Monday, July 22, 2013

Update Plus An Excerpt For Striker

So my computer is going wonky, again. I knew that we should have replaced the hard drive but the tech guys said it was fine. Sure. Fine until I got the unable to start message and "would you like us to try to repair it." Does anyone say, no, to a question like that?

So we are backing up the computer,again, and I'm trying to do as much work as I can offline. The iPad is awesome for the social media but not so much for compatible word programs. BUT I did find this blogger app. It's okay so far but not as good as being on the google site for blogging.

It's been several days since I posted and thought I should leave you a goodie before I go out of town. Leaving Wednesday to go to Chicago. I haven't been visiting in three months
so there is a much catching up to do.

The only thing about the app is that I cannot update the side bar and show the progress on Striker. As of this morning we are at 28k. I had to step away for a couple of other projects. it was a good thing because when I came back, the pulling teeth to put words on the page turned into a geyser. :)

So here's an unedited excerpt. I hope you enjoy. And yes, I chose this part for the torture factor. *evil cackle* Oh, and this is from somewhere in the first 1/3 of the book, just so ya know.

Striker (The Valespian Pact #2)
© 2013, Lexi Ander

Excerpt:

"What do I need to do to prove my lineage?" Zeus ground out, eyes searching the black crystal obelisks that surrounded his party.

The Monticore hissed in warning. Warlord Sohm'lan stood next to Zeus, silent, stoic, and grim faced. Zeus trusted him to keep the guard in line.

"Blood!" The whispers echoed over the top of each other. "We must analyze you blood, confirm the words spoken here today. We tried to taste you through the sand but you reek of the Da Massaga. human's are crafty and deceptive."

Dargon snarled and the Monticore gave a chorus of offended chirps. The Qrxzl questioned the word and honor of a Mar'Sani prince. Now they required blood. One offense stacked upon another. In the sky overhead vapor clouds, one, two, five burst into existence, rolling angrily.

"Fine, I will do as requested," Zeus shouted over the upset Monticore.

"Zeus..."

He glanced up to Sohm'la's luminous blue eyes. "I would settle the question of my biology before the others arrive. If something happens to me, you already know my wishes."

An expression of fierce pride crossed Sohm'lan's features even a he gave a reluctant nod of acceptance.

The guards parted for Zeus. He didn't have to be an empath to know they were perched on the edge of violence.

"Zeus?"

He glanced back at Dargon, worry engraved lines around his eyes and mouth. "I will be fine," he sent through his connection to them. Alpha's emotions were clamped down and muted and Zeus was grateful. Before he turned back to the obelisk he noticed that Dargon discreetly pressed something small into Sohm'lan's hand.

The black crystals fit snuggly between the white standing stones. There were nine standing stones encircling the red paved center. No spaces were between the crystals and the stones, blocking the view of the rolling sand dunes that lay beyond. All the crystals appeared to be the same but Zeus knew differently because the voices, although faint, were different. 

Approaching the closest Qrxzl, Zeus held out his hand unsure what exactly to expect. He would have cut his own flesh to give them a sample of blood but he instructed the party to leave their weapons bak at the shuttle. This was supposed to be diplomatic mission and he had not wanted to give the wrong impression. Not that it mattered now.

The glow in the center of the dark crystal he approached pulsed faster, grew brighter. Zeus presented his right hand, palm up and waited. He wasn't sure what he expected but the thick shard that shot out of the base of the obelisk, through the center of his palm, was not it. He stared in shock at the ten centimeters of sharp bloody crystal jutting out of the wound in him hand, attempting to grasp the sight before him. Distracted, he did not expect the second arm of crystal jump out to encase his neck in a vice grip, anchoring him firmly to the obelisk.

Terror, not his own, slid through him. He heard Dargon call his name a split second before he felt his blood turn into a river of glass shards that sliced through his veins. He would have pulled away, retreating from that which caused him pain but the inflexible chill of glossy stone held him immobile. He couldn't contain the pain of being stabbed through a thousand times. His bloodcurdling scream rebounded through the air and was joined by the agonized bellow from Dargon.

Zeus wasn't aware how long he was in the Qrxzl's hold, how long he yelled, or how long Dargon screamed with him. A shrill high whistle sounded and the obelisk before him vibrated, the arms holding him in place shattered. the pain immediately ceased and Zeus fell to the ground retching. Even as his stomach tired to relieve him of its contents, Zeus rolled over and scrambled on hands and knees toward Dargon.

"Maddux!" His voice was nothing but a scratchy wheeze.

The massive Chi'Lin knelt next to Dargon and Alpha. Dargon seemed to be unconscious and Alpha was a quivering mess in the back of Zeus's mind.

"The kits..." Zeus choked...

(I know, I know! I had to stop there... but I'm preparing a second excerpt to put you out of your misery. It will post while I'm out of town, Thursday or Friday. I haven't looked at the scheduler yet.) 

As always, I hope you enjoyed the snippet and thank you for reading!!

Monday, July 15, 2013

Fated - Excerpt

Fated has been turned in to JenMcJ over at GoodReads. Yay!! And I'll tell you right of the gate, I will be working on an expanded version of the story this coming fall, after I get Striker turned in to LT3.

Fate came just under 29k. I anticipate the full length story to be 80-90k. I already have the title, Fate and Destinies. This will be a standalone novel. At the moment, I don't anticipate there being others but I've been wrong before. I swore I would never write a historical, even a paranormal historical and look where that got me. *nods* Yep, a paranormal historical.

With luck, Fated will be released at the end of the month. I'm guessing it will be one of the last ones released. Which by the way made me think of the Dear Author Prompt that I put out there. Dana Cavallon picked it up. I think there are two more weeks left for the event's releases. It should be coming soon, even though I wanted it yesterday!  ~le sigh~ :)

Here is an excerpt to wet your appetite. Hope you guys like it!!

Fated by Lexi Ander
Copyright © 2013
Excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE

1164: the Battle of Renfrew

~Laird Ewen Meinnear, Thane of Malcolm IV, King of Scotland~

The red haze of berserker rage crowded the edges of my vision. By strength of will alone I held the beast at bay. For the last couple of days, my men and I had pursued the banner of Somerled, King of the Isles, only for the slippery snake to slide through our fingers. However today, the scarlet clad pagan Somerled kept close to his side broke away from the King of the Isles, seemingly quite determined to meet us on the battlefield, to all appearances leaving Somerled no choice save to follow him. I surged forward, my beast catching the scent of the man we needed to kill. In my haste I almost became separated from my king, Malcolm IV, and my men.

The pagan in the flowing red robes wore no discernible armour. He wielded his sword and shield with a fierceness that closely matched my own. Before I could engage him, the golden-haired warrior veered off, and there before me stood Somerled himself. Young Malcolm, King of Scotland, came up on my right. Under his protective helm, Somerled's eyes flared with an ambitious light when he spotted Malcolm. Little did Somerled know he would have to go through me to kill my king.

Over the last several days of battle, we had watched Somerled. Those of us who fought beside Malcolm would convene at the end of the day to share our observations. Soldiers surrounding the King of the Isle kept him insulated and he rarely lifted the sword in combat. This meant I was well aware the man I faced was fresh and not battle weary. Even so, he still would not be a match for me and the beast contained under my skin.

The moment I stepped in front of Somerled to face off with him, I caught the scent of another. The beast and I snarled together, the berserker haze that stayed at the edge of my vision during battle intensified as the creature within me attempted to go to the protection of the source of the amazing scent. The tight control I held over the beast's actions slipped away leaving me utterly animalistic in mind, even if not in body, as I engaged Somerled with the single-minded ferocity that caused my kinsmen to give us a wide berth.

Normally I exercise tight control over the beast within me but in battle I am unable to keep him contained. When the animal fury grips me, I always came away far more drenched in blood than a normal warrior, the bodies of the fallen mauled almost beyond recognition by my sword or axe. Sometimes I lose myself so completely to the animal I cannot recall my actions. I constantly worry I will strike down friend or family instead of the foes who face me on the bloody field. Such are the results of the legendary berserker rage.

I do not recall what I did or how long we fought.

The berserker rage I rode into battle with suddenly disappeared. Never before had my inner animal been calmed so quickly or effectually. Usually it took time for the rage to disappear, my kinsmen making sure I did no harm once the battle finished.

The beast that shared my skin went from combative to curious in the blink of an eye, soothed and contented. My arms and shoulders tingled and ached from prolonged excessive exertion. I gulped air as sweat stung my eyes. The sounds of battle echoed around me, a noise I never want to remember but always dream about in the dark of night. Wounded and dying men alike cried out in sorrowful wails. The sound rivalled the fiercest of banshee singing. Ravens added their sharp cries to the discord as they circled overhead or moved among the bodies. I did not want to take these memories back to my family or my quiet forest, though I would never be free of them.

As I attempted to catch my breath, shocked at the sudden withdrawal of the beast, my gaze took in the details of the waning battle. Somerled's invading troops retreated now their king and all of his retainers lay dead or dying on the battle ground. Before me laid the decapitated body of Somerled mac Gillebride, King of the Isles, his body armour dented and cleaved in two as if severed by the powerful blows of an ogre or giant.

Appointed as Thane over Loch Raineach two years ago by Malcolm IV, King of Scotland, I spent my days in battle near him. I knew only I had the ability to protect him. At twenty-four, Malcolm appeared as a man twice his age and he had been in poor health for as long as I had known him. If I was weary then he was doubly so because he insisted on fighting regardless of his malady. Malcolm moved up next to me and gazed down at Somerled. My kinsmen of Clann Meinnear loosely surrounded us to protect the king against a random attack for all that the battle seemed to be over.

The red robed warrior cautiously approached us. I admired the heart of the foolish but fierce golden-haired man. Every day he wore flowing robes instead of armour, but strangely never seemed to suffer injuries. The pagan approached us cautiously, his blue gaze unerringly locked on me. Unsure of his intention, I shifted my feet, readying my shield and sword to engage this new enemy even as he reminded me of Graundfather's stories of the old ways.

Plaited golden hair lay in one long thick rope over the warrior's shoulder. Tattoos marked the fair skin of the man's face although the design could not hide the scarring that started at the right temple, flowing down the cheek to the neck. The pagan wore a short, tiny cropped triangle on his chin, lighter than the colour of his braided hair, on the lower part of the chin. His upper lip, neck and cheeks were clean-shaven.

Eyes so blue they reminded me of the glaciers in the far north held me transfixed as the man dropped his weapons and knelt on the ground on the far side of Somerled's body. His arms stretched wide, held out from his body, he finally broke eye contact when he bowed his head and bared his neck to me. With his king now dead, this man willingly gave his life for me to take. As I inhaled his scent, my beast yowled and chuffed. This smell, this pagan had both instigated a fierce berserk rage and then soothed the beast. A long-ago conversation with my graundfather once again tickled my memory. A warning. So many years had passed with no culmination of Graundfather's words that I had begun to disbelieve.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Cover Reveal

I'm a little behind revealing these covers. I have been working on the edits for Fate which is due to Jen at GR on the 15th and edits for Alpha Trine.

Less Than Three sent me the covers for the both Alpha Trine and the second book in the series, Striker. I'm in love with these covers for The Valespian Pact Series.

In L.O.V.E.

Can you blame me? Just don't tell my husband. :)

If it has been a while since you have stopped by let me catch you up. I started on book two of the Valespian Pact series and got to thinking.

So much positive fee back had come in for Alpha Trine that I was both please and shocked. Why? I didn't think many people would enjoy the book. The story was different, sent in a universe in the future, lots of alien species, it had some intrgue, some actions and the loved were three dissimilar individuals (putting that mildly). I figured only a very small number of people would like something like that... until I began to receive fan mail. Everyone wanted to know when book two would be out. O_O

When I sat down to write Striker (at the time I was calling it Striker, Lord of Thunder) I always reread the book(s) before as a refresher. In a conversation with a friend I wondered if a publisher would take a series when the first book had already been released and I was pointed to LT3.

I wrote a letter to their editor with the inquiry if they would be interested in this crazy kind of series and half way through I had this insane idea to ask them about Alpha Trine as well.

Really, what could it hurt?


They flippin' said, Yes! It was awesome.

The only bad news is that when I had planned to have Striker finished and released changed.

The delay may also be a good thing for two reasons. 1) I picked up the emergency prompt over at GoodReads for the historical Scottish Laird. Working on that has place me a little behind but I should be finished with Fate and have the story turned in by the July 15th deadline. One more read through on the Alpha Trine edits before I send back to LT3.

2) The second reason was there were a couple of scenes I needed resolved in my head before I tried to put them on paper. That knot is know untangled. If you look over to the right, I have found a tracking meter so you can see where I am on my projects. I think they are pretty awesome.

Thank you for stopping by and taking at look at the covers. In the next six weeks I'll be posting little snippets of Striker to tease you!  Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Blog Hop Winner Announcement!

I want to thank everybody who participated in the hop!

I had two giveaways for the holiday's hop. One $20 gift certificate for All Romance and one $20 gift certificate for Less Than Three Press

The first drawing was for the $20 gift certificate for All Romance. There were 24 participants numbered in the order they commented. I plugged the range in to the MG Custom Random Number Generator. 

First number generated is 9. Congratulations to Silverwings! The second drawing is for the $20 gift certificate for Less Than Three Press. The second number generated is 20. Congratulations to Beth

I will send the gift certificates out shortly, so watch your email!



1. Lily Sawyber

2. Crissy Morris

3. Christopher M. Hammel

4. Laurie

5. Vitajex

6. Linda C.

7. Urb

8. Sassy Chassy

9. Silverwings

10. Kali-Mar

11. Jbst

12. Ilona

13. H.B. hummhummbum

14. Fehu

15. Froggy

16. Jean MP

17. Sherry

18. Vanessa N.

19. Stacey

20. Beth

21. Sophia Bonaste

22. Shadow

23. Helena Ferrell

24. Misty Rios
Silverwings for All Romance


Beth for Less Than Three


Thursday, July 4, 2013

4th of July Blog Hop Weekend


Hey guys!  I'm participating in the The Blog Hop Spot's 4th of July Blog Hop.
(For a list of Blog Hop participants please click on the picture to the left or on the title in bold above.)

STARTS:
July 4, 2013
ENDS:
July 8th @ midnight

I will have two giveaways for this holiday's hop. One $20 gift certificate for All Romance and one $20 gift certificate for Less Than Three Press. So make sure you leave a comment below to be entered into the drawing! Thank you advance for stopping by and participating! I hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!!


A quick announcement before we get to the spicy excerpt. Alpha Trine, book one of The Valespian Pact, which was accepted by Less Than Three Press now has a release date of September 25th!  Yay!!! The new cover will be coming soon. I love cover reveals. The blurb was finalized today.

Blurb for Alpha Trine:

The sole survivor on a science vessel adrift in deep space, Zeus was adopted by the Emperor and Empress of the Mar'Sani, though he is both human and blind, and seen by most as unfit to join the royal family. Though they were able to fix his vision, Zeus does not trust his eyes and the nobles of his parents' court refuse to ever trust a frail human.

Dargon Kal-Turak, along with his symbiote and lover Alpha, command one of the most dangerous ships in the stars. Narrowly escaping a trap, they dock in a space port to make repairs but find that the Psonics hunting them are closing in fast. In desperation they kidnap the port Master Mechanic, unaware that the man he brought on board is more than he seems, and will bring far more upheaval to their ship, their lives, and the stars than any of them could have imagined.

Warning: this story contains a threesome relationship

I can't wait!!

A couple of things to note. If you haven't read my work before I have several free reads. Up at the top there are 2 tabs with free reads and off to the left you can see another free story, The Awakening of Amanra. All three are available for download at All Romance (just click here).



So I was looking at my back list wondering which sexy excerpt I wanted to use for the Hop. I chose my favorite one from Sumeria's Sons, Songs of the Earth. I LOVE this part.

Excerpt:

Corey gave out the day's orders and met Ushna, Gregori, and me in my office to make plans for our growing numbers. The room felt a little small with all four of us there. Gregori took the love seat by the door, lounging comfortably. I sat behind the desk, with Ushna and Corey in the only other chairs in the room. It felt as if we were outgrowing everything quickly.

"Where are we going to get the money for the temporary housing and salaries?" Ushna asked, and I knew he wasn't going to like my solution.

"My inheritance." I waited for the fallout.

"No." Ushna scowled, shaking his head. "You will not use your inheritance for this."

I raised my brows at him. "That would be my choice. We certainly cannot support a tribe on our salaries."

"Why can't you use the king's treasury?" I think Corey was trying to divert the argument everyone could feel brewing.

"There are several reasons. One, I'm not a king. Two, I don't know if there is a treasury any more or how to access it. Three, my brother is in line to the throne which means this tribe is my responsibility alone. Besides, am I the only one who remembers that I told the council to stick it? I can't imagine them rushing in to help me any time soon."

Ushna crossed his arms and stared at me. I knew he wanted to contradict me, but he knew my points were valid. "I don't like it," he groused. "You're of royal blood and look at how you've been treated."

There was something more here with Ushna I was missing. This wasn't about money. "Ushna, speak your mind. I may be of the royal line, but it doesn't mean the council has to kowtow to my wishes after I've threatened to kill anyone they send here without my express permission. They have ruled the Lycans for a very long time, and I don't see them giving up their power because of who I am. You know I'm right. Please tell me what is wrong. I can't read your mind."

Ushna flicked a look at Corey, weighing whether or not he'd reveal what was bothering him in front of the captain of the guard. "All my life I've watched while you've been disregarded, ignored. You were invisible to them. I watched as you made suggestions to Nathan and Theodore. They took the acclaim for it, and not once did they or anyone else recognize your contributions. Half the ideas that came from Theo were yours. Nathan doubled your family's estates after consulting with you and none of it went to your inheritance. You made the Enkidu Tribe what it is today and you got nothing out of it."

I watched Ushna struggle with the anger he felt on my behalf. He hadn't said anything when I was with Theo. Not until now, when he felt I was again being taken advantage of. I glanced over at Corey and he briefly bowed his head before stepping out of the office, Gregori on his heels.

I got up and rounded the desk to straddle the lap of my lover. Goddess, I loved being able to call him that. "Ushna." He looked at me with those bi-colored emerald-brown eyes with such fierce emotion, and I drank the look in, a responding heat swirling through my blood and pooling low in my groin. "As a part of the Janick household, it's my duty to help my brother keep it strong. As the partner of an alpha, my duty was to the welfare of the tribe." I ran my fingers through his blue-black hair, relishing the feel of it. "Those of us who truly serve don't do it for accolades, but out of the desire, the need to be of use. I didn't do it to be noticed."

Ushna brushed my cheek with his knuckles. "You did great things, Tristan. You should've been recognized."

I turned my head slightly and kissed the palm of his hand. "I was given the choice to be acknowledged, remember? But I turned down the position of alpha for Enkidu Tribe because I didn't want it." Ushna's eyes narrowed, a growl escaping him. My jeans became tight and uncomfortable and I resisted the urge to readjust myself. "Ki believes there was an enchantment on me that concealed me from the Gods. Maybe the enchantment hid me from others, as well." Slowly I leaned down until my mouth was hovering over Ushna's lips, my eyes on his. "You saw me, Ushna, when no one else did. That's all that matters to me."

I brushed my lips gently across his. I wanted to devour him but I held back. I'd never cared about recognition. I'd always done what needed doing and been content. But he had known. Ushna had seen me for who and what I was when everyone else had looked through me and it was a fucking turn-on knowing he had watched me. He knew me like no one else.

Ushna licked the seam between my lips, groaning, and it set something off in me. I wanted to bite him, claim him, and bind him to me, making him fully, completely mine. I caught Ushna's tongue and sucked it into my mouth, absorbing, tasting. My hands tightened in his hair, holding him in place while I plundered his mouth, taking everything he gave me, everything he offered. I wanted it all. I wanted all of him.

The unraveling of the binding had affected the predator within me, and he was no longer easy or docile. His true dominant nature had been freed, his Lupe side wasn't tied down, and his awareness was amplified. Over the last few days, I'd felt him becoming more active, looking out of my eyes at others. Being near Ushna, his touch, his scent had called to something deep within both of us. The predator wanted to mark and bond with Ushna, make him completely ours, and I had known that was something we could never have. Ushna belonged to Brian, but the beast didn't care, he wanted what he wanted, and it was so hard to fight him when bonding to Ushna was what I wanted as well.

The smell of Ushna's arousal had drawn the predator forward and he pressed against me. My fingers grew sharp claws, my vision became shades of gray, and my mouth ached as teeth reshaped themselves. I knew I hadn't completely changed into my Lupe form because I still had skin and other than my teeth, my face felt the same. I had tried to push the predator back but I could feel Ushna's hardness under me, pushing against me, inflaming me with uncontrollable desire. I was unraveling in this need to wrap myself around him for all eternity, and I fought it.

I wanted to mark him. Bite him. Drink him. Make him my own. And I fought it because he wasn't mine to take. I couldn't divide his soul, so I fought to do what was best for him. I'd love him for this life time. That's all I'd have with him. I'd make it the best life possible and if the Gods were merciful, when I died this time, they'd put me truly to rest, because I didn't think I could live an eternity of reincarnations without him. Without his touch. My lover. My Ushna.

I pulled back from the kiss, my breathing ragged, eyes closed as I struggled to retreat from the primal force within me that screamed for control. Uttu had explained my royal ancestors had had exceptional control over their form, able to change just pieces of themselves at will when needed. I wanted to give a morbid laugh because I was having no such luck as I wrestled for control; want and desire against logic and reason.

"Look at me." Ushna's voice was hoarse and husky. I didn't want him to see my white-less eyes with their pure black irises. I didn't want him to see the weakness in me as I was barely balanced between man and beast. "I said, look at me!" he snapped.

My eyes popped open and I looked down into his lust-filled gaze, his lips curled into a snarl, his chest rumbling in a protracted low growl. My blood raced at the sound. My skin stretched and tingled. I was perched on the edge. If I took him now, I'd lose control, so I did the only thing I could. I gave control to him with two rasped words. "Fuck me!"

Ushna's hands slid down to my ass, cupping me painfully tight as he stood and carried me over to the desk. He dropped me roughly on the surface, scattering everything on top as his fingers fumbled at my fly. I gripped the edge of the desk, my claw-tipped fingers digging in, scoring the mahogany wood. Ushna released a nasty snarl of frustration as he tore off my jeans, flinging them across the room. He hooked his arms under my knees and I rose up on my elbows, our mouths smashing together in a consuming, ravaging kiss, filling the room with ferocious, deep-chested rumbles. Ushna pressed his hardness against my ass, my perineum, grinding his denim-covered shaft against me. It was electrifying, the magical static rolling across my skin, raising the hair on my body. I needed him in me now and I tried to lift my hips to grind back, needing pressure. He released a leg to grab me by the throat and slam me back onto the desk. The word, "Yes," escaped my lips. Goddess, I loved this roughness, the brutal way he touched me. I relished every fucking bruising grip, pressing into it, needing to feel it.

Ushna flipped my legs over his shoulders. I gripped the desk, claws gouging the surface, as he released himself from his jeans. He rubbed spit onto his flared head before he started to push into me. Ah, shit, my back involuntarily bowed and Ushna leaned harder into the hand at my throat as I fought the burn of his entry.

Ushna started to pull back.

"No!" I panicked and tightened my legs over his shoulders to keep him from pulling away. "No, don't stop!" I ground out, voice rough.

"I'm going to hurt you, babe. I need some lube." He was barely holding it together. In the shades of gray, I watched him look around. He was outlined in the purest white; it pulsed, matching my heart beat. Something about that stirred the beast in me, beckoned to me, commanded me to answer its call, and I couldn't. I couldn't let myself give up what little control I had.

Ushna grabbed the bottle of unscented lotion by the computer monitor, flicked the lid with a thumb, tipped the bottle, and squirted it on us. Air hissed through a mouth filled with too many teeth as the cool lotion spread over my hot skin. Throwing the bottle down, Ushna smeared the lotion over me and down the cleft of my butt cheeks before spreading it on himself. I couldn't wait and tried to impale myself on him. Ushna snarled at me in warning before he moved into me slowly. My head thrashed from side to side. I didn't need slow, I needed…

Ushna slammed into me and I released a howling moan of pleasure as he set a hard and fast rhythm. My hands ached as they gripped the desk, claw-tipped fingers notching the dark wood. I arched, rising into the fingers wrapped around my throat. Ushna shoved me down, his hand reflexively squeezing. Ah, hell, the pressure felt so fucking good on my neck as Ushna drilled into me, making me feel every glorious inch of him as he took me. The pure white outline around Ushna pulsed faster and faster as he spread a cheek of my ass, stretching my hole a little more, making me feel the pinch of the pull as his cock pounded into me.

Ushna released an animalistic rumble, baring his blunt, human teeth before he struck and bit me hard on my left pec. I smelled the blood, felt the pain, and relished the feel of him sucking and running his tongue over the bruised flesh. The door opened, someone walked in, and I reacted, pushing Ushna off me. I fell to the floor in a crouch between Ushna and the door, bellowing a roar at the intruder who was already retreating as I grabbed the leg of the nearest chair and threw it at the now closed door. The chair shattered and the door groaned in protest, but I barely noticed as an arm snaked around my waist, and a hand gripped my hair.

"I'm not fucking done with you yet," Ushna said roughly in my ear before he tossed me face down onto the desk and penetrated me from behind. I pushed back into him, needing more. Ushna's fist in my hair snapped my head back, bowing my back. Goddess, I still needed more. I whimpered as Ushna lifted my leg on top of the desk, opening me up, spreading me for him. He pegged my prostate every time he thrust, electrifying me, I was almost there, and that's when I felt it. The thumb Ushna dug into me as he powered into me with hard, deep thrusts caused a sharp twist of pain triggering a release so intense it made my chest seize and my breath stop. I spilled seed down the side of the desk as my orgasm caused me to clamp down on Ushna. The hand in my hair tightened and he ground his hips into my ass, yelling his release to the ceiling.

Ushna let go of my hair and I closed my eyes as I laid my sweaty forehead on the desk. My breathing was ragged and I trembled with aftershocks. My muscles felt liquid. My scalp tingled and I ached deliciously. I shuddered as Ushna pulled out and I still didn't move.

A tentative hand touched the small of my back. "Tristan, are you okay? Did I hurt you?"

I smiled into the wood of the desk, feeling the gouges I'd made in the surface. I tilted my head back and looked at Ushna so he could see my smile. There was fear in his eyes. I don't know if it was because I nearly lost control, or how he acted, but there was no need for it.

"Again?" I asked, grinning.

Relief spread across his face. "You're a fucking crazy man," he groused as he helped me up.

"I'm only crazy for you," I replied before I kissed him gently, languidly this time.

A timid knock sounded at the door. I looked around the demolished office; scarred desk, a broken chair, all kinds of crap on the floor and in none of it could I find pants. I did see my shirt, or what was left of it. I couldn't recall how it'd gotten torn to pieces. Ushna didn't look for his clothes. He cracked the abused door enough to see who it was.

Gregori laughed in the hall. "Man, you guys are a riot. It didn't matter where I went in this house. I could hear both of you clear as day." Ushna huffed in aggravation. "It's cool. I figured you'd need these. What the poor guard was trying to tell you before you chased him out was they're holding visitors at the gate. I went down to see who it was and spoke to Nathan and Neesie. The warriors won't let them on the property until Tristan gives the word."

"All right," I yelled, "let them in."



Peels of rancorous laughter came from Gregori, the pervert, before Ushna shut the door in his face. At least he'd brought us some clothes. I was going to use the torn shirt to clean up Ushna and myself before we got dressed, but he pulled a pack of handy-wipes out of the desk drawer. We tried to straighten the office a bit before we left but it was useless. It would need more time than we had at the moment to fix the mess we'd made.