Top of the Food Chain

If I told you the truth about me you’d back away, thinking I’m crazy. Why? Because people like me, we don’t exist, according to science and such.

But I am real. After all, I’m sitting right next to you at this bar. Go ahead, touch me.

See? I’m real.

The myths lie, you know. I don’t know where they come up with some of them, unless it’s just people’s need to control their fear and keep believing they’re at the top of the food chain.

You’re not. I don’t think you ever have been.

Oh, yeah? All it takes is the right situation to drive that point home. Lost at sea? Clinging to a bit of wreckage with a shark swimming a few feet away? Who’s at the top of the food chain then, I ask you?

The shark of course. Trust me on that.

What do I think I am? It’s not what I think – it’s what I am. You’ve no idea of the truth, and I’ve no idea whether I could trust you enough to tell it.

I can trust you? Sure I can.

Yeah, I could use another drink. Thanks.

I’m sure there’s more like me, but I haven’t found them yet. It’s lonely, being different.

How lonely? Imagine being the only one on a deserted island. Forever.

No, I’m perfectly aware we’re sitting in a crowded bar. All the noise is giving me a headache.

What? Sure, I suppose somewhere quieter would be nice, especially if I decide to tell you what I am. The real question here is: Are you sure you can trust me?

You laugh, because you’re a big, strapping man. That’s all right. I know your only plan for the night is getting laid.

Bluntness saves time. I’m not against the idea; you’re a good-looking guy.

All right, let’s go.

 Nice place. It’s cleaner than I expected from a guy your age living alone. You’re what, twenty-five?

Yeah, I’m good at guessing people’s ages. It’s a gift.

No need for fake affection, not with me. We can just strip and fuck. That’s fine.

If you’re any good, I’ll tell you what I am afterwards.

Oh, I think I’d give you a nine out of ten. You’re enthusiastic, aren’t you?

 Yeah, I did, and I will tell you. Well, I’ll show you.

 Shh…don’t scream, it hurts my ears. I told you I wasn’t crazy.

 Don’t do that.

 You’re a liar just like the rest. You said I could trust you, remember?

 I know it’s different now that you realize I wasn’t lying about humans not being the top of the food chain, huh?

 Bet you feel pretty alone right this minute.

 You know, maybe I misjudged you. Maybe you’re a ten after all. You certainly worked up my appetite.

 Don’t worry.

 I’ll make it fast. 

Small as she was, Shady’s weight on his hip might as well have been that of the whole world.

Cuddling his daughter, Tristan stared at the coffin as it descended into the grave.

Hope was gone.

She’d somehow fallen while going down the cellar steps. Betty discovered her, but it was too late. Knowing that it had been a quick death was of little comfort.

At least it hadn’t been Shady who’d found her. Tristan didn’t know how he would’ve handled their daughter finding her mother dead.

Dead. Dear Lord, why? Eyes closing against the burn of tears, he kissed the small head resting on his shoulder while hugging Shady a bit closer.

Briefly, Tristan thought of adopting her out to a Wolven pack. At least then, she wouldn’t have to finish her growing motherless.

Tristan hadn’t ever considered loving any woman but Hope from the first time he’d seen her. He didn’t know how to continue without her.

Better figure it out. Eyes opening, he gently set Shady down before leading her closer to the grave’s edge. The rose she held was crumpled, but he didn’t think Hope would mind that.

It fell, and through the painfully tight grip of his daughter’s hand, Tristan felt the shudder that wracked her. Head falling back and sinking to the ground, Shady howled.

The sound was thin, wavering and caused the short hairs on his neck to rise. Dropping to one knee, gathering his daughter close, he broke into sobs. 

***

Intrigued? Head on over to ShadowConnor.com, register for free and read the rest!

Feral Intensity v2: Prologue -

A yelp of pain escaped when his fist smashed into my face. Knees hitting the ground, I caught a heavy blow to the temple and collapsed face down.

My arms were yanked back and wrists cuffed.

Man, Maureen’s going to be pissed in the morning. Fortunately, my hair hid the spreading grin.

Maureen’s my Girl Friday and best friend. She thinks I work too much and has made it a personal mission to regularly drag me out to clubs for fun. Her order is always the same: Leave work at the office and relax, Shady.

Tonight, I’d failed more spectacularly than usual, but the consolation prize was the shocked expression she’d worn, watching me leave with him. Maureen, or Reen as I call her, has an unhealthy interest in my sex life.

Okay, my lack of one.

My attacker began dragging me up the steps of an old farmhouse. His name was Charles Watson; Number Five on the FBI’s Most Wanted list, due to his hobby of rape and murder. The last count I’d seen put the number of victims at twenty-seven. He had stuck to his M.O., which was a club pick up and a drive out to a secluded location.

Too bad I was his choice for tonight’s menu.

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I spent a few days frenziedly working on covers: tweaking, completely re-doing or creating brand new.

End result included six covers for my Shadow Connor series, which I’m revamping this year. If you’re interested in following along as I rewrite the first three titles, you can hop over to ShadowConnor.com, register for free and do so. All three originally published stories are posted; there are some bits that may or may not be included in the books, plus the re-written prologue for Feral Intensity is posted.

From one comment made when I posted links to the covers on Twitter, it appears that I’ve managed to trip into ‘branding’ this series. Yay!

Without further ado, here are the covers:

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The word count for Arcane Solutions has risen to 48, 090. It’ll reach the 50k goal today! Yay!

Hopefully, it’ll be finished before the end of the month. Bad news is that once that 50k goal is passed, I have to do some re-writes in order to finish it. So NaNo will end for me today, and I won’t be updating the word count on it on my profile there.

Plan is to have it as polished as I can get it and send it for editing. After that’s finished, I plan to format it, design the cover and publish it.

It’ll be my first NaNo novel to go through those steps! Woohoo!

The publishing part probably won’t happen until after the first of the year, so if you’ve been checking the excerpts out and like what you’ve seen, stay tuned for information about when, where and how much the cover price will be.