Blurb:
In book three of the Keepers: As the
Sandman, Sam has spent millennia dedicating his existence to bringing hope to
others. His only chance for sight being
found in reviewing the past or in dreams, which often leaves him the voice of
reason within the Keepers. After
multiple attacks from an enemy, Sam reconciles with the fact his only chance to
be with his mate safely is in the dream world or not at all.
Whyte, the Tooth Fairy, has witnessed his
twin and friends suffer through personal attacks after claiming their mates,
and understands where his mate’s concern is coming from. He just never realized accepting Sam’s terms
would be so difficult.
When the Keepers get closer to the ones
responsible for all the harm they have faced, they realize the board has more
players than they originally thought, and in order to come out on top, they may
just have to make a deal with the devils.
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Excerpt:
“What did you just say?” Whyte seethed, the air
around them shifting with how close they were, letting Sam know the younger man
now faced him.
He heard the catch in Whyte’s throat, and took
advantage of whatever it was that had startled him. “You heard me. What the hell was that comment back there
about?”
Anger and confusion warred with each other as he
spoke to the other Keeper. While things
had always been tense between them, neither of them fully acknowledged the bond
they did—or at least could—share, Whyte had never been so blatantly
disrespectful or confrontational toward him before. The younger man had always seemed to favor
the avoiding yet silently judging you from afar approach.
“Seriously?” Sam fought not to wince at the shrill
tone Whyte’s voice had taken. The other
man had never sounded like that. “You
know we’re mates, yet you do everything in your power to keep us apart. It’s like every Keeper is cursed to have the
same issues in their mating. So do us
both a favor and don’t act dumb.”
Instead of arguing the point, Sam cocked his head
to one side, playing back past events.
While he may not be able to see in what was
considered the present, Sam had the uncanny ability to see the past almost as
if it were on a TV screen. Pausing, fast
forwarding to an extent, and always able to rewind. At times Sam was even privy to the
future. Small glimpse that were more
like teasers meant to leave you with more questions than answers. A twisted anticipation.
He could see in his mind every time he and Whyte
came close to doing something about their bond, every time they had pulled
back, hesitated. Sam was guilty of
shutting down, sure, but so was Whyte.
He didn’t understand how the other man was suddenly blaming all of it on
him. Sam had seen the fear before Whyte
would withdraw, the haunted look that would settle in his eyes as he pulled
away from the possibility of their bond becoming something else...more.
Sam had seen similar responses in the other
Keepers over the centuries as well, so he certainly wasn’t playing dumb, merely
cautious.
“And do you not find that suspicious in
itself? That so many grown, ancient men
would have such debilitating self-consciousness when it comes to their
mates? So many obstacles standing in
their way?” he asked curiously, because surely he hadn’t been the only one to
notice.
He could sense when the younger man jerked back,
as if shocked and fought hard not to roll his eyes.
And here Sam thought he was the one with the
visual impairment.
There were times when he believed it a miracle any
of them were able to achieve anything with their heads so far up their own
arses.
“I’ve seen glimpses of the future,” he
admitted. “There are matings. Our matings.
But there is also death. I feel
as though the two are intertwined somehow, but I’ve never been able to make
sense of it, so…”
“So you kept away,” Whyte finished for him. “How can you be sure?”
“I’m not.
It’s also not a chance I’m willing to take.” Sam sighed, stepping forward into Whyte’s
personal space and raising a hand to cup Whyte’s cheek. “There is more going on here than even I
first thought, but never doubt I want you.
When I take you, you will be mine...but you will also be safe. Those who have come close to mating have been
attacked, no matter how benign it may have seemed, and now that they are
attempting to claim each other, the attacks are getting more dangerous, the
threats more serious.”
“The bigger picture?”
“Always the smart one.” Sam gave a proud smile. “Exactly.”
“How very Obi Wan of you,” Whyte drawled.
He gave the younger Keeper a one shoulder
shrug. “I was thinking more Yoda
myself.”
Whyte snorted.
“You may be hot, but you are nowhere near as cool as Yoda.”
Sam pulled a wounded expression. “Ouch, but maybe deserved.”
“Well deserved.”
They stood there, still and quiet for a moment,
minutes ticking by. Sam could feel Whyte
relax at his presence, and at the knowledge that Sam wanted him after all. It had never been a plan to hurt Whyte, but
he had.
“When?” Whyte suddenly asked.
He didn’t need the question explained, he knew
exactly what he was asking. When could
they be together?
“Soon,” was the only response he could give Whyte,
kissing him lightly.
Whyte sighed.
“Soon.”
Sam growled, sensing the need Whyte had for him
and it took everything in his power not to lean forward, take, claim. Only the knowledge his mate deserved more
tenderness and safety, kept him in place.
“Till then, I’ll see you in your dreams."
Jack’s
Claus
Sneak
Peek
"Jack,
watch out!"
"Fuck!"
A mass of black, blue and bright red fell down a hill-side in a mass of tangled
limbs and pained grunts. "Ouch!"
When
they finally reached the bottom, Nicked blinked up at the sky for a moment,
fighting to regain the breath that had been knocked out of him by the ground
and multiple jabs from Jack’s flying limbs.
"Are
you alright?" he asked when he was sure he could speak.
"I'll
live." Slightly disoriented icy blue orbs met worried green ones. Pale,
full lips stretched into a weak smile. "Sorry for using you as my landing
mattress."
Nick
rolled his eyes. "I don’t quite have the padding most people think, not
sure how good a job I did."
Jack
blushed, stuttering for an answer and looking anywhere but at Nick, all but
jumping off of him when Nick cleared his throat.
"S-sorry,"
the younger Keeper murmured as he wiped the snow off of himself. Nick sighed as
he stood up and looked around.
"Well,
at least we didn't roll too far down," he murmured and brushed the snow
off of his leather jacket.
Yes,
it was red. He was Santa, of course it was red.
"Are
you alright?" He looked at Jack, and suppressed the whine that wanted to
break out when the younger man looked at him with a forced grin. Everything was
forced with jack these days. While the two of them had been able to coexist in
the same space in the past few months better than they had in the last few
centuries, It hurt something deep down inside to see Jack almost a shell of who
he used to be.
"Just
a few bumps and bruises. Nothing I'm not used to already."
Nick
frowned while Jack started to look around, trying to find a way up.
They
had been out there for hours, searching for any sign of the Fates. From the
moment Sam had discovered their hand in the attacks placed upon not just the
Keepers, but also the Dark Lords, those three devious and spiteful goddesses
had vanished. Recently word had come to them that the Fates had been spotted
somewhere around the Altai Mountains, and Jack more than most had been
determined to search the area for any evidence to support the claims and track
them down.
"Maybe
we should head back to the Pro Custodes and continue tomorrow," Nick
suggested and Jack looked at him with a confused expression. His cheeks were
rosy from the cold and his beautiful icicle-like eyes were glowing brightly.
Every part of Nick was begging to just claim the younger man for himself.
But he
couldn’t.
Not
yet.
Nick
had far too much to make up for where jack was concerned. He had failed the man
who should be his mate more times than he could count. And the younger man had
paid dearly for it.
"There's
not much more ground to cover, and we still have some time before night
falls," Jack countered.
Nick
frowned. “Ja—”
"But
if you think we should make our way back, then that's okay too!" Jack
backtracked.
That
was another thing.
Nick could
clearly remember the fire in Jack's eyes when he would defy him, or any of
them. He clearly remembered the strength and anger that glowed in Jack's eyes
each and every time the two of them had faced off over one thing or another.
Now though, that fire wasn't gone. It was still there, but it seemed Jack was
suppressing it.
Jack
had completely pulled in on himself since they had rescued him from being mind
controlled by the Fates and Famine. He avoided conflict if he could, and
started picking his words. Nick couldn't even imagine how hard it had to be for
Jack to go against his nature.
He
could see it in Jack's body language. He knew every single tick and move he
made during the Keeper’s meetings before someone would ask his opinion. Nick
could read him like an open book. Jack swallowed words and hesitated with
everything.
Nick
watched him pushing back annoyance and feigning acceptance each time he saw
Jack biting into his bottom lip, wringing his hands together in his lap,
shifting his weight from one foot to another. Jack wanted to speak up, but
feared his presence would only cause trouble.
And
Nick could feel Jack staring at him every time he thought no one was watching
as though he wanted to ask for something, but the shadows in Jack’s eyes were
stopping him from speaking up.
Nick
saw it all.
The
only thing he couldn't see was if Jack still had feelings for him or not. There
was a time before everything went to hell and Nick let his mate down, when Nick
would have been certain. So sure he stood a chance.
He
remembered the casual yet comforting touches, the unspoken be careful when he
left on his midnight run on Christmas eve, knowing Jack would work his hardest
to keep the skies clear and safe for him.
The
fact that Jack still did some of those things were what gave Nick hope that
Jack did in fact have some feelings for him after all this time.
All he
had to do was open his mate up to the possibility of them, of more.
Though
that was proving to be difficult.
"Jack,
it's cold and we've been at it for hours. I just don't want you to catch a
cold." Nick saw it the moment Jack buried his clenched fists deep into the
pockets of his jacket and sighed. "Say it."
Jack
looked at him with a confused frown. "Say what?"
"I
just know you had a smart-ass remark on the tip of your tongue," Nick
drawled.
Instead
of saying what Nick knew Jack wanted to say, the younger man bit into his lip
and looked away from Nick. "Let's head back. We can continue
tomorrow."
"Jack…"
"Nick,"
the younger Keeper interrupted him, looking over his shoulder at him. Nick
frowned when he saw shadows that he couldn't name glowing in Jack' eyes.
"You're right. Let's go."
Nick's
frown deepened when Jack turned his back on him and started to climb the hill
they rolled down from. He swore right then and there that he was going to do
everything in his power to bring Jack out of his self-imposed hell, and maybe
just in the end, be the kind of mate that Jack Frost deserved.
Find Jess Here
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