The Howling Heart

Synopsis:
Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.

Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv---wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.

Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.

Riley fell asleep first, and I felt his soft fur on my face. His body temperature was warmer. His front paws wrapped around me, and I realized this was the most intimate I'd been with his animal form. He would never sleep with me as a human, and I had to accept it if I was going to be with him.

Hours passed, but I hadn't fallen into a deep slumber, yet. I heard the wood floor creak and opened my eyes to find myself sleeping alone. I looked toward the sound and saw someone standing a few feet from the bed, the moonlight casting a long shadow on the floor. With a gasp, I sat up and turned on the light. My wide eyes stared at Riley, naked and wet.

"What are you doing?"

He just looked at me.

I leaned toward him, looked down at the floor, and saw muddy paw prints. I followed the trail from the open window to where they turned into human footprints and ended where he stood.

I concluded he'd been outside. "Where did you go?"

He approached the bed and got in next to me. I sat with my back against the headboard, too bewildered to scold him about his dirty feet. He rested his head on the pillow with his arm tucked underneath.

"I had to sort out Zoë."

I swallowed hard. "What did you do?"

He blinked once. "I punished her."

I released a haggard breath when I noticed smeared blood on his chest. Fear laced my words. "Why do you have blood on you?"

He looked down at himself and spoke nonchalantly. "Oh, I thought I washed it all off in the river." He pulled the quilt back. "I'll go take a shower."

He tried to get out of bed, but I grabbed his arm and shouted, "What did you do, Riley?"

"She tried to kill you, so I defended you," he said casually.

"Yeah, you saved me from a vicious mauling. Thank you, but I remember telling you to let it go."

"I couldn't let her get away with attempted murder. I won't tolerate that behavior toward my mate." He shrugged, and his tone still sounded carefree. "So, I made an example out of her." I gaped at him. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "It's within my authority to punish my subordinates any way I see fit."

Warning bells suddenly went off in my head. "Did you hurt her?" I asked meekly as I gathered the quilt against my chest.

He pressed his soft lips to mine, and then whispered, "The important thing is...she'll never hurt you, again."

This time, I let him leave the bed. He walked out of the room, and minutes later, I heard the rushing water from the shower.

I turned off the light and lay motionless, staring at the ceiling and thinking about Zoë. I knew the blood on Riley's chest belonged to her, and I wondered how it got there. How did he exact his punishment and make an example out of her?

He rejoined me in the bed after his shower, smelling of clean soap. He kissed my lips again and snuggled next to me under the quilt. His warm body enveloped me like a second blanket.

"Go to sleep," he murmured.

Once his breathing evened out, his human body flashed into a wolf.

Bio:
April Bostic is a New Jersey-based, Adult Romance author who enjoys unleashing her creativity and letting her imagination run wild. Her love of romance books inspired her to become not just a reader, but also a writer. In December 2008, she self-published her first novel, a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist entitled "A Rose to the Fallen".

Her first short story, "Right Here, Right Now", released in January 2012, is an erotic romance with a dash of S&M. The following year, she released two more short stories: a romantic urban fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche entitled "Eros, My Love", and a sexy romantic comedy entitled "Love Addiction".

After five years, she released her second novel, "The Howling Heart" in August 2013, a paranormal romance that delves into the mystical world of werewolves and Norse gods. To end her busiest year in publishing, April also released her fourth short story in December 2013, a historical paranormal romance entitled "A Dark Scandal".

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Purchase links:
http://amzn.com/B00EDTXEXY
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-howling-heart-april-bostic/1116609472?ean=9781629290201


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