It is with great pleasure that I announce the release of Rayne's Thunder (Part Three) The Politician and the Witches. So much has happened to Rayne and her siblings since their father passed and the action, adventure, drama, and romance is only heating up. Rayne's Thunder is Rayne's journey to true love. Rhyme's Reason and River's Fire will be next. But first, Rayne must kiss a few frogs to find her prince... and maybe do a little growing up in the process.
If you've missed the first two installments you can check out the sneak peeks here.
Rayne's Thunder (Part One) Master Chef excerpt
Rayne's Thunder (Part Two) The Veterinarian excerpt
Introduction to the third installment of this romantic serial...
Rayne Manchester’s adventures in dating continue as she
meets her newest suitor, Senator Archibald Bachiemer, and he makes one heck of a
first impression but is it enough to grab Rayne’s attention or is he better
suited for another wolf at the compound? Will wolves from her past come back
into the running for her hand?
The lives of the Manchester siblings have been in turmoil
since the day their father’s will has been read. All three of them must be married
and mated in one year or they will lose their massive inheritance. Rayne has
taken to the dating scene like a fish out of water, Rhyme believes she has the
right man, and River is so busy with pack politics, taking the Colorado Alpha
seat, making a peace treaty with the local witches’ coven and defeating the
rogue pack that has designs of overthrowing River and owning Colorado.
This is the third installment on Rayne’s journey to true
love. At the end of this adventure she will find her mate and happy ending but
the world around her will become a strange new reality and those she loves will be changed
forever.
Part One,
Master Chef and
Part
Two, The Veterinarian are available on Amazon.
Chapter One
“Hello?” I picked up the phone,
despite the unknown caller identification on the screen. It didn’t help that my
eyes were blurry from the hours of tossing and turning as my dream lover did
unspeakable things to my body while I slept. The naughty dream haze left me
unable to focus on the voice of the caller or the words he said. “What was
that?”
The chuckle from the other end of
the line ran over me like a warm rainfall. “I said, what time would you like me
to pick you up for our date tonight?”
“Date?” I sat up in bed and ran my
hand over my face, forcing the blood to circulate to my skin, and help me wake
up. I knew he was making some sort of sense, I just couldn’t piece it together
because my mind was like a mixed up jigsaw puzzle still in the box waiting to
be put together.
“I know it’s early, and I apologize
for that. I have a very busy schedule today, and wanted to make sure I
confirmed this date before I lost track of time.” His voice was confident, cool,
and oddly, comforting.
“Okay, I’m lost.” I yawned. “Who is
this?”
“Archibald Bachiemer, but you can
call me Archie.”
And that was when it all fell into
place. “Archie! Oh, yes, I’m so sorry. Carter said you’d be calling to confirm.
I just didn’t expect the call to be so early.” I put my head in my hands and
shook it. Nothing like making a terrible first impression.
The laugh that erupted from the
other side of the phone caught me off guard. “I’m thrilled that I can amuse
you.” I grumbled into the phone. Ugh! These random dates with men my father
picked out for me were constant headaches. It looked like this one was going to
be the same as the master chef, the vet, our pack’s enforcer and now the
politician. More frogs to kiss! Will any
of them be my prince?
It was beginning to seem doubtful.
Then what? What would happen if I went through the list of ten eligible
bachelors and came up mateless? A shudder ran through me. That couldn't happen.
My family needed me to man... er... woman-up and pick someone. That meant I
needed to give these guys a chance and open myself up to the possibility of
finding love. I shook my head. Right now, I was coming off a sexy dream haze. The
lack of deep sleep for the last few weeks was beginning to rub my nerves raw
and made me irritable. It wasn’t his fault. Focus,
Rayne. Focus on the man's voice that is speaking to you in the real world. He's
the one that matters right now.
I pushed the images of strong hands
roaming my feverish body, teasing and delighting my senses away only to have
them replaced with the memory of his lips and gentle nips on my neck and mouth.
The goosebumps on my skin weren't from the voice of the man on the phone, but
from the vivid imaginings of what my faceless dream lover did to me last night.
Gah! This dream lover was driving my body
to desire with only mere thoughts of him. FOCUS on reality! I yelled at
myself in my head.
“Believe me, it’s a good thing I
find you amusing, Rayne. I work with dry, politically correct people all day
long. I find you a breath of fresh air, and I’ve only just spoken to you on the
phone. I can’t wait until we meet in person.” His warm, gruff voice shattered
through my thoughts like broken glass.
Oh
goodie, another man who knew all the right things to say. It was unfair to
think negatively about the man because he was a smooth talker. He’s a
politician. Weren’t most of them good with words? He also seemed kind and
interested so he may have potential after all. One point for the senator
against the dream man who visited me every night, he was real. That was a very
big point in his favor.
After a short, awkward pause, I
mean, what was I supposed to say to his last comment? ‘A breath of fresh air?’ It
was a little cliché, and I was suddenly becoming very cynical about this entire
dating process. The idea that Rhyme, River, and I could find mates and marry in
one year from lists given to us by our recently deceased father was ludicrous.
We were trying, but true love doesn’t work on a time table, does it?
He cleared his throat. “So I’ll be
arriving later this afternoon, and your brother said I could stay at the
compound for the weekend, but if you prefer, I can get a room at the local
hotel?”
“No, that’s fine. We’ve got more
than enough room here,” I told him as I refocused my attention on the
conversation. Besides, if he stayed the weekend, I would be able to get a good
feel about the man and see if he was even in the running for my heart. If he
didn’t make the cut, we could part ways, and I could seek out bachelor number
five.
My response seemed to please him. His
voice took on a comfortable tone. “Great, I’m looking forward to spending time
with you this weekend. I have tickets for a show tonight. Does that sound like
a fun first date?”
“Sure.” I shrugged, pointless, I
know, because he couldn’t see it, but it made me feel better.
“Wonderful, I’ll see you this
afternoon.” He hung up the phone before I could even say goodbye. Wow, okay, that was an interesting wake up
call. I put the phone on the white, antique night stand and buried my head
under the pillow, resisting the urge to scream. If I had there, would be
multiple werewolves breaking down my door to make sure I was not being attacked.
I just wanted to go back to sleep and meet up with my dream man, whoever he was.
The quick rap on the door followed
by the excited entrance of my best friend, Chloe, made that desire
unattainable. My bouncy friend plopped down on the bed and cooed as she handed
me a large package. “Look what came by messenger for you this morning.”
I tossed the pillow I was holding,
and glanced at the large, white box with a red bow. “What is it?” My tone dry
and uninterested.
“Open it!” She shoved the box in my
hands.
I gave her an irritated glare. “You
are entirely too happy this morning.”
“I suppose being rescued from my
kidnappers, and back home safe and sound might have something to do with that.”
How she managed to say that without sarcasm was amazing to me.
I swallowed the guilt at her
grateful statement. It was, in a roundabout way, my fault she’d been kidnapped
in the first place. If I hadn’t brought her home with me in grade school, and
introduced her to the pack life, if I hadn’t made her my best friend, if I
hadn’t screwed the pooch on my first date with Brick, shamed him and his
family, and caused Brick’s sisters, Jewel and Britain, to seek vengeance, Chloe
never would’ve been kidnapped. It was like my actions were dominos, and they’d
been knocked over, creating a ‘cause and effect’ impact that led us to this
point. “I’m so sorry.” The remorse for my involvement was eating me up inside,
and I could feel the misery and sadness pulling me into the lonely abyss. The
chasm of pain was not anywhere I desired to be. Ironically, that painful void
was why we became friends in the first place.
She pulled me out of my depression
when I was younger and made me see the positive in life. My mind raced back in
time to our first meeting. My siblings
and I were in the school lunchroom. Our mother had recently passed away, and I
was wallowing in self-pity and sorrow. I had alienated all my pack friends,
including my siblings who insisted I be strong, put on the good face, show the
world I was unaffected by the loss of a mother I barely knew. Chloe was new,
but people seemed to gravitate toward her like moths to a flame, only she
wasn’t deadly. She was like a lighthouse calling everyone to a safe harbor. It
wasn’t just her good looks, it was her soul. The person inside was so good and
genuinely cared about people.
“Can
I sit?” The younger version of Chloe asked as my mind clearly recalled the
memory.
I
had barely opened my lunch bag when she approached me, and didn’t wait for me
to respond before she sat across from me at the table.
“I’m
Chloe.” She extended her hand to shake.
I
busied my hand with opening my sandwich bag which allowed me to avoid touching
the girl. Kept me from making a connection. Most people would’ve walked away,
but not Chloe. She just shrugged and started eating her lunch.
“This
cafeteria food is terrible.” She blurted out.
“It
is.” My younger self, despite the overwhelming sadness that was claiming my
soul, answered.
Chloe
pushed her plate to the side.
“I’m
sorry about your mother.” Her eyes connected with mine and held my gaze.
Tears
moistened my eyes, a lump formed in my throat making it hard to eat. I didn’t
want to eat anyway. “Thank you,” I managed after a few moments of fighting the
urge to break down.
She
reached a hand across the table and squeezed my wrist. “I lost my mother last
year to cancer.”
“I’m
sorry.”
“Thank
you.” She offered a shaky smile. “It’s hard, and takes a long time before you
can breathe, let alone pull yourself out of the murky quicksand of sadness, but
there is a light at the end of the tunnel. One day you wake up and feel like
you can live again.”
I
offered her half of my lunch and we were inseparable from that moment on.
Looking back, her words seemed so
mature for someone so young. Losing a parent at such a tender age does that to
people. It makes you older than your years. It was the loss of our mothers that
bonded us, made us best friends forever. Something so horrible created
something beautiful because life goes on even after those we love are gone.
“I love you.” The words slipped out
of my mouth before I could hold them back.
“Is that a gift of love? Is that
what the card says?” Chloe looked at me excitedly.
“No, that’s me telling you I love
you, and I’m so glad you’re safe.” I pushed the box aside and hugged her
tightly. “I’m so sorry you’ve gotten mixed up in all the wolf drama.”
“It’s okay, Raynie. I’ve been
caught up in the wolf drama since you and I became friends. It’s your life, and
I love you, so I’m here to support you.” She pushed the box back in front of me.
“Now open it,” she urged.
I wiped a tear that threatened to
fall out of the corner of my eye. “I’m also sorry that I abandoned you the last
couple of years.” I’d already apologized many times for betraying our
friendship when I went away to college, but I still felt ashamed of how I
deserted her.
Chloe and I had grown apart while I
was away at college. When I returned home for the funeral, she was sure to make
me aware of how much I’d failed her. Failed us. The accidental overdose, the
kidnapping, it’s odd how extreme trauma can create unbreakable bonds, but time
and separation can loosen those ties that bind.
“It’s okay. All is better now.
We’ve been reunited, and all is right with the BFFs.” Chloe laughed. “Now
enough of all this crazy talk. You need to open that meticulously wrapped
gift.” She patted the box in front of me.
With a shaky hand, I opened the note.
“Please consider wearing this tonight for our date,” I read aloud. “Really?”
Chloe smiled “Just open it,” she
insisted.
I opened the box and pulled back
the packaging paper to reveal an elegant black dress with white lace overlay.
On the side there, was a pair of white sparkling pumps. “Seriously, Chloe? You
know I’m not going to wear this.”
“Not even to make a good first
impression?”
“I’m not looking for a fashion
consultant as a mate. I want an alpha male that makes my heart race when he’s
in the same room with me.” My eyes took on a dreamy state. “I need someone that
can be strong and supportive, and love me for who I am, not try to change me
into what he wants.”
“And this man may be just that with
a hell of an awesome fashion sense.” Her eyes sparkled as she picked up the
bodice of the dress.
“Okay, maybe, but you’re forgetting
one thing. I don’t wear dresses,” I reminded her. Wearing dresses, frilly and
sparkling things, was Chloe’s cup of tea, but I felt more comfortable in jeans
and a t-shirt with a pair of comfy tennis shoes.
“You don’t wear dresses often. Just
humor him tonight and let him know how you feel, if you like him, when he
kisses you good night.”
“I guess you’re right. It can’t
hurt to play the game for a while to see if I like him.”
“Exactly.”
“But I can tell you right now, he’s
in the deficit with me on the scale of first impressions.”
“Come on, let’s go four-wheeling
and get your mind off these foolish things.” Chloe stood up and pulled me by
the arm out of the bed.
“Now that sounds like fun.”
Thank you for reading Rayne’s Thunder from the Dating a Werewolf Series. I truly hope you’re enjoying the adventure. There are only a few
more installments to go before Rayne chooses her mate. The romance is only
going to get hotter, and the action and drama will keep you on the edge of your
seat.
If you’re enjoying this series, please come join my
reader’s group on
Facebook here. There are
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love popping in weekly to chat and give updates. I also like to keep my fans
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If you haven’t read Rayne’s
Thunder (Part One) Master Chef or Rayne’s
Thunder (Part Two) The Veterinarian, below are the links on Amazon. I hope
you enjoy. If you have, and you’re waiting for Part Four coming in August 2015,
check out some of my other series on Amazon. They’re tasty bites of paranormal
romance, intrigue, mystery mixed with mythology and fairy tales. I hope you’ll
enjoy them. The links are below. Again, thank you for reading and have a
wonderful day!
Also
look for River’s Fire and Rhyme’s Reason adventures as part of
this series. The three only have a year to find a mate and marry. If they are
not successful, they forfeit their inheritance. Leading the Colorado Wolf Pack
with very little funding will be a difficult task.
Dating a Werewolf
Series
Sometimes
one must kiss the frogs to find their true love
Date with a sexy vet, kidnapping, & werewolf pack politics check out the Dating a Werewolf Series
Shifter Love Tales
(Adult
paranormal romance with mythological Gods)
Dragon shifter prince falls for his witch detective mate &
battle against the gods for their futures.
Demon Fairy Tales
(Adult
paranormal romance with mythological Gods)
Dragon’s
Demon
He finds his mate stripping in a club, what's a dragon shifter to do?
Mystery Springs (Adult paranormal
romance with mythological Gods)
Can they defeat the threat from the ancient gods & still find their lost love?
Paranormal
Hypnotherapy Files (Adult
paranormal romance with action and demons)
Cherished Gift (Holiday
story with past life lovers) ~ Love lost once was painful enough for this
immortal werewolf, but twice will kill him.
Vanished (Paranormal sci-fi
romance/dystopian with time travel)
Taken from the past on the brink of death &
thrust into the future to save mankind.
From one prison to another sexy strong BBW must watch as 6 alphas compete for her love
Demon Ascension (Paranormal
romantic comedy, dark fantasy)
Forbidden love between an angel & demon unique romantic comedy
PBI Case Files (Paranormal
mysteries with mythological gods and romantic suspense)
What happens when you wake up to a one night stand
& he's dead?
Ebola outbreak mutates into a supernatural strain
Plane disappears over the Pacific, Gods, banshee & cyborg help the PBI team find the missing passengers.
Revenge sanctioned
by the Gods. The Amazons use vampire’s mate
to neuter him.
Ghost Connection (Ghost mysteries,
new adult)
Reluctant psychic helps one ghost save her family from ex-boyfriend & discovers
terrifying secrets of her own.
Cassie sees the dead & helps these ghosts only this
time the one she's helping may not be as dead as she thinks.
The Winters Saga (Young adult
paranormal romantic suspense, urban fantasy adventure)
Revenge
has deadly consequences! Get bitten by the Winters Saga
Savvy
goes from Homecoming queen to Vampire Princess in one terrifying night.
Magical Secrets (Paranormal
romance)
Treasure Hunters
risk their lives to free a genie from her prison
