31 Days of Halloween – Sarah Makela

Blurb:
Sol has seen
others around her find their mates, and she’s determined to find her own,
except the man who has caught her eye is standoffish and has no intention of
getting into a relationship.
Eduardo, the
second in command of the werepumas, has no interest in the mating going on
around him, but his stern attitude is about to change when he finds what he
didn’t know he was looking for — Sol.
Excerpt:
Soft moans
filtered into her sleep, and Sol Rios blinked open her eyes. Drowsily, she
pushed herself into a sitting position and rubbed her hands over her face.
Sleep wasn’t her friend anymore. Not since her neighbor, Rubia, had mated with
the werepumas’ leader.
The quiet
sighs of pleasure gained intensity and became more insistent, more demanding.
Her hands balled into fists. Dampness and warmth gathered between Sol’s legs.
She squeezed her thighs together against the cruel sensation.
This was
crazy. She had to get away from here. Would it look too suspicious if Sol asked
Adara, the Amazon Queen, if she could move her hut? Rubia and Adara were
friends. Sol didn’t know if there would be a problem, but she would have to
come up with a good reason, instead of just complaining about the… noise.
Once
dressed, she stepped out into the night.
Darkness
blanketed the village, and only a few torches here and there provided light for
her to see. She headed toward the center of the village where the Amazons and
werepumas held their feasts. Embers glowed hot in the fire pit. She sat beside
it, enjoying the heat and the night sounds of the rainforest.
A few guards
— both Amazon and werepuma — were prowling the catwalks, and one of the
Amazons noticed her with a wave. She returned the kind gesture then lowered her
gaze to the coals. Toasty warmth caressed her skin. She wrapped her arms around
her legs, hugging them to her chest, and then rested her chin on her knees.
Movement
drew her attention away from the fire pit, and she caught sight of a tall, lithe
figure striding from the village’s entrance toward her. Torchlight revealed his
face, and she sucked in a breath. The werepumas’ second in command. What was
his name again…? Argh, she couldn’t remember.
She was
thankful for the darkness; otherwise, she’d have run.
Her gaze
followed him as he walked past without even looking at her. She buried her face
in her legs, wishing she had what the others had. More of her people were
finding their mates, yet no one paid her any attention. Especially not the man
she found most attractive. He didn’t even spare her a glance.
At this
rate, her womb would become barren before he even made eye contact. She shook
her head, shrugging off any pity for herself. Peeking over her shoulder, she
saw the pumas’ second in command standing in front of Rubia’s hut. Even from
this distance, she saw tension in his posture. Maybe Rubia and the werepuma
leader were still rutting like wild animals.
Sol turned
away before he felt her gaze on him. Not like that would matter much. She hadn’t
seen him look or talk to any of the other women aside from Adara, Rubia, and a
few Amazon guards. All occasions were strictly for business. He didn’t seem to
possess much charm or charisma, just a stern, no nonsense attitude, and yet Sol
couldn’t help the attraction she felt toward him. What was wrong with her?
Faint
footsteps approached her from behind, but maybe he was just leaving the village
again. It didn’t mean he’d have any reason to talk with her. Right? The sudden
encompassing silence unsettled her.
Out of the
corner of her eye, she saw a pair of denim-clad legs. Her gaze slid up those
strong legs and over his solid chest until she stared into his dark blue eyes.

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Author Bio:
Sarah Mäkelä 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. Find her online at http://www.sarahmakela.com and http://www.twitter.com/sarahmakela .