Fever
Blood Moon
Rising, Book One
Lola Taylor
Genre:
Werewolf PNR * Publisher: Indigo Dreamer Press
Date of
Publication: February, 2014 (Fourth Edition, October, 2016)
ASIN:
B00ING5PN0 * Number of pages: 114 * Word Count: 33k
Book Description:
When the Blood
Moon rises, the wolves come out to play… and find their mates.
Danica
has about given up on love. In a last-ditch attempt at finding “the one,” she
agrees to a blind date through an online dating service. But instead of finding
roses and romance, she finds someone intent on killing her. That is, until the
mysterious, brooding Gage shows up to save her….
Gage is
running out of time to find a mate. If the Blood Moon sets before he can find
her, he’ll lose the rank of packmaster—and the peace within the pack he’s
worked so hard to obtain. When he saves a luscious blonde in the parking lot of
a bar, he has no idea she is his mate—until he Marks her with his touch.
Determined
to keep her safe at any cost, Gage whisks Danica away into a hidden world full
of lust, unlikely love, and treachery. Someone’s put a hit on his mate, and
he’s hell-bent on finding out who, all while the Blood Moon looms closer,
threatening to destroy his chances at true love forever. That is, if
something—or someone—doesn’t kill the woman he’s falling for first.
Excerpt:
CHAPTER 1
All
right, it was official—her date had stood her up.
Honestly, it shouldn’t surprise her. Seriously, who took
someone on their first date to a bar?
And not even a nice bar. Howl was anything but swanky. With wooden floors that looked
like they hadn’t seen polish—or a broom—in a decade, posters of couples in
crude positions all over the walls, and the stench of sweat, beer, and sex in
the smoky air, it looked like a gigantic version of a man cave.
Speaking of men, there were entirely too many rough-looking
individuals here. Admittedly, it made her pause when she drove up and
discovered there were more motorcycles than cars parked outside. She loved
chrome and fast wheels as much as the next girl, but all the, er,
“decorations”—animal skulls, hides, etc.—adorning said motorcycles gave her the
heebie-jeebies.
She took another long sip of her beer. What the hell had she
been thinking, agreeing to meet a total stranger at a place like this?
Because you’ve been lonely since Seth broke up with you and
moved away.
Being the only person left in her high school town, the only
one in her old circle of friends who hadn’t gone to college or gotten married,
Danica had started to feel pretty damn unwanted. That definitely showed in the
extra pounds she’d packed on since the “Epic Breakup.” Since the only people
left in the small town of Moonstruck, Arkansas, were either the young or the
old, it was sparse pickings for friends, and even slimmer prospects for dating.
And since her empty bank account said moving was not an option, she’d turned to
online dating.
“They worked,” the advertisements said. Countless people on
the commercials preached, “I met my soul mate online, and we got married, like,
instantly.”
In hindsight, she should have known better. If history had
taught her anything, it was “Karma isn’t going to make it easy for you.”
She smiled wryly. “Karma, fifty, Danica, zero.”
Taking another swig of her nearly empty beer, she looked
around. For the most part, the men had watched her with curiosity, but they
hadn’t come over yet. People seemed to be keeping their distance, which she
found odd. She thought she looked damn cute in her tight jeggings, black
ankle boots, and a black see-through tunic that showed off her black lace bra.
The bra alone should have at least earned her a “get-to-know-you” beer from
somebody. But alas, here she was, sitting by herself at a bar, waiting for a
date that obviously was never going to come.
Shouting erupted from across the room as one burly man threw
down his pool stick and shoved another man, nearly spilling beer all over the
pool table.
From the dais near the table, a tall man stood from the
shadows, his silhouette suggesting broad shoulders and a lean torso. The dim
lighting revealed dark jeans, a button-down shirt, and a dinner jacket—not the
typical biker bar garb the other men wore.
He also wasn’t nearly as stacked as the two guys about to go
at it in front of him, yet they took one look at the man and instantly backed
down.
Huh. This place was getting weirder by the second.
Danica felt her arms prickle with the sensation of being
watched. She looked up to find the mystery man had stepped into the light—and
was looking right at her.
Her breath caught.
Holy. Hell.
Okay, the lighting in here sucked, but she could definitely
see a defined jawline, a straight nose, and light brown hair that had been
styled with a bit of gel. Despite his Adonis looks and more fashionable
wardrobe, he didn’t look any less masculine for it. If anything, it made him
look sexier.
Danica sighed, feeling heat building below her navel.
She blinked. Wow, this was an all-time record for her. She’d
gone from falling head over heels for a man in a few weeks—i.e. Seth, who’d
been a jerk—to lusting for one at first sight. She blamed the fact she hadn’t
had sex in six months.
But she wasn’t about to bring a man home with her tonight.
She didn’t want a one-night stand. She wanted romance, flowers. She wanted “the
fairy tale” as Julia Roberts had said.
And something told her she wasn’t going to get that with any
of the guys here. Might as well cut her losses and bail.
She’d started to take another sip of her beer with the
intent to finish it when that pleasant tingling sensation went up her spine.
Unable to stop herself, she turned around.
The handsome stranger smiled at her.
And dammit if she didn’t smile back.
***
Gage’s
inner wolf grinned as the luscious blonde tried covering the smile she’d
flashed him. Normally, human women didn’t do it for him, but this one had a
sense of spirit about her that was incredibly alluring. The fact her top left
little to the imagination in regards to her plump breasts only made him harder.
God, he was so freaking horny. Ever since the mating heat
had taken hold of him at the beginning of the month, his cock sprang to life at
the mere sight of a little cleavage. It was like going through puberty all over
again, a hell he never wished to relive. The heat had only intensified as the
month drew to a close. In exactly one week, the Blood Moon would rise, sealing
him forever with his mate the first time they made love.
Now, if only he could find his mate.
His best friend and bodyguard—as if he needed one—came up
beside him. He was also his brother. The slightly older wolf wasn’t wearing as
much metal tonight as he usually did. His ears were only partially lined with
studs, and he’d taken his tongue piercing out. Ink crawled up the wolf’s
massive arms, which he showed off in a black tank top, despite the chilly autumn
weather. Since werewolves ran hotter than humans, due to their animal
nature—and especially during mating season—they rarely worried about the change
of temperature.
His bodyguard, Nikolas, nodded in the direction of the bar.
“You’ve been eyeing that female since she walked through the door.”
“And?” Gage raised a brow in challenge.
Nik shrugged. “And I can’t blame ya. She’s hot for a human.
Got soft curves too. Wouldn’t be like banging one of our she-wolves, all hard
muscle and bones.”
Gage’s cock throbbed with desire at the thought of feeling
the woman below him, of his hands moving over her soft, smooth skin. He’d never
been with a human before. He wasn’t the type to hold back during sex, and the
she-wolves were tough by nature. Humans were fragile. Breakable. He’d feel
guilty if he injured a woman during love-making.
Yet the thought of making her dizzy with pleasure never left
his mind as he watched the woman down the rest of her beer and snag the
bartender to cash out her tab.
Nik chewed on his lip ring. “So I take it you’ve had no luck
with the last were-princess I brought you, Your Highness?”
Gage scowled. He knew Nik was aware he hated being called
that, which was exactly why Nik did it. Sometimes, he was as childish as a pup.
“I’ve… met with all the princesses you’ve brought me, but alas, I have yet to
mark any of them.” Saying it aloud like that, voicing the possibility he might
lose his pack because of some stupid law, turned his blood to ice.
He swallowed past the lump in his throat.
Nik studied him, then elbowed him lightly. “Think nothing of
it. You’ll find your mate before this month’s Blood Moon sets.”
“I have to,” Gage muttered darkly. An unmated packmaster was
not worthy of calling himself a King of Wolves. After at last claiming the position
of Alpha over Malachite (a.k.a. “that sadistic son of a bitch”) only this past
month, Gage couldn’t afford to be demoted for the sheer fact he couldn’t find a
worthy female to be his mate. But he didn’t get to choose—the magic in his
blood did.
His attention snapped forward as the woman, casting him one
last look, donned her jacket and purse, then started walking toward the exit.
His blue eyes trailed her, unblinking, his heart speeding up. He took a step
forward, and Nik grasped his arm.
“Best let that fish return to the sea,” he said. “Your
efforts are better spent on courting other royal she-wolves going through their
Fevers, considering the circumstances.”
“I know.”
Still, he found himself leaning toward the woman, wanting to
go with her.
What was the matter with him?
A dark figure moved within the shadows, detaching itself
from the wall and following the woman out the door.
Gage’s hackles rose. “Excuse me,” he said, shoving Nik’s
hand aside as he stepped off the dais and toward the door.
Nik swore then rubbed his temples. “Don’t say I didn’t warn
you!”
Following a gut instinct and feeling half-mad for it, Gage
continued his deliberate pace toward the exit, senses wired for danger.
Then he heard her scream.
About the Author:
“Lola Taylor” is a pen name created
for the romances I can’t show my grandma without blushing. My favorite genre to
write is romantic suspense, usually involving hot werewolves, warlocks, or any
other type of paranormal creature. Keep the action hot and the romance hotter—that’s
my motto! I’m a horror film junkie, I still love Halloween as an adult
(seriously, I think I get more excited for it than some kids do), and what
precious spare time I have is spent with my family, reading (everything from
sci fi to middle grade), playing the flute, painting pretty pictures, or
screwing around on Pinterest or Etsy. Hailing from the South, I currently live
in the Midwest with five fur babies and my hubby.
I’m pretty easy-going. If you want
to get to know me or just say “hi,” you can find me on Facebook, Google + ,
Pinterest,and Goodreads.
Website: http://www.lolataylorbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lolataylorbooks
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lolataylorbooks/
Giveaway:
5 ebook copies of Books 2 and 3 in
the Blood Moon Rising series (open worldwide). Winners will be randomly
selected via Rafflecopter and announced on my website and social media on
November 19th. Ebook prizes only, no paperbacks. By entering, you are saying
you’re 18 or older, or are considered an adult in your country of origin. All
prizes are in English language only.
Thank you for having me! Happy Holidays!
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