| Available Now From Ellora's Cave A Jewel of the Nile Feature |
| Lovers' Stone |
“Thanks Luke,” the young man looked at him seriously. “I appreciate
this.”
“We’re family,” the tall dark-haired man answered with equal sobriety.
“Not many in our clan would believe it, Rand, but that does mean
something to me.” The dark brown eyes frowned as they examined the
light blue ones before him. “Our fathers were brothers. I have to say this
or I’d not be doing my duty here. Are you sure you want to do this? Are
you really ready to present Bethany with a mating stone?”
The younger man smiled at him. “Yes Luke, I’m ready. Besides there’s
always a chance I won’t find my stone. There’s still a chance to change
my mind after I find it. Besides, we maybe Were’s but we’re not wolves.
We’re bears, we don’t mate for life, if Bethany and I find out we’ve
made a mistake, we can simply destroy the stone and move on.”
Luke suppressed the urge to slap the kid in front of him. “Rand, if you’re
walking into a mating already planning how to get out then you’re not
ready. Promise me you’ll really think about this before you do it. Let’s
go and come back in a week, in a month.”
The handsome face of the young man frowned at him. “It’s now, Luke. I’
m ready now and you promised father that since I have no brothers you’
d come with me, watch my back. The hunters are getting bolder. No
one thinks they know about this place but what if they do?”
“Then I’ll kick their asses while you find your mating stone,” Luke
sighed. “Go on in, but don’t ask me to wish you luck.” The kid smile too
easily, Luke thought. He should be a hell of a lot more nervous.
this.”
“We’re family,” the tall dark-haired man answered with equal sobriety.
“Not many in our clan would believe it, Rand, but that does mean
something to me.” The dark brown eyes frowned as they examined the
light blue ones before him. “Our fathers were brothers. I have to say this
or I’d not be doing my duty here. Are you sure you want to do this? Are
you really ready to present Bethany with a mating stone?”
The younger man smiled at him. “Yes Luke, I’m ready. Besides there’s
always a chance I won’t find my stone. There’s still a chance to change
my mind after I find it. Besides, we maybe Were’s but we’re not wolves.
We’re bears, we don’t mate for life, if Bethany and I find out we’ve
made a mistake, we can simply destroy the stone and move on.”
Luke suppressed the urge to slap the kid in front of him. “Rand, if you’re
walking into a mating already planning how to get out then you’re not
ready. Promise me you’ll really think about this before you do it. Let’s
go and come back in a week, in a month.”
The handsome face of the young man frowned at him. “It’s now, Luke. I’
m ready now and you promised father that since I have no brothers you’
d come with me, watch my back. The hunters are getting bolder. No
one thinks they know about this place but what if they do?”
“Then I’ll kick their asses while you find your mating stone,” Luke
sighed. “Go on in, but don’t ask me to wish you luck.” The kid smile too
easily, Luke thought. He should be a hell of a lot more nervous.
 |  |  |  |  |
Praise for Lovers' Stone:
"LOVERS' STONE pairs together
two lovers who were supposed to
be enemies and at the same time
proves that love can help conquer
any obstacle. It will provide a
sensual treat for paranormal fans."
-Lori Sears, Romance Reader's Connection
"LOVERS' STONE pairs together
two lovers who were supposed to
be enemies and at the same time
proves that love can help conquer
any obstacle. It will provide a
sensual treat for paranormal fans."
-Lori Sears, Romance Reader's Connection
“If I don’t find it, then it’s not meant to be, right?” Rand shrugged, turned and headed down one of the tunnels to the left.
“Good luck,” Luke whispered, “whatever that means.” He moved over to a smooth, worn ledge on one side of the small cave
and sat down. The grey walls domed over his head. It was dark and the only light was the flashlight he held in his hands.
Farther inside, down the corridors, the way was lit by the glow of torches. Torches that would light and extinguish as a man
walked down them. Or at least that was what he’d been told happened. Luke had come to this place only once before with
his friend Wade. Wade had come seeking his own mating stone. One he never had a chance to use because a group of
hunters cornered him alone the next night and killed him. They had pumped him so full of silver nitrate almost nothing was
left of him but the blood red stone that was still in the pocket of his jacket. Either the hunters hadn’t recognized the large
garnet as valuable or they hadn’t even bothered to check.
Only the male seeking his mating stone entered the lower chambers. There were thirteen that branched off this main room.
Down each were the precious and semi-precious stones that were capable of binding the spirit of a male Were to his mate’s.
Rand wouldn’t need him while he searched, not even for protection. No one who wasn’t of their clan could enter this cave.
The door had been enchanted. It was hidden from view and none who did not bear the blood of their people could enter
even if they did manage to find it. Luke leaned back against the wall. The stone was uncomfortable. He sat up and peered
into the darkness into which his cousin had disappeared. It sounded so simple. Go into the correct cave, find the mating
stone and come out. It had taken Wade ten hours to find the right damned stone. Screw it, he thought and snatched a
small pillow from mid-air before stretching out on the bench to wait. Truth be told he hoped Rand took his time. He’
d been drug from his bed at an ungodly early hour the last couple of days and was exhausted. What the hell had
possessed him to volunteer to look after his nephews while his brother, Mark, and his mate got away for a
weekend? When he figured out what weakness had prompted it, he was damned well going to rip it out and kill it.
How hard can it be to keep reins on two boys? They’ve got a nanny. The famous last words of a fool. He’d actually
volunteered mostly to see the shock on his brother’s face, but also to test out the limits of the forgive and forget
scenario his sister-in-law, Sarah, had forced on the two of them. Sweet Sarah. The night Mark had sworn the oath
as Amar, leader of their people, Sarah, the new Amari, had kissed his cheek and called him brother despite over
a century of animosity and unfriendly competition between the twins. She’d reached past the anger and hate inside
him and made him want to be…Gods, he couldn’t even say it…good.
Yeah, there was one person in the world that could touch anything inside Luke and it was Sarah. Okay, more than
one. The boys, Nicky and Jake, gave him one hell of a warm feeling inside. He fucking hated it, but they did. And
he and Mark were under strict orders to provide a good example of fraternal bonding for the two.
And for Sarah’s sake he would try. The human woman had changed everything when she’d mated his brother. She’
d brought gentleness and tenderness into their lives that they hadn’t known before. And despite what others may
mumble quietly when he and Mark could not hear, her compassion only seemed to make them stronger. He never
would have believed Mark would have become the leader he’d shown himself to be the last two years. And he
knew that part of what made the Amar impressive were the whispers of the Amari in his ear.
Luke closed his eyes. He’d almost dozed off when he heard a voice calling. He sat up slowly. A glowing gold mist
covered the floor of the cave and it was coming from the central passage. He rose and walked slowly to the
archway and stopped. Each of the other twelve corridors led to rooms that held stones. A male picked the path
whose stones corresponded to the birth stone of the female he hoped to mate with. Only one stone in the tens of
thousands that filled this mountain would support the mating of a particular couple. Supposedly if the mating was
not meant to be, he would not find the stone. Wade had searched through hundreds of gems to find the right one.
He’d told Luke it had sang to him the minute he touched it, it had glowed and the face of his future mate had
appeared in its depths. More, it had vibrated in such a way that he’d become instantly aroused and his need to join
with his mate burned like a fire in his body.
But this center corridor, this thirteenth passage was one that was never used. It could not be entered except by
those who were called. And to Luke’s knowledge no one had been called down this path in so long what lay at its
end had become legend. An oasis of lovers’ stones the lore said. A collection of stones from each of the caves,
but they were more than just simple mating stones. These stones were for those Weres who were tied to another
by destiny. The two bound by a lovers’ stone were destined for more than mating bliss. Theirs was to be a great
life long love. To Luke it sounded like more than legend. It sounded like bullshit.
The mist swirled around him and Luke’s legs carried him of their own volition through the arch and down the narrow
tunnel. There were no torches here, only the glow of the golden fog lit his way. He heard the voice call again.
“Where are you? I can’t see you.” It was a woman’s voice.
He heard nothing but the voice, not even his inexplicably bare feet made a sound on the stone floor. He took turn
after turn following the light that pulled him along. Abruptly the fog rose to the ceiling just in front of him taking the
shape of a doorway through which he could not see. He heard her calling again. She was looking for someone.
She was looking for him. The realization lifted something inside of him. He stepped through a large bank of the
golden mist and found himself in a vaulted chamber. In the center of the room was a shimmering pool surrounded
by large low pallets filled with cushions and pillows. Directly across from him an identical doorway had formed.
Before it, watching him with large frightened eyes was a woman. Her long black hair was loose and flowed down
her back. The blue eyes glowed so brightly for a moment he considered that she might be a succubus but
dismissed the thought. No creature could have gained entrance here except those who were like him. Only another
Were could have entered the cave, let alone this most sacred place. Or that was what they’d always been told.
The woman was dressed in a long, red satin nightgown with thin straps that barely contained the full breasts that
threatened to overflow the bodice. Her hips curved in a way that made a man long to run his hands over them, to
hold tight to them as he thrust inside her. The pull she seemed to be exerting over him was stronger than any
desire he’d ever felt. Screw mating stones, just looking at this woman was making him hard.
* * * * *
The man who stepped through the shimmering golden door was heart-stopping. His shoulder length dark brown
hair and equally dark eyes gave the finely chiseled face a brooding, sexy look that just screamed out, “Baby I’m
exactly what your lonely little body has been waiting for.” Every time she’d had this dream, followed the mist from
her own bed, down the hall and into this room, she had always found herself alone, alone in this place that looked
like something from Westerners’ fantasies about the decadence of a sheik’s harem. She’d known he was there,
out of sight, out of reach, but he had never appeared until now. He was finally here and God was he worth waiting
for. The sight of him sent a rush of desire through her until it swirled in the pit of her stomach.
She knew his name. She’d known it the moment she looked into his eyes. “Lucas?” She whispered softly. A smile
so bright it nearly blinded her and so seductive she felt her body scream out its readiness for him, stretched his full
lips across perfect white teeth. Well, almost perfect. His incisors were a bit longer and sharper than the norm. Oh
yes, a voice in her cried out, I’m going to have one of those dreams were the heroine is ravaged by the sexy
vampire. Just like in the novels by her favorite author, she was going to get down and dirty with vamp-boy.
“Annie,” his voice was a rich baritone that sent a shiver down her spine.
“Good luck,” Luke whispered, “whatever that means.” He moved over to a smooth, worn ledge on one side of the small cave
and sat down. The grey walls domed over his head. It was dark and the only light was the flashlight he held in his hands.
Farther inside, down the corridors, the way was lit by the glow of torches. Torches that would light and extinguish as a man
walked down them. Or at least that was what he’d been told happened. Luke had come to this place only once before with
his friend Wade. Wade had come seeking his own mating stone. One he never had a chance to use because a group of
hunters cornered him alone the next night and killed him. They had pumped him so full of silver nitrate almost nothing was
left of him but the blood red stone that was still in the pocket of his jacket. Either the hunters hadn’t recognized the large
garnet as valuable or they hadn’t even bothered to check.
Only the male seeking his mating stone entered the lower chambers. There were thirteen that branched off this main room.
Down each were the precious and semi-precious stones that were capable of binding the spirit of a male Were to his mate’s.
Rand wouldn’t need him while he searched, not even for protection. No one who wasn’t of their clan could enter this cave.
The door had been enchanted. It was hidden from view and none who did not bear the blood of their people could enter
even if they did manage to find it. Luke leaned back against the wall. The stone was uncomfortable. He sat up and peered
into the darkness into which his cousin had disappeared. It sounded so simple. Go into the correct cave, find the mating
stone and come out. It had taken Wade ten hours to find the right damned stone. Screw it, he thought and snatched a
small pillow from mid-air before stretching out on the bench to wait. Truth be told he hoped Rand took his time. He’
d been drug from his bed at an ungodly early hour the last couple of days and was exhausted. What the hell had
possessed him to volunteer to look after his nephews while his brother, Mark, and his mate got away for a
weekend? When he figured out what weakness had prompted it, he was damned well going to rip it out and kill it.
How hard can it be to keep reins on two boys? They’ve got a nanny. The famous last words of a fool. He’d actually
volunteered mostly to see the shock on his brother’s face, but also to test out the limits of the forgive and forget
scenario his sister-in-law, Sarah, had forced on the two of them. Sweet Sarah. The night Mark had sworn the oath
as Amar, leader of their people, Sarah, the new Amari, had kissed his cheek and called him brother despite over
a century of animosity and unfriendly competition between the twins. She’d reached past the anger and hate inside
him and made him want to be…Gods, he couldn’t even say it…good.
Yeah, there was one person in the world that could touch anything inside Luke and it was Sarah. Okay, more than
one. The boys, Nicky and Jake, gave him one hell of a warm feeling inside. He fucking hated it, but they did. And
he and Mark were under strict orders to provide a good example of fraternal bonding for the two.
And for Sarah’s sake he would try. The human woman had changed everything when she’d mated his brother. She’
d brought gentleness and tenderness into their lives that they hadn’t known before. And despite what others may
mumble quietly when he and Mark could not hear, her compassion only seemed to make them stronger. He never
would have believed Mark would have become the leader he’d shown himself to be the last two years. And he
knew that part of what made the Amar impressive were the whispers of the Amari in his ear.
Luke closed his eyes. He’d almost dozed off when he heard a voice calling. He sat up slowly. A glowing gold mist
covered the floor of the cave and it was coming from the central passage. He rose and walked slowly to the
archway and stopped. Each of the other twelve corridors led to rooms that held stones. A male picked the path
whose stones corresponded to the birth stone of the female he hoped to mate with. Only one stone in the tens of
thousands that filled this mountain would support the mating of a particular couple. Supposedly if the mating was
not meant to be, he would not find the stone. Wade had searched through hundreds of gems to find the right one.
He’d told Luke it had sang to him the minute he touched it, it had glowed and the face of his future mate had
appeared in its depths. More, it had vibrated in such a way that he’d become instantly aroused and his need to join
with his mate burned like a fire in his body.
But this center corridor, this thirteenth passage was one that was never used. It could not be entered except by
those who were called. And to Luke’s knowledge no one had been called down this path in so long what lay at its
end had become legend. An oasis of lovers’ stones the lore said. A collection of stones from each of the caves,
but they were more than just simple mating stones. These stones were for those Weres who were tied to another
by destiny. The two bound by a lovers’ stone were destined for more than mating bliss. Theirs was to be a great
life long love. To Luke it sounded like more than legend. It sounded like bullshit.
The mist swirled around him and Luke’s legs carried him of their own volition through the arch and down the narrow
tunnel. There were no torches here, only the glow of the golden fog lit his way. He heard the voice call again.
“Where are you? I can’t see you.” It was a woman’s voice.
He heard nothing but the voice, not even his inexplicably bare feet made a sound on the stone floor. He took turn
after turn following the light that pulled him along. Abruptly the fog rose to the ceiling just in front of him taking the
shape of a doorway through which he could not see. He heard her calling again. She was looking for someone.
She was looking for him. The realization lifted something inside of him. He stepped through a large bank of the
golden mist and found himself in a vaulted chamber. In the center of the room was a shimmering pool surrounded
by large low pallets filled with cushions and pillows. Directly across from him an identical doorway had formed.
Before it, watching him with large frightened eyes was a woman. Her long black hair was loose and flowed down
her back. The blue eyes glowed so brightly for a moment he considered that she might be a succubus but
dismissed the thought. No creature could have gained entrance here except those who were like him. Only another
Were could have entered the cave, let alone this most sacred place. Or that was what they’d always been told.
The woman was dressed in a long, red satin nightgown with thin straps that barely contained the full breasts that
threatened to overflow the bodice. Her hips curved in a way that made a man long to run his hands over them, to
hold tight to them as he thrust inside her. The pull she seemed to be exerting over him was stronger than any
desire he’d ever felt. Screw mating stones, just looking at this woman was making him hard.
* * * * *
The man who stepped through the shimmering golden door was heart-stopping. His shoulder length dark brown
hair and equally dark eyes gave the finely chiseled face a brooding, sexy look that just screamed out, “Baby I’m
exactly what your lonely little body has been waiting for.” Every time she’d had this dream, followed the mist from
her own bed, down the hall and into this room, she had always found herself alone, alone in this place that looked
like something from Westerners’ fantasies about the decadence of a sheik’s harem. She’d known he was there,
out of sight, out of reach, but he had never appeared until now. He was finally here and God was he worth waiting
for. The sight of him sent a rush of desire through her until it swirled in the pit of her stomach.
She knew his name. She’d known it the moment she looked into his eyes. “Lucas?” She whispered softly. A smile
so bright it nearly blinded her and so seductive she felt her body scream out its readiness for him, stretched his full
lips across perfect white teeth. Well, almost perfect. His incisors were a bit longer and sharper than the norm. Oh
yes, a voice in her cried out, I’m going to have one of those dreams were the heroine is ravaged by the sexy
vampire. Just like in the novels by her favorite author, she was going to get down and dirty with vamp-boy.
“Annie,” his voice was a rich baritone that sent a shiver down her spine.