Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Countdown to Clan and Conviction - 3 Days



     
       “You always said I was an evil influence.  Yet I see it’s me picking up the dinner check.  I’m spending and you’re saving once again.”
            “Absolutely.  Are we done with the polite chitchat yet?”
            Gelan sighed, relaxing as he drained his own glass of potent drink.  “Thank the ancestors.  I hate that shit.”
            “Good.  My home or yours tonight?”
            A surge of pure lust coursed through Gelan’s body, making his cocks warm and twitch.  He managed to keep his tone casual and considering, however.  “Hmm.  Good question.  On the one hand, I have some nice things I don’t want to see broken when we fight for dominance.”
            Wynhod nodded, his expression just as offhand though his eyes had gone dark.  “No doubt every room of your home is decorated to a tee.  Seems like we were never able to contain our battles to the sleeping room, if memory serves.”
            Gelan gave him a dangerous smile.  “On the other hand, I know where all the weapons are.  I rather like having that advantage.”
            Wynhod snorted.  “I hate to see you waste money by us destroying your pretty things.  And I definitely don’t want you killing the mood by making me laugh over your attempts to wield weaponry.  We’d better make it my place.  I still haven’t unpacked everything, so there will be plenty of room for me to kick and then enjoy your ass.”
            Gelan let his fangs descend so he could bare them at Wynhod.  “Ha!  Good luck with that, Nobek.”
            Wynhod flashed a similar feral display before letting his fangs fold back and giving him a searching look.  “It’s good to be with you again, Gelan.  I am sorry about your last partner, but I can’t deny how much I’m looking forward to working with you.  And fucking you.”
            “Not if I fuck you first.”
            They grinned at each other as a waiter brought their meals and fresh glasses of bohut.  Gelan enjoyed his meal and conversation that followed, along with the anticipation of what would happen later. 
            Damn, Wynhod was as perfect as ever.  Gelan wondered if it was too early to be thinking about clanning this delicious Nobek.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Countdown to Clan and Conviction - 4 Days




             
            A physician stepped out of Hurs’ room, interrupting Gelan’s train of thought.  Gelan knew the doctor on sight, the ever-efficient Imdiko Nameq.  He straightened and called out to interrupt the man, who was busy tapping on his handheld.
            “Doctor?”
            Nameq glanced up at Gelan in quick acknowledgment before going back to inputting information.  Gelan waited patiently for him to finish his notes.  Nameq was older and already clanned.  Too bad, Gelan had thought more than once.  Every time he saw that sleek-featured doctor, he got deliciously evil thoughts in his head.  Like how the much slighter Imdiko would be easy to dominate, unlike a Nobek.  That thought had Gelan peeking at Wynhod from the corner of his eye.  Of course, fighting for superior position wasn’t all bad either.  Sometimes even losing could be fun, especially to a man like his former lover.
            Finally Nameq switched off his portable computer and gave Gelan his full attention.  As always, he was the epitome of  polite competence, getting to the point without being prodded.  “Hello, Investigator.  Your friend Hurs is quite addicted, to the point that the withdrawal is trying to kill him.  It’s going to take some time to flush the Delir completely out of his system.”
            Gelan hid his impatience at the news.  He had expected as much.  “How long until I can question him?”
            Nameq shook his head.  “Not before tomorrow, I’m afraid.  Nobek Hurs is not even remotely a part of our world right now.  Call me in twelve hours and we’ll see if he’s coherent.”
            Twelve hours.  Gelan allowed a sigh to escape before finding graciousness.  “Thank you.”
            The doctor’s gaze flicked to Wynhod, who stood at Gelan’s shoulder.  “Your men will be ready this time, I hope?”  Nameq’s tone held a slight edge.
            Gelan assured him, “Without question.”
            “Good.  I’ve already had to sedate Hurs’ mother.  Any bigger shocks to her emotions, and she’ll be going to need in-house care.”
            “Understood.”  Gelan didn’t pretend the grimness he felt.
            Nameq walked away.  Gelan turned to Wynhod, whose expression was curious.  Well, the Dramok could satisfy that curiosity and impress on his partner the need for the highest level of security at the same time.
            Gelan said, “The last time we brought a live one in suffering from Delir withdrawal, we had actual hope he’d become lucid enough to interview.  It looked good.  Dr. Nameq thought the addict wouldn’t be forced to live his life out in psychiatric care.  However, someone from the gang slipped in.  He killed the poor bastard before we could question him.”
            Wynhod’s eyes widened.  “Was he guarded?”
            “The investigator in charge at the time didn’t think there was a need.  The junkie had been placed in stasis for the drug flush.  He wasn’t going anywhere on his own until the withdrawal was over, at which time he’d be taken to headquarters for processing.  Everyone felt confident enough to leave him.”
            “No one thought anyone would care about a druggie, I take it.”
            “That was the idea.  That’s why I ended up heading the case from that point on.” 
            The two men said simultaneously, “No mistakes this time.”
            A grin took hold of Gelan’s face, echoed by Wynhod’s laugh.  Just like the old days, they were on exactly the same page.  It was like the last seven years had never separated them.

Shalia's Diary Monday Post

The end of the first storyline.  http://shaliasdiary.blogspot.com/.  Don't worry - the second story starts Thursday.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Sunday’s Serving – Countdown to Clan Beginnings: Clan and Conviction – Five Days





            Surprisingly, one side of Gelan’s mouth lifted in a smile.  “I’ll clear you for investigative research, Krijero.  I’ll work on it a bit myself.  Maybe we can even rope Wynhod into doing a little computer time.”
            Wynhod’s look was thunderous.  “I hate that shit.”
            Gelan grinned at him, the look full of deviltry.  Wynhod’s eyes narrowed and he cocked his head as if to ask what his clanmate was thinking.
            Gelan’s grin spread larger and he turned to Krijero.  “The help will cost you, Imdiko.”
            Krijero squirmed.  Oh shit, the bastard was going to dangle the ability to continue researching as bait to re-open the issue of courtship.  Gelan had the psych right where he wanted him, and Krijero knew he wasn’t going to spare him one little bit.  He was in trouble.
            He couldn’t help but plead.  “Gelan, don’t.”
            “Shut up and listen to my proposal.  It may not be as horrible as you think.”
            The Imdiko sagged in his chair.  He was so screwed.  “Fine.  I’ll listen.”
            “Wynhod and I have been looking to add an Imdiko to our clan.  Things are usually pretty good when we start out, and then—” 
            Wynhod interrupted.  “They walk out on us.  The complaint is always we make them feel left out.  That we’re too much alike for them to feel a part of the unit.”
            Krijero frowned.  “How are you doing that?”
            Gelan sighed.  “That’s the problem.  We’re not sure.”
            Wynhod leaned towards Krijero.  “You don’t want to join a clan.  At all.  Ever.”
            “No.  Absolutely not.”
            Gelan said, “Fine.  I won’t push you on that count.  However, I would like you to spend your personal time with us.  To act as if you’re being courted for clanship.”
            Krijero blinked.  “Why?”
            Gelan and Wynhod exchanged a look.  Then they turned to him again.  Gelan said, “We want to know exactly what it is that keeps us from finding an Imdiko who will stay with us.  We court you, and you tell us how we’re fucking it up.”  His gaze bore into Krijero’s.  “Tonight, you’ll leave work in our company.”  It was an order, not a request.
            Wynhod added, “We’ll have dinner.  Talk.  Get to know each other like any three breeds exploring compatibility.”
            Krijero stiffened.  He did not want them getting to know him.  He did not want to expose himself like that, not to anyone.  Most certainly not to these two. 
            It was on the tip of his tongue to refuse them outright when Gelan said, “You play along, and you can have investigative research access.  You can keep working on your theories about Frenzy.  And I’ll do some looking into it myself.”
            Knowing the answer, Krijero asked anyway, “If I say no?”
            Gelan shrugged.  “Then I can’t help you.  I’ve got a full workload without getting stuck chasing Frenzy ghosts.”
            Damn him.  Damn them both.  If Krijero agreed to this, they might find out just how clumsy and stupid he was.  More importantly, he did not want to get emotionally invested in men who would leave him behind.  Especially not a Dramok.
            But if he didn’t go along with Gelan’s ridiculous blackmail, his work on Frenzy would end.  The epidemic would grab hold of their territory and spiral out of control until someone got desperate enough to listen to his theories and give them a chance.  It could be ages before that happened. 
            Delir and Frenzy had been Krijero’s obsession for years.  He simply couldn’t stand to let them go.

Releasing in five days.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Countdown to Clan and Conviction – 6 Days





What better way to celebrate getting another year older (hey, it beats the alternative) than to celebrate a new book?  We are closing in on the release of Clan Beginnings:  Clan and Conviction, the story of Gelan, Wynhod, and Krijero.

Thanks as always to Erin Dameron-Hill.  Her covers never disappoint, and I think this is one of the best she’s done for me.  She captured the three men exceptionally well. 

Big thanks to my newest proofreader/editor Kat.  Any screw-ups in the story are completely mine, as she went over the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb.  She has made sure there is little opportunity for you all to get jerked out of our favorite universe because I flubbed up. 

Believe it or not, I’m going to thank Krijero for being such a pain in the ass of a character.  I really don’t think you can have a satisfying story without conflicted characters, and he brought it to an extreme level.  Even I didn’t know how much trouble he would get into, and he went in as far as possible.  These guys really do take on a life of their own...I just report it back to the rest of you.

And yes, the various distributors have been known to release the book earlier than expected.  If you want to start searching early, I will submit the book to Barnes and Noble on Monday, Amazon on Tuesday, and Smashwords on Thursday to guarantee they’ll be out by the official release day of Friday.

Get ready for the hot man-on-man-on-man action and a cop thriller to boot.  The boys are on their way!