Bitten by a Hellcat, the sixth book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Eternal Mates, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY at her website and sharing sneak peeks of the book. This book works as a standalone, so it’s perfect for those new to the series too.

Find out how to enter the Bitten by a Hellcat international giveaway (ends March 1st) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 5 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/bitten-by-a-hellcat-paranormal-romance-novel.php
 

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Platinum Pleasures by Kate Deveaux: Guest Blog and Giveaway!!!

Thick Chicks would like to introduce Kate Deveaux to the blog today. She is the author of the featured Platinum Pleasures. Check out how she got inspired:

I am often asked how I get the inspiration for my books.


I love being asked this question as it makes me really think about just how I get fired up to write a new book, to create new characters, new plot lines, and tap into an intense romance that is just begging to be told.

Being a visual person, I often find that making a Pinterest Board for the story taking shape in my mind helps spark my imagination. Putting a face to a character, a theme to a book, as well as visualizing the setting, and/or location, is very much at the essence of each new story I start to tell.

Such was the case with the hero in Platinum Pleasures, Marcus Roarke. Several themes co-mingle here: The “Platinum theme,” with the hero, Marcus, a drop-dead hunky young billionaire whose company is aptly titled Platinum Enterprises.

My Pinterest board for this book evokes not only the sexy young mega man with the world at his fingertips, but also the “Platinum” theme that is not only the name of his company, but also the level of sensuality in the book as he finds love again in the most unlikely place — running an errand on the way home from work on Valentine’s Day.

On my Pinterest board I show Ainsley as a mature, curvy, Mrs. Robinson themed heroine. Ainsley is recently single and finds herself alone once again on what should be the most romantic of days.

A heroine who knows what she wants, Ainsley isn’t afraid of a little experimentation in and out of the bedroom when she takes a chance
when she hires a lover for Valentine’s to fulfill her darkest desires.

But there’s more to Marcus than just his looks and robust checking account. Under the jet set dashing man is something more raw and tender. Marcus is a widower and Valentine’s Day is his wedding
anniversary, making the day a potent reminder of love lost.

The bond between young Marcus and Ainsley, the curvy woman at the door, is above and beyond gold — it is Platinum all the way when two broken hearts find a way to escape Valentine’s Day alone.

When Marcus arrives at Ainsley’s door, he turns the tables on her Mrs. Robinson’s type expectations and takes control. An instant connection is made and neither one realizes they are part of a case of mistaken identity until it’s too late…they have fallen for each other…hard.

As well as the love theme between the Marcus and Ainsley, there is also the importance of the setting: Beverly Hills. Her penthouse. His penthouse.

And the finer things in life, his Aston Martin, her aunt’s Maybach. All these images form the theme of the book, sensual, luxe and utterly pleasurable.

For a virtual tour of Platinum Pleasures and the inspirations I found in crafting this sinfully hot Valentine’s tale, check out the board and let me know what you th
ink…

Pinterest | Website

****

Title: Platinum Pleasures

Author: Kate Deveaux

Genre: Contemporary Erotica Romance

One night…one fantasy for hire…one sizzling case of mistaken identity. 

Ainsley Simmons can hardly believe she’s ordered a fantasy lover online — a man to fulfill her deepest sexual desires for the entire evening. She’s in for a surprise when sexy young Mr. R shows up at her door in a classic case of mistaken identity.

Ainsley has the night of her life being pleasured by the much younger and demanding multi-millionaire — until she discovers he’s not her fantasy lover after all.

He’s even better than that.

Get your copy:

Totally Bound | Amazon | BN

*****

About the Author:

Kate Deveaux is a contemporary, erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. It was after reading Jane Eyre in high school, that she became hooked on the idea of writing about romance, excitement and drama. Kate has been penning stories, from the sensual to the sinfully sexy, ever since!

A former wedding planner, Kate has always been "in love" with love! She was inspired to transition from writing racy short stories to full length manuscr

ipts after meeting other authors in the romance world at industry workshops, conferences and events. Originally from England, now resides in the U.S. with her husband.

When she’s not writing or reading, Kate can be found on the tennis court—yes, there’s even "love" in that game too!

Stalk Kate at the following:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Join the Street Team

Don't miss your chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

****

Check out this excerpt:

Ainsley Simmons chewed on the end of her pencil, her fingers hovering over her laptop, wondering if she had the nerve. Staring at the screen, she tapped her foot nervously on the polished limestone floor. The rapid beat echoed through her sprawling penthouse. Pausing to pick up a business card, she flipped it over like a playing card, thumbing the linen card stock between her fingers.

All too aware that today was Valentine’s Day, the last thing Ainsley wanted to do was spend the evening alone. Not when her friends were being whisked off by their lovers and significant others to exotic locales, all while she sat in her vast Beverly Hills penthouse. Alone. At least Charles hadn’t taken her home from her when he’d cleaned her out and scampered off to Dubai with his newest flame.

Her gaze lingered on the business card and the elegant, embossed print.

Fantasies Inc. 
No fantasy will go unfulfilled.

That was all it said. Nothing else.

Her closest friend, Tara, had discreetly handed Ainsley the card at her annual posh cocktail party last weekend. The who’s who of Hollywood had been in attendance that night, not that Ainsley had noticed—she’d been too busy drowning her sorrows in her martini glass. Glasses plural was more like it. No wonder she’d had a wicked hangover the next day. The card didn’t specify the kind of fantasies they specialized in, but Tara had told her. Sexual.

Maybe Tara was right—Fantasies Inc. might just be the perfect diversion from her troubles, if just for one night. Drumming her manicured nail on her desk and scanning the elaborate website, Ainsley was more than intrigued by the promise of a fun-filled rendezvous in the privacy of her own home, with no questions asked.

The company assured anonymity, and even provided a short online questionnaire to assist in the creation of the client’s perfect evening of pleasure.

The list of questions alone thrilled her. Preferred age, race, hair and eye colour, build, sexual preferences, not to mention an impressive list of sexual specialities. Next to each choice there was a ‘surprise me’ option. Ainsley frowned. Not one for surprises, she knew just the type of lover that made her heart beat faster. The type of man she’d never had before. Mid-twenties, fair and muscular. Oh, and yes, one who wasn’t afraid to take control, to make her weak at the knees—at his command.

A flicker of desire wicked through her, right to her core. Deep down in her belly was an insistent need ached to be satisfied, tempted by blissful hours in the arms of her perfect fantasy lover.

Taking a long, slow swig of her champagne, the bubbles catching in her throat, she gathered her courage. Courage to do something rash, almost reckless—that was so unlike her, but then after Charles had left her, she’d been forced to be the new Ainsley. And the night of discreet pleasure might very well be her last five thousand dollars, but hours spent allowing herself—no, more like treating herself—to an evening all about her... Well, that was just what she craved. She’d think of it as a Valentine’s present to herself.

Quickly ticking off a few preferences, she noted the Valentine’s special, an upgrade to a second night of pleasure for a few thousand more. Two nights of mysterious erotic pleasures was just too much for both her body and her bank account to imagine. She’d best stick with one night and see how it went. Gulping down the rest of her champagne, she pressed the send button.

She exhaled as her credit card was approved for the deposit. The rest would be put on her tab and could be settled at the end of the fantasy. Plus gratuity. Oh, how does one tip for that? Her cheeks flushed and her pulse raced with the thought of what she’d just done.

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Torrid By Jayne Blue: Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway

Welcome back chickies for the awesomeness that is Torrid.

About the Author:

Like most authors, Jayne’s been writing stories all her life in her head and trying out dialogue into her steering wheel. Her goal is bringing to the page strong heroines, snappy dialogue, interesting predicaments and overall good stories. Throw that all in with some scorching sex scenes and she’ll call it a day.

Jayne’s real life is far less daring. She and her husband and are in the process of rearing a small herd of children. In between her “day job” as a lawyer and media consultant, Jayne has acted as band mom, theatre mom, football mom, wrestling mom and taxi service. Her favorite “homemade” dishes usually have a Costco label on them somewhere.

Jayne lives in the beautiful Irish Hills area of Michigan on a lake where her interesting neighbors always keep her entertained, her husband makes his own wine, and the fish are always biting.

Don't miss your chance to stalk Jayne:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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Unexpected Fate by Harper Sloan: Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Title:  Unexpected Fate
Series:  Hope Town, Book 1
Author:  Harper Sloan
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating:  5 Sweltering Keys

Disclaimer:  A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever felt like you were living your life for a future that was predetermined? Like there was some bigger picture you just prayed you would someday see clearly? That picture has been crystal clear to me since I was old enough to recognize it for just what it was.

Or I should say recognize him for who he was.

I’ve loved Cohen Cage since I was a small child. He’s been my everything for the last twenty-two years. I’ve loved him through every girlfriend he’s ever brought home. Through his college years and then mine. I’ve loved him through two deployments. And ever since the day I told him how I felt, he’s acted like I’m a stranger.

My name is Danielle Reid, and it’s time for me to get my man.

Our future is an unexpected fate, and no matter what our parents, siblings, and friends say…it’s going to be worth every second of the fight to make it happen.

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Obligation by Aurora Rose Reynolds: Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Title:  Obligation
Series:  Underground Kings, Book 2
Author:  Aurora Rose Reynolds
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating:  4.5 Sweltering Keys


**Disclaimer:  A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon U.S.  |  Amazon U.K.  |  IBooks  |  B&N

[ob-li-gey-shuh n]

An obligation is a course of action that someone is required to take, whether legal or moral.

At six years old, Myla was sent to a family her father and mother had chosen for her when they knew their time on earth was almost up. What they were unaware of was what they thought would be her safe haven would become her living hell.

Kai has been watching Myla from afar since he took over the family business from his father and inherited the responsibility of keeping her safe. When word gets back to Kai that Myla is not only in danger, but that his assets are being compromised, he immediately jumps into action and does the only thing that can be done at the time by marrying her.

Neither Myla nor Kai would have thought that something that started off as a farce would become the most important thing either of them could've ever done. 

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Rock Hard by Nalini Singh

Hola Chickies!  Today, I'm super excited to be part of the big Cover Reveal for the next book in Nalini Singh's Rock Kiss Series.  Rock Hard will be officially coming out on March 10th and I for one can't wait! Nalini is one of my all time favorite authors so anything she puts in writing I just have to have.

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Forged in Fire by Juliette Cross: Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway

Title: Forged in Fire
Series: The Vessel Trilogy
Author: Juliette Cross
Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Paranormal Romance
Rating:

**Disclaimer:  A copy of this book was provided to me by the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book Description:

She never knew this demon world existed. Now she just wants to survive it.

Genevieve Drake never needed a man to come to her rescue. Not until the night of her twentieth birthday, when some dude nearly chokes her to death in an alley behind a New Orleans Goth club. And a hot stranger splits the guy in half, rips a monster from inside, and incinerates it into ash.

The hunky rescuer? Jude Delacroix—Dominus Daemonum, Master of Demons, now her guardian, whether she likes it or not. But she’s seriously beginning to like it.

Her would-be murderer turns out to be only the first of many minions of the demon prince, Danté, who has all kinds of lascivious and sadistic plans. Which means when the formidably beautiful Jude offers his protection, Genevieve has no problem accepting it.

For Jude and his fellow demon hunters tell her she is a Vessel, one who is born to serve the Light, but can be corrupted into a weapon of darkness. And to survive, she must trust a man whose unearthly eyes promise heaven…but whose powers unleash hell.

Warning: Contains a dark and brooding demon hunter who harbors even darker secrets, a snarky heroine who’s being hunted by every demon in the underworld, and a sadistic demon prince with a fancy for violent sexual encounters.

Forged in Fire was a good read. I've found my next go to book. I have read many demon books but this one took a different spin. Demons are actually the bad guys and just not another misunderstood creature. Genevieve is pushed into an existence she had absolutely no clue about with a sexy demon hunter Jude.

Genevieve thought that she had an overall good life minus her mom going crazy and killing herself. She was in school and having fun. On one night on the town with her best friend, Genevieve met her first demon. At first sight, she thought this man just had on contacts that made his eyes turn red so she just wrote it off. That's until dude got too handy and Jude came to the rescue. They had heat from jump. On the way back to her ride back home with her drunk friend Mindy with her date, they get attacked by said demon. Low and behold Jude comes to the rescue, AGAIN. This is the night that EVERYTHING changes for Genevieve.

Forged in Fire had me going through different emotions throughout the book. Some parts made me want to b***h slap Genevieve and just kick Jude in the balls. They are both very stubborn people but Genevieve takes the cake for being naive. Like chick, you have DEMONS after you and you still want to be Ms. Independent and not see that Jude has a major boner for you! Something happens to Genvieve that she should have known from jump was a set-up but nope that went flying right over her head. I loved the way Jude had to break it down for her about the way he felt. All I could think was oh my. While Jude is trying his hardest to keep Genevieve safe, chick still gets tagged by a demon that's a prince. This dude is off the chain evil. Genevieve did awesome trying to protect herself from him but it still comes down to a showdown with him and Jude. That was an OMFG fight. I wonder what's next for Genevieve and Jude.

Overall, Forged in Fire gets a sizzling wicked heart. This book is definitely shelf worthy and a read that will keep you entertained. 

Get your copy:

Amazon | BN | Kobo

 About the Author:

Juliette calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance--brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.

Stalk Juliette here:

Website | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Newsletter

***

Check out this awesome excerpt:

I’d parked illegally on the street, knowing full well I’d probably have a ticket on the windshield when I returned. Campus cops were like sharks in bloody waters, sniffing out offenders with notorious stealth. You never saw them but sure as hell felt bitten when they got you. Dreading to see that I’d been attacked by one of these predators, I rounded the corner, and my heart stopped.

Propped beautifully against my silver 350ZX was my rescuer, R-and-B from last night. Faded jeans fit snugly on his hips, and a gray T-shirt accentuated a perfect upper body. His black hair fell just right across lovely dark eyes. With casually crossed arms, he watched me approach.

Heart, please stop pounding that way before he notices.

This was no accident. He’d found me somehow. Should I be afraid? He didn’t look dangerous. Well, not in a serial-killer sort of way. Hell, he looked good enough to eat. Totally faking bravado, I stopped in front of him with one hand on my waist.

“Are you stalking me?”

He didn’t answer, eyeing me from bottom to top. His gaze paused at my throat, then finally made its way to my eyes. Still mute. I hated awkward silences.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you it’s not polite to stare?”

That seemed to jar him a bit. He straightened, his expression grim at best.

“I apologize. I was—”

“Checking me out. Yeah, I got that loud and clear.”

Damn, I was brave. He cleared his throat, hiding a smile now.

“I was going to say, examining you.” He gestured to my neck.

“Examining? Why? Are you a doctor?”

“Of sorts.”

“What sort of sort?”

“I have a doctorate.”

No way. He seemed too young to have a PhD.

“A doctorate in what?” I asked skeptically.

“Philosophy.”

“Your expertise?” I asked, noting the rather sarcastic lilt in my voice. He didn’t bat an eye.

“My thesis was on how weapons reflect the savagery and sophistication of a culture.”

That accent again. Definitely European. But what country?

“Well, a PhD in weaponry may give you some idea how to inflict injuries, but it doesn’t qualify you to examine and diagnose them.”

“True.”

Ha! One point for me.

“So…” I let the word hang. “How could you possibly have a PhD in anything at your age?”

“I’m older than I appear.”

A slow, slow devastating smile. A fluttering in my stomach felt like a frantic flock of blind birds. Re-lax, Gen. Thank God he spoke, because for the moment, my lips had completely forgotten how to form words.

“I simply wanted to determine whether you’d recovered from last night’s attack,” he said, pushing off my car and coming closer.

Oh no. He was going to touch me. Genevieve Elizabeth Drake, do NOT faint. He reached out and gently folded back my hoodie. He lifted my chin and angled it so that he could see the marks I knew were purpled along the left side. Why was I letting this stranger get so close? Even if he was picture-book gorgeous. I pushed his hand away and stepped around him to my car.

“I’m fine,” I mumbled, pulling the keys from the front pocket of my backpack. “What I want to know is how you knew where to find me. And why are you following me? It’s a bit creepy, even if you did save my life last night.”

We’d now switched places. I leaned back against my car. He stood there, examining me again, thumbs hooked in the front pockets of those yummy jeans.

“Yesterday was your twentieth birthday, wasn’t it?”

Okay. Double creepy.

“How did you know?”

My question confirmed whatever idea he had in his head. I could see it in the nod and drop of his perfect cleft chin.

Two girls flitted by, engrossed in a conversation. One nudged the other when they caught sight of him, ogling shamelessly. They giggled. Couldn’t blame them, but it pissed me off for some reason. R-and-B gave them no real notice, turning back to me.

“I think we should go somewhere private to talk.”

Said the creepy man to the little girl with a lollipop and a white van waiting around the corner.

“Um, I don’t think so.” I crossed my arms. “I don’t know you. And no matter what you did for me last night, at this point, I don’t trust you.”

He shifted weight to his other leg. “As you wish. We’ll talk here.”

“Not that I’m ungrateful, but why were you following me last night? Into the alley?”

“I wasn’t following you. I was following the demon.”

“Fair enough. How did you know it was my birthday?”

“Last night, I wondered but thought it impossible. I had not thought to meet another like you in all my time as a…” He paused, glancing around and lowering his voice. “As a Dominus Daemonum.”

I shook my head. “Okay, hold up. Met one what before? And what the hell is a dominus da-whatever-you-said?”

Dark enchanting eyes kept me still, even with my saucy attitude. A face chiseled in stone regarded me with care. I would never admit it, but I was afraid to move. Something in those almost-black depths warned me what he spoke of now would change my life forever. What’s more, I knew those words. They were Latin. But the translation in my head didn’t make sense.

“The what is a Vessel,” he finally said. “And a Dominus Daemonum is a Master of Demons.”

“Do you mean like a…a demon hunter?”

He nodded. No smile.

“That is what I am,” he said.

“And what’s a Vessel?”

“That is what you are.”

****

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Craved by an Alpha by Felicity Heaton: Blog Barrage and Giveaway!

Craved by an Alpha, the fifth book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Eternal Mates, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY at her website and sharing sneak peeks of the book.

Find out how to enter the Craved by an Alpha international giveaway (ends February 8th) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 5 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/craved-by-an-alpha-paranormal-romance-novel.php
Here’s more about Craved by an Alpha, including an excerpt from this paranormal romance novel.

 Title:  Craved by an Alpha
Series:  Eternal Mates, Book 5
Author:  Felicity Heaton
Genre:  Paranormal Romance
Rating:  4 Scorching Keys

**Disclaimer:  A copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

Having turned his back on his snow leopard pride, Cavanaugh has been counting the days until he’s free of a role he never wanted—one that separated him from his fated female and stands between him and the future he craves with her.

Just days from the night he will finally be free to be with the low-ranking beauty who stole his heart, she walks back into his life and threatens to destroy everything he’s worked towards in the five long years they’ve been apart.
Eloise has traveled across continents searching for the male who was once her best friend and so much more to her, but was now her pride’s true alpha. Desperate to fulfill a promise to her kin to save them from the tyrant he left in charge, she convinces Cavanaugh to return to his pride, but as they journey to Bhutan, doubts bloom and old feelings resurface, tearing her between duty and her deepest desires and impossible dreams.
Will Eloise be able to resist the burning need that Cavanaugh reignites in her and remember her place in the pride? And can Cavanaugh find a way to save his kin and claim the future he craves with the woman he loves?

Craved by an Alpha is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/craved-by-an-alpha-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Review:

Craved by an Alpha is a classic love story of two people who started out as friends and later became lovers but because of social class differences, they are not allowed to be together.  Since first meeting Cavanaugh back in Kissed by a Dark Prince, I have been intrigued by his character and wanting to learn more about him.  Heaton did an excellent job of making readers want more of Cavanaugh's back story in Kyter's book and she did not disappoint.

Cavanaugh lived a carefree life enjoying his time with Eloise while the two grew up in the pride.  As long as he remained the alpha's son, his interaction with Eloise wasn't questioned, even though they were from two different social classes.  When Cavanaugh's father is killed during battle, he has no other choice but to take up the mantle as alpha because he's the pride's strongest male.  His duty to lead couldn't come at a worse time because the night before his father died, Cavanaugh discovered that Eloise was his one true mate.  Leading the pride is now his duty, but his duty requires him to never allow Eloise to be more to him than his mistress.  Cavanaugh gives 5 long years to his duty as alpha and during one particular challenge, he escapes with his life and leaves his pride behind.  Cavanugh must remain away from the pack for 5 years before he is free to truly claim his mate. ***Cue WTF reaction from me because I'm thinking really dude you are the equivalent of a president, just change the darn rules.....

Eloise has loved Cavanaugh for most of her life.  He's her best friend, and the one man that makes her feel beautiful and safe.  She feels secure in their relationship but then.....he becomes alpha.  She must now watch in the shadows as woman of status parades themselves in front of him while offering themselves to be his bedmate.  When Cavanaugh flees and things in the pride turn from sugar to Sh*&, Eloise vows to find him and bring him back.  Throughout her quest, Eloise is certain she is doing what is best of the pride, even though it may eventually hurt her, however she is sorely unprepared for her reaction when she finally sees him face to face.

The thing I loved most about Craved by an Alpha is that it is a well balanced book.  There is just enough angst, humor, action, and sacrifice.  Both Cavanaugh and Eloise have sacrificed so much for one another but neither of them ever really put all the cards of the table.  They spend most of the book trying to figure out how to express their true feelings for one another which of course leads to multiple misunderstandings. I loved loved loved the very end of the book when Cavanaugh finally reveals to Eloise that she is his mate!  *Swoons*  What a man!  I'm giving this one 4 Scorching Keys!

Excerpt

Cavanaugh mastered his fear and drove it back into submission, clearing his head of the dark words that taunted him and steadying his heart, reassuring himself that all wasn’t lost. Eloise was here with him. She had come for him. He needed to focus on taking care of her and discovering what had happened to her to bring her to London, a world away from their village in the mountains of Bhutan.
“What are you doing away from the pride?” He ventured a step towards her and was thankful when she didn’t move away to maintain the distance between them. He needed to be close to her. He needed reality to sink in so he could believe she was here with him, standing in the bright back room of Underworld, and he was talking to her for the first time since he had assumed the role of alpha a decade ago, about to hear her sweet voice again. “What happened to you?”
He reached out and gently caught her wrist, bringing it up between them and luring her towards him. He lightly rubbed his thumb over the scarring on it, marks that looked as if they had been made by ropes. Who had done this to her? Whoever it had been, Cavanaugh was going to find them and tear them to pieces. He was going to make them suffer as she had. A growl rumbled through his chest and curled up his throat, born of a dark and consuming hunger to avenge her.
She pulled free of his grip and hid her arms behind her back.
“Goddammit, Eloise,” he barked and she lowered her head, turning her face away from him.
The rich brown waves of her long hair fell down to conceal her face but didn’t hide how her shoulders trembled beneath her dirty coat. He reined in his frustration. He could sense her struggle, could smell it in the subtle changes in her scent. It was taking a lot for her to remain silent when she felt compelled to obey the rules of their kind and answer him.
Why wouldn’t she answer him? He needed to know what had happened to her. It filled him completely, an incessant urge that he couldn’t shake, born of his deep connection to her. He feared he would go mad or lose his temper if she insisted on remaining silent and refused to tell him what had happened to her.
He would go mad if she refused to look at him or give him the pleasure of hearing her voice too. Couldn’t she see that?
He clenched his fists at his sides to stop himself from grabbing her slender shoulders and making her look at him, and looked at her instead, seeing how different she was now. He missed the female who had stood up to him countless times and had put him in his place. That woman seemed to have disappeared that fateful night when he had recognised her as his fated female but hadn’t been given a chance to tell her. She had been ripped from his grasp when he had been forced to take his place in the pride upon his father’s death, picking up his mantle.
As alpha.
Cavanaugh felt as if he had lost her then and his heart had fractured. She had drifted away from him, always leaving when the females of status within the pride approached him, even when he had yearned for her to stay.
He had ached for her to look at him and smile, and let him know that she was okay.
He hadn’t wanted the attention from the females. He had wanted hers. He had wanted them, as they should have been, together.
He had craved her.
Still craved her.
“Why are you here?” he whispered, still aching for her to look at him and smile, and let him know that she was okay.
He ached to hear her voice again and hear her tell him that she had come for him. He needed her to put him out of his misery. He needed her to tell him that nothing had changed between them despite everything that had happened and that there was a chance for him. He needed it as he had never needed anything before, as if it was as vital as air in his lungs or a beat in his chest. She had power over him as no other did. Not even the male who had come close to defeating him could contend with her.
She had the power to crush him, to kill him.
And she did it with only a handful of words.
“Please come back to the pride.”
Those words struck his already aching heart like daggers, each one sending pain blazing outwards from the centre of his chest.
She hadn’t come for him because she had wanted to be with him. He had been a fool to allow his heart to convince him that she’d had the courage he had lacked and had come to wait out the days with him until they could be together again.
She was here on pride business.
“You came all this way to ask me that?” He frowned at her, his tone flat and as empty as he felt inside as everything sank in. Nothing had changed. Five years of hell followed by five years of torture, and they still had a wall between them, a barrier that seemed impenetrable. He wanted to tear it down, but it was intangible, constructed of tradition and rules that went back millennia, laws that were so ingrained in them that they couldn’t break free and were slaves to them. “I left the pride, Eloise. I have no interest in returning to it. I have no reason to go back there. The pride doesn’t need me. It has an alpha.”
“The pride needs you.” She lifted her head a fraction and he thought she might look him in the eye and put a little fire behind her words, but she remained meek and polite.
The way a female of her status should speak to her alpha.
He growled and stalked towards her, and she backed away, turning more submissive as she wrapped her arms around herself.
“The pride doesn’t need me.” He stopped short of saying that she did though, and he needed her. He reached out to seize her arm but she flinched away, stopping him in his tracks. He softened and looked at her, seeing a broken and hurt female, not the strong and confident one she had been a decade ago. Fury filled him, burning fiercely in his veins, flooding him with a need to know what had happened to her. That need blazed in his heart, demanding that he ask her and make her answer him this time. “What the hell happened to you, Eloise? Who did this to you?”
She swallowed hard and finally looked up at him, right into his eyes, but still refused to tell him. “The pride needs you. You’re the strongest male and our alpha. Please. Return with me.”
“I told you. I’m not interested in returning.” He wanted to reach out and smooth his hand along the soft curve of her jaw to keep her golden-brown eyes on him, but he didn’t have the heart when she looked as if it was taking her great effort not to lower her gaze again.
“I travelled two years to find you… to bring you back to the pride.”
He wished she had stopped at the first part, where she had only travelled two years to find him.
The pain in her eyes increased, her fear a palpable thing now that hung in the air between them, and it forced him to listen. What had happened at the pride? Concern for his village grew in his heart but concern for Eloise overshadowed it, pulling the focus of his thoughts back to her.
She must have searched for him across Bhutan, India and Europe, no doubt flashing his photograph to any fae or demon she came across. What terrible thing had happened to drive her to such a desperate and dangerous act?
Had she gained her scars during her search for him? Had some of the fae or demons captured her and held her for some nefarious reason?
He growled again, unable to contain it as he pictured her bound and afraid. His claws grew, emerging as he thought about hunting down whoever had hurt her and tearing into them. He wanted their blood on his hands. The scent of Eloise’s fear grew stronger and he pulled down a deep breath to steady himself, not wanting to frighten her with his anger.
Cavanaugh looked her over again, self-reproach burning through him as her voice ran around his head, taunting him.
Two years.
Her journey would have been a difficult one, and not only because she had never left their homeland and had no experience of the world. Her position in the pride meant she had very little money, only a small allowance that he knew she had been saving her entire life. It wouldn’t have been enough to cover luxuries like flights and hotels or even restaurants.
Her tattered clothing, her fatigue and how much weight she had lost since the last time he had seen her all confirmed his worst fears. She had spent two years living rough, sleeping on the streets or in hostels and travelling by foot, by hitchhiking or by jumping trains.
The thought of his little female living in such a fashion, day-to-day, probably stealing food and fearing for her safety, cut him right down to his soul and had his heart burning with a need to gather her into his arms and somehow take away every terrible experience she must have had.
It was his fault.
He had ventured far from the mountains and the pride village. If he hadn’t left Bhutan, she could have easily found him. She wouldn’t have been forced to spend years travelling and tracking him down.
If he had gone back for her—no, he couldn’t think like that. He had warred with himself at the time about it and it had played on his mind ever since.
It had been too dangerous.
He had fought Stellan countless times and had always driven the male back into submission.
Except the last time.
That time he had allowed the male to defeat him.

Craved by an Alpha is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback.
Find all the links, a fantastic 5 chapter downloadable sample of the book, and also how to enter the giveaway and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/craved-by-an-alpha-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Books in the Eternal Mates paranormal romance series:

• Book 1: Kissed by a Dark Prince
• Book 2: Claimed by a Demon King
• Book 3: Tempted by a Rogue Prince
• Book 4: Hunted by a Jaguar
• Book 5: Craved by an Alpha
• Book 6: Bitten by a Hellcat – Coming February 17th 2015
• Book 7: Taken by a Dragon – Coming March 10th 2015

Author Bio:

Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too. If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series. If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places: FelicityHeaton.co.uk | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | GoodReads | Amazon

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