This week's Saturday Snippets theme is touch and I'm bringing you three snippets, one from each book in my Moon Child Series.
The Moon Child's Wish
Book 1 in the Moon Child Series
A love so alien, it could only be achieved by magic.
When taken by slavers, Moon-Child Carine sees her best chance of survival in the Eagle Warrior who lies dying in the corner of the dirty slave cage. Trained in magic, she uses her Wish-in-Hand to save his life and then bonds with him, despite the fact that Moon-Children and the Tribes of the Eagle are natural enemies.
Ancel, famed Eagle warrior and champion of the tournaments, is furious when he realises what she’s done and vows to resist the pull of the Bonding, even though his honour requires that he repay the gift of his life by protecting her.
Carine promises that if he gets her to safety, she will find a way to release him. But the Wish has chosen well and as time passes Carine realises that their feelings for each other are not just based on magic. She must decide exactly what she’s willing to sacrifice for this man who has come to mean everything to her. Is their love real, or just a madness brought about by the Bonding? And if it is, just what is she prepared to do in order to set him free?
“If you kill yourself we'll both die.”
“It's called irony.”
Lupine.
Book 2 in the Moon Child Series
Carine struggles to keep the truth about her soul from Ancel, but now eight years later, it seems the Goddess has truly abandoned her. And the Lupines, wolf/man shapeshifters who hold the secret of the Soul Cleansers, have been hunted out of existence. Or have they? One day a man with eyes the colour of gold appears, badly injured, at the Settlement walls. As they battle to save his life both Carine and Naima, Ancel’s daughter, realise that he’s a throwback to a time they thought long gone. Perhaps the key to Carine’s salvation.
Finn has spent his whole life in captivity. Born with a special gift, he has been kept a slave and paraded for the amusement of the crowds. Until the day he makes his glorious bid for freedom. On the verge of death, he finds himself at the walls of one of the Settlements and is saved by a young woman called Naima who is determined to keep him alive.
Finn and Naima dream of a future together, but as he reveals his true identity, they realise that their happiness might have to be put aside for the greater good. Finn must heed a higher calling, and no matter how much he tries to deny it, he is bound by the will of the Goddess.
Does he choose a life with Naima, or fulfil his destiny, knowing he might never see her again? And will Naima find the courage to let him go?
Shivering, the woman looked around, eyes shadowed from lack of sleep. She grasped the hand of the sleeping body once more and reapplied herself to her mission of keeping him alive.
Never had anyone cared for his welfare as she did. He’d been a commodity to be traded, gaped at and recoiled from. Caged, with only the barest of essentials to comfort him, he’d grown used to a life empty of compassion. Violent beasts didn’t deserve love. He was something to be feared, not someone who would inspire this inexplicable dedication. This woman they called Naima had become his anchor, a reason to stay in this world.
As often happened, she fell asleep, her head close to his on the bed. Outside the room, the guard paced back and forth.
The spirit-man dared to touch her, light fingers on her hair, her face. Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to the tender skin of her neck and inhaled deeply. She shifted, and sighed, angling her head to give him better access. He kissed her again, marvelling at her easy acquiescence. Most women ran screaming from him when they knew what he was, their fear feeding the beast inside him. She would too, if she ever saw his other face.
“Naima.” He said her name and watched her mouth curve into a smile. Ran his fingers along her spine and was rewarded with a shudder and a breathy sigh. The woman shifted restlessly and rubbed her cheek over the sleeping man’s hand.
The give and take of pleasure was a dance of which he had little understanding. Her responses to his tentative explorations fascinated him.
Tian's Guardian
Book 3 in the Moon Child Series
Tian is the Goddess's little secret. A Lupine hidden from the world, she knows nothing of the ways of men other than the terrible tales her mother told of the father she has never met. A wolf/human shifter, Tian wants only to continue to live a life of freedom in the mountain hut she calls home. When her mother dies the magic that protected and cloaked Tian from the world dies too, leaving her vulnerable and alone. With no connection left to humanity, Tian decides to become the wolf and live out her life on the mountains she loves. But the Goddess has other plans for her. Plans that involve sending Sol, her most trusted Guardian, to claim Tian as his own. When Sol hears about Tian, he is more than peeved to find that he wasn't told of the Goddess's little secret, hidden in the mountains for so many years. He rides with all speed to claim her and offer his protection, but Tian has other ideas. She doesn't need protecting and certainly not by a man. With winter taking hold and threats looming on the horizon, Sol must find a way to win Tian's trust and convince her that that she is as much woman as wolf. And that not all men are evil. Will he succeed before the threat closing in on them becomes real?
Read long excerpts from these stories on The Moon Child Series Page.
Book 1 in the Moon Child Series
A love so alien, it could only be achieved by magic.
When taken by slavers, Moon-Child Carine sees her best chance of survival in the Eagle Warrior who lies dying in the corner of the dirty slave cage. Trained in magic, she uses her Wish-in-Hand to save his life and then bonds with him, despite the fact that Moon-Children and the Tribes of the Eagle are natural enemies.
Ancel, famed Eagle warrior and champion of the tournaments, is furious when he realises what she’s done and vows to resist the pull of the Bonding, even though his honour requires that he repay the gift of his life by protecting her.
Carine promises that if he gets her to safety, she will find a way to release him. But the Wish has chosen well and as time passes Carine realises that their feelings for each other are not just based on magic. She must decide exactly what she’s willing to sacrifice for this man who has come to mean everything to her. Is their love real, or just a madness brought about by the Bonding? And if it is, just what is she prepared to do in order to set him free?
Snippet
“It's called irony.”
“You wouldn't-
“Try me.”
She wanted to slap him. And then kiss the mark made by her hand. Wipe that smirk off his face, then put it back there by touching him all over until he begged for mercy. Love and hate? At that moment he was the very embodiment of ultimate desire and infuriating frustration. Something which he proved when the cart lumbered under the huge stone archway that formed the North Gateway.
Behind and in front of them the large metal-studded doors rumbled closed, plunging them into darkness. The scanning process took only a few heartbeats, enough time for a large calloused hand to steal briefly over her knee and linger lightly on the inside of her thigh. The scan-light illuminated them one by one, logging their profiles and Carine fought the urge to reciprocate. Scan complete, the inner doors creaked open and the cart jolted forwards. The imprint of the warrior's hand burned her skin and silently she begged him not to do anything stupid. Moon-Children were survivors, and the Eagle clan idealistic and reckless. For him, dying would be a matter of honour. For her it would be pointless and stupid. Their death would not change the order of things. All they could do was endure, until an escape opportunity presented itself.
Book 2 in the Moon Child Series
Carine struggles to keep the truth about her soul from Ancel, but now eight years later, it seems the Goddess has truly abandoned her. And the Lupines, wolf/man shapeshifters who hold the secret of the Soul Cleansers, have been hunted out of existence. Or have they? One day a man with eyes the colour of gold appears, badly injured, at the Settlement walls. As they battle to save his life both Carine and Naima, Ancel’s daughter, realise that he’s a throwback to a time they thought long gone. Perhaps the key to Carine’s salvation.
Finn has spent his whole life in captivity. Born with a special gift, he has been kept a slave and paraded for the amusement of the crowds. Until the day he makes his glorious bid for freedom. On the verge of death, he finds himself at the walls of one of the Settlements and is saved by a young woman called Naima who is determined to keep him alive.
Finn and Naima dream of a future together, but as he reveals his true identity, they realise that their happiness might have to be put aside for the greater good. Finn must heed a higher calling, and no matter how much he tries to deny it, he is bound by the will of the Goddess.
Does he choose a life with Naima, or fulfil his destiny, knowing he might never see her again? And will Naima find the courage to let him go?
Snippet
Shivering, the woman looked around, eyes shadowed from lack of sleep. She grasped the hand of the sleeping body once more and reapplied herself to her mission of keeping him alive.
Never had anyone cared for his welfare as she did. He’d been a commodity to be traded, gaped at and recoiled from. Caged, with only the barest of essentials to comfort him, he’d grown used to a life empty of compassion. Violent beasts didn’t deserve love. He was something to be feared, not someone who would inspire this inexplicable dedication. This woman they called Naima had become his anchor, a reason to stay in this world.
As often happened, she fell asleep, her head close to his on the bed. Outside the room, the guard paced back and forth.
The spirit-man dared to touch her, light fingers on her hair, her face. Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to the tender skin of her neck and inhaled deeply. She shifted, and sighed, angling her head to give him better access. He kissed her again, marvelling at her easy acquiescence. Most women ran screaming from him when they knew what he was, their fear feeding the beast inside him. She would too, if she ever saw his other face.
“Naima.” He said her name and watched her mouth curve into a smile. Ran his fingers along her spine and was rewarded with a shudder and a breathy sigh. The woman shifted restlessly and rubbed her cheek over the sleeping man’s hand.
The give and take of pleasure was a dance of which he had little understanding. Her responses to his tentative explorations fascinated him.
Book 3 in the Moon Child Series
Tian is the Goddess's little secret. A Lupine hidden from the world, she knows nothing of the ways of men other than the terrible tales her mother told of the father she has never met. A wolf/human shifter, Tian wants only to continue to live a life of freedom in the mountain hut she calls home. When her mother dies the magic that protected and cloaked Tian from the world dies too, leaving her vulnerable and alone. With no connection left to humanity, Tian decides to become the wolf and live out her life on the mountains she loves. But the Goddess has other plans for her. Plans that involve sending Sol, her most trusted Guardian, to claim Tian as his own. When Sol hears about Tian, he is more than peeved to find that he wasn't told of the Goddess's little secret, hidden in the mountains for so many years. He rides with all speed to claim her and offer his protection, but Tian has other ideas. She doesn't need protecting and certainly not by a man. With winter taking hold and threats looming on the horizon, Sol must find a way to win Tian's trust and convince her that that she is as much woman as wolf. And that not all men are evil. Will he succeed before the threat closing in on them becomes real?
Snippet
“Ahh!” Sol hunched his shoulders when Tian’s fingernail caught on a piece of torn skin. With a wan smile, he nodded her to resume. Her fingers stilled.
“You wish me to continue?”
He twisted and offered his back. “If you wouldn’t mind,” he said, putting aside his warrior’s pride in order to prolong the contact. The dark fall of her hair brushed his arm as she leaned into her task and continued to work in the salve. He sensed in her a growing detachment from the task. As if she wanted it over so she could leave. She huffed out a breath and muttered quietly to herself.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
“I can’t see properly,” she snapped back. “Stop fidgeting.”
“You wolf won’t co-operate?”
“I don’t know what’s happening.” He heard the soft thunk of the pottery salve dish on the wooden decking. “Is this the life you’re offering me? One where I will be constantly at war with myself? Blind and helpless? A wolf cannot live with humans. It doesn’t want to live with humans.”
Read long excerpts from these stories on The Moon Child Series Page.
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