Summary:
After a hate crime leaves one of them near dead, Veterinarian, Josh Nolan and Cop, Connor Vincent are starting a new life in Black Creek, a remote town on the edge of the Adirondack State Park, Vermont.
Josh is taking over his grandfather's practice and Connor settles into working as one of only four of the sheriff's office covering the area.
When Connor pieces together a whole list of unsolved crimes going back fifty years he puts his life, and that of his partners, in danger.
An attack, a bite, and suddenly everything becomes frighteningly clear. Black Creek is where a new wolf has to find a whole new way to look at his life.
Another winner from RJ Scott. Josh and Conner are perfect for each other and they each balance the other out but will their new start survive when Connor is faced with a new future? You will have to read the beginning to this great shifter trilogy to find the answer.
RATING:
Summary:
Lies…lies…lies….all of it is lies…until the truth comes back to bite you in the ass, and you have to deal with it or risk losing everything you fought so hard to protect.
Donny left his childhood pack behind him when his father couldn’t accept the fact that his son was just an Omega. Destined to be the lowest on the pecking order of the pack, Donny acts out in ways that are sometimes not too healthy for his wellbeing. Proctor is coming to Black Creek to visit an old friend. The last thing he expects is to find himself hanging out with some young, blond brat. What’s more, Proctor doesn’t expect himself to be attracted to the little troublemaker. But things aren’t what they seem to be in Black Creek, and as Proctor digs deeper, he discovers secrets that are explosive. Will he be able to accept the truth? And more importantly, will he be able to accept Donny?
Just going to start off by saying, how can you not fall in love with Donny? He's just so darn cute but how he sees himself as an omega is heartbreaking even when others tell him otherwise you just want to wrap him up and hug him. This is the first time I've read this author and I found it to be a great introduction to her writing. Sometimes it felt a bit rushed but then I found it only added to Donny's character, he is a bit rash and on the hyperactive side so I don't think a slow burn would have fit the story, setting, or characters.
RATING:
Summary:
Tiberius has met the man he wishes for his own, but Keir isn’t willing to be one of many. He plans to be the Alpha’s only.
Tiberius, Alpha of the Black Creek pack, is tired of being alone. When Keir, a new Beta joins the pack, Tiber is startled to learn he’s found his mate. Keir isn’t interested in becoming one of a couple of Alpha mates. He plans to be the one and only. First, however, they need to defeat their enemies and weed out the ones who are trying to destroy them from within.
A great conclusion to this shifter trilogy and it is only fitting that it revolves around the Alpha finding happiness. He has definitely met his match in Keir but will they be able to find their future in amongst the wrath that Oscar is attempting to bring down upon Tiber's pack? This entire trilogy is a great addition my paranormal library and recommend it highly.
RATING:
The New Wolf #1
“Talk to me, babe” Josh Nolan asked. “You look so sad.”
He hugged Connor from behind and was relieved when the big man, after initially stiffening in protest, finally relaxed back against him. They’d been here four days and the tension in Connor had gone past the irritability stage and on to the deadly silence phase. Josh hated it when his partner of five years went quiet—it often meant something was really wrong, and tall, dark and silent Connor was the last man to suggest talking his issues out.
“I was just thinking,” Connor’s voice rumbled.
Josh’s heart sank. He had been waiting for Connor to say something ever since they’d set foot in the town a few days earlier. Shorter than Connor by two inches, Josh couldn’t see past him to the fixed point his partner was staring at. Their red roofed white wooden house with the wraparound veranda backed onto the edge of the forest and there couldn’t be much to see. The house was at the furthest point west in this small town of Black Creek. Josh knew the view was one of trees and more trees, a dark wall in this late evening light.
“You think we did the wrong thing moving here?”
Connor shrugged.
Josh rested his forehead between Connor’s shoulder blades and inhaled the familiar scent of his lover. Guilt consumed Josh. He was the one with the ready-made business to come to. Taking over his grandfather’s veterinary practice was perfect for him. He didn’t want to specialize in family pets, he wanted to expand and cover the myriad of animals taken to the surgery as his grandfather had done up until he died ten years before. The clinic had been in the hands of his grandfather’s partner since then. One call to say he was retiring and Josh knew moving here was the next step in his life. But whereas he had been ready to go on, he wasn’t entirely sure Connor agreed with the rapid change in their life
“No, I don’t think we did the wrong thing,” Connor said. His voice was firm and brooked absolutely no argument. “I needed out of the city.” He turned in Josh’s grip and leaned back against the window sill before tugging Josh closer and pressing his head into Josh’s chest. Josh cradled his lover’s head and wondered what to say next.
This last year had been hard. Too hard for either man to have come through it all unscathed. Consciously he sought out the scar at the back of Connor’s neck where the knife had sliced through muscle. Josh had almost lost the only man he’d ever loved and the scar was the sole visible reminder. Didn’t mean their hearts weren’t scarred with fear and anger though, and that was what worried Josh. Albany PD had pushed Connor through counseling, but the unprovoked attack left Connor a different man—quiet and reserved in a way that sometimes Josh couldn’t break through.
“Then what is it?” Josh asked softly. “You’ve been so quiet since we got here.”
Connor moaned gently and pressed a kiss to Josh’s naked skin. They’d not long taken a shower together in the temperamental old cubicle off the main bath. They’d laughed and fooled around pre the main event back in the bedroom and Josh had felt at peace. A quick check around the house and he’d come back in the room to find Connor all twisted up in his own thoughts.
“Promise you won’t laugh?” Connor mumbled. Josh gently pried Connor’s forehead away from the skin contact and looked down into green eyes filled with emotion.
“Never,” Josh promised.
“It’s too quiet,” Connor began. “I keep waiting for the shit to hit the fan and for the sirens, and I’m just on edge.”
One Bratty Omega #2
Proctor knew they weren’t telling the whole truth, but he was game to play along. “Well then, by all means, why don’t you invite Donny to have dinner with us?”
Donny’s eyes grew wide with terror as he slowly shook his head. “I have to eat with my pa…cousin.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind you missing this one meal. I’m only going to be here for three weeks, and I want to meet some of the locals. Especially cute ones like you.”
The way Donny blushed, then ducked his head told Connor everything he needed to know. One, Donny was gay, and two, he was very available. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“What’s for dinner?” Donny asked.
“Well, I was helping out with the salad, so I know that we’re having at least that” Proctor said.
Donny got the same look of disgust on his face that Connor had when that particular course had been brought up. What was it with men and salad in this city? One would think that they thought it was poisonous or something.
“Don’t worry, we’re having steak with it, too,” Josh said.
“Will it be rare?” Donny asked, an eager look on his face.
“For you and Connor, yes.”
Donny looked so excited that he was practically bouncing around the place. He even grinned, and damn if it wasn’t the most adorable thing that Proctor had ever seen. Proctor shook his head at himself. He shouldn’t be looking at Donny at all. The guy was six years younger than him. The last thing Donny was probably interested in was some old man like him.
Donny gazed at him, and Proctor was shocked to see some genuine interest in the younger man’s eyes. Damn, he must be really hard up for some action if he was already putting the moves on Proctor. There must not be too many available gay men in the area.
“So you’re a friend of Connor’s?” Donny asked.
“Yeah, we grew up together and then were partners on the force.”
Donny shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “It must be cool to be a cop.”
“It is. If you’re ever interested, I could show you how to sign up for the academy.”
Donny laughed. “I’m not the fighting kind. In fact, you could say I was born not to get into scuffles.”
“More of a lover, huh?”
Proctor wanted that loser of a line back as soon as he said it, but it was already out. He cringed as he wondered how Donny would react. But Donny just grinned, showing off one dimple on his right cheek, and gave a slight shrug.
“Yeah, I guess you could say something like that.”
“So you’ve gotten pretty close to Josh and Connor since they’ve moved here then?” Proctor asked.
“Yeah, they helped me when I had…trouble with my dog.”
“Why do I have the feeling that nobody in this town is telling me the truth?” Proctor asked, his frustration growing by the second, first his own best friend was lying to him and now this brat.
He put one hand against the wall above Donny’s head, so Donny was halfway pinned in. Donny made no move to get away, but he did suck in a breath. Proctor let himself smile. He’d finally gotten somewhere with somebody. While Josh and Connor might not crack, Donny would—with enough squeezing.
Donny looked up from under his lashes. “Sometimes, the truth is a lot scarier than you want it to be.”
“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Proctor asked, more confused and angry than ever.
“Well, I’m trying to tell you that it may be better to be kept in the dark about certain things because the reality is just too much to handle.”
Before Proctor could even begin to ask what in the hell that meant, Donny ducked under his arm and walked away. Proctor stood there feeling more aggravated than ever before. He did know two things for certain, he wanted the truth, and he wanted Donny.
The Alpha's Only #3
Tiberius examined the footsteps in the soft earth. Following the trail for a few yards revealed a progression from bare feet to paw prints—large paw prints.
“These could be Oscar’s, they are certainly large enough,” Connor, the new sheriff of Black Creek, said.
“Could be.” The faint, familiar smell of the black wolf still wafted in the air, but not strongly enough to indicate the shifter had lingered in the area. A slight breeze brought the strong smell of blood from the same direction.
“Why would he return? He has to know we’re hunting him. He might be a bigger wolf, but he can still be taken down by a pack. Not to mention you shot him last time.”
The sheriff crouched over the marks in the ground. “He’s after something. If we figure out what, maybe we can determine where he might have gone and where he’ll be later.”
Tiber inhaled deeply, trying to pick up the wolf’s scent. He expected to smell Oscar’s distinct stench of fury and filth. Instead a deeper, richer fragrance greeted him. Delicious.
“Someone besides Oscar went this way.”
As if under a compulsion, Tiber headed after the scent. He didn’t bother following the tracks. He didn’t need them. Instead, he followed the amazing scent. It called to him stronger than a siren’s call and twice as alluring.
“Wait up, Tiber!”
Connor’s footsteps followed him, but he didn’t care. His entire focus, his entire world narrowed to the aroma beckoning him forward.
Focused on the smell instead of the ground, he tripped on a branch. Tiber stumbled forward a few steps only to come to a stop at the sight of an enormous red wolf lying in the shade. Tiber frowned at the blood on the beast’s muzzle and the wide bloody scratch bisecting the strange wolf’s side.
“Wow, he’s huge,” Connor whispered behind him.
“Yeah.” Tiber breathed in deeply. The amazing smell emitted from the wolf. “Why does he smell so good?”
“Good? I don’t smell anything. I mean he smells like a wolf, nothing special.”
Connor stepped forward. Tiber growled. “Don’t get close.”
“What’s wrong with you? Let me go first. He might attack.”
Tiber frowned at the Beta. “I think your shiny new sheriff badge is going to your head.”
“You’re too valuable to lose because you’re too stubborn to take precautions. If this were an Alpha fight I’d step aside, but this is police work.”
Tiber opened his mouth to argue, but hated that Connor might be right. Before he could object, the sheriff stepped forward, cutting in front of Tiber to examine the wolf first.
The animal’s eyes snapped open. It bared his teeth at Connor, an unfriendly curl of the lip. Tiber moved Connor out of the way, then dropped to his knees beside the growling beast.
“Shh, you’re scaring him,” Tiber scolded.
“Scaring him. He’s going to bite your face off and then I’ll have to tell the pack I let you get killed. That’s not a discussion I want to have with them.”
Tiber ignored the ranting sheriff and held out his hand, palm up toward the injured animal. The wolf sniffed at Tiber. Its growl turned to a low whine, all aggression gone.
“Do you think you can change back now? I need to talk to you as human.” He couldn’t exactly interview the wolf over why he had entered Tiber’s territory without following the proper channels. The human lurking inside the beast peered out at him.
The wolf struggled to get closer to Tiber as if it couldn’t handle the separation between them. Tiber rewarded it with a scratch behind the ears. “Hey, it’s all right. I just need you to shift so I can talk to you. You want to talk to me, don’t you?”
Tiber could’ve forced the shifter to change, but with the cut on the wolf’s side he couldn’t determine if it would be dangerous for him to turn human or not.
“I think we should take him to Josh. Your mate can let us know if it’s safe for him to change.”
“How do you think we can get him there?”
“I’ll carry him.”
Connor snorted. “He’s massive. You sure you don’t want me to help?”
The wolf snapped at Connor, its sharp white teeth aggressively displayed.
“I’m pretty sure he won’t let you help. Come on, boy.” Tiber hefted the injured wolf up in his arms and followed Connor slowly. He let out a sigh of relief when he spotted Connor’s extended cab truck at the end of the trail. Although the wolf wasn’t too heavy for him, he worried about causing more damage with his awkward carrying.
Tiber hardened his heart against the soft whimpers. He had to get the wolf to Josh to check out his wounds.
“Talk to me, babe” Josh Nolan asked. “You look so sad.”
He hugged Connor from behind and was relieved when the big man, after initially stiffening in protest, finally relaxed back against him. They’d been here four days and the tension in Connor had gone past the irritability stage and on to the deadly silence phase. Josh hated it when his partner of five years went quiet—it often meant something was really wrong, and tall, dark and silent Connor was the last man to suggest talking his issues out.
“I was just thinking,” Connor’s voice rumbled.
Josh’s heart sank. He had been waiting for Connor to say something ever since they’d set foot in the town a few days earlier. Shorter than Connor by two inches, Josh couldn’t see past him to the fixed point his partner was staring at. Their red roofed white wooden house with the wraparound veranda backed onto the edge of the forest and there couldn’t be much to see. The house was at the furthest point west in this small town of Black Creek. Josh knew the view was one of trees and more trees, a dark wall in this late evening light.
“You think we did the wrong thing moving here?”
Connor shrugged.
Josh rested his forehead between Connor’s shoulder blades and inhaled the familiar scent of his lover. Guilt consumed Josh. He was the one with the ready-made business to come to. Taking over his grandfather’s veterinary practice was perfect for him. He didn’t want to specialize in family pets, he wanted to expand and cover the myriad of animals taken to the surgery as his grandfather had done up until he died ten years before. The clinic had been in the hands of his grandfather’s partner since then. One call to say he was retiring and Josh knew moving here was the next step in his life. But whereas he had been ready to go on, he wasn’t entirely sure Connor agreed with the rapid change in their life
“No, I don’t think we did the wrong thing,” Connor said. His voice was firm and brooked absolutely no argument. “I needed out of the city.” He turned in Josh’s grip and leaned back against the window sill before tugging Josh closer and pressing his head into Josh’s chest. Josh cradled his lover’s head and wondered what to say next.
This last year had been hard. Too hard for either man to have come through it all unscathed. Consciously he sought out the scar at the back of Connor’s neck where the knife had sliced through muscle. Josh had almost lost the only man he’d ever loved and the scar was the sole visible reminder. Didn’t mean their hearts weren’t scarred with fear and anger though, and that was what worried Josh. Albany PD had pushed Connor through counseling, but the unprovoked attack left Connor a different man—quiet and reserved in a way that sometimes Josh couldn’t break through.
“Then what is it?” Josh asked softly. “You’ve been so quiet since we got here.”
Connor moaned gently and pressed a kiss to Josh’s naked skin. They’d not long taken a shower together in the temperamental old cubicle off the main bath. They’d laughed and fooled around pre the main event back in the bedroom and Josh had felt at peace. A quick check around the house and he’d come back in the room to find Connor all twisted up in his own thoughts.
“Promise you won’t laugh?” Connor mumbled. Josh gently pried Connor’s forehead away from the skin contact and looked down into green eyes filled with emotion.
“Never,” Josh promised.
“It’s too quiet,” Connor began. “I keep waiting for the shit to hit the fan and for the sirens, and I’m just on edge.”
One Bratty Omega #2
Proctor knew they weren’t telling the whole truth, but he was game to play along. “Well then, by all means, why don’t you invite Donny to have dinner with us?”
Donny’s eyes grew wide with terror as he slowly shook his head. “I have to eat with my pa…cousin.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind you missing this one meal. I’m only going to be here for three weeks, and I want to meet some of the locals. Especially cute ones like you.”
The way Donny blushed, then ducked his head told Connor everything he needed to know. One, Donny was gay, and two, he was very available. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad after all.
“What’s for dinner?” Donny asked.
“Well, I was helping out with the salad, so I know that we’re having at least that” Proctor said.
Donny got the same look of disgust on his face that Connor had when that particular course had been brought up. What was it with men and salad in this city? One would think that they thought it was poisonous or something.
“Don’t worry, we’re having steak with it, too,” Josh said.
“Will it be rare?” Donny asked, an eager look on his face.
“For you and Connor, yes.”
Donny looked so excited that he was practically bouncing around the place. He even grinned, and damn if it wasn’t the most adorable thing that Proctor had ever seen. Proctor shook his head at himself. He shouldn’t be looking at Donny at all. The guy was six years younger than him. The last thing Donny was probably interested in was some old man like him.
Donny gazed at him, and Proctor was shocked to see some genuine interest in the younger man’s eyes. Damn, he must be really hard up for some action if he was already putting the moves on Proctor. There must not be too many available gay men in the area.
“So you’re a friend of Connor’s?” Donny asked.
“Yeah, we grew up together and then were partners on the force.”
Donny shoved his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “It must be cool to be a cop.”
“It is. If you’re ever interested, I could show you how to sign up for the academy.”
Donny laughed. “I’m not the fighting kind. In fact, you could say I was born not to get into scuffles.”
“More of a lover, huh?”
Proctor wanted that loser of a line back as soon as he said it, but it was already out. He cringed as he wondered how Donny would react. But Donny just grinned, showing off one dimple on his right cheek, and gave a slight shrug.
“Yeah, I guess you could say something like that.”
“So you’ve gotten pretty close to Josh and Connor since they’ve moved here then?” Proctor asked.
“Yeah, they helped me when I had…trouble with my dog.”
“Why do I have the feeling that nobody in this town is telling me the truth?” Proctor asked, his frustration growing by the second, first his own best friend was lying to him and now this brat.
He put one hand against the wall above Donny’s head, so Donny was halfway pinned in. Donny made no move to get away, but he did suck in a breath. Proctor let himself smile. He’d finally gotten somewhere with somebody. While Josh and Connor might not crack, Donny would—with enough squeezing.
Donny looked up from under his lashes. “Sometimes, the truth is a lot scarier than you want it to be.”
“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Proctor asked, more confused and angry than ever.
“Well, I’m trying to tell you that it may be better to be kept in the dark about certain things because the reality is just too much to handle.”
Before Proctor could even begin to ask what in the hell that meant, Donny ducked under his arm and walked away. Proctor stood there feeling more aggravated than ever before. He did know two things for certain, he wanted the truth, and he wanted Donny.
The Alpha's Only #3
Tiberius examined the footsteps in the soft earth. Following the trail for a few yards revealed a progression from bare feet to paw prints—large paw prints.
“These could be Oscar’s, they are certainly large enough,” Connor, the new sheriff of Black Creek, said.
“Could be.” The faint, familiar smell of the black wolf still wafted in the air, but not strongly enough to indicate the shifter had lingered in the area. A slight breeze brought the strong smell of blood from the same direction.
“Why would he return? He has to know we’re hunting him. He might be a bigger wolf, but he can still be taken down by a pack. Not to mention you shot him last time.”
The sheriff crouched over the marks in the ground. “He’s after something. If we figure out what, maybe we can determine where he might have gone and where he’ll be later.”
Tiber inhaled deeply, trying to pick up the wolf’s scent. He expected to smell Oscar’s distinct stench of fury and filth. Instead a deeper, richer fragrance greeted him. Delicious.
“Someone besides Oscar went this way.”
As if under a compulsion, Tiber headed after the scent. He didn’t bother following the tracks. He didn’t need them. Instead, he followed the amazing scent. It called to him stronger than a siren’s call and twice as alluring.
“Wait up, Tiber!”
Connor’s footsteps followed him, but he didn’t care. His entire focus, his entire world narrowed to the aroma beckoning him forward.
Focused on the smell instead of the ground, he tripped on a branch. Tiber stumbled forward a few steps only to come to a stop at the sight of an enormous red wolf lying in the shade. Tiber frowned at the blood on the beast’s muzzle and the wide bloody scratch bisecting the strange wolf’s side.
“Wow, he’s huge,” Connor whispered behind him.
“Yeah.” Tiber breathed in deeply. The amazing smell emitted from the wolf. “Why does he smell so good?”
“Good? I don’t smell anything. I mean he smells like a wolf, nothing special.”
Connor stepped forward. Tiber growled. “Don’t get close.”
“What’s wrong with you? Let me go first. He might attack.”
Tiber frowned at the Beta. “I think your shiny new sheriff badge is going to your head.”
“You’re too valuable to lose because you’re too stubborn to take precautions. If this were an Alpha fight I’d step aside, but this is police work.”
Tiber opened his mouth to argue, but hated that Connor might be right. Before he could object, the sheriff stepped forward, cutting in front of Tiber to examine the wolf first.
The animal’s eyes snapped open. It bared his teeth at Connor, an unfriendly curl of the lip. Tiber moved Connor out of the way, then dropped to his knees beside the growling beast.
“Shh, you’re scaring him,” Tiber scolded.
“Scaring him. He’s going to bite your face off and then I’ll have to tell the pack I let you get killed. That’s not a discussion I want to have with them.”
Tiber ignored the ranting sheriff and held out his hand, palm up toward the injured animal. The wolf sniffed at Tiber. Its growl turned to a low whine, all aggression gone.
“Do you think you can change back now? I need to talk to you as human.” He couldn’t exactly interview the wolf over why he had entered Tiber’s territory without following the proper channels. The human lurking inside the beast peered out at him.
The wolf struggled to get closer to Tiber as if it couldn’t handle the separation between them. Tiber rewarded it with a scratch behind the ears. “Hey, it’s all right. I just need you to shift so I can talk to you. You want to talk to me, don’t you?”
Tiber could’ve forced the shifter to change, but with the cut on the wolf’s side he couldn’t determine if it would be dangerous for him to turn human or not.
“I think we should take him to Josh. Your mate can let us know if it’s safe for him to change.”
“How do you think we can get him there?”
“I’ll carry him.”
Connor snorted. “He’s massive. You sure you don’t want me to help?”
The wolf snapped at Connor, its sharp white teeth aggressively displayed.
“I’m pretty sure he won’t let you help. Come on, boy.” Tiber hefted the injured wolf up in his arms and followed Connor slowly. He let out a sigh of relief when he spotted Connor’s extended cab truck at the end of the trail. Although the wolf wasn’t too heavy for him, he worried about causing more damage with his awkward carrying.
Tiber hardened his heart against the soft whimpers. He had to get the wolf to Josh to check out his wounds.
Writing MM Romance with a Happy Ever After...
I am in awe that people read my writing and thank you all for taking the time to read, rate and review. Rj xxxxx
About me...I live in the UK just outside London. I love reading anything from thrillers to sci-fi to horror; however, my first real love will always be the world of romance. My goal is to write stories with a heart of romance, a troubled road to reach happiness, and more than a hint of happily ever after.
Stephani Hecht is a happily married mother of two. Born and raised in Michigan, she loves all things about the state, from the frigid winters to the Detroit Red Wings hockey team. Go Wings! You can usually find her snuggled up to her laptop, creating her next book or gorging on caffeine at her favorite coffee shop.
When she’s not running around like crazy, trying to get her kids to their various activities, she’s currently working on numerous projects. In the coming months, she has several books coming out with eXtasy Books in both The Lost Shifter Series and Drone Vampire Chronicles, plus a few additional projects that are still in the development stages.
Amber Kell is one of those quiet people they always tell you to watch out for. She lives in Dallas with her husband, two sons, and one extremely stupid dog.
She also writes under the name Mikela Q. Chase
RJ Scott
SMASHWORDS / EXTASY / ARe / AMAZON
EMAIL: rj@rjscott.co.uk
Stephani Hecht
BLOG / KOBO / iTUNES / GOOGLE PLAY
TUMBLR / SMASHWORDS / ARe / EXTASY
EMAIL: archangelwriter@yahoo.com
The New Wolf #1
KOBO / iTUNES / GOOGLE PLAY / ARe
One Bratty Omega #2
The Alpha's Only #3
Building the Pack Paperback
