RELEASE DAY FOR AUTHOR GALE STANLEY!
A huge welcome to fellow Siren-Bookstrand author Gale Stanley. Gale stopped by today to tell us about her latest release, Symbiotic Mates Book Four: Damian and the Doctor.
Welcome, Gale!
Welcome, Gale!
Damian Starling, a scarred and reclusive vampire, believes no man will ever be able to look past his damaged face and love him. When Damian is put in charge of a captured wolf, he enjoys the growing friendship between him and an animal that doesn't care what he looks like. Damian is ordered to get the wolf to shift, but he's torn. He wants to know the man inside the animal, but Damian fears if the lycan sheds his fur, he'll turn away in disgust.
Doc Alder, a lycan physician, knows the vampires have some sinister plan for him, but he intends to go down fighting—as a wolf. Nothing can persuade him to shift to human form until a scarred vampire gains his trust.
Doc shifts, and what started as friendship turns to blazing passion. The men fight their growing feelings, but soon learn that some bonds can never be broken.
Excerpt:
Soon enough, the movement and hushed voices outside the door grew louder. The kindred species had enhanced senses that were probably as good as the lycans. No doubt, the bloodsuckers smelled his wolf and were trying to figure out the best way to subdue him. Maybe the lycan traitors were giving them pointers. Let them. If the vampires wanted to dance with his devil, Doc would make sure it was no waltz in the park.
Finally the door opened, and Doc’s yellow wolf eyes confronted his captors—lean and lithe, dressed in black, with pale skin and varying shades of dark hair and eyes.
Vampires. They all look alike.
Doc’s hackles rose as he crouched, ready to leap on the first man foolhardy enough to attack. The bloodsuckers spread out as they approached, clearly intending to divert his attention from one to the other. Well, fuck them. The wolf’s peripheral vision was extremely accurate.
Surrounded by hissing vampires, and they all want a piece of me. I’m flattered.
Doc got to his feet and tried to keep all the vamps in view. Swinging his massive head from side to side, he growled at each one in turn.
Startled by a sharp prick in his flank, he let out an ungodly howl. Fuck!
A dart protruded from his furry hide. Drugged? The buzzards didn’t play fair. His left side started to go numb, and he shook it off. It would take more than a tiny dart to bring him down. He stood, a bit wobbly, but he managed to stay on four feet, snarling and baring his canines.
Too late, he spotted a club swinging toward him. It caught him in the ribs, and, howling with pain, the wolf backed away from its attacker. The vampire’s pale face creased in a satisfied smile as he followed. Silver orbs focused on the wolf as the vampire closed the distance between them, his club held high. Backed into a corner, Doc knew the game was over. The bat swung toward his head in slow motion, but just before it made contact with his skull, a hand reached out and snatched it.
The vampire’s smile disappeared, and his pale cheeks darkened with rage. “Stay out of this, Damian!” The bat wielder twisted his head to confront the vampire who’d dared to interfere. The smaller man looked very much like the others—until he turned his head and Doc caught sight of a hideous scar on the right side of his face.
A hissing contest commenced as both vampires vied for control of the bat. The man with the scar—Damian?—appeared nervous, but he put on a good show and finally won possession. He flung the weapon across the room, narrowly missing his cohort. The silver-eyed vampire snarled at him and Damian backed away.
“You could have killed him.”
“Maybe I'll kill you instead.”
“You can try.” The two men circled each other warily until a third vamp stepped between them and attempted to end their argument. “Maybe Damian’s right, Ethan. The master has plans for this one. We’ll all take the heat if anything happens to him.”
For a few heartbeats, the silver-eyed Ethan didn’t react, and then he cursed under his breath and leaned in close to Damian. “Don’t ever presume to tell me what to do again, or I will kill you.”
Damian put his hands up, as if in surrender, and backed off.
Dazed by the drugs, the wolf watched, trying to make sense of what he heard. Suddenly he felt a noose around his neck, and instinct made him jerk his head back. He tried to leap up at this new attack, but his shaky limbs collapsed under him. Refusing to give up as long as he had a breath in him, he skittered back on his belly. The more he struggled, the more the rope tightened around his neck, and suddenly he couldn’t breathe. Light-headed, but still awake, he snapped at his tormentors, but a sharp prick stung his back, and he knew he couldn’t stay conscious with two doses of drugs in his body. Game over. The room started to dim around him, and the vampire’s words echoed in his head.
The master has plans for this one.
Visit Gale on the web:
My alter ego had a chance to interview Gale today so be sure to hop on over to http://natalieacres.wordpress.com/ and find out more about Damian and the Doctor and author Gale Stanley!
