Hidden Wolf Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered. The winner of my latest release, Hidden Wolf, is Valeri Davila. Congratulations, I hope you enjoy.

New Release - Hidden Wolf

Hidden Wolf, my first book in the new Tassie Wolves series is set to release today from Extasy. (October 1) you will be able to find it here. I know it's a bit late to run a contest but leave a comment and at the end of the week I will draw a winner for a free copy.

 

Blurb:

Who would have thought a waxing could lead to happily ever after. Not Ashley Neilson that was for sure.

Ashley Neilson was in pain, he was sticky in all the wrong places and all he wanted was a shower. So, of course it stands to reason that he would run smack bang into Mr. Tall, Dark, and Crazy. Who is this man and why does he keep talking about them being friends?

Vaughan Jacobs doesn’t understand why Ashley knows nothing about the mate bond. They’re both shifters, right? Vaughan can smell it, but as he gets to know the man fated to be his, secrets buried deep in the past manage to find their way to the surface.

 

Excerpt:

 

 

“I really don’t know about this,” Ashley Neilson said to his best friend in the entire world. He looked over at Kieran Moss and watched as he pulled the handbrake and turned off the car. The wicked grin his friend bestowed upon him made him even more nervous. He could feel the butterflies in his stomach doing cartwheels and dive-bombs and if Ashley wasn’t careful he thought he might actually throw up.

“It’s going to be fine, Ashley. Just think about the end result, not how you have to get there. I’ve been getting them for months now and it feels amazing.”

That thought really wasn’t very comforting. He loved Kieran to death, but he did not want to think about that.

“Ew, K, just ew.” Kieran’s laugh was almost manacle and Ashley thought his friend was enjoying this entirely too much.

“Get out of the car, Ashley.”

Ashley shook his head. Not wanting to move at all. He watched with mild trepidation as Kieran exited the car and walked around to his side. Ashley didn’t bother trying to lock the door, his friend had the keys and could easily unlock it again.

Kieran opened the door and looked down at him. “Either you get out of the car by yourself or I drag you out of there. Which is it going to be?” He jutted a hip and raised an eyebrow as he stood there waiting for Ashley to make up his mind.

“I really hate you right now.” Ashley knew it was hopeless to argue, Kieran would drag him out of the car. Even though he only stood an inch taller than Ashley’s own five ten and didn’t have any bulging muscles anywhere on his body, he was nonetheless stronger than Ashley.

Ashley had never been a fighter. He hated it when people fought and often shrank back, wanting the situation to calm down enough so the issue could be talked through. He’d been the voice of reason on the rare occasion when arguments arose between his parents when he’d been younger. Since Ashley had moved in with Kieran, the pair of them had yet to have a real fight about anything.

“No you don’t, you love me.”

If Ashley was a more aggressive person he’d snot his friend right in the nose for the smug look he currently sported. “Now move that sexy little ass of yours or we’re going to be late.”

With much reluctance Ashley unclipped his seatbelt and exited the car. He felt like he was heading to his death. He wondered absently if this was what people on death row felt like, then dismissed his silly thought immediately. How he could even compare the two situations was beyond him. Although with the way he was feeling…

Before Ashley had a chance to centre his nerves or even take a deep breath, Kieran had a hold of his hand and was dragging him down the sidewalk to the day spa.

The bright airy atmosphere of the spa warred with Ashley’s thoughts and feelings. Ashley zoned out completely, not paying attention as Kieran spoke with the perky blonde sitting behind the counter. Instead Ashley walked over and sat down heavily on the couch they had in the waiting area. Concentrating on breathing, Ashley jumped when Kieran sat down beside him and placed a hand on his thigh.

“Jesus, Ashley. Calm the hell down, will you? Everything is going to be fine and you’ll be thanking me for this in the near future, just you wait and see.”

“I’m trying but it’s not happening and I highly doubt that, asshole. How in the world did I even let you talk me into this?” Ashley could barely even remember the conversation from a couple of nights ago. Serves him right he supposed for getting pissed in the first place. Ashley really should know better by now than to agree to anything Kieran says when they’d been drinking.

Kieran shot him another shit-eating grin. “‘Cause you love me and you know I’m right.”

“As if. On both counts.” There was no way Ashley was going to agree with Kieran. He wouldn’t give his friend that kind of satisfaction at the moment.

Just then Kieran looked up as the door leading to the back swung open and two girls in a matching uniform to the one sitting behind the desk walked out.

“Gentleman, if you’d like to follow us please.”

Ashley swallowed the lump in his throat and Kieran pulled him to his feet. They walked along behind the women until one of them broke away slightly, pointing to a room on the left.

“Ashley Neilson, you’re in here with me. If you’d please strip and lay face down on the bed I’ll be back in a moment and we can start.”

Ashley shot one last death glare at Kieran. His friend just cackled and went into his own room, already stripping his shirt before the door was closed. Taking one last deep breath to settle his nerves, Ashley walked into the room and reluctantly started to remove his clothing.

 

He was sore in places that Ashley didn’t think people should ever be sore in. He felt sticky and tender and he wanted to go home desperately and shower.

Ashley had sworn, groaned, whimpered and screamed—yes he’d even screamed—his way through the last half hour of his life. He was having trouble comprehending why Kieran would go back time after time and subject himself to that torture.

He was positive the entire spa had heard him when the first strip with wax had been removed from his body. He’d been embarrassed as hell when Megan—as she’d introduced herself to him while he was naked on the table—had asked him to get on his knees, head down, and part his ass cheeks.

Ashley had felt his entire body get hot with embarrassment. No one should be that close to his nether regions unless they had been invited specifically by Ashley. Megan had most definitely not been invited. He’d felt a stirring inside him. One he’d felt before on previous occasions. It lasted the entire time he was in there, but the second Megan had stepped out of the room to let him dress once again the feeling disappeared. Ashley had never been able to pinpoint exactly what it was that he felt inside him, there seemed to be some sort of barrier or blockage that he was unable to get through so he could examine it closely.

When Ashley was once again bundled up ready to face the cold Launceston weather, he walked out of the room. If he walked a little gingerly he wasn’t going to admit to it when he saw Kieran again. As he pushed through the door leading to the reception, his gaze immediately zeroed in on his so-called best friend. The wide smile and knowing look said more than Ashley was willing to. He wanted to walk right past Kieran and leave the pain in the ass here to walk home, unfortunately seeing as how Kieran had driven, that kind of killed that idea dead.

“Not a single word,” he said when it looked like Kieran was about to make a smart-ass comment. Ashley ignored his friend and turned to actually pay the woman for inflicting copious amounts of pain on him. He even cringed at how much he had to fork out for his torture.

Tucking his wallet back into his pocket, Ashley pulled open the door and left, ignoring the snickers he could hear behind him. Ashley tucked his hands deep in his pockets, his breath misting on the air as he walked along the sidewalk to the car. He’d been so nervous on his way in that he had completely missed just how bloody cold it was outside.

Too busy concentrating on watching his breath mist in front of him, Ashley let out a grunt as he walked right into a solid mass. He could feel himself falling backward until large hands wrapped around his arms and stopped his momentum in its tracks.

“Shit, sorry,” he apologised quickly, concluding that he’d run into the man that still held him up. Ashley looked up at the man before him and then looked up a little more. Jesus, the guy was huge.

He blinked several times, wanting to make sure that he was actually seeing what he thought he was and not imagining the god-like creature standing before him.

Tall. Bloody hell was this guy tall. He had to stand at least six and a half feet, the most piercing green eyes Ashley had ever seen, a perfect nose and lips that looked inviting as all get out. His dark hair was shorn down to nothing but stubble and Ashley wanted to run his hands over it to see if it felt as good as it looked. The strong face was topped off with what Ashley assumed to be a permanent five o’clock shadow.

“Mate.”

Oh, how that voice sent shivers down his spine.

“Ashley?” Kieran called from behind him.

“Pardon?” Ashley asked the stranger, ignoring his friend for the minute.

“You’re my mate.”

Ashley was starting to wonder if all the pain he’d just endured hadn’t affected his mental abilities.

“I’m sorry, but I think I would know if you and I were mates. I’ve never seen you before so how can we be friends?”

“Not friends. Mates.”

The stranger was looking at him with a curious expression now and that unknown part inside Ashley stirred for the second time that day.

Ashley started to back away from him slowly only to be stopped when he realised the guy was still holding onto his arms.

“Please let go of me,” he asked quietly, his voice trembling a little. Kieran walked up beside him then and tugged him backward.

The man in front of them growled a little and Ashley shrank back when another man walked up beside the stranger.

When Mr. Tall, Dark, and Crazy turned to look at the guy who’d just joined the party, Ashley grabbed Kieran’s hand and they made a run for it. Their car wasn’t all that far away and soon enough they were there and clambering to get inside. Once the doors closed, Ashley locked his behind him just for good measure. As Kieran pulled out of the car park, Ashley couldn’t help but look back at the man who still stood on the sidewalk staring right at him. He didn’t know what it was about this guy, but something about him flicked all of Ashley’s switches, even if the man did seem a few Fruit Loops short of a cereal box.

“What the hell was that all about?” Kieran asked as they pulled out onto the road.

“I have no idea.”

“Who was that guy?” Kieran looked at him for a moment before turning his attention back to the road in front of him.

“Once again, no idea. He said we were mates. Seeing as how I’ve never met him before I can’t see how we’d already be friends. I think he must have confused me with someone else.” Man didn’t that thought suck. What he wouldn’t give to be friends with someone that looked like that. Then again, Ashley would probably make a complete fool out of himself if they were friends and then be too embarrassed to show his face.

“Huh. Weird.”

“I know, right?”

“So…”

Ashley waited as Kieran paused for a long minute.

“How was your first waxing?”

Ashley groaned as he settled back in the passenger seat.

“I really hate you.” Kieran just cackled at him. Fucking cackled!