tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52751574899260931442024-03-09T04:54:47.212-06:00Ariel TachnaReal characters, raw emotion, an authentic journey to loveAriel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-74798692114320167022018-02-14T09:29:00.000-06:002018-02-14T09:32:12.844-06:00Home Early by Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna - An Under the Skin drabble<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Home Early</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Patrick loosened the tie he'd worn to work for his first
day. He'd eventually have a uniform, but they weren't ready yet and his
predecessor had not been the same size. He'd managed to get away early, what
with it being Valentine's Day. Everyone who wasn't on duty had left even before
he did, so while he felt a little guilty at leaving, it wasn't enough to keep
him there. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He climbed the steps to Mikhail's little apartment,
surprised to see the light on through the window. He opened the door. "Lyosha?"</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mikhail's bit back a curse as he heard Patrick's voice. He
hadn't expected his lover to arrive home for at least another hour, and the
apartment wasn't ready for him yet. He set down the candle he had been trying
to fit into a clear glass as a holder and stepped in front of the table,
blocking it with his body. "Patya. Is all well? I had thought you would be
later, your first day as sheriff." He pushed a wave of hair off his
forehead, thinking he should have gotten it cut before now, but he had not found
the time.</span></span></div>
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</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"It's Valentine's Day," Patrick said.
"Everyone left early. It would have made them look bad if I'd
stayed." He glanced at the candle in Mikhail's hand. "I can leave
again if you want me to."</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"Was foolish idea," Mikhail said as he stepped forward
to take Patrick into his arms. What more did he need than this? But he had
wanted to offer Patrick something more, some way to show him how much the
sacrifices he had made, leaving his family and his career in Chicago, meant to
Mikhail. "Everyone at work talk about Valentine's Day, about plans for
romantic evening with wives or girlfriends." He shrugged and bent to brush
Patrick's lips. "I thought to try, but seems I am not very good at
romance."</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Patrick shook his head in automatic denial as he leaned into
Mikhail's embrace. "I think you're very good at romance. You thought to do
something for me. I don't need it to be perfect, Lyosha. I need it to be you. I
love you, remember?"</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"People at work told me candlelight, flowers, soft
music." Mikhail turned Patrick in his arms enough to let him see the
cellophane-wrapped bouquet of dark red roses on the table. "I thought to
find some music once the table was ready, but...."</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Patrick smiled. "You set the table. I'll find some
music." He had the perfect CD somewhere in the boxes he'd brought from
Chicago. He just had to find it.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the time Patrick returned from the bedroom, Mikhail had
arranged the roses in an empty glass jar in the center of the table and opened
the bottle of wine he had set in the refrigerator to chill. The candlelight
softened the tiny kitchen and glinted off the glasses as he filled them and
offered one to Patrick.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Patrick took the glass and lifted it in a silent toast.
"Here's to many more years of being romantic together."</span></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEchl3Ez8kbSn5cs3duDm4cyYGgTFFrHUYFoYLVwVNJnk8crboPu8NMAsbXH3qaowTusZRXh32l6HAQ0PS25POBwIEeQJLxkHlgQKyQzI1zbK7RR3zTF68u5FE6Q2Lf1Tx_ggcPgZMEQ/s1600/UnderSkinFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioEchl3Ez8kbSn5cs3duDm4cyYGgTFFrHUYFoYLVwVNJnk8crboPu8NMAsbXH3qaowTusZRXh32l6HAQ0PS25POBwIEeQJLxkHlgQKyQzI1zbK7RR3zTF68u5FE6Q2Lf1Tx_ggcPgZMEQ/s320/UnderSkinFS.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Patrick and Lyosha are featured in <a href="https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/under-the-skin-by-nicki-bennett-and-ariel-tachna-700-b" target="_blank">Under the Skin </a></span></span>Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-65556296028493725362017-02-22T09:19:00.000-06:002017-03-07T14:13:18.588-06:00Talking in Code Blog Tour Master Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWsKD0MY2EatxVltMuLyzhNMnTkah25aF2cx_6gNgIU31pNxJKBVQRgL0FgcDvNEDFCyD_TpGI2C4QOg3kqHCIBPV438XBOx6NxgcMxsHuYt858IQR3RzfXMYmsvtJWiS6D3iiInAu20/s1600/TalkinginCode_FBbanner_DSP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfWsKD0MY2EatxVltMuLyzhNMnTkah25aF2cx_6gNgIU31pNxJKBVQRgL0FgcDvNEDFCyD_TpGI2C4QOg3kqHCIBPV438XBOx6NxgcMxsHuYt858IQR3RzfXMYmsvtJWiS6D3iiInAu20/s320/TalkinginCode_FBbanner_DSP.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Unlike most of my other blog tours, the ones for <i>Talking in Code </i>have an order and are meant to be read as a set, so I figured I'd do a master post to make it easier for everyone to find all the links if they miss on on Facebook or Twitter.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://openskyebookreviews.com/guest-post-talking-in-code-by-ariel-tachna-and-giveaway/" target="_blank">Realization</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2017/02/22/talking-in-code-by-ariel-tachna-blog-tour-guest-post-ficlet-giveaway/" target="_blank">Reconnaissance</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/2017/02/25/on-tour-with-ariel-tachna-and-talking-in-code-recognition-guest-post/" target="_blank">Recognition</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://alphabookclub.org/2017/02/28/talking-code-ariel-tachna-guest-post/" target="_blank">Risk</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="http://twochicksobsessed.com/talking-in-code-by-ariel-tachna-exclusive-ficlet-and-giveaway/" target="_blank">Reward</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.com/2017/03/giveaway-blog-tour-talking-in-code-by.html?m=1&zx=91c20b2c0026af6d" target="_blank">Recovery </a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://lovebytesreviews.com/2017/03/05/blog-tour-special-moments-guestpost-giveaway-ariel-tachna-talking-in-code/#comment-94641" target="_blank">Resistance</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/talking-in-code-by-ariel-tachna-8253-b" target="_blank">Talking in Code</a><span id="goog_1984043571"></span><span id="goog_1984043572"></span> <br />
<br />
Some things crumble under pressure. Others are tempered by it instead. For three former soldiers, a tragedy might be the catalyst that binds them together—stronger than ever.<br />
<br />
Richard Horn and Timothy Davenport met in the SEALs twenty years ago and have been lovers ever since. Now running their own paramilitary organization, Strike Force Omega, they work in the shadows to protect their country and its people. When Tim falls for Eric Newton, a deadly sniper and strategist on their team, Richard accepts that Tim’s heart is big enough for two men. He respects, admires, and even desires Eric enough to accept him into their relationship—and their bed—but he’s never been fully a part of what Eric and Tim share.<br />
<br />
Then Eric is captured by terrorists and Tim is gravely injured in an op gone wrong, bringing Richard’s world crashing down around his ears. Even if he gets his men out alive, Eric must face the aftermath of months of physical and psychological torture—and without Tim to lean on, Eric’s PTSD is tearing him apart. Richard has to figure out the third leg of their triangle fast, or Tim won’t have a life to come back to.Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-26229529482491601792016-03-27T20:35:00.000-05:002016-04-07T06:34:00.178-05:00Sunday Snippet - Au parc Monceau (An At Your Service coda)This is for everyone who wanted one more scene at the end of <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7500" target="_blank"><i>At Your Service</i></a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7500" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7500" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Fy4EVs4cBHwiGRHYV_Ri8VMABiESXrH_Iv3DsusgFOSaC-8TPyH_KSH2hf0HwGMXA04r-3Ig0auwdCMAhrCFQLsx799nr70vleXVT3h9j_tVA0nGBPXrIJ89uH3NeDBjnV6U8phHqbU/s320/AtYourServiceLG.jpg" width="213" /><span id="goog_463697323"></span></a><span id="goog_463697324"></span></div>
<br />
Au parc Monceau<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul checked the next day’s weather one more time. The
weather report had promised sunny skies all week, but it paid to be careful. He
had everything else in order. All he needed was for the weather to cooperate
with his plans. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sunny skies, warm temperatures—for March anyway—the
perfect day for what he had planned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Paul, come to bed.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul switched off the computer, checked his surprise
where it was hidden one last time, and did as Anthony asked. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anthony waited patiently the next morning as Paul
fussed about their shared apartment. Paul had refused to say what he’d planned
for the day, the Tuesday after the Salon du Livre ended. It had become their
tradition to spend the day together as they had the year they’d met, so sure
that it would be their last day together. Now it was a celebration of
everything they’d gone through to get where they were. Maurice hadn’t even
needed to be reminded to give Paul Tuesday off instead of Wednesday this week. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That still didn’t explain Paul’s secrecy, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>though. The
last few years, he’d been eager to share his plans for the day with Anthony.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">‘I’m ready,” Paul said, finally coming into the living
room where Anthony waited.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“About time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They walked down to Convention and caught the Métro
north. That didn’t really tell Anthony anything. There were only three stops
south of theirs and none of them led to anywhere particularly interesting.
They’d waited late enough in the day that rush hour traffic on the line had
cleared, allowing them to sit side by side as they passed station after
station.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Anthony
asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“No.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anthony laughed. “Fine. Have it your way.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul stood as they neared Concorde and led Anthony
toward the Défense line. Anthony had expected to go the opposite way when he
saw which stop they were taking. They often wandered the Marais in their spare
time, but that was east, not west. When Paul got off at
Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile, Anthony gave up trying to figure out where they were
going. The Arc de Triomphe was a lovely monument, but they had never spent the
day after the Salon du Livre doing touristy things, and the only time they’d
gone to the Arc de Triomphe was when Matt came to visit.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul took Anthony’s hand as they turned away from
l’Étoile and up one of the arteries leading to the most famous roundabout in
the city. Anthony squeezed back. Wherever Paul was leading them, he would enjoy
it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Fifteen minutes later, the entrance to parc Monceau
came into view. Anthony grinned. “You’re sneaky, bringing us in this way
instead of directly.”</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLMoU6oaxdLDwHLzHbx2IXh5x3FhcpYrH-fEQniBxG-ztZageBbG03DEnH5Hf-r1YiQvyosJPRSqPgLfXAlw6ZVqtBsjDwlr5fhK3tNZ6g1rrDbUPrjMQvEKT1QJMKu3ZCzl8AfPMJD8/s1600/DSC08911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSLMoU6oaxdLDwHLzHbx2IXh5x3FhcpYrH-fEQniBxG-ztZageBbG03DEnH5Hf-r1YiQvyosJPRSqPgLfXAlw6ZVqtBsjDwlr5fhK3tNZ6g1rrDbUPrjMQvEKT1QJMKu3ZCzl8AfPMJD8/s320/DSC08911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“I didn’t want to give it away too soon,” Paul said.
Anthony wasn’t sure what Paul thought he would be giving away by telling
Anthony they were coming back to this particular park, but he’d enjoy it
regardless.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Not that I’m complaining, because coming here is
always a treat, but why the secrecy?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul flushed but didn’t answer. Anthony rolled his
eyes and followed Paul past the decorative gates and into the peaceful park. A
few joggers ran by as they made their way deeper into the park. The sun had
lured out some mothers with infants in carriages as well as some grandmothers
bundled up against the breeze.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul led Anthony to the bridge that overlooked the
stream where they’d had lunch the first time they came to the park three years
ago. Anthony leaned against the stone rail and let himself relax. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqwLL7FmswXtFgAdslH6hTz0sOTxIWQr_3AJtUUQS4IzCfCAFe47UkHJW-3OYYW2e5VCQwPDGIwJrcUOzqoQGRbETWkrr9axKYLx8VyWlaTqQL4UIYzaPHIGrx-r7nLVRf51rcdSf1DU/s1600/DSC08943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwqwLL7FmswXtFgAdslH6hTz0sOTxIWQr_3AJtUUQS4IzCfCAFe47UkHJW-3OYYW2e5VCQwPDGIwJrcUOzqoQGRbETWkrr9axKYLx8VyWlaTqQL4UIYzaPHIGrx-r7nLVRf51rcdSf1DU/s320/DSC08943.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Whatever Paul
had up his sleeve, Anthony would wait for the surprise. He closed his eyes and
tilted his face toward the sun, basking in its warmth. The winter hadn’t been
as cold as the year he moved to Paris, but it had still been colder than what
he’d been used to in North Carolina.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Anthony?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anthony opened his eyes and looked down to see Paul on
one knee. He started to ask what Paul was doing, but before he could get the
words out, Paul took his hand and continued, “Lunch here with you three years
ago was a start to an adventure I didn’t ever think I’d have… I didn’t even
think I’d <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">want </i>to have. Now I can’t
imagine any other life. Will you marry me?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anthony blinked a couple of times at the sight of the
ring in Paul’s hand. Sunlight glistened off the gold band. He’d half-expected a
day in a park, and he hadn’t even been surprised at Paul choosing this one, but
he hadn’t expected a proposal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul’s face fell, and he started to pull his hand
away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">“Yes!” Anthony tightened his grip and pulled Paul to
his feet. “Yes, yes, yes.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paul slipped the ring on Anthony’s finger and leaned
in to kiss him. A couple of people cheered and clapped, but Anthony tuned them
out to focus on Paul. He returned the kiss and then broke away to stare down at
the ring on his finger. He and Paul were getting married.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAYhTVumEC_rk3XJgcMkz-fiKa56yE7dcCyMbq4LneKOh9hrMK3WTEy7PAsuGW0oIB9Gax9mPb2bA7L6ttILFES_IOaLwwSxt3Cgph7igOJbDvoRbYxe1WUhAUx35VyP2V_vhxcHdWEs/s1600/DSC08934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBAYhTVumEC_rk3XJgcMkz-fiKa56yE7dcCyMbq4LneKOh9hrMK3WTEy7PAsuGW0oIB9Gax9mPb2bA7L6ttILFES_IOaLwwSxt3Cgph7igOJbDvoRbYxe1WUhAUx35VyP2V_vhxcHdWEs/s320/DSC08934.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQdNxa60exzrqxRhEOQBZKso1ggyu68tMSmsN06nlYOXfURdwyq7Z-z476zOclkySnrWGHiDM2Vr0fTe3ypOV-TNd0oU8uoPIYJhhj_3AI6h0o7GJ3tBcZ0uQosm646ELCAp-0NdeOjo/s1600/DSC08949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQdNxa60exzrqxRhEOQBZKso1ggyu68tMSmsN06nlYOXfURdwyq7Z-z476zOclkySnrWGHiDM2Vr0fTe3ypOV-TNd0oU8uoPIYJhhj_3AI6h0o7GJ3tBcZ0uQosm646ELCAp-0NdeOjo/s320/DSC08949.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjab-WOL_8HteaMjoIeoC_nCz2ZIqP1brlzjzfd50JobnJi9Cd2P2DX6t-cN6uLRGxHr2KXvxl2_A2tv39b6k9puyVbB2y1Xd46UqZ6lrO3V638q9_62Q8D9t118GLEerNoqvQpNwRfBbY/s1600/DSC08973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjab-WOL_8HteaMjoIeoC_nCz2ZIqP1brlzjzfd50JobnJi9Cd2P2DX6t-cN6uLRGxHr2KXvxl2_A2tv39b6k9puyVbB2y1Xd46UqZ6lrO3V638q9_62Q8D9t118GLEerNoqvQpNwRfBbY/s320/DSC08973.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-48128220893227818692016-03-13T10:00:00.000-05:002016-03-13T10:00:13.412-05:00Sunday Snippets - Unstable Stud teaserI was thrilled to have one of my books accepted to the <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=1583" target="_blank">Dreamspun Desires</a> line at <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store" target="_blank">Dreamspinner Press</a>, and now it's available for preorder.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7587&cPath=1583" target="_blank">Unstable Stud </a>comes out on April 15.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7587&cPath=1583" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7587&cPath=1583" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsFnWJ8q6vzo3qSudImVZ-OqLIx85i72yjzfwbM0M5SnmzIZ0PAuInLRO_SxKkZgF7ceSkKoSsfxMiZicrbghObT8ADzwEycpPMvl3qinqOzhoWHiq_Q85wskmozH6ScmzOAsPcOZvbo/s320/UnstableStudFS.jpg" width="194" /></a></div>
<br />
Blurb:<br />
Horses were his passion, until he laid eyes on his boss.<br />
<br />
Eighteen
months ago, tragedy struck Bywater Farm when a riding accident killed
Clay Hunter’s lover and traumatized his prize horse, King of Hearts.
Clay and King lingered in limbo, surviving but not really living, until a
breath of fresh air in the form of Luke Davis, a new groom in the stud
barn, revives them both. <br />
<br />
When a fall from King’s back
sends Luke to the emergency room, Clay watches the shaky foundation of
their budding relationship tumble down. Can Clay really love a jockey
again, or will his fear of losing another man he loves keep them apart
for good?<br />
<br />
Excerpt:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Ready
to go back outside?” Luke asked as he picked up King’s blanket. King sniffed at
it for a minute before turning so Luke could spread the blanket over his back
and secure it around his chest with the thin strap. He clipped the lead rope
back on King’s halter and led him through the barn to the paddock.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">After
he let King loose, he watched for a minute as the stallion bucked and raced
around the sizable enclosure, but he had work to do inside still. He couldn’t
spend his whole day admiring his new charge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">He
started back toward the barn, only to freeze and wish he could sink into the
shadows. Mr. Hunter stood</span><span class="MsoCommentReference"><span style="font-size: 8.0pt;"><a class="msocomanchor" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5275157489926093144#_msocom_1" id="_anchor_1" name="_msoanchor_1"></a><span style="mso-special-character: comment;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"> at the far corner
of the barn, watching King as well. Luke debated pretending he hadn’t seen
him—Mr. Hunter had given no sign of being aware of Luke’s presence—but he owed
Mr. Hunter a thank-you, if nothing else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He
seems happy to be outside,” Luke said as he crossed the space between him and
his boss.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“He’s
always preferred to be outside,” Mr. Hunter said. “It doesn’t matter how cold
or hot or wet it is, he’d rather be out in it than cooped up in a stall.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’ll
keep that in mind,” Luke said. “I can turn him out first thing in the morning
and let him stay out if we don’t need him for something. He’s not likely to get
out of his paddock.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mr.
Hunter huffed a laugh so full of disbelief and irony that Luke wanted to sink
into the ground. “Have you seen him jump? If he wanted out of that paddock,
he’d be gone. He jumps five- and six-foot hurdles like they’re nothing.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“I’ve
seen him,” Luke said softly, “but only on TV. I always thought of the jumps as
something horses did because they had to, not something they did just because.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“For
most horses, you’re right. They’d rather go around a barrier than over it, and
they’ll let one stop them if they aren’t driven across it, but every once in a
while, one will come along who doesn’t need the encouragement. King was one of
those horses.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“It’s
a shame he’s not still competing,” Luke said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Mr.
Hunter’s face contorted with grief and anger. “He hasn’t let anyone ride him
since the accident, and I won’t risk hurting him or a rider. He can earn his
living as a stud. His career supports it.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Luke
wished the ground would open up and swallow him whole. He couldn’t seem to say
anything right today. “I should get back to work. I have a lot to do still.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.8pt; mso-para-margin-bottom: .4gd; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">“The
vet will be here after lunch to take a semen sample. I expect you to be there
to keep King calm.”</span></div>
Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-85467355051722040702016-03-06T11:39:00.000-06:002016-03-12T15:18:59.060-06:00Sunday Snippets - The OneThis originally appeared in the <i>Myths & Magic </i>anthology which is now out of print, so I thought I'd share it with all of you. It's a complete, free short story for all of you to enjoy!<br />
<br />
The One<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> limped toward home, cursing the injury that had forced him out of his
faster form and left him naked and vulnerable to anyone who happened across
him. He only hoped he’d managed to outpace the hunters whose arrow had scored
his flank before he was forced to change. He knew their kind. He’d be in a cage
before he could blink if they caught him, and that would kill the wild heart
within him—a death sentence for sure. He could survive quite well in either
form for extended periods of time, but he needed the freedom to run, as man or
beast.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">He stumbled, his injured leg giving out on him, the fall leaving scrapes
on bare skin. He cursed again, wishing he could shift. Four legs would be far
steadier than two.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Are you all right?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The sound of a voice in this usually deserted corner of the forest
surprised Rylan. He tried to push himself to his feet, but his leg gave out
again. “No,” he admitted, studying the man who stood a few feet away in the
woods. He was tall and broad through the shoulders, but lean at the waist and
hips, with long, long legs, perfect for gripping the back of a horse—or a
lover’s body. Pitch-black hair topped olive-colored skin, the equally dark eyes
warm with the offer of aid. Usually skittish around strangers, Rylan could
sense no ill intent, nor did the beast inside him stir as it was wont to do in
the presence of a threat. “I’ve hurt my leg.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The man stepped closer. “May I look at it? I’ve some skill with healing.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan had no idea what a human’s tricks could do for him, but he did not
see any harm in finding out. Even if all he got was a bandage around his thigh
and a hand to keep going until he could get home, it was more than he had now.
Carefully, he rolled to his side, showing his benefactor the long gash on the
back of his leg.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You didn’t do that yourself,” the man said immediately. “You were shot.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“It’s clean,” Rylan told the healer. “The arrow merely grazed me rather
than penetrating.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“It <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> clean,” the healer
corrected. “It’s caked in mud now. We need to get you to shelter so I can clean
and dress it properly. I’m Dane, by the way. If you’ll lean on me, I have a
horse not far from here. She can carry you to my cabin, where I can get you
patched up and on your way.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan shook his head, for as delightful as it sounded not to have to walk,
he knew what would happen if he tried to mount the animal. He’d been thrown
before. Horses didn’t need to see his other form to know he wasn’t fully human.
Their equine senses recognized him immediately and refused to let his human
form mount them any more than if he’d been in his true form. “She won’t carry
me. Thank you for the offer, though. I’m Rylan.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“How do you know?” Dane asked, confused. “You haven’t even seen her
yet.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan shook his head. “I’ve yet to meet a horse that will let me on its
back for more than the few seconds it takes to throw me. If you’ll help me to
my feet, I’ll be on my way again. My own home is not far.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane approached and offered Rylan a hand. Rylan managed to get to his
feet, but his leg held him for only another few steps. With a muttered curse,
he looked up at Dane. “Perhaps I am more in need of assistance than I
realized.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan was right about the horse, but he had not counted on Dane’s
determination. The mare would not bear him, but Dane did not give up, loading
the entirety of his pack onto his horse’s back instead so he could put his
shoulder beneath Rylan’s arm and his arm around Rylan’s waist, taking the bulk
of Rylan’s weight on himself. They moved slowly, but they made progress, and an
hour before dark, they reached a little dwelling nestled in the woods. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan’s sense of direction told him they were far closer to his own home
than he would have expected, for he thought he knew the woods and its
inhabitants well. “Have you lived here long?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>shrugged. “For three seasons now. When winter gives way to spring,
I will have been here a year.” He helped Rylan inside, the beast within Rylan
growing restless at being confined in the unfamiliar space. Rylan soothed it
with the reminder that he needed help and that </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>had been nothing but
considerate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I’m surprised we have not met before,” Rylan murmured, breathing a sigh
of relief as he was able to sit and take the weight completely off his wounded
thigh.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I don’t go out much,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said as he opened a cabinet and began taking
out herbs and tinctures to tend Rylan’s wound. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Why not?” Rylan asked, surprised. “If you have the skill you say you
have, I would think you would be in high demand.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“That was the problem,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>muttered, so softly Rylan would not have
heard him without his acute senses. Deciding it best not to reveal the
abilities brought about by his dual nature, Rylan let the comment go, waiting
until </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>gave a louder answer. “My skills are mine to use as I see fit.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Then I shall say thank you for using them on me,” Rylan said as </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>approached.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“We’ll see if you still say that after I’ve dunked you and dosed you,”
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said with a laugh. “My medicines will do no good on a dirty wound.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">As the</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> sun dropped below the horizon, Rylan settled on a pallet in front of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s fire, amazed at how much better his leg felt already. The healer had
washed his wound carefully, making sure it was completely free of dirt and
debris before covering it in a thick paste the color of the sunset. Rylan had
no idea what was in the paste, but he could practically feel his leg healing as
he lay there.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">In the dim light of the fire, Rylan could see little detail of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s
home, naught but the table set into shadows, yet the place felt safe. Rylan’s
beast was as relaxed as he was, a surprise in itself because of the wound that
kept him from changing. Usually, when he was hurt, he had to fight to keep the
animal inside him under control. The pain kept him in human form, but the
inability to shift left his mind in turmoil. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>seemed to have a calming
effect, making Rylan wonder what magic besides healing the man possessed. In
his other form, perhaps he could have identified the source, his beast able to
sense far more about a person than Rylan could do in human form. Given his
current inability to change, he would simply have to accept the situation at
face value.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The exterior door opened, allowing a gust of wind to enter, chilling Rylan
even beneath the thick blanket </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>had provided him. “Are the animals
settled?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>nodded, turning his back to Rylan and stripping off his shirt.
Rylan barely smothered a gasp at the sight of the scars crisscrossing </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s
back. They appeared healed, but it was obvious someone had taken great pains to
whip the man badly in the not terribly distant past. Rylan’s beast screamed in
protest at the thought, surprising the man with its ferocity. Then </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>turned, and Rylan caught a glimpse of a much more foreboding mark. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>had
an M branded into his shoulder. M for murderer.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The rational part, the human part of Rylan’s brain urged him to flee, but
he was not strong enough to get far. Even more importantly, the animal inside
him felt no fear. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>might be many things. He might even be a murderer, but
he was no threat to Rylan. Of that much he was sure.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Who died?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s head whipped around, his hand covering his shoulder
automatically. “You… you can see my mark?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan cursed silently. He should have realized </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>would never have
undressed if he thought Rylan could see him. “I’ve always seen well at night.
You didn’t answer my question.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“The local lord’s son,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said, his voice tight as he pulled a clean
shirt on over his head. “I tried to help him, but he was too far gone by the
time I got there. I tried explaining that, but the man was crazy with his
grief. He insisted I had killed his son. They tried me and branded me. They
were going to hang me, but I escaped.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Three seasons ago.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>nodded. “I won’t go back. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you try
to turn me in, I will find a way to stop you.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Don’t worry,” Rylan said, though he knew </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>had no reason to trust
him. “I have my own reasons for wanting to stay as far away from the nobility
as possible.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Why aren’t you afraid of me? Everyone else who has ever seen it has run
away in fear.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Because I know you don’t mean me any harm,” Rylan replied honestly.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“How?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You aren’t the only one with secrets, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>,” Rylan said, evading the
question. “So they accused you of murder and you ran here to hide.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“They say a terrible beast lives in these woods,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>explained. “The
people from the village won’t come here.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“And if the beast finds you?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I’ll take my chances,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan hid a smile. He already knew what the beast’s reaction to </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>would be. “If you see the beast, just remember that it can read your
intentions. It will never hurt someone with a pure heart.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“How do you know?” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>asked, coming to sit at Rylan’s side, his eyes
alight with excitement.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You aren’t the only one who lives in these woods,” Rylan reminded him,
though it was no real answer. He could hardly tell </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">he </i>was the beast. For one thing, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>would never believe him, and he couldn’t change in his current state to
convince the man.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You’ve seen it? What does it look like?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“It looks like a horse, with a few minor exceptions,” Rylan answered
honestly, having seen his reflection in the pond as he drank. “It has a horn
that sprouts from its forehead and extends nearly the length of your arm. Its
coat is black as night during the day and white as the moon at night. It is a
peaceful creature, as long as it isn’t threatened, but if it fears you, it can
use its horn with all the dexterity of a sword. I have seen more than one man
spitted through by its sharp point.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“It sounds fearsome,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said. “I will do my best to avoid coming to
its attention.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan could have told </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>he had nothing to fear, but then he would
have to give an explanation he was not ready to offer. The few people in the
past he had told had reacted badly. In one instance, he had barely escaped with
his life. No, it was far better to keep his secret for the time he was here and
leave </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>in his ignorance.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Three </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">days later, the wound on Rylan’s thigh had closed completely. Although it
was still stiff and sore, Rylan could move his leg and even put his weight on
it for short periods of time. With the freedom from debilitating pain came the
need to shift, something he could not do in </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s company or in his home. Even
if the man could accept it, Rylan’s animal would not. In his other form, he
could not bear any kind of confinement.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">When </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>went out to check on his animals, Rylan disrobed so he would
not damage the clothes </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>had lent him and slipped out into the woods. As
soon as he could no longer hear the cackling of the hens the healer kept in a
pen behind his house, Rylan changed, his body stretching and reforming to
become the black unicorn that struck fear into the hearts of the villagers in
the surrounding towns. He shook his head, ruffling his mane, the movement
working its way down his body until he had stretched every muscle.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Taking a few tentative steps, he tested his injured leg, finding the
muscle as sore in animal form as in human form, but not so much that he could
not walk. His animal mind resented not being able to run, but even in equine
form, he retained enough of his humanity to control the urge to ignore the pain
and gallop through the woods toward home. He knew he should go back to </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s
and take his leave properly, but the desire to find the solace of his own abode
was nearly overwhelming. He turned his head back toward </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s cabin, and
then regretfully began the long walk home.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">An hour later, he was regretting his decision. His leg was throbbing,
making it harder and harder to walk, and he still had some distance to travel.
Furthermore, he could hear someone approaching. When he was well, he feared no
one, but in his current state, he did not have the speed to defend himself
should the need arise. There was nothing for it, though. He would have to face
his tracker and hope for the best. Lowering his horn threateningly, he turned
back and waited.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>walked into the clearing where he stood.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The sight of his benefactor took Rylan’s breath away. In his human form,
he had come to know the man over the past few days, appreciating </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s
gentle hands, his sharp wit, and his handsome face, but now, as a unicorn, he
could sense so much more. He could sense the basic goodness at the heart of the
man and the untouched innocence, which lured the unicorn like nothing else. He
was not repelled by the sexual experience of those around him, but the unicorn
inside him still felt the lure of the virgin. Especially when he already knew
and cared about the virgin.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Slowly Rylan lifted his head so his horn pointed toward the sky rather
than toward </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s chest, and waited to see what the man would do. Even with
the distance between them, Rylan could hear </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s heart pounding in his
chest, another advantage of his shifted form, but the man did not back away.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Rylan was right about you,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said. “He told me you were peaceful as
long as I didn’t have any ill intent.” He took a step forward.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan’s muscles quivered, but he stayed where he was. His human mind knew
he should leave before </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>saw the wound on his thigh, so comparable to the
one the man had been treating, but the unicorn’s desire was stronger, the need
to feel </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s hands on his neck, his shoulder, his flank too great to
overrule. Angling his body so </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>would approach his good side, he let the
man draw near, blowing hard to ruffle his black hair.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>laughed and stroked his long nose gently. “I can’t believe you’re
letting me touch you.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan couldn’t believe he had gone this long <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">without</i> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>touching him. His entire body vibrated with the
sense of rightness at each stroke of tender hands over his hide, his heart
crying out in joy at the nearness of an innocent, someone who could be his One.
He nickered softly, trying to convey without words how much he enjoyed the
caresses, how much he wanted them to continue.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>laughed again, a sound Rylan had heard too rarely in the days they
had spent together. The fear of discovery kept </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>somber more often than
not, but it seemed Rylan’s unicorn form brought out the lighter side of his
personality.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“What is this?” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said suddenly. “You’re hurt!”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan did not stop to think. He fled.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">He could not let </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>discover the truth. That reality had been driven
into him since he was a child and had first learned to change. He could not let
anyone realize his dual nature, at the risk of being captured or even killed,
and experience had only reinforced that lesson. He ran as far as his injured
leg would carry him, collapsing to the ground in human form when the pain
became too much.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">He cursed under his breath at finding himself back in the same position as
when he and </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>had first met. His leg was in better shape now than it had
been then, even after his reckless run, but the weather was far worse. The wind
whistled threateningly in the trees above his head, bringing with it the heavy
smell of impending rain. Lightning crackled between the low-hanging clouds, the
acrid smell of ozone making him realize how close the storm really was. He
pushed to his feet, limping as he tried to continue toward his home.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Rylan!”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Shoulders slumping, Rylan turned to face </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>. “We have to stop meeting
like this,” he joked, but </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s face remained stern.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“What are you doing out here with a storm brewing and no clothes on?”
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>scolded.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“It’s a long story,” Rylan said with a sigh as the first fat raindrops hit
the canopy of leaves. “My home is not far. If you will help me there, I’ll try
to explain.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>nodded and slid his shoulder beneath Rylan’s arm, supporting his
weight as he had done the day they met. “Which way?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan guided them through the woods to his home, the stone dwelling built
into the cliff face next to a small waterfall that fed a normally placid pond.
The wind and driving rain stirred the surface, leaving it choppy with
white-capped waves. They stumbled to the door, Rylan working the locking
mechanism to allow them entrance. Heart pounding, he stepped over the
threshold, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>at his side, the first man to ever enter Rylan’s domain.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You should dry off,” Rylan said, avoiding </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s eyes. “There is a
towel by the sink. I will find something dry for you to wear, even if it’s only
a blanket.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Take the time to dry off and dress as well,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>urged. “I will start
a fire for us.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan nodded and retreated into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him
and leaning back against it for a moment. He had invited a man into his home.
He wasn’t a monk. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>would not be his first lover—he had no illusions they
would end up anywhere but in Rylan’s bed—but </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span> would be the first man
Rylan had welcomed into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">his</i> bed. The
first man his unicorn had ever acknowledged. The One, the virgin he would bind
to forever.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Taking a deep breath, Rylan found a towel and dried off, dressing in his
own clothes again for the first time in three days. He rummaged through the
armoire, looking for something that would fit </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>, but the man was too big.
Rylan settled for pulling the blanket from his bed. Stepping back into the main
room, he paused for a moment to appreciate the vision of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>in only a
towel, kneeling in front of the fireplace, his body limned in gold from the
light of the burgeoning flames.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You must be cold,” Rylan said, struggling to keep his voice even as he
draped the blanket around </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s shoulders. “What were you doing out in the
woods?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I could ask you the same question,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>replied, rising from his
crouch to face Rylan.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I was coming home,” Rylan replied honestly. “I’d imposed on your
generosity long enough.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Then why run away like a thief in the night?” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>asked. “You could
have asked me to come with you, if only to make sure you got here safely. You
didn’t need to sneak out of the house—naked, no less—while I was outside.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I told you that first night you were not the only one with secrets,”
Rylan said defensively. “I didn’t mean to discover yours, but that doesn’t mean
I’m ready to share mine.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>wrapped the blanket more securely around his shoulders. “So you ran
away instead.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan shrugged. “That’s why I was in the woods. What’s your excuse?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I was looking for you,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>replied slowly, his eyes searching Rylan’s
face as if he could find answers to some silent question there. “I found far
more than I expected.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Heart pounding so loud he was sure </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>could hear it, Rylan struggled
to keep his voice steady and his face blank. “Really?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I met the beast you told me about,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said. “He isn’t a monster at
all. He’s beautiful.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan shrugged silently.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>frowned, but went on. “But I noticed something odd. He had a scar
on his left hind leg that matches the wound on your thigh perfectly.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“That is odd,” Rylan agreed, his voice sounding strangled to his own ears.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Why didn’t you tell me you were a shifter?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“For the same reason you didn’t tell me about the brand on your arm,”
Rylan snapped. “It’s a good way to get myself killed.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s hands landed hot and heavy on Rylan’s shoulders. “You know better
than that. If I had any intention of harming you, I would have done it
already.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“But that was before you knew what I am,” Rylan reminded him. “Unicorns
have been killed for their horns. Surely you know that.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I do,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>agreed, “but I also know they’re less likely to be killed
than a man with the mark of a murderer on his arm. Unicorn or not, I mean you
no harm. For the first time in three seasons, I have had the company of another
person for more than a swift business transaction. You saw the brand on my arm,
but you never once condemned me. You asked me who died, not who I had killed. I
think I fell in love with you from those words alone.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan started to shake his head, but </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s lips brushed his, stilling
the movement and winning a gasp of surprise from Rylan’s lips. The kiss was
awkward in its innocence, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>clearly having no idea what he was doing, but
Rylan could not have cared less. His innocent, his virgin, his One, was kissing
him of his own volition, and nothing had ever felt so right.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I need you to hear me,” Rylan said, breaking the kiss with difficulty.
“Right now, my beast desires you, and if you choose to leave, it will fight to
go after you, but I will win because I am not my beast. If you stay, if you let
me have you, you will be mine, my One, and no power in the world will be enough
to keep me from coming after you if you try to leave. If you are not completely
sure you can love me in both my forms, you need to leave now, because I won’t
be able to offer a second time. The lure of the virgin is nearly overwhelming
for a unicorn, and my own attraction to you only adds to that.” He took a
breath to slow the rush of words, steeling himself for </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s rejection. “You
need to decide now.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“There is nothing to decide,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>replied, renewing the kiss. “You are
all I stopped letting myself dream of the moment they put this brand on my
arm.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan wanted to ask if he was certain, but he could only fight the unicorn
within him for so long in the face of such provocative temptation.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You are mine now,” he swore, pushing the blanket aside and turning </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>toward the bedroom.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>made no protest as they moved into the other room, though Rylan
could sense his nervousness. He turned </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>back around, kissing him
tenderly, the emotion in the gesture, the interest his beast showed for the
first time in his intimate life, making it easy to go slow and give </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>a
moment to adjust to their intimacy. Rylan had fucked many men in his life, but
never before had he made love. Never before had he taken a man to his bed with
the full acceptance of his unicorn nature. Never before had he claimed a man.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">His hands wandered carefully, gentling </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>as earlier </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>had
gentled the unicorn. Their lips stayed pressed together, moving against each
other, parting for a quick breath, then joining again. Rylan could swear he
felt their souls touching in that contact. He waited for </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>to touch him in
return, but his virgin was too shy for that, apparently. Rylan looked forward
to teaching him confidence, but that could wait for later, when </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>trusted
the depth and permanence of Rylan’s love. For now, Rylan would take charge and
claim his virgin, his mate. His One.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">He had always known his other half would fixate on someone someday, and
that when that happened, he would be bound to that person for life, but knowing
and experiencing were two completely different things. The reverence that
imbued his touch as he discovered every plane and hollow of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s body had
never before been present in his bed sport. His own pleasure had no importance
in the face of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s need. And when their bodies finally joined, the tender
indignities of flesh piercing flesh faded to nothing compared to the knowledge
of soul mating with soul.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Time stretched and slowed as their breathing returned, finally, to normal
and their pulses steadied again. Rylan rolled to one side, keeping </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>tightly in his embrace so his virgin—even if </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>was considerably less
virginal than an hour ago—would not feel rejected.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“So what happens now?” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>asked after a few minutes. “You called me
yours, but I don’t know what that means. In practical terms.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan pushed up on one elbow. “Unicorns are fascinated by innocents,
virgins. I’m not sure you could have approached me in animal form earlier
tonight if you hadn’t been untouched. I wouldn’t have hurt you, because I knew
you meant me no harm, but I’m not sure I could have stayed still while you
petted me like you did. In my human form, it isn’t simply an abstract
fascination. It’s a mating instinct. I’ve always known that, someday, my
unicorn would find a virgin who would be my virgin, my One.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Except I’m not a virgin anymore,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>pointed out.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“No.” Rylan had to agree, since he had taken part in the deflowering. “But
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I </i>caused that, and so instead of my
unicorn seeing you as tainted, it sees you as mine. Nothing we ever do together
in love will tarnish your innocence in the eyes of my beast. How is it that you
have reached an age and a maturity to be my One without ever having taken a
lover?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I never met a man I respected enough to take to my bed,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>replied.
“Apparently I needed a unicorn instead.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The answer was, perhaps, simplistic, but Rylan accepted it for now. He
would have time to learn more of his mate’s past as they built their future.
The details could wait.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-variant: small-caps; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Winter</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"> had given way to spring finally, and both Rylan and </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>were ready for
the freedom the warmer weather allowed. The snow had been uncommonly heavy,
making it hard for Rylan to run in unicorn form. He had changed frequently, his
unicorn as possessive of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>as Rylan was, but while he had reveled in letting
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>brush him and stroke him, they had not been able to go for many rides.
Now that the snow had finally melted everywhere but under the densest stands of
trees, Rylan wanted to take his mate on his back and run.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Over the winter, they had worked toward </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>being able to ride Rylan in
unicorn form. Even with </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>, his One whom he trusted implicitly, Rylan’s
unicorn had been nervous at first about accepting a rider. It had taken all of
Rylan’s will and all of </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s persuasiveness to convince the animal to let
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>first lean and later sit on its back. Finally, though, they had reached
the point where </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>could take a short ride around the protected yard. The
sensation of having </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s long, long legs stretching across his back and down
his sides, gripping him tightly for even that distance, had been enough to
result in a frenzied session of lovemaking. Rylan could only imagine—and
anticipate—the results of a real run.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Are you ready?” he called impatiently to </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>, who was still in the
house.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Hold your horses,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>joked, coming out of the house.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Who are you calling a horse?” Rylan retorted, a grin forming at the easy
teasing.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Not you,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said immediately. “I want my ride today, and I know what
will happen if I insult you.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“What will happen?” Rylan asked, drawing </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>into his arms. He stroked
the strong arms bared by the sleeveless shirt </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>wore, thrilled that the
man no longer felt the need to hide the brand from Rylan’s eyes.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You’ll pout, and the unicorn won’t let me mount,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said. “And that
would ruin the rest of my plans.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“And what are the rest of your plans?” Rylan asked, though he thought he
knew.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>grinned mischievously. “Finding a secluded spot and convincing you
to switch back to human form so you can ravish me thoroughly.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">That coincided exactly with Rylan’s plans. “What makes you think I have
any intention of ravishing you?”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>held up the small vial he had found tucked among his clothes that
morning. “The fact that you left this for me, since you can’t carry anything
when you’re in unicorn form. Come on, change already, so we can go.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan stripped, shivering a little as the breeze picked up, his human
flesh far more sensitive to temperature than his equine body. Usually, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s
hands would have been all over him as he bared himself for the change, but
today it seemed the man was as eager as Rylan was. With a stretch and a shake,
he shifted, turning to nudge </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>with his horn. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>approached the animal
cautiously, because even after their practice rides, the unicorn remained
skittish at first, but Rylan’s eagerness overcame the beast’s fears and </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>mounted with ease. Rylan took a deep breath, calming his unicorn’s nerves and
reining in his own anticipation. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s pat on his neck gave him the sign he
needed that his One was settled and ready to go.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The unicorn began at an easy walk, growing accustomed to the extra weight
on his back, to the way it moved and shifted with and against him. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>made
no move to guide Rylan, content to let the unicorn explore on his own, much to
Rylan’s relief. He was not sure the animal inside him would have taken such
direction.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">When he was comfortable, he picked up the pace a little, alert for any
sign of discomfort or distress on </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s part. Despite his intention of being
careful, their lovemaking the night before had degenerated into a pounding,
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>demanding more and more until Rylan’s reserves broke. The body on his
back moved with him easily, though, nothing in the hands resting lightly on
Rylan’s mane or the legs wrapped firmly around his girth suggesting anything
more than pure enjoyment of the day and the sunshine and the ride.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The need to run became overwhelming finally, and Rylan gave in to it, his
hooves pounding the uneven ground as he raced along the narrow track between
the trees. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>moved with him as if they were one body, making Rylan long
for them to be joined in another way. Turning toward the hot springs that
bubbled up from the base of a nearby mountain, he raced in that direction,
already anticipating making love to his One in the bubbly water.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>dismounted when Rylan stopped near the springs. The unicorn gave a
restless shake of its head and transformed back into the man. The very aroused
man.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“It looks like you enjoyed our ride nearly as much as I did,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said
with a grin, pulling Rylan toward him. </span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“I don’t know,” Rylan teased, moving into </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s arms. “You still have
clothes on.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Laughing, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>pulled the shirt over his head and started undoing the
laces on his trousers. Rylan moved to help when a noise caught his attention.
“Someone’s coming,” he said tersely. “It sounds like a group.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>nodded, his face sober as he refastened his pants and reached for
his shirt. “Change. We can always come back later.”</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan stretched, his body transforming as </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>pulled his shirt over his
head. Before </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span> could mount, though, five men broke free of the woods.
Everyone froze for a moment before one of the men shouted </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s name. The
others took up the cry, rushing toward the man, heedless of Rylan at his side.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The fell intent in their hearts spurred Rylan forward, his body blocking </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s from the oncoming crowd. They did not appear to have bows with them,
fortunately, but Rylan would have fought them even then. No one threatened his
One. No one. He lowered his horn, charging the group. He hoped his aggression
would frighten them into retreat, but he had not counted on their greed. The
emotion he could feel roiling from them made no sense until one of the men
shouted about the price on </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s head. That only added to Rylan’s anger.
These men would steal his heart from him for money? They could think again. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan reared high, his hooves thrashing just above the head of the nearest
man. When the man’s response was to draw his sword, Rylan lowered his head and
skewered the man without regret. He tossed his head, the man’s body flying
through the air to land lifelessly at the feet of a nearby tree. The other four
hesitated after that, not sure they wanted to face Rylan’s horn, but the lure
of the bounty was great.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Before Rylan could lunge again, he felt tender hands on his side and a leg
over his back. “Go,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said. “Don’t sink to their level when their only
crime is greed. They can’t follow us. Run.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Rylan was tempted to ignore the admonition, but his One ruled his actions
as surely as his heart. Springing forward, he reached the track the men had
taken to arrive, hoping to throw them off his trail by not returning directly
home. His hooves thundered hard on the forest floor as he raced away from those
who would have hurt </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>. He could feel </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>clinging to him, bent over his
neck, hands tangled in his mane. All the pleasure of the earlier ride had
disappeared in the face of the villagers’ violence, and not even </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane</span>’s legs
squeezing tightly around Rylan’s belly could restore it. Not until he knew
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>was safe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Arriving at a stream, he splashed into the bed, traveling downstream for
some miles so the water would hide his tracks before leaving the watercourse
and turning toward home. His subterfuge would slow their pursuers, but the
villagers knew </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>was in the woods now, in the company of the beast. They
would be back, and in greater numbers. When they entered the yard, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>slid
from Rylan’s back.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“You defended me,” </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>said as Rylan shimmered back into human form.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">“Gather everything of value,” Rylan said. “We must leave as soon as we can
load the pack horse. It will take them time to find us, but they will not give
up.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">Dane </span>caught Rylan’s arm as he started toward the house. “You defended
me.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; tab-stops: 84.25pt; text-align: justify; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-font-kerning: 0pt;">The repetition caught Rylan’s attention. “I’ll always defend you. You are
my One.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-autospace: ideograph-numeric ideograph-other; text-indent: 27.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-36697769801762153122016-02-28T11:00:00.000-06:002016-02-28T11:05:33.719-06:00Sunday Snippets - Intimate Territory<span style="font-family: inherit;">Last week's winner is Kylia! Kylia, e-mail me or PM me on Facebook to claim your prize. To enter this week's contest, give me a couple or prompt you'd like to see me write.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">I</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">ntimate Territory (A <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=982" target="_blank"><i>Hot Cargo</i></a> anniversary story by Nicki Bennett and Ariel Tachna) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blurb:</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Captured and accused of piracy, privateer Blaise Risner, captain of the Golden Stallion, finds himself in a clinch - literally - with Confederation Admiral Peter Keller, who promises to see justice done by way of hard labor. But when the chemistry between them rivals the heat of the twin Talixin suns, the dominant admiral decides he wants to handle the rehabilitation of the provocative pirate himself. After their first close encounter, Blaise figures that serving Keller in such a personal capacity won't be such a terrible sentence.<br /><br />Keller dispenses his own forms of painful justice and sensual discipline, which usually involve a not-so-resistant Blaise on his knees bound and determined to give as good as he gets. The privateer can't deny that suffering the handsome admiral's punishments makes him burn like the fires of the Horsehead Nebula. Serving in the roles of prisoner and captor defines their 'relationship', but no power can stop a shooting star ... the star of startling passion that flares every time they touch.<br /><br />Just when Blaise thinks he can navigate the treacherous asteroid field of emotion to find common ground with Keller, an interstellar war tears them apart. Through it all, Blaise's desire for his captor stands as tall and strong as the monoliths of Maraven, and he'll go to the very edge of the galaxy and back if that's what it takes to crack the ice around the admiral's heart. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise Risner laughed as he led his lover and
partner, Peter Keller, back into the hotel Peter had convinced him to splurge
on during their stay on Regulus. They’d spent the day browsing the infamous
pleasure bazaar, and Blaise couldn’t wait to get back to their rooms so they
could put their new acquisitions to good use.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">He pushed open the door, stepped inside, and froze.
Instead of the simple but elegant decorations that had adorned the room that
morning, he stood in a boudoir that seemed to be modeled on the fabled harem of
the Orion emperors. The comfortable but utilitarian bed had been replaced by,
or at least hidden beneath, a mound of plushly decadent body pillows. A gauzy veil
draped from the ceiling around the bedding, seeming to serve little purpose in
the climate-controlled suite but to provide the opportunity for glimpsing a
lover’s naked body through its shimmering folds. Scented tapers provided the
room’s only light as well as adding a heady, sensual fragrance. To one side of
the bed stood a tray overflowing with delicacies to tempt the palate and a
flask of deep ruby liquor beside two ornately etched goblets.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise automatically took a step backward,
intending to check the room number. He couldn’t imagine the door opening if
they weren’t in the right suite, but he knew the room hadn’t looked like this
when they left that morning. The movement took him directly into Peter’s
embrace. Even in his puzzlement, the feeling of those strong arms going around
him heated his blood, especially since it was already on a low simmer from all
the discussions over the course of the day about the different toys and all the
things Peter would do to him when they had time and privacy. “Peter?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Nudging Blaise forward gave Peter the chance to rub
his arousal against his lover’s firm backside, and Blaise’s puzzlement didn’t
stop him from pressing against the hard shaft. Peter indulged himself in the
contact for a moment before leaning forward to nip at the side of Blaise’s
neck. “Unless you want to continue this here in the hallway, I suggest moving
inside.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise stepped far enough into the room for the
door to close behind them. He wasn’t necessarily opposed to a bit of
exhibitionism, but he’d prefer to do it in a more controlled manner. “Not that
I’m complaining, but what’s with the décor?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“You don’t like it?’ Peter cocked an eyebrow before
tossing their parcel of purchases onto the bed, where it was swallowed up in
the sea of pillows. “Not that I object to sharing the captain’s bunk with you
on the <i>Stallion</i>, but I thought you might appreciate a bit more comfort
tonight.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I’ll never say no to comfort,” Blaise replied
automatically as he turned to face Peter, “and it looks amazing in here, but
why tonight? Or is this just for the hell of it?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">The appreciative gleam in his partner’s eyes
convinced Peter that he’d definitely plan something like this just for the hell
of it at some point in the future, but he managed what he hoped was a convincing
scowl. “You don’t remember what tonight is? After I juggled our supply schedule
to be sure we’d make it to Regulus in time? And made all these arrangements
over the comm while you were asleep in order to surprise you?” He shook his
head. “I’m surprised at you, Risner.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise racked his brain, trying to figure out what
they could possibly be celebrating. “It’s not the anniversary of my arrest,” he
said. “That passed while I was still trying to find you when you ran off to
Petarus without me. It’s not your birthday or mine. It hasn’t been a year since
we finally worked things out, so it can’t be that. I’m sorry, Peter. You
obviously went to great lengths to put this together, and I really appreciate
it, but I don’t know what we’re celebrating.” He was babbling and he knew it,
but he hated disappointing Peter. He had no trouble angering him, seducing him,
teasing him, playing any and every kind of game with him, sating him and being
sated by him, but he folded like a house of cards at the first sign that he had
not lived up to Peter’s expectations.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Dropping his feigned irritation, Peter drew Blaise
closer, sliding his arms down until he could cup his pirate’s—or rather,
privateer’s—delectable ass. “I didn’t appreciate what I had when you first
showed up on the <i>North Star</i>,” he admitted. “I saw your obvious
attractions, but nothing beyond that. It took a while for me get my head out of
my ass long enough to recognize how much more there was to you, and how much
you were starting to mean to me.” Before Blaise could speak, he covered the
opened lips with his own, his tongue sweeping in to claim Blaise’s in a heated
duel that left them both gulping for breath when he finally pulled away. “Not
that I had any intention of letting you see that at the time.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise’s head was spinning from the kiss and from
Peter’s hands on his ass. Peter had him well trained. At the first sign of his
lover’s attentions, he went fully hard and ready for whatever Peter had in
store for him next. He’d actually been surprised to get out of the room that
morning without one toy or another inserted in or affixed to some part of his
body. Maybe this was why. He cast his mind back over the previous year, trying
to remember the nights leading up to him making the connection between the
mysterious attacks on Confederation outposts and the Gavenelians who had held
him captive and tortured him for six months. “The night you first asked me to
stay,” he said after a moment. “The first time I felt like your lover and not
just your fucktoy.” He rubbed against Peter’s hip, letting his lover feel his
arousal and by extension his willingness for anything Peter had in mind. “Instead
of bending me over the nearest flat surface, you took me to bed and made love
to me. That’s what we’re celebrating, isn’t it?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Peter’s grip tightened on Blaise’s ass, his cock
already hard enough to tempt him to rip the clothes from that delectable body,
throw him onto the pillows, and fuck him through them, just the way Blaise
described it. But if he’d learned anything since his lover found him licking
his wounds on Petarus, it was that there were times when talking really did
need to take precedence over sex. He’d just have to talk quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“On your birthday, when I offered you anything you
wanted and you asked for just me, I started to hope we’d moved beyond my
forcing you, though I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t simply a ploy to avoid having
to endure any of the toys. But that night—this night—watching you sleep in my
bed, I couldn’t deny it anymore. I might not have been sure what it meant to
you, but I knew what it meant to me.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I was scared that night,” Blaise admitted. “I’d
slipped up and called you by name because you’d stopped being Admiral Keller
and had become Peter in my head, even if I couldn’t let you see it, but that
night, you weren’t the sadistic bastard of an admiral, at least not once you
started fucking me, and I let my guard slip. I don’t think I ever got it all
the way back up. So this is our anniversary celebration?” He loosened his hold
on Peter enough to look back over the exotic boudoir Peter had arranged to set
up. “Shouldn’t you be taking me to bed then?”</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Still thinking you give the orders,” Peter
grumbled, though no one hearing him would believe he was truly complaining. He
moved forward, walking Blaise backward with a thigh between his legs, grinding
their groins together with each step. He wanted to watch the silky netting
around the bed whisper over Blaise’s honeyed skin, but his lover had entirely
too many clothes on for that to happen. Just before they reached the gauzy
veil, he stopped and took a step back, one hand settling on his hip and the
other slipping into his pocket. “Strip,” he ordered in the tone his crew on the
<i>North Star</i> had learned to dread.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">For Blaise, though, that tone evoked none of the
same foreboding. For him, it was a harbinger of things to come. Sometimes
painful, but always powerfully arousing and ultimately mind-blowing things.
Wearing the cocky grin that had earned him more than one punishment aboard the <i>North
Star</i>, Blaise ran his hands up over his chest, making a show of undoing the
buttons on his shirt one at a time, even though he could have pulled it over
his head after the first two.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">Peter widened his stance at the provocative
striptease, though the shipsuit he wore was nowhere near as constraining as his
Confederation uniform. His first glimpse of Blaise’s chest had the same effect,
regardless. When Blaise let the fabric slide down his arms, baring the two
rings adorning his dusky nipples—the one he’d pierced after he escaped from the
Gavenelians, the other placed there by Peter himself—Peter started releasing
his own fasteners, but he didn’t move any nearer. “The rest of it too,” he
prodded when Blaise paused, eyeing him with what Peter no longer had any doubt
was equal hunger.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise dropped the shirt to the ground and popped
the button on his trousers. When he was sure he had Peter’s attention, he
shimmied out of them as well until he stood before his lover completely nude
and utterly unabashed, his erection jutting out in front of him eagerly. “Your
turn,” he drawled. “Can’t fuck me senseless if you’re still dressed.”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Maybe I want to enjoy the view first,” Peter
answered, though he shucked his own clothes quickly enough. After letting his
gaze run the length of Blaise’s lean body—he might see it every day now, but it
still never failed to impress—he took a step forward and ran a hand up the
toned chest, pausing to tweak the nipple the bore his ring. Then he flattened
his palm and gave Blaise a push backward. The fluttering curtain brushed over
Blaise’s skin, the sight every bit as arousing as Peter had imagined it to be,
before Blaise landed on the mounded pillows with a bit of a bounce.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">“That was strange.” Blaise reached up to finger the
sheer fabric with a puzzled look on his face. “It kind of tingled.”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">Peter frowned at the small remote in his other
hand. “The shopkeeper I bought it from didn’t mention that side effect. Is it
painful?”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise ran the palm of his hand over the cloth this
time. “No, not painful. Tingly, like the way the lightning of Petarus leaves
the air feeling charged when the storms come at night.” They had slipped out
into the storms, one memorable night, making love beneath the pounding rain,
bodies singing from the contact and from the electricity in the air. He looked
up at Peter for a moment before reaching out for his lover with the cloth still
in his hand. He pressed his palm to the unscarred side of Peter’s chest,
letting the effect of the fabric add to his touch.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">Shaking his head, Peter bounced the remote in his
palm. Not that Blaise’s touch wasn’t potent enough on its own, but…. “It won’t
work on me. It’s already taken a sensor scan of your bioreadings—that must have
been the tingle you felt—and adapted itself to your metabolism.” He thumbed a
control on the remote and cocked an eyebrow at Blaise, appraising the effect.
The device was supposed to be painless, and while neither he nor Blaise was
averse to an occasional nip of pain with their pleasure, it wasn’t a part of
Peter’s plans for the night. He nudged the setting a fraction higher, his gaze
never leaving Blaise’s face. “Enough to generate a mild stasis field.” </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">“New and inventive ways to tie me up?” Blaise
teased. He didn’t try to fight the confinement. He never had other than for
show, but tonight he didn’t even bother with that. “You could always just order
me into whatever position you want me in, you know.”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">“And since when have you ever followed orders?”
Peter retorted, pausing a moment to appreciate the contrast of Blaise’s golden
skin against the white pillows before moving close enough to trace the muscle
of Blaise’s thigh with his fingertips. He wasn’t sure, but he thought he felt
an echo of the tingle Blaise had mentioned quiver up his arm, and he dropped to
one knee, caressing the other leg to judge if it caused the same effect.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise was terrible at following orders, but only
because he knew Peter loved it when he acted up. Even at his worst, he’d only
done it when it hadn’t mattered. When it had been a matter of life or death,
he’d listened and done what was expected of him. “Where’s the fun in blindly
obeying every word that comes out of your mouth?” Blaise teased. He tried to
move his leg, if only to spread his thighs farther apart in invitation, but the
stasis field held, sending showers of electricity up his limbs whenever he
tried to move or whenever Peter touched him, and all he could do was lie in
place and wait upon Peter’s whim. The thought left him far more hot and
bothered than it should have.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">“That’s why I have to find toys like this,” Peter
explained while running both hands up the insides of Blaise’s thighs. If the
frisson of excitement that coursed through his nerves at the touch was anything
like what Blaise was feeling, this would prove a sweet torment for both of
them. The flutter of Blaise’s eyelids suggested the sensation was at least as
strong for him too. “You’ll just have to lie there and take whatever I give
you.” Leaning forward, he nipped at the woven ring that marked Blaise as his,
sending sparks dancing along his synapses like the ionized dust in the Varian
asteroid cloud. He closed his lips over the pierced nipple, a purr of pleasure
rumbling from his throat at the jolt of awareness that flowed through them
both.</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.5pt;">“You realize,” Blaise gasped as he tried to arch
into the touch and couldn’t, “that the more I try to move, the more I get that
static electricity feeling. I’m never going to last.”</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“You’ll last until I’m ready for you to come and
not before,” Peter growled, and then set to work proving just how well he’d
learned his lover’s sensitive spots—and his limits—during the months they’d
been reunited. Each time Blaise’s groans and curses hinted he was close to
losing control, Peter backed off, turning his attentions to a less susceptible
spot and then pushing Blaise even higher, keeping him dancing on the knife-edge
of release without letting him tip over. That the nerve-net’s augmentation was
proving just as hazardous to his own self-control was the price he’d willingly
pay to lavish his lover with this much pleasure.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise would have given any number of things to be
able to ignore Peter’s demands and simply jerk his cock until he came. He had
come so close to release so many times already, but each time Peter had pulled
him back and then pushed him higher. He tried to beg, but the stasis field’s
effects had spread until he had trouble even making his mouth form words, not
that Peter left it empty for long. Between his tongue and his cock, Blaise
hadn’t been able to do more than gasp for breath in what felt like hours. His
eyes rolled back in his head as Peter denied his orgasm yet again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">As much as Peter would have liked to prolong his
attentions to every micron of Blaise’s skin, his own body was making its
demands clear in the ache in his balls and the insistent throbbing of his cock.
While he was well dampened between Blaise’s saliva and his own precome, he
needed to slick Blaise as well, even if the preparation was cursory at best.
He’d heard of a device that could be inserted to keep a lover lubricated, and
made a mental note to look for one on their next supply run while he scrabbled among
the pillows for the container of lube that was among the purchases they’d made
that day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Now,” Blaise said as soon as Peter left his mouth
unoccupied for more than a moment. “Fuck me now.” He couldn’t turn his head to
see what Peter was doing, but he heard the squelch of lube and felt the cold
touch of Peter’s hand between his thighs. “Forget that,” he groaned. “In me.
Now, damn it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I may listen to your orders aboard the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stallion</i>, but I’m in charge here, as you
seem to keep forgetting,” Peter countered, though since he punctuated his
response by slamming into Blaise in a single hard thrust, he figured his lover
didn’t have reason for complaint. Just to be sure, though, he captured Blaise’s
mouth with his own, his tongue probing as deeply as his cock as he worked them
both hard and fast.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Peter’s mouth muffled the scream that escaped
Blaise at the sudden penetration, but it was exactly what he needed. He wanted
to wrap his arms and legs around Peter as encouragement, but the fucking stasis
field kept him from moving. He fought it, every suppressed twitch of his
muscles sending another surge of electricity through him. Peter pounded into
him perfectly, pegging his gland with every pass, and this time, he didn’t pull
back when Blaise’s orgasm started to crest. With a second muffled scream, Blaise
lost control, his climax spilling between them. Every spasm of his muscles
triggered the stasis field, prolonging his pleasure until he was nearly
insensate with it, and still it continued, Peter driving into him over and over
and over and… fuck, it felt so good it hurt!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">If his tongue wasn’t massaging Blaise’s tonsils,
Peter would have gritted his teeth as he fought to hold back his climax and
prolong Blaise’s. The convulsions of the tight sheath spasming around his shaft
and the tingle the stasis field transmitted wherever his skin met Blaise’s
proved his undoing, the sudden splash of Blaise’s release sending a flare of
such ecstasy through the nerve-net that he nearly blacked out as his release seared
through him like a plasma bolt. He barely had the presence of mind to thumb off
the remote before he slumped against Blaise’s hot, sweaty body in complete
satiation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise felt the stasis field disengage, but he
still couldn’t move. Peter had left him completely boneless. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“So,” Peter drawled after regaining his breath,
“should I have one of these installed in our cabin on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stallion</i>?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“I don’t have to take your orders on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Stallion</i>,” Blaise reminded him. A rather
wicked thought occurred to him. “Unless you’d rather I use it on you….”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">“Maybe next anniversary,” Peter murmured as he
pulled his pirate into his arms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Blaise grinned as he started to drift off to sleep.
He had a year. He’d think of something to top this.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-hyphenate: auto; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: 11.5pt;">Want to find out how Blaise and Peter got here? Check out <i><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=982" target="_blank">Hot Cargo</a> </i>as well as the other two stories in that universe, <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=1787" target="_blank"><i>Healing in His Wings</i></a> and <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2159" target="_blank"><i>Something About Harry</i></a>.</span></div>
Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-52526681884048676962016-02-21T17:27:00.001-06:002016-02-21T17:32:53.645-06:00Sunday Snippets - At Your Service teaser<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">I'm starting a new feature on my blog called Sunday Snippets. Each Sunday I'll post something... a teaser for an upcoming book, a deleted scene from something already out, a new short story featuring a favorite couple after the end of their book, or maybe a scene from a story idea I'm considering but haven't quite decided on yet. This week, it's a teaser for my upcoming release <i>At Your Service</i> set in and around the Salon du Livre in Paris.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">L<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">eave a comment either about this teaser or about a short story you'd like to read later and you'll be entered in a drawing for your choice of my backlist eBook<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">s.</span></span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOoV_aMnbY2YO1x9rgnBHRVdpqNSaDs-OuAVqJDHs2m_u_oQfd69g2HXCq9SHEXoDqBDQsH5V-dzUvzEimdMl1dquq_EYqoAy_w_OciyYGJK_eesol0S2Dc3cRFygSDVwinbZ_3lsdTA/s1600/AtYourServiceLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOoV_aMnbY2YO1x9rgnBHRVdpqNSaDs-OuAVqJDHs2m_u_oQfd69g2HXCq9SHEXoDqBDQsH5V-dzUvzEimdMl1dquq_EYqoAy_w_OciyYGJK_eesol0S2Dc3cRFygSDVwinbZ_3lsdTA/s320/AtYourServiceLG.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Blurb: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">When Anthony Mercer
walked into Au cœur du terroir, he was looking for good food and a pleasant
evening spent with a friend. He never expected to meet—and sleep with—Paul
Delescluse, a waiter at the restaurant. After spending a magical week together
in Paris, Anthony must return to his life in North Carolina, while Paul remains
in France.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 2.0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Despite the distance
and the lack of promises between them—Paul wants sex, not a relationship—Paul
and Anthony forge a solid friendship. Then Anthony’s job takes him back to
Paris, this time to stay. Paul is thrilled to have him back, but Anthony has a
harder choice: be another of Paul’s conquests or fight for the relationship he
knows they could have, if only Paul would believe it.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Snippet:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Rue
de Vaugirard was a busy, vibrant street, even at midnight, exactly what Anthony
had come to expect from a commercial area of Paris. Almost as soon as they left
the thoroughfare for the side streets, though, they left the bustle behind for
the quiet of a residential neighborhood. Another block away to rue du Hameau
and Paul guided Anthony toward the front door of an eighteenth-century building
in pale stone, white or yellow—he couldn’t tell in the light of the
streetlamps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Do
you ever feel like you can’t get away from work, living so close to the
restaurant?” Anthony asked as Paul dug in his pocket for his keys.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“It’s
the family business,” Paul replied with a smile. “Unless I quit the restaurant
and never went to family gatherings, I wouldn’t be able to get away from it, no
matter where I lived.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“There
is that.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Paul
got the heavy wooden door unlocked and ushered Anthony inside with his hand low
and hot at the small of Anthony’s back. Anthony stood in pitch darkness for a
moment until Paul found the light switch that illuminated the entry hall. The
inside of the building matched the outside, buffed stone floor shining in the
bright light and wrought-iron railings with a wooden banister leading up a
curved staircase.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“We’ll
take the elevator unless you really want to walk,” Paul said, following
Anthony’s gaze. “I live on the fourth floor.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Which
meant they’d have to walk up four flights of stairs, not three. He’d had too
much wine at dinner for that. Not to mention how ready he was for the promise
implied in the hand that had returned to his back. “We can take the elevator. I
can admire the architecture another time.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Paul
grinned at him. “Does that mean there will be another time?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Anthony
swallowed hard. “I’m in Paris for five more days. I have to be at the Salon du
livre during the day, but Patricia made it pretty clear my evenings were my own
when she left without me tonight. I don’t see why this has to be a one-night
thing, as long as we both understand that I’m leaving on Wednesday.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Paul
pulled open the elevator door and herded Anthony inside. The tiny cabin,
probably a century old, barely held both of them, but Paul didn’t seem
concerned as he punched the button for the fourth floor and crowded Anthony
against the wall. Anthony leaned into him, letting their bodies touch in as
many places as possible. Paul tilted his head and mouthed at Anthony’s jaw, his
lips catching on the stubble Anthony hadn’t bothered to shave away before
dinner.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“I’ll
shave tomorrow before I come to the restaurant,” Anthony gasped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Don’t
bother. I don’t mind a little beard burn.” Paul worked down Anthony’s neck to
the collar of his sweater. He nudged the cloth aside and nipped at the skin
beneath. “Do you?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“It
can’t show tomorrow.” His voice sounded wrecked to his own ears, but he
couldn’t be bothered to care. Paul was taking him apart, and he didn’t want to
be put back together anytime soon. “Beyond that, no.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">The
elevator dinged and the interior door slid open. Paul pulled Anthony out of the
elevator with him and spun him around so his back hit the wooden door behind
him. The doorknob dug into his back, but he ignored it in favor of running his
hands over Paul’s shoulders and arms. Beneath the simple shirt, he could feel
solid muscle, tribute to all the heavy trays Paul carried around the
restaurant. He yearned to see as well as feel, but he’d wait until they were
inside for that. Paul’s wasn’t the only door on that floor, and he didn’t want
someone coming out and seeing them half naked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Paul
didn’t seem to share Anthony’s concern about his neighbors, given the way he
ran his hands under Anthony’s sweater.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“Fuck,”
Anthony grunted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Paul
laughed and pulled away. “Should I be pleased I have you so worked up that you
speak in English instead of French?” he teased.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Had
he spoken English? He hadn’t even realized. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ouais</i>,” Anthony replied, consciously switching back to French. He
didn’t have to think to speak French these days, but exclamations were always
the last thing to come naturally in French, and Paul had muddled his brain
thoroughly already.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">“What
did you say?” Paul asked.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Anthony
considered his reply for only a moment. He could translate it as a simple
expletive—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">putain</i> or <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">merde</i> or something like that since he
couldn’t imagine Paul not knowing the word fuck—or he could get what he really
wanted. “Baise-moi.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">Want to read more? <i>At Your Service </i>releases in <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7500" target="_blank">English</a> and <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7498" target="_blank">French</a> on March 14 from Dreamspinner Press and many other online retailers. </span></div>
<br />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-67000754047491589592015-11-13T16:00:00.001-06:002015-11-13T16:02:05.434-06:00A Heart Full of Love (A Partnership in Blood ficlet)<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Are you ready for this?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I have no idea,” Orlando admitted, coming
to sit next to Alain on the bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We’ve
gone through all the training, we’ve got the house ready, everything is
set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicole arrives tomorrow.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“And you’re scared out of your mind,” Alain
surmised.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“And you’re not?” Orlando asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I know you better than that.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“How do you think I knew what you were
feeling?” Alain asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Claire said it
was normal to have doubts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She only
worries about people who don’t question whether they’re doing the right thing.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I know, I was there,” Orlando said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The energetic social worker had helped smooth
over any number of bumps in their road: his being a vampire, their being gay,
to name the biggest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their status as war
heroes had probably helped, but he knew he owed Claire a debt of thanks for
making their dream of being foster parents to war orphans a reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I know you’ll be a wonderful father to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve listened to Thierry tell
stories about the way you were with your son.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You’ll be the same loving man with our little refugees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have nothing like that to draw on, and my
experiences with my own father were so long ago and from such a different time
that I’m not sure they even come into play.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Children need one thing more than
anything else,” Alain said, his voice firm with conviction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They need to be loved unconditionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That doesn’t mean you take their crap and let
them walk all over you, but it means that no matter what they do, when you tuck
them into bed at night, you tell them you love them and you mean it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may not have any practical experience,
but you have a heart full of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They’ll see that and respond to it.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I have a heart full of you,” Orlando
countered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Before I met you—”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Let’s not think about that,” Alain said,
pressing Orlando back onto the bed. “You need to feed so it’s safe for you to
be outside tomorrow when Claire brings Nicole, and then I need to sleep so I’m
rested enough to keep up with a six-year-old all day.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“And you think me feeding is going to
speed up you going to sleep?” Orlando teased, running his hand down Alain’s
back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“That isn’t usually how that
works.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Maybe not, but I sleep best after you’ve
fed and we’ve made love,” Alain replied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He couldn’t remember the last time one hadn’t led to the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly not since the war ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even on the rare occasions they helped with
one magical ritual or another, the Aveu de Sang gave Alain protection from
overfeeding so that Orlando could continue the connection when they arrived
somewhere private.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orlando smiled.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Then let’s see about helping you
sleep.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He rolled Alain beneath him and
licked the brand on Alain’s neck that proclaimed them bound.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The surge of love and amusement that passed
through their bond only widened Orlando’s smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somehow, through some twist of fate or act of
God, he had ended up here, in this bed, with this man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He didn’t know how he’d gotten so lucky, but
he never forgot to be grateful for the gift of Alain’s presence in his life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Bite me already,” Alain said, but there
was no heat in his words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orlando chuckled and lifted his head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I thought you wanted to make love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I bite you now, there are so many other
things I can’t do.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">To prove his point, he reared back and
lowered his head to Alain’s cock, licking the tip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Unless you’re suggesting I bite you here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Maybe not,” Alain said, his voice hoarse
with the desire Orlando could feel resonating through his mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orlando wouldn’t have done it even if
Alain had said yes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He knew how much
that hurt, and he wouldn’t inflict that on anyone even at their request.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead he drew back his fangs and slid lips
down the hardening shaft, taking it deep into his mouth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alain tossed his head, but his hips stayed
still, leaving Orlando in control of their interactions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orlando wanted more, though, so he slipped
one hand between Alain’s legs, circling Alain’s entrance in the one caress that
never failed to shatter his lover’s control.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Alain’s hips lifted, driving his cock into
Orlando’s throat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orlando swallowed and
hummed his approval, projecting his need through their bond as firmly as he
could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alain was always so careful not
to do anything that might trigger bad memories for Orlando, and without that,
Orlando doubted they would have made it through as well as they did, but
tonight Orlando wanted this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wanted
Alain to let go and fuck his mouth and throat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Fortunately Alain seemed to get the message, beginning to move in time
with Orlando’s suction, his hips rising and falling in a rhythm designed to
steal both their wits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within minutes, a
burst of hot cream filled Orlando’s mouth, one of the few tastes besides
Alain’s blood he could savor fully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The magic of the Aveu de Sang would let
them prolong their encounter as much as they wanted, provided they didn’t find
release at the same time, but tomorrow would be a busy day, and Alain did not
have a vampire’s ability to go for days without rest, so Orlando kissed his way
up Alain’s torso, lingering over each nipple, until he once again reached the
brand on Alain’s neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His fangs pierced
flesh, tasting hot blood and the myriad emotions roiling through Alain’s heart:
desire laced with satiation, surprise, and, the bedrock of their lives, love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orlando rocked against Alain, rubbing his
hard shaft against Alain’s hardening one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He would never have had the patience to wait if he hadn’t known his
fangs in Alain’s neck would speed Alain to a second climax nearly as quickly as
the first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it was, though, he didn’t
worry about holding back, rutting against the cradle of Alain’s body, driving
them both higher and higher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could
taste the rising desire in Alain’s blood once more, matching his own until it
reached a fever pitch and the repercussions reverberated between them, a
never-ending feedback loop that left them both panting and exhausted on the
bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Orlando licked the wounds on Alain’s neck
to close them and nestled close to his wizard’s side. “I love you.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I love you, too, angel.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Sleep,” Orlando murmured, pressing one
more kiss to the mark of their bond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“I’ll guard your dreams.”</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Morning came early, but Alain didn’t
protest when Orlando bounced out of bed the moment the sun peaked above the
horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His vampire, once imprisoned by
the sun’s rays, now reveled in his freedom, spending as much time outside as
the demands of their lives would allow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>By the time Alain had showered and came blearily downstairs, Orlando had
coffee ready and breakfast on the table.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The bread was still warm from the bakery down the road in Pouilly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“And you worry about being a good father,”
Alain said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Nicole won’t drink coffee,
but if she wakes up to this kind of attention every morning, she’ll never doubt
you care about her and want her here.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Even if it’s as much for you as it is for
her?” Orlando asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“She’s six, Orlando. Her world revolves
around her still.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’ll see this and
not even notice the coffee that isn’t for her, or if she does notice, it will
be an afterthought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ll be Papa
Orlando, and she’ll think you hung the moon.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“I hope you’re right.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Alain ate while Orlando fussed around the
kitchen, making sure everything was in its place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Alain was finished, Orlando insisted on
checking the room they had prepared for Nicole one more time to make sure
everything was perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The sun had risen enough to cast gentle
rays through the dormer windows they had added to the attic of the house,
converting the space into a series of loft rooms that would, they hoped, allow
them to welcome several children at a time into their home and their lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Claire said it would depend on how things
went with Nicole, but she had been cautiously optimistic that their plan would
work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Everything was exactly as they had left it
the day before, the flowered comforter adding a touch of femininity to the
yellow walls and white trim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few books
sat on the desk and Orlando had put a stuffed bear on the pillow, a welcome
gift to Nicole.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s perfect,” Alain said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“She’ll love it here, and we’ll fill it with
all the things she needs once she gets here and we know her tastes a little
better.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s almost time.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“We can go sit in the courtyard until they
get here,” Alain said, knowing Orlando would pace wherever they waited. At
least outside, they would hear the car approaching.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their quiet little street in their quiet
little town had very little traffic, especially once everyone else had gone to
work.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A high wall extended from the corner of
the house along the road to the three-sided shed where they kept their little
Peugeot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alain had never owned a car
before, living in Paris with its public transportation system, but out here in
the country, walking wasn’t always an option and his magic could not take
Orlando with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pebbled courtyard
between the house and the shed was surrounded with climbing roses, a touch
Orlando had insisted on adding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Behind
the house in the garden, they had other flowers as well, but here in front,
Orlando had insisted on the roses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alain
had seen no reason to argue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He sat down
on the stone bench and did his best to hide a smile as Orlando began to
pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh, he tried to cover it up by
checking the roses, pulling a few weeds, and squashing a few aphids, but Alain
knew his lover better than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orlando
was pacing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“It’s nine o’clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where are they?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Calm down, Orlando.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There may have been bad traffic getting out
of Paris.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nicole might not have been
ready on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a long drive, and
Claire did get her up early.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Before Orlando’s worry could escalate into
a full-fledged panic, they heard the sound of a car engine at the bottom of the
hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orlando rushed to the gate,
swinging it wide in welcome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alain shook
his head indulgently and adjusted the wards that supplemented the physical
barrier so Claire’s car could come through bearing the new addition to their family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Claire climbed out of the car the moment
she put it in park, but the back door didn’t open. Orlando approached the back
window before Alain could stop him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Hi, Nicole,” he said through the open
space.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How are you today?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Is this where you live?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“It is,” Orlando said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Would you like to look around?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The little girl nodded so Orlando opened
the door and helped her out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Do you
have horses?” she asked, holding a stuffed pony close to her chest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“No horses,” Orlando said, “but we have
something almost as fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you want to
see?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">She nodded again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Orlando led her toward the barn at the back
of the property where a mama cat had given birth a few days before.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Here’s her bag,” Claire said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“It isn’t much, but it’s all she has.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can tell she’s going to be happy here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s taken with Orlando already.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“He so wants this to work.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“It will,” Claire said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“She’s already forgotten she’s scared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go join them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ll help myself to coffee and we’ll do paperwork when she’s ready to
come inside.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Alain smiled his thanks and went to join
his family.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Papa Alain?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Yes, Nicole?” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Alain paused at the doorway to Nicole’s
bedroom. He had thought her asleep and so had intended to leave her to rest,
but it seemed she was not as far gone as he’d believed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Tell me a story.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What kind of story?” Alain asked,
returning to the foot of her bed. He didn’t know why she wasn’t exhausted. She
and Orlando had explored every inch of the village, running up and down the
hills and streets, laughing like banshees. It warmed Alain’s heart just to
think of it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“A magical story.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Alain smiled and brushed her hair back
from her face. “Like a fairy-tale story or a real magic story?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“A real magic story,” Nicole said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Alain grinned and summoned a candle with
the flick of his wrist. A tap of his wand, mostly for effect, lit the wick.
Nicole’s eyes widened.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“A long time ago, there was a wizard,”
Alain began, casting around for the perfect words. “He was very sad and very
lonely because his family had died.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Like my parents,” Nicole said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Yes, very much like that,” Alain said.
“He was sure he was never going to have anyone special in his life again
because he’d let bad things happen to the two people who needed him most. Then
one night he was walking and he met the most beautiful young man he had ever
seen.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Did they kiss?” Nicole asked with that
mixture of curiosity and horror that only a six-year-old could muster.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Not right away,” Alain said. “They talked
first because it turns out they each had something the other wanted.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“What?” Nicole asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“They each had a heart full of love to
give and a deep fear of giving it,” Alain explained. “They each needed someone
to love and trust, and because they were both so afraid, they knew how
important it was to take good care of each other.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Did they die in the war too?” Nicole
asked.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“No,” Alain said with a smile and another
stroke of his hand over her hair. “They fought in the war, protecting each
other as best they could, and when the war was over, they decided to leave
Paris and move to the country.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Like you and Papa Orlando.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Exactly like us,” Alain agreed. “Can you
sleep now?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Is that how you met Papa Orlando?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Yes,” Alain said. “I can do all kinds of
magic with a wave of my wand and a whispered spell, but no magic will ever be
as great as knowing I love Papa Orlando and that he loves me in return. Sleep
well, minette. We’ll see you in the morning.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Nicole let him leave this time. He shut
the door to her room and took two steps before he ran right into Orlando. “I
don’t remember it being quite that simple,” Orlando said, his smile evident in
his voice, though Alain could not see it in the darkness of the hallway.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Don’t you?” Alain said. “You took one sip
of my blood, and I’ve been yours ever since. Everything else pales in
comparison to that one irrefutable fact.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“No,” Orlando said, running his fingers
over the brand he didn’t need light to see. “I took one sip of your blood and
I’ve been yours ever since.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“A heart full of love and a deep fear of
giving it,” Alain repeated. “I’m not scared anymore.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 6.0pt; tab-stops: 279.75pt; text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;">“Neither am I.”</span></div>
Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-27059185743762441962015-02-23T18:54:00.000-06:002015-02-23T18:55:08.659-06:00Dream VacationI promised the Dreamspinner Press social media staff that I would write a Dream Vacation free short story as part of a promotion in March, but I need your help. Which characters would you most like to see take a dream vacation to Paris? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesF9vtnESm5-qp1WMlrooRZzQmxA6sAwuFbxYcpBOtpk0oZX6MyeSURjNTfv8gjAOMvnX9mkiAZA0iBgYxx9r5MaD_F861HJNnK74nJ3AIY1gy-r5ZVUkSVCJzModyghIPOmpzT-LWck/s1600/IMG_1475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgesF9vtnESm5-qp1WMlrooRZzQmxA6sAwuFbxYcpBOtpk0oZX6MyeSURjNTfv8gjAOMvnX9mkiAZA0iBgYxx9r5MaD_F861HJNnK74nJ3AIY1gy-r5ZVUkSVCJzModyghIPOmpzT-LWck/s1600/IMG_1475.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'll draw a winner from all comments received by 8 am CST on February 25. The winner will receive his/her choice of any eBook from my backlist.<br />
<br />
Ready, set, go!Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-47456241568867736142014-10-20T16:47:00.001-05:002014-10-20T16:48:23.849-05:00The stunning conclusion of Partnership in BloodYes, that's right. The<i> Partnership in Blood </i>series, ten years and a million words of my life, is now complete. And on Friday, October 31, the remastered versions of the first seven books will become available along with the final volume of the series.<br />
<br />
It started as a challenge on a writers' group I was part of ten years ago. Each month, the moderators would propose a theme and anyone who wanted to participate could write a story around that theme and enter it into the group's contest. We'd critique each other's stories and then at the end of the month, we'd have a vote and the winning story would get a banner for the author's Live Journal or wherever they wanted to post it. The theme for that year's October was supernatural stories. I'm not a paranormal reader. I love fantasy of the<i> Lord of the Rings</i> variety, but I've never gone in for the werewolves or vampires or any of that. So I looked at the challenge and at everything else I was working on and decided I'd pass that month. I'd cheer everyone else on and vote at the end of the month. And then I fell asleep.<br />
<br />
I dreamed that night with a vividness and clarity that I rarely have, and I woke up with three scenes etched in my memory: two men meeting in a cemetery, one of the two men stumbling out of a building at dawn, and one of the two men kneeling at a gravestone. Beginning, climax, and end (or so I thought). I knew it wouldn't be short, but I also knew I had to write it, so I asked the moderators if I could enter whatever portion of the story was complete at the end of October for the voting. They said yes as long as I promised to finish it eventually. I don't think they had ten years in mind when they said eventually, but I can honestly say I kept my promise. Partnership in Blood is now complete.<br />
<br />
(And yes, for the record, I won that month's competition. No, I don't still have the banner.)
So without further ado, I give you the final installment in my saga of love and magic in Paris and beyond: <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5513&cPath=54_160" target="_blank"><i>Partnership Reborn</i></a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5513&cPath=54_160" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5513&cPath=54_160" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCpITt6gNiPmAJQ_kto8R7O2BioahPMZGIwpgqV9sV7Pe7kO2U7gzu5zAQWp1HRl1a1LX7eKTbOaZ3i8lN7j_DmN2kWJu-_n7ildTwlyrt0mEl8SxslL3d7X_tBVOAIkYLKft1X5YEeP8/s320/PartnershipRebornFS.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VXQ7Q13LIA9xN__SC9zsINiGm6a8Eu00QnIiPnTpEqBrca4d5OQdO2jMiYJDL-o9oiqCSuz_ZVhCyMDtzJvbs7k8xWk5Z8Yk8NgskwtLRLef2I2iJB_0MBb7MrJZS1Z3JJ4iGvBKqV8/s1600/PartnershipReforgedFS.jpg" imageanchor="1"> </a><br />
<br />
All his life, wizard Raphael Tarayaud has dreamed of a vampire—first as a friend, then as a lover. His search for his missing soul mate brings him to the attention of Sebastien Noyer, one of his childhood heroes. While Sebastien isn't his soul mate, he could be the perfect partner for Raphael's best friend Kylian Raffier. <br />
<br />
As strange coincidences mount up, Raphael offers his research expertise to try and help Kylian and Sebastien understand what is happening to them, though the more he learns, the less he likes it. But it won’t keep him from fighting with everything he has to secure Kylian’s future. <br />
<br />
When he finally meets Jean Bellaiche, former chef de la Cour and grieving widower, the meeting is disastrous, but Raphael can't let it go. He doesn’t stand a chance with Jean—who could compete with the ghost of Raymond Payet?—but nothing can stop him from dreaming.<br />
<br />
Also, coming this Friday, a free bonus short story, <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5697&cPath=54_160" target="_blank"><i>Partnership Reforged</i></a>. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5697&cPath=54_160" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5697&cPath=54_160" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0VXQ7Q13LIA9xN__SC9zsINiGm6a8Eu00QnIiPnTpEqBrca4d5OQdO2jMiYJDL-o9oiqCSuz_ZVhCyMDtzJvbs7k8xWk5Z8Yk8NgskwtLRLef2I2iJB_0MBb7MrJZS1Z3JJ4iGvBKqV8/s320/PartnershipReforgedFS.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
For two years, Thierry has wanted the one thing Sebastien's past denies him: an Aveu de Sang. With the help of friends new and old, he has finally assembled a ritual that will give him a close approximation of the ultimate bond between vampire and mortal... if it succeeds. Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-78729641797329906332014-09-02T20:02:00.000-05:002014-09-02T20:04:34.835-05:00An excerpt from The Path<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5384" target="_blank">The Path came out yesterday at Dreamspinner</a>, so I thought I'd share an excerpt with everyone.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXZO2T9mICHsgIkKypyE19Jhd-dFGU46KiCoTKRLo0WXOR8wN_26b3HEfgBjGkiXa2xSf7HFKmMNFmnkR8_7F1_OTazQ0m-wQK6EWxhSPdmJmLWrMD9E5UK4Bf4CatQupQR0jarFJhxM/s1600/Path%5BThe%5DFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXZO2T9mICHsgIkKypyE19Jhd-dFGU46KiCoTKRLo0WXOR8wN_26b3HEfgBjGkiXa2xSf7HFKmMNFmnkR8_7F1_OTazQ0m-wQK6EWxhSPdmJmLWrMD9E5UK4Bf4CatQupQR0jarFJhxM/s1600/Path%5BThe%5DFS.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The all important moment of coming out in an area where being openly gay is still a big risk to take.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
BENICIO KEPT turning the day’s conversations over in his head after they left the chicheria. Alberto called Miguel to report in on the arrangements they’d made, and Benicio stood there and stared at him, trying to weigh Alberto’s various comments. The two men who were coming clearly meant a lot to him, and Benicio admired him all the more for it, but the tenor of some of the comments went deeper than defending his friends, or so it seemed to Benicio. It would be so easy to read too much into them, though, and Benicio didn’t want to rock the boat again after they’d finally gotten back on an even footing.<br />
On the other hand, if he was right, Alberto could be a resource to him, helping him find places where he could be himself instead of having to hide his preferences. Benicio didn’t delude himself by thinking that Alberto could ever be attracted to him, no matter how much he wanted that, but having a gay friend would be better than nothing.<br />
<br />
Alberto’s hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts.<br />
<br />
“Are you all right?” Alberto asked. “I called your name three times and you didn’t seem to hear me.”<br />
<br />
“Sorry, I was just thinking,” Benicio said.<br />
<br />
“Those must have been some deep thoughts,” Alberto teased.<br />
<br />
“They were, actually,” Benicio said. “I wanted to talk to you about something, but I’m not sure how to start.”<br />
<br />
“Just tell me,” Alberto replied. “Unless you’re telling me you’ve changed your mind about leading the hike with me when Shaun and Don are here.”<br />
<br />
“No, of course not,” Benicio said. “I’d never do that.”<br />
<br />
“Relax, I was joking. Apparently it was a bad one.”<br />
<br />
An absolutely terrible one, since Alberto could well be the one refusing to hike with Benicio if this conversation went the wrong way. He could brush it off, forget he’d ever entertained the thought, and everything could stay the way it was. He could do it easily. Alberto wouldn’t push if Benicio said he didn’t want to talk about it. If he did that, though, he’d miss the opportunity, because he doubted it would come up again. It was now or never, and he needed to do this. He needed to stop feeling like he was torn between living a lie and being outcast. Even if he was wrong about Alberto being gay, he hoped Alberto wouldn’t mind that he was, given how he had defended his friends.<br />
<br />
“Could we go back to your apartment? I don’t want to have this conversation on the street or even at Señora Vargas’s café.”<br />
<br />
Alberto sobered. “This is something serious, isn’t it?”<br />
<br />
Benicio nodded, unable to put words to the turmoil of his emotions at the moment.<br />
<br />
“Let’s go, then,” Alberto said.<br />
<br />
By the time they reached Alberto’s apartment, Benicio’s stomach had tied itself into knots so tight he thought he might throw up before he said the first word, but Alberto waited him out, taking a seat on the couch and letting Benicio gather his thoughts.<br />
<br />
“Are you gay?” Benicio finally blurted out.<br />
<br />
The look that crossed Alberto’s face at the question was nearly enough to make Benicio run, but after a moment, Alberto nodded.<br />
<br />
“Is that going to be a problem?”<br />
<br />
“No,” Benicio said, leaning forward to convey his sincerity. “No, not at all. I don’t care. Or rather, I care, but not for the reasons you’re thinking.”<br />
<br />
“What other reasons are there?” Alberto asked in a voice so bitter Benicio wanted to hug him right then, but he couldn’t yet. He still had more to say.<br />
<br />
“Because I am too,” Benicio said. He felt lighter the minute the words were out of his mouth. If this was what telling people felt like, he’d tell the whole world, except he knew the reaction wouldn’t be the same from everyone else as the slow smile spreading across Alberto’s face.<br />
<br />
“That certainly changes things,” Alberto said after a moment. “Does Miguel know?”<br />
<br />
“You’re the first person I’ve told,” Benicio replied. “I was afraid to say anything to anyone else. You said it yourself. Highlanders aren’t known for being accepting of it.”<br />
<br />
“I won’t say anything, but you can tell Miguel if you want. He knows about me, and he’s come a long way from his initial reaction to finding out.”<br />
<br />
“How did he find out?” Benicio asked curiously.<br />
<br />
“Shaun and Don,” Alberto said with a laugh. “You’ll see when you meet them. They’re a force of nature when they put their mind to something. I don’t know what gave me away—I never asked—but they pegged me the first day, and when I said I didn’t have a girlfriend, they asked me if I had a boyfriend. I was so flustered that I don’t even know what I said, but they took it as ‘not now, but not because I’m not looking’ and spent the rest of the trip giving me advice on finding the right man.”<br />
<br />
“You don’t seem to have taken their advice,” Benicio said. “Or is there someone you never talk about?”<br />
<br />
“No, there isn’t anyone,” Alberto said. “But not for lack of taking their advice. In fact it’s probably because of their advice. They made me really think about what I wanted and told me never to settle for anything less. Until I find that, I’m happier living alone.”<br />
<br />
Benicio wanted to ask what he was looking for, but that was more personal than he was comfortable with. Asking if Alberto was gay had been hard enough. “That sounds like good advice.”<br />
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“Wait until you meet them,” Alberto said. “They’re living a dream. They’re from California, so their marriage is actually legal, not just their promises to each other. Their families and friends all know. They don’t have to hide or be afraid of people knowing about them.”<br />
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“That would never happen here,” Benicio said sadly.<br />
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“Maybe in Lima, but not in Cusco anytime soon,” Alberto said. “That doesn’t mean I can’t dream of meeting the right man someday, though. We’d just have to find a way to live our lives discreetly.”<br />
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Benicio considered that—all the ways he would have to spin stories to play down the depth of their attachment, the reasons for their cohabitation, the touches they could never share in public. It would be a restrictive life, but it might be worth it if he had someone special to come home to at the end of the day, if he had a lover to fall asleep next to at night. It wasn’t ideal, but just the thought of it being possible made his heart lighter. He could follow the same advice Alberto’s friends had given him and look for the right person. “You’ll have to show me around places where I might meet the right man. I don’t even know where to start looking.”<br />
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“Not in Pisac, that’s for sure,” Alberto said. “But if that’s what you want, I can take you to a club or something after we get back from the next hike. I don’t think we’ll really have time before we leave on this one.”<br />
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“I wouldn’t get in your way,” Benicio promised when he heard the reticence in Alberto’s voice. “You don’t have to admit to knowing me, even, if you’re worried about being seen with someone like me. Just tell me where to go. I can even go on a different night than you do.”<br />
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“No, that’s not what I meant at all,” Alberto said. “Just… clubs aren’t really the best place to start a meaningful relationship. Most of the guys who hang out there are looking for someone to pass the time with, not someone to settle down with.”<br />
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“That’s not what you’re looking for,” Benicio said. “At least, that’s not what you said.”<br />
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“It’s not what I’m looking for,” Alberto agreed, “but it’s all I’ve ever managed to find, no matter what I’m looking for. It’s okay for blowing off a little steam, but not for settling down.”<br />
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The image of Alberto entwined with a faceless lover floated before Benicio’s eyes and wrenched at his heart. He’d thought he could go to a club with Alberto and pretend not to notice if Alberto met someone, but now he wasn’t so sure. “So where do you meet someone for settling down?”<br />
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“I wish I knew,” Alberto replied. “I haven’t found it yet.”<br />
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<a id="rc-1fd31b971" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/1fd31b971/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script> Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-42014087666976487092014-08-28T15:33:00.002-05:002014-08-28T20:42:48.831-05:00Happy Birthday, A. Morell!!<b><u>Birthday Movie Recs</u></b>
I don't know about you, but I have spent many a birthday at the movie theater or parked in front of a big screen and DVD player. Birthdays and movies go hand in hand--so much so, birthday celebrations often wind up as the main catalyst in changing a character's life.
When I was a kid, I remember waking up on my birthday and waiting for some sprite to fly into my room and tell me I was the Chosen One, or to suddenly be struck with magical powers or found by an all-knowing wizard teacher. None of it happened, of course, but you can't blame a kid for wanting a cooler destiny. I'm still waiting for my Hogwarts letter.
With such a pervasive sense of magic and wonder surrounding birthdays in fiction, I offer up my own special list of recommended birthday movies. Whether they're good at pleasing a crowd, or they capture the foreordination and adventure of some good birthday mojo, they're surefire hits.
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<b>1. Tangled</b>
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/MovieTangled_zps98e1409c.jpg" /><br />
After a lifetime in an isolated tower, Rapunzel's desire to get out on her own to achieve her one dream for her 18th birthday sets this story in motion.
<b>Highlights:</b> Catchy songs, a villain whose primary weapon is manipulation, the best non-speaking performance by an animated side character in history (the king, not Pascal).<br />
<b>2. Liar Liar</b>
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/MovieLiarliar_zps47638af3.jpg" /><br />
It's not our hero's birthday that alters the course of his life, but that of his six year old son, who wishes that for one day his dad couldn't tell a lie--no easy feat when working as a crooked lawyer.
<b>Highlights:</b> Jim Carrey, quotable quotes, Greta.<br />
<b>3. Wizard People, Dear Readers</b>
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/MovieWizardpeople_zps30d9d068.jpg" /><br />
We all know by now what happens to Harry Potter on his 11th birthday, and who hasn't seen the first movie at least three times? Rather than repeat the same old nostalgia, try this hilarious remix--the entire Sorcerer's Stone movie, redubbed and narrated in the most ridiculous way. Start <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u981JhkK46o">here</a>.
<b>Highlights:</b> Mouthoil, Professor Hardcastle McCormick, Ronnie the Bear.
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<b>4. The Forbidden Kingdom</b>
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/MovieTheForbiddenKingdom_zps1b337852.jpg" /><br />
A gunshot and a fall off a roof drops Jason into the ancient world of kung fu, and we follow the action, adventure, and insight on a journey of fast-paced battles on a quest to save the world.
<b>Highlights:</b> Jackie Chan and Jet Li on the same screen, a hot Jade Warlord, gorgeous backdrops.<br />
<b>5. Mrs. Doubtfire</b>
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/MovieMrs-Doubtfire_zps20aeb894.jpg" /><br />
Right out the gate this movie serves up laughs and a bangin' party for Daniel's teenage son--unfortunately it becomes the last straw for his straight-and-narrow wife. She asks for a divorce, which pushes Daniel well beyond the realm of what either of them could expect in his desperate efforts to stay with their kids.
<b>Highlights:</b> Fantastic performances, Robin Williams, and... Greta? Well, Mrs. Sellner.
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<b>6. Lord of the Rings</b>
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/06u6sWu.jpg" /><br />
It's Bilbo's birthday party, but it's Frodo's life that changes forever as he's thrust right into the heart of the battle for Middle Earth. With three extended editions, this is the king of all movie marathons.
<b>Highlights:</b> Epic music, epic costumes, epic sets.<br />
<b>7. Stardust</b>
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/MovieStardust_zpscf454594.jpg" />
For Trist[r]an Thorn (+r in the book, -r in the movie), everything changes when he agrees to go hunt down a fallen star as a birthday gift for his unrequited beloved, Victoria.
<b>Highlights:</b> An adorable mouse, Robert DeNiro in drag, a hilarious gag reel.<br />
<b>8. Sabrina</b>
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/MovieSabrina_zps0a478ad1.jpg" /><br />
A celebration on the eve of the annual six meter yacht races is what kicks this story off, rather than a birthday. But it's my favorite movie of all time, and that party sets Sabrina on an unwanted journey of self-discovery, when she realizes having all she dreamed of might not be what she truly wants.
<b>Highlights:</b> Old fashioned butt jokes, Audrey Hepburn singing “La Vie en Rose,” the clothes.
I hope these bring you some enjoyment, and good luck at your next shindig. 8)<br />
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<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/PunctureWounds_finalsmall_zps32520226.jpg" /></center>
James is at the end of a long crusade for vengeance against the vampire clan that destroyed everything he held dear. He has Ren, the final and most dangerous of them all, cornered at last in London. But victory remains just out of reach when Ren sets a feral vampire on James and makes his escape. With no other leads, James is forced to take in the feral until he can use its connection to its sire to track down Ren. But in caring for the vampire, James sees they might not all be the monsters he thought them to be. Faced with an ugly truth, his quest for revenge becomes a war for retribution, and the discovery of what it truly means to be human.
For an exclusive look at <i>Puncture Wounds</i> and a chance to win your own copy, stop by and join the party at my Birthday Bash below.
<a href="https://twitter.com/AMorellity">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://telltale-commas.dreamwidth.org/">Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/AuthorArcade/i233-a-morell">Dreamspinner</a> | <a href="http://telltale-commas.dreamwidth.org/24689.html">Birthday Bash</a>
<b>A. Morell</b> has been writing for fun for the past decade. She once dreamed of being a professional chef—now she knows better and is taking a stab at becoming an author. Without so much as a Creative Writing 101 class under her belt it's a bit of a stab in the dark, but she is comfortable flying by the seat of her pants.
She enjoys food, baseball, classics, word games, tattoos, shoes, handbags, escapism, and creating characters. She is averse to over-used words, spiders, zombies, tardiness, camping, and people who misquote movie lines and lyrics. She has one cat.<br />
<img src="http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f235/A_Morell1/BDay%20Bash/Bdaypuz9_zps2b81810a.png" />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-85126580894086792222014-08-18T18:18:00.000-05:002014-08-18T18:26:24.928-05:00Manic MondayIt's that time again. Sorry the post is late. I'm at Elizabeth's and time moves differently here. I didn't realize it was Monday until just now.<br />
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Here are the books coming out this week that I'm excited about. What books are you looking forward to reading this week?<br />
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Did I miss yours? Leave me a comment and I'll add it. Have a book coming out next week? Send me a message to be included in next week's post.<br />
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<a href="https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cloudbursticemagic-1592815-153.html" target="_blank"><i>Cloudburst Ice Magic </i>by Siobhan Muir </a><br />
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<i>Avalanches may bring down more than snow…</i><br />
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Working for the Search and Rescue team at the Cloudburst Resort in Colorado, Lily Sinclair figures she’ll do all the rescuing from now on. When hikers are caught in a spring blizzard, Lily and her partner head into the storm. Cut off from communication and facing deadly conditions, Lily fears she’ll never see her Ice Demon lover before death claims them.<br />
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Zach Snow encouraged Lily move to Cloudburst to grow and learn, but missed her every day of their months apart. His plans of moving to Colorado get pushed up when he receives her text explaining her situation, and saying goodbye. He must negotiate with the local Ice Demon clan to work in their territory to rescue Lily and the hikers before the Spring Fling blizzard kills them. But he’s running out of time.<br />
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Between the amorous hiker hitting on Zach, Lily’s self-doubts, and an avalanche bearing down on them, Zach and Lily must rediscover the love they first kindled in a Christmas ice cave, and create their own Cloudburst ice magic.<br />
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Length: Novella (28,660 words) | Genre: Action/Adventure <br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5327" target="_blank"><i>A Taste of Honey</i> Edited by Anne Regan & B.G. Thomas</a><br />
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In the mood to try something sweet? How about a collection of stories about bears and the special men in their lives? Guys don’t have to be in their twenties, perfectly sculpted, and hairless to be hot. Bears are real men with real bodies—and that doesn’t always mean a perfect six-pack or an immaculately smooth chest. With bears, it can mean more man to love. The men in this anthology are chubs, cubs, grizzlies, pandas, polar bears, and more—all looking for a connection. And beneath their burly physiques are hearts of gold. Explore the bear scene and beyond with these big, hairy guys and the men who find them irresistibly sexy. <br />
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The Bear Fetish by John Amory<br />
The Bear Next Door by Jack Byrne<br />
The Bear at the Bar by J. Scott Coatsworth<br />
Barefoot by Lillian Francis<br />
Just Breathe by John Genest<br />
Bear Chasing by Renae Kaye<br />
Golden Bear by G.P. Keith<br />
Hunting Bear: A Fairy Tale with a Very Hairy Ending by Edmond Manning<br />
The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Getting Over Yourself by Robert B. McDiarmid<br />
Truck Stop by Christopher Hawthorne Moss<br />
Banyan Court by Samuel Scott Preston<br />
Amped by Zoe X. Rider<br />
The Bear King of Snowbird Mountain by Michael Rupured<br />
Life's Tiny Surprises by Tara Spears<br />
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Length: Novel (340p.) | Genre: Contemporary, Historical Americas, Paranormal, Werewolves/Shifters<br />
Release Date: August 18, 2014<br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5361" target="_blank"><i>I Hate Summer</i> by HT Pantu</a><br />
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Out since he was fourteen, Idrys grew up hating summer, mostly because of Trystan Jackson, the gorgeous eldest son of his parents’ holiday friends. After avoiding the joint holiday for five years, Idrys must now face Trystan again... or risk the wrath of his parents. Like Idrys, Trystan isn’t exactly the guy he was the last time they met, but Idrys has more to worry about than Trystan’s odd sleeping habits. He has to steel his—usually nonexistent—morals against the advances of the cute and innocent Josh, Trystan’s younger brother.<br />
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It’s only ten days, right? And afterward he doesn’t have to see either of them for another year.<br />
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If only it was that simple.<br />
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Two months after the holiday from hell, Trystan gets a last minute placement in the city where Idrys lives, and suddenly both brothers are back in Idrys's life. Idrys is determined to carry on regardless, but sooner or later he might have to face the fact that summer doesn't last forever.<br />
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Length: Novel (264p.) | Genre: Contemporary, M/M/M or More | Release Date: August 18, 2014 <br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5323" target="_blank"><i>Lost in the Outcome</i> by Rowan McAllister</a><br />
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When Nathan Seward wakes up in a cheap hotel with a stranger, unable to remember the night before, unscrupulous plots and clandestine schemes are the furthest thing from his mind. True, he's in Houston to bid on his biggest contract yet, one that will put his software development company on the map, but he's the underdog at the table, not one of the big players. Unfortunately someone out there sees him as a threat and isn't above drugging and blackmailing him to put him out of the running. Luckily for Nathan, the man in bed next to him couldn’t be further removed from the corporate world.<br />
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Tim Conrad is scraping the bottom of the barrel. He left college during his freshman year to take care of his dying mother, and life and lack of money prevented him going back. Now twenty-seven, his dreams are long buried, and he’s scraping by with dead-end jobs and couch surfing because he can’t afford a place of his own.<br />
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As Nathan tries to run damage control and figure out what the hell happened to him, he and Tim discover a connection neither was looking for, as well as dreams they’ve both forgotten.<br />
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Length: Novel (200p.) | Genre: Mystery/Suspense | Release Date: August 18, 2014 <br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5329" target="_blank"><i>Conflicted </i>by Louise Lyons</a><br />
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Two competing gangs of car and drag racing enthusiasts with a shared history of pain and rivalry leading to outright hatred. Two men from opposite sides of the tracks, yet with more in common than they’d like to admit.<br />
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Paul Appleton is a troubled man who has never been in a relationship, having lost everyone he cared for in his life. His mother died when he was very young and subsequently, he lost his brother and his best friend. Now Paul is convinced love will always end in tears.<br />
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Greg was living on the streets after his parents died and was stabbed by a junkie, ending up in hospital. The Buchanans took Greg under their wing while doing charity work, and Greg joined their loving family when he was adopted. He and his siblings are also car enthusiasts with much more money and therefore better cars than Paul Appleton’s gang.<br />
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When they eventually find a connection, Paul fights his feelings and tries to convince himself his lover is only a temporary bit of fun, but Greg has other ideas.<br />
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Length: Novel (300p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date: August 20, 2014 <br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5310" target="_blank"><i>Happy Independence Day</i> by Michael Rupured</a><br />
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Prequel to <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3455" target="_blank"><i>Until Thanksgiving</i></a><br />
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Terrence Bottom wants to change the world. A prelaw student at Columbia University majoring in political science, his interests range from opposing the draft and the war in Vietnam, to civil rights for gays, to anything to do with Cameron McKenzie. Terrence notices the rugged blond hanging around the Stonewall Inn, but the handsome man—and rumored Mafia hustler—rebuffs his smiles and winks.<br />
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Cameron McKenzie dropped out of college and left tiny Paris, Kentucky after the death of the grandmother who raised him, dreaming of an acting career on Broadway. Although he claims to be straight, he becomes a prostitute to make ends meet. Now the Mafia is using him to entrap men for extortion schemes, he is in way over his head, and he can’t see a way out—at least not a way that doesn’t involve a swim to the bottom of the Hudson in a pair of cement flippers. <br />
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Cameron is left with a choice: endanger both their lives by telling Terrence everything or walk away from the only man he ever loved. The Mafia hustler and the student activist want to find a way to stay together, but first they need to find a way to stay alive.<br />
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Length: Novel (256p.) | Genre: Historical Americas, Holiday | Release Date: August 20, 2014 <br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5331" target="_blank"><i>Stepping Through</i> by CJane Elliott</a><br />
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Cameron Wheeler’s life is all mapped out: he’ll finish business school, return home to Vermont, get a job, and marry his high-school girlfriend. He’s packed away what he really wants—a career as a musician—because he knows it’s never going to happen. But Cameron's well-planned life is turned upside down when he walks into a musty jewelry shop in LA and meets the mysterious Apollo, who tells him to “follow his soul, not his past.” Apollo's magical presence spurs Cameron to discover and follow his true path, in life and in love.<br />
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Length: Nap-size Dream (52p.) | Genre: Urban Fantasy | Release Date: August 20, 2014 <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5332" target="_blank"><i>The Supernaturals </i>by Gene Gant</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaH9mApyp7K7w9wa-2D2Drnx24CE1QiNzgX__uD8-elxWbC8GYTdOy6ABvKXijj_GQPWl9UtxWXSCHhfuqHXBZqd49R2J0dDTSD8ZIn8MtD1jMSNK_G0pKlllQy1q4c4z-CBTRxFNm04/s1600/Supernaturals%5BThe%5DFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaH9mApyp7K7w9wa-2D2Drnx24CE1QiNzgX__uD8-elxWbC8GYTdOy6ABvKXijj_GQPWl9UtxWXSCHhfuqHXBZqd49R2J0dDTSD8ZIn8MtD1jMSNK_G0pKlllQy1q4c4z-CBTRxFNm04/s320/Supernaturals%5BThe%5DFS.jpg" /></a></div>
Draven,
a fledgling monster, faces an impossible choice just three days before
his fifteenth birthday. If he doesn’t make his first human kill and
release the beast within him, his father will kill his mortal mother.
But Draven doesn’t want to become a sadistic, ruthless fiend like his
father.<br />
<br />
Help arrives in the form of Ahmad, a powerful
1500-year-old djinn whose soul is trapped in a brass ring, and handsome
Inky, who is also much older than he seems. In turn, they introduce
Draven to the eerie, mysterious Mina, who has information they need to
rescue Draven’s mother. But their quest to free her is not without
obstacles. Draven falls head over heels in love with Inky, only to
discover how deadly this can be. And Ahmad’s ring falls into the hands
of an enemy who won’t hesitate to use Ahmad against his friends.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Length: Novella (154p.) | Genre: YA, Gay, Mythology, High Fantasy | Release Date: August 21, 2014<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5339" target="_blank"><i>Time for Destiny</i> by Michelle Rae</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT9aR7GI_wWXfW_Eu5fpGc4L2HTG1G9rKC1xzyf2Wx9xn39-rvfSLA-VbPhXXmiMZbCmThLsB562ZsPT33mNIao0xkTUw-nIxWNXTkn3OXM9zyMfTGLmzl0pnieancBaSo1jxHQosrjw/s1600/TimeForDestinyFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyT9aR7GI_wWXfW_Eu5fpGc4L2HTG1G9rKC1xzyf2Wx9xn39-rvfSLA-VbPhXXmiMZbCmThLsB562ZsPT33mNIao0xkTUw-nIxWNXTkn3OXM9zyMfTGLmzl0pnieancBaSo1jxHQosrjw/s320/TimeForDestinyFS.jpg" /></a></div>
When Daniel Wilson, oldest of five children in a troubled family, joined the military, he expected to see combat in Iraq. But it comes as quite a shock when a Rupee minted a century and a half ago transports him to that dangerous time in war-torn colonial India. After he meets and falls in love with Vir during his visit to 1857, he faces the greatest challenge of his life. He knows he may ultimately lose Vir because he belongs in a different time. Still, he wants desperately to keep his love alive despite threats of violence from both wars.<br />
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Length: Novella (196p.) | Genre: Time Travel | Release Date: August 22, 2014 <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5333" target="_blank"><i>Frozen Hearts </i>by Teegan Loy</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW28m6h4PNIKu13oStkXy57HiJKkyt0MtQswtOJDKNwUBNE4c-ySK4o3bitOAO_PC_BAlJEaiyvefSuU8kNI-0nfHnrUvtUvX6ANxRPi7DYrCVf5U6gTtpu3Au2sPjUj756F4AGllbiG0/s1600/FrozenHeartsFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW28m6h4PNIKu13oStkXy57HiJKkyt0MtQswtOJDKNwUBNE4c-ySK4o3bitOAO_PC_BAlJEaiyvefSuU8kNI-0nfHnrUvtUvX6ANxRPi7DYrCVf5U6gTtpu3Au2sPjUj756F4AGllbiG0/s320/FrozenHeartsFS.jpg" /></a></div>
The best college hockey player in the country is hanging up his skates because he’s tired of living a lie. Five years ago, Erik Fox’s father found out about his indiscretions and forced him to change schools in the middle of the night. Erik had a boyfriend, and hockey players do not date boys.<br />
<br />
With his college career over, Erik is determined to get his life on the right track, and that means making peace with the boy he left behind and living according to his own desires. But to do it, he must resist pressure from his father and everyone who wants to define him as nothing but a hockey player.<br />
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Length: Novel (200p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date: August 22, 2014 <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5335" target="_blank"><i>Murder on the Mountain </i>by Jamie Fessenden</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iXTuzWJ24g8zX-U4SwL1I9E1uZTy5buTJJ9Z8J7GTzz1BhNM31-2oWstPQNKnVxYNDIzLoaOb_FFKAoxX3e6twyVuRh0X4DuT0aUp8BKu6jf2aoUwU-mMyd4j9kKtpodQE61Ie9Chg8/s1600/MurderontheMountainFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iXTuzWJ24g8zX-U4SwL1I9E1uZTy5buTJJ9Z8J7GTzz1BhNM31-2oWstPQNKnVxYNDIzLoaOb_FFKAoxX3e6twyVuRh0X4DuT0aUp8BKu6jf2aoUwU-mMyd4j9kKtpodQE61Ie9Chg8/s320/MurderontheMountainFS.jpg" /></a></div>
When Jesse Morales, a recent college grad who aspires to be a mystery writer, volunteers to work on the summit of Mt. Washington for a week, he expects to work hard. What he doesn’t expect is to find a corpse in the fog, lying among the rocks, his head crushed. The dead man turns out to be a young tourist named Stuart Warren, who strayed from his friends while visiting the mountain.<br />
<br />
Kyle Dubois, a widowed state police detective, is called to the scene in the middle of the night, along with his partner, Wesley Roberts. Kyle and Jesse are instantly drawn to one another, except Jesse’s fascination with murder mysteries makes it difficult for Kyle to take the young man seriously. But Jesse finds a way to make himself invaluable to the detective by checking into the hotel where the victim's friends and family are staying and infiltrating their circle. Soon, he is learning things that could very well solve the case—or get him killed.<br />
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Length: Novel (210p.) | Genre: Mystery/Suspense | Release Date: August 22, 2014 <br />
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<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5337" target="_blank"><i>Taste of Air </i>by Cassie Sweet</a><br />
<br />
Alchemists and Elementals: Book Two<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-y1FjVU2iTPqPYTIGISzCVZUvpewzpLAJ8lHyZwR4jHYMMuJo2MCbHHCfxHqEwUQue1hcpyFHwcZNSGUGpA95DYaq8fw1XuFfwB739Z7-OS9nPQ7y0dD1X4kYIAr1IT4EPoKY_7kcyk/s1600/TasteofAirFS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-y1FjVU2iTPqPYTIGISzCVZUvpewzpLAJ8lHyZwR4jHYMMuJo2MCbHHCfxHqEwUQue1hcpyFHwcZNSGUGpA95DYaq8fw1XuFfwB739Z7-OS9nPQ7y0dD1X4kYIAr1IT4EPoKY_7kcyk/s320/TasteofAirFS.jpg" /></a></div>
The reappearance of necromancers to the Dominincál city-states worries Sadonia prolate Estobán Medovin. Ever since Masters Nico and Theodyne drove the necromancers from his mind three years before, he’s suffered an odd affliction—painting while asleep. It is a secret that, if discovered by his enemies, could bring his rule to an untimely and violent end. On the eve of the demigogal elections in the holy city of Gusan, fearing the new candidate might be under the necromancers' direct influence, Estobán requests an alchemist well-versed in ferreting out death dancers to join his mission to seek out conspirators.<br />
<br />
Evil floods the streets of the holy city, and the elementals are anxious. Master alchemist Jolen Meripen should know; as an aerothant—hybrid of a human and air elemental—he can hear their voices in his head, telling him of the corruption festering under the pristine edifices.<br />
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When Jolen discovers a piece of the ruby tablet known as the Elementica in Estobán’s possession and the necromancers bid to collect them all and thus rule over the elements, he knows he must do everything he can—including sacrificing his life to bring peace to Dominicál and save the man he has come to love.<br />
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Length: Novel (230p.) | Genre: High Fantasy | Release Date: August 22, 2014 Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-37709343742234645952014-08-11T08:00:00.001-05:002014-08-11T09:09:10.787-05:00Manic Monday<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Welcome to Manic Monday, my new blog feature. Why Manic
Monday? Well, for one thing, Mondays are always a little manic. More
importantly, though, this is my list of all the romance books coming out this
week that I'm aware of. Did I miss one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Leave a link in the comments and I'll add it! Want to be included in a
future week's list? You can e-mail me, send me a message on FB, a PM on
Twitter, or leave that in the comments here too. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, on to the books! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5303" target="_blank"><i>Names Can Never Hurt Me</i> by Wade Kelly</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8nGqh8qi6_OxPiDeArioDh8m3lGctpDM-slO1CF2kmFUqZjdktWkaInM9jM1v5OGH1YMcIfYVHFhkXQ4WsAJleSq7RXt1ZL3OzyQDjaxHmH9Cg2zRCelT3h_dW-7iUO5nOkd2aTnt9o/s1600/NamesCanNeverHurtMeLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8nGqh8qi6_OxPiDeArioDh8m3lGctpDM-slO1CF2kmFUqZjdktWkaInM9jM1v5OGH1YMcIfYVHFhkXQ4WsAJleSq7RXt1ZL3OzyQDjaxHmH9Cg2zRCelT3h_dW-7iUO5nOkd2aTnt9o/s320/NamesCanNeverHurtMeLG.jpg" /></a></div>
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What if sexuality wasn’t a definable thing and labels merely
got in the way?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nick Jones can’t remember a time when he wasn’t part of the
in crowd. Everywhere he goes, he stands out as the best looking guy in the
room, and women practically fall into bed with him. Then, after kissing Corey
on a dare led much more and on many occasions, Nick’s “screw anything”
reputation escalated, but he didn’t care.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Nick meets RC at the restaurant where he works, it
throws his whole life out of whack. Overweight, always sweaty, gay, and hairy
like a bear, RC lives up to his dubbed nickname “Scruffy Dude.” He seems Nick’s
complete opposite, but Nick can’t get him out of his head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because of peer-pressure and his fears about defining his
sexuality, Nick struggles with stepping out of his comfort zone and caring
about someone different than himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
he’s lucky, somewhere between arrogance and ignorance, Nick might find out what
it means to be an adult, but if he’s wrong, he could lose everything.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Length: Novel (340p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date:
August 11, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5271" target="_blank"><i>The Nesting Habits of Strange Birds </i>by Charley Descoteaux</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyygbXp1PY_l4kZkDPmqRRbfLjLThcUm7D4G-TB_qAWh6Ix34RImdgVnTTblxwzxW7bKnx5emK13hHs6snIyUiYv9TjvDaF8dz_3OI1WngC2R6KQtYS7a3U-Kc5hksA4BVf-Vm5cMZvX4/s1600/NestingHabitsofStrangeBirds%255BThe%255DLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyygbXp1PY_l4kZkDPmqRRbfLjLThcUm7D4G-TB_qAWh6Ix34RImdgVnTTblxwzxW7bKnx5emK13hHs6snIyUiYv9TjvDaF8dz_3OI1WngC2R6KQtYS7a3U-Kc5hksA4BVf-Vm5cMZvX4/s320/NestingHabitsofStrangeBirds%255BThe%255DLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>All he ever wanted was to be a normal guy….</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Phil Brask spends his days in the basement of his mentor's
Victorian home, converting legal documents into electronic format. When the
pipe feeding the water heater bursts, Lee Redding arrives in the plumber’s
truck and draws Phil away from the narrow focus of his computer and camera
lens. Lee gives Phil hope for a life beyond the walls he’s constructed using
the nesting habits of migratory birds and dense legal files, a guided tour
through a world filled with romance and music…maybe even family. But there’s a
reason Phil retreated behind those walls, why he panics at a simple touch.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lee has a good life—working with his uncle and on his
mother’s farm, playing bass in a horrible metal band, and hooking up when he
pleases—but he’s always suspected something was missing. When he meets the hot
photographer with the icy-blue eyes, he knows exactly what that something is.
Phil isn’t like other guys, but neither is Lee beneath his carefree exterior.
Maybe Lee's the perfect guy to show Phil that everything doesn’t have to be
done the hard way and "home" isn't a four-letter word.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Length: Novel (200p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date:
August 11, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5301" target="_blank"><i>Trusting Love </i>by Mari Evans</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4O9-Zt6EE3nVfvDyEewqJgfd5vBT4e3IhzqRigL7w9BD94tTHFuo7vUU01pujzpMqoEGVTIEHIfboK3TOGXjtT8iGdtPRh11-layTsRliDcvwHquLhv-Tztid7WgyAgLrucUh8OBtEA/s1600/TrustingLoveLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4O9-Zt6EE3nVfvDyEewqJgfd5vBT4e3IhzqRigL7w9BD94tTHFuo7vUU01pujzpMqoEGVTIEHIfboK3TOGXjtT8iGdtPRh11-layTsRliDcvwHquLhv-Tztid7WgyAgLrucUh8OBtEA/s320/TrustingLoveLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Laurie Stallon isn’t like other high schoolers. After
suffering years of abuse at his father’s hands, he now lives in a foster care
facility and finds solace volunteering at the local animal shelter. Laurie’s
had to grow up fast, and even though his eighteenth birthday is still weeks
away, he’s more adult than most adults he knows. When he meets Dr. Sam Davies,
the new shelter veterinarian, the attraction is instant. They become friends at
work, but Laurie knows Sam will never go for someone like him. No matter how
Laurie tries to prove his maturity to Sam, Sam continues to reject him as too
young.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Needing a distraction, Laurie goes out dancing for his
birthday and finds his life in danger yet again. When Sam is called to the
hospital, he realizes Laurie needs someone to care for him. Sam takes him home,
and they slowly build a relationship. But more than their age difference works
against them. Facing the disapproval of friends and the scars from Laurie's
past, they'll need to put all their trust in love for a chance at a future
together.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Length: Novel (200p.) | Genre: Contemporary, Coming of Age |
Release Date: August 11, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5305" target="_blank"><i>Meet-cute</i> by C.C. Dado</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FytCLG2Wlg9eFoRAKSu6gNw3cihkqI9zjiENZjPdSoUHyW_tV_9zD_fG3XiV91kLt-_NpIISw54O_WM-BWBvavh2ztWAjJKQd5ikOzUaq2_vBJ2Y7eOrYWfSNNws3iMYcDpTTUErrc8/s1600/Meet-CuteLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FytCLG2Wlg9eFoRAKSu6gNw3cihkqI9zjiENZjPdSoUHyW_tV_9zD_fG3XiV91kLt-_NpIISw54O_WM-BWBvavh2ztWAjJKQd5ikOzUaq2_vBJ2Y7eOrYWfSNNws3iMYcDpTTUErrc8/s320/Meet-CuteLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Elliot Beck may not have been blessed with mad art skills, a
crooner's voice, or a godlike physique, but he makes up for it with an
abundance of quick-witted sarcasm, massive insecurities, and a love of bad
boys.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After his best friend Trevor finds him naked and tied to his
bed—abandoned by his latest troublemaker—Trevor convinces him to take a chance
on a nice guy. When he has an awkward encounter in the men's restroom with a
fitness instructor named Chase, he never suspects the Adonis might be his
perfect bad boy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Length: Novella (71p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date:
August 13, 2014<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5279" target="_blank"><i>Nothing Special</i> by Jay Northcote</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC3z1wy5ts1UW4uEoPBDgkcyrx2B7sVRikun-TJTtszZBiyGiRIgjaFYSyzhMsjiPSRIYRJ2aqgiULa6LFzvJmGB65QBZrYcJ7thXF6Eybm3p8B_poi0dT_I25bQFs5Uc8EwDIxpBoOM/s1600/NothingSpecialLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpC3z1wy5ts1UW4uEoPBDgkcyrx2B7sVRikun-TJTtszZBiyGiRIgjaFYSyzhMsjiPSRIYRJ2aqgiULa6LFzvJmGB65QBZrYcJ7thXF6Eybm3p8B_poi0dT_I25bQFs5Uc8EwDIxpBoOM/s320/NothingSpecialLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Noah thinks he’s nothing special. Average height, a bit on
the skinny side, and cute but rather geeky, he’s relentlessly ordinary. He
certainly doesn’t expect to be noticed by Sol, the gorgeous dark-haired
stranger Noah sees on his commute home most days. But when Noah’s friend, Dom,
persuades Noah to take a huge risk in a bid to get Sol’s attention, things turn
out better than Noah dared to hope. Noah and Sol start dating, and much to
Noah’s surprise, his feelings seem to be reciprocated.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Noah’s insecurities make him doubt Sol. He doesn’t
believe he’s interesting enough or sexy enough to hold Sol’s attention, and as
Sol tries to get closer, Noah’s instinct is to pull away to protect himself. If
their relationship is going to survive, Sol needs to convince Noah that he sees
Noah very differently than Noah sees himself. Because to Sol, Noah is something
very special indeed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Length: Novella (187p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release
Date: August 13, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5306" target="_blank"><i>The Pillar</i> by Kim Fielding</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8iwNIIPtFIwS8HfWTY98QD7OxwavxHyI_zmZCAMOAo2AiJQ5OX7fzZ-008rb4ug5ZdhIq8wDyySCiLyrdQeif_mONPCqyxg2D_JjBh7kqcoIHUaJs1iiydB7FKPi47u9jwKcSEdcMy0/s1600/Pillar%255BTHE%255DLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8iwNIIPtFIwS8HfWTY98QD7OxwavxHyI_zmZCAMOAo2AiJQ5OX7fzZ-008rb4ug5ZdhIq8wDyySCiLyrdQeif_mONPCqyxg2D_JjBh7kqcoIHUaJs1iiydB7FKPi47u9jwKcSEdcMy0/s320/Pillar%255BTHE%255DLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During his youth, orphaned thief Faris was flogged at the
pillar in the town square and left to die. But a kind old man saved him, gave
him a home, and taught him a profession. Now Faris is the herbalist for the
town of Zidar, taking care of the injured and ill. He remains lonely, haunted
by his past, and insecure about how his community views him. One night, despite
his reluctance, he saves a dying slave from the pillar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A former soldier, Boro has spent the last decade as a
brutalized slave. Herbs and ointment can heal his physical wounds, but both men
carry scars that run deep. Bound by the constraints of law and social class in
15th century Bosnia, Faris and Boro must overcome powerful enemies to protect
the fragile happiness they’ve found.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
Length: Novella (144p.) | Genre: Historical European |
Release Date: August 13, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5309" target="_blank"><i>Binary Boy</i> by RJ Astruc</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDYFZnLlqSswASpkMaqsnPRzx0MJ386DxJIswlAzxXkkqvl9Gy0ymtqLuP8s9VT6zuf-k8xbtZmO668PzXkSQwc0bwLJmBgCJS-fCR4v5Ny1W_Whi2WF2DUxiRwIttgOfW6DB_Jy7YTw/s1600/BinaryBoyLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxDYFZnLlqSswASpkMaqsnPRzx0MJ386DxJIswlAzxXkkqvl9Gy0ymtqLuP8s9VT6zuf-k8xbtZmO668PzXkSQwc0bwLJmBgCJS-fCR4v5Ny1W_Whi2WF2DUxiRwIttgOfW6DB_Jy7YTw/s320/BinaryBoyLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a lonely life being an Interpol kid. With both Michel’s
parents working for the international police force and always moving from
country to country, it’s hard enough to make friends, let alone find a
boyfriend. Then he meets Benny during an online chat, and Benny is everything
Michel ever wanted and more. He looks forward to meeting his crush when his
family heads to Australia on an important mission. But Benny isn’t quite what
he seems, and it may have something to do with the man Michel’s parents are
investigating and his relationship to an AI. In order to find out the truth,
Michel will have to go to greater lengths—and face greater dangers—than he ever
imagined.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Length: Novella (65p.) | Genre: YA, Gay, Science Fiction |
Release Date: August 14, 2014</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5355" target="_blank"><i>Dream 'til Monday</i> by Allison Cassatta</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u-8fI2fS5kqM10hyphenhyphenwrzRtF0kO4oM8HSsFSy9zSJhlSRkfWXZdrv2VPvYOoqEQKcIXFEdsFyDJ1Bpe_Z66t6ejBzCFgyAQsVo48bojCx-bM5jHozDTFdwGhliHzpnd1tU7_2Qa4zrkvE/s1600/DreamTilMondayLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u-8fI2fS5kqM10hyphenhyphenwrzRtF0kO4oM8HSsFSy9zSJhlSRkfWXZdrv2VPvYOoqEQKcIXFEdsFyDJ1Bpe_Z66t6ejBzCFgyAQsVo48bojCx-bM5jHozDTFdwGhliHzpnd1tU7_2Qa4zrkvE/s320/DreamTilMondayLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When Hollywood comes a-knockin’, a young, small-town
Mississippi photographer named Sawyer Taylor packs his bags and heads to the
West Coast. He’s been hired to photograph for a romantic comedy in San
Francisco and looks at the opportunity as a chance to rebuild and reclaim his
life. But a quick, drunken hand job behind a bar in the Castro might prove a
horrible mistake.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Film director Miles Eisenberg isn’t a man who wants to
commit. He has a daughter who means the world to him at home, and he worries
over how his decisions might affect her. He comes up with a million good
reasons not to give Sawyer a second look, but sometimes the heart is determined
to love, and the brain can’t convince it otherwise. His affair with Sawyer
becomes a whirlwind romance worthy of the silver screen, but life doesn't
always imitate art, and imperfect heroes don't always get their happy endings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Length: Novel (206p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date:
August 15, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5325" target="_blank"><i>Mi Familia</i> by Tessa Cárdenas</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sequel to <i><a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4526" target="_blank">Siempre</a></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVubOieXDwJbawHec8H_LNzuRoJvmFmRNfsvSoyX6y3jRjQBMHd-esSKwzl8cIp6e4BpgLgiaqToNdZ-uADCU_qzwyAL9XTOKE2QRlO0crXGbkABwU2WsJLUKZx5-5_nfKj939MvUJcXE/s1600/MiFamiliaLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVubOieXDwJbawHec8H_LNzuRoJvmFmRNfsvSoyX6y3jRjQBMHd-esSKwzl8cIp6e4BpgLgiaqToNdZ-uADCU_qzwyAL9XTOKE2QRlO0crXGbkABwU2WsJLUKZx5-5_nfKj939MvUJcXE/s320/MiFamiliaLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Three years after starting their life together, Jamie and
Sean decide the time is right to expand their family. Preparing to adopt, they
cross their Ts and dot their Is. But nothing can quite prepare them for Angel
and his sister, Margarita.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After over a year in foster care, Angel, eight, and
Margarita, four, are hesitant to trust their new dads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Angel doesn’t believe they will follow
through with the adoption, and Margarita, scared, refuses to speak. While the
process seems slow, Jamie and Sean are happy to take their time winning the
kids over. But when the siblings’ foster mother takes a fall and can no longer
care for them, Jamie and Sean rush to take on parental duties they don’t feel
ready for. Even as they work to finalize the adoption, life continues to throw
them curve balls, and the happy couple worries they aren’t doing enough to save
their fledgling family.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<br />
Length: Novel (200p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date:
August 15, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5217" target="_blank"><i>Upside Down </i>by Andrew Grey</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sequel to<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4356" target="_blank"><i> Inside Out</i></a> <br />
Bronco's Boys: Book Two</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLJ8i4F-Mhh1GfRnkQrSy9avoG9NAPb8Zu38cgXYw-Hu27YuYzySZ2HBP4DrFxH_5kimx1U3QAQtMCM5XvK_KnSiG6imSfjQ4w6ksA0TwDEwwXKbWZajp6Hge6SOQUv7VLwMMldzw2WQ/s1600/UpsideDownLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCLJ8i4F-Mhh1GfRnkQrSy9avoG9NAPb8Zu38cgXYw-Hu27YuYzySZ2HBP4DrFxH_5kimx1U3QAQtMCM5XvK_KnSiG6imSfjQ4w6ksA0TwDEwwXKbWZajp6Hge6SOQUv7VLwMMldzw2WQ/s320/UpsideDownLG.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lowell Cartwright’s life as a mercenary problem solver has
taken its toll, and after one more difficult job, he wants out. For help, he
turns to Bull, a soldier of fortune turned club owner—not exactly a friend, but
the best chance Lowell has. He visits Bull’s club to scope it out and meets
Jeremy Hodgson. The twink captures his attention in a big way. Bull tells
Lowell to stay away from the club until he decides whether he can help, so
Lowell stays in town. When he spots Jeremy passed out on the floor of a
convenience store, he goes to Jeremy’s aid.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lowell piques Jeremy’s interest immediately, pushing all the
right buttons. Then, when Jeremy needs help, Lowell’s kindness turns interest
into something more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But trouble comes knocking when Jeremy’s place is bugged.
Maybe Lowell’s past is catching up to him, or maybe the danger centers on
Jeremy’s roommate Tristan’s mysterious boyfriend. Whatever the source of the
problem, the future Lowell and Jeremy hope for doesn't stand a chance unless
they can find a way to protect themselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Length: Novel (200p.) | Genre: Contemporary | Release Date:
August 15, 2014</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And one from last week because I'm really looking forward to reading it and haven't had a chance yet.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5290" target="_blank"><i>Resurrection Man </i>by K.Z. Snow</a><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9UT2R5Dkzl9WHqIDKcpfnH8gLmGL1OP4zVmKVmXf4qY3AYfVUpOUO8P6bK7A6xO5wuRWKxBR9ZIT_DaWwYdPw8pCIyLzpsPgvr8rJmm_ax2jsWhLFUD8yrSYWaF9Mnoh6AVRFxgabIo/s1600/ResurrectionManLG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9UT2R5Dkzl9WHqIDKcpfnH8gLmGL1OP4zVmKVmXf4qY3AYfVUpOUO8P6bK7A6xO5wuRWKxBR9ZIT_DaWwYdPw8pCIyLzpsPgvr8rJmm_ax2jsWhLFUD8yrSYWaF9Mnoh6AVRFxgabIo/s320/ResurrectionManLG.jpg" /></a></div>
Bad enough Elijah Colter’s life of comfort comes to an abrupt end when he’s seventeen and his family discovers he’s gay. Bad enough he must live out of his car and turn tricks. But when his perfect boyfriend, Alonzo, becomes the victim of a drive-by shooting, Elijah plummets into suicidal depression. The concepts of trust and hope become more alien to him than ever. <br />
<br />
All that keeps Elijah going is a promise he made: that he would look after Alonzo’s stepdad, Dizzy, who’s on the verge of losing his house. <br />
<br />
Diz and Elijah become companions in homelessness—until Elijah discovers a program for throwaway LGBT youth. Through it he secures an apartment… then loses it after a year. He’s kept his promise, though, and until he can get back on his feet, he’s resigned to joining Dizzy in the abandoned factory the older man calls home. <br />
<br />
One fall day, a pair of new presences in Elijah’s life promise to shape his future: Michael, an outreach volunteer, and Alonzo’s ghost. Both prompt Elijah to decide which of his dreams to pursue, which to cast aside, and just how much he can dare to believe in love, and in himself, again.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Length:</span> Novella
(209p.) | <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Genre:</span> Contemporary | <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Release Date:</span> August 6, 2014 </span></div>
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<br />
What books are you looking forward to this week?<br />
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Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-21868701556687305362014-08-09T19:43:00.002-05:002014-08-09T19:43:52.689-05:00Inca Trail, Day 2 - Ayapata to ChaqulqochaThe second day of the Inca Trail would fit right in to one of the circles of hell. The scenery was amazing, the ruins fascinating, but it was 16 long kilometers up a mountain (to over 4000m), down the other side for lunch, up a second mountain and down that one before dinner and bedtime. Why the insanely long day?<br />
<br />
As it turns out, Pacamayo, the traditional second night campsite, is prone to flooding if it rains hard. Now we were there in the dry season, but as Smith, our guide was fond of saying, with global warming, the rains come even in the dry season sometimes. I didn't fancy getting washed away, so we lived with the long hike.<br />
<br />
The first ascent was up to the summit of Warmiwañusca Pass, also called Dead Woman Pass. I figure it's because hiking over the pass is pretty much guaranteed to kill you, but the guides all insist it's because the pass itself looks like a woman on her back if you see it from a distance. Personally, I never saw it. Tell me what you think.<br />
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Despite the draining hike, we saw some amazing scenery as we got into the cloud forest. I loved how the weather was constantly changing.<br />
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Can you see the mist moving in those three pictures? They were taken approximately a second apart as the mist rolled over the mountain pass and curled down into the valley on the other side. The picture of Dead Woman pass was taken from the other side of the same mountain about 30 minutes later.<br />
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After lunch at Pacamayo, we hit the cloud forest, and that meant... orchids! <br />
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There are several hundred species of orchids that grow in Peru along the Inca Trail. The first two photos are ones we saw. The third is another beautiful flowering bush, but Leo couldn't tell me what kind it was.<br />
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We also finally made it Runkurakay after another flight of steps.<br />
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Oh look, it's my cover, with two of our amazing porters carrying our food, tents, and other gear. More on the wonder that is the porters on the Inca Trail tomorrow.<br />
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Runkurakay is a tambo, a shelter for messengers or pilgrims along the Inca Trail. The Inca people didn't have a written language, so runners carried messages back and forth between Cusco and Machu Picchu. The current record for the 26 miles from Machu Picchu to Piscacucho? 3 hours and 42 minutes. I'll give you three guesses who made it at that speed, and it wasn't any of the world's marathon champions.<br />
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It was one of these guys' colleagues. When the Peruvian government sponsored the race in an effort to calculate how long it would have taken messengers to get from Machu Picchu to Cusco and back, runners from all over the world came to participate. The altitude and the steepness of the trail tripped most of them up. A porter, used to carrying 25-30kg as he hikes the trail in half the time it takes a tourist, ran the entire length with only water in less than four hours. Yeah, these men are my heroes, let me tell you!<br />
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We learned one other thing that day. Uphill might be harder on your lungs, but downhill is hell on your knees.<br />
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Want to know more about my trip to Peru? Check out <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5384" target="_blank"><i>The Path</i></a>, coming on Sept. 1 from Dreamspinner Press.<br />
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<br />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-68919141002580146072014-08-08T20:34:00.002-05:002014-08-08T20:41:09.225-05:00Heading out on the Inca TrailOne year ago today, we headed out on the Inca Trail.<br />
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Sounds simple, right? In a way it is. Until you consider that these photos were taken at about eight in the morning and we'd already been awake and traveling for four hours.<br />
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So, the Inca Trail starts at kilometer 82, also known as Piscacucho. That's great, but Cusco, where our hotel was, is at kilometer 1. When the Spanish invaded Peru, the Inca emperor took one look at the situation and decided it was a battle they couldn't win. They disappeared into the jungle and tore up the section of the Inca Trail that left Cusco so the Spanish couldn't follow them. The typical four-day Inca Trail hike now starts at Piscacucho. From there, we hiked up a local trail until we joined the original trail late that afternoon.</div>
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The first section of the trail took us through several Quechua villages and outposts like this one. The locals earn a portion of their income selling supplies to underprepared tourists, but the villages also contained examples of Inca engineering. Those water canals date from the Inca empire. <br />
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We passed Llactapacta as we headed up into the mountains. I was greatly amused this past fall when one of the early episodes of <i>Agents of SHIELD</i> included a scene at Llactapacta. It didn't look anything like this on TV.<br />
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We stopped for lunch and OMG, the food! I've eaten in some pretty amazing restaurants in my travels, but I would put every single one of them up against the food our camp cook prepared for us on a propane stove in little campsites all along the trail. Five-course gourmet meals...<br />
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The thing that stayed with me the most, though, was the scenery, so I'll leave you with some pictures of the glory that is the Andes.<br />
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<br />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-80499873656926798952014-08-07T20:08:00.002-05:002014-08-08T08:17:57.940-05:00The Sacred Valley (Pisac, Ollantaytambo and more)The Sacred Valley... <br />
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The name itself is evocative. The valley itself is incredible. The Urubamba river carved out the valley and its floodplain over thousands of years, and along its banks, the Inca Empire grew up.<br />
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Villages like this one above Pisac (where Benicio now lives) are typical of the way the Inca people lived. The thatch roofs are recreations, but the rest is original.<br />
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One of the things that struck me about this village and so many of the others was the engineering that went into them. The Inca people created terraces for agriculture and for erosion control. We haven't mastered erosion control in the 21st century, but the Inca had it figured out a thousand years ago. These terraces were agricultural in nature. You can tell because of the steps between them. Erosion control terraces were narrower and didn't have the same steps because people didn't need to access them as easily.<br />
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After we left Pisac, we headed to a center dedicated to preserving local arts. The knitter in me was thrilled.<br />
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All those colors of alpaca wool dyed naturally...<br />
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And the work the Quechua women create with the yarn is spectacular.<br />
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This is the market in another village, but all the handcrafts were made in the traditional way.<br />
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We also learned about the difference between llamas, alpacas, guanacos, and vicuñas. Guanacos and vicuñas aren't domesticated, so they're less interesting. Llamas are bigger and capable of carrying up to 25 kg, but they don't make good eating and the wool they produce isn't easy to work with.<br />
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Alpacas on the other hand won't carry anything no matter what you offer them, but they taste delicious and their wool is warm, plentiful, and soft.<br />
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Our last stop was Ollantaytambo, the oldest continuously occupied city in the Americas. The reason it was such a prime location?<br />
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The man in the mountain. Yes, that is a natural formation. <br />
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Next stop... the Inca Trail!<br />
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Want to know more about my trip to Peru? Check out <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5384" target="_blank"><i>The Path</i></a>, coming on Sept. 1 from Dreamspinner Press.<br />
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Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-67305834089768937552014-08-06T20:44:00.001-05:002014-08-08T20:40:23.444-05:00Cusco and Sacsayhuaman<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A year ago, my husband and I left on an adventure. </div>
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Yes, those are the Andes, and no, I didn't use a telephoto lens when I took that picture from the plane window. They're that tall. We flew from Lima to Cusco, which would be our home base for the time we were in Peru.<br />
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After settling in at a lovely hotel right off the main square, we had the chance to take a tour of the city.<br />
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It was interesting but very rooted in the Spanish conquest of Peru, not in the Inca empire that is so fascinating to me. Fortunately the city tour included a visit to Sacsayhuaman. For those of you who don't speak Quechua, it sounded like our guide said sexy woman every time. That's not quite the proper pronunciation but close.<br />
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Sacsayhuaman is on a flattened mountain above Cusco. The stones are quarried from the next mountain over and then dragged (the Inca people didn't have the wheel) through the intervening valley and up to the other side to be stacked as you see them. Easy, right? Think again. Many of those stones are taller than the average person.<br />
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Okay, not taller than Noah, but Noah is over six feet tall. (I'm the one with the red and green sweater and the big camera, for anyone who's curious.) The online sites I've found talk about it as a fortress, used in the defense of Cusco, but our guide saw it far differently. For him this was a spiritual site, a place of worship for the Inca people. All three animals sacred to the Inca people are represented here--the condor in the name (huaman means condor), the snake in the zigzag shape of the stones, and the jaguar because Cusco was laid out in the shape of a jaguar in ancient times with Sascayhuaman as its head. Additionally the stones are fitted together so smoothly you can't get a blade of grass or sheet of metal between them, a typical feature of religious architecture, not military. Regardless of whether it was religious or military, it was stunning. Here are a few more pictures in case you weren't impressed enough already.<br />
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Want to know more about my trip to Peru? Check out <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5384" target="_blank"><i>The Path</i></a>, coming on Sept. 1 from Dreamspinner Press.<br />
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<br />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-43358561985122911622014-08-04T17:57:00.000-05:002014-08-08T07:58:40.274-05:00Coming Soon: The PathI've talked quite a bit about my trip to Peru last August as well as about the book it inspired. All that work has finally come to fruition. <a href="http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5384" target="_blank">The Path</a> is on Dreamspinner Press's Coming Soon page. <br />
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<span id="goog_1483473224">The cover is a photo I took on the trail with a little magic by Paul Richmond, our Assistant Art Director. I love the light and the mist, and of course the steps. Let me tell you a thing or two about those steps. We joked about the scenery being proof of the existence of God and the steps being proof of the existence of the devil. They were a little bit uneven and were steeper than steps we're used to, so after a while, it was excruciating. At the same time, they are a marvel of engineering, created by a "primitive" people who didn't have the wheel and yet who excavated and maintained a path between the spiritual and political capitals of a huge empire, a path that is still in usable condition over 500 years after the Inca people abandoned it.</span></div>
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<span id="goog_1483473224">For anyone who's interested, here's me reading the prologue of The Path.</span></div>
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<br />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-73059234687068124902014-02-11T20:25:00.001-06:002014-02-11T20:25:30.489-06:00Testament to Love, second editionAlmost nine years ago, I participated in a fic exchange. Authors sent in requests for a story they'd like to receive as well as genres they would be willing to write. I signed up and eagerly awaited my assignment. While I was waiting, my best friend asked me if I was participating and I said yes. Imagine my distress, then, when two days later, I was assigned her request. She'd be expecting to read something from me since she always beta-read my fiction before I posted it, but it was supposed to be a surprise. <div><br></div><div>I did the only thing I could think of. I emailed a third author friend and asked for a second prompt. So while I was writing Nicki's story in secret, I was writing Connie's story to show to Nicki. I'd finished Connie's story and was frantically working on the last scene of Nicki's when we went to a weekend get-together of author friends. I spent the entire weekend with her on the other end of the couch as I was trying to finish the story without her finding out.</div><div><br></div><div>I managed, with a bit of luck and her ankle bracelet to let me know when she was coming down the hall, and sent it in for the fic exchange. It was posted and I sent her off to look at my story, as if she hadn't read what she thought was my story a dozen times already. Instead she found Testament to Love.</div><div><br></div><div>I've expanded on the story since then, adding 5k over the previously published version (which itself was longer than the fic exchange story), and it will be published as a novella in June or July. Needless to say, I'm ecstatic. I only hope she loves this edition as much as she loved the first.</div>Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-88663753913449803312014-01-30T12:24:00.000-06:002014-01-30T12:24:12.056-06:00Cover pollI'm almost done with my next book, tentatively titled The Path (or possibly El camino since it's set in Peru) and I need some input on the cover. I took close to a thousand pictures while I was in Peru, many of them of the Inca Trail, one of the elements of the book that the title refers to. And this is where you come in. I've included some of the best pictures of the trail below. Leave a comment with your favorite to help me decide which one to submit for possible use on the cover of the book.<br />
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1.<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYG7Znnyd1QDF_m__ArnPpN8t3QdqCOCn4Nq3MvR6wxnnh8Rpy6UPZoJoy9IfcmBlnK9qNU2YGfdl_8g8NFDaDBn8LpwjJqJokw1VmO6AeyR4gdWWeglVLWC4LM0R5qLe1fNowTYixT4/s1600/IMG_1098.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></div>
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2. <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw0HdOYcD3N7yThra_FGjTDakJ8k-EryVJAFGvGszkitmBlxOz6qyc_tIi5EoV76tu4U5K-EJrE0aluGh2KmqlJLRHWbKdxFQ9-BnT8zqcim7_tV2o0LvJtF_tjqXcZCu5bvv3eSW64Rc/s1600/IMG_1103.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></div>
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3. <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSFzb5jsWaXGAWKkuG_3suTadaMctD2l1bINQaoqfUxZ8MObl5blOnHtHvSJ1-APgLYPj8ANL_aqQcboUDwhjudly026fVgU6i5u_Gooyac5ZKzcGk6eaBOTNk_tkYouxRRATcpGT_Vqw/s1600/IMG_1111.JPG" height="320" width="213" /> </div>
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5. <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv4fieXGW2lZ0Fp93u1jWaMmTGYBGZO24h8HOEAjb2mFIrm9sphfS8_q5GoN5iq5oLRDaGL8xd_TYnSwJKCA22D1BZ4EH7qeJvyFijDN43eL-_3ZvkeTyVpxSYwW17z-Mm3UR5oQpp5HU/s1600/IMG_1187.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></div>
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6. <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpl8tDopHo2qZ74Sx3LbPOGb1XOvF5L4OcpcBScGgfTugHNAZzobqq6uu16jtUjeAM2_qP2CYHZmPChaduUBrM09uyPT0IE4Y28walEzLKRZJCkvDEsEPFZv_4GL3-CG-w2Mto9qpY-j4/s1600/IMG_1217.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></div>
<br />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-70291947075277398032014-01-14T17:28:00.001-06:002014-01-14T17:28:18.594-06:00Birthday wishes and more fangirl squeesI wrote pretty extensively last spring about meeting Janelle Taylor at RT and everything that meant to me.<div><br></div><div>She sent me a birthday wish on Facebook for her "KC Book Fair buddy." Of the hundreds of birthday wishes I got yesterday, and I got many, that's the one that made me tingle in excitement. You see, Ariel the author wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for one of Janelle Taylor's books. I was bored with YA books because 30 years ago, YA books romances didn't even have a kiss half the time, and they certainly never went beyond a kiss, and that kiss had no description surrounding it. Just the simple statement that they kissed. Imagine my delight, then, when I opened <i>Destiny's Temptress</i> and found not just kissing but descriptions of kissing and sex! I knew the mechanics of sex all fifth graders learn in sex ed, but that was hardly the same.</div><div><br></div><div>I read that book until it fell apart. I studied it. I wanted to see how to build tension, how to develop a relationship, how to write sex. And then I turned around and practiced all the things I'd (hopefully) learned by studying a master. </div><div><br></div><div>And now that master is my KC Book Fair buddy.</div><div><br></div><div>Yeah, I'm doing a happy dance all over the house once more.</div>Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-28411544927444075982013-07-27T20:53:00.001-05:002014-09-02T20:26:09.093-05:00Heading out on a new adventureFor the past eight months, my husband and I have been planning a trip to Peru, and now it's finally here. We leave on Thursday for ten days, including four days hiking the Inca Trail. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. We'll fly into Cusco and have two days there before we leave. Then it's off to hike the mountains! These aren't my pictures yet, obviously, but this should give you an idea of what we'll be seeing and why I'm SO excited. I promise to share my own photos when I get back.<br />
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Day 1<br />
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Ollantaytambo<br />
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Huillca Raccay<br />
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Llactapata<br />
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Day 2<br />
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Pacaymayu<br />
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Runkuraqay pass<br />
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Day 3<br />
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Phuyupatamarca<br />
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Intipata<br />
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Wiñay Wayna<br />
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Day 4<br />
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Machu Picchu<br />
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<br />Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com80tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-65428351584769675852013-05-28T13:08:00.001-05:002013-05-28T13:08:20.295-05:00My RT Rundown (or how Janelle Taylor will always be my hero)I go to cons for a variety of reasons: to promote my books, to promote Dreamspinner, to meet fans, to network with other authors. Before RT this year, I'd never gone to a con where I had the to meet authors whose work had touched me in my earliest years. <br>
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If you read my last post, you already here the story of how I bought my first romance novel at twelve and then met Janelle Taylor the first day at RT. If you missed it, go read it!<br>
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The story got even better as the weekend went on. On Saturday I got to sit next to her at the Giant Book Fair. Tachna, Taylor, that's not too much of a stretch. She recognized me from Wednesday, and we spent three lovely hours discussing writing, publishing, our families, and anything else that came to mind, and at one point, she asked me which book of hers I first read all those years ago. (I did mention that I read it until it fell apart, yes?) I told her and she said she had one copy left at home with the original cover and she made a note of it so she could sign it and send it to me. (Squee!)<br>
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That would have been wonderful enough if it had stopped right there, but as we talked to fans who came to our table, she mentioned several times that she planned to read Inherit the Sky on her way home from RT, and was otherwise the most generous, gracious lady I could ever hope to meet. Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5275157489926093144.post-48173728125671110802013-05-25T10:05:00.000-05:002013-05-25T10:05:38.168-05:00A peek at my WIP - Conquer the FlamesI've been in the writing cave for the past two weeks, so I thought I'd share a peek at what I've been working on. <br />
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It felt strange to see civilization again after a month of sleeping rough and living in the outback. Thorne followed the gravel road down into the valley, the first place he’d seen in a month that didn’t show the ravages of the hot, dry summer. It wasn’t as lush as he imagined it would be after a wet spring, but it wasn’t the same sere brown or charred black as the parts of the outback he’d been living in. In the center of the valley, a collection of houses and outbuildings nestled together, looking for all the world like the center of its own little universe. <br />
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Thorne ignored the pinch in his heart at the sight. This wasn’t just a group of buildings. This was a home. Thorne hadn’t had a home since his had burned down when he was eighteen, taking the lives of his parents and younger brother, but he could still recognize one when he saw it. More than that, he’d spent twenty years in the Commandos defending home. Not his, never his, not since it had burned to the ground while he spent the night with a friend, but the homes of everyone who would have been the victim of the terrorists they stopped, the insurgents they put down, the guerillas they contained. The station below might not be his home, but it was a home, and Thorne would die before he let the grassfires take it from the men and women who could claim it as their own.<br />
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He coasted to a stop and put the truck in park. Climbing out, he took a moment to survey the valley, mentally calculating angles and wind direction and defensibility. The upcoming fight wouldn’t involve bullets and other ammunition, but it would be a fight nonetheless and the better they defended the valley, the easier it would be to win the fight. The valley walls were steeper at the far end than they were where the road entered. It would make choosing the location of the firebreak simpler and possibly easier to defend since the drop-off would make it harder for the sparks to catch on fresh tender. Closer to the road and the entrance to the valley, the slope was gentler, but even then, Thorne saw what he considered a clear line of valley versus tablelands. They would set their defenses there and concentrate the manpower along the gentler slopes where jumping the firebreak would be more of a concern. <br />
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Plans in place, he climbed back in the truck and drove the rest of the way onto the station. As he neared the populated area, two men stepped out to greet him, both wearing battered Akubras and well-worn boots. The resemblance ended there, though. Beneath the hats, one was blond, the other brunet, one as craggy as the hills that surrounded them, the other fresh-faced and clean-shaven. He pulled to a stop in front of them and rolled down the window.<br />
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“Can we help you?” the brunet asked, surprising Thorne with his American accent.<br />
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“I hope so, mate. I’m looking for the grazier. There’s a grassfire headed this way and I’m here to help get things ready.”<br />
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“We own Lang Downs,” the Yank replied. “Caine Neiheisel, and this is my partner, Macklin Armstrong. And you are?”<br />
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“Thorne Lachlan,” Thorne said. “I’m with the Firies who are at the front north of here. The captain sent me to warn you and to start setting up defenses around the population center of the station.”<br />
“How long do we have?” Armstrong asked. Thorne relaxed a little. Armstrong was an Aussie, and one who had the look of a stockman. <br />
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“If conditions stay like they are now, maybe forty-eight hours,” Thorne replied. “If the wind dies down, we may get a break and stop it where it is, but we can’t count on that. By the time we know for sure, it will be too late to build new firebreaks here.”<br />
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“We already have our jackaroos bringing the mob down into the valley,” Neiheisel said. “As soon as they return, we have fifty men and all the station’s equipment we can put at your disposal. Uncle Michael built this place from the ground up. I’m not losing it now.”<br />
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Thorne let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His chances of successfully protecting the station increased with every pair of willing hands and every bit of cooperation from the station owner. He would have fought tooth and nail to stop the fire even if he’d had to do it alone, but this was far better.<br />
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“Good. Where can I pitch my tent? I’ll get my gear out of the way and we can start marking off the areas for the fire break.”<br />
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“You don’t need to pitch a tent,” Neiheisel said. “There’s a perfectly good bed in the guest room in the station house. You can sleep there.”<br />
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“That won’t be enough when the rest of the Firies get here,” Thorne warned.<br />
Neiheisel shrugged. “So we’ll find couches or double bunk the kids. Nobody will be sleeping on the ground if I can help it.”<br />
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The thought of kids exposed to the fire froze Thorne’s blood in his veins. “Perhaps you should speak to the families with children about evacuating until the fire is under control again. Property damage can be repaired. Children can’t be replaced.”<br />
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“We already gave their parents that option,” Armstrong said. “If it comes to it, Carley and Molly will take the kids and head to town, but for now, everyone prefers to stay and help.”<br />
It wasn’t Thorne’s place to argue, but as he parked his truck where Armstrong indicated and grabbed the gear he’d need to begin setting up the valley’s protection, his determination to see them through the upcoming inferno increased even more.<br />
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By the time he returned to the station owners, another man had joined them, his horse dancing restlessly beneath him.<br />
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“Neil, this is Thorne Lachlan from the RFS .” As Caine spoke, Neil swung off his horse and tossed the reins to a passing jackaroo. “He’s been fighting the fires north of here and has come to help us get ready. Thorne, this is Neil Emery, our foreman.”<br />
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“Cheers, mate” Neil said, offering his hand. Thorne shook it, appreciating the firm grip and the calluses that came from hard work. “You can see the smoke on the horizon already. I’ve been waiting for someone to come warn us.”<br />
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“You didn’t need the warning,” Thorne said, looking around as sheep spilled over the edge of the tablelands and down into the valley. “Your bosses were already getting ready, but I have some tricks up my sleeve to help keep you safe.”<br />
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Neil nodded and turned to Caine. “Tell Molly she has to leave now. Please?”<br />
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“She’s your wife,” Caine retorted. “If she won’t listen to you, what makes you think she’ll listen to me?”<br />
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“You’re her boss. I’m just her husband.”<br />
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Thorne shared an amused look with Armstrong. It had been years since Thorne had been around women much, but he still remembered his father trying fruitlessly to convince his mother of something she didn’t want to do. The thought brought the familiar pang, the grief no less now than it had been twenty years ago, no matter how people said time healed all wounds.<br />
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“If it gets that dangerous, we’ll all be leaving,” Caine said with a sharp look at Macklin. “Buildings can be rebuilt, livestock can be replaced. That’s what we have insurance for, if it comes to that.”<br />
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“It won’t come to that,” Thorne swore. “I won’t let it.”Ariel Tachnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05134172949755166897noreply@blogger.com8