Shifter's Coven: Hunter by Marteeka Karland

Shifter's Coven: Hunter


by Marteeka Karland

Cover art: Marteeka Karland

ISBN: 978-1-60521-497-9
Genre(s): Paranormal
Theme(s): Werewolves, Shapeshifters

Series: Shifter's Coven

Length: Novella

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1482

Blurb:
Simon is the lead hunter of the pack and most trusted confidant and advisor to the Alpha. He's also one of the most feared wolves in pack history, and no one has ever known his equal. Now he must hunt the most powerful enemy he's ever encountered before she destroys the one most precious to him.Excerpt:


Adopted daughter of the Alpha, Sasha is a powerful shifter in her own right. She's only now coming into her heritage as a witch, but her power rivals that of Simon's prey, Deloris. She knows Simon's hunt is important to the pack, but never suspects it might all be a trap to draw her into Deloris's deceitful web of malice.


Carefully, opening all her senses to the least disturbance around her, Sasha
crept from her hiding place and approached the cave. There were traps, she knew.
Intricate and difficult to counter or unravel, but she knew none of them were
beyond her capabilities. So far. She had no doubt it would take a very long
period of time to get through, and in that time Deloris might well free herself
and emerge more powerful than Sasha could handle, but if it was important enough
to worry Simon, it was important enough to make the effort.

$You will not do this alone, Sasha. I absolutely forbid it!$

Immediately, Sasha backed off. Not because of his imperious order, but because
if he could break her mind blocks, he could be a distraction. She had no doubt
she could keep anyone else out, but Simon knew her defenses too well.

$I can do this, Simon. She's here and vulnerable. She thinks she's safe, but she
doesn't know I can see her spells of safeguard.

And are you certain you can see all of them? Did it ever occur to you she might
be luring you to her with your own arrogance? You're powerful, Sasha. You may
even be more powerful than Deloris. But you're not as experienced. Your mind and
body have matured more rapidly than anyone could have ever known, but you're
running on blind instinct. You have no experience to back up your abilities. The
Dark Witch is terrified of something. I think she senses your power. She may not
know it's you, but she recognizes a rival witch. If she ever figures it out,
you'll be in more danger than you could ever imagine.$

Sasha hissed, but recognized the truth in what he was saying. Grudgingly, she
backed off and sprang back into the woods. Unwilling to go back to the pack, she
made her way back to her own den.

$I want you back with the pack, Sasha! Now!$

His anger beat at her so much she wanted to do what he said just to get relief,
but she wouldn't. She'd never let anyone dictate her life, even as a child.
There had always been something different about her that allowed her mind to
process things a normal child couldn't. Simon hadn't been able to boss her
around then, and she certainly wasn't about to let him start now.

$I really don't give a fuck what you want, Simon. I'm going home. To my den. You
don't like it? Tough shit.$

As firmly as she could, she slammed the door to her mind shut. Sasha felt his
efforts to get a peek inside -- probably to confirm where she went -- to no
avail. His frustration and anger bored into her like steel shards, and she
actually winced. Still, no matter how uncomfortable it was, she had no intention
of letting him force her compliance. Or know her every action.

Instead of going to her den, like she'd told him, she headed deeper into the
forest. Away from Deloris, but not to anyplace Simon could find her.

Damn the man to hell and back! He made her feel like a little girl sometimes.
She hated it. She wasn't just struggling to prove she wasn't a child, she
struggled to simply fit in. She was a witch and a shifter in a pack of
werewolves. She might be partly of their world, but she didn't completely
belong. She never would. No matter what her surrogate mother and father said or
believed, the pack saw her as an outsider and, therefore, a threat. She could
sense it in every thought when she was around.

As nice as it would be to be totally accepted by her father's pack, it wasn't
what really mattered to her. Simon was the only person she cared to impress. She
hated that it mattered so much, but there it was. If the man didn't want her,
she didn't want to spend her life pining after him.

But she knew she would. Everything in her screamed that he was hers, and she
didn't even want to fight the attraction. She just wanted him. Simon. She wanted
him to want her the way he'd seemed to want her when he'd kissed her earlier.

Even now, in her cat form and speeding through the forest at break-neck speed,
she still felt the searing aftereffects of that kiss. The power of it had rocked
her world and made her tingle from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
Her core throbbed and leaked moisture from between her legs with wanting him.
Needing him.
Deep in the thick of the forest, Sasha found a thicket of pine trees with a soft
bed of moss in the middle. Once safely inside, she shifted to her nude, human
form. There was no need to clothe herself. No one was around for miles. Besides,
she was so hot she wasn't sure she could stand anything confining her skin. She
needed the cool air kissing her flesh. The moss, cool and damp at her bare back,
comforted and soothed her as much as anything could.

As she lay there panting, sweat soaking her body, she clenched her fists in the
springy foliage in frustration. Her body was on fire! She wanted Simon with a
ferocity she wasn't prepared for. It was as if that kiss they'd shared had
ignited an inferno deep inside her, and there was no extinguishing it with
anything other than him.
Knowing it was useless to resist, Sasha let her hands wander her damp skin,
stroking and titillating her sensitized flesh. Her nipples stabbed her palms,
and she squeezed and pinched them. Gently at first, then with more pressure and
vigor. Biting her lip, she prevented herself from moaning under the pleasure
coursing through her body.

What would it be like for Simon to touch her like this? His big hands would be
rough and callused. A man's hands. Would he be gentle or would he be aggressive
in his own passion for her?

Lost in her musings, Sasha's hands wandered down her body to her cunt. As she
slid her fingers through the triangle of tight curls surrounding her sex, a
small whimper escaped before she could suppress it. She parted lips slick with
moisture to find the nub of her clit and circle it once. Sasha would have been
lost in sensation now no matter what, but, unbidden, the image of Simon's dark
head between her legs looking up into her eyes as he bent his head to feast
popped into her mind. That was all it took to bring an orgasm unlike any she'd
ever experienced at her own hand.

The strength of her cry was second only to the strength of the wave of pleasure
that crashed around and over her. Her hips bucked and thrust against her fingers
in spasmodic movements, and she thrashed her head from side to side, her eyes
closed tightly.

Breathing hard, heart racing, sweat suffusing her body, Sasha slowly opened her
eyes…

And looked straight into a pair of piercing blue eyes.

"You likely led Deloris straight to you with that little stunt. Did you even try
to suppress your passion or did you intend to draw her out?" Simon glared down
at her. He must have just shifted from his wolf form, because he stood before
her gloriously naked, sweat glistening off his skin in the faint sunlight
streaming through the trees.

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1482

Shifting Priorities Collection by Anne Kane

Read an excerpt

Shifting Priorities (Collection)

by Anne KaneCover art: Reneé George

ISBN: 978-1-60521-446-7

Genre(s): Collections

Length: Collection

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1431

Blurb:
Mating Ritual: When Jexx finds out the man she's just had fantastic sex with is one of the legendary Imperial were-panthers, she's impressed, but they've got more than technical problems to work out...
Mating Dance: Jakeb wants an heir, not a mate. When he rescues Kaitlyn, he proposes a deal -- her freedom for his heir. But they soon discover power isn't only about strength...
Mating Call: Cali uses her innocent face to con a living from gullible males. But when she decides to charm her way onto Darien's shuttle, pirates, an old acquaintance and an irresistibly sexy Imperial were-panther make for a voyage she'll never forget.
Mating Frenzy: Mykael knows that his co-pilot is also his bond-mate, but she refuses him, and his patience is running out. When they're forced to land on a primitive planet, they find themselves exploring more than the unique landscape.
This collection contains four previously released novellas in the Shifting Priorities series.
Excerpt:
Shifting Priorities
Anne Kane
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2010 Anne Kane
This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
Jexx eyed up the two males stalking cockily toward her. The one on the right, a scrawny excuse for a man, had a sickly yellow cast to his naked torso. The arrogant swagger of his hulking partner, not to mention his toothy smirk, made her blood run cold. She flexed her hands, feeling the tingle of her battle implants coming online, and for the first time in her life, wondered if they would be enough to give her an edge. Why the hell did I obey the stupid rules and leave my weapons aboard ship? She shifted her stance, tossing her head so that the bells and trinkets woven into her long braids tinkled defiantly.
She started as a big arm circled her waist and drew her back against a hard body. A warm, musky smell invaded her senses and caused her pussy to tingle. Tome Rimmer.
"So this is what you get up to when I let you out of my sight." His low voice was every bit as sexy as she remembered.
She forced herself to relax into his hard body. "Nice to see you. Just happen to be in the neighborhood?" She kept her voice steady and looked up at the two males who were surveying the newcomer with disgruntled expressions on their faces. They'd obviously thought they could take her without too much trouble. Now they had to consider whether she was worth a fight.
Jexx twisted her head to study the harsh face of her ally. A strip of leather around his forehead restrained his shoulder length jet-black hair and gave him a raffish look. His angular face sported a Roman nose and high aristocratic cheekbones. Seven feet of solid, mouthwatering muscle flexed beneath a skin-hugging body suit. She licked her lips and tried not to think of how he looked without that body suit.
The two men locked eyes and came to a silent agreement. The yellow one drifted left, leaving the frontal assault to his companion.
Tome sighed theatrically and turned to place Jexx's smaller body protectively behind his. "I was really hoping you guys were smarter than you looked."
Jexx squelched the urge to slap him for his patronizing dismissal of her fighting abilities. She might be smaller than he was, but she was far from helpless. Typically alpha male, he insisted on treating her like a little lady in an Ancient Earth romance novel. She'd quickly learned that Imperial were-panthers had a wide protective streak when it came to females.
He'd also insisted she belonged with him -- he referred to her as his bond-mate. Just because she'd made the mistake of bedding him rather enthusiastically when she'd needed a little action did not give him any rights. Every time she'd pointed that out, he'd just smile and say it was part of the mating ritual.
She eyed up the heavy muscles roping across his back and licked her lips as she remembered how those muscles felt beneath her hands. Mating ritual be damned. She just appreciated his skills in certain areas. She'd have to make sure he got a nice, personal reward for handling these two cretins for her.
She watched him bare his teeth in a predatory smile as the two closed in on him. He looked edgy and restless. Jexx knew he'd spent the last week tracking her down and she felt an unfamiliar twinge of guilt. She'd snuck out in the dead of night shortly after discovering the man she'd just slept with was one of the mythical Imperial were-panthers. That wasn't what had spooked her though. No, she'd run when he'd casually claimed her as his bond-mate. She wasn't in the market for a bossy male to restrict her freedom.
She took a quick look around the yard. High fences on three of the four sides limited their options. The only exit from the courtyard was located behind the two men, which meant they couldn't just cut and run. Cement posts displaying statues of dubious artistic value ringed the perimeter and could prove dangerous obstacles in hand-to-hand combat. An uneven layer of gravel on the ground made footing treacherous.
"Come on, boys." Tome crouched low on his heels, gesturing the two in closer with a mocking flip of his hand. "You've got me two to one. You're not scared, are you?" He raised his brows and stared at them, a dismissive smile curving one corner of his mouth.
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1431

Shifter's Coven: Healer by Marteeka Karland

Read an excerpt

Shifter's Coven: Healer by Marteeka Karland cover art by Marteeka Karland ISBN: 978-1-60521-431-3 Genre(s): Paranormal Theme(s): Werewolves Series: Shifter's Coven Length: Novella

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1395

Blurb:
Vivian has spent her whole life under her mother's thumb. Even to the point of attempted murder of pack Alpha, Wade. When she was young, however, her father handpicked a man to protect her. To watch out for her. He formed a bond between them that set them on a path they're now traveling.
Julian has been a shadow in Vivian's mind. He's been biding his time until he was strong enough to break her mother's hold. Now that he's a power shifter in his own right, he isn't sure Vivian still needs him. She was, after all, promised to another man.
Once Julian realizes Vivian is no longer tying her life to Wade's, he hunts her down and offers to take her away. He knows danger still follows and that Vivian's mother will stop at nothing to control her daughter in her own quest for power.
But Vivian isn't quite what she seems. Even she doesn't know her full potential. When Julian's life is on the line, only she can save him.
As Healer, it is her destiny.
Excerpt:
Shifter's Coven: Healer
Marteeka Karland
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2010 Marteeka Karland

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
"The way I see it, you have three choices. You can go back to your mother, who will likely kill you. You can stay with this pack and hope they don't decide to do the same. Or you can come with me and possibly face the same fate..." He grinned wickedly at her, letting the last word trail off. "...but have a hell of a lot better time before the end. What do you say, precious?"
Damn. Leave it to Julian to state the obvious in such a naughty way. The man simply didn't take anything seriously. He never had. Why he was here was totally beyond Vivian's imagination. She hadn't seen or heard from him in over two years. Why here? Why now? And to make matters worse, he was completely naked. He must have come to her in his lion form. Shifting had a way of wreaking havoc on clothing.
She sighed. Julian had always seemed to avoid her, though Vivian had been able to mentally find him at will. He never communicated with her, though. For the most part, he simply seemed to ignore her, or so she thought. Until tonight.
"Some choice." She crossed her arms over her breasts, hoping like hell he didn't see the way her nipples puckered through the thin cotton of her shirt. Given the fact that he probably would never have realized she existed had it not been for her father's magical bond tying their lives together, she didn't want to embarrass herself by letting him know how he affected her. Had always affected her. "Do you have a plan?"
"You're not a prisoner here," Julian shrugged. "I see no reason we can't just walk out."
"If I leave, they'll most certainly follow. I think I'm kind of on probation here." Vivian had a dull roar in her head and an ache behind her right eye. The effort of blocking her mother from seeing into her mind was becoming too much for her. The old woman was a very strong telepath, and Vivian had been fighting her in earnest for weeks now. "Look, Julian. Maybe I should just stay. They've not harmed me, though I know they hate me. I honestly deserve whatever punishment they see fit to deliver."
In the blink of an eye, Julian's whole attitude changed. He went from the teasing, fun-loving, easygoing guy she'd grown up with to a man so intense, she actually took a couple of steps away from him.
"Over my dead body." He snatched her hand and yanked her to him, pulling her after him out of the door to the den she'd been assigned. "We're leaving. Now."
"Julian, I don't think this is a good idea."
"Why?" Julian hissed. "Because of some overactive sense of sacrifice? You did what you had to do to stay alive and protect innocents in the wake of your mother's wrath. You shouldn't be punished for it."
He led her through the door and into the woods. He only stopped before leaving the relative safety of the trees and brush surrounding her den to cross the clearing just outside the community. Looking around thoroughly, and, Vivian knew, using every enhanced sense he had, he kept her hand and tugged her into a crouch before proceeding down the darkened path leading outside the magical walls of the pack.
"Julian, stop. Please." Despite her reluctance to leave, Vivian still crouched and followed his lead, speaking in hushed whispers. "If we do this, they'll never trust me again. I'll be an outcast."
Julian whirled around on her, backing her up until her back was against a nearby tree. When he spoke, it was with more ferocity than Vivian had previously thought him capable of. "You'll never be a part of that pack, Vivian. You're a witch. The coven was your home. Not this place."
Vivian had never seen Julian so passionate or serious about anything. He was always the one joking and laughing. Now, his eyes drilled a hole straight through her soul. He was deadly serious.
"And what about you, Julian?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "You're both warlock and shifter. Where do you belong?"
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1395

Shifter's Coven: Alpha by Marteeka Karland

Shifter's Coven: Alpha

by Marteeka Karland cover art by Marteeka Karland

ISBN: 978-1-60521-408-5

Genre(s): Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Theme(s): Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Magic and Mayhem

Series: Shifter's Coven

Length: Novella

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1334

Blurb:
The last thing Gennive expects is to witness a horrible crash involving a mysterious man and a lion cub. The crash isn't the only thing she didn't count on. Wade Monroe is a telepath -- and a shape-shifting wolf. The lion cub is his daughter, Sasha, who's shifted to her cat form out of fear.
Calling on powers she's suppressed all her life, Gennive helps Wade and Sasha. Wade's heart calls to Gennive as the vivacious woman awakens feelings he'd thought long dead.
Unfortunately, one "accident" isn't all that's in store for Wade and Gennive. The Dark Witches' Coven has declared war on Wade, jockeying for leadership of his pack. Magic and mayhem follow the couple, and there seems to be little the wolf in Wade can do to stop it.
Excerpt:
This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

Gennive sucked in a breath. A semi in the oncoming lane swerved across the median and hit the Navigator two cars in front of her head-on. She swerved around the flying debris, pulled her car off the road, and stopped. The carnage, now behind her, still played out, collecting several more vehicles in the process. Her 911 call took only seconds, then she got out of the car and jogged down the shoulder of the highway, back toward the big, black SUV.

Rain pelted down in great sheets, and heavy drops stung her skin with their intensity and cold. Lightning streaked through the sky followed closely by a loud clap of thunder in the late winter storm, and she winced under nature's onslaught. Being out in this wasn't the smartest thing she'd ever done, but she had to see if anyone was hurt.

No, it was more than that. She was compelled to make her way to that SUV. She recognized the pull on her mind but, given the circumstances, allowed it. She'd be careful. Whoever was in that vehicle wasn't human.

Cars still motored down the road as if nothing had happened. They simply avoided the wreckage and kept going. Gennive could never have done that. Which was why she was here, in the pouring down rain, dodging traffic in near-dark conditions in order to get to someone who was using mind control to bring her to them.

She had to be completely nuts.

The SUV was on its side, the front driver's side smashed so badly the front seat was now in the back seat. Acrid, electrical burning stench emanated from the thing, and Gennive had to remind herself it was likely from the air bags. The driver, a man, was motionless in the seat. Blood covered his face and neck. His shirt was soaked in it. A faint aura of impending danger surrounded him. The closer she got to him, the more the aura faded.

Gennive immediately looked to his chest to gauge the rise and fall that indicated breathing. Satisfied, she checked for a pulse. It was thready but strong. At least he was alive. However, in this weather, he wouldn't stay that way unless she could keep him warm. She frantically looked around the vehicle for something to cover him up with. She didn't dare move him, but she needed to keep him warm and dry if at all possible.

In her search for a blanket or coat or anything she could use as a cover, she heard a high-pitched whine. On the back seat passenger side floorboard, partially hidden under the front seat, was a lion cub. The animal had a grim aura around it, as well, which was odd considering she rarely ever caught auras around animals.

The poor thing shivered and looked at her as if to say, "Help me, I'm scared."

"Take her."

The man was trying to speak, but his voice was weak, and had he not been speaking both in her mind and out loud, Gennive probably wouldn't have heard him at all.

The cub? Gennive deliberately used the mental thread he had created when he'd made his desperate cry for help. There was no need for him to use strength he didn't have if it wasn't necessary. Along with his all-consuming need to protect the little cub, Gennive also felt his surprise. Still, he didn't waste time questioning her abilities.

Take her. Keep her safe.

Will she allow it? The last thing Gennive wanted was to be mauled by a baby lion.

She will. Keep her safe.

After that, the thread slipped away as the man fell into unconsciousness.

"Come on, little girl." She tried to keep her voice calm and friendly, extending her hand to the frightened animal. Surprisingly, the cub approached her and allowed Gennive to pick her up. When she did, the aura disappeared, just as the aura around the man lessened when Gennive was near. The cub trembled, but allowed the contact. Gennive could hear sirens in the distance and knew help was on the way, but she didn't want the cub to be seen.

Making a mad dash back to her car, she tucked the cub into her coat and put her in the back passenger side floorboard. She grabbed the blanket she kept in the trunk for emergencies and ran back to the SUV just as EMS crews arrived.

"Did you move him, ma'am?"

"No. I checked for a pulse then went to get something to cover him." Rain pounded her, and she shivered almost uncontrollably. "Where will you take him?"

"County, ma'am. Do you know who he is?" The EMT didn't stop his assessment or his swift extraction and immobilization of his patient.

She started to tell him no. That she'd watched him get clobbered by that semi and stopped to help, but she was afraid she might never see him again otherwise.

"Yes. He's my fiancé. Please help him." Gennive tried to sound appropriately distressed, which wasn't far from the truth. He was the first person she'd touched with her mind since she was a little girl. There was a bond between them she couldn't simply ignore.

"What's his name, ma'am?"

Gennive froze. Of course they'd want to know his name.
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1334