Welcome Birthday Guest Ana Raine!

Any birthday party I would throw would undeniably have to include magic. After all, if we’re able to draw characters from literary realms into our lives, even if only for mere moments, we have not completely lost magic. Rather, we have re-imagined it.

Who better to invite, than those who were born into magic?

Without a doubt, Gandalf the Grey or White, whichever he feels is more sporting would be in attendance. As would Radagast the Brown. Undeniably, Saruman the White would try to make an appearance. But Treebeard and his forest gang, my hired guard for the evening, would viciously face slap him and make it impossible for him to gain entry. After all, orcs are the worst party crashers and anyone associating with them, is to be expelled from parties, mine and otherwise.

Hobbits are rather experienced in the enlightenment of parties, so I suppose I shall invite a few as well. How could I dare to throw an outdoor party without a grand display of fireworks? I am certain quite a few will be caught stealing food, but none so scandalous as catching Samwise and Frodo in the storage room together. Their flustered demeanor will only serve as more of a reason to invite them.

One, or maybe thirteen dwarves will most obtrusively come knocking, seeking drinks and food I have neither of at this point. But all the same, I invited wizards and they know how to procure the things I demand.

It is my birthday and if I want hedgehogs recovering from near-death experiences, you better believe that’s what I am receiving.

Blurb:

Liberation from one master might mean enslavement to another.

For centuries, the Kuro swan shifters have been the unwilling servants of the Dryma faeries. That changed when Prince Tristan of the Dryma attempted to sacrifice himself for Royal Kuro Kanji—his lover and mate.

The Sidhee, seeing Tristan’s actions to free the swans as a betrayal, launch a devastating attack that leaves most of the Kuro and Dryma dead or imprisoned. The fate of the swans rests entirely on Kanji’s shoulders, and he must somehow devise a plan that will protect both his partner and his tribe as the war with the Sidhee rages. It won’t be easy for mortal enemies to become allies, and Kanji is beginning to despair of ever waking Tristan from his deathlike slumber. And neither the Kuro nor the Dryma can compete with the Sidhee when it comes to brutal violence.

When Kanji finds a small boy asleep at the bottom of a lake, his hope for reuniting with Tristan is rekindled. But what is the boy, and can his magic turn the tide against a seemingly unstoppable enemy?

 

Excerpt:

I gnawed at the inside of my cheek, my steps heavy as I entered the cabin and shut away the outside world. The scent of my mate was everywhere. There was the lingering smell of flowers and wood in the bathroom, detailed footprints dusted with snow across the floor and breathing I would recognize anywhere.

I kicked off my boots and started on my sweater, but stopped. So much time had passed since I’d last seen my mate, since I’d felt his touch upon my skin. Was that the reason I was nervous enough to hesitate?

The floor was hard beneath my knees as I dropped beside the bed. Tristan had his face turned away as though he were sleeping and I had a terrible sense of dread he’d gone back under.

“Tristan.” My voice came out as a whimper. “Tristan, please, I’m here.”

“Kanji.”

A heavy hand was in my hair, tangling my long dark strands around his fingers. Even though he had been in a coma, Tristan still felt as strong as he had before. As if his deep sleep had merely been a passing dream.

His fingers twitched as he gently caressed the base of my skull. His other hand lay limply on the bed, so I pressed my face against his palm. Just inhaling his scent would’ve been enough to bring me to my knees if I hadn’t been already.

“Kanji,” he repeated, his voice thick with emotion. I felt his body shudder as he touched my hair, my neck, my shoulder…everywhere he wanted. “You saved me.”

I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. Cold tears burst from my eyes, but I was powerless to stop them.

“Baby, why are you crying?” he sounded alarmed.

“I’ve missed you,” I admitted, keeping my hands firmly on my jeaned thighs. The urge to touch him was overwhelming and just his little circles on my neck filled my cock. “It wasn’t me.”

“What do you mean?”

“It wasn’t me who saved you.”