Matesummer Monday: Truth and Lies

 

Soon I'll be unveiling the cover of book 3 in the Comet Lake series: Death Growl, which will be coming to you in late July/early August. In the meantime, I've been working on book 6, and thought I'd share a little snippet from it this morning. 

“Why does he hate you?”

The voice made Baz flinch and clench his fists, even as his cheeks heated up. The thought of someone witnessing what had just taken place was almost as humiliating as having his mate walk away and leave him unfulfilled. That it was Kale standing there made it so much worse.

“I betrayed him.”

“Why?”

Baz hoped Kale would stay where he was, leaning up against a tree at the edge of the clearing, but the universe had never cared what he wanted, thus, Kale shoved away from the tree and headed his way.

“Was better than the alternative,” Baz replied, turning away so he wouldn’t have to see his face up close again. Even in the pond, tied, bloody, and unconscious in the moonlight, he was beautiful. Baz didn’t want to see how much more so he was now that he was healthy. He’d damned himself the moment he’d promised Charlie he would bring their mate to him if he was ever lucky enough to find them. In honoring that, he’d hoped to earn some small measure of forgiveness. Another failure in a long string of them involving his mate.

“What could ever be worse than betraying a mate?” Kale asked.

Sounded like he was right beside him now. His voice smooth, melodic, Baz would have loved to sit and listen to him talk for hours, but he couldn’t stay close to the mate he couldn’t have. He couldn’t let a bond form between them. Not when it would put him at odds with Charlie and the vow he’d made.

“Prey you’ll never find out.”

Baz started walking then, head down, hands shoved in the pocket of his jacket, intent on returning to the shop and the multitude of projects that awaited him. He’d always loved working with wood, shaping it into something useful or even beautifully ornamental. Feeling it beneath his fingertips had a way of soothing his mind, the sandpaper rubbing over the grains like a harmony he could get lost in for days. Charlie had to know how badly it would suck for him when Charlie returned to the woodworking shop and Baz was forced to leave.

If only they could find a way to work together there if nowhere else. 

You can find the first two books of the Comet Lake Chronicles Here.