UPDATE: The winner is…Janet Rodman!
*~*~*

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I’m baaaack…Sharing another story in this anthology and it is a true privilege to work with Delilah and the other authors. I think that you are going to love this year’s stories (I’ve read both Ava Cuvay’s and Megan Ryder’s, and they rocked). This year, as M. Jayne, I’m sharing a peek into my Novus Pack world with a story called, “Drive.”

The action takes place after Book 2, Feel Me, in which the series heroine is brutally assaulted while with the Burke Pack in Texas. A nurse, Olivia, helps Theo get in touch with Novus, but now must go on the run.

Olivia is a nurturer and has found that she was unprepared for what she must face. She’s barely hanging on and knows the days are counting down before she will be found and hopefully quickly killed.

Then a police detective knocks on her door…Graham enters in all of his hot wolfie-ness. The last thing he imagined was that he’d find his mate while investigating a murder. He is a smart wolf and after learning of Olivia’s situation, he takes charge.

Love and forever means compromise, and for this couple life-changing decisions must happen NOW.

Excerpt from “Drive”

I sat my butt down on the top step, looping my arms around my bent legs, and dropped my forehead against my knees. Decision time. I had packed my duffle bag an hour ago. It now rested against the back door, mocking me. During my shower, I’d almost talked myself out of leaving. So, what if something so bad had happened at my neighbor’s that crime scene tape was still up when I’d gotten home from work? That had nothing to do with me. This identity had been good enough to get a driver’s license and work credentials. My stomach started to ache. I had a job and was settled into my rental. I didn’t want to run again. Fuck!

My enhanced hearing detected a car in my driveway, and within a minute, my doorbell chimed, followed by an aggressive knock. I stood and leaped to the bottom of the stairs. I could see a man flashing a badge through the peephole. Terrific.

“Who is it?” My voice sounded a little higher than usual as I spoke through the door.

“Detective Graham Vincent, Perryville Police Department.”

I slid back the deadbolt and tried to paste a calm yet curious look on my face. As I pulled the door toward me, his scent filled my nose.
Acting on pure instinct, I used all my strength to try to slam the door in his face even though the wood would not stop a Lycan male, even in human form.

“No, No, No,” I screamed as his hands gripped my upper arms and slammed me against the wall. My head connected with the plaster with so much impact that I saw streaks of light.

His body trapped me against the wall. “Who are you?” he rasped.

I struggled against his hold while trying to figure out what was happening. If he was here to kill me, why wasn’t I already dead? Was he going to make me suffer first? Was his plan to capture me then send me back to the Burkes’? That thought terrified me most.

The male leaned his face close to my neck and inhaled deeply. “Tell me your name.” His voice was low and rough.

Suddenly, I wanted to hear him say more, and I was no longer fighting, exactly. It was more like I was rubbing against him, and it felt…good.

*~*~*

I wanted to create a character who wasn’t a warrior or had a take-charge personality. In my Novus Pack world, no two personalities are the same. Some are shy, quiet, low-key, but if they are threatened or angered, they can kill as easily as the Packleader. Olivia is based on my friend, Janice, who is always ready to help. She is the one who buys the almost-dead plant and then brings it back to life. She fosters dogs and is the first to bring you soup when you are sick. She takes care of her friends.

Olivia is not helpless. She knows her strengths and faults, and Graham is a no muss/no fuss kind of male. He accepts her situation and when it becomes clear that a major decision must be made, he takes action to keep her safe.

Contest

For those of you that have not joined Novus—now is your chance! I will give away THE ENTIRE NOVUS SERIES—in e-book form. See Me, Impressions, Feel Me, Moments, and Touch Me to one (1) lucky winner. Simply answer the question below…

Do You LOVE Shifters? (and if you don’t—you might want to reconsider because you are Missing Out!)

About Melanie Jayne

I live on a grain farm in central Indiana with a long-suffering husband who is newly retired but is now seeking a job to get away from my crazy. A mastiff named Duncan Keith who is bossy and snores. I love crappy TV like The Real Housewives, Love &Hip Hop, and daytime TV. I also consider icecream a necessary food group. I like my music loud, cars fast, and vicious fights during sports. My quest in life is to find the best mascara for sparse, short lashes.

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