Wednesday WiPs

Happy Halloween, everyone. Hope you enjoy the night. :) Whatever you do...whether it's partying and dressing up. Taking the kids out or just staying home and watching scary movies.

I'm usually the one handing out candy. C runs to his office after buying the candy and has me hand it out. But I'm making him do it tonight for a while since I'm meeting a friend for dinner after work. ;) We'll see if he remembers today is Halloween...lol.

Well, as for writing, I pretty much only focused on two stories and I'll be honest, if I didn't have to write installments for you every Tuesday and Thursday, I'd probably only have worked on one.

Home of his Own: 55,405/50,000 (12,669 words)

Where the Devil Dances: 14,782/50,000 (1,432 words)

Dreaming of Dragons: 652/50,000 (0 words)

Devil's Addiction: 30,582/50,000 (0 words)

For Tony's story, I followed him and Brody from Wyoming to Los Angeles. Then we headed to St. Louis and back to Wyoming. Now they're in Tacoma, Washington. Oh, the joys of a bull rider.

Not sure how much I have left, though I'm happy I went over my word count. There was a time there when I wasn't sure I would. :)

Where the Devil Dances

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Eighteen-

A Week Later—

David turned off the truck and turned to look at Buster sitting in the back seat of the cab. The greyhound stared at him, glanced over at Eric’s and whined. David laughed.

“I know how you feel, Buster boy. Let’s go see our guys.”

He opened the door and got Buster out. Walking up to the house, he smiled as Eric and Raoul stepped onto the porch. Raoul raced down the steps to greet him, jumping and yipping. David patted the Papillion and waited for Eric to stand up after greeting Buster.

Reaching out, he slid his hand into the silky hair at the nape of Eric’s neck and urged the man closer. Their lips met in a gentle ‘good morning’ kiss. He rested his free hand at the small of Eric’s back, savoring the way Eric sighed at his touch.

When the need to take the kiss deeper and crush Eric to him grew almost too strong, David broke contact and stepped back. Eric’s pale skin was flushed and his ice blue eyes burned with desire. David rubbed his thumb over Eric’s bottom lip before dropping his hand to his side.

“Didn’t want to give your neighbors a show.”

He laughed when Eric blushed even more and shot a look around.

“You’re right. Probably not a good welcome to the neighborhood.” Eric snapped his fingers at Raoul. “Come on, boy. I know you’ve been missing Buster.”

He escorted Eric and Raoul to his truck. His gaze kept dropping to check out Eric’s ass covered in loose denim. Holding open the door, he couldn’t resist pinching that firm butt as Eric climbed in. Eric squeaked and glared over his shoulder at David.

David winked and shut the door after the dogs jumped in. He sat behind the wheel and grinned at Eric. “Ready for our picnic?”

Eric nodded. Relaxing back against the seat, Eric said, “I’m ready for this. This week has been stressful.”

He agreed. It had been a week since he’d seen Eric. Between his schedule at the fire station and Eric’s work, they hadn’t been able to meet up for dinner or even taking the dogs to the park. The only consolation was they talked every night on the phone, trading family stories and secrets. David found that as much as he wanted to take Eric to bed, he simply enjoyed talking to the man.

They had so many things in common, but just enough differences to make the relationship intriguing. The only thing Eric hadn’t talked about was the incident that had left him scarred over most of his body. David didn’t push for the story. He understood Eric’s reluctance to share such a personal memory with a man he’d met recently. David could wait for Eric’s trust to be strong enough to share with him.

“Where are we going?” Eric reached over and rested his hand on David’s thigh.

“There’s a small park on the outskirts of Morley. It’s got enough room for the dogs to run around in. It’s off the road a ways, so most people forget it’s there. I thought it would be nice to hang out in.” He glanced over at Eric. “I don’t want my time with you interrupted by people.”

“I see you still have your beeper with you.” Eric nodded to the black beeper clipped to his belt.

“Unfortunately, I can’t be without that. At least not at the moment. We haven’t had any fires for a week, but that doesn’t mean the arsonist has stopped.” He didn’t want to talk about fires. Not today.

“It’s building.” Eric’s words were quiet.

“What’s building?” David pulled into the park lot and shut the truck off. He turned in his seat, his elbow on the steering wheel.

“His need. His desire to see something burn.” Eric ducked his head, his dark hair covering his face.

David tucked some of that beautiful dark hair behind Eric’s ear so he could see Eric’s face. “How do you know?”

“The fire that caused my injuries was started by an arsonist. While I was recovering, I needed something to take my mind off the pain. At times, during the heal process, I would hurt so badly and I wanted to understand what would make someone burn things.” Eric shrugged. “I needed to know why he would start a fire in a church when people were inside.”

A shudder wracked Eric’s body and David knew it was time to change the subject.

“Come on. Let the dogs out and I’ll grab the food.”

He climbed out, noticing the black sedan at the other end of the parking lot, but no one appeared to be in it, so he pushed it to the back of his mind. This day was for him and Eric. He wouldn’t allow anything else to enter in.

Poetry Train...

Kissed By Gods

I sat, back against the sofa and stared out through the huge window. Black night reflected my image back at me. Shadows danced and rolled behind me. In them, I saw a flash of red and a glimmer of gold.

Triumph swelled in me. This was what I wanted. An encounter with the others. Creatures out of nightmares and daydreams. I wanted them to touch me. I wanted them to fuck me. I needed them to taste me.

As I watched, they emerged, forming out of the light and dark swirling around the room I sat in. One was as dark as night. The other as bright as day. No words were spoken. None were needed. I had been to this point before and knew what would happen next.

The golden one urged me to my feet. He supported me until the dark one’s claws grabbed my hips. The golden one dropped to his knees in front of me and licked from the base to the crown of my cock.

The dark one clasped me tight to his body. One arm acted as a band around my chest, imprisoning me. The other hand searched and plunged fingers into my hole. My cries crashed unheeded through the air.

They claimed me. One with his mouth. The other with his cock. When the dark one thrust into my tight passage, he buried his gleaming teeth into my neck. I moaned, spilling both blood and seed at once.

The golden one swallowed my seed like it was the sweetest ambrosia to him. His glistening eyes held mine and I saw all the hope of heaven there. He was the reason I endured the pain.

I learned I could not have pleasure without pain. I couldn’t have light without dark. I couldn’t have love without hate. There was no good without evil.

I never knew how long I remained caught between the golden creature and the dark one. I knew only that as the sun rose and I had been drained of nearly all my essence, they left. They eased back into the other side of the world from which they had come.

I managed to open my eyes to slit as the key scraped in the lock and the front door of my apartment opened. I ignored the cries of my partner and searched out glimpses of gold.

“You’re going to rehab. I can’t take this anymore.”

The words meant nothing to me. As I was dragged from the room, I caught a flash of red and a glimmer of gold. I was addicted to being kissed by gods.


Check out Rhian’s blog to see who else jumped on the train this week.

Shifting Perspectives reviews...

I did a small review of Fiona Glass' Feathered Friend from our anthology Shifting Perspectives. Here you go.

Fiona Glass’ Feathered Friend is an interesting twist on an old fairy tale, The Swan Maiden. In the story, Charlie owns homing pigeons. One day while checking on his birds, he notices he has a new one. He takes it inside and finds there is much more to the pigeon than its pretty feathers.

Avery finds Charlie attractive and reveals his true self. Charlie makes a choice to keep Avery with him, ignoring the young shape shifter’s pleas. Even though their love grows, Charlie knows his lover isn’t happy. Will Charlie decide to set Avery free or will he continue to hold the pigeon captive?

The relationship between Avery and Charlie is interesting. It’s hot and tender, yet poignant. Fiona Glass manages to fill her short story with enough emotion to pull you in, making you root for this couple. This story teaches a lesson of why we should never cage wild creatures and how true love can come even to the most unusual of couples.

Fiona Glass’ Feathered Friend in Shifting Perspectives from Aspen Mountain Press and shows her story telling story.

Also, stop by Fiona’s blog or her Myspace page to check out her review of Emily Veinglory’s The Rat Burglar.

And stop over at Emily’s blog for her review on my story, Understanding Forgiveness.

Pimping Books...

Pimping Jill Knowles' A Pirate's Primer. It's available here. I liked it. There are a few issues...like Adam suddenly wanting to be with Jaden, even though he'd never had any sexual contact with another man before. But all in all, it was a good read. I enjoyed it.

Stop by Jill's website and check what else she has coming out. It's under construction, so there's not much to see yet. :)

We went and saw Things We Lost in the Fire last night. It was good. The acting far outshined the story, but I liked it. Of course, I think Benicio Del Toro is one of the greatest modern actors. His performance was incredible. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge Halle Berry fan, so I don't have an opinion on her acting.

Tonight, we'll be seeing either Dan in Real Life or 30 Days of Night because I told C I'd go with him. Stupid of me, I know. I don't like horror movies and try to avoid them at all costs. But he pointed out that I sat through 28 Weeks Later, so I can certainly make it through this movie. I told him I'd try, but if I have nightmares, it's his fault...lol.

This weekend is also the Breeder's Cup World Championships. Two days worth of horse racing with the best horses in the world showing up to compete. We're Tivo-ing the first day tonight. I don't want to miss it, but we're going to the movies. ;) And then starting at noon tomorrow, I'll be in front of the tv watching the races.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday.

Where the Devil Dances

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Seventeen-

Later on that night, Eric shot up in bed with a gasp. Raoul whined from the pillow where the little dog had been sleeping. What had awakened him this time? It wasn’t the clock or the phone.

Dark shadows danced across the wall. He shivered. He’d forgotten to leave a light on in the bathroom. Eric learned how to sleep without the lights on, but some nights were harder than others to let go of that fear.

He turned the lamp on beside the bed and scrubbed a hand over his face. It had to be all the fires going on around town. Hitting closer to home than he was used to. His therapist told him he could expect moments like this one where the terror runs high and he can’t sleep.

Climbing out of bed, he helped Raoul down before he got dressed. He wasn’t going to go back to sleep anytime soon. He might as well go downstairs and work on the opera house designs. They made their way down to the kitchen where he turned on the coffee pot and poured out some food for Raoul. Eric stood, staring out of the window over the kitchen sink.

All he saw in the dark glass was his reflection, yet Eric couldn’t shake the feeling someone was standing his backyard watching him. He made a mental note to go out in the morning and buy shades for all the windows. It might be paranoia, but it would drive him crazy until he made sure no one could see into his house.

Eric poured a cup of coffee and shut off the kitchen light as he made his way to his study where there weren’t any windows. He settled at his drawing board, set his cup down and picked up a pencil. Raoul curled up in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace. His little friend was used to nights like this one.

*

Satisfaction raced through his veins. He stood under the branches of the large oak in Eric’s back yard. The shadows were deep enough there, he knew Eric couldn’t see him. But Eric had felt him. He knew it by the frown marring Eric’s perfect face.

He’d caused Eric’s sleepless night, not that muscle bound firefighter. The fire at the sister’s house had achieved his goal. The firefighter wasn’t staying the night at Eric’s.

The light went out and he sighed. Eric would be working in his study and there was no way he could spy on him there. Sweat beaded his top lip. His hands shook. The fire earlier today wasn’t enough to feed the demon inside. He felt the heat building inside him.

It had always been this way. The need would build and build until he was in agony. Until he had no choice but to feed the demon what it wanted most. Fire and flames. Ash and smoke.

When he was younger, he’d thought being a firefighter would ease his inner desires, but it didn’t. It drove him to the edge of insanity. The demon wanted fire to burn. It didn’t want him to put it out. It had cost him his job and almost his life, but he came to terms with what lived in him.

He found the joy to be felt while watching the insidious being called fire consumed anything and everything in its path. It was better than sex for him. He’d creamed his jeans so many times while admiring his handiwork as it destroyed buildings and objects.

Sharing his joy with Eric would be the ultimate high and the time would soon be here when he gave his love the ultimate gift.

Wednesday WiPs

I thought I'd tell you where I went this past week (Wednesday from Wednesday) That's the wonderful thing about writing is I can go visit places without having to worry about traveling. Or I can do things without worrying about getting injured...lol.

I spent quite a bit of time in Wyoming. Tony and Brody finally decided they wanted me to visit them. I re-read what I had written and found where I went wrong. (At least I hope so.) I ended up deleting about 1k of what I'd written and started fixing it. We'll see if that does it.

I went to Morley (haven't decided what state that's in...lol) to help Eric and David with a stalker. Of course, I think I'm making things worse before it gets better. ;)

I headed down to Memphis to see if a NASCAR driver and his movie star lover can make a relationship work. This story is one I work on while I'm in line at stores or the bank. It's the easiest to pick up and set down at the moment. (It's the second book in my sports series. The first book will be out in April from Samhain.)

So here are the word counts:

Home of his Own: 42,736/50,000 (3,333 words)

Where the Devil Dances: 13,350/50,000 (1,235 words)

Dreaming of Dragons: 652/50,000 (0 words)--though I've been hearing whispers in the back of my mind from Mordred and George, so I can see the word count starting to move soon on this one.

Devil's Addiction: 30,582/50,000 (0 words)--I sort of left Beng in the middle of having sex with Daniel. Poor Daniel isn't sure who he is. I've changed his name three times. Hopefully, this is the last name for him. :)

High Line: 23,968/50,000 (1,565 words)---just so you know what I have done on this story. 'High Line' is a racing term for when a driver takes the higher part of the track in a turn or when he's passing someone.

So this week I've done 6,133 words. The thing is I've always set myself a goal of 2,000 words a day and lately I have been falling woefully short of that. Though I do get days where I'm inspired to write and get a ton done. Or I'll write a little bit on two different stories to make up the total I want to reach.

In another news, Liquid Silver has contracted The Vanguard (expanded version) and Anne Cain will be doing the cover for that one. :) I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

Have a great Wednesday. :)

Where the Devil Dances

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Sixteen-

Eric rolled over, staring at the clock. The alarm wasn’t going off. What had awakened him? The shrill ring of the phone caused him to jump. He reached for the receiver and pushed up to lean against the headboard.

“Hello.”

“Sorry to call you so late, Eric.” David sounded tired.

“Oh, it’s okay. I haven’t been asleep long.”

Raoul barked from the floor and he lifted the dog off the floor onto the bed with him.

“I just got home from Teresa’s.” David grunted softly.

“Did you get the dinner I left for you at the station?” Eric felt his cheeks heat. Why was he blushing?

“Yes. I thank you and the guys at the station thank you as well. This way they didn’t have to eat Ralston’s cooking.” David chuckled. “I do appreciate you bringing it down there for me.”

Eric snuggled with Raoul. “No big deal. I know you’d be busy with the fire and your sister. I didn’t want you to miss out on dinner.”

“Are you taking care of me?” A teasing tone came into David’s voice.

“I’m a bit of a mother hen when it comes to people I like,” Eric admitted.

Another grunt came over the phone and rustling like David was moving something. “I’m glad to know you like me and it’s just not my dog you’re chasing after.”

“Buster can’t do what you did earlier.”

“God, no. I think that’s illegal and wrong on so many levels.”

He thought about what he said and burst out laughing. “I didn’t mean that, you perv.”

David’s laughter joined his and warmth spread through Eric’s body. It had been a while since he felt like laughing. It had been even longer than that since he had someone to laugh with him.

“How’s your sister and her family,” he asked after the mirth died down.

“Good. Slightly shaken, but no one was hurt and there wasn’t a ton of damage.”

“Do they know what started it?”

“They’re not sure yet.”

There was a hesitation in David’s voice that made Eric uneasy.

“Do you think it was deliberate?” He shivered, memories threatening to bust free of the cage he’d put them in.

“Cap told me there might be a chance it was the arsonist who started all the other fires we’ve been fighting the past couple of months. He thinks my appearance on TV might have focused the creep’s attention on me.” A hint of anger simmered in David’s words.

“What do you think?” Eric knew firefighting was a dangerous profession, but he’d never thought the danger could come from a deranged person instead of flames.

“Don’t know. I guess it’s possible. If he’s going after Teresa, he must be scared.” David sighed.

“Will you do me a favor?”

“Sure. Anything.” He meant it.

“Be careful. There’s no reason to believe this freak will come after you, but I don’t want to risk it. You’re too important to me to lose before I even found you.”

The caring evident in David’s voice touched Eric deep in his chest, making him dream that for the first time in three years, everything just might be okay.

“I promise to do my best,” he whispered.

“That’s all I can ask.”

Eric glanced at the clock. “Unfortunately, I have an early morning appointment tomorrow.”

“I’ll let you go.” David seemed reluctant to hang up.

“Oh, I meant to ask you. Did you grab my blue dress shirt by accident when you left this evening?” Eric frowned.

“No. Why?”

“I must have misplaced it. Strange though. I’m a neat freak and usually hang my clothes up as soon as possible, but I can’t find that shirt anywhere. Darn it. It was my favorite.” He wondered where it might have gone.

“I’ll help you look for it tomorrow.” David’s voice softened. “Sweet dreams, Eric.”

“You too. I’ll call you when I get done with my appointment.”

Eric hung up the phone and laid it back on the nightstand. Rolling over on to his back, he stared up at the ceiling. Raoul climbed on his chest and licked his chin.

He smiled. The shirt didn’t matter. What mattered was he had his dog to keep him company and a man who had the potential of being far more than simply a friend.

Poetry Train

Stop by Rhian's blog to see who else jumped on the Poetry Train today. :)

A wave crashes against stone
A hand crashes against flesh
Like stone, the soul is immovable
Erosion will destory the stone
Faithlessness will destory the soul

Faith brings trust
Trust saves the soul
The soul becomes strong
Strong becomes stone
In Heaven, there are stones.

T.A. Chase copyright 2007

Pimping Books...

I'm pimping my own book today. Though this isn't the right cover. As soon as I get the right one, I'll post it. *new cover* Shifting Perspectives is an shifter anthology featuring me, Emily Veinglory and Fiona Glass. I've read Emily and Fiona's stories and loved them. They did a wonderful job. My story, Understanding Forgiveness, is a sweeter story than I usually write. I hope you enjoy it though.

Here's the blurb for the anthology:

Not everyone is a shifter by choice. In T.A. Chase's Understanding Forgiveness a shifter must learn to embrace who and what he is and forgive the son of the man who genetically manipulated him and held him in a cage.

Fiona Glass entertains us with Feathered Friend, a story about a man who finds a surprise in his bird coop.

In Emily Veinglory's The Rat Burglar a guard protecting an ancient artifact meets a charming man who is intent on robbing his museum.

Where the Devil Dances

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Fifteen-

David walked out of the captain’s office. He stopped to lean against the wall and scrub his hands over his face. He’d stayed with Timmy until his sister got back. When they were reunited, he returned to the fire scene. Thank god, it was a small fire contained to the sun porch off the kitchen. The babysitter had spotted it before the fire could get a foothold into the actual house.

After checking the scene out and talking to his captain, David had the oddest feeling the arsonist was targeting him. Maybe since he’d been the face on TV instead of the department spokesman, the arsonist had become fixated on him. He’d have to talk to Teresa and Jeff, tell them to be careful until they caught this guy.

“Hey Browdie,” one of the guys yelled from the front office.

“What?” He pushed off the wall and walked into the other room.

“Some guy came in and dropped this off for you.” Ralston pointed to two baskets on the counter. “Don’t know what’s in it, but it smells good.”

“Some guy? What did he look like?” David figured he knew who it was, but with the Cap’s warning still ringing in his ear, he had to be cautious.

“Short. Thin. Long brown hair.” Ralston grinned. “Got a new boyfriend, Browdie?”

David laughed. “Would you be heartbroken if I said yes?”

Ralston punched his arm as the other firefighter went by. “Not really. I like tits and legs. You’ve got nice legs, but no tits.”

“Thank goodness for that.”

He opened the first basket and the mouthwatering aroma of spaghetti sauce and cheese wafted out. Pulling the glass dish out, he lifted the tin foil off the top and saw it was lasagna. He picked it up carefully and carried it into the station kitchen.

“You start dinner yet,” he asked Ralston.

“No. Damn, I hate it when it’s my night to cook.” Ralston frowned.

“It’s your lucky night. My new boyfriend brought me supper and I’m willing to share it with everyone.” He set it on the table where the other guys gathered.

Ralston leaned in, breathing deep. “Hell, if it tastes as good as it smells, I just might reconsider dating guys.”

“You’ll have to find another cook, Ralston. This one’s taken.”

Everyone chuckled and then silence fell as they scooped out the lasagna. He brought the other basket in which yielded two loaves of garlic bread and two apple pies for dessert. As the pie disappeared, they settled back with coffee and chatted amongst themselves.

David looked around and realized he’d been lucky to work with this group of men. While some of them didn’t understand why David liked guys, they didn’t bug him about it. They were willing to live and let live as long as he didn’t rub their noses in it. For the most part, he didn’t. It was easy when he didn’t have a boyfriend to talk about. He glanced over at the baskets sitting on the kitchen counter. Things just might be changing in that respect.

Wednesday WiPs

I thought I was on the road to recovery, but it seems today is worse than yesterday. Ugh! I really just want to go back home, curl up under my blankets and totally forget about the outside world for a while.

Didn't do much last night except watch Transformers again. Still a fun movie. :)

So on to the WiPs. Didn't get a ton more added to any of them since I was sick over the weekend.

Home of his Own: 39, 403/50,000 (260 words)

Where the Devil Dances: 12,115/50,000 (1,486 words)

Dreaming of Dragons: 652/50,000 (0 words)

Devil's Addiction: 30,582/50,000 (146 words)

That gives me 1,892 words for the week. Not bad. :)

I hope you all have a great Wednesday.

Where the Devil Dances

*sorry about no picture. Couldn't load it up. I'll try again later on*

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Fourteen-

A shrill ring woke Eric up. He glanced around and almost fell out of bed when David mumbled something next to him. It had been a long time since he’d shared his bed with anyone. Rolling on to his back, he watched David climb out from under the covers to dig through the pile of clothes they’d left on the floor.

He admired David’s tight ass as the firefighter bent over to find the ringing phone. He fought the urge to reach out and pinch it. David pulled the phone out, straightening to sit on the bed.

“Browdie,” David growled.

Eric could tell it was bad news by the way David’s golden skin went pale.

“Shit. I’ll be right there, Cap.” David hung up and started tugging on his clothes.

“Another fire?” Eric left the bed, dressing in a pair of linen pants and a cotton t-shirt.

“Yes. At Teresa’s.” David left his shirt unbuttoned as he opened the bedroom door and headed downstairs.

“Are they okay?” Eric followed.

“Yeah. I have to go and check on my nephew. Teresa and Jeff are on their way home, but they went into the city, so it’ll be a while.” David slipped his shoes on.

The dogs sat, watching both of them carefully. Eric handed David his jacket.

“Do you want me to watch Buster for you?”

David shook his head. “No. I’ll take him with me. Timmy loves Buster and it might help take his mind off the fire until his parents get home.”

Eric snapped Buster’s leash to the greyhound’s collar, holding it out to David as the man went past. He leaned on the door frame and watched David load Buster into the truck. Raoul sat at his feet, whining slightly. Bending, he rubbed Raoul’s ears, comforting his pet. Footsteps racing up the walk made him stand up.

David took his face in his rough hands and gave him a quick, hard kiss. Pulling back, the blond smiled. “I didn’t want the day to end quite so fast.”

He caressed David’s cheek. “We have time. Your family’s more important at the moment. Call me later when you get a chance.”

Another quick kiss and David ran back to his truck. Eric waved once and went back inside. He sank onto the couch with a sigh. Raoul jumped up on his lap and pawed at his shirt. He hugged the little Papillion.

“What should we do now?” He glanced at the designs waiting for him to work on. There was no way he’d be able to focus on the opera house at the moment. He set Raoul back down. “I’m going to change, Raoul and then we’ll go to the dog park. Maybe it’ll give us something else to think about.”

Raoul yipped and streaked over to where his leash hung. Eric changed and they left the house, heading towards the park. Eric didn’t want to think about David or what kind of relationship they might end up having. He just wanted to enjoy how he felt at the moment. Relaxed and happy for the first time in months. The possibility of a new life and new friends made the day brighter. He laughed as Raoul jumped on him and danced around him.

*

It worked. The fire wasn’t meant to destroy, merely to frighten and to get that intruder away from Eric. He stood across the street and watched Browdie tear away from Eric’s house, going to rescue his nephew and that silly babysitter. He grimaced, remembering her shrill shrieks and sobs.

A few minutes later, Eric left the house as well, walking that annoying creature towards the park. He smiled. It would give him a few minutes to look around and become familiar with Eric’s new house. He hadn’t been able to do it while the dog was there. Its bark was too loud to not be noticed by the neighbors.

He waited until Eric disappeared around the corner before making his way across the street and behind the house. He went to the back door and pushed the button, opening the door. He’d just happened to be wandering around in the alley when he saw Raoul do that little trick. Useful not only for the dog, but for him as well. Didn’t have to worry about breaking and entering this way.

He searched the house quickly. He wouldn’t spend a great deal of time there at first. This was a re-con mission to find where Eric’s bedroom was. He looked at the designs for the opera house. It would be beautiful when Eric was done with it, but that didn’t surprise him. Eric was a talented architect.

Eric’s bedroom was upstairs. He looked through the closets and the dresser, touching the fine fabrics. He wrinkled his nose. It smelled like sex. Hm-m-m…maybe the fire was a little too late. It would seem Eric and Browdie might have become more intimate than he wanted. He thought about it and shrugged. There was nothing he could do about that. When it was time and he had Eric, he’d just have to purify him before their relationship could advance.

He glanced at his watch. He had to go. Not knowing how long Eric would be gone, he didn’t want to get caught. He snatched a blue shirt from a chair and left. A trophy until he could have its owner.

Sick and tired....

I tried to think of something to post today for the Poetry Train, but I've been sick all weekend and my brain isn't function right. :) So I thought I'd post a little eye candy and tell you to stop by Rhian's blog to see what stops there are on the train today.

I'm going back to bed and hoping I start to feel better. Have a great day.

Finally Friday

Sorry about the really late post. Work got crazy for a while and now I have to put out some fires. Ugh! Silly day jobs.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. :)

Where the Devil Dances

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Thirteen-

David broke off the kiss and pulled a few inches away. He stared down into Eric’s pale blue eyes. Rubbing a thumb over Eric’s bottom lip, David smiled.

“Are you ready for this?”

Eric swallowed and nodded. “Yes, but I have to warn you. My scars are still sensitive. If there too much sensation, it’ll hurt and I might pull away from you.” Eric’s gaze dropped for a moment and then met his again. “When I do that, please don’t think I want you to stop.”

“I’ll be careful with you. At any time, if it gets too much, tell me and I’ll back off. Hurting you isn’t something I would ever do.”

David stepped farther away and stripped, figuring it would be easier on Eric if they were skin to skin. Soon he stood before Eric, naked and bare. He shivered as Eric stroked light fingers over his chest, stopping to pluck at his nipples. A moan escaped his throat and he arched his back. He wanted to encourage Eric’s touch.

Wrapping a hand around the back of Eric’s head, he drew them closer inch by inch until they were barely touching. David brushed kiss after kiss over Eric’s lips while he encircled Eric’s waist with his free arm. He traced the length of the dark haired man’s spine, investigating each bump and dip. With a light caress, he stroked his fingertips over the soft skin at the top of Eric’s crease.

“Oh,” Eric gasped, his hands grasping David’s upper arms.

“Is this all right?” David ran his fingers down the crease of Eric’s ass, rubbing the puckered flesh before moving lower to the skin behind Eric’s balls.

“Yes. It’s so big. Been so long.” Eric’s eyes widened and he shuddered.

David kissed along Eric’s jaw to the sensitive spot behind Eric’s ear. He sucked on the tender flesh. He kept sliding his fingers along Eric’s ass while gripping their cocks together in his other hand.

Pre-cum leaked from each slit and he used the liquid to ease the friction as he pumped. He swallowed Eric’s breath as the slender man cried out. He thrust his tongue in and stroked the roof of Eric’s mouth. David took the kiss deeper.

He gripped Eric’s hip and encouraged his lover to move. He nibbled and sucked down the span of Eric’s throat to lick at the dusky brown nipples. There were ragged scars scattered around the top of Eric’s chest with a few thin ones running through the hard little nubs.

“David,” Eric moaned, hips snapping back and forth. “Soon.”

“I know, baby. Come with me.” David’s own climax was exploding through him.

His balls tightened and he gripped their cocks firmly, pumping hard and fast. He threw his head back, coming hard. More wet heat spilled over his hand and Eric’s hand dug into his arms.

“David,” Eric cried.

David kept stroking until their cocks softened. He pressed gentle kisses on Eric’s temple as Eric rested his head on David’s shoulder.

“Let’s take a nap.” He moved them to the bed.

He helped Eric lie down, went to the bathroom to grab a washcloth to clean them both up. After washing them off, he tossed the cloth back towards the bathroom. He slid under the covers and snuggled close to Eric. He kissed the nape of Eric’s neck.

“Thank you,” Eric whispered.

“You’re welcome. We’ll take it slow. We’ve got all the time in the world.”

Eric sighed and David smiled.

Wednesday WiPs

You've probably noticed the newest covers on my books section in the side bar here at my blog. :) And it might be all screwed up like it is on my computer screen here at work, but I promise when I was doing it at home, they all lined up perfectly...lol.

So yes, I do have a book coming out from Samhain in April of 2008. It's called Out of Bounds and is the first in my Love of Sports series. I figured since I haven't talked much about it, I would post the blurb for you all to read. This one is about a professional basketball player who falls in love and has to make the decision on whether to come out or lie.

Professional basketball player, Kasey Johnson, likes guys, but he keeps those longings out of the public eye. Kasey’s secret is safe until he meets a nightclub owner who ignites a passionate inferno in his body.

Ingram Fletcher owns Liverpool, the most popular gay club in Phoenix. He’s lusted after Kasey since they first met a year ago. Unsure of Kasey’s preferences, Gram has never made a move, but a kiss in a crowded club starts Gram wondering if a relationship would be possible.

After a romantic weekend together, Kasey and Gram realize that what starts as simple lust can blossom into love.

This blurb might change over the course of edits, but at the moment, it's what I've got. Kasey happens to have a twin brother, Garrett, who is an openly gay movie star. I'm working on his story next. He falls for a recently 'outed' NASCAR driver. It hasn't been contracted yet though. So I'll keep you posted on that one.

On to the word count updates:

Home of his Own: 39,142/50,000 (390 words)

Dreaming of Dragons: 652/50,000 (0 words)

Devil's Addiction: 30,436/50,000 (0 words)

Where the Devil Dances: 10,629/50,000 (1550 words)

That gives me a total of 1,940 words for the week. Hmm....not great, but I have been working on other stories that I haven't listed here. Like Garrett's story, High Line. And a few others. I do have probably about another 1k written in long hand for DoD, just haven't gotten around to typing it in.

Hope you have a great Wednesday. :) Happy Hump Day.

Where the Devil Dances

Where the Devil Dances. copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Twelve-

Eric stepped from the shower, toweling his hair dry. David had taken the dogs for a walk. He wrapped another towel around his hips. Tossing the wet towel in the hamper, he grabbed a bottle of lotion and headed for the bedroom. Raoul greeted him in the hallway. He knelt and scratched behind the dog’s big ears.

“Did you have a good walk, little man?”

Raoul barked and wagged his tail, making the little dog’s entire body shake. A sharp intake of breath from behind him alerted Eric to David’s presence. Closing his eyes, Eric steadied his racing pulse. Every instinct in him shouted to run, to cover up the scars marring his body, but another quieter voice said he had to stop running. He had to give David a chance.

Eric spent the past three years healing not only his body, but his mind as well. It was time to risk rejection, if only so he could move on and not let what happened in the past rule his future. He stood slowly and straightened his shoulders, steeling himself for David’s reaction. His chest was far worse than his back.

He jumped when fingers stroked over the deepest scar on his back. It ran from shoulder to shoulder, jagged and raised. The doctors couldn’t do anything about making it look neater. It wasn’t a burn scar. When he’d fallen, overcome by smoke and hit by a burning ceiling beam, he’d landed on the splintered edge of a cross. The wood gouged a deep wound into his back. Eric had been pinned to the cross by the ceiling beam. The firefighters who rescued him told him he’d been lucky that the cross hadn’t severed his spinal cord. At the time, he considered himself very unlucky to have lived through all of it.

“What happened?” David’s words caused Eric to shiver as David’s breath washed his skin right before David brushed a soft kiss over the scar.

“Got it in a fire about three years ago,” he managed to say, breathless from the sensations washing over him.

David’s body heat engulfed Eric as the firefighter stepped closer. “That isn’t a burn scar.”

He shook his head. “No. That’s from the cross I fell onto when the church’s ceiling beam fell on me.” He steeled himself and turned. “These are burn scars.”

Eric met David’s gaze, needing to see whatever emotion played in David’s eyes. He was surprised when admiration and sympathy flared in those dark eyes.

“Shit. Those are some serious scars. How far do they go?”

Eric gestured down to his feet. “I was burnt from head to toe basically. I was lucky enough that the burns to my face weren’t as extensive, so the surgeon could fix those. I actually ended up looking better than I did before the fire.”

Taking David’s hand, Eric led him into the bedroom. He shut the door, making sure Raoul and Buster were in the hallway. He didn’t know if he could do anything with the dogs staring at them. He gestured to the bed.

“Sit.”

David didn’t say anything, simply sat. Eric moved to stand in front of him and took another deep breath. It was now or never. David hadn’t run when he’d seen Eric’s chest. He doubted the man would be put off by the rest of the scars. He tugged off the towel.

“Fuck. You are beautiful.” David’s hot gaze devoured his body.

Eric blushed. Of all the words he’d expected to hear, ‘beautiful’ wasn’t one of them. He didn’t know what to do with his hands. He clasped them together in front of his waist. Smiling, David stood and took Eric’s hands in his, drawing him closer.

“Am I the first person you’ve shown your scars to?"

He nodded. “I’ve had sex since the fire. People will do anything if you pay them enough.” He shrugged and stared at David’s chest. “You’re the first one I’ve shown that mattered.”

“I’m honored.” David brought their bodies tighter together.

Eric tensed, waiting for the first brush of fabric over his skin. The deepest scars didn’t hurt at all. The nerve endings had been destroyed by the flames and the treatment in the hospital. The shallow scars had damaged nerves that could send pain through him if they’re overloaded.

The gentle caress of rough fingertips along the small of his back made him moan and he relaxed. There would be pain, but he could endure it if touches like that were the reward. David took his lips in a demanding kiss and Eric knew it was time to take that final step.

__________________________________________________________________

Sorry, I know I promised hot man love, but it didn't fit into this scene. On Thursday, I know it will. :)

Poetry Train...

I was busy all weekend, so I didn't have time to write a new poem for everyone. I thought I'd give you one of my favorite quotes from Rainer Maria Rilke. It's from his Letter to a Young Poet.

"How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races, the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transformed into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love."

I hope you have a great Monday and stop by Rhian's blog to find out the other stops on the train.

Pimping Books

Today, I'm pimping banned books. :) Like the Bible and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. For a list of banned books, stop by here and check them out. It says it's a complete list but I can't swear it is.

This week has been Banned Book Week. I admit I haven't read most of the books on the list, but that's simply because they don't interest me that much. lol. Not because I find them offensive or full of lies.

The way I see it, any book should be available to anyone to read if they want too. If they think the topic or words in the book are offensive or subversive, than they can simply chose not to read them, but not take away anyone else's right to read it. It's purely a First Amendment right to freedom of speech. (imo)

I know there are people out there who think my books are terrible and promote perversions. That's fine. They're entitled to their opinions, the same as I am. I'll keep writing them because of all the people out there who enjoy my stories and the men I create. :)

Hope you have a great Friday and a wonderful weekend.

Where the Devil Dances...

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Eleven:

“Thank you for coming.”

The mayor finished his speech and Eric’s death grip on David’s arm eased. David patted the slender hand resting in the crook of his arm. Eric had kept a hold of him during the entire ceremony except when Eric had to go and say something in front of the crowd.

People came up to congratulate Eric and welcome him to Morley. David didn’t move from the architect’s side. He was staking his claim in the most obvious way he could. He’d never felt this possessive this fast with any of his other boyfriends. David didn’t want to scare Eric away either.

After the crowd thinned out, he drew Eric away towards the truck. It was time to take Eric back home.

“David.”

He frowned when Teresa yelled. He didn’t want to stay any longer, but he couldn’t ignore his sister.

“What?” He turned to watch Teresa and Jeff make their way over to them.

“We’re taking advantage of having a babysitter and going out to dinner. Do you and Eric want to join us?” Teresa smiled at Eric.

He looked at Eric and saw the faint tremor in the man’s hand as Eric brushed a lock of hair out of those blue eyes. He knew Eric would go if David said he wanted to. David wanted to go back to Eric’s house and hold the smaller man until he relaxed.

“Sorry, sis. I’m still pretty whipped from last night. I think I’m going to head home and go to bed early.” He kissed her cheek. “Great job, Jeff. Your opera house was a brilliant idea.” He shook his brother-in-law’s hand.

“Especially since you know the architect.” Jeff laughed.

“Well, you did manage to hire a hot one.” He winked at Eric.

Eric blushed. “Good-bye, Teresa. Jeff, it was nice to finally meet you.”

“Same here. I can’t wait to see the final drawings.”

David held the truck door open for Eric and then settled behind the wheel. Turning to face the other man, he stroked a thumb over Eric’s cheek. “How are you doing?”

“Good.” Eric gave him an anxious look. “If you want to have dinner with your sister, you can drop me off at home.”

“No. I want to go home with you and play with my dog.” He leaned over and kissed Eric gently. “And maybe snuggle with you on the couch.”

Eric gave a shaky laugh. “I can do that.”

“Let’s go.”

He started the truck and they drove off, making their way back to Eric’s house.

*

He frowned. Where are they going? Eric didn’t invite that man back to his house, did he? That wasn’t good. He didn’t want the firefighter spending the night or another minute with Eric.
This situation called for another present, but he wasn’t ready for it. It was too soon after the last one. He needed to plan, to think out where he was going and what would have the most meaning for Eric.

Panic caused his hands to shake. If he didn’t do something, Eric would give his body to that man. He’ll be defiled just like he had been by the accountant all those years ago. The fire had purified Eric. Had cleanse all scent and taste of Eric’s old lover from Eric’s body. He didn’t want to have to waste the perfection of his flames on purging Eric of another man’s touch.

Throwing the car into drive, he eased out of the parking lot. He couldn’t afford to get caught. He still had so much to do before he could approach Eric with his love. Yet he couldn’t let that coarse thug of a man take his precious love.

Maybe he had to leave his present closer to home. He had to do something to make Eric realize the firefighter wasn’t the right man. That someone who could appreciate Eric’s true nature was out there waiting for him. But what would be the best present?

He drove past the couple he’d heard talking to Eric and that man. They were going out to dinner because they had a babysitter. Ah…that might be right. What was the man’s name?

Jeff Triscu. He would look up the address and go see if there was anything there he could use. It had to be a marvelous gift for Eric, but also it had to draw the firefighter away before anything else could happen besides a kiss or two.

Speeding up, he drove to his apartment. He had supplies for whatever he decided to do. It was time to warn the firefighter. Eric is mine and always has been.

____________________________________________________________________

Next Tuesday, there will be some manlove I promise. It's time to move Eric and David's relationship into a different place. ;)

Wednesday WiPs...

First off, stop by Beautiful to see tons more great pics. :) It's very eye-opening.

Second, I'm starting to work on edits of Out of Bounds, a contemporary that will be coming out in April next year at Samhain. I'll give you a quick sneak peek at it on Friday. Woo-hoo!

So on to the WiPs I have going (or at least the four main ones...lol):

Home of his Own: 38,753/50,000 (232 words)

Dreaming of Dragons: 652/50,000 (0 words)

Devil's Addiction: 30,436/50,000 (263 words)

Where the Devil Dances: 9,079/50,000 (1,921 words)

That gives me 2,416 words for the week. Bit slow, but I did do edits on Understanding Forgiveness as well. (which can be found at Aspen Mountain Press..release date Oct. 19th)

I wrote 33, 804 words during the month of September and added to my running total gives me 281, 613 words for the year so far. I slowed down a little as the end of the month got closer.

Well, I hope you all have a great Wednesday.

Where the Devil Dances

Where the Devil Dances copyright (c) 2007 T.A. Chase

Part Ten-

David noticed how tense Eric became the closer they got to the construction site. They pulled into the parking lot and he turned the truck off. Before he got out, he reached over to take Eric’s hand. Eric’s pale eyes glanced down at their hands and then back up to meet his gaze.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.” Eric didn’t sound convinced.

“I’m not sure you are. If you don’t want to do this, I’ll turn around and we can head home to the dogs. I wouldn’t be upset to miss this.” He smiled.

Eric chuckled softly. “I know and I’d love to miss it, but I can’t. This is my first solo commission. Can’t screw that up. It just doesn’t get any easier having people stare at me.”

“You’re gorgeous. They’re only staring because they’ve never seen a man as beautiful as you.” David reached out and cupped Eric’s smooth cheek with his free hand.

“That’s why they stare now and it’s only been in the past year or so that they haven’t run screaming in the other direction. People used to stare at me because of my scars. Though I have to admit they weren’t as bad as the ones on my body. I’m able to hide those. My surgeon couldn’t do anything about them.” Eric nuzzled into David’s hand, pressing a kiss to his palm.

“I have to ask and you don’t have to answer me. How did your hands escape injury? I can’t see any scars on them at all. Surgery wouldn’t have fixed that, would it?” He held Eric’s smaller hand in his and stroked a finger over the knuckles.

“U-m-m-m…” Eric cleared his throat. “I was lucky. They ended being protected somehow. My rescuers never told me what covered them, but something fell over top of them stopping them from being burned.”

A knock on the window of his door made them both jump. David turned to see his sister standing outside with a grin on her face. He shook his head and laughed.

“Get ready. My sister’s outside.” He wanted to kiss Eric, but settled for squeezing the man’s hand instead.

They climbed out of the truck. By the time Teresa was done hugging David, Eric had joined them. Teresa’s mouth dropped open when she caught sight of Eric. David watched as Eric’s pale cheeks flushed with embarrassment. He elbowed his sister.

“You look like a fish,” he muttered to her.

Her mouth snapped shut and she smiled sheepishly at Eric. “Sorry. I bet you get that reaction a lot.”

“Yes, I do, but it’s still uncomfortable.” Eric’s own smile was shy.

“I’m sure it is. I’m Teresa Triscu, David’s older sister.” She held out her hand and David was proud of her recovery. “I’ll try not to embarrass you anymore.”

“I’m Eric Sandel.” They shook hands.

“Oh my god, you’re the architect for the opera house. Come on. Jeff has been frantic. He’s worried you weren’t going to show.”

David watched as Teresa dragged Eric off to find Jeff. He followed at a more leisurely pace. He wasn’t worried about losing them in the crowd. He simply had to find the people with the stunned faces that they were leaving in their wake.

When he caught up with them, Eric was surrounded by people who were all talking to him at once. Eric’s eyes skipped from one talker to another, trying to be polite and listen to all of them. A tall well-dressed man stepped up beside Eric and laid his hand on Eric’s arm. David wanted to shove through the group and push the man away from Eric.

He stopped, staring at the beautiful stranger he’d met a week ago. Where had the jealousy come from? It wasn’t like they were dating or anything. Dinner and escorting Eric to this ceremony didn’t mean they had a relationship. Oh but how he wanted one with this gorgeous man. Not only because Eric’s looks were so unique and hot, but because there was a vulnerability hidden behind the perfect face. He had a feeling there was a wonderful man underneath those looks and he wanted to learn about him.

Eric’s face held a panicked expression. David could tell that the crush of people was starting to get to Eric. David made his way through the crowd until he stood next to Eric. He took Eric’s shaking hand and settled it in the crook of his elbow. Blue eyes studied him for a second with a questioning gaze. He smiled and nodded, reassuring Eric without saying anything. He felt Eric relax.

Leaning down, he whispered in Eric’s ear, “I’ll stay right here and if you need to leave, you let me know. I don’t have a problem leaving early.”

Eric shivered. David didn’t know what caused that reaction, though he hoped it was the feel of his warm breath on Eric’s skin.

“Thank you.” Eric’s voice was rougher than usual.

“Welcome.”

David took the moment to brush a kiss over Eric’s cheek before straightening up.

“Mr. Sandel, if you’d come with me. I’ll show you where the ground breaking is to take place.” The well-dressed man glared at David.

David had the feeling it wasn’t because the man didn’t approve of two guys kissing, but more likely the guy wanted Eric for himself. He grinned. Not going to happen, buddy. I saw him first.

It was going to be an interesting afternoon.

Poetry Train....

Here's the cover for the anthology I'm in that's coming out in October. :) Yep, Emily's in there with me. Woo-Hoo! Can't imagine how I got so lucky. Shoot. I thought I had a blurb written up somewhere, but it must be on my computer at home. Or else I told myself I needed to write one and never did..lol.

But I thought I post an excerpt from Understanding Forgiveness...my story. It's a sweet story...no sex really. Just tension. Having my heroes have sex didn't really seem to fit in the overall story. I did write UF after I finished Stealing Life and I couldn't keep those two guys away from each other. I think I went into overload...lol. ;)

Here you go:

The buzz of conversation had quieted when he arrived. He silently counted the seconds waiting for someone to get the nerve to approach him. Five minutes later, someone sat across from him.

“Hi, I’m Basil.”

Mason looked up to see a thin young man sitting in front of him. Shooting a glance over his shoulder, Mason saw Lisa watching them with a worried expression. He wondered if she was afraid he’d attack or hurt Basil in some way. Mason frowned. Being isolated from human or shifter contact made him gruff and unable to deal with idiots, but he still knew enough to be polite to people when he needed to be.

Basil’s shoulder length hair gleamed black as a raven’s wing. Bright shiny black eyes stared at him with curiosity. Those eyes combined with the prominent nose and tilted head conjured images of a crow.

“Mason.” He didn’t offer his hand. Basil looked so fragile, Mason was afraid he’d break a bone by shaking hands with the man.

“Right. The new one Zev and Doc brought in.” Basil’s head bobbed.

“Guess so. Where are they?” He wondered why they weren’t eating with the rest.

“Zev stopped by earlier. He doesn’t like all the noise. Too many people. Too much talking.” Basil shrugged. “Doc had a rough night. We won’t see him until lunch or maybe even supper.”

“Rough night?”

Basil leaned in as he was sharing a classified secret. “He’s sick and sometimes he has bad nights because of it.”

“Sick? What illness?” Mason thought of how he’d breathed in the doctor’s air last night. Shifters were pretty immune to most diseases, but he didn’t want to risk catching anything.

“No one knows, but it isn’t communicable. At least no one’s gotten sick since coming here.” Basil plucked an apple from Mason’s plate. “What kind are you?”

“Kind?” Mason felt a hiss rise in his throat. He didn’t like sharing, but he fought the urge to rip the apple out of Basil’s hands. There was more food and the man didn’t know how possessive Mason was.

“Animal? Breed? Species?” Basil pointed to himself. “I’m a raven.”

“I’d never have guessed that,” Mason said with a slight smile.

“It’s pretty obvious. Jess, over there, is a monkey.”

Mason looked over to where Basil gestured. A brunette woman nodded to them both as she grabbed a bowl full of fruit. Aside from the fruit though, there was nothing to hint at what she shifted into. A petite woman pulling wiggling bugs from a pan and swallowing them caught Mason’s gaze. He gagged.

“Yeah, it takes a while to get used to watching Fern eat.” Basil lobbed the apple core at Fern.

The woman flipped them the finger as she stuck a cricket in her mouth. Mason turned around before he lost his appetite.

“Fern’s an amphibian. Hey, what kind are you, Fern?” Basil yelled at the lady who calmly flipped them off again. “Fern’s not much of a talker. Oh right, she’s a green tree frog.”

“A tree frog? What the fuck was Von Mertz smoking when he mixed those genes?”

Mason turned to his right as a huge man sat down next to him. The stranger stuck his hand out and said, “I’m Boris and I’m a bear.”

“Yes, I can see you are.” Mason shook the large hand and managed not to whimper as Boris squeezed his bones together.

“Boris, you’re doing it again.” Basil tapped Boris on the arm.

“Oh sorry. Sometimes I forget.” Boris released Mason’s hand.

Mason wiggled all his fingers, making sure they all worked. “No problem, man. What are you doing here? I can’t see a lot of naturals messing with you.”

“I don’t have any control over my change. When I get mad or excited, I tend to shift and then things get nasty. It’s easier here. Less pressure and if I make a mistake, my hide’s not likely to end up spread out in front of someone’s fireplace.” Boris’ moustache twitched as the man chuckled.

Mason couldn’t believe how brown and hairy the man was. It looked as if the bear genes almost overrode the human genes in Boris’ body.

__________________________________________________________________

Mason is the shifter and the doctor mentioned in this excerpt is Heinrich Gunther, a doctor with an interesting secret himself. :)

Don't forget to stop by Rhian's blog to check out the other poetry train stops.