Welcome to Guale Falls- Updated!

 Hi everyone! I'm here with a sneak peak of my upcoming short story that will be out in the Current anthology. I sent out a newsletter with information about my participation and this wonderful cause. If you'd like information on the current water crisis in Jackson, MS and the amazing authors who have gathered to raise money for the cause, then visit www.currentantho.com. The official release date is November 30th and I can't wait!

Let's get into this sneak peek! So for my short, I did a whole new story, in a whole new world of shifters. Demi and Marco are childhood friends. They've been through a lot together, but tragedy has a way of putting life into perspective. Priorities tend to shift and the things that had been taken for granted get re-examined. I personally love the friends to lovers trope, and sometimes it's hard to get that balance right when writing. The title of the story is Alpha, Lover, Friend...if you're wondering what type of time I'm on for this short. I say short, but for reference it's longer than Porsha's wolf, but shorter than To Her Rescue. I do want to warn you that the characters are dealing with grief from the death of a parent, so if that's a trigger for you, there are quite a few references of it. I was in my feelings when I wrote this story, so while there isn't a lot of angst between the characters, there are some moments when their grief is there on page. 

I'm excited for y'all to meet these characters and hopefully fall in love along with them. Here is the cover and blurb. Keep scrolling for a sneak peek!  

A Sneak peek of Alpha, Lover, Friend:

Shifters wanted to reveal themselves to humans. It was a dangerous proposition made even more so by the fact that if the shifters in any other city found out, they’d likely descend on Guale Falls and destroy everyone in their path. That should’ve been one of Marco’s top priorities at the moment. The lives of his pride members were on the line. It would’ve been the only thing on his mind any other day. Today, though…

“You think she needs more time?”

He shrugged and turned his chair around to face his cousin and Beta. They were in his office in downtown Guale Falls. The high rise had a near-perfect view of the bay below and the waterfalls the town was named for.

“I can’t call it with Demi.” He finally said.

Miles studied him; concern etched on his face. He and his cousin shared the same upturned nose, full lips, and heavy dark brows over their round eyes. Where Marco sported a fuller beard and cornrows, Miles kept his long hair in a bun on top of his head, and his beard trimmed close to his face. Neither of them was dressed for the corporate setting. Miles was in jeans and a hoodie, his Jordan’s fresh out the box clean. Marco had given some effort, pairing his jeans with a dress shirt at least. Most people assumed the two of them were brothers. No one guessed they were the CEO and COO of the gaming conglomerate they’d started years ago.

 “I know how important her mother was to you. To us both.” Miles told him.

“She saved my life, a hundred times over,” he said softly, turning back to stare at the traffic below.

He thought about the many nights he’d run to Ann Michaels's house because his father was out of control, drunk, and looking for something to punch. Jeff had been pissed that his mate was gone, and all that was left of her was what he’d called an ungrateful whelp. Ann had been their next-door neighbor and had opened her home to Marco without hesitation. He shook away the thought and swallowed down the grief knotting his throat. It had been six months since her death, and it still caught him off guard. He couldn’t imagine how her daughter was feeling.

“Did you want something specifically?” He asked Miles.

His cousin shook his head. “No, I only came to check in on you. Have you talked to Demi?”

His cat stirred at the mere mention of his best friend. He’d been denying the animal for some time. They saw her enough that it soothed the beast and kept it from getting out of control. “I checked on her yesterday. She said she was ready.”

It had taken everything in him not to demand Demi stay with him. It had only been a week ago that he’d held her while she cried. Her grief came in waves, and he wanted to be there for her.  

“It’s time for you to tell her.”

Marco flinched. “She already has a lot on her plate.”

“I get that, but we’re potentially talking about her life.”

“Miles, there are a lot of reasons—”

“None good enough to let her get blindsided. She’s human and our only weakness if we’re keeping it a buck.”

 Damnit, his cousin was right. He needed to change the subject. “How close is the marketing team to the Dominion roll out?”

It was their latest mobile game, and he was anticipating the release. It had been their first successful game, and with every new rollout, the company and his pockets grew. Marco was far from that hungry kid he’d been, but the lasting sting of it still drove him. Miles studied him, his eyes seeing much more than Marco wanted him to see. He growled as the silence stretched, his cat getting agitated.

“You’re the Leo, Marco. It’s time.”

“I’m the Leo, Miles. I decide when it’s time.”

It took everything in him to check his temper. His cousin was his beta and was rightfully calling him on his shit. Didn’t mean he had to like it.

Miles leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We got a lot going on. Bring Demi in now, before the proverbial shit hits the fan.”

 “You realize you’re making my argument for me.”

 He didn’t want to bring her into the mess his life could potentially become, especially with all the changes already happening in hers.

“If we’re outvoted, then the shifters are revealing themselves. There’s no way this ends with humans accepting us with open arms. We need to be as strong as we can.”

“We still have time. Only the wolves are for it at the moment.”

Miles sucked his teeth. “If she’s on pride land, it will be harder for them to use her against us in the meantime.”

They’d been arguing about this for months. Moving Demi to their pride land would make his life easier but simultaneously more difficult. He was barely keeping his hands off her as it was. Miles was gearing up for the argument when the door to his office opened, and Demetria—Demi—Michaels walked, or rather stomped into his office, holding up a sheath of papers.

His cat rushed forward, and Marco cocked his head, unsure of her mood. Her grief was there to read, but there was something deeper in her scent, sharper. Her brown-skinned face was free of makeup, her pert nose scrunched, and her thick, manicured eyebrows were bunched in aggravation. She bit her full bottom lip, her straight white teeth the result of her years of braces. Tight jeans and a Clark sweatshirt covered her tall curvy body.

Dressed down, she was still bad as hell.

Couldn’t another woman touch her, as far as Marco was concerned. He raked his eyes over her, sighing at just the sight of her.

“Did you pay all my mother’s bills?”

“Good morning, Demi,” Miles spoke.

Her movement halted, and she raked his cousin with an impatient but chastised look. “Good morning, Miles, sorry.” She turned back to him and took a deep breath, visibly calming. “Did you pay mama’s bills?”

“I did.” He answered.

“I…” she paused and frowned; the argument she came in for stalling. “Why? I’m perfectly capable of—”

He cut her off. “Demi, it had nothing to do with you and everything to do with my relationship with Ann.”

 Her face showed her every thought as she pondered his statement. He saw the exact moment she figured out what had been a secret between him and Ann for so long. Her eyes widened, and her anger dissipated.

“You’ve been taking care of her,” she said softly.

“I’m gonna excuse myself.” Miles kissed the top of Demi’s head as he headed out the door.

“Dem, I owe your mother much more than money could ever have repaid.”

“That’s…Marco.” Her shoulders deflated.

“It was between Ann and me, and now it’s one less worry for you. I’m not sorry about it.”

She swallowed, her eyes wet, grief still palpable. “How long?”

“For as long as she allowed me. You know your mother. She told me no until the moment she was unable to work. She didn’t want the burden to fall onto you. We agreed on that much.”

Her breath hitched, and her shoulders fell. “I should’ve come home sooner.”

“Come here, Dem,” he bid her.

She walked around the desk, and he pulled her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her head against his chest.

“What am I supposed to do now? I planned to use money problems to push my grief out for a few more months.”

He chuckled and pulled her tighter into him, his cat rolling over in pleasure. He wanted to kiss the pout from her mouth, pull her braids down from the bun on her head and grip them as he lost himself in her. He wanted to spend hours using pleasure to push their shared grief aside. He shook his head. When had his feelings for Demi started changing? There was so much more he needed to tell her, and bills were the least of it. He sighed.

“You don’t laugh nearly enough these days.”

He grunted, not wanting to go into that again. It was her usual refrain since she’d started working with him a year ago. She needed something she could do from home part-time while caring for her mother. Demi said she needed the money, but he imagined she mostly needed the escape work provided. He knew her pride and didn’t bother offering to take care of her and her mother while they struggled through Ann’s treatment. The fact that he had the money to do it wouldn’t have swayed her.

All in all, he hadn’t regretted hiring her. In the months since she’d started, their public image had changed, making it infinitely easier to sell his apps and ad space for those games.

He kissed the top of her head. “What can I do to help?”

She snuggled, wiggling her hips instead of answering.

“Careful with the wiggles, Dem. I’m not a saint.”

She sighed, “I just want to cuddle. Can you not be a guy for a few moments?”

He laughed at her ridiculous statement. She burrowed into his neck.

“You can’t get any closer, Angel.”

“You always say that,” she murmured as she attempted to anyway, her body pliant as she settled into his arms.

His lion stretched within him, sending out power, wrapping it around one of the most important people in their life. Her body shuddered, and Demi relaxed more, her grief calming considerably in his arms.

“This is a lot better on your current frame versus the skin and bones you were as a teenager.”

He laughed and held her tighter. “Not you in my lap talking shit about me?”

“Just saying.”

His mood mellowed the longer he held her. He worried about her, and having her in his lap reassured both he and his cat. It had always been that way. He was never truly at ease unless she was within his sight.  He rested his head on top of hers and breathed her in. Miles was right. Demi was his only weakness in this world, but…he wouldn’t, no, couldn’t add to her trouble at the moment.