Wolf's Man Chapter 4

Janelle with a black wolf.

 His mother told him never to take it off.

For more than twenty years, Nate Rollins has worn his father’s medallion. It’s a keepsake, a connection to the parents he lost—and something his mother insisted would keep him safe.

Then Janelle recognizes it.

She has an explanation Nate finds impossible to believe. But testing her claim means breaking a promise he has kept for most of his life.

Would you take it off?

Click Read more to read Chapter 4 of Wolf’s Man. I’m sharing one chapter each day, free here on the blog.

Just joining us? Start with Chapter 1 and come meet the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack.

Kindle Promotions Oct 28 - Dec 3

 

Current Kindle Promotions

For the rest of October and through November, I have scheduled  Kindle Unlimited Promotions for the following short stories. During the times specified, you can download the stories free.

Wolf's Man Chapter 3

Carjacked by a werewolf?

Werewolves aren't real. Right?

Would you trust a stranger who turned your life upside down?

Nate Rollins probably should have asked himself that question.

Click Read More to read Chapter 3 of Wolf’s Man! I’m sharing the story one chapter a day, so settle in and spend a little time with my Texas wolves.

If you’re just finding the story, begin with Chapter 1—you’ve still got plenty of time to catch up.

When you finish, tell me: What keeps you turning pages—danger, secrets, or the promise of romance?

---

 

Zero Clues in Zero-G: A New Genre and A New Collaboration

 Zero-Clues in Zero-G

For the first time, my son Scott and I collaborated on a book. Together, we wrote a humorous science fiction mystery romance. I know. That's not a normal genre for me, but I mentioned that I was thinking about writing a cozy mystery. We started talking about how a cozy mystery set in space would be fun, then somehow  romantic comedy got involved, a meddling mother was proposed, and a book idea was born.

More About Zero Clues in Zero-G 

Two murders. One space station. Zero clues. 🚀🔎

A brilliant scientist, a suspiciously capable “maintenance technician,” one meddling mother—and a conspiracy that could bring interstellar travel crashing down.

The book is fast, funny, and has a scientific mystery with danger, romance, and plenty of chaos. And there is a possibility of a series of Elara's adventures. Scott and I are already planning the next Elara mystery for late spring.

Wolf's Man: Chapter 2

Wolf's Man in a Kindle Reader

Missed Chapter 1? Read it here, then tell me what surprised you. Now, for Wolf's Man, Chapter 2:

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Wolf's Man

Chapter 2

  

Janelle watched the play of emotions on his face. First, disbelief, then denial, then after he looked again at the fingermarks on his wrist, a slow acceptance. She felt her face pale at his stare and swallowed. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave, now.”

He reached to catch her arm, but when she frowned, he stopped just before he touched her and raised both hands, palms toward her. “Wait.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t understand. What do you mean, ‘not human?’”

She glanced around and saw some officers watching. “Please put your hands down,” she murmured.

Nodding, he lowered his hands to the steering wheel. His right thumb began to tap a rapid beat before he suddenly stilled it. “Okay. I’m calm.” He swallowed again, then rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t understand. Please explain what you mean.”

Janelle ran both hands, fingers splayed, through her hair, and twisted it up off her neck. She wished she had something to secure it. The heat was almost unbearable. Right hand still holding her hair up, she sighed. “If you’ll drive me somewhere else, I’ll try to answer your questions. But,” she stopped and gave him a warning look, “if you’re caught with me, they will try to kill you. And likely succeed.”

He met her gaze for a long moment, then nodded. Turning the ignition key, he backed out of the parking space, and then drove to the exit. Stopping at the stop sign, he glanced at her. “Mind telling me where we’re going?”

“I don’t know,” she said, then shrugged. “Turn left and go to the Interstate. Some of my people are in Oklahoma. They may take me in.”

“Oklahoma? That’s at least six hours from here.”

She nodded, and let her hair drop. “They’re the closest. The next closest are in Arkansas or Colorado. You can drop me off, any time you’re ready to go back. I’ll find my way.”

Even with her Lycan hearing, she couldn’t quite catch the words he mumbled under his breath. “What?”

“I said, I’m not letting you go until I know you’re safe.” The belligerent tilt of his chin told her that was not what he said.

She felt a grin start to form on her lips and forced her lips into a straight line. Yup, both insolence, and concern.

Two hours later, the hum of the motor stopped, and she woke with a start when the detective touched her hand. “We’re in Georgetown. I thought you might be hungry.”

Blinking rapidly in the afternoon sun that streamed through her window, she sat up straight and looked around. He pulled into a sandwich shop and parked on the back side, where they couldn’t be seen from the Interstate.

“I didn’t intend to go to sleep.”

He nodded, a frown furrowing his forehead, as well as turning the corners of his mouth down. “How long have you been running from these, uh...hunters?”

Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Looking at her hands, she swallowed. “I’m not sure. A day...maybe two.” She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “I’m okay. Did you say something about eating? I don’t have any money, and they are tracking my accounts. That’s how they found me, this time.”

“Okay. I’ll buy, and you can owe me one, later.” He unbuckled and started to get out.

“We can’t stay here. They’ll find us.”

“We can stay long enough to take a bathroom break and grab some food. Let’s go.”

“You don’t understand. There’re children in there. If they find us here, some will be hurt, or even killed.” She swallowed again, a vision of pack children torn limb from limb, their hearts torn from their chests. Shuddering, she shook her head and pushed the memories away. “Bathroom break, and then I’m gone. If you want to stay, I’ll understand.”

Janelle opened the SUV door and strode toward the restaurant door. She ignored him when he caught up with her and opened the door for her. Once inside, she took a right down the hall to the restroom. After freshening up a bit, she splashed water on her face. “I won’t cry, again,” she told herself sternly. “I won’t. They’re gone, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” After a few ragged breaths, she snatched a paper towel from the dispenser and wiped the water from her face.

Determined, she turned toward the door. She found the detective waiting for her. When she started to step around him, he gently caught her left arm. “You’re exhausted, and probably starving. Let’s get something to go, and you can eat in the car.”

Janelle started to shake her head, then gave him a rueful grin when her stomach decided to growl. “I guess it won’t hurt to get something to eat.”

He nodded and led her to the counter. Both ordered sandwiches, chips, and sodas to go. He paid with cash, and they left.

After taking a sip of his soda, he glanced at her. “Will they know you are going to Oklahoma?”

Janelle nodded. “They know where the closest pack is and that I will not be safe until I reach them.”

“So, they’ll be looking for you on I-35. I think we’ll go a more circuitous route, then.” Outside of Georgetown, he took the exit for Florence and drove over the bridge. “There’s a little church house out here in the middle of nowhere. We can stop there to eat.”

“You’ve been here before.”

“Yes. I have family in the area.” He turned right off the highway, drove another seven miles, and pulled into the parking lot of the small, run-down church building. Again, he drove to the back of the property, to ensure passersby wouldn’t notice them.

After turning off the engine, he opened the food sack and handed her a sandwich and a small bag of chips. “I hope you don’t mind the calories. You look like you could use some food, so...” He shrugged.

Janelle grinned. “Not human, remember. My metabolism is so fast I actually need the extra calories.”

Unwrapping her sandwich, she took a bite and enjoyed the melding flavors of the cheeses and sandwich meats. For several minutes, there was no discussion. When she reached the bottom of her soda, slurping the last bit through the straw, she heard him clear his throat. She looked up to find his gaze on her.

“Okay, now that you are awake and not starving, it’s time to tell me what is going on. If not...I’m driving to the nearest PD for help.”

She rattled the ice in her soda cup, set it in the console cup holder, and turned to face him. His left thumb started thumping the steering wheel again. With a pointed look at his hand, she sighed. “Please don’t do that. It distracts me.”

His hand stilled, and he raised his right eyebrow. “Okay. I stopped. Now, talk. Who were those two men? Why are they hunting you? Why don’t you want to go to the police for protection?”

“They are ancient enemies of my people. Usually, they are no threat to us, but,” she caught her breath, and forcibly controlled the tears that again threatened “They, their people, drugged my pack. While they were incapacitated, they killed them. All of them.” She swallowed and felt as if she was swallowing glass. “All of them,” she whispered, her throat tight. “Even the children.”

The frown that creased his forehead was back. He pursed his lips as if he wasn’t sure he believed her. “So, how did you get away?”

“I wasn’t there.” Straightening an imaginary crease in her jeans, she swallowed again. “My Alpha, I mean, my brother gave me permission to go to school. He thought it would help us if one of us had more knowledge of finance and business. I was at school when they attacked. Otherwise, I would be dead, too.” Unbidden, the tears she fought for so long started trickling down her face. “All of them. Limbs torn off, hearts ripped out...all dead. Even the children...” She couldn’t talk anymore. For the first time since she returned to the ranch and found her family destroyed, she sobbed, shoulders heaving, face in her hands.

---

 
Don't want to wait? Read Wolf's Man now.

What was your favorite line? Let me know in the comments.

Take care and stay safe,

Texas Ranch Wolf Pack (12 books)

Wolf's Man: Where It All Began

Wolf's Man by Lynn Nodima

Nine Years in the Making

Wolfs Man, first published May 28, 2017, started a years-long writing endeavor that culminated in 12 books in the original Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series, and spun off multiple series including: The Tala Ridge Shifters Series, The Dragomir Chronicles, the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Legacy Series, and the Gabriel Mills Shifters Series--a total of 23 books. This doesn't include the short stories based on characters within the books, including the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Panther Clowder stories, the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack World stories, and Dragon's Treasure.

And it keeps growing. Currently, I have six books written (3 in the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack universe), waiting for edits, five books planned, two almost finished, and one in final edits.

I fully believe I would have published more if life hadn't happened In December 2020, my husband of 45 years passed due to covid. In addition to the emotional distress, financial issues I hadn't faced before suddenly appeared. One income just won't stretch to cover two incomes of bills. So, I went back to work teaching high school English classes. I continued to write, and occasionally published new books, but for the most part, many of the books and stories I wrote just sat on my computer, waiting for editing. 

I'm working on wading through edits and publishing as quickly as I can. The books I'm still working on include romantic comedy, science fiction, and fantasy, as well as the more familiar werewolf/shifters series.

I've been trying to figure out how I can get back in touch with readers again. Old, familiar friends, and new readers, alike. 

I have decided to celebrate the beginning. 

Starting today, I will publish here in this blog, one chapter per day, my Wolf's Man ebook. If you don't want to wait to finish the book here, you can purchase it from Amazon. Otherwise, check back every day for the next chapter.

---

Wolf's Man

Chapter 1

  Janelle stepped back into the deep shadows of an alley, sniffing the air. Bustling pedestrians rushed past her on the city sidewalk, not noticing her still form. So many people. So many cars. So many scents to sift through. For a moment, she thought perhaps she imagined the strong werepanther smell, then a light breeze caressed her face, and she caught it, again. Sniffing several times, she finally located the source. Two men, one blonde and the other brunette, stood on the sidewalk across the street, the blonde talking on a cell. The brunette sniffed to catch her scent. Both were dressed in dark jackets and black jeans. The one on the phone turned to look back up the street. His jacket fell open, and Janelle saw the gun holstered beneath his arm.

The traffic signal at the corner north of her changed to amber, then red. Cars on her side of the street slowed and stopped, while vehicles in the opposite lanes slowly picked up speed. All this was peripheral awareness, while she searched for a way to get away from the two men. She glanced behind her and muttered a curse when she saw the alley ended in a brick wall. Anger simmered, bringing a turquoise glow to her eyes. It’s not enough they slaughtered my pack, now they’re hunting me.

Feeling the charge of electricity dance across her skin that preceded the change, she realized her eyes were glowing turquoise. She looked down at the pavement and struggled to control herself before she shifted and gave herself away. One cat she might be able to fight off. Not two. And not in front of humans. With no other options, she glanced at the vehicles stopped between her and the panther shifters.

A mom with two kids in the back. A harried cab driver arguing with his passenger. Two young women dancing in their seats to the beat of the dashboard radio. A black SUV, windows down, a man tapping his thumb impatiently on the steering wheel, while waiting for the light to change. He smelled different, almost familiar. That one. Just as the light changed, she slipped out of the alley. As he started to slowly accelerate, she rushed to the SUV, reached through the window, snapped the button to unlock the door, jerked the door open, slid in beside him, and slammed the door.

Startled, he slammed his foot on the brake. “What?”

“Hey, you!” The shout came from behind and across the street.

Janelle threw a glance over her shoulder and saw the two werepanthers start across the empty lanes on the other side of the street toward the car. “Please, mister,” she said, hating the fear that shook her voice, “there are two men trying to catch me. If they do, I’m dead.”

In the corner of her eye, she saw his eyebrows climb, as he turned to follow her gaze. When he saw the two men rushing toward them, he whipped around and accelerated, catching up with the traffic, then passing other vehicles. He drove for several minutes. When she could no longer see her pursuers in the back window, she let out a shaky sigh and turned to face the front of the vehicle.

“Who are you?” he asked.

Janelle studied his profile. Adonis in a t-shirt, she thought, then mentally scolded herself. He looked kind, but with humans, you never knew. She looked away. “Nobody, really.”

“Uh huh. Who were they?”  The annoyance in his tone pulled her gaze back to him. This time, his gray eyes caught her gaze.

She touched her bottom lip with her tongue, trying to decide just what to tell him. “Hunters.”

“Hunting you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?” He pulled into a parking lot, nosed into a parking space, and turned off the engine.

Janelle's eyes grew wide when she looked up to see the Police Department sign over the building in front of them. “Umm. Thanks for the ride.” She opened the door and started to step out.

His hand caught her left wrist and pulled her back into the SUV. As he stretched, a bronze chain glinted beneath the edge of his collar. “Not going to happen, Princess. Tell me what’s going on.”

For a moment, Janelle thought about taking his hand off at the wrist, then realized attacking someone on police property would not be the best idea she had today. Besides, it would get blood on her clothes. She might not be a princess in the way he meant the word, but she abhorred blood. Definitely not a common trait among her kind.

She swallowed hard and took the time to glance around. Even here, the cats would attack. They were not concerned about human witnesses as her Alpha taught her to be. Seeing only normal human traffic and movement in the area, she sniffed to be sure. Finally feeling safe, at least for the moment, she settled back into the bucket seat and looked at him. The impatience in his face was reflected by the thumb again tapping the steering wheel.

“Tell me why I shouldn’t drag you inside for an interrogation.”

Her right eyebrow quirked. Insolence or concern? she wondered. She slowly, but firmly, pulled her wrist from his grasp. Hands folded in her lap, she bowed her head for a long, slow breath, then tilted her head to look at him. “Who are you?”

“Kind of late to ask, isn’t it?” He pulled his wallet from his jacket pocket and flashed a badge at her. “Detective Nate Rollins, San Antonio PD. Now, who are you, and what’s going on?”

Janelle bowed her head again. Wonderful. All the cars in San Antonio and I had to choose a cop’s car.

 

*****

 

Nate Rollins studied the quiet blonde. With her head bowed, her long hair the color of the full moon on a clear night obscured her face. The slender hands in her lap were white-knuckled as if she was trying to still the fine tremors he felt when he caught her wrist. She was terrified, and he wasn’t letting her go until he knew why.

“I have to go,” she finally said. “They’ll be after me.” She bit her lip as if she realized that probably wasn’t the thing to say to a cop.

“Who are they? Why are they after you?” He tried to infuse patience and concern into his voice and was rewarded by a quick glance from her gorgeous blue eyes. Mentally, he slapped the side of his head. Yes, she’s gorgeous, he told himself, but she’s in trouble, so cut it out.

“You wouldn’t believe me, even if I could tell you. Please, just let me go.” Her soft fingers touched the back of his right hand. “You can’t help me, and they will kill you if you try.”

“I believe they’ll try. I want to help you, anyway.” He grinned his crooked grin at her, the one his buddies called the ‘lady-killer.’ Not that it did him any good. He just wasn’t interested in the women he knew, but it sure seemed to help when questioning female suspects. “Let’s go inside, and I’ll make up a report.”

“No! It’ll just put you all in danger. They don’t care who you are. If you’re helping me...”

“I’m not going to let you go without some answers.”

Janelle sighed. She studied his eyes for a moment. He knew when she decided to trust him. Her expression changed. Not much, but enough. “Not here. Everyone you know is in danger if we stay here.”

Nate frowned. The precinct was probably the safest place in town. If she was right, and the men after her were that dangerous... “If you don’t start talking, I’m going to drag you inside and put you into protective custody.”

“You couldn’t, even if you tried.” She reached out and caught his wrist, just as he had done earlier to her. “Try to get loose.”

He chuckled and pulled his hand. Her grasp tightened, and he felt the bones squeezed, tighter than a frail-looking woman should be able to grip. He blinked and jerked hard. Still, he couldn’t get loose. He felt sweat bead his forehead. His eyes narrowed, and his jaw ticked. Even using his other hand, he couldn’t pull loose from her hold. When her clutch tightened, he forced himself to relax. “Okay,” he said, striving to keep the pain of her vice grip around his arm from his voice. “You can let go, now.”

She released him. He whooshed out a breath and stared at the red fingermarks around his wrist. He stroked his arm and could feel the indentations she left in his flesh. “How’d you do that?”

She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled for a second. Finally, when he thought she would refuse to answer, he heard her whisper, “I’m not human, Detective.”

---

Thank you for stepping into my world.

Take care and stay safe,

Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series (12 books)

New Publications

 I didn't realize how many stories and books I had on my computer that just needed a tweak or a last edit to be ready to publish. Since the beginning of November, I have been working steadily to finish them and getting them uploaded to Amazon. I still have more to finish, but the books/stories I've published recently are:

 

Some of these have been gathering dust on my hard drive for more than five years, waiting for me to get back to them. Unfortunately, when a new idea pops into my brain, I tend to jump into that story, forgetting the ones that still need completion. I didn't wait until January 1st to make a resolution to do better. All the above books/stories are enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, Amazon's subscription service that lets you read books enrolled in the program at no additional charge. Personally, I love it. It keeps my reading habit from breaking the bank.

Take care and stay safe,
Lynn Nodima

Texas Ranch Wolf Pack Series

Wolf's Reign is an Audiobook

 Wolf's Reign is Now Available Through Audible and Amazon

Wolf's Reign (Amazon US)

Wolf's Reign is Available on Amazon and Audible! 

Wow! My narrator really worked hard to get this one done early. Thank you, Jake!  You can find it at the following locations:

Amazon	Audible
US UK FR DE CA AU	US UK FR DE CA AU

Other News

Wolf's Queen

Jake agreed to narrate Wolf's Queen. At the time of this post, he has completed recording the audio files and is in the process of editing them. As soon as he sends them to me, I'll review and approve the book.

I'm hoping it will be available by the middle of October.

Tala Ridge Witch

The fourth book in the Tala Ridge Shifters series is currently undergoing editing. I expect it to be done well before time to upload it for the pre-order. I've uploaded the blurb, though it may not have propagated through the system and may not show yet. Here is is: 

Witches take shifters as familiars?

In this gripping, action-filled young adult paranormal novel, Patricia, a young witch coming into her powers soon, stands to lose her powers and even her life, if Josh, the werewolf she met in school, doesn't help her.

But his alpha is against it. The shifter king is, too.

With the stakes so high, will Josh go against his alpha and the king to protect the girl he believes to be his future mate?

If you enjoyed Twilight or The Vampire Diaries, you'll love Witches Tala Ridge Witch. Buy now before the price changes.

A young adult paranormal shifter series, the Tala Ridge Shifter Series has no profanity or sex.

Series Break Time

I spent a month in California visiting my sister and her family. She and I drove all over Northern California. It was a great vacation and recharged my batteries. 

Even so, I'm taking a break from the Tala Ridge Shifters and the Texas Ranch Wolf Pack series for a while to complete work on other projects. I'll get back with you about my plans, soon.

Take Care and Stay Safe,

Check Out Lynn Nodima's Author Page on Amazon!

Tala Ridge Witch Pre-order

 Tala Ridge Witch Pre-order Delivers Sept. 30, 2023

Tala Ridge Witch Pre-order

Witches take shifters as familiars?

In this gripping, action-filled young adult paranormal novel, Patricia, a young witch coming into her powers soon, stands to lose her powers and even her life, if Josh, the werewolf she met in school, doesn't help her.

But his alpha is against it. The shifter king is, too.

With the stakes so high, will Josh go against his alpha and the king to protect the girl he believes to be his future mate?

If you enjoyed Twilight or The Vampire Diaries, you'll love Witches Tala Ridge Witch. Buy now before the price changes.

A young adult paranormal shifter series, the Tala Ridge Shifter Series has no profanity or sex.

The Tala Ridge Witch Pre-order is up on Amazon, now! It it available in  the following countries:

• US
• UK
• DE
• FR
• IT
• NL
• JP
• BR
• CA
• MX
• AU

Here's a preview from Chapter 3:

Chapter 3

 Mid-morning Saturday, Neesha Driscoll, High Priestess of the Dorchú Coven, poured spell-purified water into a jasper basin, careful not to spill a drop. She’d sent the coven to the market for spell ingredients. With no one around to observe, she worked her magic to find the shifter she needed. Someone who wouldn’t be missed by the wolves in the area.

Using a silver wand with a human bone handle, she pricked her finger with the tip, let three drops of blood fall into the water, and then gently stirred the basin contents. Dark sparks streamed from the wand’s tip and swirled through the water.

Muttering a spell, her gaze intent on the image forming on the surface, a cruel smile stretched her lips. Native shifters! Shifters of myth and mystery, unknown to most of the unnatural world. Here in Colorado! Another incantation clarified the image. She watched as a rare white eagle shifted into a human-looking teenage boy.

The tip of her wand pierced the boy’s image. She whispered, testing his innocence and magically marking him with a tracking spell. The boy’s image jerked and shuddered for a moment. His startled eyes swept the woods around him. When he found nothing, he shook his head, shrugged, and walked into the trees. Neesha laughed. Wherever he went, when she was ready to finalize preparations for the life spell, she would find him.

One last incantation and the water swirled up into a small fount. Bursting into black flames, it sizzled into nothing. The stench of rotting flesh and blood inundated the room. With a flick of her wrist, the air was purified, leaving the faintest odor. Faint enough the other witches in the coven wouldn’t identify the blood magic she’d used.

*****

 Jaxon Adjuk, the son of the Eagle Congregation Elder, hurried out the back door. His chores were done, but if his father’s second, Evan, found him, he would be assigned more. The congregation had a meeting with the Tala Ridge wolf shifters today at noon, but that still gave him three hours to kill before they left. If he didn’t get caught sneaking out.

Slipping behind a Fremont Cottonwood, he peered around the girth of the tree. Overhead, the bare branches swept nearly a hundred feet high, giving good perch for after-flights. Right now, though, he wanted to slip away into the evergreen forest before someone called him back. Moving from tree to tree, he circled the cluster of houses until he came to the back of Silana’s home.

He picked up a handful of small pebbles and tossed them at her second-story window. A moment later, she peered down at him, then raised the window and leaned out. “What are you doing?” she hissed in a loud whisper.

“I’m going down to the river. Want to come?”

His One glanced over her shoulder, then grinned and nodded at him. “I’m coming down.”

She opened the window higher, slipped through, and dropped. Dark feathered wings, just wide enough to let her land safely, sprouted from her shoulders, then disappeared when she touched the ground.

Jaxon took her hand and pulled her into the trees. He relished her soft laughter and fought to keep angry thoughts from overtaking his mind. Running through the forest, he finally stopped on a boulder overlooking the river. Sitting, he motioned for her to join him.

Silana sat beside him, leaned back with her hands behind her, resting on the boulder, and studied his forlorn face. Her smile dropped away. “What’s wrong?”

He blew out a loud breath and looked at the pale blue sky for a moment. “Terrell said his king decreed teens need to wait until they’re eighteen to join their One. My father has decided that it’s a good idea for us to wait until then, too.”

“What? But we planned our joining for this summer!”

Nodding, he leaned toward her and took her left hand in his. “I know, but now we have to wait another two years.”

“I don’t understand. It’s always been our way to mate during the summer of our sixteenth year.”

The distress in her eyes made him drop his gaze. “I’ll talk to Dad, again, Silana, but I don’t think he’s going to change his mind. Dad said since we’re living in the King’s territory, we need to follow at least some of the basic rules he set forth. This is one of the rules the Elder…” he stressed the word, “…intends to enforce.”

“But my dress is ready. Everything is ready!”

“I know.” He caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. “I’m so sorry. Nagligivaget, Silana; I will wait until the ends of time if it so must be.”

“I…I can’t bear this! To have prepared for so long…” Pulling away from him, she leaped into the air, sifting to her eagle, Piujuq. Screeching her anguish, she sped into the distance.

Jaxon jumped to his feet, intending to go after her, but Galbric, his eagle, stopped him. She is emotional. She will return when she calms.

But, he answered Galbric, she’s hurting. I need to go to her.

It will be time enough to go to her after she calms. Let her mourn.

Swallowing hard, he let out a deep, shaky breath and nodded. “If she isn’t back before we leave for the ranch, I’m going after her.”

Agreed.

With a running start, Jaxon leaped off the boulder and winged toward home. Heartsick, not knowing how to make Silana feel better, he shifted as he stepped onto the clearing close to his home. A sudden force seemed to envelop him. His skin tingled with an electric jolt.

Shaking his head, he looked around the clearing, but there was nothing to see. He shrugged and walked through the trees to his house. Sneaking inside, he avoided his parents when he heard them talking in the kitchen and rushed to his room.

<

Silana wasn’t the only one upset by the changes. Their joining had been planned since the finding ceremony on his thirteenth birthday selected her for his One. Shutting his door quietly to prevent his parents from hearing it, he dropped to his bed and stared at the ceiling. Unfortunately, it didn’t have any answers to his problem, either. He sighed. Two more years.

That's all for now.

Take care and stay safe, 

Check Out Lynn Nodima's Author Page on Amazon!

New Narrator Completes Books 4 & 5 and Starts Book 6 

Jake Williams

Bill Jacobson, narrating as Jake Williams, is the new narrator for my series. He has finished the narration for Wolf's Huntsman & Wolf's Trust. He has started on Wolf's Reign, and it should be available sometime in September. Wolf's Huntsman and Wolf's Trust are available on Audible and Amazon. 

Wolf's Huntsman on Audible

US 

UK

FR

DE

Wolf's Trust on Audible

US

UK

FR

DE

Wolf's Huntsman and Wolf's Trust on Amazon

US

UK

FR

DE

Other News

I have been visiting my sister in California for the past month. It's been great. She took me to San Fransico to see the Golden Gate Bridge, the Big Trees, and so many other places. It's been a joy to reconnect with her and spend time with her. In addition to all the sightseeing we've done, I've been working on the next book in the Tala Ridge Shifters series. 

I am up to 16,000 words on Tala Ridge Witch. In this book: 

• Magnus and Bess have temporarily moved to Tala Ridge Ranch.
• The Eagle Congregation claims King Nate and the shifters are bound by a treaty he knows nothing about.
• Josh's mate-to-be is a witch.
• A blood witch is performing evil magic in La Veta. 

Tala Ridge Witch is a continuation of the story in Tala Ridge Hunt. I previously posted chapter one. I plan to put up a pre-order for the end of September as soon as I return home next weekend. 

Here is chapter two:

Chapter 2

Current Time

Patricia Holmes slipped inside the back door of her coven’s two-story mansion. With unpacking still to do, most rooms had stacks of boxes in the corners. At one time, it was a beautiful home. These days, the faded wallpaper hung in strips. The dry wood flooring was splintered enough that she didn’t dare walk barefooted through the house, and the ceiling sported huge brown water spot stains.

The only thing going for it was that it was large enough to house the entire coven. With fourteen bedrooms in the main house, the thirteen witches in the coven each had their own room, while the fourteenth room was used as a meeting place. The attic was set aside as Patricia’s bedroom. She hadn’t come into her power and wasn’t yet a member of the coven.

Not that she minded. It kept her out of most of the coven’s schemes. After her father died and Neesha took over as high priestess, Patricia was careful to stay out of her way. She wasn’t sure why, but the woman’s aura scared her. Tiptoeing up the servant's stairs in the kitchen, Patricia winced when she stepped on a board that squeaked.

“That you, Patricia?”

Huffing out a silent breath, Patricia turned around and headed back into the kitchen. “Yeah, Mom, it’s me.”

Casidhe Holmes walked into the kitchen and stood beside the antique, oak butcherblock that desperately needed sanding and resurfacing with tung oil. She made a show of lifting Patricia’s late father’s pocket watch hanging from a heavy gold chain about her neck and looking at the face. “Do you know what time it is?”

“Yes, Mother. I’m late.”

“Why? What have you been up to?”

Patricia lifted her chin, meeting her mother’s angry gaze. “I was at school. They just let us go a bit ago.”

“What? Why would they keep you so late?”

“There was…” Patricia hesitated. Her mother's anger wasn’t something anyone wanted. “We had a lockdown. Armed men came to school. When the police had everything under control, they released us. I’ve been stuck in my classroom most of the day.”

Her mother’s eyes glazed, searching Patricia’s aura for truth. Patricia sighed, her shoulders rolling forward. “It’s true.”

“Why didn’t you call?”

“My phone was in my locker.”

Blinking, her mother’s eyes returned to their normal hazel appearance. “You could have contacted me with magic.”

“I was safe, Mom.”

“Were they looking for you?”

“Why would they look for me?”

Her mom gave her ‘the look’ and frowned. “People can be influenced by the others.”

Patricia repressed a sigh. “As far as I know, Mom, there are no dragons or vampires here. And even if there are, how would they know I was there?”

“There are other others, too, you know.”

Careful to keep her face blank, Patricia nodded. “I know.” She waved at the stairs behind her. “I have homework. May I go?”

Casidhe hesitated, then gave her a single nod. “Very well. You missed supper. Do you want a sandwich?”

“I’m not hungry right now. If it’s okay, I’ll come down and get one later.” When her mother didn’t object, Patricia hurried upstairs to her room. Shutting the attic door, she blew out an explosive breath. Until she figured out why the werewolves were here, she didn’t intend to tell the coven. They might decide to spell wolves. For some reason she hadn’t figured out, Patricia didn’t want them to mess with Josh.

                                                                                 *****

Casidhe closed her eyes and let her head droop as soon as Patricia was out of sight. Despair washed over her. If only demons hadn’t killed Herbert… A slight sound brought her head up and her eyes open. The coven high priestess, Neesha Driscoll, stood in the doorway, her head tilted to the left, watching. Swallowing hard, Casidhe bowed her head and waited.

“The schools were attacked?”

“That’s what Patricia said, High Priestess.”

Neesha tossed her hand in dismissal. “Unimportant. As long as she is not injured.”

“No, High Priestess.”

“It is time to begin her preparation.”

“But…”

“You know why we came to this place, Casidhe. The ley lines are so powerful here, the spell will last for centuries.”

“But she’s a child, Priestess!”

“Yes. And she will be a powerful witch. Her power will imbue the coven with vitality.”

Biting her lip, Casidhe raised her head to peer at Neesha’s glittering eyes. “But at such a cost! The loss of most of her powers! There must be another way…”

“There is not.” Eyes narrowing, Neesha crossed the kitchen toward Casidhe. “You knew this when we came here. Why do you hesitate now?”

Like she’d had a choice. Casidhe turned her head to the side, her chin almost touching her shoulder. She whispered. “She’s my only child, High Priestess.”

Neesha cupped Casidhe’s cheek in her parchment-dry hand. If Herbert still lived, Neesha wouldn’t dare touch her or her daughter. Casidhe held her breath to avoid the pungent odor that clung to the priestess’ hand. She blinked back tears when Neesha answered, “The coven will sing of your sacrifice beneath the moon for decades.”

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That's all for now. Take care and stay safe,

Check Out Lynn Nodima's Author Page on Amazon!