Bestselling Author Delilah Devlin
HomeMeet Delilah
BookshelfBlogExtrasEditorial ServicesContactDelilah's Collections

Archive for November, 2015



Delilah’s November Wrap-up and What’s Coming in December
Monday, November 30th, 2015

Yesterday, I arrived back in Arkansas after a family gathering in Virginia. Two days up and two days back with three children—oy!

Anyway, I wanted to slip in real quick to give you a recap of my recent releases and tease you with pics of the covers from stories that are coming. For you Americans (USAers, I hate to exclude the other countries on this continent—seems a little arrogant), I hope your Thanksgiving was lovely, that you ate until you burst, and that family surrounded you. Still one more big holiday to go.

If you need some “me” time, I have a few suggestions for how you can fill it…

November Releases

Family Values
Family Values
Lone Star Lovers, Book 8

Angelina Flores lived a perfect ranch-kid childhood, complete with three princes on horseback who treated their housekeeper’s daughter like a princess. At age eighteen, the fairytale came crashing down when she realized she had to choose between Brand, Nate and Eli McAffee.

And when she did choose one—she lost all three.She’s older now. Wiser, thanks to her college education and a few years’ distance. A distance she’d planned to maintain…until her mother begs her to fill in at the ranch while she takes care of a sick relative.

The minute her boots hit the front porch, the memories come flooding back, right along with the hunger. It’s tough to put the past behind her when temptation is so close. Especially since the brothers seem bound and determined to woo her. Separately. Together. Whatever it takes to keep her right where she belongs—in their arms.

~~~

Dream of Me


Dream of Me
Uncharted SEALs, Book 4

After losing her partner and lover in a shootout, New Orleans police officer Aislin Dupree is tormented by memories of the past and the day she lost Marc LeBrun. At her darkest hour, she discovers that Marc had planned a romantic getaway on a Caribbean island before his death . All expenses paid. She decides to take the trip, hoping the island getaway will help her come to terms with her sorrow. Instead, she meets a man, a friend of Marc’s from his time served as Navy SEAL.

Sam Blalock is like Marc in so many ways that he makes her ache for what she once had. Strong, rugged Sam is her rock, holding her when she breaks, encouraging her to move on, because he knows about the pain of loss and the horror of violence all too well. She soon finds her waking hours consumed by Sam while she roams her dreams in search of Marc.

As the time approaches for her to go home, she’s afraid to let go of the connection she’s found, and she fears she might be holding onto Sam for all the wrong reasons while she imagines another reality where dreams do come true.

~~~

Night Fall On Dark Mountain
Night Fall on Dark Mountain
Night Fall, Book 6After the death of one of the members of the super-secret police unit aligned with the Vampire Council in southern Florida, werewolf Max Weir becomes the chief suspect. Sure a greater villain has used a were-clan’s hatred of vamps to strike against the unit, Max travels to the mountains of North Carolina to seek the truth and hopefully renew the centuries-old truce between the weres and vampires.Alec Weir has a problem on his hands. The new sheriff on Dark Mountain must walk a fine line between upholding were-clan laws and saving his vamp-loving brother from certain death. Alec must find the traitor in the clan responsible for the attack on the vampires or watch his brother die. If that wasn’t enough, his chosen mate, Stasia McGwyre, seems to still hold a candle for Max.

~~~

With His Professor
Stepbrothers Stepping Out: With His ProfessorWhen a stripper confronts a professor about her stepbrother’s grade, she’s determined to find a way to change his mind. Making the grade has never been sexier…Note: This original 9400-word novelette may be short in length, but it’s not short in passion!

Coming in December!

HiredHand_600 Bad Moon Rising DD_Strokes3_600

*~*~*

Moms CammoRoseFor you writers, the annual Rose’s Write Fifty Books a Year begins on December 7th! Need help focusing on next year’s writing plan? Come join us! It’s free!

Clare Murray: Paired Pursuit
Sunday, November 29th, 2015

Thanks for having me as your guest today, Delilah!

I’ve always been intrigued by post-apocalyptic worlds, whether in the style of Mad Max or the more somber visualization of McCarthy’s The Road. Since I’m also a big fan of kissing and happily ever afters, writing a ménage romance set in a world devastated by alien attack was a lot of fun!

PAIRED PURSUIT releases December 1. It’s my first published novel, and I’m already hard at work on the third in the series (the second will release in May).

Here’s the blurb (and the delicious cover!):

kmPairedPursuit72web

 

Danger rises in the night…and so does desire.

Matched Desire, Book 1

Her last living relative dead, Mari is evicted from her shipping container and leaves Flagstaff for the first time in seven years. Boarding a train for Scar City (formerly Reno), she keeps a white-knuckle grip on her debilitating panic attacks.

When the train lurches, she loses that grip—and is picked up, calmed down, and turned on by the only other passengers in the car.

Finn and Gareth are under orders from their superiors to follow a slim lead on a stolen alien device. At first Mari is only a pleasant distraction, but through their telepathic Twin link, the brothers discover they both sense a powerful attraction to her that goes far beyond pheromones.

With dawning horror, Mari learns the Twins are after the same device she’s seeking, her only hope to get money for a better life. Once they reach Scar City, the three realize they’re living on borrowed time—unless they can discover the device’s secrets before attacking aliens bring the city walls tumbling down.

Warning: Contains two genetically modified warrior heroes, a woman whose worst nightmare is wide open spaces, and distractions of a vibratory nature.

Available for pre-order: Samhain Publishing, Amazon, Kobo, Nook, AmazonUK

Excerpt from Paired Pursuit

Copyright © 2015 Clare Murray
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication

“I’m not brave, though.” She cast them a confused look. “The moment we left the gates, I felt like hyperventilating.”

“Yet you continued all the same,” Gareth said, reaching into his backpack for what he required. He palmed the small vibrator, turning back to Mari.

“I did, but I’ll be on the edge of panic until we get back. Something might happen to the bike… We might get stranded out here, and it’s already nearly noon.”

“I have something that’ll help distract you.” Gareth held up the vibe. It had been state-of-the-art in pre-Invasion time, top of the line, with an external part that stimulated the clitoris. He’d always wanted to use it but had been saving it for someone special.

Mari’s eyes widened. “Is that…?”

“Not a threat. A promise.” Gareth grinned wickedly, tucking it back into his pocket. “So if you start panicking, you think about me pulling over and sliding that into you.”

“You’d do that?” She eyed him sidelong, but he saw the flare of excitement she couldn’t hide.

“It vibrates,” he said, leaning forward to speak into her ear, “and I have the remote control in my pocket. So if I see you getting all nervous again, I’m going to bring you to orgasm. Right there in my sidecar.”

Her expression—a mixture of anticipation and shock—was priceless. Gareth gave her no chance to argue or back out, bundling her into the sidecar and handing her a helmet. As he and Finn mounted the bike, Gareth made sure Mari was looking, and patted his pocket.

In response, her hand curled around the metal handlebar, but it wasn’t the white-knuckled grip she’d employed on the way out here. Good. She was calmer, much calmer than she had been on the way out. It was so much damn fun, playing with Mari.

Author Bio:

Clare Murray was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, living aboard a boat in her early childhood. She has a degree in Journalism and has worked in libraries in both California and London. In 2006 she moved to England, where she now lives happily with her husband and two children.

Find her here: website, Twitter, or Facebook

Mina Murray: Guilty Pleasures, Dirty Dates and a Giveaway!
Saturday, November 28th, 2015

mmCaptureGuilty pleasures… We all have them, don’t we? Whether it’s putting off that boring but important task you know you need to do (ahem…taxes!) in favour of watching reality TV, or eating the last double-choc chunk cookie you were trying to save for your spouse.

One of my favourite guilty pleasures is sneaking off at a party, and hiding out in an upstairs bedroom with a good book! Yes, all the other introverts are high-fiving right me now…

Speaking of books, I have a scorcher for you – Rachel Kramer Bussel’s latest erotica anthology, Dirty Dates: Erotic Fantasies for Couples, which is full of pleasures, both guilty and not-so-guilty.

Cleis Press has generously offered to give away a copy of the book to one lucky reader!

Just tell us in the comments what your favourite guilty pleasure is, and on Tuesday 1 December I’ll draw the winner’s name out of a hat.

And now, because I like to tease, here’s an excerpt from my story “Switch”, included in Dirty Dates. The naughty little snippet below is the start of a reunion between two lovers…there’s a twist in the story, too, but I won’t spoil the suprise!

From “Switch”, by Mina Murray

“You’re early!”

I don’t mean to sound accusatory, but I’ve been practicing a new dance routine and am not exactly dressed for a sexy reunion. The yoga pants I’m wearing have bleach stains around the hems, and my tank top has also seen better days.

“Yeah? Well, you’re sweaty,” he says, and drops his bag in the hall.

“Sorry,” I say, grimacing. “Let me take a quick shower and I’ll welcome you properly.”

Grady kicks the door shut behind him and tugs me into an embrace.

“I’m just teasing, Cass,” he murmurs against my throat. “You smell amazing. You smell like woman.”

I groan at that. He always knows the right things to say, the things that get me wet.

Strong hands grip my hips and heft me up against the wall. I have no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist, unless I want to fall. My arms loop around his neck and I lean in for a kiss, but he holds himself just out of reach.

“I missed you,” he says.

“Oh baby, I know,” I purr, and rub myself against him. “I missed you, too.”

He lets me kiss him then, light brushes of my lips against his that gradually build into something deeper and more consuming. It’s been so long, I feel like I could almost come from this alone: from his tongue in my mouth, his breathless kiss, the pressure of his hips rocking against me. But it’s not enough, and eventually we have to break for air.

I unravel myself from around him. Even before my bare feet touch the floorboards, I’m reaching for his belt.

“Not yet.” He stills my hand. “Not till after I give you your present.”

“Grady, you shouldn’t have.”

“It’s something we’ll both enjoy.”

He smiles, a sly look that does nothing to warm his eyes. That’s when I start to get nervous.

See, Grady has this uncanny ability to change gears, right when I least expect it. One minute he’ll be all sweet and solicitous, then some hidden switch will trip inside him and he’ll become this domineering bastard who’ll make me crawl to him, make me beg. He’ll drag me to my limits and then make me take that final step into the void, alone—and fully conscious of what I’m doing. And when I’m on the other side—after I’ve fallen—he’ll praise me and tell me he’s proud of me, and that’s what will make me cry.

Sometimes I don’t know which version of Grady I love more. But I know which one I’m getting this afternoon.

About mina murray

Mina Murray is an Antipodean, whisky aficionado and (part-time) smut-peddler. Her work is published in anthologies by Cleis Press, Tempted Romance and Mischief Books, including Seductress: Erotic Tales of Immortal Desire; Best Bondage Erotica 2013; Brief Encounters: Tales of Fast Love; Sudden Sex: 69 Sultry Short Stories; The Mammoth Book of Quick & Dirty Erotica; Baby Got Back; The Big Book of Orgasms; Dressed to Impress; and Lords, Ladies, Butlers and Maids. Mina’s sexy stories for 2015 appear in Three of Hearts, Conquests: An Anthology of Smoldering Viking Romance and Dirty Dates. Visit Mina at her blog | twitter | pinterest

 

Alyssa Breck: Rise of the Northmen (Giveaway)
Friday, November 27th, 2015

I’m a fan of mythology in general, from Roman to Greek to Egyptian to Norse. I’m intrigued by the gods and goddesses, the mysticism, the magic and the creatures unique to different cultures and/or religions.

Most recently, I put pen to paper inspired by the myths and legends of the Norse people.

What is it about the Northmen that fascinates us? Is it their voracious appetite for violence? Their long hair and beards? Over the last year, I teamed up with a talented group of authors to answer those questions with fiction. In RISE OF THE NORTHMEN, each of us presents our take.

RISE OF THE NORTHMEN brings forth five stunning tales of sex, love, violence and triumph. From Vikings to Krakens to Berserkers to Valkyries, there is something for anyone who is a fan of Norse mythology and the mighty Northmen of days gone by.

This heart-stopping erotic anthology features Saranna DeWylde, Paul Goat Allen, Alyssa Breck, Mark Henry and Annice Sands.

meRise of the NorthmenAmazon: amzn.to/1QhbOK3
B&N: http://bit.ly/1iRsSHV
iBooks: http://bit.ly/20Kc4Vm

For a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card, tell me what mythological character captivates your attention. The winner will be selected randomly from all commenters.

About the Author

Alyssa Breck is an author of horror/urban fantasy, paranormal romance and erotic fiction. She grew up reading Stephen King and V.C. Andrews. The Shining changed her life and sparked a love of all things scary, spooky and spine-chilling. Add some romance to that and she found her niche weaving paranormal and erotic romance stories. Alyssa hangs her hat in the South with her family of humans and fur-babies.

You can learn more about Alyssa by visiting her website www.AlyssaBreck.com and by following her on Twitter @AlyssaBreck and Facebook.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 26th, 2015

From my family to yours…
Happy Thanksgiving!

thanksgiving

Eat, Drink and Listen to Some Awesome Sounds…
Wednesday, November 25th, 2015

kids at Thanksgiving 2015

And there’s the reason I’m in Virgina for the holiday. All the kids together—noise, laughter, reconnecting. And this may sound very odd to you, but it’s our normal, I’m staying with my ex and his girlfriend (lovely lady and a terrific cook!). It’s how we do things. No drama among the adults. Just a real satisfaction in seeing that everyone’s well and thriving.

My son and I aren’t “telephone people”. So, it’s only when we can manage to get together that we really talk. Mostly about the kids, his job, his new house—and the things we both love: metal music and B-quality sci-fi movies. I turned him onto White Buffalo (not heavy metal, but an awesome voice!) and he had me watching videos by Highly Suspect. I really love their song, Bath Salts.

Enjoy Lydia below. I love the water and really feel like I may have been a mermaid in an alternate universe, but this video had me squirming I was so worried about her escaping…

For a chance to win a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card, let me know
what you’re doing for the holiday! And you don’t have
to be an American to enter! Pick a holiday!

Heather Long: Wolves of Willow Bend
Tuesday, November 24th, 2015

hlCassius

Releasing November 24, 2015

Cassius, Alpha of Sutter Butte, leads the most ruthless and dangerous pack in the United States. Misfits, castoffs, and forgotten wolves, they rose to create a pack more than a century ago in utter defiance of the order of the day. Seen as pitiless and cruel, Cassius wants more for his people than a yearly bloodbath as they fight for a better spot in the pecking order. To change his pack means to change himself, and he will find rebellion on all sides, not to mention from his own defiant heart.

Sovvan Stark, Omega of Delta Crescent, lives a cherished, beloved life in the center of her pack—a delicate and hard won balance. Though she is not the only Omega, she is the most experienced with the tremors of pack upset when power shifts from Alpha to Alpha. When her Alpha approaches her about Sutter Butte’s request, Sovvan considers the matter for several months. While she might hold within her the key to helping the Sutter Butte Alpha, the undertaking could very well kill her.

Accompanied by a single Hound, Sovvan begins a journey to help Cassius rebuild the foundation of his pack, but first she will have to transform him…

Find excerpt for Heather Long’s Desert Wolf below

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JRKhd4
All Romance:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-desertwolf-1887378-168.html
Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1122640051?ean=2940150834033
iTunes:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/desert-wolf/id1039163980?mt=11
Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/desert-wolf

Don’t miss our party today as we celebrate the release of Desert Wolf!

Focus on Willow Bend

Series Reading Order:

Wolf at Law (Prequel)
Book 1: Wolf Bite
Book 2: Caged Wolf
Book 3: Wolf Claim
Book 3.5: Wolf Next Door
Book 4: Rogue Wolf
Book 5: Bayou Wolf
Book 6: Untamed Wolf
Book 6.5: Wolf with Benefits
Book 7: River Wolf
Book 7.5: Single, Wicked Wolf
Book 8: Desert Wolf
Book 9: Snow Wolf (February 2016)

Heather Long

National bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.

Contact Details:

Website: http://www.heatherlong.net
Email: heather@heatherlong.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/iKxQ5

Excerpt of Desert Wolf by Heather Long

hlDesertWolf300Heat rolled in waves from the blacktop of the old highway. Around him, the desert sprawled in its painted glory, seemingly melting into the horizon where it kissed the sky. The colors streaked past him as he accelerated, blowing past the old trading posts and bypassing the interstate with its smoother surface and promise of civilization in the distance. If one sought to journey through the decades, the old highway east of Holbrook was the place to start.

Sweat slicked his back beneath his leather jacket and the motorcycle vibrated between his thighs. Clocking over a hundred, he barely noticed the machine’s growl echoing his wolf’s. Cassius Lucera del Alba, Alpha of Sutter Butte, squinted to catch sight of the town he sought ahead.

Town was a generous description for the collection of ramshackle structures—of which a filling station with a decrepit market attached and a lone bar were clearly detailed. Time hadn’t forgotten the town, it had left it in the dust doing a hundred and sixty and never looked back. If the location had a name, no map detailed it, not even Google. The poor bastards didn’t even have a ghost to call their own.

Though they might when he finished.

He didn’t slow until he reached the main drag, all eighty-five feet of it, and parked his bike in front of the bar. A handful of vehicles were scattered amongst the cracked pavement and gravel. Three he recognized, two he didn’t. Like the bar, the cars were in sad shape and far more popular in earlier decades. Killing the engine, he dropped the kickstand and slid off his baby. Road dust coated her paint and chrome. With a stroke of his gloved hand over the seat, he promised her a bath later.

Leaving the bike, he strode toward the building. No one moved outside, but one wolf stood inside the filling station. He was a smart wolf—he’d spotted Cassius, yet didn’t reach for a phone or make any move other than retrieving his newspaper and flipping it open.

Inside, cool air rushed over his sweaty face like a sweet kiss. The scents of stale beer, body odor, remnants of the blood spilled throughout the years, and fear stained the experience. The population of the bar—easily a dozen wolves, though Cassius scented at least four more in the back—glanced up from their places scattered around the room. Three played pool, four others huddled around a card game, while the rest sat in various spots, including two drinking at the bar. The couple in the corner paused, though her hand stayed down his pants. The bartender—a tall, broad wolf with a balding pate and a world-weary expression—raised his eyebrows in silent inquiry.

“Beer. Cold,” Cassius said, and the bartender nodded. A moment later, he set a tall bottle of Corona on the weathered bar top. The sides frosted and a hint of vapor escaped the top. Condensation formed almost immediately on the sides, slicking along the glass in rivulets.

Stripping off his fingerless gloves, Cassius then set them on the bar. Next, he shed his jacket. The old leather moulded him perfectly after the many years he’d spent wearing it. Only after setting it on the bar next to his gloves did he peel off three one hundred dollar bills and lay them next to the bottle. The bartender didn’t say a word as he took the bills, tucked them into his pocket, then locked his register and exited through the double doors behind the bar.

Leaning against the aged wood, Cassius swept the room with his gaze. “If any of you are still sitting on your asses, disobeying the direct orders I sent last week…then when I finish this beer, I’ll kill you.” He didn’t raise his voice. Shouting accomplished nothing. Yelling indicated the battle was lost before it began.

Chair legs scraping across the floor splintered the silence. The couple in the corner disengaged. The she-wolf grabbed her purse as she stood. Boots striking the floor punctuated her exodus. No sooner did the door slam shut behind her than the four wolves playing cards toss them down, abandoning their game. The men muttered, but they divvied the pot, then bowed their heads to him one at a time before hurrying out.

Tipping the bottle up, he took a long pull of the cold drink. It soothed his parched throat. One of the pool players threw down his stick. One of the wolves tried to stop him with a hand on his arm, but he shook it off. Then like the other wolves before him, he hurried out the door.

From nearly twenty to only ten—behind him feet stomped on the stairs followed by another door slamming. Make that eight. One of the upstairs wolves strode into the bar, and stood in the center of it. Surprise filled his scent at the emptiness in the room. The others waited, their attention divided between Cassius and Finch.

Stupid fucking name for a wolf. After another long pull from his beer, and Cassius was three quarters finished. One by one he met the gazes of the wolves around the room. The smarter ones lowered their eyes immediately, the dumbasses fought to hold his gaze—even Finch.

Focusing on him last, Cassius studied him. Fresh beads of sweat began to trickle along Finch’s cheeks. The wolf swore, then stomped out and slammed the door with enough force, one of the hinges cracked.

Then there were seven.

Seven wolves who’d gathered in the desert in direct contradiction to his orders to appear at the landing. He’d called his wolves to him. Most came. Some—like these dumbasses—refused. Reaping was still another six weeks away. They all knew it, but they hadn’t come.

Cassius didn’t forgive disobedience. Anxiety with hints of aggression spiked in the sourness around him spoiling his appetite. One last swallow of beer awaited him. The wolf to his left rushed him as he lifted the bottle. Fool.

His beer ruined anyway, he smashed the bottle into the wolf’s face. The man’s roar ended in a scream. Slamming his booted foot into the other wolf’s knee, he listened to the satisfying crunch. Not wasting time enjoying the sound, he hooked his arm around the wolf’s neck then twisted and silenced his pain-filled screams. The pool players came next, wielding their sticks. He blocked one blow, ignoring the reverberation of it shattering on his forearm.

A throat punch to the second wolf dropped him, and he head butted the first. A third wolf rushed him. With a snarl and extended claws, he sliced his throat. The wolf went down with a gurgle. Whirling, he seized a stool and shattered the wood as he beat the first one. Bones snapped and the wolf cried out. Another wolf ran for the door, but Cassius had given them their warning.

He flung the stool leg, and it struck—jagged end first—into the fleeing wolf’s back, which penetrated his rib cage. The wolf was dead before he hit the floor. Completing the turn, he faced the last two wolves.

The first one went to his knees. “Cassius…I’m—” His last words ended on a gurgle as Venosky, the only other living wolf in the bar slammed a knife through his compatriot’s throat. Blood sprayed from the wound and the wolf went down.

Cracking his knuckles one at a time, Venosky braced himself. “I won’t go down easy.”

“Good.” His wolf roused to the scent of true battle. Unlike his friends, Venosky didn’t rush him. The wolf held his ground. One of the downed wolves reached for Cassius’ leg so the Alpha slammed his foot down on the downed man’s throat. The crunch told him the bones snapped.

Anticipating Venosky’s opportunistic nature, Cassius caught his incoming fist and twisted. The arm broke, but he wasn’t done. Pivoting, he slammed his elbow into the other man’s gut then turned and caught him by his throat. Lifting the wolf from his feet, Cassius stared at him.

“I’m sorry,” the other wolf managed to push out on what few wheezes of his air he’d been allowed.

“Not good enough.” Cassius squeezed, then tore out his throat. The wolf crumbled to land on the floor atop his friends. After sweeping a glance over all the downed wolves. Cassius listened—no other heartbeats. The bartender made good on the silent order—he’d left the building. Stepping over the bodies, he retrieved their phones and checked them.

Sure enough, each one had a message about the incoming wolf to their territory and the suggestion that she not reach her destination. Fools. Every fucking one of them. He sent a message to the same loop via the captured phones.

Your Alpha knows.

Dropping the devices, he retrieved his jacket and gloves then stepped out onto the porch. He was halfway through a cigar before his Lieutenants arrived—the three wolves closest to the top of the food chain—the three most likely to face him at the Reaping if they claimed the right.

Johnny Blaze. Laurel Jacobs. Monty Spence. Johnny dismounted his bike first, and his nostrils flared. “Goddamn, boss. You couldn’t wait for us to get here?”

“Don’t be so slow next time.” He blew out a stream of smoke. The three wolves were as close as he came to trust. They wanted to challenge him. They wanted to control Sutter Butte, but they wanted everyone to know they had a legitimate claim.

Laurel laughed. Johnny and Monty superseded her in rank and both glared at her. She ignored their disdain and slid off her bike, more catlike than wolf. Strolling toward him, she swayed her hips in a provocative invitation he ignored. “It takes a while to burn a body, you know.”

“Then you’ll be busy.” He jerked his head toward the bar. “Clean it up. Check on the others in town.” Her expression tightened at the dismissive order, but she obeyed.

Monty grunted and followed her. Johnny checked his phone at the ding and glanced at him. Meeting the younger wolf’s gaze, Cassius smiled slowly and the other wolf paled.

“I didn’t tell anyone.”

“I know you didn’t, Johnny. I also know you didn’t tell them not to be stupid.” Grinding out the cigar, he descended a step. The other wolf backed off, his bravado gone and his head tilted, throat bared. “You think if they get themselves killed, you’ll have an easier time at the Reaping. You think if they sabotage the plan, it might inconvenience me in some way and give you an easier time at the Reaping.”

After narrowing the distance between them, he caught Johnny’s chin in his hand and forced the other wolf to meet his gaze.

“Don’t cross me, Johnny. I’m not in the mood.”

“Yes, Alpha. What do you wish?” The wolf caved. If Cassius released him he had no doubt Johnny would bare his belly. A vicious fighter, Johnny hadn’t grasped the full benefits of loyalty. Then again, none of his wolves had. They were too busy fighting for position, yet they’d forgotten what they were fighting for. Only one wolf had grasped what Cassius desired for his pack. Only one had been willing to meet his eyes, then proved she was exactly what his pack needed.

And she left.

The others had to learn. If they couldn’t learn, he’d have to bring them to heel.

“Make it clear their plans are over. If they refuse, kill them. My word is law. If they don’t like it, the Reaping is in six weeks.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Releasing him, Cassius went to his bike. “Help the others. Then return to Summit. Secure it.”

Relief and gratitude twined in Johnny’s scent as he raked his hand through his hair. “Yes, Alpha…where will you be?”

Straddling his bike, Cassius merely stared at him. The other wolf bowed, his whole body lowering in deference. Yeah, he didn’t think Johnny had the right to an answer either. Engaging the ignition, he smiled at the rumble of his bike. He had a lot of miles to cover. Hopefully it would give his temper time to cool.

Johnny’s phone dinged again and he glanced at it, then at his Alpha. “They aren’t giving up.”

“Then they’ll die.”

Accelerating away from the freshly blooded ghost town, he headed east. Apparently he had more wolves to kill.