I am so excited that THE LEOPARD WHO CLAIMED A WOLF by Sarah Mäkelä is available now and
that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by
Author Sarah Mäkelä, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $5 Amazon
Gift Card and 2 eBooks, International, courtesy of Sarah and Rockstar Book
Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the
bottom of this post.
About the Book:
Title:
Author: Sarah
Mäkelä
Pub.
Date: January
15, 2019
Publisher: Kissa
Press LLC
Formats: Paperback,
eBook
Pages: 179
When a wolf loves a leopard…
He’s her protector...
Caitlyn Fraser, a wereleopard who has
always hated cruel werewolves, is the former prisoner turned mate of Dougal
Sterling, Alpha of the Scottish pack. She’s courting jeopardy with her
determination to attend the funeral of her brother’s father, since the Pack
blames her for Alistair’s death. But still Dougal protects her from his wolves.
Her defender...
Short of allies, Dougal struggles to
balance loyalty and attention between the Pack and Caitlyn. When the Pack’s
stability crumbles, he’s faced with the return of his older brother, the
rightful Alpha, who shirked his duty after their father’s death. However,
Ewan’s challenge will be a battle to the death. Sheltering Caitlyn can only
lose Dougal more friends, but he knows she’s the mate he’s longed for.
But survival takes two...
Menace lurks in every corner of the
Highlands; Alistair and Ewan’s supporters and haters of shapeshifters abound.
Caitlyn and Dougal must stick together, pushing back fiercely when they are
attacked. Even if that puts them in mortal danger…
Excerpt:
Chapter One
Caitlyn
The
driveway leading up to the Scottish Pack’s massive headquarters stretched almost
half a mile. I rested my chin on my arms and stared out of the Alpha’s window
on the second story, overlooking the circular section of the drive. The Pack’s castle
came complete with its very own dungeon, but at least they weren’t keeping me in
there anymore. The memory of Alistair’s craggy face haunted my dreams each time
I closed my eyes. His brutal fists hammered away against my face, ribs, and stomach,
until I could no longer sleep.
Tension
radiated through my shoulders, and I balled my hands into fists. No, Alistair—Colin’s father—was dead.
Dougal had protected me, and my brother, from that monster when I didn’t have
the strength to fight back.
Not
that it mattered.
Two
days had passed since my brother’s sudden departure. Now Colin was on his own
with no one to watch his back. How could he leave without saying anything to
me? I flexed my fists again, welcoming the anger as it bubbled up in my chest
and replaced my sadness.
The
heavy weight of a man’s hand descended on my back. I twisted around, my
knuckles connecting with a solid jaw lined with dark, coarse stubble. A
familiar jaw. Shite.
Dougal
stumbled back half a step, but then he planted his feet like a tree with strong
roots, not budging any further. Sharp power flared outward from him before he
squelched it, stretching the muscles in his jaw. A frown tugged at his lips,
and the corners of his eyes creased, either in pain or displeasure.
“Dougal!
I’m so sorry.” The sudden movement of punching him had shot a searing ache
through my battered ribs again. The pain stole my breath away, but I tried to force
it down. How could I have been so careless? If he’d been anyone else in the
Pack, I would’ve caused World War III.
“Dinnae
fash. The punch bloody well hurt, though. I didn’t realize you were so strong.”
Dougal’s frown melted away as he pulled me closer and pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Seems like you’re recovering your strength.” His gaze drifted past me to the long
gravel driveway of the estate. “How are you doing, love?”
The
emotions I’d been stomping down now bubbled to the surface again. “I cannae
believe Colin left me. He left before I even regained consciousness. How could he?”
With
anyone else, I wouldn’t show weakness, but I rested my forehead against Dougal’s
chest, needing his touch and savoring his warmth. “I barely had time to talk
with him, and when I did, it wasn’t a good time to ask how he was doing after
the months he’d spent in that bloody research facility—or even to ask where he would go to heal…”
Tears
welled in my eyes, but I held them back, refusing to cry. “I gave up so much—my job, my flat, my life—while trying to track him and bring him home. What
if my sacrifices were all for naught?”
“Nae,
they weren’t for naught, love.” Dougal kissed the top of my head. “I know you’re
hurting. You have plenty of reasons to be, but the man who came back wasn’t the
same one who left for the United States.” He lifted my chin, forcing me to see
the sincerity in his clear blue eyes. “Whatever those scientists did affected
him in ways neither of us will probably ever know. Waiting at the window won’t make
him return any sooner.” He wrapped his arms around me and gently pulled me against
his chest again. “Let me draw you a bath. Remember, I’m here if you need to talk.”
He
was right, even if I didn’t want to admit it. Waiting for Colin’s return wouldn’t
help, but what else could I do? “I know, but that doesn’t make this any easier
for me. He’s my younger brother. I feel helpless that I cannae be there for him…again.” A heavy ache settled on my heart, and I
pulled away hating the awkward emotions crushing me.
“Sorry.”
Dougal
turned away from me and stared out of the window again. His jaw clenched and unclenched,
as if he were trying hard to hold in his words. A lot was going on in his life
too, and yet he was making a strong effort to support me through my problems.
Things had become increasingly strained between him and his Pack since my
arrival and Duncan and Alistair’s subsequent deaths. He didn’t talk about what
he faced, and I didn’t want to pressure him.
After
a few moments of silence, he released a sigh and turned back toward me. “You’ve
done what you could for him, lass.” The ghost of a grin spread across his lips.
“Do you still want the bath?”
I
couldn’t help but nod. When I’d awakened from unconsciousness, Dougal had been
there for me. We’d made love, and he brought me to new heights of pleasure. We
also became intimately acquainted with the fancy Jacuzzi bathtub that could
easily fit three or four humans…or one
big, scary werewolf. The perks of being mated to the Alpha of the Scottish
Pack.
“Aye,
a bath sounds delish.” I wrapped my arms around his waist, bringing him back to
me and drawing in his musky lupine scent. “Thanks for the talk. I wish I could’ve
spoken with him before he took off. It would’ve made me feel better about him
going.”
“Love,
I talked with him.” He trailed his fingertips over my back in light, soothing
strokes. “If I weren’t confident that he presented no danger to others, I
wouldn’t have let him go. He would’ve stayed here whether he favored the idea
or not.” The muscles in his lower back tensed beneath my touch, and his hand
paused over my spine.
Something
didn’t feel right. I lifted my gaze to meet Dougal’s. Was he not telling me
something? We hadn’t known each other for long, but my sharp, feline instincts
knew when someone spoke an untruth. He wasn’t outright lying, but he was
holding something back. What could it be?
I
bit my lower lip, regretting it as my teeth sank into one of the nearly healed
spots where Alistair had punched me in the face. Instead of confronting Dougal,
I turned my attention toward the window. “You would tell me if he was dangerous
to himself, wouldn’t you?”
“Aye,
I would.” His tone of voice wasn’t as convincing as I’d wanted. He leaned away,
putting me at arm’s length. “Enough of that, I suppose. I’ll draw the bath for you.”
Without
another word, he strode to the en-suite bathroom. His hands clenched and
unclenched at his sides all the way. The door snapped shut behind him, and he
started the water running a few moments later.
Nausea
churned inside me, and I held my stomach. Should I believe Dougal? Something about
his words didn’t feel right. The Jacuzzi tub would take a few minutes to fill,
and I needed to get out of this bloody bedroom and away from him. The strain of
standing there and trying to keep myself calm was becoming too much.
My
stomach growled, and I glanced up at the round wrought-iron clock on the wall. It
was almost one o’clock in the afternoon.
Many
of the werewolves didn’t like that their Alpha was mating with a wereleopard,
so I usually skipped the mealtime rushes to keep my distance. It wasn’t easy, because
several of the wolves lived here in this honest-to-God castle full time.
Apparently, that was how many Packs operated. The thought boggled my mind. How
did they stand to be around one another all the time? How would I survive being
the sole feline in this house full of wolves?
Every
urge for solitude within me roared to run as fast and as far away from this place
as I could. Too much held me here, though. Besides, if Colin returned from his
trip, I wanted to be around to greet him. Maybe throttle him, too, but it’d be
a greeting nonetheless…
I
slid my leather jacket on over the white tank top, not wanting to reveal too much
bruised skin, then headed for the kitchen to grab leftovers. Dougal had tried
to convince me to eat with him and everyone else. He wanted me to get to know
the wolves and socialize. Getting friendly with the Pack might be a nice idea,
but I couldn’t do it. Not with how his Pack watched me when they thought I
wasn’t looking. Even Dougal’s second-in-command wasn’t a fan of mine. The
sentiment was mutual. For as long as I could remember, I’d hated werewolves.
One of my main reasons would soon rest six feet underground. Their hatred of me
for Alistair’s death just added to my reluctance to get friendly with them.
Shaking
away those thoughts, I turned the corner to enter the kitchen. If my sharp
feline reflexes hadn’t kicked in, I would’ve run straight into a towering
werewolf. I leapt back at the last minute to prevent Kerr from spilling his
plate of food. The already agonizing ache in my side intensified from moving so
fast, but I kept my arms at my sides and my face neutral.
“Afternoon,
lass. Ye look like yer recoverin’ well.” Kerr nodded, looking curiously at me.
“Thanks,
Kerr. I’m trying.” I flashed him an uncomfortable smile, then edged past the broad,
barrel-chested man into the kitchen. Maybe he wasn’t as bad as the others, but I
couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling that he disagreed with Dougal’s decision
to mate with me.
Kerr
placed a heavy hand on my shoulder. My spine stiffened, and I gripped the
sleeves of my jacket to keep from swinging on him too. “Keep tryin’, then.” His
deep voice rumbled through the kitchen. I glanced pointedly at his hand, but he
didn’t move it.
“Sooner
or later ye need to overcome yer fear, hatred, or whatever it is ye feel toward
my kind. If ye cannae, ye won’t last long here, lass.” With that, he walked
down the corridor toward the massive grand hall where the wolves held their
meetings and ate.
My
shoulders slumped. Suddenly, I didn’t feel so hungry, but my leopard still needed
to eat. We couldn’t skip any more meals. It hindered our healing process and weakened
us too much. Right now, I couldn’t afford weakness, not while I was amongst a pack
of wolves.
If
only I weren’t continually looking over my shoulder with the Pack, but such was
life for now.
Shite. I didn’t
have much time before Dougal noticed I’d left the bedroom.
The
leftovers were neatly arranged on the clean countertop. There wasn’t much food
left, but I grabbed a bag of crisps and one of the last club sandwiches. A female
wolf—Mairi, I think—ran a catering company, so she always brought by food
to keep the Pack well fed. She was one of the nicer wolves.
Instead
of following Kerr toward the dining room, where I would probably find the rowdy
werewolves laughing and talking, I remained in the kitchen. I sat on the counter
farthest away from the entrance, hidden from anyone who might walk past.
As
I finished my sandwich, footsteps in the hall became louder as someone approached
the kitchen. The sound of soft sniffing tensed every muscle in my body, then
Dougal stepped into the room. His gaze slid over me, and desire darkened his eyes.
“Your
bath is ready. If I’d known you were hungry, I would’ve brought something earlier
when I ate.”
I
shrugged a shoulder. “It’s all right. I’m eating now.”
“Aye,
so you are.” He looked down the hallway as if checking to make sure no one else
was near. When he turned back, he wore a frown that creased the corners of his
lips and eyes. “You shouldn’t be in here all alone, love. Things within the
Pack are tense right now. Let’s go back to the bedroom.”
I
tilted my chin up, not in the mood to be bossed around again. “I’m not alone. You’re
here.” I opened the bag of crisps and munched on one.
His
nostrils flared, and he crossed his arms over his broad chest. The move
might’ve been scary as hell if it wasn’t him doing it. “That’s not the point.
Come on.”
Bloody
hell.
First,
I’d been his prisoner in the cage, and now I’d become a prisoner in his
bedroom. Not in a fun way, either. Why was this happening?
I
clenched my fists, crushing a few of my crisps as tears burned in my eyes, but I
refused to let them show. The flood of emotions I’d experienced over the past
week was becoming too much to all push down at once. As soon as I dealt with certain
fears or emotions, others popped up to take their place, like some horrible version
of whack-a-mole.
Life
just wasn’t fair. All I’d wanted to do was return to Scotland and be here for
my brother. In that time, I’d been reintroduced to a childhood nightmare, imprisoned
in a dungeon, and now I was the prisoner/mate of a werewolf Alpha. When would the
roller coaster end?
Dougal
crossed the space between us in a few long strides. He pulled me from the counter
into his arms.
A
feline hiss ripped from my throat, sounding every bit as feral as I felt. Once again,
anger rescued me from my moodiness. “Set me down this minute!”
About Sarah:
New York Times Bestselling Author, Sarah Mäkelä, has received
her Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. She has been inspired to read and
write since reading a collection of her mother’s poetry as a child. Her real
passion for writing began after receiving an Excellence in Writing award for a
children’s story her seventh-grade English teacher encouraged her to enter for
a school contest. Her love of romance novels became evident after picking up
her first Harlequin, Chateau of Flowers by Margaret Rome, shortly thereafter.
She lives in North Carolina with her husband and cats. In her
spare time, she enjoys reading, computer and console games, and traveling all
over the world. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as the
Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal
chapters.
Giveaway
Details:
1
winner will win a $5 Amazon Gift Card, International.
2
winners will win an eBook of THE LEOPARD WHO CLAIMED A WOLF, International.
