The Vixen’s Bark by Laura Greenwood
Find more from this author on:
About the author:
While I’m not writing, I work in Catering and am also an Assistant Brownie Guide Leader in the Midlands (UK). I like to bake and I love to read, and like with my writing, I read an eclectic mix of genres, and love every minute of it!
What inspired you to write your book?
Bjorn and Ari were minor characters in the previous book, The Dryad’s Pawprint, and as soon as I wrote them, I knew that there was more to their story. Once I’d finished Dryad, the two of them just wouldn’t leave me, and so I ended up sitting down and writing their story!
Here is a short sample from the book:
Chapter 3
She watched as the other three left the Council chambers, packing away her own things slowly in the hope that she could snatch a few private moments with Bjorn. If she felt like being sensible, then she knew that the two of them really needed to talk about what they were doing. It was dangerous, and could lead to them both of them losing their positions, as well as risking a false mating. And yet, there was a part of her that wasn’t willing to stop.
A firm but gentle hand gripped her elbow and spun her around, lifting her by the waist so that she was sat on one of the desks. Bjorn stepped so that he as standing between her legs and brought his lips to hers without saying a word. The pent-up desire between them took hold and came through their kiss, causing whimpers to come from Ari as her teeth lengthened. She pulled away from his kiss before she did something stupid like nip his lip and draw blood. Doing that, even without meaning to, would bind them together in a way that she wasn’t ready for. But that didn’t stop Bjorn. He feathered kisses down her neck and she leaned back, allowing him access and arching her back more, causing Bjorn’s bucking hips to press in close to where she wanted him most. Her hands tugged at his shirt and he stepped back, whipping it over his head and throwing it to the floor. His jeans quickly followed suit. Ari took a moment to appreciate the view, before ridding herself of her own clothes and perching back on the desk completely naked; she knew it was wrong, but being in the Council chambers only added to her excitement. Just like it had the other times.
Bjorn stalked towards her, a predatory glint in his eye, sending shivers down Ari’s spine. They’d tried to stop more than once during the six months or so they’d been sleeping together. It hadn’t worked. Their record for staying away was a week, and that was only because Bjorn had been away with his PI work. It was a week that she didn’t want to repeat ever again. She pushed the thought away, not liking what it meant for their relationship, or for her Council seat.
“I want you,” Bjorn growled, stepping back between her legs, the heat he was throwing off warming her. He kissed her again and Ari was too desperate to do anything but guide him into her. Bjorn groaned deeply, and she let out an involuntary moan, revelling in the sensation of being with him. It took mere moments for the tension to begin to mount within her, building more and more as he thrust into her, his muscles flexing under her greedy hands. Bjorn trailed kisses down her throat again and he began to nip gently on her skin, making her blood sing with pleasure. Her nails scraped across his back, but she couldn’t bring herself to worry about whether she was leaving any marks, and from Bjorn’s grunts and moans, he didn’t mind either.
The sensation of lengthening teeth against the sensitive skin of her throat broke through the pleasure surrounding them, and she hastily pushed him away.
“Bjorn! BJORN!” She tried desperately to bring him out of the haze he was in, but nothing seemed to work. His eyes were blazing with lust as he looked over her. Nothing could hide his lengthened teeth as his inner-bear come through.
After a few moments of staring, Bjorn came back to himself and a look of horror crossed his face. Ari shivered, suddenly feeling cold in the empty Council room. Bjorn handed her his shirt, which she hastily put on, buttoning it as he pulled on his jeans.
“I guess we need to talk,” she could see the reluctance in the set of his jaw, but was impressed that he’d admitted it. In her experience, men never wanted to talk about relationship stuff. There was no denying that it wasn’t just sex between them anymore, she had her doubts about whether it ever really had been. But Ari had also been ignoring that thought, hoping that some solution would present itself in time. Or that she’d suddenly stop thinking about the sexy bear shifter in front of her.
“I guess we do,” she admitted. She’d rather be in the courtroom than deal with anything like the feelings swirling around inside her, but it was too late for that now. “You just tried to bite me.”
“I know, I’m sorry.” Her heart sank, as much as she had tried to tell herself that his was the reaction she wanted, she was lying to herself and knew it.
“We can’t risk mating Bjorn,” he looked at her oddly, as if he wanted to contradict her, but she wasn’t about to let him. “We’d both lose our positions on the Council, not to mention our standing in society if we revealed we’d falsely mated. Plus, there’s my family…” she trailed off, looking at the floor and not wanting to elaborate. Ari wasn’t normally afraid of saying what she thought, and considering she was a lawyer, she didn’t have the option to be; yet there was something about this situation that was making her nervous.
“Your family?” He raised an eyebrow, a confused look in his eyes as he waited for her to elaborate.
“Never mind that; our positions, Bjorn. We could lose them.” To her surprise, Bjorn cupped her face in his hands and their eyes met.
“I would give up my position for you, Ari.” There was a sincerity in his dark eyes that scared her. Almost as if he was telling her the truth; and she didn’t know whether the possibility of him lying to her, or that of him telling the truth, scared her more.
“I’m…”
“Not ready for that. I know, but the minute you are, is the moment you’re mine.”
A thrill went through her, even if she wasn’t ready to accept that there was more between them. He kissed her chastely once, and left quickly. Almost as if he was worried about what he’d do if he stayed. He was still shirtless, the marks from her fingernails giving her inner-fox a deep sense of satisfaction, almost like the vixen had marked her territory.
The real problem was that it felt like a part of Ari left with him.
Related products
-
Proximity (The Proximity Series, #1) by M. A. George
Dr. Palta Capal would be a typical American career woman…if only she were human.
She has found her calling in this world as a physician. It’s an ideal outlet for her compassionate spirit…and unearthly healing powers.
Palta may spend her nights rereading Jane Austen novels, but she deliberately avoids pursuing her own love story. Human men—attractive as they may be—inevitably grow old and wither, leaving her to grieve in solitude. Frankly, no one has seemed worth the torment.
Enter Eric Moran, the intensely attractive and enigmatic new coworker on the scene. With his quiet confidence and warm smile, he manages to draw Palta’s attention. Little does she know that he, too, holds a secret…one that will propel them both into an escalating collision of two worlds.
-
Shadows of Asphodel by Karen Kincy
When Ardis discovers a man bleeding to death on the battlefield, she knows she has to walk away.
1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn’t matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.
But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.
If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster–or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it’s too late now.
Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?
-
Fire and Ice by Shawn Hilton @DarkrosesENT
Twenty-five years ago, a Human and a Shaper fell in love. Then the unthinkable happened and started a wedge that would drive them apart. Now, they are back in the same area and facing a danger that threatens their very lives while a bond that can’t be broken attempts to reassert itself. Join Scott and Armida in a race against time to stop an old foe playing on the prejudices that span centuries. Enjoy the ride as they fight for their rights in a world where Vampires are more accepted than they are. Love in a world where finding a mate could be a death sentence from her people, and that is just a typical Monday. Welcome to the world of the Michigan Shapers.
-
These Things Of Darkness by Grace P OBrien
Adam Jedermann is an Outrider; a freelance Bureau control agent with the ability to infiltrate strange worlds and dimensions. Paid to hunt, capture and terminate illegal Visitors who pose a threat to the Continuum, he struggles to cope with feelings of alienation and discover some greater purpose to life.
Lilith, his dead ex-girlfriend, isn’t making reality easier for him. She constantly pops in and out of existence, reigniting their passion and trying to seduce him over to her world.Adam is burning out from Interdimensional Temporal Rejection and is having a hell of a time trying to keep his mind and body together. Haunted by reoccurring dreams and an increased awareness that the world around him is unraveling, he accepts a private assignment convinced it will help him discover what’s causing his troubled sleep. A routine missing persons case gradually becomes an expanding web of mystery and murder, as Adam and Lilith uncover bizarre and threatening forces The Bureau intends to keep hidden at any cost. When the truth begins to shake apart the foundations of Adam’s reality, he’s forced to make a decision that will change his destiny and the world as he knows it forever.
-
Kissed by Kimberly Loth
Trapped in a dark cult, sixteen-year-old Naomi Aren has lived a quiet, albeit unhappy, life nestled deep in the hills of the Ozarks. With uncut hair, denim skirts, and only roses for friends, Naomi seldom questions why her life is different from other kids at school. Until the day her abusive father, who is also the cult’s leader, announces her wedding. Naomi must marry Dwayne Yerdin, a bully who reeks of sweat and manure and is the only one person who scares her worse than her father. Then she meets Kai, the mysterious boy who brings her exotic new roses and stolen midnight kisses. Kisses that bring her a supernatural strength she never knew she had. As the big day approaches, Naomi unearths more secrets of about her father’s cult. She learns she has power of her own and while Kai may have awakened that power, Naomi must find a way to use it to escape Dwayne and her father—without destroying herself.
-
Bear Back Mountain by Artemis Wolffe
Bear shifter Hunter Reed has never had much luck in the love department. As if his struggles weren’t enough, the pressure of his family’s tradition to be mated by their 30th birthday is wearing down on him. In an effort to appease his family and ensure a strong line of heirs, he joins a dating service as a last-ditch effort, not expecting it to lead anywhere.
Fitness trainer and former party-goer Alexander Gray only craves one thing now; the comfort of a lifelong relationship. When he meets Hunter at their gym, the smoldering tension between them is undeniable. Before either of them realize it, their relationship is moving to the next level, as secrets are revealed and mysteries solved. That is, until one day the dating service calls Hunter to notify him of his ‘match’.
Betrayed and broken, Alex writes off what he thought was something special as just another mistake in his life. When Hunter comes after him though, he isn’t taking no for an answer. For him, love is more important than rules, which are made to be broken. Armed with the power of a granted wish, Hunter tracks down his lover to claim him as his own and to provide his family with the heir they desire.
-
Fourteen Shades of F*cked Up: an Anthology by ML Rodriguez
Fourteen authors have brought you stories of pain and love.
Struggle and dissonance.
PETITION DENIED by Alyson Hale
DARKNESS CONSUMED by Ariel Marie
EXCITABLE by Brittney Coon
CONSENSUAL by Cristina Slough
F*CKING ADDICTED by J.A. Kerr
FOREVER PROMISES by J.L. Baldwin
A STRANGE AND DISTANT SAFETY by Jennifer Loring
WICKED GAMES by Lilly James
AFFLICTION by Marie Skye
STORY OF US by ML Rodriguez
HER MISTAKE by N. Mills
MISS X by Quinn
KILLER DOM by S. Valentine
ANOTHER LAST GLANCE by Zack Halford
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.