QSFer Terry Poole has a new MM fantasy book out: Roark.
Dragons are real. They live among us in secret. It could be your neighbor, your boss, or your best friend, and you would never know.
Cameron loves his life on the road. As a truck driver in Canada’s north, he sees majestic mountains, lush valleys and waterfalls that fall hundreds of feet. He couldn’t be happier. Until one day, his rig breaks down in the middle of nowhere and a creature out of mythology comes to his rescue, opening up a world he never knew existed.
A world in which Roark, the High King of the dragons, chooses him for his consort. Or does he?
Heartbroken, Cameron flees from Thunderbird Mountain. He can run, but he can’t hide and must decide if dragons can be a part of his future or not.
This book contains the mention of emotional abuse and trauma, along with sexy dragons, happy endings and an egg, which hatches an adorable baby dragon.
Warning: abuse, abandonment, physical injury
Get It At Amazon
Excerpt
He hadn’t meant to fall asleep sitting at the wooden table. Cameron roused slowly and instantly froze as he felt puffs of hot air moving across his bare arm and then up his shoulder. Dread rolled over him.
No, bear, I am not edible. I’m just getting over the flu and you don’t want my icky germs. Please be a good bear and go away.
Cameron repeated the words in his head like a mantra, desperately hoping the bear would hear his silent plea and leave him alone. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut as the bear sniffed the back of his neck. The smell of its awful breath drifted to his nose, making his stomach roil.
I’m going to die. Goodbye Roark, my stone friend. It’s almost ironic that only you will ever know what really happened to me.
A sound like several kites snapping together in a strong wind echoed against the cliff behind him. The bone chilling roar that accompanied the sound reverberated in the air, raising goose bumps across Cameron’s skin. The bear answered the challenge with a loud roar of its own, making Cameron flinch. Instinctively, he shrank back, covering his head with his arms and making himself as small a target as possible.
As the vicious growls increased in volume, Cameron snapped his eyes open, unable not to watch, and gasped in shock. He shoved his fist into his mouth to silence the terrified scream that threatened to come out of him. He could not afford to draw any more attention to himself.
Before him, a huge brown bear rose on its hind legs, waving its massive front paws menacingly as it faced off against… against… What the hell was that?
The beast must have stood seven, maybe eight feet tall. Its gray skin was rough and scaly, and huge bat-like wings extended from its shoulders. As it roared again, Cameron could see the huge razor-sharp teeth in its open snout. The beast resembled a cross between a gargoyle and a dragon. No, definitely more dragon, what with the row of spikes running from head to tail along its spine. For a moment, Cameron thought the gray scales made it appear to be made of rock. Come to think of it, the dragon kind of looked like Roark. Hesitantly, he raised his head higher. The outcropping above him was empty. No stone formation sat upon it.
That’s just not possible.
Cameron’s gaze dropped back to the two combatants as they circled each other. The size of its opponent obviously did not intimidate the bear. That’s it, Cameron thought. I’m dreaming or I’ve finally gone off the deep end. The dragon now stood with his back to Cameron, almost as if it were putting itself between him and the bear, protecting him. Frozen in place, he stared as it thumped its heavy tail hard on the ground, throwing a dust cloud into the air. Cameron struggled not to sneeze, desperate not to make a sound, to draw attention to himself. The urge to run to his rig and lock himself in to the relative safety it offered made his heart bang hard in his chest, but his body refused to move.
Mantling its wings like an angry eagle, the stone dragon flexed and waved its viciously clawed hands in obvious warning. The bear ignored the display and lashed out at the dragon, its paw raking the dragon’s chest. Cameron swallowed hard, unable to see, wondering how badly the bear had hurt the dragon. What if that had been a mortal wound? He was afraid for the creature that appeared to be defending him when he should have been terrified of losing his life.
The bear reared back and roared in pain, holding the paw close to its body. Cameron could see some of its long claws broken off. The remains of several were nothing more than bloody nubs, violently ripped from their roots.
The dragon creature, that had to be, but couldn’t possibly be Roark, extended his wings far to each side and bellowed furiously as it charged the bear, pausing before it and roaring down into its face. Startled, the bear fell awkwardly back onto its rump. It quickly scrambled to its four feet, and with a pronounced limp, lumbered into the brush, disappearing into the lush forest. Apparently, it had decided that Cameron wasn’t worth the effort anymore.
Roark threw his head back and screamed his triumph at the retreating animal. Cameron shivered as the sound rippled up and down his spine. He must have made a noise because Roark suddenly twisted his great head and stared at Cameron with a fierce expression on his face. Or should he say muzzle instead? His jaws were slightly open as he panted, and rows of jagged teeth were clearly visible. There was no longer any doubt in Cameron’s mind that he was looking at an honest to God dragon. The gray that covered its body may have looked like stone, but he could see shimmers of color through the gray, as if each scale was Labradorite. They were quite beautiful. Even more beautiful were his eyes. They glowed with an inner fire. Blue, red, and green swirled together, blazing like a firework.
Cameron trembled as Roark drew his wings close to his body and took several steps in his direction. It… He? Looked so angry. Cameron swallowed hard. Maybe it was hunger?
Oh, my God, now that he’s chased off the competition, he’s going to eat me. Cameron’s heart thundered in his chest like a wild thing, and he couldn’t seem to draw in any air.
I’m going to die after all, was his last thought as darkness crept into his vision and the world fell away. As his consciousness faded, he felt relief that he wouldn’t be aware while the creature ate him. But he could almost swear that alarm crossed Roark’s rough features as he reached for Cameron. Then – nothing.
Author Bio
Terry Poole is a Canadian author who specializes in Suspense and Paranormal M/M books. If you want to read about finding the strength within oneself to overcome adversity, both external and internal, then Terry’s books are the ones for you.
| Author Website | https://www.TerryPoole.ca |
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| Author Twitter | https://www.twitter.com/T_Pooleauthor |