QSFer Karenna Colcroft has a new MM paranormal romance out Ebb & Flow book 3: Storm & Shelter.
A year ago, Quinn Boucher was in his third year of university. He had plans. A life. And then in one night, it was all ripped away by violent werewolves who changed Quinn and held him captive for a month. Now, a year later, Quinn is healing. He has safety in the Massachusetts home of the U.S. Anax, ruler of all werewolves in the country. And he has the love and support of the older man fate brought into his life, his mate Malachi. But as the anniversary of his change passes, Quinn has no respite from his memories. If only Malachi wasn’t so far away.
At 130 years old, Malachi Powers never wanted a mate. Never wanted to command another. And then destiny gave him Quinn. Now, after six months, he can no longer imagine his life without the young man who obeys his word. When the U.S. Anax requests that Malachi come to spend Christmas with Quinn, Malachi accepts the offer. And when the Anax offers to allow Quinn to travel back to Nova Scotia to spend time with Malachi, both are thrilled.
Staying at Malachi’s winterized island cottage, Quinn and Malachi feel out how it will be when they are finally able to fully combine their lives. But the isolation, Quinn’s memories and concerns about the Anax, and the impending full moon take their toll on both men. When Quinn’s trauma gets the best of him and he runs, Malachi questions whether he can truly be the partner his young mate needs. Perhaps they would be better off living apart.
This book includes a large age gap between main characters (over 100 years; werewolves live a long time); mention of and flashbacks to sexual trauma in a main character’s past; depictions of PTSD; one main character consensually commanding the other; and mention of the off-page self-unaliving of a minor character. The book is set in the Real Werewolves Don’t Eat Meat universe but is not a direct part of that series.
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Excerpt
“You wouldn’t be trapped, boy.”
Malachi’s voice startled my mind back from its wander. “I didn’t mean…” I trailed off. “I want to be with you. I just want to be able to leave, too, if I have to.”
“That’s what I want for you also,” he said quietly. “Boy, I’ve no desire to keep you against your wishes. If you choose to live here with me, we will ensure that you have a way out. Both temporarily, so that you can visit nearby towns and such, and permanently if you need to do so.”
“I know. My brain’s doing stupid things again.” I leaned back and started slowly rocking. “I know you only want me here if I want to be here. You’ve said that. It’s just that, like right now, if I wanted to leave, how could I? You don’t have a car. Your boat and the SUV are still at Silas’s. I could walk, or shift and run, but I barely even know where I am. So right now, tonight, I kind of am trapped, and I think that’s another thing that’s getting to me.”
“If you needed to leave tonight, I would place a call to Silas and have him send one of his men to get you,” Malachi said. “I can’t pretend to know how being held in that cabin felt for you, but I understand why it would cause you to fear being unable to leave a place. I won’t knowingly do anything that will cause you pain or harm, and I will never force you to stay if you truly wish to go. You have my word on that.”
When a high-ranked werewolf, like an Anax or Alpha, made a promise, sometimes they staked it on their rank. That meant that whatever gave them the powers that went along with the rank would completely strip them of the rank if they broke their word. I’d felt that power binding Tobias and Silas when they’d made promises to me.
Malachi wasn’t a high-ranked werewolf. As a packless lone wolf, he held no rank at all. Nothing to stake a promise on. But when he gave me his word now, I felt the binding just like I had with Tobias and Silas.
I stared at him. “You can’t break your promise.”
“I wouldn’t even if I could, boy.” His lips curved slightly. “Only if I’ve no other choice, and the only way that would be the case is if I died. Which, as I’ve said, I’ve no plans to do anytime soon.”
“You can’t control when you die.” That wasn’t a great thing to say, but the words were out before I thought.
“No, but I’ll do all I can to prevent it.” He sighed. “Boy, your thoughts are going in a dark direction. Did I contribute to that?”
“No, Sire, not at all.” I touched my necklace, and once again its warmth calmed me. “I think it’s just everything. I lost it at Silas’s, and sometimes when I fall apart like that, I’m kind of off for a while afterward. Like, emotions are all over the place and stuff. Kind of like right after shifting.”
“I believe I understand.” He stood and went to the door to the closed-off bedroom. “Best that this stay closed for now. Moving out whatever remains in there will be better done in daylight, and I need time to prepare myself.”
“I don’t know if I’d be able to sleep in that bed either. But I don’t really need sleep.” I didn’t expect him to deal with the closed bedroom at who-knew-o’clock in the morning. That room was his life with Jonathan and Roger. I definitely didn’t want him to rush through deciding whether he could actually handle turning that room into ours.
He put his hand on the doorknob. “I suppose I could change the linens on the bed now so we can use it. They’ve not been changed since…They’re too dusty to sleep on, I’m sure. And the room will be a good bit colder than the rest of the cottage. The door keeps out the heat. But we can sleep in here if you need.”
It was a kind offer. He wanted to take care of me. I got that, but I felt guilty about it too. Especially the way he’d stopped himself. The linens hadn’t been changed since…I was pretty sure the rest of that sentence would have been “Jonathan died.” Malachi wasn’t ready to bring me into that room, even to lie on the bed for a few hours, and I wasn’t ready to feel like I was pushing Jonathan out.
I shook my head. “This isn’t the shack. The bed in your room isn’t that bed, and the blankets are a little less scratchy. I can try to rest in there even if I can’t sleep.”
“Boy, I am trying to do what you need here.” He walked back over to me and, with a soft groan, lowered himself to one knee in front of me. “I don’t know how to make this right for you. Not tonight. Give me some guidance. Tell me how to help.”
Tears came to my eyes as his voice grew thick, and I had to look away from him. Which wasn’t easy when he was kneeling right in front of me. “I need you, Sire. That’s all. I need…I don’t know, and I’m messing this up.” My voice cracked. “You didn’t have to bring me here, but you did, and I’m screwing it up.”
Author Bio
Karenna Colcroft lives just north of Boston, Massachusetts, and has been in love with the city since childhood. To the best of her knowledge, she has yet to encounter any werewolves or other paranormal beings here.
Karenna is a polyamorous, nonbinary human. She lives with her husband and has two adult children and three “bonus” kids, four grandchildren, and three cats, who aren’t at all pleased that Karenna writes about werewolves.
| Author Website | https://karennacolcroft.com |
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| Author Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/KarennaColcroft |