QSFer Karenna Colcroft has a new MM paranormal romance book out (gay, trans): Virtually Guarded.
Newly-changed werewolf Ren Torres flees from pack members who assaulted him when his first shift from wolf form to human revealed him as a transgender man. Injured and terrified, Ren runs to the home of the Anax, ruler of all werewolves in the United States. There, Ren finds sanctuary—and his destined mate.
On the eve of the annual gathering of the U.S. werewolf leaders, the Anax’s guard, Xavier Pelly, has traveled with the Anax to the secondary home where the gathering will occur. When Ren arrives, Xavier immediately recognizes the new, petite werewolf as his fated mate. The one he will protect at any cost.
As the gathering progresses, Xavier works to gain Ren’s trust and to build the emotional connection Xavier requires. Feeling secure for the first time in his life with Xavier’s caring support, Ren finds his place in the Anax’s staff, helping to create Virtual Haven, an online support group for LGBTQ+ werewolves. But when the gathering ends, emotional demons from Ren’s past life on the streets cause Ren to run from Xavier—and when one of the pack members who assaulted Ren finds him, Ren’s life with his mate might come to an end.
This book includes depictions of transphobia, including a trans-bashing; on-page death of werewolves (no major characters); discussion of past abuse and sexual assault; and discussions of prostitution. The book takes place in the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat universe, but is not a direct part of that series.
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Excerpt
he morning passed slowly, but the mood was a ton lighter than it had been during the gathering. Even though there was plenty of chaos and noise, everyone who was here now had shown up to celebrate the Anax and Kyle. They were happy to be here. Friends. Allies. With Xavier on duty, I was kind of on my own, but the people I’d already met made a point of including me in conversations, and I genuinely felt like I belonged.
The wedding itself happened early that afternoon, outside on the back lawn. I’d only sporadically seen the Anax and Kyle together over the past several days, because the Anax was busy with the gathering and Kyle didn’t really have a role in that, but now, watching them together, their love was breathtaking. Their vows, tailored for the fact that humans who weren’t aware of werewolves were present, warmed my heart. And when they kissed, I couldn’t help the tears that welled up in my eyes. They were fated mates, like Xavier and me, but they were way more than that. I didn’t have words for what I sensed between them, but I wanted it. This was what Xavier and I might be eventually. Lovers. Partners. Forever.
If I could ever accept that forever existed.
Once the ceremony ended, the party began. Food. Music. People walking around chatting like old friends, which to be fair most of them were, but they even talked to me that way. Xavier was still on duty, but he walked over to where I was sitting and pulled me to my feet, and he kept my hand in his as he wandered through the yard. A few people glanced at us and smiled, and that warmed me.
Mine. Xavier was mine. Even if we weren’t declared or claimed or whatever we had to do, we belonged together. Belonged to each other.
“Dance with me,” he said softly as a slow song began to play.
“I don’t dance.” Most of the time, when music played, I clumsily moved my body in something resembling rhythm, but that wouldn’t work for a song like this. Slow, sensual, the kind of song lovers danced to.
We weren’t lovers. Yet. But I felt something for him that maybe was close to love. What the fuck did I know about it? Love wasn’t supposed to be something you felt for someone you’d just met, but then there was the whole “love at first sight” thing the romance novels babbled about. Maybe that wasn’t only a figment of the authors’ imaginations. Of course, in our case, being mates had something to do with it, but I wasn’t sure anymore that the mate bond was the only thing behind how I felt.
“Ren?” Xavier tugged my hand, pulling me closer to him. “Please dance with me. I have to stay on duty, but I can spare a couple of minutes for this. Everyone here is a friend and ally, and there’s no danger to the Anax.”
So we danced. Body to body, his arms over my shoulders, mine around his waist. Swaying slowly, not moving our feet, which was fine because I probably would have tripped over him. The music wrapped around us, or maybe that was our bond. Something pulled us together, embracing us the way we embraced each other.
This was where I was meant to be. Moving sort of to the music in Xavier’s arms on a bright green lawn under brilliant, hot sunlight, surrounded by people who accepted me if for no other reason than that the Anax accepted me, and they had to do what the Anax said.
That wasn’t the only cause of their acceptance, though. I saw it in the smiles people cast toward Xavier and me. Felt it in the friendly way they spoke after the song ended and Xavier and I resumed wandering the yard. Beside my mate, under his protection, I was as much a part of this group as anyone.
I didn’t know if it would last. I prayed it would.
Author Bio
Karenna Colcroft (she/they) is a nonbinary, neurodivergent survivor whose books try to encourage other survivors to believe they deserve and can find love and healthy relationships if they dare to open their hearts. In her non-writing life, Karenna is a mother, grandmother, and partner.
She does not compartmentalize love into gender or number, and in her stories, she strives to show that no matter how afraid or reluctant someone might be, and no matter how much work it takes to build a relationship, finding someone to share a life with is worth the effort. Karenna lives in the northeastern United States, where she is hard at work on becoming a forest-dwelling cat person.
| Author Website | https://karennacolcroft.com |
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| Author Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/karennacolcroft |