Showing posts with label PNR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PNR. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Cover Reveal: Bitten by Trouble

 BITTEN BY TROUBLE BY LIZZY GAYLE


AVAILABLE AUGUST 24, 2023

“Cause of death?” Julian asked, tilting his head as though looking at the carnage from a different angle might provide insights. 

“The same as everyone who saw her thought,” I snapped. “Her throat was ripped out.” 

Julian frowned. “By what, Charlotte?” 

I swallowed back the bile that threatened again as I glanced at the torn skin. “Teeth. Sharp teeth.”




Dr. Charlotte Devaux’s just been through hell but taking a break from the mayhem isn’t an option.

When she’s tossed into a murder investigation more confusing than her budding relationship with her boss, the sexy, stubborn vampire, Lieutenant Julian Carver, her psychic powers provide more questions than answers. There’s a frustrating lack of evidence to explore in her lab. And since the murder was committed on the Supernatural Handling Agency’s Division of Equity’s (SHADE’s) base, Julian’s convinced there’s a mole in the organization.

As the investigation intensifies, unexpected blackmail from one of the suspects threatens the safety of Charlotte’s family. But trusting anyone else with the information could be a grave mistake—even Julian. The vamp might be amazing in bed, but that doesn’t mean she should share everything with him, considering the secrets she knows he’s keeping from her. And the fact he may very well make things worse by tearing out the blackmailer’s throat. Complicating matters are her new friends, but are they reliable or do they have agendas of their own?

If she doesn’t figure out who to trust, it could cost the lives of everyone she loves and let a murderer go free.

Bitten by Trouble: a Paranormal Romance - Kindle edition by Gayle, Lizzy. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBHX2HBS

https://www.bookbub.com/books/bitten-by-trouble-a-paranormal-romance-by-lizzy-gayle


Thursday, June 15, 2023

Release Day Blitz: Bitten by Surprise

BITTEN BY SURPRISE by LIZZY GAYLE
PUBLISHED JUNE 15, 2023
PARANORMAL ROMANCE/VAMPIRE ROMANCE

BLURB:

As a vampire-hating psychic, Char should’ve seen it coming, but she didn’t. Too focused on creating a cure for vampirism after watching her father turned into a bloodsucking menace, she looks at little else, until it’s too late. Not her lab being attacked and destroyed, her life’s work being stolen along with her lab assistant, nor the attractive and dangerous vampire, Julian, who swoops in to save the day, give her a job and the chance to set things right.

But when her lost serum turns up on the streets used as a murder weapon against vamps, she’s forced to hide the truth about her involvement in its development from her new boss in order to join the investigation. As they work together, she’s inexplicably drawn to the very type of creature she should be terrified of. Suddenly, the idea of being bitten becomes a turn on if it’s Julian’s fangs at her pulse.

Forced to admit everything she thought she knew about the bloodsuckers was wrong, Char is left with a decision: Should she create an antidote to save the vampires being murdered—and possibly the one she’s falling for? Or should she finish what she started and try to cure the rest?

The wrong choice could mean a sacrifice she’s not willing to make.
EARLY REVIEWS:
"I couldn’t put it down!! I started and finished it in one day. I was hooked right from the beginning."

"I can say I'm glad this is just book one cause I desperately need more muRder mystery and sexy vampire lover drama in my life!"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lizzy Gayle loves paranormal so much, she lives it. She is both an author and a psychic. Between mothering her three kids, attempting to understand her rocket scientist husband, and consistently attempting to declutter her home (that she is convinced is a secret portal to a clutter-creating dimension), she does her best to use her creative gifts and share them with you. Lizzy is a people person so if you contact her, it will make her very happy and she will likely answer while possibly including pictures of her bunnies and/or bird. She has also been known to write Young Adult under the name Lisa Gail Green. Anything else you’d like to know about her you may find out by asking because it never hurts to ask.

 

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Release Day Blitz: Moon Kissed

 

 

Title: Moon Kissed: The Completed Series
Author: Harper A. Brooks
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Sleepy Fox
Publication Date: February 23rd, 2023
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

Tasha Ward has a new target: the murderous alpha of the Redcliff wolf pack.

He’s got it coming. The entire pack does for the lives they’ve taken over the years.

Including her sister’s.

But when she finally gets her chance, she can’t seem to bring herself to kill him.

To make things worse, her magic and invisibility powers are on the fritz and she’ll need both to claim her revenge.

 

Reid Holden’s inner wolf doesn’t want to fight Tasha, a witch.

Quite the opposite.

His animal has claimed her as its mate.

But things are even more complicated than that.

They share an enemy, and he is closer than they can even imagine.

 

To save their future, Tasha and Reid must work together and to battle their pasts head on…

With claws, teeth, and magic.

 

Moon Kissed is a sizzling enemies to lovers paranormal romance series full of adventure, grit, mystery, and a much deserved happily-ever-after.

 

This box set includes all three books in the Moon Kissed Series—Wolf Hunter, Wolf Tamer, and Wolf Protector—plus exclusive bonus content and character illustrations.




Harper A. Brooks lives in a small town on the New Jersey shore. Even though classic authors have always filled her bookshelves, she finds her writing muse drawn to the dark, magical, and romantic. But when she isn't creating entire worlds with sexy shifters or legendary love stories, you can find her either with a good cup of coffee in hand or at home snuggling with her furry, four-legged son, Sammy.

She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

RONE Award Winner

USA TODAY Bestselling Author

International Bestselling Author

Author Links:

Amazon | Twitter | Goodreads | Website 

Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub | Reader Group



 

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Release Day Blitz: The Ties That Bind

 

 

Title: The Ties That Bind
Author: Apryl Baker
Genre: YA PNR/Horror
Publisher: Limitless Publishing, LLC
Cover Designer: Deranged Doctor Design
Publication Date: Sept. 6th, 2022
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:
You are cordially invited to the wedding of:

 

Emma Crane And Daniel Richards

 

August 6, 2022 at 7pm

Our Lady Of Hope Presbyterian Church

New Orleans, LA

Reception to follow at The Crane Plantation

 

Please beware the ghosts in the church as they are hostile and could potentially do you bodily harm.

 

Otherwise, join the parents of Emma and Daniel to rejoice in the celebration of their marriage.


  


So who am I?

Well, I’m the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn’t love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.

Now, I live in a small town in West Virginia where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce…lol.

I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

Author Links:

Facebook | Twitter | Wattpad | Website | Instagram

Newsletter | Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub | Blog | Reader Group

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Release Day Blitz: The Bleeding Heart

 

The Bleeding Heart by Lizzy Gayle
Djinn Series Book 2
Published by Mystic Owl January 25, 2022

Synopsis:

Taj knows his revolving door of lovers won’t erase the past or make it easier to cope with the responsibilities of his new role as a sibling, but it does keep his mind occupied. That is until his sister Leela’s boyfriend shows up in a panic. With Leela missing and a Djinn killer on the loose, Taj dives headfirst into trying to find both his missing sister, and the murderer.

When his quest introduces him to another Djinni named Brolach, new to his human form, Taj ends up wondering if it might be worth the risk to try dating his own kind. His last relationship with a Djinni didn’t end well, but it has been almost two hundred years.

When danger traps he and his loved ones, Taj finds himself thrust into a position he never asked for, that of a leader. Can he overcome the demons of his past in order to save everyone’s future and find his happily ever after? Or are he and his family doomed to forever be victims?

AMAZON: https://smarturl.it/Djinn2amz
UBL: https://books2read.com/djinn2UBL



WANT MORE?? Now available for review and preorder...


Paradise Atlantis: The underwater, high-tech vacation destination where utopia awaits.

Not for Sam. Not only is she deathly afraid of being submerged under millions of tons of ocean water, she's stuck for an entire month with the people she blames for her family falling apart. Even with the unexpected attention of two sexy men, including her longtime celebrity infatuation, Sam is sure the trip will be a nightmare.

She’s both right and wrong. A type of pressure sickness she was unprepared for hits Sam hard, causing both lowered inhibitions and blackouts. When she gives in to her desires, a passionate romance blossoms.

Unfortunately, even this steamy new relationship can’t salvage the trip when a saboteur uses the AI to commit murder – murder timed perfectly with Sam's mysterious blackouts. Now Sam must clear her conscience by finding the truth. But is she prepared for what she’ll find? Because either she’s a killer or she’s setting herself up to be next on the growing list of victims.





Lizzy Gayle loves paranormal so much, she lives it. She is both an author and a psychic. Between mothering her three kids, attempting to understand her rocket scientist husband, and consistently attempting to declutter her home (that she is convinced is a secret portal to a clutter-creating dimension), she does her best to use her creative gifts and share them with you. Lizzy is a people person ​

so if you contact her, it will make her very happy and she will likely answer while possibly including pictures of her bunnies and/or bird. She has also been known to write Young Adult under the name Lisa Gail Green. Anything else you’d like to know about her you may find out by asking because it never hurts to ask. ​

Wait. Lizzy is a practicing psychic?!
Why, yes. And if you'd like to know more or see what services she offers she'd love if you visited her page on Facebook or simply message her.

I Like YA books where can I find Lizzy's YA?
Lizzy writes YA under the name Lisa Gail Green and you can find out more by searching Amazon for the name Lisa Gail Green or visiting her other website at LisaGailGreen.com

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Release Day Blitz: The Binding Stone

 

The Binding Stone by Lizzy Gayle
The Djinn Book 1
Published October 5, 2021
Paranormal Romance


Blurb

A thousand years of servitude has left Leela more than a little jaded. Betrayal by the man she loved was just the beginning of her lessons on the wickedness of humanity. Her hope for freedom for herself and her fellow Djinn from the stones that bind them has dimmed to a barely-there glimmer over all these years, but it hasn’t yet extinguished.

When the handsome, and idealistic Jered, inadvertently becomes her new master, Leela finds herself wondering if his tenderness and concern may actually be real. And despite her years of suffering and lessons, her heart opens to new possibilities.

As she inches closer to trusting Jered, the past and the enemies that come with it, resurface, threatening the small spark of happiness in Leela’s long life.
After a millennium of suffering what and who is Leela willing to sacrifice for freedom?




CHARACTER INTERVIEW
Leela from The Binding Stone Given by Lizzy Gayle

Me: Welcome Leela! Make yourself comfortable.

Leela: I always do, thank you.

Me: Please introduce yourself so everyone knows who you are:

Leela: My name is Leela and I am Djinn. *eyes glow green*

Me: Should people be afraid of you?

Leela: Only if they mean me harm or wish to take possession of me. So for most humans? Yes, fear me.

Me: I don’t think most humans mean you harm.

Leela: *laughs* So naïve.

Me: *shifts uncomfortably* Okay then, what would you do if someone tried to trap you and make you grant wishes?

Leela: Hmm…there are so many wonderful options. Taj likes turning humans into snakes and other creatures. Mira tends to blow things up. I suppose I’m not as messy, so I might trap them instead or just kill them. It depends on my mood.

Me: Consider us warned. What do you want out of life, Leela?

Leela: I want to be left alone as a free Djinni.

Me: Sounds simple enough. But alone?

Leela: If there is such a thing as real love, I’d be happy to experience it, but I doubt its existance. I loved once. That’s what got me into this mess.

Me: I may not be a magical genie—

Leela: Djinni

Me: Right. I may not be a magical Djinni, but I am an author and I’m going to promise you something. You may go through a LOT, but you will be satisfied with the ending of The Binding Stone. And whoever reads it will enjoy the journey with you.

Leela: If I don’t get my Happily Ever After I will come back and imprison you in a diamond. 

Me:

Leela: *eyes glow*

Me: HEA it is! 



"I thoroughly enjoyed THE BINDING STONE (The Djinn Book 1) by Lizzy Gayle. What a fun, fast-paced, page-turner of a book! Leela and Jered are compelling main characters, and the supporting cast of friends, allies, and enemies keeps the story fresh and interesting. The flashbacks to Leela's long and difficult past perfectly compliment the main storyline. I can't wait for Book 2!" -- Lisa Edmonds, Best-Selling Urban Fantasy Author of the Alice Worth Series

"A promising paranormal romance debut with intricate backstory, a fun cast of characters, and a trio of Djinn who’ll have you rooting for their freedom to pursue true happily ever after's. A magical gem that will have readers wishing for the next in the series." -- Luna Joya, Award-Winning Author of The Legacy Series



Lizzy Gayle loves paranormal so much, she lives it. She is both an author and a psychic. Between mothering her three kids, attempting to understand her rocket scientist husband, and consistently attempting to declutter her home (that she is convinced is a secret portal to a clutter-creating dimension), she does her best to use her creative gifts and share them with you. 

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLizzyGayle/

www.twitter.com/LizzyGayleAuth1

 and https://www.instagram.com/authorlizzygayle/ Also LizzyGayle.com.

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Spotlight: Unrepentant

 

 

Title: Unrepentant
Author: Daphne Moore
Genre: paranormal romance
Cover Designer: S M Savoy
Publisher: Vaughn Publishing LLC
Publication Date: November 10th, 2020
Hosted by: Lady Amber's PR

Blurb:

A reluctant heroine. Her fated mate. One soul crushing choice.

Despite being a Tiger shifter, Lily Kaplan strives for a serene life. Unfortunately, being a Seer granted visions by the DayKing denies her that luxury. She is one of three Seers who know the location of the Keys that, when assembled, would allow exiled gods to walk on Earth.

However, there is one who will stop at nothing to claim them.

Morgan, warchief of the Daoine Sidhe, seeks to rid the realm of Seers and claim the Keys. Out of options, Lily must meet Daoine’s minions head on in battle. Yet when a small boy gets caught in the midst, Lily’s priorities shift to protecting him.

Through the boy, she encounters the greatest threat she has ever known.

Gaius, who claims to be the child’s guardian, awakens feelings within Lily she never knew existed. The undeniable attraction of a true mate. But, with a team of assassins hunting for her, that bond could create a weakness for her enemies to exploit.

In a choice between love or survival, will she follow her head... or her heart?

NOW LIVE!



Daphne Moore has been a storyteller from her preliterate days. She writes them down now for those out of earshot.

She lives in Ohio, in a small suburb, raising roses and children. She's an aunt to a bunch of humans and two cute dogs.

Author Links:

Amazon | Goodreads | Bookbub | Twitter

Facebook | Instagram | Website | Reader Group








Monday, October 26, 2020

New Release: Enchanted

 

Publisher: Love Africa Press
Publication Date: October 25, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Anthology


ENCHANTED VOLUMES 1 & 2 - A LOVE AFRICA PRESS COLLECTION

Be enchanted. These handpicked tales of African deities and daemons, shamans and shape-shifters will keep you spellbound page after page.

 

FEATURED STORIES

BOND CALL by Emem Bassey

Sese vehemently rejects the mating heat to a non-warrior like Urua. 

Suddenly, imbued with powers of a diviner, he stands as the only hope and defender of Abedeng people. Will Urua relinquish his hurt to save his mate? Will he submit to the bond call and take her back despite her betrayal?

 

NIGHT MOVES by Lauri Kubuitsile

Things are happening in Lesedi’s life, unexplained things. Did her bi-friend Mmapula sneak into the hotel room and finally succeed in her long-threatened plan to make love to Lesedi? Or was it all a dream, a beautiful, sexy dream?  When it happens again, though, Lesedi is sure she’s being visited by a supernatural being that has some insane skills in lovemaking. But is there something sinister going on? 

 

RETURN TO LAGOS by Michele Sims

From the looks of her, Winnie seems to have it all: fame, wealth, beauty, friends and a dashing and successful fiancé. It’s what is lying beneath the surface that drives Winnie’s life and career: the devastating loss of her family, the increasing demands of her career and the fact that she has to reveal all of this to her future husband, who also harbors a secret of his own. 

 

SHE CALLED HIM GOD by Obinna Obioma

Snatched of a father's love at such a tender stage in life, Asari feels the betrayal of the gods. He leads a loveless, rigid and faithless life; until he unwittingly walks into the Sacred Circle of the same gods he holds in disdain and incurs their wrath.

Assuming the mortal form, Altheme sets out to make Asari fall in love. But the terrestrial realm is riddled with unforeseen challenges. Can love truly conquer all?

 

AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW

FOR A LIMITED TIME: Get a FREE book when you buy a copy of Enchanted: Volume One (Free ebook Enemy Call by Emem Bassey) Email info@loveafricapress.com with copy of receipt.

 

LAP: https://www.loveafricapress.com/product-page/enchanted-volume-one-paperback

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZN1RTND

Okadabooks: https://okadabooks.com/book/about/enchanted_volume_one_halloween_anthology/29773

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/988003?ref=loveafricapress

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/enchanted-volume-one

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/enchanted-emem-bassey/1134405852?ean=2940163374465

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Enchanted-Lauri-Kubuitsile/9781916154650

 

 

FEATURED STORIES

DAEMON TRAPPED by Bambo Deen

When long-suffering daemon Leonidas is trapped in Besidas’ hotel, she is drawn into a world of curious and strange creatures. Stranded after a cruel attempt on his life, Leon has spent decades trying and failing to return home. Besi evokes emotions within him that he did not think were possible for his kind and for the first time he’s enjoying Earth. But can Leon protect Besi when a dangerous entity from Leon’s past comes for revenge?

 

FINDING LOVE IN BETRAYAL by Fiske Nyirongo

A love story full of hope and seeing beyond differences. 

Mbawemi is an heir to the throne in a kingdom of witches, wolves and hybrids. Hybrids are considered the lowest form of creature in the kingdom. In enters Sangwani, a hybrid king who is anything but what Sangwani thinks of hybrids. Can their love build bridges? 

 

DREAM SEDUCTOR by Karo Oforofuo

Ajiri runs away from the river kingdom to avoid an arranged marriage and settles in the human world. But her relationship and sex life is lacking until she finds herself torn between two men. Will she give in to the suggestive stares from the handsome human, or cling to the blue man who haunts her dreams and unleashes erotic desires that make her yearn for more?

 

HAUNTED by Kiru Taye

In life, he loved her. In death, he craved her.

Somma is heartbroken when husband David is killed in a tragic accident. After a year she is struggling to move on, especially since she swears he haunts her dreams and does sexy stuff to her every night. When friends convince her to perform an exorcism, things take a turn she doesn’t expect. 

 

AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW

FOR A LIMITED TIME: Get a FREE book when you buy a copy of Enchanted: Volume Two (Free ebook Homecoming by Kiru Taye) Email info@loveafricapress.com with copy of receipt.

 

LAP: https://www.loveafricapress.com/product-page/enchanted-volume-two-paperback

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPGL885

Okadabooks: https://okadabooks.com/book/about/enchanted_volume_two_halloween_anthology/29816

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/988334?ref=loveafricapress

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/enchanted-volume-two

Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/enchanted-bambo-deen/1134430701?ean=2940163376735

Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Enchanted-Kiru-Taye/9781916154667

 

CHAPTER ONE – BOND CALL by EMEM BASSEY

 

“You’ve been following me all day, Urua.”

The tall, lanky man had grinned at her. “This isn’t strange, my friend. I’ve been following you since we were children, you just haven’t noticed.”

Sese had bristled, hating the burning urge in the pit of her stomach to hold him and smooth away his worries. “The sun has long since set, please go!”

Guilt had chewed her intestines when she’d seen the forlorn expression on his face. The urge to care had raged like a furnace within her, but she’d bitten her tongue, drawing blood in the process, to control it. He’d sighed heavily and turned onto the path leading to his home.

She sighed as she lay on her pallet, staring at the raffia roof of her hut. She should’ve been sleeping, but worry tarried in her heart. Urua had become insistent in the past seven days, the exact time the dreams had begun.

She wondered if he had dreams too, then shook her head. If Urua had the dreams she was having, he’d be more bothersome. It was as though a rope joined them now; she would leave home without informing her father of her whereabouts, yet, Urua would find her wherever she thought to hide.

Sese was afraid of what was happening. She didn’t want it—at least, not with him; what would Abedeng people say?

For many nights, she’d lain like this, afraid of sleep because he’d be waiting in her dreams to embrace her. She was weak in dream land, and the more she gave in to him there, the stronger the bond pulling them together became. She wasn’t sure Urua knew what he was doing, and she hoped it remained that way until the diviner hitched her with a worthy warrior in a fortnight.

In that time, she would avoid him as much as she could.

***

“Urua, you’re trying my patience.”

He reared back at her comment as though entirely shocked by it, even though she said the exact same thing every day, with the exact same expression—or lack of expression in her case.

“You called my name!” he enthused in suppressed excitement.

This caused her to groan in exasperation and resume her clipped pace on the narrow beaten path leading to the deserted area where the diviner dwelled in his tiny hut.

He rushed after her.

“I think me trying your patience is a good thing,” he expressed conversationally.

“How is that?” Sese asked before she could tighten her mouth and remain unresponsive as usual.

Urua grinned at her angry look because he knew she hated responding to him, especially after having ignored him for a better part of their lives.

“Well, you should be nicer to me. The gods might just hitch us tonight,” he proclaimed.

Sese stumbled, missing a step despite the dark path being slightly lit by a lone torch one of the maidens must have considerately left, tied to a low branch. She could walk these paths without light, so it wasn’t that she hit her feet. No, Urua’s words had shocked her down to her core.

They had caused a visceral reaction which she was taking as panic, and it had weakened her knees for a moment, causing her to stumble.

“See well, my heart!” he exclaimed, reaching out to steady her.

That same primeval reaction, this time shooting through her body as though she had been lanced by lightning, unearthed strange warmth from the pit of her stomach.

No, it couldn’t be.

She’d been fighting this for days. Did it mean the ntung leaf—rumoured to break unwanted bonds—she’d squeezed into her eyes and nose hadn’t worked after the fiery hurt she’d endured?

No, it had to be the boiled palm juice she’d imbibed at her grandfather’s hut. It wasn’t Urua’s words, either—everybody was used to him saying outrageous things like that to her, and they were used to her always ignoring him.

In their little settlement south of the great Niger river, females had always been more plentiful than males, and so, it was required that every twelve moons, the diviner would seek the face of the gods and hitch a woman to a man with the hope that they might mate and birth, at least, one male.

During her father’s birthing period, a lot of males had been born, but their numbers still couldn’t compare with that of the females. So, some of the females of her age would be hitched tonight to males that already had one or two women who had birthed males and were presently suckling them at their breasts.

It was believed that a male able to mate with two females, causing them to birth males, deserved a third female to carry his strong seed, though this practice only began because there were just not enough males in Abedeng.

The females were tender and nurturers while the males became warriors. But the strangest thing had happened—Urua had been birthed a male but had the lack of strength of a female, while Sese had been birthed a female but was as strong as the fiercest Abedeng warrior; a sacrilege.

The villagers began shrugging their shoulders at them as many twelve moons added to their age. Urua was older than her with three twelve moons, but he acted like a child, which was how females behaved, while she acted like a male.

Her mother had died on her eighth twelve moons while trying to birth another child. So, her father had been confused as to how to care for a female child with male abilities. The other children had refused to play with her—they had accepted Urua but rejected her. They told their mothers she didn’t know how to play, since her touch was too strong; they said she would never birth a child.

The diviner had called a gathering and explained to the village that her strength wasn’t strange since the gods had prophesied about females with male strengths in the past. He’d also explained that every male must not be warriors and that Urua had the divining gift, the reason why he didn’t have the male strength.

Males in Abedeng were known to be extremely tall with big, burly bodies bulging with strength. Urua was tall, but his body never developed with strength no matter how many times he joined in the ceremony of lifting stones which the males did every morning to increase their bulk.

Her father had allowed her to join him in the ceremony every morning when she had reached her ninth twelve moons and had taught her how to fight like a warrior; it was the only thing he knew to teach her, since the other females wouldn’t come near her strangeness enough to teach her female ways.

So, she had grown up a warrior. Her father had stopped her from the ceremony of lifting stones before she reached her twelfth twelve moons as her body had begun looking more like a male with rippling strength. He had worried that if she continued, no male would want to mate with her. But he had continued teaching her the warrior fights.

Sese had been avoided like a leper by males and females, well, except for her father and of course, the person she most wanted to avoid, Urua. In her fifteenth twelve moons, she had bested the third warrior in an unplanned fight. The third warrior had been disgracing Urua in front of their age group, abusing him for lacking strength like a female; his words and tone had angered her.

She had challenged him, and he had accepted. It had taken only three fight claps from the gathering to throw him on his back. She had learned well from her father who was the second warrior in his own age group.

The third warrior’s father had been incensed and had demanded that Sese be punished for disgracing a warrior three twelve moons older than her. Culture demanded that she forfeit any fights with her elders. But she couldn’t have—she had been filled with so much fury when she had seen the redness in Urua’s eyes, redness caused by the third warrior putting sand there.

She had been punished with seven days of pulling weed around the third warrior’s hut. It was a painful process to pull weed, since these had sharp edges that pierced the skin. She had not been allowed to use a tool, so she had pulled with her bare hands, bleeding the whole seven days.

The third warrior had hung around for three days, waiting for the humiliation of Sese sobbing for forgiveness, but that had never happened. On the fifth day, he had gone to his warrior group, a group Urua wasn’t a part of because of his weakness, and told them she was a witch, an abomination that the gods would never allow to birth a child.

People had started avoiding her more, but Urua had stuck to her like the gum from the mango tree. Despite her several rejections of him, he remained by her side every time he could. And then, every time he wasn’t supposed to.

He had taken to joining her father when he practiced the ceremony of lifting stones at the crack of dawn. It had taken her ten days to realize that in doing that, he bore the humiliation of not being able to lift the bigger stones; he bore her father’s mockery of his weakness just because he wanted to watch her learn the warrior fights from her father.

It annoyed her to no end that he wouldn’t just leave her alone. She was fine with the rejection of the village, though she worried she might never mate with a male since all the warriors, even of her age group, refused to mate with her. No one wanted a witch; no one cared for an abomination—everyone mated to birth children, and there was a possibility she might not be able to.

She should have been mated two twelve moons ago, but no warrior wanted her. Even the old warriors of her father’s age group shook their heads when she was pointed at in the mating line. And then the dreams had begun, and Urua had become even more clinging.

But tonight, the diviner had called a special gathering to hitch the next age group. Sese was going with the hope that a younger warrior might choose her, or the gods might force her on an unsuspecting one. She really needed to mate. She needed to feel like a woman, and only a warrior would make her feel that way by mating.

She was afraid she might not birth a child, but she wanted to experience the heat of mating that her mother had always spoken to her about before her death. She wanted to feel that heat with a warrior, not Urua.

“The gods wouldn’t be so cruel,” she spoke after snatching her arm away from his helping hands. Sese looked into the darkness as though she were facing the immortal ancestors believed to dwell beyond the brightness of burning torches. “The gods wouldn’t be so cruel to hitch me with you.”

Urua grabbed his chest as though he had just been lanced by a spear. For a moment, she thought he had been attacked from behind by an enemy, but then, he looked up with his smile, the one that created two deep indents in his cheeks; the one that made him almost as beautiful as the fairest maiden in Abedeng.

“You pierce my heart, sweet Sese,” he murmured.

When had his voice deepened to that gruffness that seemed to vibrate in her chest when he spoke? Even her father, second warrior of his age group and revered chieftain, didn’t have such deepness in his tone.

Sese took a step back. She wasn’t afraid of Urua—she could beat him in an unplanned fight, but she worried about the things she was noticing in him. Like the broadness of his chest, though it wasn’t as broad as the usual Abedeng warrior, but strangely, she liked it.

She took another step back; she shouldn’t like it. Urua was an apprentice to the diviner. He would never be hitched, since the present diviner wasn’t.

This shouldn’t be happening, she thought in panic. She’d taken the rumoured antidote; she couldn’t be experiencing the heat of mating her mother had explained towards Urua.

No, she silently screamed. It was a mistake. Mother had said that the mating heat was rare, and it only happened between two special people after so many uncountable twelve moons. The mating heat entailed a man and woman feeling undeniably drawn to each other without the selection of the diviner. Mother had explained it as sometimes being shameful, as the mates couldn’t stay away from each other.

She hadn’t felt the heat for any other warriors, no matter how many times her father had asked her; no matter how many times she’d tried by surreptitiously brushing her body against males when at gatherings—an act her mother had said triggered the heat. She had never felt it, though it didn’t mean she wanted to feel it with Urua.

But a touch from him, just one helping hand, and heat had unfurled in her stomach like a coiled snake angrily rousing from slumber. That’s what she’d been avoiding the past fortnight, and it was happening now, just when she was close to, hopefully, being hitched by the diviner?

Sese shook her head, refusing the possibility. She straightened her height; a foot shorter than Urua, she noticed. Her heart instantly jumped in elation, but she stomped it down and widened the distance between them.

“You look strange, my heart. What is it?” he asked with concern.

Why wouldn’t he stop calling her his heart? The look on his beautiful face surged the heaviest warmth from her stomach, pushing at the walls of her chest to burst free.

She tightened her hand on her staff and silently fought to hold up the walls of her chest. Sese realized that distancing herself from him reduced the force of the heat. She took three more steps from him, not minding that Urua looked at her strangely.

Silently, she prayed he not feel the heat or the connection. The farther she was from him, the better chance of ending this night wrapped around a worthy warrior who would surely give her a male child.

“Sese?”

Even his voice was alluring. She could feel the warmth pooling and tingling in between her thighs. Oh, gods, it was exactly as her mother had said it would be. She had said she would know instantly who her fated mate was, but she didn’t want to know it was Urua. She would never be normal if she mated with Urua. The village would avoid them and any children they birthed … if they birthed children.

They were the only abominations in Abedeng, and she knew they would only birth strange children if they mated. If she accepted the bond call, she would be stuck with Urua all her life, dependent on him, unable to be without him.

And if a mate died, Mother had explained that the unbearable pain usually made the living mate take his or her life. Sese didn’t appreciate the unbreakable link that came with being fated mates tied by an unseen bond. She rather preferred being physically paired with a warrior she wouldn’t be dependent on; with a warrior stronger and more ripped than her who would make her feel feminine, a warrior for whom she wouldn’t have the urge to kill herself if he died.

All that was lost as thoughts of mating with Urua became insistent, making her thighs tighten to stop the recent incessant tingling.

“By the gods, you’re sweating,” Urua noticed, his voice filled with confused concern as he hurried towards her, intending to grant help, which would mean touching her.

Sese shook her head and bolted down the path as though chased by the eleventh enemy of the gods.

 

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