Join me in welcoming fellow Evernight author Shari Elder to the blog!
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Thank you so much for having me on your blog. Iβm very excited to share Unnatural Allies, book two in the paranormal romance series, Shifting Alliances. Although part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Unnatural Allies (Shifting Alliances #2) by Shari Elder
Available: April 28, 2017
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-77339-268-4
A World in Transition
Violent fae encroachment on shifter land is heating up. With death tolls rising,Β the impossible becomes necessary β an alliance among predator and prey shifters.
An Inconceivable Love
Nicca Baron, lone wolf and wolf clan beta, finds herself under the command of Evan Grant, the rat alpha.Β Β In different circumstances, heβd be dinner. Or so her wolf keeps reminding her.Β Evan proves to be a perceptive leader, a skilled fighter and irresistible to her lonely heart.
To rule the rats, you have to rule the pack. Evan is a whiz at managing people and groups. Until he finds himself leading a mission made up of every single large animal that thrives on rat flesh. And not the kind between his legs. Β The only bright light is Nicca. Her storm grayΒ eyes miss nothing, her brilliantΒ mind comprehends everything and her succulent curvesΒ offer the perfect place for a rat to nestle.
An Impossible Future
In each otherβs arms, Nicca and Evan discover love and a new perspectiveΒ in an off-kilterΒ world. But a wolf cannot mate with a rat, no matter the strength of the human attraction.
[Read an excerpt]Where to Buy:
β½ Amazon
β½ Bookstrand
β½ Evernight Publishing
Excerpt:
Evan had never seen Nicca look frightened before. Those silver eyes expanded into saucers, and they were still beautiful. He wanted to wrap her in his arms, just hold her close as they both tried to process a world spinning out of control. Even his rat wanted to comfort her.
She was getting under skin and fur.
The last leaves hung limp on the branches, resisting winterβs pull. Away from the sidhe, the air had warmed, although the sky retained a grayish winter hue. Shifter bodies held heat, keeping them comfortable in the most brutal frost. Evan burned hot from continuous movement, the too frequent adrenaline spikes, and Niccaβs nearness. Everything about her fit, like she was made for him. That agile mind, open-mindedness, those lush curves. Hell, she even spouted poetry. He yearned to put a sign around her neckβno trespassing, this woman belongs to Evan Grant.
Except for that whole wolf thingβ¦
βWhy donβt we find a comfortable place to set up camp near Fairy Falls and call it a day?β he said to get his mind back to practical things, not wishing for something he couldnβt have. He told himself he selected the location as part of the mission. All species declared the pristine, wild falls a safe zone, so they wouldnβt need the wolves or eagles to stand guard. The fact that it was the number one rated site for shifter romances had nothing to do with the selection. Nothing at all.
No one would ever accuse Nicca of talking too much, but she was withdrawn even for her on the hike to the Falls. βAny suggestions on places to sleep?β he asked when her silence got too loud for him.
βIβve, uh, never really been here,β she whispered, looking at the ground. βJust run by it on patrols sometimes.β
βAnd that makes you sad?β He itched to run his hand down her cheek.
βThis mission makes me sad.β Her gaze stayed lowered as she walked.
His rat senses perceived a deep despondency wrapped around her like a black aura.
βThis mission makes you angry, anxious, and confused. Not sad.β
βWho are you to correct my assessment of my emotional state?β She gave him a half-hearted snarl. He figured heβd hit an open, raw nerve.
βI lead this mission, and I will not have you fall apart on me. Right now, you are not okay.β He opened his arm, aping Rafeβs earlier action, inviting her to him to take comfort. βLet me help.β Let me touch you.
She visibly shook herself, ignoring his outstretched limb. βYouβre right. I need space. Let me run as wolf.β
He dropped his hand, then nodded to cover the ripping sound his heart was making. βStay close,β he said over the lump of disappointment lodged in his throat. βGive me your backpack, and Iβll find a place to sleep. Meet me at the falls when youβre done.β
Relief brightened her eyes. Once shifted, she brushed against his leg, then licked at his hand dangling by his side. He ran his fingers through her thick, gray fur touched with black and silver as she trotted off. βGrab some happy, Nicca,β he said into the air, as she raced out of sight.Β Come back to me. Accept me.
Alone, he hummed as he walked toward the falls. The low tune soothed his skittish rat, who hated being alone and wasnβt too fond of the woods. Rats felt secure in the pack. The human in him appreciated the red gold of the sunset streaking across the powder blue of the sky, weaving in and out of spiky, hunter green firs that ate up the landscape. Beauty truly did soothe an aching heart. The whirr of winter birds, a chorus to his ears, unnerved the rat. He picked up his pace, following the smell of ice and the roar of the falling water.
When he arrived at the falls, he saw Nicca standing at the edge of the descending water, running her fingers through the stream. That sadness heβd sensed earlier scented the air and dulled those unique gray eyes. Following a powerful intuition, he approached quietly, staying upwind so she wouldnβt notice until he stood directly behind her. She may have rejected his offer of support earlier, but he was determined to try again. His way.
She turned to face him, and tilted her head up to meet his gaze. He pushed behind one ear a lock of hair that was draped along her cheek. The tresses felt like silk, the skin velvet against his fingertips.
βEvan?β
He leaned over, touching lips to lips ever so gently. Giving comfort. Sneaking a taste. Exploring what might be. She pressed back, her mouth opening slightly beneath his. He sank into cherry and cinnamon, shyness and heat. She didnβt require a friend; she needed a lover. He desperately wanted to be that man.
He pulled back, falling hard for the blush staining her cheeks a bright pink.
βFollow me,β he said, taking her hand, and led her to the camping spot he noticed along the way.
To love a wolf.
About the Author:
Hello, I’m Shari. By day, I crawl out of bed, mainline coffee, walk the dog, get my kid off to school, hop on the metro, and save cities within the four walls of my office. Usually by email.
At night, the other Shari emerges. Β I take off the suit, curl up on the couch and let my imagination play, with words and images until stories take shape (while periodically checking on my teen-ager, hiding out in the bedroom and plotting world domination with her furry minions). Β As my alter ego, I save cities in a cape and spangled tights, wander space and time on a surfboard, fly over the Himalayas on feathered wings, make six-toed footprints in indigo talc snow on the sixth planet in the Andromeda galaxy or eavesdrop on Olympian gods while pretending to whip up a bowl of ambrosia.
In all these wondrous worlds, romance and passion blossom. I can’t resist a happy ending. And I am particularly prone to writing happy endings for those who have given up on ever getting one. That gives me immense satisfaction.
Join me on my journey. The best ideasΒ emerge from team work.
Hang out with Shari on the Web:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads
Thanks so much for hosting me.
My pleasure!