His Valiant Mate (The Arbor Vale Werewolves, Gay Paranormal Romance)
The Arbor Vale Werewolves, Gay Paranormal Romance
Romance, Erotica, Gay, Paranormal, Contemporary
| Author: | Marlena Sable | ISBN: | 1230000000246 |
| Publisher: | Sultry Reads | Publication: | July 4, 2012 |
| Imprint: | Language: | English |
| Author: | Marlena Sable |
| ISBN: | 1230000000246 |
| Publisher: | Sultry Reads |
| Publication: | July 4, 2012 |
| Imprint: | |
| Language: | English |
While on a full moon run with his pack, Nathan finds himself haunted by the lonely cry of an unknown werewolf. The powerful connection between them compels him to seek out the stranger, and Nathan is stunned by the strength of their mutual desire. But the shadows of his past make him hesitant to put himself in a vulnerable position, and Gregor has demons of his own. When these two wounded souls collide, happiness is theirs for the taking—if only they can find the courage to let themselves fall in love…
LENGTH: 18,000 words
EXCERPT:
Gentle sunlight crept across the sky as I pulled up to the ranch house—an austere structure made of red bricks, its only exterior decorations being white window frames and a dark green door. After parking behind Gregor’s pickup truck, I grabbed the bag of baked goods in one hand and got out of the car, making my way to the house. I was halfway to the front door when the sound of sawing reached me from the nearby barn and I paused, then veered over towards it. I found the barn doors wide open, allowing me an unobstructed view of Gregor.
My breath caught at the sight of him. Large and muscled, his dark blond hair pulled back into a neat pony tail at the nape of his neck, Gregor wielded a hand saw as he deftly cut a piece of wood. He was also shirtless, giving me a great view of the way his muscles moved in time to the sawing motion of his arm. The look of concentration on his face gave him an aura of quiet reserve.
Good lord. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. His masculine beauty was a fierce, virile maleness that brought to mind a warrior from olden days, able to either protect or kill. A desire to draw him came unbidden to the forefront of my mind, surprising me. I’d long ago laid down my sketchbooks for the sake of being sensible about career prospects, and I hadn’t had the heart to draw anything in years.
Gregor must have sensed me there, because he stopped mid-saw and looked up to meet my gaze, surprise showing in his green eyes.
“Hi,” I said, giving him an uncertain smile as I stepped inside the barn. For the life of me, I was unable to break eye contact with him. I didn’t know if he’d take it as a challenge—a few werewolves do, when they first meet—but it was damnably hard to look away.
Gregor inclined his head, and any concerns I had about him taking offense melted away. I felt the warmth of a smile wash over me despite the fact that he wasn’t actually smiling. “Well met,” he replied, the timbre of his voice resonating through me. He set his tools down and came over to me, reaching for my extended hand and clasping it in his, shaking it with a strong grip. Heat shot through me at his touch.
“I’m sorry for barging in on you this way. I wanted to come by because—” At this I stopped, not sure what to say. We had a connection last week? You’ve been showing up in my dreams? For the past few days I haven’t been able to get you out of my head?
His closeness wasn’t helping, and the way his gaze roved slowly over my face, as though memorizing my features, flustered me even further. When I noticed the light sheen of sweat covering his body, I lost my train of thought and my mind veered off into sensual territory, thinking of other things that could make a man sweat.
I shook my head slightly, trying to concentrate. What the hell is wrong with me? Embarrassed, I held out the bag in my hand. “Mei heard I was coming over, so she asked me to bring you this as thanks for restoring her cabinet.”
Gregor accepted the bag and placed it on his workbench without looking at it. “Why is it,” he asked softly, his gaze still on me, “that I’ve never met you before, and yet everything about you—your scent, your wolf spirit—is as familiar to me as my own?”
My heart skipped a beat at the words. “Last week.” I felt an inexplicable desire to get even closer to him, to feel his large hand glide across my skin. “I heard your call—”
“And you answered.” Understanding dawned on his face, and with it a sadness I didn’t understand. He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, eyebrows furrowed. “Your response triggered something in me, and I thought I recognized—” He broke off and turned away from me, his mouth tightening. “In any case, I pushed a connection on you that you didn’t ask for. There’s no excuse for it and I apologize.”
I wanted to pull his face to mine, to kiss him and soften the hard line of his mouth with my own. Instead, I admitted, “I’ve been dreaming of you every night since.”
Gregor stilled and looked back at me. “What happened in the dream?”
“I was running in the woods, trying to find you but unable to do so.” I paused, then said, “I woke up wanting to see if you were all right.”
He took a step closer. “You came for me?” Before I could answer, surprise showed on his face and he abruptly leaned in, inhaling deeply. “You smell like newly fallen snow,” he said, wonder in his voice. His expression softened, and I felt an ache in my heart at his wistfulness. “It reminds me of home.”
He was near enough that I could see the golden flecks in his green eyes, and I found myself trembling on the edge of a precipice, frightened by his proximity yet at the same time wanting him even closer. An intense desire to kiss him threatened to overwhelm me. From the way he was looking at me and how his gaze slid down to my mouth, I knew he had the same thoughts.
While on a full moon run with his pack, Nathan finds himself haunted by the lonely cry of an unknown werewolf. The powerful connection between them compels him to seek out the stranger, and Nathan is stunned by the strength of their mutual desire. But the shadows of his past make him hesitant to put himself in a vulnerable position, and Gregor has demons of his own. When these two wounded souls collide, happiness is theirs for the taking—if only they can find the courage to let themselves fall in love…
LENGTH: 18,000 words
EXCERPT:
Gentle sunlight crept across the sky as I pulled up to the ranch house—an austere structure made of red bricks, its only exterior decorations being white window frames and a dark green door. After parking behind Gregor’s pickup truck, I grabbed the bag of baked goods in one hand and got out of the car, making my way to the house. I was halfway to the front door when the sound of sawing reached me from the nearby barn and I paused, then veered over towards it. I found the barn doors wide open, allowing me an unobstructed view of Gregor.
My breath caught at the sight of him. Large and muscled, his dark blond hair pulled back into a neat pony tail at the nape of his neck, Gregor wielded a hand saw as he deftly cut a piece of wood. He was also shirtless, giving me a great view of the way his muscles moved in time to the sawing motion of his arm. The look of concentration on his face gave him an aura of quiet reserve.
Good lord. He was the most beautiful man I had ever seen. His masculine beauty was a fierce, virile maleness that brought to mind a warrior from olden days, able to either protect or kill. A desire to draw him came unbidden to the forefront of my mind, surprising me. I’d long ago laid down my sketchbooks for the sake of being sensible about career prospects, and I hadn’t had the heart to draw anything in years.
Gregor must have sensed me there, because he stopped mid-saw and looked up to meet my gaze, surprise showing in his green eyes.
“Hi,” I said, giving him an uncertain smile as I stepped inside the barn. For the life of me, I was unable to break eye contact with him. I didn’t know if he’d take it as a challenge—a few werewolves do, when they first meet—but it was damnably hard to look away.
Gregor inclined his head, and any concerns I had about him taking offense melted away. I felt the warmth of a smile wash over me despite the fact that he wasn’t actually smiling. “Well met,” he replied, the timbre of his voice resonating through me. He set his tools down and came over to me, reaching for my extended hand and clasping it in his, shaking it with a strong grip. Heat shot through me at his touch.
“I’m sorry for barging in on you this way. I wanted to come by because—” At this I stopped, not sure what to say. We had a connection last week? You’ve been showing up in my dreams? For the past few days I haven’t been able to get you out of my head?
His closeness wasn’t helping, and the way his gaze roved slowly over my face, as though memorizing my features, flustered me even further. When I noticed the light sheen of sweat covering his body, I lost my train of thought and my mind veered off into sensual territory, thinking of other things that could make a man sweat.
I shook my head slightly, trying to concentrate. What the hell is wrong with me? Embarrassed, I held out the bag in my hand. “Mei heard I was coming over, so she asked me to bring you this as thanks for restoring her cabinet.”
Gregor accepted the bag and placed it on his workbench without looking at it. “Why is it,” he asked softly, his gaze still on me, “that I’ve never met you before, and yet everything about you—your scent, your wolf spirit—is as familiar to me as my own?”
My heart skipped a beat at the words. “Last week.” I felt an inexplicable desire to get even closer to him, to feel his large hand glide across my skin. “I heard your call—”
“And you answered.” Understanding dawned on his face, and with it a sadness I didn’t understand. He closed his eyes briefly before opening them again, eyebrows furrowed. “Your response triggered something in me, and I thought I recognized—” He broke off and turned away from me, his mouth tightening. “In any case, I pushed a connection on you that you didn’t ask for. There’s no excuse for it and I apologize.”
I wanted to pull his face to mine, to kiss him and soften the hard line of his mouth with my own. Instead, I admitted, “I’ve been dreaming of you every night since.”
Gregor stilled and looked back at me. “What happened in the dream?”
“I was running in the woods, trying to find you but unable to do so.” I paused, then said, “I woke up wanting to see if you were all right.”
He took a step closer. “You came for me?” Before I could answer, surprise showed on his face and he abruptly leaned in, inhaling deeply. “You smell like newly fallen snow,” he said, wonder in his voice. His expression softened, and I felt an ache in my heart at his wistfulness. “It reminds me of home.”
He was near enough that I could see the golden flecks in his green eyes, and I found myself trembling on the edge of a precipice, frightened by his proximity yet at the same time wanting him even closer. An intense desire to kiss him threatened to overwhelm me. From the way he was looking at me and how his gaze slid down to my mouth, I knew he had the same thoughts.
