Sneak Peek

I've working on an in between novel recently. I know. I published Lovestruck Succubus nearly a year ago, and should have published the second book, Demon Among Wolves by now, but some minor characters have taken hold of me and demand to have their story told.

This will be the story of how Joseph Johnson and Alexis Califan met, fell in love, and became the pack's hunter team. Here's my very abbreviated synopsis:

Alexis flees the pack, refusing to be mated to the future pack alpha. He follows with the intent of killing her if he cannot convince her to join him. She falls asleep on a greyhound bus and finds herself in another state where she takes a job as a waitress in a seedy bar, and tries to lay low for awhile.

Joseph Johnson is working as a security guard at a local car manufacturing plant and moonlighting as a bounty hunter, trying to pay off his mom's medical bills after she lost her battle to cancer. He is layed off at his security job so he must take on riskier skips in order to make ends meet. Chasing a skip brings him in contact with a beautiful young woman, but he's not the only one that's taken notice of this woman. The local thug leader has taken a shine to her as well.

Their attitudes and independent streaks soon land the both of them in hot water with the local thug leader, and neither one of them know that Lexi is also being pursued by Leonidas. The very thing that brings them together exposes Joe to Lexi's secret.

I'm posting the first scene below, but I'm thinking I might have a WIP Wednesday, and post new scenes each Wednesday.

"I just will not do it, and there is not a soul on this earth that can make me ..." Alexis stood up straight and stared her parents down for the first time in her life. "... And that includes the two of you." She immediately shrank back down, tears welling in her eyes despite her best efforts.

"We know you don't understand now, Lexi," her mother said, reaching up to stroke her dark hair. "But, in time you'll understand that you being mated to Leonidas will be the best thing for our family, and the entire pack."

"What about what I want?" Alexis asked, as she swatted at her mother's hand. "Why did you let me go to college if you planned all along to enslave me to that self-centered weasel?"

Alexis's father stepped in, pointing a finger at her. "That self-centered weasel, as you call him, is going to be the pack alpha, probably sooner rather than later, given his father's condition, and since we didn't have a son to challenge him, we must offer a daughter to better our place in the pack."

Alexis tried to put up a defiant front but even as she narrowed her eyes at her father, she felt the tears trailing down her burning cheeks. She knew her father was gruff, but she felt like he just told her that he wished he had a son instead of a daughter.

"I can take care of myself," Alexis said. "Maybe I'll challenge him myself, then we will be the alpha family in the pack."

"Don't be ridiculous," her father said, waving his hand as if swatting at a fly. "Keeping your secret through four years of college is not the same as fighting another to the death. Besides, there has never been a female alpha in any pack that I know of."

"Well, maybe ours will be a first," Alexis said. She planted her feet hard on the floor at her bold statement. She thought back to all the times Leo picked on her when they were children. She thought about all the times he threw rocks at her, or tried to stick his hand up her dress. She'd always hated him for that, even though she never did anything about it, clear up to their junior high years. She remembered fighting him off on more than one occasion when she started developing into a woman, and he mistakenly thought she was his for the taking.

Then, her mother crushed her daydreams. "Lexi, this has been planned since you were both children. You know there's just not that many naturals of our kind left. You have a chance to keep our bloodline clean and true."

Alexis had nothing to say in response to her mother. She knew she was losing and needed someone to agree with her. Alexis looked over to see her Grandfather sitting in an armchair, listening to the whole conversation. He started shaking his head "no" but it was too late. She was going to bring him into this argument as her only ally.

"What about you, Grandpa?" Alexis asked, feeling more positive at the possibility of his agreement. "Don't you think I should have the right to make my own decisions? Don't you think—"

"Alexis," her Grandfather said, cutting her off, mid-sentence. "I think that you should understand that your parents are only trying to do what's best for you. They are doing what is best for the pack, preserving the purity of our bloodline."

"Screw you." Alexis said, and stomped her feet for emphasis. It was all she could think of to say. Without her Grandfather's support, she was alone and defeated. Tears dripped off her cheeks wetting the fabric over her breasts, and her heart sank into the pit of her stomach. She tried to say something to appear strong, but as she opened her mouth, a wailing sound escaped, exposing her defeat. She ran out of the house, slowing only long enough to snatch her purse off the hook by the door, and continued through the apple orchards, swearing and wailing all the way to the storage barn.She ran inside and found her dark corner behind stacks of apple crates. The storage barn was a place she’d gone many times before. It was a place she considered safe when she felt defeated. She vowed to herself, in the dark corner, she would never mate with Leo. She couldn’t fathom spending the rest of her life partnered, and subservient to him. She would take him out or leave the pack before she would allow that to happen.

Hope you enjoyed this opening scene. I will concentrate on Alexis for awhile and do not introduce Joseph Johnson until chapter 3. By then, all the major characters, and most of the minor characters are introduced and the two major plotlines will begin weaving around each other until they finally come together by about chapter 14. I've outlined 20 chapters.

Let me know what you think so far, and please, do not be shy about voicing your opinion on the work as I post new scenes. Lastly, I've yet to find a suitable title for this project. I know this is unusual for me, but this story grew out of another story idea. I may run a contest or simply ask for suggestions on a title. Again, please feel free to offer title suggestions as I post scenes. The original title was Her Delicate Curves, but the premise of the story has changed since.