Tuesday Teaser 10/49/18 Gina’s Wolf Part 29
Happy Tuesday!
Life is getting a little more stressful as I get closer to moving. The move is set up for October 27, so it’s less than 2 weeks away. Part of me can NOT WAIT to move! Or actually, be moved, since it is so much work. But really, I am looking forward to being on my own again. Living in more than just one room. Cooking for just me. Cleaning up only my messes. Oh, and the cats’ messes 🙂 Having the bathroom all to myself. Wandering around in my jammies all day if I want. Sleeping without being woken two or three times a night by my mom. Being able to sit at my computer for more than 20 minutes without being interrupted. Having a flipping window open to cool the place down when I get too warm. Mom prefers the heat set around 80 and I prefer it around 65, so I am DYING!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGHH!!!!
OK, you get the picture. I’m sure there will be things I will miss. Maybe Cleo. He’s getting to the obnoxiously playful stage of kitten hood, but he’s cute. (see the pic above) But right now, I really want to be in my own place. Soon!
This may be the last Teaser until after I get moved and settled. I owe you all a huge apology for taking so long to write this book. I have a dozen good excuses, but really, they are just excuses. My apologies. Here is the newest little bit:
“It’s nice to meet you, Wolf’s Howl,” Gina said. “Thanks for the warm welcome.”
Suddenly, nearly every head cocked as if listening to something. She turned to Cole. “What?” she began.
He cut her off with a grim shake of his head. “Gunfire. It’s coming from the direction of the city gates.”
“Oh, no,” she breathed.
Wolf’s Howl seemed unconcerned, even excited. “It’s started! Finally. Those morons from Kansas-Missouri took forever to get here.”
Taye Wolfe came into the room. “Raven, Howling Wolf, White Horse, get to the hospital and bring Patia back here. Stone, Sand, Colby, with me. Sky, lead the defense here.”
Cole bent to give her a quick kiss, and she watched with her heart in her throat as he followed his dad out. Sky took her mind off her husband’s departure by putting a hand on her shoulder.
“Do you know how to use a knife?” he asked.
Gina stared. “A knife? Like, for cutting my meat?”
“No,” he replied with a smile. “I mean for gutting a man.”
She took an involuntary step back. “No.”
“You will,” he said cheerfully, and produced a knife in a slender from behind his back. He beckoned to his wife. “Rose, take this and work with Gina so she is comfortable with a blade.” He gave his wife the knife and a casual kiss and turned away, calling directions to the men in the room.
Rose seemed to take in Gina’s shock because she patted her shoulder. “Is using a knife scary for you?”
Gina considered. “I guess it is. I’ve always had guards to protect me.”
“We won’t be unprotected, but all of the Pack and Clan women have learned to defend themselves. It makes our men feel better to know that we aren’t easy prey. Come out to the back yard with me and we’ll start.”
Carla met them in the mudroom. “I’ll come with you. There isn’t anything for me to do, and just standing around gives me too much time to worry.”
The three women went out to a patio of cement. Rose gestured for Gina to stand by the door while she and Carla went to the center of the patio. “Watch us first to get an idea of how to hold your knife.”
Holding the knife in its leather sheath, Gina watched the other two women go through some kind of drill. The ease with which her mother-in-law handled a knife was beautiful to watch. Maybe a little scary too. Should a woman who must be close to sixty be able to move with such deadly grace? Both Carla and Rose seemed totally comfortable with the weapon. Gina watched enthralled for ten minutes before they sheathed their knives and came back to her. They showed her the special sheaths sewn into the inside of their jeans.
“Did you have the sheaths put in when you decided to come to Omaha?” she asked.
“No, all of my jeans are made with sheaths,” Rose said. “I always have a knife on me.”
“Me too,” Carla agreed. “Years ago, when the den was attacked and I was injured, Taye insisted that I learn how to fight. I am always armed, even when I’m at home in the den. All the women there are.”
Rose promised to help Gina rig a couple of her pants with the same sort of sheath. “We’ll have to get you a knife of your own. This is Sky’s back up. It will work for you for now. Let’s practice holding the knife.”
The air was cool but after an hour Gina was sweating. Patia’s arrival gave her the excuse to take a much needed break.
“Oh, you’re sparring,” Patia said. “Good. I need the exercise.”
Rose shook her head. “No, we were showing Gina some basics, and now we’re breaking. Let’s do some easy stretches to cool down.”
The four women stood in a loose circle and began a series of stretches. Gina followed the others clumsily.
“What’s it like out there, Patia?” Carla asked.
Patia rolled her shoulders in large circles, almost like a shrug built into the stretching routine. “It’s quiet. Most of the City Guards and our men are on the walls, but there are pairs of men patrolling the streets too.”
“What about shots?” Rose wanted to know. “Are they actively fighting at the walls?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t hear anything, so maybe not.”
They were quiet for a while. The thought of the attack made Gina’s stomach feel uneasy. Todd and his army had never failed. The revenge he took on Omaha would make other retaliation pale in comparison. None of the other cities had sheltered his runaway stepdaughter.
Patia broke the silence. “So, Gina, how is the knife fighting going?”
Gina made a face. “I suck at it.”
“All of us sucked at first.” Rose laughed. “You’ll be able to defend yourself soon. You’ll never be completely vulnerable to an attacker again.”
Gina looked at the other women. “Have you ever had to kill anyone?” she asked.
Patia’s gaze slid to Rose and dropped. Carla studiously examined her fingernails. Rose smiled crookedly, her eyes seemingly fixed on something in the past.
“I have. Right here in Omaha. They would have raped me and Katelyn, and probably killed us too. So I had no choice.”
“Wow. That’s … That’s …”
“Awful?” suggested Rose.
“No, awesome.” Gina looked down at her borrowed knife balanced on the brick wall. “That’s what I want to be able to do if anyone ever tries to kidnap me or attack me. I want to stab them in the heart and get away.”
Rose shook her head. “Stabbing the heart doesn’t really work. The breastbone is in the way, and it is too strong for most knives to get through. Better go for the throat or stomach.”
“The eyes are vulnerable too,” Patia said helpfully. “But you have to aim carefully. The knife might just glance off the forehead or cheekbones.”
Gina grinned. “Gruesome! Let’s go again.”
Tuesday Teaser October 2, 2018: Gina’s Wolf Part 27
October! Yay! My favorite month is here at last.
This month is very busy for me. There is the Northshield Crown Tournament on October 13. I move on October 26-27. I don’t have the full amount of packing to do, since most of my stuff is still in storage. But I have plenty here to put in boxes and move., not to mention my bed, tv, computers, desks, sewing machines, etc.
And today Sammie the mommy kitty went to the vet to be spayed. Poor girl. That cannot be pleasant. And her eight week old kitten is wandering all around the house crying. He must miss his momma. She will come home tomorrow, and then she needs to be isolated from him for a while so he doesn’t hurt her.
Here is this week’s snip. Because this is an open blog and anyone can read it regardless of age, I am not posting the wedding night love scene. You’ll have to wait to read it when the book comes out! But there are some hints here about how things went for Cole and Gina. 😉
Chapter 10
Gina thought the next three days were the best of her whole life. The weather was cold and wet. The sound of sleet hitting the window and the wind whistling around the house made Gina glad to be able to stay indoors. It was warm and cozy in their room. Her mother-in-law delivered their meals to their door so they didn’t leave except to use the bathroom. The days were lazy and full of quiet conversations and kisses that turned hot. The nights were full of lovemaking and snuggles and more conversations.
Cole was bossy even in bed, but also tender. Best of all, he listened to her talk with great attention, and didn’t interrupt her when she spoke. He really listened to what she had to say. That attention and courtesy was a new thing for her. Major Ellis rarely let her finish a sentence. Jon and Tanner had barely let her speak at all.
The fourth morning after their wedding was clear and sunny. Gina lay with her cheek on Cole’s shoulder watching the light grow bright against the closed drapes, while he combed his fingers through her hair. Both were still breathing hard from the last set of orgasms.
“Was it good for you?” Cole asked.
The anxious note in his voice made her smile. “Better than good.”
He relaxed. “I’m sorry about that first night.”
“I know. You’ve said so about twenty times. It’s normal.”
Cole slid his shoulder back so he could look into her eyes. “My dad told me the first time would hurt my mate, but I didn’t expect you to cry.”
She stiffened. “I’m not a baby. It hurt.”
“I know.”
His anguish loosened her muscles. “And it doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Well, it was still a teensy bit uncomfortable, but she liked it. And she loved the gentle way he held her after sex, like now. And even that first time, when the burning pain made her squirm and cry, was a million times better with Cole than it would have been with Ellis or the Allersens. She opened her mouth to tell him so but stopped. None of those men had any business being mentioned in this room. This was a special, private place for only her and Cole. She kissed her husband’s chin instead.
“Any pain was worth it,” she told him firmly.
He framed her face with one big hand and kissed her back, a long, slow kiss. “I love you.”
She returned his kiss. “I suppose our honeymoon is over now.”
“It is.” Regret deepened his voice. “Time to re-join the world and find out what is going on in Omaha.”
They made it downstairs in time for breakfast. The table in the private dining room was meant to seat eight. Gina counted rapidly and came up with three women and twenty-one men either sitting at the table or standing against the wall. The ones standing were holding a plate in one hand and a fork in the other. They didn’t all look alike. But whether they were tall or short, blond or black-haired, they all had the same lean body type and moved with feral grace, so she knew they were more of Cole’s family. When all eyes turned her way, she stood tall and looked calmly back at them. Some of them sniffed audibly and then smiled widely.
Gina wondered if she smelled bad. No, she had Cole had showered this morning.
After a second, one of the men set his plate on the table and pushed his way to them. He was probably in his teens, and handsome. He was well over six feet tall, with broad bony shoulders that he hadn’t quite grown into yet. His hair hung in a heavy sheet of light brown to his waist, his eyes were a shade of hazel between gold and green. In spite of the difference in their coloring, he looked just like Cole.
“This is my new sister?” he said in a quiet, deep bass.
“Gina,” Cole said proudly.
The younger man smiled at her, increasing his resemblance to Cole. “Man, my brother is the luckiest guy in the world. I’m Wolf’s Howl. Can I give you a hug?”
She nodded wordlessly and was scooped right off her feet in a tight hug. When he set her down, she laughed.
“It’s nice to meet you, Wolf’s Howl,” she said. “Thanks for the warm welcome.”
Suddenly, nearly every head cocked as if listening to something. She turned to Cole. “What?” she began.
He cut her off with a grim shake of his head. “Gunfire. It’s coming from the direction of the city gates.”
“Oh, no,” she breathed.
Wolf’s Howl seemed unconcerned, even excited. “It’s started! Finally. Those morons from Kansas-Missouri took forever to get here.”
Nasal Polyp Update–A New Hope?
I am having more trouble than usual with my asthma and breathing. I have had nasal polyps, asthma, and allergic reaction to aspirin for about 3 decades now. It’s called Samters Triad or AERD. I’ve had five sinus surgeries. Nothing cures it. If I had toenail fungus or erectile dysfunction I would have a dozen treatments to choose from. But breathing? Nah, that’s not important.
Three years ago, I underwent Aspirin Desensitization at the Mayo Clinic. I think it has been very helpful. Even now with my nose so plugged up I can still breath through my nose almost always. After years with breathing through my mouth, sleeping with my mouth closed is amazing. The sense of smell isn’t what I’d like it to be, but I do still get occasional whiffs of coffee or cinnamon pine cones. And I’ve had only three sinus infections in the past three years. A record!
Tonight I heard there may be a new and possibly effective treatment available in the next year. It is called Dupilumab. It is currently approved for dermatitis and eczema, but it works for polyps too. A two year long study was completed this summer. I’m so hopeful it hurts.
Tuesday Teaser September 25, 2018 Gina’s Wolf Part 26
Today a book I’ve been dying to read for months has come out. Phoenix Unbound by Grace Draven is a romantic fantasy. I’ve been reading and loving Grace Draven since she was published with Amber Quill. I like her heroines. They are strong without being feisty. They deal with difficult circumstances with dignity. The heroes respect them as people. If you have’t read Grace Draven, please do. This one is the first in a new series.
![Phoenix Unbound (The Fallen Empire) by [Draven, Grace]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gOcfERQoL.jpg)
You can buy it here from Amazon
And now, here is this week’s snip from Gina and Cole’s story:
“Cole would lay down his life for you.” Patia’s tone was utterly sure. “You know that, don’t you?”
Gina clutched the bouquet with both hands. When she and Cole were pursued by her stepfather’s motorcycle scouts he could have left her and run ahead to safety. Anyone else she knew would have abandoned her. Cole hadn’t. He’d refused to even consider it. She swallowed, feeling tears press against her eyes again. Since the moment she had left Omaha on the train with him, he had done everything to protect her. Even after he had been nearly murdered, he continued to do his best to protect her.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I know that.”
“Would a man be willing to die to save someone he didn’t love?” Patia stood up and put an arm over Gina’s shoulders. “Cole loves you. Believe it.”
She did. She really did.
Patia gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Bridal jitters over?”
Gina sniffed inelegantly. “Yeah.”
Patia handed her a hanky. “Uncle Sand?” she called, barely raising her voice. “We’re ready.”
The ceremony took almost no time at all. It seemed to Gina that she had taken Cole’s hand one minute and the next Mayor McGrath pronounced them man and wife. Cole’s kiss was light, a promise of what would come later. It curled her toes. Two dozen of her new in-laws howled like wild wolves, while Cole grinned and squeezed her hand. Gina smiled blindly, groping to remember the ceremony. Had she said any vows? Yes, she had said vows. Cole was warm and strong beside her.
Cole put his arm around her waist and pulled her toward his parents, who were standing only two yards away. Her husband. He was warm and strong beside her. Like an immovable rock and a solid comfort.
That thought sank into her bones. Not a weight to drag her down, but an anchor to keep her from drifting. The smile that curved her lips was small, but real. Cole was her husband now, someone she could depend on. His arm dropped away with what Gina was sure was reluctance as the audience surged closer.
Patia gave her a hug. So did Mrs. Wolfe. No, her new mother-in-law had told her to call her Carla. Taye kissed the top of her head. Todd had never kissed the top of her head.
“Welcome to the Pack and the Lakota Wolf Clan,” Taye said loudly.
A fresh howl poured out from the men packed into the little chapel. The welcome made Gina blink back tears. Her tears seemed to alarm her new family.
“Are you alright?” her new father-in-law asked urgently.
“Yes. Just happy,” she managed.
Mayor and Mrs. Madison congratulated them and stepped back to allow others to come forward. Rose gave her a hug, and then a dozen strange men crowded around her, patting her arm and beaming at her as if they were truly glad to have her marry Cole and become part of their tribe. Clan. Whatever. They told her their names, but she was sure she’d never be able to keep them straight. After a few jumbled minutes, Cole came back to her and put his arm around her waist again.
The men around them parted to allow Mayor McGrath to approach them. He shook Cole’s hand and smiled at her. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe. I wish you many happy years together.”
“Thank you,” Gina said.
McGrath looked over her head at Taye and nodded, his smile fading. “Tomorrow, at eight?” Taye must have nodded, because McGrath stepped back. “Good evening.”
Gina watched the mayor of Omaha leave the little chapel with a frown. “Tomorrow?” she murmured to Cole.
He shrugged. “War planning.”
That unwelcome intrusion of reality made Gina sigh.
Cole leaned close. “But we’re not going to think about that tonight, are we.”
It wasn’t really a question. “I don’t know.” She gave him a wide-eyed glance, hands folded primly at her waist. “That’s a pretty serious topic. Hard to ignore, really. Did you have something planned to take my mind off it?”
He leaned in so close his lips nearly brushed hers. “Yes, I do. I’m going to make it my goal to make sure you don’t think about it even once tonight.”
Gina swallowed, feeling a spark flare to heated life between her thighs. “Oh, really?”
She meant to sound sultry, but her voice cracked on the last syllable. Blushing, she noticed several of the Wolfe men had indulgent smiles on their faces. Her voice hadn’t been loud, but Cole had really good hearing so probably the other men of the Wolf Clan did too. She wanted to bury her blush in Cole’s chest.
She was saved from her embarrassment by Patia giving her another hug.
“I’m so happy for you,” her new sister-in-law told her. “You too, Colby.” The teasing note in her voice said she knew how much Cole hated being called his full name. “I’m going back up to Ray now. Save me a piece of your wedding cake.”
Wedding cake? Gina hadn’t even thought about a cake. Apparently, someone else had. Taye gave a nod and two of them men from his Pack followed Patia out of the chapel. Mayor and Mrs. Madison left too. Cole bent down so his lips brushed her ear.
“Let’s go back to the Limit. We’ll have supper and eat our cake and then …” His voice dropped to the merest whisper. “And then we can be alone at last.”
Cole set his fork aside. Supper had been good if simple. The cake was simple too, just a butter cake with whipped cream frosting flavored with dried strawberries. His wife –yes, his wife!—seemed pleased with it. He watched the smooth line of her throat as she swallowed a bite. A tiny smear of frosting clung to her lower lip. He hoped fervently it would still be there when they went upstairs to their room so he could lick it off.
Wife. He loved that he could call her that now. She sat beside him at the table in The Limit’s private dining room, her thigh pressed like a hot iron along his own. Sky and Aunt Rose were across from them. Ms. Mary was at the head of the table. His parents were at the foot. The wolf warriors who weren’t guarding Patia or running back to Kearney to fetch help were gathered around the table. Cole caught a few winks from his younger cousins.
Hid dad glanced casually at the wall clock. “Half past seven,” he remarked. “It’s been a long day, and tomorrow will be busy too. We better turn in early.”
Cole could have kissed him. He returned his dad’s grin. “Good idea.” He gave Gina’s hand a gentle pull. “Good night.”
Her cheeks blazed an adorable shade of red, but she stood up and gave the entire table a general nod. “Good night.”
A few of his cousins howled as he hurried his wife up the stairs to their room. He closed the door gently and turned to face her. Alone at last.
Tuesday Teaser 9/18/18 Gina’s Wolf Part 26
My life has been busy lately! Between taking care of little Cleo (his eye is still infected, so I wash it out a couple of times a day and put medicine on it) and apartment hunting, I haven’t had as much time to write as I’d like. But I found a nice place and I go on Friday to sign the lease. I move in on October 27. So just about 5 weeks to get ready to move. I love my mom, and my brothers are pretty good, but I am really looking forward to living in more than just one room. My brothers are both disappointed that I’m leaving. I guess they like to have someone home with mom when they decide to go camping or visiting friends, and have someone do the grocery shopping and cook supper five times a week. And maybe they just like me 😉 I just need my own space.
I know I’ve had bad luck with neighbors in the past, and there is no guarantee this new place will be peaceful. But I hope it will be. Fingers crossed.
Here is the next little bit in Cole and Gina’s story:
Cole followed Gina down the hall to a small room where visitors could sit. He thought he would follow her anywhere because he never wanted her to be alone and unprotected again. She took a chair and waved him to the small couch. No, he didn’t want her sitting alone, so he tugged her over to the couch. She came without resistance.
“Cole, I accepted your, uh, mate claim and I want to be your wife, but I don’t know how.”
He stared, his mind flying toward taking his mate to bed and claiming her. “How?” he echoed blankly.
“I mean, can we even think about that until this mess with my stepfather is done? It’s a terrible time to be getting married.” She blinked and looked away, biting her lip. She drew a deep breath and looked back at him, delicate pink shading her cheeks. “On the other hand, I want to be your wife.” The color deepened. “I want you. Before everything goes crazy when Todd does whatever he’s going to do, I want … That is… ” She coughed and glanced away, before looking back at him. She pressed her hands to her brilliant cheeks and appeared utterly adorable. Her voice lowered to the merest whisper. Only a wolf warrior could have heard her next words. “I want to make love with you as your wife.”
Those words were the finest poetry he’d ever heard. “I want that too. Tonight?”
“Where?”
It didn’t matter to him, but it obviously did to her. “At the Limit. The room we have there is private. Do you want a wedding?”
“Yes.”
It appeared her embarrassment was fading because her voice was strong again. “Mayor McGrath can do the ceremony, can’t he? Is that okay with you?”
He couldn’t care less who performed the ceremony, but he would do anything to make her happy. “Sure.”
“Where should we get married? At the mayor’s house or at the Limit?”
That was another thing he didn’t care about. The ceremony itself was important only because it would tie them together in the eyes of the world. “Let’s go talk to my mom and dad. They’ll make it happen.”
It’s amazing how much can be accomplished in only three hours, Gina thought. Like most girls, she’d dreamed of her wedding day. As the daughter of a powerful man she thought she’d be married in a big ceremony in a lavishly decorated hall, attended by a dozen bridesmaids, with hundreds of people present. Her gown would be the envy of every young woman who saw it. Tonight she stood in a tiny annex to the hospital’s small chapel with Patia, her single bridesmaid, sitting at the desk beside her. She smoothed a sweaty palm down the skirt of her wedding dress. It was actually her soon to be mother-in-law’s dress, one the older woman wore when singing for the public. It was navy blue cotton sateen. The folds of the full skirt caught the light in a glossy sheen. The bodice had been a little loose, but Mrs. Madison, Ray’s mom, had made alterations by hand while sitting at her son’s bedside. Now it fit her perfectly, far better than any of her party dresses bought by her stepfather.
That made her remember Mrs. Anders. The poor generous woman had been murdered because of her. Gina had to force back tears. This was her wedding day. Only tears of joy were allowed.
She stood on tiptoes and peeked out the small square window in the door at the chapel. It was meant to hold perhaps twenty people. It was crammed with at least thirty people, mostly men. Mayor McGrath stood at the front of the room, on the slightly raised section meant for a minister. Her view was partly blocked by all the heads, but she saw Cole pacing in a small circle in front of McGrath. Gina wrung the stems of the silk flower bouquet one of the hospital staff had loaned her and let out a shaky breath.
Patia raised her eyebrows. “Are you nervous?”
Gina opened her mouth to deny it but stopped. “I guess I am.” She swallowed. “I barely know your brother. What if I’m making a mistake? What if I don’t really love him?”
Patia’s face took on an expression of exaggerated disbelief. “Why wouldn’t you love him? Has he beaten you? No? Then, does he order you around like a servant?”
Gina opened her mouth again but paused. “He tries to.”
Patia’s laughed. “It doesn’t work with you, though, does it? I’ve known him all my life –literally—and I’ve never seen him so mild, so reasonable. He asks you if you want to do something. Everyone else just gets orders barked at them.”
That was true. When they were walking from the Anders’ house to Omaha, Cole had made obvious efforts to tone his bossiness down. “But what if he doesn’t truly love me? What if he only thinks he wants me?”
“Cole would lay down his life for you.” Patia’s tone was utterly sure. “You know that, don’t you?”
Gina clutched the bouquet with both hands. When she and Cole were pursued by her stepfather’s motorcycle scouts he could have left her and run ahead to safety. Anyone else she knew would have abandoned her. Cole hadn’t. He’d refused to even consider it. She swallowed, feeling tears press against her eyes again. Since the moment she had left Omaha on the train with him, he had done everything to protect her. Even after he had been shot and nearly murdered, he continued to do his best to protect her.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “I know that.”
“Would a man be willing to die to save someone he didn’t love?” Patia stood up and put an arm over Gina’s shoulders. “Cole loves you. Believe it.”
She did. She really did.
Patia gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Bridal jitters over?”
Gina sniffed inelegantly. “Yeah.”
Patia handed her a hanky. “Uncle Sand?” she called, barely raising her voice. “We’re ready.”
Tuesday Teaser 9/11/18: Gina’s Wolf Part 25
Today is Nine Eleven. 9/11. In America it is named as Patriot Day in remembrance of the Twin Towers falling, the Pentagon attack, and Flight 93. There is so much tragedy in the world today. From personal tragedies like a friend’s mom passing away today to world wide tragedies like the fall of the Twin Towers 17 years ago. Hurricane Florence is barrelling down on America’s east coast, threatening millions of homes and people. Sometimes it seems like it’s too horrible to bear.
When I feel like that I turn to a book. I’ve gotten a TON of comfort and encouragement from reading, Yes, from the Bible and other inspirational books, but also from romance novels, science fiction stories, fantasy books. Because a book filled with characters I care about with a good story can take me away from whatever horrible thing has me down and bring me back to real life feeling better. I plan on re-reading an old favorite tonight.
Do books do that for you? I hope so.
I’ll post another day about my excellent camping trip on Lake Winnipeg. I had a great time.
Here is the next snip in Cole & Gina’s story. Enjoy!
“And what about the ladies in the camp?” The mayor sounded apologetic. “Your mother and the other women?”
Taye let out a growl beneath his breath.
The mayor nodded at him. “I don’t like to use women in war, but we are outmanned and outgunned. We’ll use whatever advantage we can.”
“I don’t like it,” Taye said flatly. “I didn’t like it when I heard the President’s women were captured last week, and I don’t like it now. Women deserve to be respected and cherished.”
“They were treated with great respect, and Kansas-Missouri took your women first.” The mayor held up placating hands. “As a last resort only. My word on it.”
Gina cleared her throat. “They’ve probably been sent back to Kansas City. That was the plan when I, er, left, and that was a few days ago.” She paused, debating with herself, and finally cleared her throat. “One of the wives is pregnant. My stepfather wants a child very badly, so I’m sure the women have been sent home for safety.”
“One of the wives,” muttered Stone with disgust.
Taye shook his head. “Why bring a pregnant woman all this way? It’s dangerous.”
“Because of me.” Gina had thought about that too. “My mother probably wanted to be on hand when I was found, and my stepfather tries to treat all his wives equally. If my mother got to come, so would the other wives.”
“Huh. The other wives,” said Stone, clearly still disgusted.
Judge Case steepled his fingers and tapped them against his chin. “A man desperate to have a child might be willing to do anything to get his pregnant wife back.”
“Even walk away from a war,” McGrath agreed.
Taye stood up. “We’ll have nothing to do with it,” he said flatly. “We don’t steal women.”
McGrath arched his eyebrows. “Not married ones, you mean.”
There was a brief silence before Taye shrugged. “Only mates, and we never hurt them or force them to accept the mating. No wolf I know has ever stolen a married woman. We won’t start now.”
“Fine, fine.” The mayor stretched back in his chair, smiling faintly. “But is this woman really married? After all, Todd has how many wives? And is she his true wife?”
Taye’s brows pulled down, and he glanced at Gina. “Did he marry her first? Is she happy as his wife?”
“No, Shelley is his fourth wife.” She considered for a moment. “I think she is happy. She’s very proud of maybe being the mother of his heir.”
“Maybe?” said Cole, stroking a hand up and down her arm. He was focused on her, so her might not have even known he was caressing her. She did though, and she liked it.
“His wives have been pregnant before, but the babies never lived.”
Stone made a low sound of sympathy.
Taye turned to McGrath and said with steel in his voice, “She’s a woman and the mother of his child. We don’t hurt women for any reason.”
McGrath straightened. “Good enough.”
The judge nodded. “The women are probably out of our reach anyway.”
A knock sounded on the door.
“Come,” called McGrath.
A young man in the uniform of the Omaha City Guard stepped in. “Mayor Madison has sent word that his son Ray has come out of the coma.”
*
Cole stared through the glass wall at the man lying in a pristine white bed in the hospital room. He had known Ray Madison all his life. They were only a year apart in age. Their mothers were best friends. Ray was his sister’s fiancé. He’d never been a heavy man, having the lean, lithe body of a mountain cat, but now he looked wasted. His hair, usually a tawny gold, was dull blond. His face had a gray tinge to it. Even with a blanket drawn up to his neck, his body seemed to be nothing but bone. How could he have become so thin in such a short time?
Beside him, Gina squeezed his hand. He put his arm around her, thankful that he was out here and not in the hospital bed. Inside the room his sister perched in a chair only inches from the bed, holding Ray’s hand while a doctor listened to Ray’s heart with a weird contraption that hooked into his ears. Ray’s dad and mom, Eddie and Lisa Madison, stood on the other side of the bed, watching the doctor with anxious eyes. Ray’s eyes were open, but their color was dull like his hair.
A whisper of a sob came from Gina. She pressed her face into his shoulder.
“Are you alright?” he asked.
She kind of nodded and shrugged at the same time. Lifting her head, she sniffed. “That could be you,” she whispered. “It’s a miracle you’re even alive. When I saw you shot …” Her voice broke. “You were dead. I was sure you were dead. But somehow you’re alive.”
She sounded surprised? “I’m a wolf warrior. What did you feel when I was shot?”
She was silent for a long minute. “I was horrified and guilty and furious. I wasn’t very nice to you at first, and they killed you.”
“And you’re sorry you weren’t nice to me?”
Her head tilted to look at him. No smile. “Not then. Maybe I am now. Cole.” She paused to look around. His parents were a yard away, also looking into Ray’s room. “Let’s go sit down somewhere private.”
He followed her down the hall to a small room where visitors could sit. He thought he would follow her anywhere because he never wanted her to be alone and unprotected again. She took a chair and waved him to the small couch. No, he didn’t want her sitting alone, so he tugged her over to the couch.
“Cole, I accepted your, uh, mate claim and I want to be your wife, but I don’t know how.”
He stared. “How?” he echoed blankly.
“I mean, can we even think about that until this mess with my stepfather is done?” She blinked and looked away, biting her lip. She drew a deep breath and looked back at him, delicate pink shading her cheeks. “On the other hand, I want to be your wife.” The color deepened. “I want you. Before everything goes crazy when Todd does whatever he’s going to do, I want … That is… ” She coughed, looked away, looked back, pressed her hands to her brilliant cheeks, and looked utterly adorable. Her voice lowered to the merest whisper. Only a wolf warrior could have heard her next words. “I want to make love with you as your wife.”
Those words were the finest poetry he’d ever heard. “I want that too. Tonight?”
“Where?”
It didn’t matter to him, but it obviously did to her. “At the Limit. The room we have there is private. Do you want a wedding?”
“Yes.”
It appeared her embarrassment was fading because her voice was strong again. “Mayor McGrath can do the ceremony, can’t he? Is that okay with you?”
He couldn’t care less, but he would do anything to make her happy. “Sure. Let’s go tell my mom and dad. They’ll make it happen.”
Tuesday Teaser 8/28/18 Gina’s Wolf Part 24
Only a few days until September! In a way, September is my favorite month. It’s like a fresh start, with hot weather winding down and cool weather coming. Today is in fact downright cold. (I love it, of course!) It is 60 degrees right now, which is something like 16 in celsius. and the low is expected to be 47 (8c). But it will warm back up before the weekend.
Mommy kitty Sammie stashed her baby somewhere and we can’t get to him. I hope he’s in the back corner of the garage, under a graveyard of old furniture, planks, extra siding, etc. My brother said he would help me clean that out and see if Cleo is back there, but he hasn’t done it yet. Maybe tomorrow. The baby is probably just fine, but I need to see him.
One thing I DON’T like about this time of year is the allergies. Torture. I ran out of my zyrtec over the weekend and since my car is once again in the sop I haven’t been able to get more. Boy, I can tell I haven’t had any. My eyes water constantly, I cough, I sneeze. I blow my nose twice a minute! Man. This makes me realize how well the Zyrtec works! I had planned to write a little more tonight to get to a good ending place for the snip, but I am exhausted. Who knew allergies could wear a person out so much? So you are getting a very rough piece here. I hope you can enjoy it.
OK, enough whining. On with Gina’s Wolf.
She squirmed to step back. Reluctantly, he dropped his arms. “No, I’m alright.” She turned to his father. “Thank you,” she said fervently.
His dad lifted one brow with a smile. “For what?”
“Not letting them take me back.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “And calling me your daughter.”
The smile faded from his dad’s face. “You don’t need to thank me for that. Whether you ever accept my son’s mate claim or not, you are part of our Clan now. We will never let harm come to our women.”
Cole blinked. “She did accept me. You heard her.”
“Did she?” His dad’s eyebrow went up again. He looked inquiringly at Gina. “Did you accept my son’s mate claim?”
Gina’s face closed. A hint of uncertainty clouded her eyes as she looked from his father to him. What did she see on his face? She was going to deny him. Cole’s heart sank in his chest. The moment stretched until he was sure he would break.
She took a deep breath, her eyes suddenly clear and sharp. “Yes. Yes, I did just accept Cole.”
Chapter Nine
Gina closed her mouth, cold rushing through her. What had she just said? One look at Cole’s face showed her pure joy. His dad was smiling too, a quieter smile of pride and happiness. She stared, frozen, for the second it took her heart to beat once before Cole grabbed her and squeezed her hard against him.
“Gina,” he muttered into her hair. “Darling.”
Gina clutched his shoulders, not sure if she wanted to pull him closer or push him away. Why did you agree to accept him? she silently screamed at herself. It was too soon for her to make a decision that would change her entire life. She hadn’t known him very long. But … Gina caught her breath and let it out in a long sigh. It felt somehow right. She loved the way he held her. She loved his joy. No one had ever looked at her like that.
“Do you want to get married?” Cole asked eagerly, pulling away a few inches to look down into her face. “I mean, do you want a church wedding by a priest or would you like Mayor McGrath to perform the ceremony? Or would you rather skip any ceremony and just be my mate?”
There was a half-hidden note of dismay in his voice when he said the last bit. Gina looked up at him with the sudden realization that he wanted a formal ceremony. A formal wedding meant they were tied together for life. She couldn’t just leave him to be with another man if she found someone she wanted more. The wariness in his face melted her.
“I want a ceremony,” she said firmly. “But not, er, maybe not right now.” She glanced at Mayor McGrath helplessly.
The mayor gave her a boyish smile. “I’d be happy to do the honors. However,” he added, looking at Cole’s dad, “I do have a few pressing matters on my plate at the moment.”
Her stepfather. Gina’s shoulders sagged. Cole nudged her chin up to look into her eyes. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “We’ll take care of it.”
Could they? Gina wanted to believe it.
“I’ll send you back to the den by Kearney where you’ll be safe,” he continued. “Dad, we need to send mom, Patia, and Gina home on the next train and call for reinforcements from the Clan.”
Gina laid her hand over his mouth. By the way his eyes flared wide, she must have shocked him. “No,” she said clearly. “Remember what happened last time we tried that?”
His eyebrows dove down, and he briefly touched his head where he’d been shot, so she thought he got her point. He took removed her hand from his mouth with a gentle grip on her wrist. “It will be safe this time,” he insisted.
“No, it won’t,” she told him. “By now he already has people out watching every road, the rails, the river, and everywhere else.”
Cole’s dad laid a warm hand on her shoulder. “She’s right, son. For better or worse, we are in Omaha until this is over.” He must have known who she meant when she said ‘he’. “Our women are safer behind the walls of Omaha.”
McGrath cleared his voice. “Reinforcements would be welcome.”
Taye nodded. “I’ll send a couple of men out in wolf form. They’ll have a better chance of getting through that way.”
He glanced over his shoulder at the other men of his pack and they nodded. Without a word, three of them slipped out, leaving the man called Stone to come stand next to Taye.
“I’m sorry to intrude on this happy moment.” Mayor McGrath ran a hand over his short hair before meeting her eyes. “Can you give us any information about President Todd and his forces?”
Gina shrugged helplessly. “I’d be happy to, but I don’t know how much help I can be.”
“Anything at all could be useful. Please sit down here.”
Gina accepted the chair vacated by the Captain of the City Guard. Cole, still holding her hand, sat on her left. Her father was on her right, and Stone stood behind her chair. The mayor was opposite her with the elderly judge beside him. The judge held a pen poised over a tablet of paper.
“Go ahead, young lady,” he said encouragingly. “Just tell us anything you can think of. How many men does the President have with him now? How many in his army can he call here? How long would it take for those to arrive here? Go ahead. I’ll write it all down.”
Gina blessed her rebellious nature. Because she knew her stepfather didn’t think women needed to know anything about armies or wars, she had paid special attention to those topics on the infrequent times they came up at the dinner table. She was able to give numbers with some assurance and name the various branches of the Kansas-Missouri army and who commanded which branch. When she mentioned the motorized forward scouts, Cole nodded grimly.
“Motorcycles,” he growled.
“And what about the ladies in the camp?” The mayor sounded apologetic. “Your mother and the other women?”
Taye let out a growl beneath his breath.
The mayor nodded at him. “I don’t like to use women in war, but we are outmanned and outgunned. We’ll use whatever advantage we can.”
“I don’t like it,” Taye said flatly. “I didn’t like it when I heard the President’s women were captured last week, and I don’t like it now. Women deserve to be respected and cherished.”
“They were treated with great respect, and Kansas-Missouri took your women first.” The mayor held up placating hands. “As a last resort only. My word on it.”
Gina cleared her throat. “They’ve probably been sent back to Kansas City. That was the plan when I, er, left.”
The mayor nodded.
Tuesday Truth: Sick Kittens are a lot of work, but so Precious!
Cleo at the Vet
I am very sorry there is no teaser this week. Life has hit me like a tidal wave. Mom has needed more of my time than usual, and
Cleo lounging at home
poor little Cleo got sick. His little eyelids were glued together. He was listless and sad, and his mom’s nose was running like a faucet. She coughed a lot too. A cat coughing is a very weird thing. I got so worried that I left work on Monday morning to take them to the vet.
My gosh, that would have been a great scene in a book. There’s me in my office attire, trying to catch a feral cat and stuff her into a cat carrier. You can imagine how well that went. Get to the vet looking a bit the worse for wear *cough* and the vet tech manning the reception desk is a drop dead gorgeous native man in his early 20s. Much too young for me, but I admit I had a hard time not drooling while I filled out paperwork. I had to fight the urge to confess I wrote paranormal romance books featuring men who looked a lot like him and would he mind posing for a pic?
Unfortunately–no, not unfortunately. When I went to pick Sammie and Cleo up the desk was manned by a very pleasant young woman. Sammie had been a holy terror, but everyone loved little Cleo. The diagnosis? A herpes virus that affects the upper respiratory system. Sammie got an antibiotic shot and Cleo got eye ointment that I need to apply twice a day to her inner lower eyelid.
My brother will be home tomorrow or Thursday, so hopefully I’ll have time to devote to Gina’s Wolf. So far Chapter 8 consists of a few paragraphs of Cole and Gina both freaking out, but for different reasons. He’s delirious with joy and she’s got icy cold feet. McGrath … Well, I’ll save that for next week.
Happy Saturday! – Free Book News
Why don’t we have more Saturdays in the week? I slept LAAAAAATE this morning, and now I am lazily drinking coffee and playing on the internet. I hope you are all enjoying a fun Saturday as well. I have several friends who have been on vacation this summer and I’m positively green with envy. I don’t even want to go anywhere. Just hang around, sleep late, read, write, and knit. Someday I will take a vacation like that, but meanwhile I have a list of stuff to get done today, and making this blog post is on the top.
Amazon has ended the Kindle Worlds program, and Paige Tyler, the owner of the Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World, has graciously allowed her authors to have the full rights to the books back. That means I can re-publish them myself. She asks that we either include an acknowledgement that the world and some characters belong to her and I am publishing with her permission, or that I remove all mention of “Dallas Fire & Rescue” and her characters. These books are contemporary romance, and I’ve found that I prefer to write fantasy/paranormal types of stories. And I think when a reader sees the name Maddy Barone on a book they probably expect it to be a paranormal romance, so to have these two contemps in the mix might confuse people. Still, I worked hard on those two books and I actually love the characters, so I don’t want them to just sit collecting (figurative) dust.
I have decided to re-publish them under my own name. I plan to re-do the covers, take the sex out, and make them sweet. But I’ve had a few readers asking when these two will be available to those who either don’t do kindles or who don’t have access to Amazon . com because they don’t live in the US. So before before I revise them and republish I thought it was only fair to let those readers have a chance to read them as they were. I appreciate my readers so, so much. Without you I would be writing only for the cats, and let me tell you, they are not nearly so appreciative!
I will be sending out links for free downloads in my newsletter next weekend. If you would like to read these, please sign up for my newsletter. You can sign up HERE.
Well, I guess I better get back to that list. Someday I will spend and ENTIRE day lazing around. But not today. 🙂 Have a lovely weekend!
Tuesday Teaser 8/14/18 Gina’s Wolf Part 23
If you’ve been following my trials and tribulations on Facebook (also know as whining and complaining) then you know that I moved home to my mother’s house at the end of February. My mom has dementia. My older brother has been her primary caretaker for years and he needed a break. She’s usually in good spirits, which is good. I belong to a couple of online support groups for caretakers of dementia patients, and some of their loved ones are mean. My mom’s not mean.
My biggest problem is that I have no privacy. Mom comes up to my room most every night, flips the light on and wants to chat. to her midnight is the same as noon, and she honestly doesn’t understand that I have to get up early to go to work. I am tired and stressed. I am used to living alone and doing what I want when I want. Those days are over.
And she can’t remember anything for more than 2 or 3 seconds. Literally. For instance, she is very devoutly catholic so she goes to mass several times a week. This week is the mass of obligation for the assumption of the blessed virgin Mary. My brother and I discussed when we could take her and decided that my brother would take her to the Wednesday mass at 12:35. We told her this. We wrote it in large letters on the calendar. But she asked me if I was taking her to church tonight 18 times in the 10 minutes it took me to get supper in the oven to. Yes, I counted. I counted so I wouldn’t scream.
Tuesday is my writing night and usually my brother is here to keep my mom occupied but he’s out tonight. So I haven’t gone longer than 14 minutes without mom coming up to ask me about church. No, she still doesn’t remember that she is going to mass tomorrow even though I’ve told her that over and over. Writing this book is very slow going. I apologize for that. I am doing the best I can. I may need to talk to my brother about a schedule where I can leave the house to write somewhere else.
Forgive this rambling rant. It will get better. Eventually it will get better. Meanwhile, the story is progressing. It’s slow progress, but it’s in a forward direction.
Major Ellis took a sharp breath. “You cannot possibly believe him.” He gave Stone a sneering once over. “The man is a savage.”
Gina heard nothing from the men behind her, and neither Cole nor his dad changed their impassive expressions. The insult rolled right off them.
“I do believe him, yes.” McGrath kept his smile, and it seemed to Gina to be just a little too pleasant. If a dog could smile just before it attacked, it would look just like that. “And as for savages, I think the actions you took at Bolivar qualify you for that title.”
Gina knew that the town of Bolivar in Missouri had held out against her stepfather and caused him significant trouble a few years ago. No one would tell her exactly what had happened. She’d heard only whispers of his retaliation, which meant it must have been heinous. All three of the Kansas-Missourians were red in the face. Even Lieutenant Booker, who had always struck Gina as unemotional, was visibly grinding his teeth. Ellis leaned forward with both hands planted on the table.
“You will find out just how savage we can be if you don’t comply with the President’s request.”
The threat didn’t appear to disturb the mayor. He stifled a yawn and turned to Cole’s dad. “You heard the man. He wants to take Miss Gina away. What do you say?”
Gina put her hand around Cole’s and squeezed. He squeezed back.
“No.” Taye leaned back in his chair, but his gaze bored into Ellis. “Any man who tries to take my daughter away will die.”
My daughter. An odd warmth touched Gina’s heart. It was stupid, but she loved that he called her that. She didn’t know the Wolfe family well, but everything she knew about them told her they would protect her in ways Gerald Todd never would.
McGrath spread his arms. “Well, there you have it. Miss Gina isn’t under my control and Taye Wolfe declines to allow her to go with you. Pity. You’ll have to go back to your master with the bad news.”
Ellis got control of his emotion. His eyes were cool. “You said Omaha does not want war. The only way to avoid war is to give us Gina Todd.” Gina opened her mouth to snap that her name was Gina Summer, but she managed to swallow the words. McGrath turned to her.
“Miss Gina, are you over eighteen years of age?”
“Yes.” She managed to keep her voice quiet and calm.
“Do you wish to return to President Todd?”
“No!” Maybe that was a little too loud. She cleared her throat. “No, I do not.”
The mayor of Omaha settled back in his seat and looked at Major Ellis. “I have no authority to force a woman to go where she does not wish to go, even to avoid war. Does Kansas-Missouri not respect the wishes of their mothers, sisters, and daughters?”
“Miss Todd belongs with her family.”
“The lady is an adult and can make her own choices.”
Ellis flicked a hand as if brushing away this notion. “Miss Todd is young and confused. Her father knows what is best for her.” He looked across the table at her, suddenly warm and understanding. “Your mother is heartbroken that you were stolen away by an animal masquerading as a man.”
Regret stung Gina. The regret wasn’t so much about hurting her mom as the knowledge that Gina would always come second to her stepfather. She ignored this ham-handed attempt to guilt her into going back and focused on the second part of Ellis’ words. “Cole Wolfe has more humanity as a wolf than you do as a man.”
Ellis oozed the oily charm she hated. “The President has rescinded your engagement to the Allersens and has offered you to me once again.”
Gina laughed disbelievingly. “You can’t honestly think that would entice me to leave Cole.”
Beside her Cole let out a soft breath. Ellis shot him a sneer. “You would choose that over me?”
“Him,” she corrected. “I would choose him over you any day. But that is none of your business.”
Ellis might have said something more, but Mayor McGrath coughed. “I cannot give you what you want. Mr. Wolfe has refused to send Miss Gina with you. Miss Gina herself has declined to return to President Todd. Is there any other way for Omaha to avoid war?”
“No,” snapped Ellis.
Mayor McGrath rose to his feet. “Then there is nothing more to discuss. Captain Peterson, will you escort the representatives from President Todd to the city gates?”
“Yes, sir.” The severely handsome blond man stood and herded the Kansas-Missourians out.
Cole barely waited for the interlopers to leave before he snatched Gina out of her chair and clasped her tightly to his chest. His mate had claimed him in front of witnesses. The joy of it banished the hate that flared in his wolf at the sight of Lieutenant Mott. Cole couldn’t remember ever meeting the man, so he must be part of those blood smeared lost memories from the train.
“Cole,” Gina squeaked in protest.
“Sorry.” He loosened his arms and allowed her feet to touch the floor but kept her in the gentle cage of his embrace. He leaned down to touch her cheek with his, needing to feel her warmth. “Did I hurt you?”
She squirmed to step back. Reluctantly, he dropped his arms. “No, I’m alright.” She turned to his father. “Thank you,” she said fervently.
His dad lifted one brow with a smile. “For what?”
“Not letting them take me back.” She hesitated for a moment before continuing. “And calling me your daughter.”
The smile faded from his dad’s face. “You don’t need to thank me for that. Whether you ever accept my son’s mate claim or not, you are part of our Clan now. We will never let harm come to our women.”
Cole blinked. “She did accept me. You heard her.”
“Did she?” His dad’s eyebrow went up again. He looked inquiringly at Gina. “Did you accept my son’s mate claim?”
Gina’s face closed. A hint of uncertainty clouded her eyes as she looked from his father to him. What did she see on his face? She was going to deny him. Cole’s heart seized in his chest. The moment stretched until he was sure he would break.
She took a deep breath, her eyes suddenly clear and sharp. “Yes. Yes, I did just accept Cole.”
