Update: Thanks for all of the great comments!! The winner of ALPHA INSTINCT is…Audra Holtwick. Congrats, Audra!
Time for some guest author fun!! My writing buddy Katie Reus is joining me today (welcome to the blog, Katie!). Katie writes some great romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels–she’s also a great ghost hunter, too (but that’s another story). Katie’s all set to launch a new series with the upcoming release of ALPHA INSTINCT, and, today, one lucky commenter will win that great book!
Thank you so much to Cynthia for having me here today! Alpha Instinct, the first book in my new paranormal series from Signet Eclipse is releasing in about a week and a half! I haven’t posted an excerpt anywhere yet (including my own website) so today Cynthia is letting me use her blog to do just that. Here is the first sneak peek into Alpha Instinct. It’s in the beginning of the book and right before Ana sees the hero for the first time in almost fifty years.
One commenter will win a print copy of it (US only). I’ll announce the winner in the comments section on Monday, January 30, 2012 after noon Central time so there are a couple days to enter! Please leave your email address so I have a way to contact you. (Please note that this excerpt might have changed slightly in the final version).
***
Analena Cordona shoved her hands into the pockets of her thick, quilted down jacket. Not because she was cold, but because for the second time in the past ten minutes she was questioning her decision to meet Sean Taggart without an escort. It was likely stupid—scratch that; definitely stupid—but she couldn’t drag one of her sisters or cousins along to meet with him. Taggart was one of the most devious shifters she’d ever met, and she couldn’t risk her pack getting hurt. Despite her effort to appear casual, an unwanted shiver skittered down her spine. If need be, she was ready to run at a moment’s notice.
The wind howled mercilessly through the trees of Fontana Mountain and when it shifted south she caught Taggart’s distinctive, foul scent. He was close. Watching her, no doubt. Pervy bastard.
“I know you’re there, Sean. Come out now so we can get this over with.” She was thankful her voice didn’t shake.
To her surprise, a hulking brown-and-white wolf emerged from a cluster of trees. What the hell? They’d agreed to come in human form. Glancing around, she saw he hadn’t brought anyone else. That tamed her nerves a little but not much. He was still older and stronger and a lot more ruthless. Even though she tried to mask it, he had to smell her fear. “What are you doing?” she snapped, hoping her anger would cover her alarm.
When the animal stood a few feet in front of her, he changed to his human form. Ana looked away but could hear his bones break, shift and realign. Many shifters didn’t mind others watching them change, but to her it was such a private, painful thing, she didn’t do it in front of just anyone.
She turned back to face him and immediately wanted to wipe the smirk off his face. Of course he’d be arrogant enough to stand naked in front of her when they were supposed to be having a serious meeting. She attempted to keep the loathing out of her voice. “I thought we agreed to come in human form.”
He shrugged and had the nerve to grab himself. “I wanted the exercise. Besides, you should get to see what’s going to be yours soon.”
Mine? Gross. Bile rose in her throat, but she pushed it down. Sure, the man had a nice body, but what lay underneath that exterior scared her. She’d seen the way he treated the women of his pack. He was mean just for the sake of being mean. As Alpha, he should set a better example, but no one had stood up to him yet. “Excuse me?”
“That’s why you wanted to meet, isn’t it? To proposition me?”
“Not exactly.” She cleared her throat and looked around. A light layer of snow had fallen over the normally grassy incline. Other than the wind and rustling trees, she was suddenly aware of how alone she really was. She was at least two miles from her family’s ranch. “We’ve had a few attacks over the past couple weeks. Some of our cattle have gone missing and I’ve found a few mutilated cows. And just this morning I found one of my sister’s horses dead.”
The increasing vandalism against her pack’s ranch was a message. Taggart wanted to unite his pack with hers and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. She was surprised he hadn’t done worse.
“And you think my pack had something to do with it?” His voice was monotone.
She noticed he didn’t deny it. “I didn’t say that. I don’t know many humans who venture into our territory, so I just wanted to let you know about it.”
He crossed his arms over his bare chest and she forced herself to keep her eyes on his face. It pissed her off that he just stood there naked. He must have known it would make her uncomfortable.
“Fine. I’ll keep an eye out, but we haven’t had any problems. If you had better security, I doubt you would either.” His voice was taunting.
“We’re doing fine.” But they weren’t. Not really. Financially they were on solid ground, but with all the males of their pack dead, it was only a matter of time before another pack would think they could move in to their territory and force them to assimilate. They might live peacefully among the humans now, but they still had their own laws to worry about. Their black-and-white laws were a lot more primal. As unguarded, unprotected females, they were more or less fair game. It might be bullshit, but there wasn’t much she could do about it unless she wanted to take on the Northern American Council. They wouldn’t allow a she-wolf to remain Alpha without proving herself. As with males, a true Alpha—regardless of gender—had to prove she was strong enough to protect her pack from anything. If it came down to an actual fight, she couldn’t take on Taggart and she knew it. No doubt he did too. And she hated that. Pack law was so different from human rules, and while her animal side acknowledged and understood it, her human side fought against the archaic rules of the Council. Sometimes she worried the eight council members headquartered in Chicago were too out of touch with the changing needs of their kind.
He took a step forward and traced a finger down her cheekbone. Alarm fluttered through her. On instinct, she slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me.”
His dark eyes flashed in anger, and instead of moving away he grabbed her by the back of her neck and tugged her against him. She started to fight but contained her rage. Her inner wolf told her he wanted her to struggle. She needed to play this right. Among shifters violence against any females was rare, but Taggart was a bastard and nothing he did would surprise Ana. She didn’t know much about his parents, but she’d heard his father had been absolutely archaic in his rules with his pack, and it was obvious the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree.
“Soon enough you’ll come crawling on your knees, begging to be my mate,” he growled in her ear.
I’d rather die first. “Let. Me. Go.”
“I think I’m going to have a little fun first.” The menacing note in his voice sent up warning bells.
The Cordona women might be small but they were lightning fast. In her shifted form she knew she could outrun him, but she’d have to get away from him first. He grabbed the zipper on her jacket and snapped it down. Adrenaline pumped through her when she realized what he intended.
She kicked at him. He deflected the blow with his thigh. His grip on her tightened for a split second, and then suddenly she was free. Taking her off guard, he shoved at her chest. She hit the ground with a thud.
Shift.
Run.
Escape.
Thoughts of survival overtook her. She rolled over and prepared to go through the change when he dove on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Her throat tightened as she struggled against him.
“Get off of her!” A loud, dominating male voice roared through the woods, reverberating off the trees.
Taggart shifted his weight, and she didn’t waste the opportunity. Scrambling away, she put a few yards between them. If he made one wrong move, she was going to shift and take off. Her canines were already extending. They pressed painfully against her gums. Her inner wolf begged to be unleashed.
The need to survive was taking over most of her reasoning, and the only thing keeping her from shifting was sheer willpower.
She wasn’t sure where the voice had come from, but she recognized it as sure as she knew her own name. Unless the wind was playing cruel tricks on her. She hadn’t heard that soothing voice in about fifty years.
***
Official Alpha Instinct blurb:
Fear has a scent. So does desire…
Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.
The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.
But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack…
***
Thanks again for letting me share this excerpt, Cynthia!
A little about me: I’ve been reading romance since a young age—ever since I discovered my mom’s hidden stash. Luckily the addiction stayed with me into adulthood. I write paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense for Carina Press, Harlequin Nocturne, and NAL/Signet Eclipse. To learn more about me please visit my website, my blog, facebook or find me on twitter @katiereus.
