The Shaughnessy family is ready for the holidays! Samantha Chase’s HOLIDAY SPICE is available TODAY and contemporary romance lovers won't want to miss this one! Read an excerpt below and pick up your copy today!
About HOLIDAY SPICE
Darcy Shaughnessy has gotten used to her overbearing brothers chasing away any man she wants to date. But a chance meeting with a brooding – and deliciously handsome – artist is about to make this holiday season one to remember.
There's only one thing Benjamin Tanner loves more than his woodcarving: solitude. Then he gets snowed in with Darcy in his cozy cabin in the woods, and their heated feelings begin to melt the icy barrier between them.
With Ben's need for privacy and Darcy's love of family and social life, will opposites still attract once the snow clears and the holiday festivities come to an end?
Add HOLIDAY SPICE to your Goodreads shelf here!
It had been tempting to watch her for a little bit longer.
Everything about Darcy was so expressive that even though Ben hadn’t heard one
word of her exchange with the security guard, he had been able to imagine the
entire conversation based on the look on her face.
It
was highly entertaining.
“What
are you doing here?” she asked, her expression one of total confusion.
“Savannah
called me and told me you weren’t able to get on a flight. So here I am,” he
said, offering her a small smile.
She
frowned.
Seriously?
Even when he came to save her, she was
still pissed at him?
“What
if I had gotten on a flight between the time Savannah called you and the time
you got to the airport?”
He
shrugged. “Then I would have made a very perilous trip for nothing. I would
have gotten here sooner, but people don’t
know how to drive in the snow. I passed a bunch of accidents.”
“You
could have been one of them.”
Another
shrug. “I have a truck that happens to be exceptional in the snow, and I’m used to driving in it. It wasn’t
a big deal. You need to drive slowly, and
you’ll be all right.”
Darcy
looked around and made a noncommittal sound. “So you just got here, huh?”
“No,
I’ve been here for a while. I couldn’t
get past security, and it took some time to page you. I tried calling you
several times, but I kept getting a message that all circuits were busy. I
guess with the storm moving in and all.” He paused and gave her a lopsided
grin. “Anyway, I saw you when you were on the escalator,
but you didn’t see me.”
“There’s,
like, a million people here,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. “And I wasn’t
looking for, well, you.”
He
frowned at her tone. “What did you think you were coming here for?”
“Honestly?
I thought my brother had been able to charter a
plane for me.”
He
couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sorry to disappoint you. But the only charter you
have is me—in the form of a truck and a trip back to the lake.”
“Oh.
So I guess I’ll get a room at the hotel,” she said,
and he noticed she wouldn’t look directly at him.
“I
just planned on bringing you to the cabin until the storm is over and flights
are back to normal. It won’t be more than a couple of days. No need for you to
have to go to a hotel or anything.”
Now
she did look at him. “No, really, it’s okay. I’d prefer to go to the hotel.”
She
was looking at him with a hint of defiance,
and he figured he’d let her have her way for now. The sooner they got on the
road, the better. There was already a very real possibility they weren’t going
to get home until after dark. It would be pointless to drag this out.
“That’s
fine. No problem.” He motioned toward her suitcase. “I’ll take that for you.
Let’s get going.”
“Oh.”
Ben
could hear the relief in her voice and smiled to himself. For right now, he was
happy to have a truce with her. They had a long drive ahead of them, and he’d
rather it be peaceful rather than tense and awkward.
He
waited while she pulled her coat out and got herself together, and then they
made their way out to the parking garage. The traffic was insane, and he prayed it wasn’t going to be as
bad as he was fearing.
It
was.
And it was tense and awkward.
Don't miss the other books in the Shaughnessy Brothers series!
Samantha Chase is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller of contemporary romance. She released her debut novel in 2011 and currently has more than forty titles under her belt! When she’s not working on a new story, she spends her time reading romances, playing way too many games of Scrabble or Solitaire on Facebook, wearing a tiara while playing with her sassy pug Maylene…oh, and spending time with her husband of 25 years and their two sons in North Carolina.
The Talon Pack continues with a new twist to the Packs and a revelation no one was prepared for.
Mitchell Brentwood is aware that others think he’s the harsh taskmaster Beta trying to keep his Pack alive, but they only see what he wants them to know. He’d once thought he had his path laid out before him, but when his future was violently ripped away, he vowed he’d never let anyone close again—especially not a young wolf from a traitorous Pack.
Dawn Levin may be younger than the war that destroyed her people, but she knows she must still pay for their sins. She’s ready to find her way in this new world where wolves and humans blend as one, but first, she needs to fight her attraction to the dark wolf that stands in her way.
While the two struggle with their feelings and burning attraction for each other, they can’t ignore the world that shakes beneath their feet. There is a new enemy on the horizon, one with revenge and the unknown on their minds. An adversary that might be closer than they realize.
Dawn pulled herself up, her claws out— as well as her
secret— and she growled. For some reason, the wolf only wanted her, not her
friends. It must have gotten her scent and would only stop or move on once she
was injured or dead. That was fine with her, because her friends were human and
wouldn’t survive this. Dawn wasn’t sure she
would survive this.
The wolf took that moment of hesitation and pounced again.
Dawn darted to the side and slashed her claws down its side. It let out a
pained howl, and she did it again.
“Get behind me,” Dawn yelled, her fangs descending. She was
just dominant enough that she could partially shift, but she didn’t have time
to do a full shift, nor the inclination to be so vulnerable.
“We’re not leaving you,” Cheyenne yelled. “I’m calling 911.”
“Don’t, we will handle this on our own,” a deep voice
growled, and Dawn nearly spun around, startled. Mitchell came to her side, also
partially shifted, and she almost let out a relieved breath. Though she hated
being the damsel in distress, she was no match for this wolf, and they all knew
it. She’d be able to fight and probably hurt the rogue, but not when she was
trying to keep her friends safe and wasn’t able to shift to full wolf form. She
was at a disadvantage, but if she fought alongside Mitchell, she had more of a
chance. “Get your friends out of here, Dawn.”
“I’m not letting you fight alone,” she said quickly.
“There’s something off with this wolf.”
Mitchell spared her a glance, and then things moved quickly.
The rogue leapt at them, teeth bared, and she and Mitchell ducked out of the
way. While she’d seen Mitchell train with some of the wolves in her den, she’d
never seen him move like this before. One moment, he stood next to her, claws
out. The next, he was like smoke, drifting from one side of the wolf to the
other, tearing through the wolf’s fur. The rogue kept coming at her, snapping
it’s drooling jaws, so she couldn’t just run away and leave Mitchell to fight
even if she wanted to. It would only follow her, and someone else would get
hurt in the process.
She rolled to the side again, aware
that her friends hadn’t left the alley but were far enough away now to be
relatively safe. The rogue came at her again, and this time, she and Mitchell
somehow worked as a team, taking the wolf down to the ground. From the manic
look in its eyes, she knew there would be no saving it. Somehow, whoever this
was had let their wolf take control to the point they’d lost whatever made them
sane. They were no longer wolf or human, just pure rogue. Mitchell met her eyes
quickly before snapping the wolf’s neck in a clean break.
Her hands shook as her claws and fangs receded, and she met
Mitchell’s gaze once more. He’d saved her and her friends, and she didn’t know
how to thank him, wasn’t sure that he’d accept her thanks anyway. All she knew
was that she never wanted to be put in this situation again. She’d train
harder, fight harder, and find a way to protect herself so no one would have to come to her rescue.
“You fought well,” Mitchell growled, his wolf in his voice.
“He was so far gone, and a whole lot bigger than you. There was nothing else
you could have done. I’ll take care of the body, and my team is on the way to
clean up. Meet me in your den this afternoon. We need to talk.” He paused and
gestured over her shoulder, and she turned to see her friends starting at her
with wide, hurt eyes. “And I think you need to talk to them, as well.”
Dawn swallowed hard as she nodded. She had no idea what she
was going to say to them, wasn’t sure there was anything to say. Blood covered
her hands and arms, and she had a few nicks and scrapes on her cheek and neck.
She didn’t look like herself, didn’t look like a simple barista.
No, she looked like the monster she’d fought to hide.
And now she’d have to explain to her friends why she’d lied
to them.
DESTINY DISGRACED is available now - pick up your copy today!
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.
Carrie Ann Ryan's DESTINY DISGRACED is available now! Find out more below about this next book in her Talon Pack series, read a sneak peek, and pick up your copy today!
About DESTINY DISGRACED
The Talon Pack continues with a new twist to the Packs and a revelation no one was prepared for.
Mitchell Brentwood is aware that others think he’s the harsh taskmaster Beta trying to keep his Pack alive, but they only see what he wants them to know. He’d once thought he had his path laid out before him, but when his future was violently ripped away, he vowed he’d never let anyone close again—especially not a young wolf from a traitorous Pack.
Dawn Levin may be younger than the war that destroyed her people, but she knows she must still pay for their sins. She’s ready to find her way in this new world where wolves and humans blend as one, but first, she needs to fight her attraction to the dark wolf that stands in her way.
While the two struggle with their feelings and burning attraction for each other, they can’t ignore the world that shakes beneath their feet. There is a new enemy on the horizon, one with revenge and the unknown on their minds. An adversary that might be closer than they realize.
Mitchell cursed under his breath as soon as she walked
outside to the porch. He’d come outside to get away from her scent since it
seemed to permeate the small house with the sweet and floral aroma that was all
Dawn, and now here she was, invading his space. Again.
He didn’t know what it was about her, but he knew he needed
to get a handle on whatever was going on. He might act like a bastard most of
the time, but he wasn’t cruel. Yet right then, he just wanted to yell and
scream and get away from her— and he had no fucking clue why. She was so damn
close, too. So near, he could feel the heat of her skin against his. He hadn’t
gone far from the door when he came outside, and now they were only a few
inches apart.
“So… I didn’t know you’d be out here, or I would have stayed
inside. Not that I’m avoiding you per se, it’s more that I know if you’re out
here, then you’re probably like me and need some space to breathe or just be,
and now here I am, standing in your way and not letting you be alone. So, yes,
not avoiding, but I still try to give you a wide berth. Anyway, I can go back
inside if you want, and go, uh… just go. Yeah, I’ll do that.”
She basically said all of that in one breath, and Mitchell
had to admire her for that even if it sort of overwhelmed him.
“And now I’m talking too much, I can see it in your eyes. Or
like, the corner of your eye since you’re not actually looking at me. Anyway,
thank you for listening to me ramble. I’ll go back in and check on my brother.
Oh, and thank you for helping him, by the way. I know you probably have four
hundred things to do a day, but coming by the den and checking on Cole when
your Alpha can’t… well, that’s truly just amazing. I hope you see that even if
it might just be a duty to you.”
She opened her mouth and was either about to take a breath
since she hadn’t in a while or start talking again. And since Mitchell didn’t
know how to politely to tell her to shut up since her voice kept sending his
wolf into an odd frenzy he couldn’t figure out, he did the one thing that came
to mind.
Absolutely the most idiotic thing he
could have done.
He turned and kissed her.
Hard.
See the DESTINY DISGRACED trailer!
About Carrie Ann Ryan
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.
We're just a little under a week away from the release of DESTINY DISGRACED by Carrie Ann Ryan - are you ready to read the first chapter? Read it below!
About DESTINY DISGRACED
The Talon Pack continues with a new twist to the Packs and a revelation no one was prepared for.
Mitchell Brentwood is aware that others think he’s the harsh taskmaster Beta trying to keep his Pack alive, but they only see what he wants them to know. He’d once thought he had his path laid out before him, but when his future was violently ripped away, he vowed he’d never let anyone close again—especially not a young wolf from a traitorous Pack.
Dawn Levin may be younger than the war that destroyed her people, but she knows she must still pay for their sins. She’s ready to find her way in this new world where wolves and humans blend as one, but first, she needs to fight her attraction to the dark wolf that stands in her way.
While the two struggle with their feelings and burning attraction for each other, they can’t ignore the world that shakes beneath their feet. There is a new enemy on the horizon, one with revenge and the unknown on their minds. An adversary that might be closer than they realize.
Death was but a whisper away, and yet Mitchell Brentwood
couldn’t breathe. With a slow blink, he moved to the side as a fist came at
him, his opponent struggling to keep up with Mitchell’s moves. As the youth was
only a teenager and still learning while Mitchell was the Beta of the Talon
Pack, he didn’t blame the pup for not being fast enough.
He’d just train the kid until he sweated and cursed Mitchell
out and then maybe the teen would be ready for whatever came next.
That was how Packs worked— always ready for the next battle,
the next fight.
An odd thought for a wolf without a war to face.
He’d spent his life preparing for conflict or fighting an
unseen master he’d never thought to find his way out from under, and now here
he was, training young wolves to help them control their beasts, yet… alone.
His cousin Kameron punched his shoulder and frowned at him.
Well, if one could call it a frown considering the man rarely if ever showed
any emotion— no anger, no disappointment, no sadness, and certainly not a
smile. While some called Mitchell a hard-ass bastard, they called Kameron the
cold-ass one.
“What?” Mitchell growled. The punch hadn’t hurt since
Kameron hadn’t put any heat behind it, but he still wasn’t expecting it. And
considering he and his brother, Max, had been raised with the rest of the
cousins as if they were brothers, it was the principle of the thing.
“Your mind is wandering, and you’re not paying attention.”
Kameron’s gaze was on the juveniles in front of them and their training and not
on him, so he flipped his cousin off. “Saw that. I’m pretty sure the kids saw
that, too. Good job, oh fearless leader.”
“Suck me,” Mitchell whispered so low that only Kameron could
hear. Since the trainees in front of them were also wolves, they had
exceptional hearing, so he had to be careful how loud he spoke when he didn’t
want others to listen in.
“No, thanks, cousin. Why don’t you find yourself a woman to
do that? Maybe if you finally get laid, you’ll wipe that perpetual scowl off
your face.”
A familiar ache pulsated deep inside, and it took everything
within him not to let the pain cascading through him show on his face. He’d
spent years perfecting that ability, yet each time it seemed to grow,
increasing in need and dread.
Mitchell lashed out, kicking Kameron on the back of his
knee. And though Mitchell was one of the best fighters in the Pack, he wasn’t the best. That title belonged to their
Enforcer— Kameron. While Mitchell was the Beta of the Talons and in charge of
the day-to-day needs of the Pack, Kameron, as the Enforcer, was in charge of
their defense. It only made sense that his cousin would be a slightly better
fighter— it was genetic. So instead of his foot making contact, Kameron leapt
out of the way so gracefully that he could have been a dancer in another life
instead of a soldier.
Then, they fought.
Well, not really, as they weren’t landing their punches or
kicks, but they’d spent decades learning each other’s moves and weaknesses.
Even though neither of them was the Alpha or the strongest wolf in the Pack,
they still fought like what they were— some of the best.
The younger wolves around them stopped what they were doing
to watch the older wolves fight, and Mitchell didn’t fault them for that. There
was a reason he and his family were the highest in the hierarchy of the Pack,
and they were damn good at what they did to protect their people. After a few
minutes, they were both sweaty, their shirts sticking to their skin. Kameron’s
mouth twitched as if he were smiling. For his non-emotive cousin, that was big.
“Maybe you should think about your dick and get off mine,”
Mitchell said with a sneer.
“Why does everything you’re saying today sound so dirty?”
Kameron asked, wiping his face with the bottom of his shirt. A few sighs
sounded from some of the women in their training group, and Mitchell held back
a snort. There was always someone lusting after Kam, as if they wanted to be
the one to melt his icy exterior.
Not too many panted after Mitchell, and he was just fine
with that. He’d done his best to make his asshole persona permanent for a
reason.
“You’re just a pervert,” Mitchell finally answered as he
rolled his shoulders. “You can’t help it, though, you’re from that line of the Brentwoods.”
Kameron flipped him off and almost smiled again. Two times
in one day, that had to be a record. “Like your line is any better.” He shook
his head and turned to the others, watching them. “Okay, that’s a wrap for the
day. Let’s cool down. Then you guys get to hear what your next assignment is.”
Mitchell nodded. “You guys did good. All of you are learning
to not only use your bodies as tools, but you’re controlling your beasts more
and more.” The same could not be said for some of the older wolves in the Pack.
That was why tomorrow’s training sessions would be with some of the dominants,
who were already on shifts around the den. Even though the Pack wasn’t at war,
that didn’t mean they could slack off in their training.
It had been a year since the final battle with the rogue
human factions that didn’t know if they wanted to control the wolves or wipe
them from existence. The Talons and their allies, the Redwoods, had lost many
and endured countless other horrors that left horrific memories that would
never fade. But in the end, a great sacrifice had saved them all. Mitchell
still wasn’t sure how he felt about the fact that he hadn’t been strong enough
to protect his people. It was the sacrifice of the others— the pain of others, including his brother,
Max— that had won the war. Mitchell had only been there to fight.
But there wasn’t a battle to be fought with claw and fang
now. The humans came out on the good side in the end, and now they were in a
time of peace. A calm where the wolves were no longer stuck within their wards
inside the den, afraid to go out in public for fear that they’d be attacked by
those anxious of what they didn’t know or understand. Now, his people could go
out and do what they’d done for hundreds of years before the Unveiling, before
the wolves were forced out into the open, revealing their secrets.
Almost all of his Packmates had jobs outside the den. Hell,
most of them had lived on the outside before everything crumbled down around
them. When they’d been at war, things were a little tight within the wards, but
they’d made it work because there hadn’t been another option. So, while many of
the wolves had shifts within the den depending on their strengths, they also
had jobs and lives outside the Pack’s domain.
It was how it should have been all along, and his people
were just now getting used to the fact that this was how it would be again.
Only this time, many of them weren’t hiding in plain sight. There wasn’t a
national register for the shifters, as Washington had nixed that idea after the
asshole senator, McMaster, was killed, but there were still some non-government
sanctioned websites out there that had lists of names and information on
shifters. His cousin and Alpha, Gideon, growled daily about the mere existence
of it, but there was nothing they could do about it. In this age of technology,
even humans had all of that information since it was out in the public for
anyone to see. The wolves could only control so much.
So, yes, Mitchell’s people could go out and have jobs like
they had in the past, but now they had to deal with the added pressure of being
a wolf in human’s clothing. At least, that’s what others called them. Mitchell
knew he was more than that. He was both— a wolf and a human, not just one or
the other. That was how all shifters were, and they struggled with that balance
every day. Hence the training sessions for juveniles and young adults like they
just had. Adding hormones to the mix usually just made keeping control of one’s
wolf that much harder.
And yet, with all the talk of peace, Mitchell had a feeling
there was something else coming. He’d spent most of his life either at war or
fighting battles within his own Pack, yet he felt his sense of knowing wasn’t
because he missed the tension and anxiety. He just knew there was no way that
things could suddenly be perfect and harmonious after everything that happened.
Something was going to change their peace, and Mitchell
would be ready for it.
No matter what it took.
“You headed over to Gideon’s?” Kameron asked, rubbing the
back of his neck. “I have to go help one of the soldiers with a problem on the
outer perimeter, but Gideon said he wanted to see us at some point.”
Mitchell nodded. “I planned to stop by.” Plus, it would give
him a chance to see his new niece. Though Gideon and the others weren’t
technically his brothers, making the newest additions to the Brentwoods second
cousins or something like that, everyone had taken to calling Max and Mitchell
uncles anyway.
Max didn’t have a mate, and after the attack that had
scarred his brother in more ways than one, Mitchell wasn’t sure that Max wanted a mate. And as for Mitchell…
well… he knew for a fact that he wouldn’t find his mate. Ever.
There were just some things set in stone, and Mitchell being
alone for the rest of his unnaturally long life was one of them. “Let him and
Brie know I’ll stop by before dinner,” Kameron said before lifting his chin and
heading to wherever he needed to be.
Mitchell sighed and made his way over to Gideon’s since he
didn’t have any other plans for a few hours. He figured he might as well see
what his Alpha needed instead of sitting alone in his house, wondering what the
hell to do. And, damn, he needed to stop sounding so depressing. It had been
easier when he had battles and strategy to plan, or when the den was bursting
at the seams with people. Since it was his job to ensure that every Pack member
had a roof over their heads and was situated enough for their wolves to remain
calm, he had plenty to do when everyone was forced within the den under their
failing wards.
Now, the wards were rebuilt thanks to his cousin Brandon and
his two mates, and people had started moving back into their homes outside the
den. That meant there was less for Mitchell to do. And he hated it.
As he made his way to the front of Gideon’s house, he heard
the giggle of a sweet one-year-old and pushed all those thoughts to the side.
Gideon and Brie’s daughter, Fallon, toddled over to him, though she almost
tripped a few times. He bent down to pick her up, brushing his lips over the
top of her head when he pulled her close. She patted his mouth with her tiny
hands and babbled incoherently. He was pretty sure a few of the things she said
were actually words, but he couldn’t make sense of them.
Only Gideon and Brie could understand their daughter, the
same as how his cousin Ryder and his wife Leah could understand their son,
Bryson Roland. In the past year, there’d been three new Brentwoods born into
the world— well, two Brentwoods and a Jamenson since his cousin Brynn mated a
Redwood wolf named Finn. They’d had their daughter Mackenzie a couple of months
ago, around the same time that Bryson was born. Still, the fact that there was
three more was a whole hell of a lot, considering there hadn’t been an addition
to their family in over a century. They were wolves after all, and lived ages
longer than humans. They could spend lifetimes alone before eventually finding
their mates, and some even waited longer to have children, preferring to spend
time as a mated couple before adding to their family. The fact that the
Brentwoods kept finding their mates in such quick succession would have worried
Mitchell, but it wasn’t as if he would find his
mate. Not with everything he’d been through in the past.
“I see,” Mitchell said solemnly, nodding his head as Fallon
continued her conversation. He thought he heard something about a puppy, but
that could have been any number of people in their wolf form, so he honestly
didn’t know.
“You’re good with her,” Brie, his Alpha’s mate, said with a
small smile. He hated the way she always seemed to see too much of him. She was
a submissive wolf mated to the Alpha of their Pack. And while it might not make
sense to outsiders, it made all the sense in the world to those inside the
wards. She protected the Pack in her own way, her worth and contribution to the
Pack’s needs something none of them even knew they were missing until she
showed up and took care of them.
If he weren’t such a jerk, he might have been nicer to her,
but he needed to keep her at a distance. He needed to keep everyone at arm’s
length.
“She’s easy,” he said with a shrug before handing Fallon
over to her mother. “Gideon said he wanted to talk to me,” he added instead of
saying hello.
Brie ran her hand down Fallon’s back as the little girl
started to doze off. It must have been near her naptime, or the little girl
wouldn’t have started to fall asleep so easily. She was usually a burst of
energy and babbles.
“He had to go meet with Kade, but he told me he texted you.”
She rocked back and forth as Fallon fell fully asleep in her mother’s arms. The
little girl would one day be Alpha— a first for the Talons, and maybe even all
the Packs as Mitchell hadn’t heard of a female Alpha before. It wasn’t that
they weren’t strong or capable because, hell, female dominants were tougher
than most men he knew. No, it was because becoming the Alpha, Heir, Beta,
Enforcer, Omega, or Healer wasn’t something someone could fight for or try to
attain. Those titles were bestowed— he held back a mental cringe at that word—
upon them by the moon goddess. The goddess had made the first wolf, the first
shifter, and also determined the hierarchies needed for a Pack. Mitchell hadn’t
learned until recently that those first goddess-touched were Talons. In fact,
the first wolves who made the Pack were actually reincarnated as the triplets—
Kameron, Walker, and Brandon.
Mitchell still wasn’t sure he quite believed that and, hell,
didn’t know if he wanted to, but it
wasn’t his business, so he chose not to think about it.
“Mitchell?”
He shook himself out of those thoughts and held back a curse
as he pulled out his phone and saw that he had indeed missed a text from
Gideon. “I didn’t feel it vibrate and didn’t have the ringer on since we were
training. Sorry to bother you at naptime.”
Brie just smiled and shook her head. “You’re never a bother.
Do you want to come in for something to drink? I’m headed to the maternal
council meeting in a bit, but I have an hour or so.”
Mitchell was shaking his head before she’d finished her
sentence. He preferred being alone to having Brie so close where she saw too
much of him. And it always hurt him when he remembered exactly who she reminded
him of.
He quickly pushed those thoughts from his brain and did his
best not to rub at the three jagged scars on his chest. He’d been too in his
head today and needed to do something different, or he’d end up drowning
himself in a bottle of tequila later and be of no use to anyone.
“I need to pick up a few things from town. I should get on
that. Do you need anything?” The den was pretty self-sufficient and had enough
land to remain that way for years, but they’d been trying to do more outside
the den walls since the end of the war. Mitchell was only doing his part, he
reminded himself. He wasn’t running away. Not again.
“Can you pick up a bag of coffee beans from that shop down
on First?” she asked with a bright smile. “I know I can get beans in bulk
online or even at another store, but now that I’m allowed caffeine again, I
seemed to have found myself a new craving. If it’s out of your way, though, I
can pick some up later.”
Mitchell nodded even as he went through his memory to see if
he’d ever actually been inside that shop. He knew that Brynn loved that place
and still went there with her mate, but he didn’t venture into coffee shops
much. Too many people, and way too many scents for his wolf nose.
“Just tell me what kind you want and
how much, and I’ll pick them up.” He made a note in his phone when she told him
the name then gave her a nod and walked away.
His wolf had begun prowling inside him, and he wasn’t sure
if it was about Brie or what she represented. Either way, he needed to get far
enough away that he could calm his wolf and forget about the pain that he lived
with every day.
Because the one thing they didn’t talk about when it came to
mating was that if a bond broke, a wolf could still feel it. Mitchell felt the
echo of what had been, the life he’d been promised, with every breath.
But he’d lost all that, and had learned to live like he was
now. His mate was dead.
And wolves like him didn’t get second chances.
Ever.
See the DESTINY DISGRACED trailer!
About Carrie Ann Ryan
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.
We're just under two weeks from the release of DESTINY DISGRACED by Carrie Ann Ryan - so we're going to share the trailer with you to celebrate! See the trailer below and preorder your copy now!
About DESTINY DISGRACED
The Talon Pack continues with a new twist to the Packs and a revelation no one was prepared for.
Mitchell Brentwood is aware that others think he’s the harsh taskmaster Beta trying to keep his Pack alive, but they only see what he wants them to know. He’d once thought he had his path laid out before him, but when his future was violently ripped away, he vowed he’d never let anyone close again—especially not a young wolf from a traitorous Pack.
Dawn Levin may be younger than the war that destroyed her people, but she knows she must still pay for their sins. She’s ready to find her way in this new world where wolves and humans blend as one, but first, she needs to fight her attraction to the dark wolf that stands in her way.
While the two struggle with their feelings and burning attraction for each other, they can’t ignore the world that shakes beneath their feet. There is a new enemy on the horizon, one with revenge and the unknown on their minds. An adversary that might be closer than they realize.
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.
Holy smokes!! We are so excited to bring you the Release Week Blitz for Jay Crownover's ASA! ASA is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel being published by HarperCollins, and it is the 6th book in The Marked Men Series. We sure hope you're ready for this amazing book!
Jay Crownover’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with the much anticipated story of southern charmer and certified criminal Asa Cross.
Starting over in Denver with a whole new circle of friends and family, Asa Cross struggles with being the man he knows everyone wants him to be and the man he knows he really is. A leopard doesn’t it change its spots and Asa has always been a predator. He doesn’t want to hurt those who love and rely on him, especially one luscious arresting cop who suddenly seems to be interested in him for far more than his penchant for breaking the law. But letting go of old habits is hard, and it’s easy to hit bottom when it’s the place you know best.
Royal Hastings is quickly learning what the bottom looks like after a tragic situation at work threatens not only her career but her partner’s life. As a woman who has only ever had a few real friends she’s trying to muddle through her confusion and devastation all alone. Except she can’t stop thinking about the sexy southern bartender she locked up. Crushing on Asa is the last thing she needs but his allure is too strong to resist. His long criminal record can only hurt her already shaky career and chasing after a guy who has no respect for the law or himself can only end in heartbreak.
A longtime criminal and a cop together just seems so wrong . . . but for Asa and Royal, being wrong together is the only right choice to make.
EXCERPT
I pulled the Nova to a stop in front of a duplex that had clearly seen better days. It wasn’t a rusted-out trailer in Kentucky, but it might as well have been. I turned off the ignition and sat back in the seat so I could turn to look at Ayden. She was watching me carefully and I could see how frustrated she was with the entire conversation in the way her shoulders were tensed up and the way her hands had curled into tight balls on her lap. It was the way she used to look whenever I got into trouble and she had to do something desperate and drastic to get me out of it. I reached out a hand and put it on top of her fists.
“I died in that hospital, Ayd. There were no angels playing harps. There was no redemption and repentance. I died and it was very clear that I was going to get exactly the kind of fate I had been courting with all the messed-up shit I had been doing to other people. All I could see was every wrong I had ever committed and every bad decision I had ever made exploding all around me. For once I could see how all of that affected you. I was dying, and I knew what was waiting for me on the other side, yet I couldn’t go knowing that was all you were going to have to remember me by. I had to come back and give you something else to hold on to, some kind of good memory to go with the endless miles of bad I laid at your feet. I wanted to have the chance to show you I could be the kind of brother you deserved all along, so no, I didn’t save myself—you saved me. Just like you’ve always done for my entire life.”
I saw her bottom lip tremble until she snapped her teeth around it to keep it still. Her fists unclenched below my palm and she curled her shaking fingers around my hand and her already husky voice rasped with even more emotion when she told me what I think I had needed to hear from her all along.
“I have always been proud that you’re my brother, Asa. Yes, there have been times in the past I would have gladly fed you to the wolves, and it’s no secret that I had to leave home because I didn’t know what to do to help you anymore, but we both made it out alive and are better people for it. I know you’re sorry for the way things went down when we were younger, but I need you to open your eyes and take some credit for the way you have turned it around to make things the way they are now. I’ve long since come to terms with the Asa from my childhood. What I want to do is love the Asa that’s here with me now. You need to let go of those boulders weighted with all the bad things from past that are dragging you down before you get crushed under them.”
It was eerily similar to what Royal had been telling me the deeper and deeper I sank in with her. I don’t think I was ready to let any part of those stones go just yet, but a sexy redhead was slowly and surely eroding bits and pieces of the rock the more and more time I spent with her. By the time she was done, maybe she would be able to carve out something that was worthwhile, something that didn’t eviscerate me to look at.
I leaned over enough that I could kiss Ayden right on the center of her forehead between her midnight eyebrows and I felt her let out a shuddering sigh.
“I’m never going to let you down again, Ayd. That is the one and only thing in the entire world that I can promise and know it’s a promise I will keep.”
We stared at each other for a long and silent moment. The seriousness of the words I had said to her and the fact that I could see that she understood that I really, truly meant them finally worked to absolve me of some of the guilt that seemed to suffocate me whenever I thought about the things she had done to keep me safe.
And don’t miss the previous books in The Marked Men Series!
Jay Crownover is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Marked Men series. She will also be introducing the dark and sexy world of The Point in a new series this summer starting with BETTER WHEN HE's BAD and is currently working on her newest series Saints of Denver. Like her characters, she is a big fan of tattoos. She loves music and wishes she could be a rock star, but since she has no aptitude for singing or instrument playing, she'll settle for writing stories with interesting characters that make the reader feel something. She lives in Colorado with her three dogs.
