I’m finally getting my brain in order and working on a few WIP’s. I should probably just focus on one but I can’t focus anymore. I blame caffeine and ADHD.
Oh coffee…I need another cup.
Anyways, I decided to put a teaser out to see what people think.
This particular teaser is from my tentative shapeshifter story and is a flashback to when my protagonists meet. I like the freedom that the supernatural gives me in writing both a little fantasy and romance. I’m currently rewriting this and might make it part of the first chapter and not write it as a flashback. We’ll see!
Ally and Jason first meet when he’s moving into an apartment complex– what kind of werewolf would move into an apartment?
The protective kind.
Enjoy!
[Working Title… Ozark Shifters…]
(yeah I know, it also does help that they are Red Wolf Shifters– I was inspired by my time at Arkansas State University).
“Jason had moved in a few weeks later. Her mind wandered back to the day he moved in. It had been a cold rainy day when he and some friends carried the boxes, furniture, and suitcases up to his new accommodations. There wasn’t an ugly one in the bunch, but Jason was mind-blowing, to her anyways. She just couldn’t help herself and whipped up a batch of cookies, fixed a pitcher of milk, and grabbed a few bottles of water. She wanted to be good neighbor and she was curious about them.
She had noticed while she was baking the cookies that nearly all five men would pause or look towards her kitchen window as they filed pass. It sounded like one of them growled around the time she pulled the cookies out of the oven. Odd. The guy must really like cookies.
Cookies, the ultimate draw to the dark side. She thought in a voice that sounded eerily similar to Emperor Palpatine. I’m such a geek.
“In other news today; two more young women have gone missing in the greater Jonesboro area. Investigators have begun to believe that the crimes are related and that there may be a serial kidnapper perpetrating these crimes. More at eleven.”
Well that’s scary; that makes a grand total of five missing women. Ann thought to herself. Glancing at the TV the small photos of the two women flashed on the screen. A slight chill ran up her back; whomever was kidnapping these girls had a type; petite and brunette. Maybe my sister is right, I should try blonde.
All well, time to take the cookies out to the new neighbor and friends. At first, she thought it was the fellow that had growled at her cookies that was moving in; he had been the first one to talk to her after he pretty much pushed his friend out of the way to get to the cookies.
He must really like cookies.
“I love cookies, almost as much as cute girls.” He said with a wink.
She gaped at him for a moment before responding, “I think you’re full of it, but you can have a cookie anyway.” She smiled and winked back him. Before he could grab a cookie, a deep rumbling sound came from the man that had been pushed aside.
Did the tall blonde just growl?
The friend that had been pushed, the tall drink of water that she thought was Greek god, glared at his friend. She noticed the scars around his eye, but quickly jerked her eyes away before he turned around to face her. Dear God, his eyes were the purest green she had ever saw, like emeralds.
“Excuse my friend, he’s a bit ‘of …rambunctious.” He seemed to pause over ‘rambunctious,’ she got the distinct feeling he had been going to say, ‘an ass,’ before deciding on the less offensive word. The friend in question seemed cowed but had a slight grin on his face.
“It’s okay, I wait tables over at the Watering Hole, and he’s not as rambunctious as some. He can still have a cookie. I actually brought them over for the new tenant.”
The blonde Adonis said, “That would be me, I’m Jason by the way.” His eyes seemed to light up on the cookies and that odd rumbling sound happened again.
“You okay?” She asked thinking he had a cold and really didn’t want to get sick, again. One week off because of a bug had really made things tight for her. Oh Ramen, I love you for being cheap, but I hate you for not being a burger.
“Oh, it’s nothing, I just have something in my throat.” He said matter-of-factly, “We’ll enjoy the cookies after we finish getting all my stuff inside.” He grabbed the plate from her hands, still looking her in the eyes. “I’ll wash the plate and bring it back to you when we’re done.”
The flirt grabbed the milk and the little bag with bottled water from her; the other three men nodded their thanks and went back to work carrying stuff.
She turned to go, but Jason’s voice stopped her, “What’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m sorry I totally forgot, Ally, Ally Hastings.” She said with a smile, half turning to face him again.
“Well its nice meeting you Ally Hastings.”
Books and Brew,
Bea
Bea Riley 