Werewolves
I’ve always loved wolves. I grew up in Northern Ontario and on a cold winter night, the sound of the wolves howling carried across vast distances. There was a den in the forest beyond our house, and every year there would be new pups. If we were lucky, we could spy on them from a hill overlooking it, with binoculars. Although we knew they were there, we rarely saw them except at a distance. You learned to identify them by the way they moved. It’s hard to describe but a wolf does not run the same as a dog does. Their gait is different. They hold their heads different. And they are generally heading away from you. Wolves are very intelligent creatures, and they seem to know that people are trouble.
As a child I devoured Call of the Wild and all of Jack London’s books. I even attempted to write a book about a wolf when I was about twelve. That was my first taste of rejection. How I wish now, that I had kept that letter!
And where am I going with this, you wonder? Why, to my adult fascination with werewolves. Common sense tells me that no matter how much I love listening to the eerie howling of the wolves, or watching one loping away over the crisp crust of the new fallen snow, I am not and never will be a wolf. I’m stuck in this human body and will never know the exhilaration of stretching my legs in pursuit of dinner, half a dozen of my pack-mates running at my side.
And so, my imagination takes over. Somehow, I picture those wolves of my childhood crossed with mouthwatering Alpha males and my heart races. I read all the were-wolf sagas I can find, and I follow a number of authors in that genre. And yet, I’ve hesitated to write a werewolf story of my own, until now. So many authors have done it, and done it so well that frankly, I was intimidated. It was easier to come up with my very own bunch of shifters, such as the Imperial Were-Panthers, than to try to compete.
This summer, I finally decided I needed to try it. Or maybe I’m just feeling masochistic. Hard to tell, sometimes. LOL.
My werewolf story is part of the Sex and chocolate series at Changeling Press. It will be out on September 11th and I’d like all of you to run over there and buy it the minute it hits the virtual shelf. (hey, you can’t fault a girl for trying!)
So, a sneak peak at my very first werewolf saga:
Series: Sex and Chocolate
Title: Seducing Destiny
ISBN (13): 978-1-60521-253-1
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Themes: Werewolves
Release Date: September 11, 2009
Author: Anne Kane
http://www.AnneKane.com
http://www.AnneKane.wordpress.com
http://twitter.com/annekane
Publisher Changeling Press – Erotic Fiction
BLURB:
Jack, the alpha of the North Rockies pack, knows Destiny needs some time to come to grips with her werewolf heritage before he springs the whole mated for life thing on her.
Destiny has no intention of buying into the whole pack mentality, howl at the full moon thing. Sure, she practically drools at the sight of red meat, but that’s no reason to give up her comfortable life. Besides, she already has a boyfriend, a slick up-and-coming lawyer.
But when a band of rogue werewolves move into the area, Jack can’t afford to have his attention divided. He needs to convince Destiny that she belongs both in his pack and in his bed so he can concentrate on the new threat.
EXCERPT:
“Destiny stared in dismay at the box in the middle of her kitchen table. Her stomach lurched, a ball of anxiety settling in the very middle of it. Small by most standards, gold gilt covered the entire box, giving it an exotic look. An artfully tied crimson bow surrounded by curls of white lace sat cheerfully atop it, adding to the air of decadent luxury.
She knew who’d put it there, and she knew why. Jack. The Alpha of the Northern Rockies werewolf pack. The man who made her knees feel weak whenever she glimpsed him walking down the main street, or lounging at a local coffee shop. The man who’d make it plain that he intended to be her mate.
The absolute last man on the face of the planet that she intended to get serious about.
She had a boyfriend, one carefully picked with the future in mind. A trial attorney she’d met when she attended a convention in Calgary, Quentin Karnes had everything she wanted in a mate. On the fast track to a partnership in his prestigious law firm, he was cultured, rich, and moved in the highest social circles. Their children would grow up attending private schools, vacationing at the most prestigious resorts, dressing in the latest fashions. They’d want for nothing.
She’d worked hard to carve out a niche for herself in Riverton. Her accounting office catered to farmers and small businessmen, and she’d slowly managed to gain a reputation of being the person you wanted on your side when the government called to audit your tax returns.
She steeled herself and reached for the box. It wasn’t much bigger than a deck of cards, and she held it in her hand, somehow hoping that wishing would make it go away. When she’d moved here two years ago, she’d made it clear to Jack and every other member of the pack that she didn’t intend to join their little social group. She preferred to run alone. She hadn’t grown up in a pack, and if she could, she’d ignore her inner wolf entirely. So what if the sight of a full moon awakened an overpowering urge for a steak with the blood oozing out the sides? A girl needed to curb her baser instincts and make plans for the future.
No point in putting this off. Her sensitive nose could smell Jack all over the damn thing. She caught the trailing lace between a thumb and forefinger and gently undid the bow, dropping the cheerful piece of ribbon on the table. Taking a deep breath, she plucked the lid off.
Her breath caught in her throat. An exquisitely detailed chocolate wolf nestled in a cushion of crushed white velvet. Every detail from the tip of its muzzle to the dominant curve of its tail was perfect. Jack had reproduced himself exactly. She knew if she turned the little wolf over, she’d find a jagged scar running along its left flank.
“I suppose I could always bite your head off.” Destiny felt a wry smile tug the sides of her mouth. Although she didn’t like the idea, being the Alpha meant Jack had complete authority over all the werewolves in the Northern Rockies. Even those that didn’t want to accept him. The fact he’d chosen not to force her to take him for her mate didn’t mean he’d agreed to let her leave the pack. He’d said he’d give her some time to settle in. She’d hoped he’d forgotten about her and settled down with some other female. One who liked her inner beast.
She sighed and looked at the dark chocolate confection. The full moon was less than a week away. She’d been ignoring her darker side for a long time now, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid going into heat this month. What were the chances Jack’s timing was coincidental?
She jumped, startled by the sound of a loud knock on her front door. Quentin must have gotten out of court early. She hadn’t expected him to show up for at least another four hours. She quickly put the lid back on the box. Sweeping the ribbon up off the table, she stuffed the box and ribbon into a drawer and slammed it shut.
“Come on in, the door’s open.” She hoped Quentin couldn’t hear the guilt in her voice. Not that she had anything to feel guilty about. Damn Jack and his fancy little chocolate creatures! She smoothed her hands down her skirt and tried to look calm.
“I know, I was just being polite.” Jack strode into the room, a crooked smile on his rugged face. “You’re not usually this happy to see me.”
Destiny’s heart did a little flip-flop. Taller than her five-foot eleven, Jack’s dark hair was tied at the nape of his neck with a strip of leather, and his sapphire blue eyes sparkled with mischief. Thickly roped muscles stretched the tight shirt and rippled with every step he took. He looked every bit as yummy as the chocolate creations he sold in his trendy boutique.
“I thought you were my boyfriend.” She looked pointedly behind him as if she expected Quentin to materialize any second. “I’m expecting him to drop in after court today.”
Jack ignored her reference to Quentin and gave her a toothy grin. “I intend to be a lot more than a friend, and it’s been a long time since anyone referred to me as a boy.” He advanced, his eyes sparkling. “Glad to hear you finally think of me that way, though, because unless my nose is deceiving me, you’re going to be begging for my attention shortly.”
Destiny felt a surge of color flood her cheeks and she turned away so he couldn’t see her face. It mortified her to know he could smell her eagerness. “You wish.” Now that was lame!
He took her by the shoulders and turned her around to face him, his touch surprisingly gentle for such a large man. “No, I know. The full moon is on Saturday. You haven’t slept with that wimpy boyfriend of yours, and you’re not going to if you want him to live to see Monday. A human male can’t begin to satisfy your needs. I wouldn’t have to lift a paw; you’d tear him apart yourself. Your frustration level is about to escalate to hellish proportions.” A devilishly wicked smile curved the corner of his mouth. “Fortunately, I can help you deal with that.”
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