Ebb & Flow 2
At 130 years old, lone Nova Scotian werewolf Malachi Powers never wanted a mate—until fate sent him Quinn Boucher. The young man has captured Malachi’s heart, and Malachi can no longer imagine life without his mate. But Quinn is hiding something from Malachi, a deception Malachi cannot allow.
At 22, Quinn Boucher battles the traumas of his past, but resurfacing memories of abuse at the hands of the werewolves who changed him begin to wear him down. Concerned for Quinn’s mental health, the U.S. Anax, werewolf ruler of the country, sends him to Nova Scotia to be Malachi at the home of Silas Creighton, Anax of Canada. Perhaps their bond will support Quinn’s healing.
But there is no respite for Quinn on Silas’s private island. The Anax’s newest guard, Andy, is not who he seems, and the magic he wields could destroy Canada’s werewolves. Left alone to fight when Malachi and Silas fall under Andy’s control, Quinn is confronted with the most devastating of his buried memories. To defeat Andy, Quinn must defeat his own demons—now fueled by Andy’s power.
This book includes intense descriptions of flashbacks to abuse and sexual assault, harsh language including one use of the F-slur against a gay man, depictions of PTSD, and on-page unaliving of an evil werewolf. The main characters' relationship includes a VERY large age gap (over a century; werewolves live a long time!) and one character consensually commanding the other.
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Pairings: M-M
Heat Level: 4
Romantic Content: 3
Ending: Click here to reveal
Character Identities: Gay
Protagonist 1 Age: Ageless/Immortal
Protagonist 2 Age: 18-25
Tropes: Age Difference, Fated Mates / Soul Mates, Lone Wolf
Word Count: 85445
Setting: Nova Scotia, Canada
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Continuous / Same Characters
We exited the plane onto the tarmac of the small airfield. Beyond the Canadian Anax and Malachi were the ruins of the huge mansion that had once stood on the island. Last time I was here, someone had set fire to the place to try to kill Silas. The fire had set off an explosion in the kitchen, which had almost killed Malachi. Silas was out of the house by then. I was in his office with him when the fire started, and I’d gotten him out through the office window.
Yeah, I really, really hoped no one tried to kill anyone this time.
Silas stepped forward, with Malachi a couple of paces behind. “Kyle Slidell, mate of Tobias Rogan, Anax of the United States, you are welcome in my home. May no harm come to you here.”
“This time,” Malachi muttered under his breath. Obviously he was thinking along the same lines I was. Silas glared at him.
READ MORE“Silas Creighton, Anax of Canada, we appreciate your hospitality,” Kyle said. “May we bring no harm to your home. Or, rather, may Quinn. I can’t stay. I just wanted to make sure everything was all set before we take off.”
“Everything is.” Silas gave me a warm smile. “Quinn, you’re welcome here too. And I sincerely hope that no harm comes to you here after the last couple of visits.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that. It wasn’t a ceremonial greeting or anything. So all I said was, “Thank you, Anax.”
“Boy.” Malachi moved past Silas and studied me. I had to look away. I wouldn’t have been able to stand seeing anger, or worse, disappointment in his blue-gray eyes. I still hadn’t quite figured out what color those eyes were. They changed like the ocean, which made sense. Malachi was very tied to the sea.
He touched my cheek, turning my head toward him. I didn’t look him in the eye. I couldn’t. But I managed to murmur, “Malachi.”
In private, when only the two of us could hear, I called him “Sire.” But that was a part of our relationship some people wouldn’t have approved of, so he had instructed me to use his name in front of others. It felt wrong now. I didn’t want Malachi. I wanted my Sire. The one who commanded me and comforted me. Who took care of me, even from a distance of several hundred miles.
“I’m right here, boy.” He spoke barely above a whisper. He got to call me “boy” in front of everyone else because he’d started calling me that pretty much the moment we met. Also because he was in charge, and he got to decide which of us called the other what. But right now, he was using it to remind me of who we were to each other, and he obviously didn’t want the others to hear. “No matter what you call me, I am right here. Do you understand?”
I bowed my head. “Yes.”
COLLAPSE
