Exclusive Excerpt! Silver/Steel

Coming December 4 to Loose Id!

 

“SO YOU SAVED my son. Then you screwed him.”

Dane didn’t move, keeping his gaze on Dylan’s face.

“You saved him a second time, then ended up here, even after the town rejected you. Why is it I get the impression you’re a hell of a lot more dangerous than any of those rogues?”

“Because I am.”

Dylan wanted to move, to get away from the touch of this alpha wolf. He’d felt and been impressed by the power emanating from Lukas Blacque, but this older wolf’s energy was off the charts. And all of that amazing focus was centered on Dylan.

“How’d you know how bad it was?” He gestured to his ankle.

“Logic. Blacque told me you were old and powerful. He had Jason cuff you with steel. That kid’s cautious and edgy. If he agreed to using iron on you, then he perceives you as a threat. And old fae like you don’t take well to iron or steel.”

Dylan nodded in acknowledgment of his words. He liked Dane Blacque. In another place and time, they might have been friends. But in the here and now, Dylan had to convince the wolves to free him, to let him heal, and more important, to give him the freedom to finish his hunt.

“My son is brilliant.”

Dylan looked steadily at the alpha wolf. Most people would assume the alpha spoke of his elder son, but he knew better.

“He is. And his mind is restless. That’s why he tends to…run amok.” He couldn’t hold back the smile. Dane smiled back.

“You understand him, then. He’s more dominant than he gives himself credit for, but he doesn’t want to lead. Blacque didn’t either, but he can’t escape his own nature to be an alpha. Travis, though…his contributions will be different. Great, if he finds himself.”

“He doesn’t want to be at the bottom of the pack structure. He’s afraid of fighting, so he seeks confrontation to defy that fear. He craves structure yet is a free spirit.”

“Do you love him?” Dane leaned forward. Dylan sat up straight, fighting the urge to retreat.

“I barely know him, Dane. And he barely knows me.”

“That’s not what I asked. I know damn well the fae don’t mate like shifters do. They claim their partner. They draw blood and mark their lover. Gender isn’t an issue. Reproduction isn’t an issue. Fae like you fall hard and fast, and while you don’t have the whole ‘mate for life’ thing going on, you guys are pretty permanent. For you, love isn’t just a gift; it’s a weakness that can be exploited.”

Dylan literally felt the blood drain from his face. Dane Blacque spoke the truth, but it couldn’t be the case. He tried to recall the last time he’d been in love. It had been in another life, another world completely.

“No. I am far too old.”

He paused when Dane laughed.

“I’ve been accused of being a cradle robber, but my target was only decades younger than me. You must be older than Travis by a century, maybe more.”

“Much more,” he whispered through stiff lips. “I don’t know that I am capable of love.”

“Of course you are. That and the bite on Travis’s lip are all that’s keeping me from slapping a steel collar around your neck and dragging your ass out of town.” He let loose of Dylan’s leg. “That metal had to hurt. Badly.”

Dylan nodded.

“And I’ll bet you didn’t complain once. Not to Travis, anyway. See, you don’t want him upset. You don’t want him feeling bad for something he has no control over.”

Dylan looked away, every word lodging in his heart like iron-tainted arrows. He cursed the alpha, and he cursed Travis. He cursed himself for being so vulnerable, for falling so easily.

“You’re dominant. It oozes from your pores. Yet he commands you. Because of that, you won’t do anything to hurt my son, will you.” It wasn’t a question.

Dylan raised his chin slightly. He met Dane’s dark, sharp gaze. A brief shake of the head was all the alpha needed—and all he had to give. Because the geas was far more powerful than any love or compassion he might feel for anyone. He’d already hurt Travis; the kid just didn’t know it yet. Thanks to the wolves, he knew exactly who his prey was, knew what he looked like and where he lived.

For a moment he considered not following through, not fulfilling the hunt.

The geas screamed at the thought—the brands burned his skin. He winced, grateful the wolf would blame the iron poisoning for his pain.

“It is unlikely your son is as bonded to me as I am to him. When I am healed, I will leave.” His heart twisted at the words. It wasn’t the artificial pain of the enchantment, but true grief of his heart. He’d loved unwisely and would suffer the cost.

“Quite the sacrifice, Dylan. I guess I’ll have to be satisfied with that, then.”

Things That Go Bump...

When I was very young, my elementary school held a Halloween Carnival every year. It was one of the most fun, highly anticipated events in the area, with game booths, trick-or-treating, cake walks and movies. I think my favorite part were the cake walks, because even though I couldn’t see well and had no “skills” whatsoever, I still managed to win a cake almost every year. Then we’d head over to one of the darkened classrooms and watch horror films.

They were usually old Hammer flicks, B-movies that were weak spin-offs of the old black and white classics. I do remember seeing Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster and the Wolf Man in the mix. I don’t know…maybe that stuff all rubbed off on me because I certainly took the old tropes and over the years, spun them into my own mythos. But instead my vampires wearing formal wear and speaking in an Eastern European accent, they wear Dickies and coveralls, and are French, English and American.

My werewolves spun out of those movies as well, generally they’re working class men and women, more comfortable in auto shops, construction sites and police cruisers, though some journey out into space. And no matter the pack, under the watchful eye of their alpha, they tend to live in a communal fashion, their status earned and their bounty shared. As Blacque would say, “Damned Socialist Werewolves.

I haven’t ventured out into the land of the Modern Prometheus…yet. My mind just can’t find a sexy angle to zombies and undead creatures. But at some point, I’ll be sitting around, maybe looking at the moon and inspiration will strike.

Until then, you get my shifters and vamps and all the other paranormal creatures that inhabit Belinda Land.

So as my gift for the Howloween Blog Hop, I'm giving up a bunch o' swag...stuff I have reserved for RT. Some nice stuff here, guys! If you live outside of North America, I'll substitute the prize for your choice of 2 of my backlist e-books. So leave a comment to win! And I apologize for posting late, I have no internet access and couldn't post from my Android.

So, what's your favorite character from a scary movie?

Coming in December: What do you get when you throw together a young wolf shifter on a bad drug trip and an ancient fae assassin on a lethal deadline?

Silver/Steel…(was formerly Dream Hunter, and then Cold Steel. Let’s see how long this title lasts!)

Coming in December from Loose Id Publishing

Greetings from New Mexico! I'm at Gay Rom Lit this week, and writing from my lovely hotel room in the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. As I write, I'm looking out over the miles and miles of desert, where the lights of Albuquerque sparkle in the dark from miles away.

Right now, I'm in a lull between books; The Bacchi released a couple months ago and Dream Hunter will come out in December. The interesting thing about these books is that they're both m/m, and the heroes have such diverse personalities. And...neither book features a truly alpha male, except in a supporting capacity. I suppose you could call Lefi and Afton from the Bacchi beta males, while Travis (Dream Hunter) is bordering on being an omega. And Dylan is a dominant man, but too much of a loner to be a real alpha.

When I think of an alpha male, I don't generally think of the lone wolf, strong silent type, nor do I think of the over-aggressive, over sexualized male. Because I have so much background in animal behavior, I see alphas are nurturers. They are care-givers and protectors. Sexually, they are often dominant, but not always. Sometimes my alpha males like to be tended to and protected, handing the reins of control over to their partner. It's what I see in the pack structure of my Siberian Huskies. My alpha male doesn't only control the other dogs, when they're out together he watches over them as they doze in the sun or play together. He breaks up squabbles and leads them in their happy howling sessions. He is also serviced by the other dogs, who clean his ears and wash his face. Levi (my alpha Siberian) is one vital cog in the functioning unit of our "pack."

The most overtly alpha male I've written to date is Chase Montenegro from the Truckee Wolves series. He's followed by Armand de la Croix in Belle Starr and Dane Blacque in Blacque/Bleu. Helios Dayspring lands in this list as well. With the exception of Helios, all the others are shifters from various paranormal series. Helios is unique because he's not only a human, but he projects himself as more of a beta male. However, Helios is firmly in control of his people and his family, though he rules with a soft touch. Armand is also very easy-going and isn't afraid to delegate. However, he knows that he's the one who makes the tough decisions and lives with the consequences.

Dane Blacque, on the other hand, is so alpha he's almost disturbing to write. He knows what every member of his pack is up to at any given time. He controls the breeding in his pack and generally is the only active male contributing to the bloodlines. Dane makes imperious demands of his adult children and expects to be obeyed. At the same time, he adores his children, grieves for years over the death of his estranged mate and will lay down all that he is to protect his pack. In the upcoming book "Dream Hunter," his son Travis notes that Dane is so in tune with his children and pack, that he knows the moment a crisis hits.

In the Truckee series, Chase hasn't yet developed the finely honed connection to his pack that Dane has, but grasped power by force, forging a pack from a rag tag collection of shifters who were imprisoned in labs and hunted by Abraxas. (a criminal organization) He took men, women and children who'd never walked free and forced them into the fringes of mainstream life. He helps them find jobs and learn simple skills, such as driving a car. Like Dane Blacque, he makes decisions for others and always acts in the best interest of his badly flawed pack, even if it means sacrificing his own happiness.  Chase will lie, steal and kill for his pack. Since his story plays out in an otherwise human world, the risks he takes are fraught with hazard. In fact, two of his lieutenants are given the specific task of disposing of bodies when pack members are forced to defend themselves.

Many, many people have asked when Chase's story is coming. At this point, I don't really know. I do know who is heroine is, though. I know the bare bones of his story but much of it needs to be told through the eyes of those who he serves, and who serve him.

What sort of alpha male do you enjoy reading about? What kind do you hate? Remember to leave a comment for your chance to win in the drawings for the Alpha Male Blog Hop! And be sure to visit all the participating authors!

Belinda
www.belindamcbride.com