partner to hear it. He loved it all, getting spanked, being tied up, being completely dominated in and out of bed. He wanted a career sure, but behind closed doors he wanted to give his partner complete control.

Anita once commented that he had daddy issues which was why he went for older men. He sweetly told her she was wrong. The way he saw it, he wasn’t starved for attention from his father. He and his dad got along great and butted head sometimes, but he supported Grayson with both words and actions. What he wanted was a leather daddy.

He’d been to a few BDSM clubs when he gave himself time to have fun. The only contracts he signed were for that night. But now he was looking for something permanent. The question was, would he find what he was looking for in Vale Valley? One good thing about going away for college was no one knew or cared that his father was the sheriff or that his grandmother was the mayor. He wasn’t seen as an untouchable and had happily lost his virginity his freshman year.

So, why the hell am I going back home?

It wasn’t as if he had a terrible upbringing. His grandmother and parents pampered him and his sister Monique.  Anita was right, he could work at any Fortune 500 company, but he wouldn’t be happy. And he knew he would be that good at his job. Grayson knew that his heart belonged home in Vale Valley even if he didn’t find the man of his dreams. He wouldn’t regret his choices to return to his small-town life.

Grayson switched off his mind and focused on the long drive home. He hadn’t told his parents that he was coming home early or that he was practically graduated. He still had one class to finish but that one he was doing online. It would take him at least three days to get home. He couldn’t wait to see and hold his family.   

He’d spoken to them practically every day or when his schedule had allowed and saw them whenever his family came to visit. But it’d been a few months since he last saw them. Doing it over Skype was nothing like having one his mom’s hugs, or hearing his sister’s chuckle, his dad’s booming voice, and his grandmother butting into everyone’s business. Nothing stayed a secret where she was concerned. She was the town’s busy-body and felt it was her duty to take care of everyone in town.

Grayson really missed her. He bit his lips trying to hold in his excitement. Grayson had a feeling the minute she saw him she would be meddling in his life and he’d allow it for a little while. He just hoped she didn’t meddle too far. His family might be unconventional to human standards, but he didn’t think they would understand his need to be spanked, or tied up, while he was being fucked.

Nope, that will be my little secret. No one needs to know what I enjoy in bed.

It was a little after six when Grayson pulled up to his home a few days after leaving school. He drove mostly in the day and spent his nights in hotels when he started getting tired, so he wasn’t as exhausted as he could have been after the long trip.
​
He turned off the car then leaned against the steering wheel staring at his childhood home — a two-story that his parents turned into a four-bedroom house with three and a half bathrooms. His mom and dad had built it when they had found out they were pregnant with twins. He was happy to see that it was still standing.

Grayson couldn’t wait for the next holiday. He hated missing the holidays over the years and planned on making it up to his family. Especially Christmas, which seemed to be a month-long celebration in Vale Valley starting right after or in some cases before Thanksgiving. Lights and decorations, ice skating that followed right after the big Christmas tree lighting ceremony in the town square, hot chocolate, secret Santa’s, and the scent of fresh pine and cinnamon that seemed to be everywhere he went.

On Christmas Eve his parents would hold a Christmas party where it looked like the entire town was in their home. Also, on that night if everyone listened closely the guests could hear some of the members from each pack joining together for the annual Christmas Eve pack run. Christmas day would be reserved for family, where everyone stayed in their pajama’s all day, opened presents, and watched almost every Christmas movie that was ever made.

Yeah, it’s good to be home.

He looked down the block and then at his house.  His town was filled with people who were all holiday nuts and didn’t care who knew about it. His mom was one of those nuts and liked to have the house decorated and shining like the brightest star, brighter than any of the other houses on the block.  His mom, Katarina, had a system that she followed every year without fail.

It was a big deal, well in their home it was. First, she focused some of her energy on the outside, then the Christmas tree, and spent days baking dozens of different cookies where she donated them to the local church and business. And that was in between her teaching at the elementary school.

Now I know where I get my work ethics from. Just thinking about everything she does makes me exhausted.

He grabbed his car keys then reached for his suitcase that was sitting in the passenger seat. He opened the door and got out still looking up at the house, as he inhaled the fresh scent of the changing season and excitement bubbled inside of him. The lights were on downstairs, and just like clockwork, he knew that his parents were having dinner. He smirked and practically ran up to the front door. He stood there for a few seconds trying to calm himself before opening the door.

“Hey, anybody home,” he said not loud enough for his family to hear as he stepped inside and set his case down.

He heard chatter coming from the dining room. Closing the door quietly, he walked down the hall. The scent of his mom’s cooking greeted him with a happy grin. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. The closer he got to the living room he was able to distinguish the voices. He stopped and listened, eavesdropping on the conversation that his family was engaged in. He should feel guilty, but he didn’t.

“Your brother is going to be so happy when we call him later,” Katarina said.

“He’s going to be so surprised, something I’ve never been able to do, ever,” Monique said.

“I’m going to be a great-grandmother,” his nana gushed. “Now we just need your brother to find his mate and get pregnant.”

He gasped then stepped into the room. “You’re pregnant?”

All their heads turned, and eyes widened. He braced himself for the loud screams he knew was going to come from his grandmother, sister, and mom.

“Grayson, you’re home.” Monique jumped out of her chair and ran over to him, throwing herself in arms. He was shorter than her at five foot ten, but he caught her easily.

“Honey, why didn’t you tell us you were coming home?” Katarina asked.
He gently set his sister down and pulled his mom into his arms. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“You and your sister and your surprises. First, she finds her mate and they elope telling us later, and you coming home early. Either way, they are wonderful surprises.” she said as she leaned back and cupped his cheeks with her hands. “Wait, what about the rest of your studies? We were all so excited to see you get your degree.”

“I sort of finished early. You know I hate all that pomp and circumstances.  And besides, I missed you guys. I missed being home.”

Before he could say anything, his dad wrapped his arms around them, crushing them in a tighter hug. “It’s good to have you home, son,” he said when they separated.

“It’s really good to be home.”

“Come on, sit down,” his mom said guiding him over to the table. “Are you hungry?”

“For your home cooking, always.”

“Oh gods, mom, don’t treat him like a baby now that he’s home.”

“Hush you,” Katrina chastised Monique.

He sat down in the empty seat next to Monique’s husband who he hadn’t formally met. Cordell was an alpha werewolf.

“It’s nice to finally meet the man that stole my little sister’s heart.”
Cordell beamed and wrapped his free arm around Monique. His sister hadn’t removed the smile from her lips.

It’s good to see her happy.

“Thanks,” Cordell said. “And please call me Cord, we’re family.”

“You got it.”

Grayson and Monique were twins, and while he went off to college like the good little boy he was, his sister had bucked the system and had taken a year off from college to travel around Europe. His parents weren’t happy, but Monique had always played to her own tune. It was during one of her trips when she met Cordell.  Grayson was looking forward to getting to know his brother-in-law.

“So, what’s been going on since I’ve been gone?” he asked and nodded, thanking his mom for the plate she just handed to him. He took his first bite and moaned. He sincerely missed his mom’s cooking.

“Where do we begin,” his grandmother started.

Grayson continued listening to his grandmother and dad update him on what’s been going on with their little town that seemed to have grown since the last time he’d come home. More supernaturals were finding their sweet little town. He’d missed the light atmosphere and was soaking up the love he was feeling.

There’s nothing like being home

Part of Chapter Two from my new release The Pirate and His Omega Thief

Captain Dagger “Cutthroat” Crowe stood behind his helmsman proudly smiling.  He watched as his crew members steered the Beauté Noire away from the crumbling ship that once belonged to the Spanish armada.
He chuckled, hearing the captain screaming obscenities at him and his crew. They had just raided and plundered the ship, taking everything that wasn’t battened down. It was an easy raid. The Spanish captain and his crew gave up quicker than he was expecting. So quickly, he had thought they would be ambushed. Considering that they didn’t put up a fight there wasn’t a reason for Dagger or any member of his crew to lose their life or take one. He didn’t need to prove why he was given the name Cutthroat. He never second-guessed himself when he separated a head from a man’s body.
Dagger loved the sea. Living free on the wide blue was the life for him. The mistress of the sea had become his everything. She was his guide and compass, never steering him in the wrong direction. Without her, his chest would never be filled with gold, silver, and beautiful gems. Even with it all he wasn’t satisfied, he wanted more, and his mistress would sate his hunger. He could never stay away for a long time. She was like a siren, always calling him back to her side.  
As a boy Dagger knew his life belonged to the sea, much to his parents’ dismay. Born as a part of the upper crust of the French society, he was expected to mate with an equally noble omega and produce heirs to continue the family line. His parents feared he would turn out like his uncle who was a pirate who disappeared just after Dagger was born. His mother was a duchess and a born native of the Jamaican islands. His father was a duke and the fifteenth cousin to the current queen to France.
At one point, Dagger was on the very track his mother and father laid out for him. He’d joined the Crown’s army and served dutifully, simply to make his parents happy. But after his parents’ death, something inside of him changed. They had gotten sick from a deadly plague that had taken over Europe, killing millions of souls in its wake.
It was two years after their death when Dagger heard the siren of the sea calling to him. Not wanting to be associated with French royalty, he relinquished his birth name along with his rank from the army as Lieutenant Mickael Beauregard, choosing the name Dagger Crowe.  In his younger and misguided youth, he joined with the privateers’ ship. Under the protection of the king and queen of France, their goal was to hunt down pirates, claiming their gold and collecting the bounty that was placed on them. Even back then Dagger wasn’t settled and wanted more.
He had become bored with his life and hated taking orders from a man who seemed afraid of his own shadow. There was a point in time Dagger had thought about leaving the sea life after he’d joined The Rift. He would have gone home to France and reclaimed his name and title of duke, and possibly find an omega mate of noble echelon, but it was as if the mistress knew of his internal distress and was sent a savior named Captain Andrews. When his privateers’ ship was taken over by pirates.
Dagger remembered the feeling of elation, as if he was rescued from a life that was not his own. He was tied up and watching the crew of The Rift take all of their food and supplies. Captain Tomas Andrews didn’t need to threaten, his name was widely known for his ruthlessness and his hulking stature. It was once rumored that Andrews hung the head of one of the British queen’s most trusted and loved captains from his ship's bowsprit. Later during their time together, Dagger asked Tomas why he did it in such a manner.
“Never let a man think he is above you,” Tomas told him. “The queen sent her dogs after me because I went against her order. But what she forgot was I am my own man, and I bow to no woman or man.”
Tomas was a great teacher and friend. Thinking back, he recalled the first words he spoke to the rugged captain who later became his friend and mentor.
“Take me with you,” he’d yelled out to Tomas standing in front of the privateers’ captain, Captain Auch.
Dagger wasn’t sure why the hell he’d said it. He wasn’t a pirate, he chased and arrested them. But seeing how Captain Tomas handled Auch and his crew it was as if he was the captain of the privateers’ ship. In truth the crew didn’t regard him as the captain, they were in it for the money and recognition they got from the king and queen. They bragged and marked off the notches on their belts for killing a few pirates legally, but it didn’t amount to anything. The only reason he stayed with the privateers’ crew as long as he had was his desire to be one with the sea.  
Tomas had asked him if he was sure that was what he wanted to do. He walked over to him and cut him loose. Being free to do as he will, Dagger ran to his cabin and grabbed the only things important to him, his family crests. He gave up his name but couldn’t forsake his blood. Without a backward glance he crossed the line over to The Rift, that he later renamed Beauté Noire, and became one of its crew members. And a beauty she was, with three masts, a square rig, and three large decks.
Dagger looked away from the map in his hand and turned when he heard boisterous laughter coming from the crew members. He couldn’t help but chuckle when Clive a new crew member tripped and dropped one of the chest of gold, landing on his ass. He laughed along with the rest of his crew when three of his men began chasing after the gold pieces that spilled from the chest. Seeing his men happy made him wished Tomas was still a part of their crew. He missed his former captain, the man taught him everything he knew on how to be a pirate with morals, and how to be feared by only his name.
The life of a pirate was not only to steal and plunder the seas because they owned it. Tomas considered himself a man that robbed from the rich and gave it back to the poor. Tomas was both loved and feared. That’s how he’d lived his life. With every treasure he and his crew found, he required each man to add a coin to donate to a children’s boarding house. Tomas had a soft spot for children and believed they should be taken care of, Dagger did too. The hordes of children that had died in the plague still hurt his heart, and each time he thought about his parents and their deaths did as well. As a tribute, Dagger carried on the tradition.
Tomas had found his mate on one of their port stops, quickly giving up his life as a pirate. An action Dagger could not see himself doing. He loved and lived freely on the sea. The only thing Dagger wanted was to find a bed partner in any port they stopped in before moving onto his next adventure.
He’d been with both men and women, omegas and gammas. He was not exclusive to one gender or took things like hierarchical status as something of importance. He was pulled out of his thoughts when his quartermaster Mister Smiths walked over and stood beside him.
“How long do you think they will be stranded out there?”
Dagger smirked. “I don’t think that long, I’m quite sure another ship will be along to save them,” he answered. “So, where are we off to, Mister Smiths?”
“Port Royal, Captain. We need to dock in the next port to fix the damages to the ship and restock our supplies. The little we got off the Spaniards’ ship won’t last long. And the men could use a good bit of fun and a romp with a sweet supple body for a couple of days.”
Dagger burst out in laughter, hitting the man on his shoulder lightly. “Maybe it’s time the men think about getting a matelotage and give the poor pegboy a much-needed rest.”
“Aye. Jacob is a good lad but no need for the men to tire him out,” Cooper, his helmsman, said.
It wasn’t a secret among the crew that the man had a crush on Jacob but feared the men would rebel if he took the pegboy for himself. Dagger shook his head at Cooper who hadn’t stopped staring at Jacob who had resumed his position on his peg. All Cooper needed to do was ask, and as captain, Dagger would make the boy his.

Check out the first chapter in my next release! 
​
Ashlyn hastily threw his meager belongings in his sack, running around his rented room above the bar he was staying in.

He needed to get the hell out of town before Vandal Dingle found him. The man had become a pain in his arse in a matter of days when they bumped into each other accidentally. It grated on his every last nerve how the man kept following him around town, like a stray dog begging for scraps.  

Vandal Dingle wasn't good looking to say the least. But even if he was, Ashlyn was not interested in the man. Vandal was tall, with a large stomach that took up every part of his frame. He was bald with a scar on the left side of his face that went from his ear to his lips, down to his chin. He was missing a few of his teeth and he had the worst body odor known to man.

For goodness’ sake that’s why the bloody sea exists for a reason. He cannot be an alpha like he claims.

He froze when he heard the loud pounding on his door.
“Fuck,” he cursed and pressed his back against the wall and held his breath praying to the sea god the alpha would leave him alone.

I can’t believe the man fancies himself a pirate. He gets seasick at the sound of a bucket being filled.

“Come on out, little love, I can smell you hiding in there. I just want to make you mine.”

How can you smell anything over your own body odor?

“Not on your bleeding life,” he whispered, knowing the man on the other side of the door couldn’t hear him.

Slowly he reached into his pocket and pulled out his potion, downing the entire thing. He had just returned back from the local town’s witch, Talia, or that’s what they called her. Yet, she was the one they went to when they have an ailment. Talia fancied herself a doctor of witchcraft but makes an elixir that seemed to slow down his omega heat.

I hate I was born an omega. I wish I was born an alpha instead and didn’t have to deal with all this heat shite.

Ashlyn was a loner and had no place to call home. As an omega, he felt he was cursed in life by the deities. Each month his body went into an omega heat and he would need to find an alpha to calm his raging hormones. He was born into a lower-class, large family and was the third oldest out of a brood of twelve.

Both of his parents were born in Britain but traveled to the islands when Ashlyn was but a newborn. His family was poor, and it seemed they had more kids than food. When he was thirteen, he left with only the clothes on his back and never looked back. He doubted his parents even realized that he was gone.

It didn’t help that one reason they were poor was because his sire, Keaton, kept incurring gambling debts. They kept getting kicked out of every hovel they found to live in. Ashlyn hated that Abel, his bearer, never argued about being moved from one home to another, or never having food on their table. But always seemed to turn up pregnant and was happy about it.

Ashlyn despised the loyalty his bearer showed. He saw Able Tuesday as a doormat, making a vow to himself that he’d never be like his bearer. He wanted much more out of life. He didn’t want to struggle for his next meal. As much as he hated being an omega, he realized there were both advantages to his status and disadvantages. He was told often that his exotic beauty was unlike any other omega’s. His bright blue eyes, light brown skin, and dark twisted locks made most men and women weak in their knees.

After leaving home and realizing that men wanted him for being an omega and his beauty, he used it to his advantage. It didn’t happen right away. It took time for him to understand what his scent, beauty, and body did to not only alphas, but betas and maybe some gammas. Before that he would hide away and prayed no one would find him. After leaving, he stole, and in some cases begged, for food; depending on the kindness of strangers to feed him.

Ashlyn made it a point not to stay in one place too long. When he was eighteen he had gone through his first heat phase. He had no clue what was wrong with his body, when all he wanted was to rip his clothes off and jump in the sea just to cool off. He was thankful that no alpha was around when it’d happened. When it happened every month, he knew something was wrong, but he wasn’t sure who to ask.

He’d never seen his sire go through a heat cycle. It also didn’t help he and Able never talked about the facts of life. He never seemed to have the time with all the babies he kept having. Then one day Calista came into his life. She was an omega like him and explained that each month on or around the same time his body went through a heat cycle. Even knowing what to expect Ashlyn hated that his inside hurt so badly he wanted to die. He did not know what was happening.

According to Calista being an omega was a passage through life that distinguished alphas, betas, gammas, and omegas. Omegas were the beautiful humans in the world and pirates considered them to be sea sirens who beguiled them with their beauty.  Betas were everyday people who did not have to worry about finding a mate or heats.
Gammas were one level below betas in status, they could also mate with and get pregnant by betas. Calista told him that omegas were given a gift thanks to the deities to bear children. Then how would the gods explain gammas? To Ashlyn, gammas were lucky with the fact that they did not go through a heat cycle as omegas did.
However, society dwelled little on the beta and gamma dynamics the way they did with alphas and omegas. Gammas also bear one child every five years whereas an omega could get pregnant each heat cycle.

A gamma and beta pairing or mating was not as structured, or loyalty based as an alpha and omega. If they so choose, a gamma could have more than one beta mate. Alphas and omegas are mated for life. Society believes that an omega is fragile and needed the protection of a strong alpha to take care of them.

Who comes up with this shit?

Ashlyn had been taking care of himself since he was thirteen and needed an alpha to rescue him. He knew well that Calista was looking for a mate. No one liked being lonely, and admittedly he got lonely sometimes. But each time he thought of finding a mate, he broke out in a cold sweat, and got nauseated.  To Ashlyn having a mate sounded like a life sentence. The desire to be loved by an alpha mate sounded great, but the part about bearing the alpha’s child did not sound all that great for him.

He wanted to choose his own path in life. I need no man or child to hold me back from my goals. And why would I want to ruin my beautiful figure?

Since discovering that he was an omega he stayed away from people out of fear that an alpha would pick up his scent. During the other times, he pretended that he was a gamma most days. And since he loved women’s clothing no one questioned Ashlyn on his beauty or his true status in society.

With Vandal still beating down his room door, he was glad at that moment that he’d changed into leather trousers when he went to visit Talia for his one-year supply of elixirs. The bottles were small enough he could shove most in his pockets and wouldn’t weigh him down while he traveled.

He’d traveled a lot since he left home. Mostly by horse and carriages. But no matter wherever he went, he always seemed to come back to the town of Duns Fall. It was because Talia lived there, but, it used to be a quiet little town he saw himself one day settling down in. That was until pirates found his sweet little haven.  The pirates were loud and brash, who believed that everything they touched belonged to them on land and sea.

Ashlyn made it a point not to get close to anyone, especially pirates. He also never stayed in one place too long even his beloved little town of Duns Fall. Talia and Calista were the exception, they pushed their way into his life even when he kept pushing them back. If an alpha or anyone else suspected that he was an omega he would leave town before they could catch up to him. Except for Vandal “The Stubborn” Dingle who didn’t know how to take no for an answer.
If Vandal was really a pirate, he was definitely a crappy one who seemed to have given up chasing booty for Ashlyn’s arse. The banging on his door became insistent. What the bloody hell is this fucker’s problem? There were many other beautiful men on the island, but it seemed he had only eyes for Ashlyn.

He didn’t understand the other man’s fascination when they’d bumped into each other at the local market. Ashlyn was looking at a white silk scarf that would have looked charming with his midnight blue gown he’d bought the previous day. After saying their apologies, Ashlyn went on about his business, apparently, Vandal took a liking to him.

They’d run into each other the entire week. Vandal tried buying him drinks and dinner for the past few nights and each time he declined the man’s offer. It was his way of courting the omega into his arms, Ashlyn heard him tell another pirate who told him it wouldn’t work. Ashlyn had gone so far as to tell Vandal he was already mated and was simply waiting for his mate to join him in two days. Rightfully so, the other man didn’t believe him.

He’d have left Duns Fall days ago, but he had to wait for his elixir to be finished. If only Talia was really a witch.

“Come on, pretty, open the door and let me in so that we can talk,” Vandal said on the other side of the door.

“Fuck no,” Ashlyn whispered. 

Stuffing the small bottle into his pocket he picked up his sack from the bed and walked over to the open window. He froze when the floorboards squeaked and held his breath, wondering if Vandal had gotten smart and left. The pounding on the door stopped, and he prayed he was right about Vandal leaving. The man was large enough he could break the door down without breaking a sweat if he wanted to. When nothing happened, Ashlyn snuck over to the window and was about to open it when he saw Vandal standing on the terrace looking in the window.

How the fuck did he get out there so fast?

Turning, Ashlyn ran out of the room and down the stairs into the bar. It was packed with patrons, mostly pirates drinking their fill of grog. Some stopped to look at him as if he had lost his head for a few seconds before going back to what they were doing. Others paid him no attention. His heart was thundering in his chest, it was only a matter of time before Vandal burst in the room. Ashlyn scanned the room quickly, hoping someone could be a patsy for him in a pinch.

He spotted a group of pirates sitting in the back of the room. They were loud and rowdy, knowing it should be easy to spot the captain among them. He would be the only one with a large tanker of grog. Other than that, all the men sitting at the table with him would be vying for his attention. He looked out the window and saw Vandal about to push the pub doors open. Thinking quickly, he ran over to the group of pirates and sat in the man’s lap and smashed their lips together before the man could object. He ignored the pleasurable shiver that coursed down his back.

“Oi, get your hands off my mate. That’s my man,” Ashlyn heard Vandal roar.

Both Ashlyn and the pirate, he assumed was the captain, stopped kissing and turned to look at Vandal. Their cheeks lovingly pressed against each other.

“Your man?” the sexy man asked. The man’s voice was a deep whisper that close to his ear.

“Aye,” Vandal responded.

The stranger laughed along with the other men at the table as if they were all in on the joke. Ashlyn’s body however, was responding in ways it never had before to anyone since their kiss. He prayed that the man whose lap he was sitting on didn’t notice. A finger touched his chin then lightly turned his head to meet light gray eyes connecting with his blue. He also didn’t miss the devilish smile causing his cock to respond even more in his trousers.

Fuck, I need to get away from this man, now.

“Are you his?” Ashlyn shook his head no. But I can be yours if you want me to. What the fuck? His eyes widened at his thoughts. Where the hell did that thought come from?

“Lies,” Vandal said loudly.

“Are you calling my beauty a liar?” He never took his eyes away from Ashlyn.

“You bet your bloody arse, I am,” Vandal roared.

“I told him I was waiting for you,” Ashlyn offered up.

“Always, my loyal beauty,” he said as the tips of his fingers brushed against Ashlyn’s lower lip that still burned from their kiss.

Ashlyn turned and looked at Vandal, he was boiling mad. His face was red, and it was as if he could see steam coming out of his ears. Vandal went to lunge forward but was stopped when the captain stood up instantly, putting Ashlyn behind him with one hand and a cutlass in the other.

“We don’t want any trouble now do we?” the other pirate asked.
“This is a proper establishment. So be a good gentilhomme and be on your way now.”

Ashlyn looked over the stranger’s shoulder and looked at Vandal, the tip of the sword was at his throat ready to strike if need be.

“This isn’t over, Ashlyn,” Vandal vowed.

He stepped in front of the other man to address Vandal. “Just give up. Just please stop following me. I’ve told you before that I’m not yours. I belong to someone else.”

He turned and looked at the handsome pirate whose arms circled his waist and pulled him tighter against him. He wasn’t looking at Ashlyn but at Vandal, but the smirk on his sexy lips made Ashlyn’s heart thump faster in his chest.

Vandal tsked then looked at Ashlyn’s savior. “Watch yourself, I never forget a face.”

“And I never back down from a challenge.”

Vandal nodded and backed away before Ashlyn released the breath he was holding. His body was finally under control and he wasn’t emitting any pheromones thanks to the potion. He wasn’t sure how it worked or what was in it, but Talia was a lifesaver.

“Now, my beauty, mind telling me what all that was about?”

“Not really,” Ashlyn said bending down to pick up his sack. “But I must thank you ever so much for your gracious help.”

He went to step by the man but was stopped with a hand around his waist. He gasped when a muscular chest was pressed against his back. His body was reacting in ways it shouldn’t have, especially since he’d drunk the entire bottle of potion.

“Now, petit, where do you think you’re running off to? I can take you back to my ship for a bit of fun.” The pirate’s deep voice whispered in his ear. His warm breath ghosting over his ear, and the scent of rum on his breath made him hold back his whimper.
When the man’s hand slowly drifted down the front of his trousers Ashlyn stepped away, his hand held out, touching the other man’s chest.

Fuck, I shouldn’t have done this.

The man’s skin was warm even through his shirt, and Ashlyn could feel the muscles under the tips of his fingertips. He might be an omega, but he wasn’t interested in sleeping with just anyone. Hell, he’d never slept with anyone but his hands on a lonely night.

“Look, I appreciate your help, but I cannot stay.”

“No need to rush off after I just helped you.”

He stepped closer to Ashlyn and was about to wrap an arm around him, but he stepped much further back. He could hear snickers coming from the men with the captain.

“I would love to stay, but I have things I must attend to.” He wasn’t lying. He was running low on funds and he knew the perfect patsy to con a few coins from to hold him off for a few days. Talia might be his friend, but she still charged him an arm and a leg for the elixirs.

“You are a proper little thing. I like you already. So, what do you say, petit, be a member of my ship?”

“Sorry, the pirate’s life isn’t for me,” Ashlyn said and was off before his savior could say another word.

Ashlyn was running out of the pub, hoping his body would calm down the further he got away from the pirate. He prayed never to run into the man again but knowing his bad luck, it was bound to happen.

Coming October 13th

You can now pre-order The Pirate and His Omega Thief! 
​
Finding a mate was never in their plans—but fate keeps bringing them together. 

Ashlyn Tuesday is a blackguard and a thief, moving from town to town robbing rich men of their gold—and their hearts. Moreover, every time his roguish smile gets him into trouble, one man comes to Ashlyn’s rescue, asking for nothing in return. Someday, though, that bill’s going to come due—and Ashlyn isn’t the type who’s ever ready to pay up.

Since the day he took up piracy, Captain Dagger Crowe’s only love has been the sea. Sure, he’s had bedmates—and there’s that one sweet little omega he keeps bailing out of trouble—but Dagger’s only real desire is to find the sunken treasure of Booker Thorin. Until that is, he actually shares a few kisses with that omega, when Dagger realizes he wants to plunder more than pirate booty. He wants to make the omega his own. More than that, he wants to win the omega’s heart. 

Will his mistress the sea be kind to him and give him what he desires, or will her jealousy be his ruin?

The Pirate and His Omega Thief contain sexual content suitable for readers 18+. Male pregnancy is apart of this story and apart of the Omegas of the Caribbean.

Nothing is worse for an Omega than being exiled to the Barren Sea. 

As a breeding omega with royal blood, Ezra had one purpose to fulfill. He was raised to carry healthy royal babies to term for the royalty in Carrington. But after several failed attempts at pregnancy, Ezra was no longer welcome to stay in his home. As with all infertile omegas, he was exiled to Barren Isle to live his days in isolation with other unwanted omegas.

Myles Oswald was a respected banker, running the establishment his father started when he was a goldsmith. But after an unscrupulous merchant empties all the coin from his former partner’s account, Myles is left responsible for the shortage. Despite his willingness to return the funds from his personal fortune, his life is the only payment the client is willing to accept. Myles is left with no choice but to flee his village and take refuge on a merchant ship. 

Myles believes he's on the home stretch of starting a new life, but when some drunken pirates get angry after losing a few too many hands at cards, Myles is beaten and his meager belongings are stolen. He manages to escape the ship with his life, only to land on the first strip of land he can float to. 

He just wants to live his life in peace. But when he meets the sweet and caring Ezra, nothing is ever the same for either of them.

This book contains knotty alphas and eager omegas having sexy times that lead to male pregnancy and sweet babies. Readers 18+.

Captain Blackwood never wanted a baby—but his hot omega stowaway is about to have one…so he’s trapped between the omega and the deep blue sea!

Lord Edward Smythe, the youngest son of the Earl of Northridge, is fleeing an arranged marriage to a young woman. Like most of the London aristocracy, his family finds their history of fertile omegas embarrassing. But Ned knows that the last thing he wants is marriage to a woman. So he stows away on The Felicity, a ship bound for the West Indies, where he plans to make his fortune. 

For years, William Blackwood has captained The Neptune’s Jewel, plundering merchant ships foolish enough to cross paths with him and his crew of pirates. He’s crossed and re-crossed the Omega Triangle, watching as the omegas in his crew go into heat and fall pregnant to the alphas. But he’s always kept his distance. A pirate’s life is dangerous and difficult, and the last thing he needs is the responsibility of a mate and child. 

Until his crew overtakes The Felicity and he takes Ned on board. 

To William’s surprise, he realizes the poor boy doesn’t even know he’s an omega, much less what effect the Omega Triangle will have on him. Suddenly William discovers that he can’t resist the siren-call of Ned’s desire, even though he knows giving in to it will change his life forever. 

When Ned realizes he’s pregnant, he’s furious and blames William. They must decide if their fledgling love can survive Ned’s pregnancy—and if they can stay together, at sea or on land.

The Omega & the Deep Blue Sea is a sweet M/M MPREG pirate romance with some spicy heat, adventure, a surprise baby, and a guaranteed HEA. It is part of the Omegas of the Caribbean collection and can be read as standalone.

I'm busy plugging away at the three books that I would like to have out by the end of the year or early next year. The Pirate and His Omega Thief is starting to pick up a bit. My muse is finally cooperating with the characters. I don't think it will be more than 40-45K. I had to push my release date back a couple of days because of other things happening in my real life that took away from writing. My goal is to finish writing this book at the end of the month and hope that I can get it out at the end of September or the first week of October. Because I'm so focused on getting these three books completed, specifically The Pirate and His Omega Thief. I won't be able to update any of my free stories this month. But I will have new chapters next month.  

“Who do you think you are, taking such liberties with my person?” He asked the question panting for breath.

“I’m only continuing what you started a couple of years ago.”

“What do you really want from me?”

“I told you, become a member on my ship.”

“And what warm your bed, on those cold nights?”

Dagger smiled. “You could. But I never take a man to my bed that did not want to be there.”

“How gentlemanly of you.”

“Now you can claim you know something about me.”

The omega stepped away from him. “You can’t help me.”

“What kind of trouble are you in?” Dagger didn’t like seeing the omega this way.

He should walk away and not be bothered by the problems the man was having. But he couldn’t. There was something pushing him away as it was pulling him closer.
​
“I . . .”

First, Congratulations! to the winners of the Scavenger Hunt. Joscelyn Smith,
Mary Beth Noble, and Rachel Emily. I will have another contest and giveaway next month. Second, thank you to everyone that's bought Ryland's Inferno and for your reviews. Working on Blayze and Ryland story was a true labor of love in many ways. 

My One-Night Stand will soon be available in a box set. As soon as I have the link I will post it. I had no idea how long the series was until I complied the entire thing. 311,115 words. I'm sure the Pryde Shifter Series will be a bit longer and might need to be done in Volumes. But that won't be for a while.

​Sometimes one-night stands bring much more than a few hours of enjoyment and memories. A one-night stand can also lead you to your forever.
 
 
My One-Night Stand, My Forever (Book One)
 
After one night together, Jaxson and Christen went their separate ways. But Jaxson wasn’t able to forget about the sexy man who rocked his world. Four months later they come face to face with each other, Jaxson gets a surprise he was not expecting after their one night together.
 
Loving You (Book Two)
 
In a mad dash, he goes to Las Vegas to forget about his problems. What he didn’t count on was meeting up with Tyler Hamilton a man he wanted but could never have. Tyler needed to get away and decided the best place was Las Vegas. Seeing his little brother sexy as hell best friend was never in the plans. What happen when Tyler suggest they spend one night together with no strings attached? Does Ethan refuse or take the man up on his offer to fulfill his one fantasy? To claim Tyler Hamilton as his.
 
Hidden Truths (Book Three)
 
Stephen broke off his relationship with Brenden without giving him a reason why. A couple of years later they walk back into each other lives. Stephen still has feelings for Brenden, but does Brenden feel the same way for him? Brenden thought everything was going great between him and Stephen before the man abruptly ended their relationship. Can they rekindle the love they had for each other? And will Brenden be able to forgive Stephen for keeping an important secret from him then and now?
 
His Lover’s Vows (Book Four)
​
Tucker and Lucas two men who had lost the women they loved and gave up on love. Lucas a single father whose sole purpose became his daughter. Tucker turned to his job as a way to not think about his late wife. Through their family connections, Lucas and Tucker became friends. But what happens when their friendship became much more? Do they ignore what they feel or see what can happen after one night together?

I'm plugging away working on The Pirate and His Omega Thief. This is a completely different story for me to write, because I am not writing in modern timeline. But in the pirate era so there is a lot more research involved. Such as pirate vernacular, fashion style for nobles, and I've also added a little twist to the story. With that said this is not factually accurate. I changed a few things around to let the story fit for my plot. So it's taking me a lot longer than I was originally expecting. Ashlyn and Dagger are a wonderful couple to write about and I can't wait to see how their story blossoms into true love.

​“Fatima, my own, you must take our child and run.”
“No, I will not leave you here to deal with this on your own.” Fatima turned and looked at her son. “You must run, Blayze,” Fatima told her son.
Six-year-old Blayze Elashor Drakenfire stared at his mother not understanding what was going on. He watched as his parents were running around their little home throwing things into a bag.
“You must run, my little Blayze,” Fatima told her son.
“But, Mama, where are we going?” Blayze asked.
“Fatima, you must go with the boy!” Sergei yelled. “I will rest easy knowing that you and the little ones are safe.”
“I cannot, my love, I refuse to leave you alone. I will fight with you,” Fatima said to her husband.
“We cannot leave the boy alone,” his father, Sergei, argued. “He will need his mother to protect and guide him,” he continued, resting a hand on her stomach. “And this one needs to see life.”
Fatima shook her head and touched one of his cheeks. “I don’t want to leave you, my draco corde.”
“You must, for the sake of our children.” Fatima opened her mouth to argue. “Please, amica mia, don’t argue with me on this.”
She closed her eyes, leaning forward, resting her head on his muscular chest. “Promise me, you will find us.”
Sergei didn’t respond, and Blayze could see that his father was fighting back his emotions, he lifted her head, brushing her long dark tresses behind her pointed ear. “Te amo,” he whispered then kissed her.  Blayze did not understand what was going on, but he knew something was wrong. His father said that the bad people were coming to their home, they lived far from the main town in the snow-covered mountains.
“Mama,” Blayze said getting his mother’s attention.
She turned and looked at him, with worry in her clear gray-white eyes, they were the same color as his own. Her lips were trembling, and tears pooled in the corner of her eyes. Fatima knelt in front of him and pulled him to her chest.
“Listen to me, my little one.” Her voice cracked when she spoke. “If anything happens to your father or me, you must grow up to be a good boy just like your papa.” He nodded. “Respect your elders, and whatever you do, do not under any circumstances shift where humans can see you. They will fear you because of what you are. They will not understand and will act differently toward you. More importantly, do not tell anyone who and what you are, my little nymph arum draco. Trust no one, not even if they are your own kind, my son.” She pulled back and held him by the shoulders. “Tell me you understand, Blayze.” He nodded again. “Let me hear you say the words, my child.”
“Yes, Mama, I understand,” he told her.  Even though he really didn’t.
His papa had left earlier that morning, and when he got home, he started packing up their things saying that people were coming, and they needed to get away. Blayze didn’t know who the people were; he wasn’t allowed to talk to any of the humans that lived in town which made him sad.
He would sometimes hear the other kids his age running around playing in the snow, and he would hide and watch them play, wishing he could join them. They always looked as if they were having a lot of fun.  Blayze looked at his father who was standing at the entrance to the kitchen and living room.  Their cottage wasn’t big, but it was just right for the three of them.
“Come to me, my little fire child.” He opened his arms and Blayze ran and jumped into them.
His father caught him easily holding him close and squeezing him tightly, almost taking his breath away. Papa was whispering words in his ear, some he understood and some he didn’t. The older dracomen had been teaching him the native language of dracomens, but there were still words he didn’t understand or pronounce correctly. He raised his head and looked into gray eyes and they looked sad and were not sparkling like they usually did when his father would hold him. Blayze cupped his papa’s red-bearded cheeks.
Blayze had often wondered why they didn’t live in the world with the other dracomens. He’d asked his papa why they lived so far from everyone else, and his father would only smile and gently pat him on the head and suggest they go practice flying, knowing how much he loved seeing his father’s large beast. He would be safely tucked between one of his large claws as they soared through the clouds, forgetting he’d even asked a question in the first place.
“Are we going to meet the other dracomens now, Papa?” Blayze asked.
“No, multi est,” Sergei answered.
“Then where are we going?” he asked.
His papa smiled. “You were always a curious child, even as a whelp. Don’t ever lose that spark.” Blayze smiled. “Promise me that you will be good for your matar. Grow up to be a respectable dracomen and change the world and how others see us. We are not as scary as they believe nor to be used as toys in an army.” His papa kissed him on the forehead before pulling back. “Let them see your strength, my little whelp. Accept love when it is given, fight for what you believe in, and regret nothing,” his father advised him while looking Blayze in his eyes. “You are a Drakenfire don’t forget that, we are a proud circle with noble blood.”
Blayze nodded.  “Papa, te amo,” he told his father. As young as he was, Blayze knew that his father was worried about something and he hoped saying that he loved his father would make things better, and they could go back to having fun flying around the snowy mountains again.  Blayze was still too young to shift, but his papa was always telling him what he needed to do when the time came.
Sergei's cheeks were wet with tears, and that surprised Blayze. He’d never seen his father cry even when he got hurt. He would say bad words and his mama would wag her finger at him telling him not to teach Blayze those kinds of words so young. His papa would smile and pull her into his arms and kiss her making her giggle. And Blayze knew everything was fine and would leave the room when they started to get all mushy. Looking at his father now, Blayze saw nothing but sadness in the older man's eyes.
Blayze knew that his father was strong and powerful. The larger dracomen would sometimes lift him in the air with just one hand, never breaking a sweat. His father was also caring. Not only with Blayze and his mother, but also with the people who would make their way up the mountains to see him. Sergei was also a doctor or Blayze thought he was.
Sometimes people came to their house and went into the room that Blayze was never allowed in because, to his mother and father, he was too small. There were times his mama would help by giving them the medicine she made in the big pot she always used on the stove. He’d heard people call her a witch.
But Blayze didn’t believe it. Blayze didn’t think his mama was ugly or have a hooked nose and warts on her face. She was beautiful with long jet-black hair that it sometimes looked blue. His mama also didn’t have a wand or fly on a broom, and she didn’t like to fly like him and his papa. Humans were foolish.
“Te amo, multi est,” he whispered and smiled. But again, Blayze noticed the smile was strained, and his eyes didn’t light up like they usually would. He wanted to hear his father’s boisterous laughter, and it would make him giggle for no reason.
“It will be okay, Papa.” Blayze rested his forehead against Sergei’s strong chin like he’d done countless times in the way of comfort.
“Remember my words, my son,” his father whispered. “May the gods of fire and sun protect you from my enemies and theirs.”  He set Blayze down on the floor, patting him on the head. “Now go and do your best to protect your mama.” He wanted to tell his papa to come with them, but he knew the older dracomen would say no.
Blayze nodded and walked over to his mother, standing beside her. She knelt in front of him and closed her eyes before opening them again. “I love you, my fire child. Never forget that.”
Fatima bent her head and took off the necklace and put it around his neck. She whispered a few words, and for a few seconds, Blayze was distracted by the bright light that was coming from his mama’s hand and then just like that it was gone.
“Keep this with you, and if we get separated, you only need to think of me and I . . .” She didn’t finish her sentence as tears streamed down her cheeks.  Blayze didn’t like what he was feeling in the pit of his stomach or the thought that he wasn’t going to see his mama and papa again. “Keep it close to your heart, my son, and one day the gods will send someone to love and care for you. Someone who will be worthy to be your draco corde.”
Blayze looked down at the green jewel that was the color of his matar’s eyes, surrounded by platinum that always hung around his mother’s neck. He remembered playing with it as a child. The platinum dragon had its wings extended, and its mouth wide open with the green gemstone nestled in its stomach. The dragon looked fierce and ready to attack. He looked at his mother. “How will I know they are my draco corde?”
His mama smiled and touched the right side of his cheek. “You will know, my little fire child,” she said to him. She touched a hand to his heart. “You will know when you feel the urge to kill for them and protect them at the same time. You will know when you would want to sacrifice everything, even your life, for the one who will be your draco corde; your dracomen heart.” She wiped away her tears with her arm then stood. “Come, we must go now.”
Blayze nodded and took her hand as they walked through the kitchen. He was thinking about what his mama had just said, taking her advice to heart and putting it in the back of his mind as she opened the kitchen door.  Blayze looked back to see if his father was following them, but he wasn’t. He turned around and looked at his mother, tears were still running down her cheeks, he squeezed her hand, hoping it would make her feel better.
They stopped just before they walked over the threshold, Fatima kneeling in front of him as she rested her hands on his shoulders, squeezing then gripping his chin in one hand.  “Be good, my son. Now go, Blayze, run and whatever you do, don’t stop or look back. Remember that we love you always and we did this for you,” she started. “I cannot go with you,” she told him.
“But, Mama . . .”
“I know that you don’t understand, and you will hate me one day. But I must be at your father’s side. He is my life source, without him I am nothing. It is the curse of who I am, of who you are.” Her tears didn’t stop, in fact they started falling more. “You will understand one day, my little fire child, now go,” she told him.
He stood there for a few minutes afraid to move until his mama pushed him again and screamed at him to run. He ran as fast and as far as he could. Stopping only to see if his mama could see him, that he listened to her like a good boy and did what she told him. He knew she told him not to look back, but he also wanted to see if his mama had changed her mind and did what Papa had told her. What he saw shocked him. His mama on her knees and a man standing in front of her with a sword in his hand.
Blayze screamed, but his father’s loud roar drowned out his voice as the man used the sword to chop his mother’s head off. Blayze screamed for his mama and was about to run to her when their house blew up. The force of the backlash threw Blayze back, knocking him out.
* * *