Firedrake - By Bianca D'Arc Page 0,104

could cost him his life. Or worse: Lana.

Warning: Product contains explicit sex, graphic language, magic, mayhem, and a wet, naked wolf shifter bearing hot chocolate. Mmm…chocolate.

Enjoy the following excerpt for Shadow of the Wolf:

Lana stopped, a strange sense of both safety and vulnerability flashing through her. That way. She started to turn to her left and shrieked.

Lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, and the dark shape of a man stood before her. His eyes gleamed in the flash of lightning, his grin triumphant. He reached out toward her and tried to grab her arm.

Her entire being shuddered away from him. Lana stepped away from the man. “Why have you been following me?”

The man tilted his head. “Isn’t your car broken down on the road? I thought you could use some help.”

His voice was a pleasant blend of concern and attraction. Lana’s eyes narrowed, bringing up her second sight. Usually she could conjure up a person’s aura fairly easily, but this man’s was somehow shielded. Unfortunately she got just enough of a feel off of that shield to know what she was dealing with.

Damn. A freaking wizard. Figures.

No way did she want to engage in a magical dance with a wizard, especially when she couldn’t tell how strong he was. Lana took a step back. Every instinct she had pushing her away from the man in front of her.

“I’d be careful too. There are rumors of some kind of wild animal in these parts. Found a few dogs mangled in the woods.”

The concern in his voice was false. A flash of black and sickly green surrounded him, the colors murky and muddled, before he shielded himself once more. Something was off about those colors, but she was too cold and tired to figure it out now. “Ah, thanks for the warning.” Lana took another step away from the scary stranger, her instincts screaming at her that her only safety lay behind her, somewhere in the shadows.

The man matched her, moving forward a step. “You really should have waited in your car for a cop or something, Miss…?”

Lana put her hands behind her, feeling for trees and branches. She continued to move away from the menace she sensed in front of her. If she could reach the safe harbor she felt behind her, everything would be all right.

Only if she could reach it, though.

Then again, the Lord does help those who help themselves. Her eyes were drawn to the branch swaying dangerously above his head. And the Lady provides the means.

The stranger dropped all pretense of helpfulness. He shook his head at her, his expression annoyed. “Are you going to make this difficult? It doesn’t have to be painful, you know.”

“What doesn’t have to be painful?”

“Your death.”

With those words several things happened at once. A long, menacing growl erupted out of the darkness. One of the shadows hurtled through the night, knocking the blond man onto his ass.

And the branch he’d been standing under snapped, helped along by Lana and the force of the wind, hitting the blond on the top of his head and knocking him out cold.

The shadow animal turned, its golden eyes trained on Lana. Slowly it stalked toward her, its body moving with a supple, lethal grace.

A black wolf. In rural Pennsylvania.

Lord? Lady? No freaking way that’s safe. Lana gulped, and wondered if, somewhere out there, Fate was laughing its ass off at her.

Christopher’s heart was still pounding in his chest. He turned toward his mate, scenting her for any injuries. He relaxed a bit when all he smelled were scratches, most likely from her flight through the woods.

When Cole had threatened her, it had been all he could do not to rip out the bastard’s throat. The only thing that had saved him had been the falling branch and his mate’s horrified gasp.

She was brave, his female. She stood there and watched him coming toward her with big, chocolate brown eyes wide with fear and…

Yes. Fascination. Good. Much better than the fear he’d sensed coursing through her as Cole threatened her.

He approached her slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. When he reached her side, he gently stroked her thigh with his massive head, unable to prevent the rough, happy grumble that leapt to his throat.

“Oh boy.”

Her soft whisper sent shivers down his spine. His tail curled in pleasure, waving back and forth. Her hand came to rest tentatively on his broad back, her fingers digging into his fur.

With a yip he turned. Gently he gathered her hand in his