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Darkness Master

by Mary Rundle

This is part of a continuing series by Amazon International Bestselling Author, Mary Rundle – reading the previous titles is advised. Readers will enjoy catching up with members of the Blackwood Pack and reading about what is happening to them as the pack does what it does best  ̶  caring for one another and helping shifters everywhere.

Pursuing his dream, Sawyer heads to LA for some sun, waves and surfing lessons. After a disappointing day of surfing, he heads back to his campsite and meets Alex, his Fated Mate, who runs away, valuing his freedom more than anything else.

After the death of his  wealthy, domineering father, Alex is can finally shed a lifetime of restrictions. Leaving New York City, he sets out on a long, cross-country RV trip, unaware that an overnight stop in a Los Angeles campground will yield not one Fated Mate, but two! Shocked at meeting Sawyer, Alex rejects him, vowing never to be under the thumb of any Alpha mate.

Glenn, a career secret agent, is also in LA to seek help from his friend, Ghost, a surfing instructor, in his quest to find who is responsible for kidnapping Glenn’s mother and other rare shifters. After meeting up with Ghost, Glenn discovers his Fated Mate is Sawyer, his friend’s current surfing student.

After the three mates finally meet, each has to face up to some hard facts about their past and present lives before coming to an understanding that leads them to find love and happiness with each other.

Astounding surprises, rare and unique gifts, an action-packed mission, and many unexpected twists and turns make this passionate love story by Mary Rundle impossible to put down once you’ve read the first page.

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Excerpt:

THWACK!

Glenn almost missed the sound with the early evening music blaring out from the bars along the boardwalk. Heading towards the man who was his mate with Smokey and Ghost tagging along, his thoughts were focused on finding his buddy’s student. When the familiar sound finally registered, his body immediately went into high alert, his tiger clawing to be let loose.

THWACK! THWACK!

Swiveling his head, Glenn caught the impact of the two bullets hitting the wooden pole next to him. Fucking hell! Grabbing the arms of his friends, he dove down into the shadows, pulling Smokey and Ghost with him.

“What the fuck?” growled Smokey, spitting out sand after landing face first on the beach.

“Shut up!” demanded Glenn, peering into the darkness, trying to locate the shooter.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

“Someone’s shooting at us!” muttered Ghost as a shower of wood splinters rained down on them.

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“No shit!” Unable to see anything from his location, Glenn crawled on his belly over to the small alley between two buildings. Without looking behind, he knew his buddies would follow, trusting him to lead them to safety. Once out of the line of fire, Glenn sat up, leaning against the side of one building. “Anyone hit?”

“Son-of-a-bitch!” Looking down at his jeans, Smokey growled.

“What? Did he get you?” Glenn asked, quickly searching his friend for a wound.

“No, but look at my jeans…fucking dirty as all hell. Now I’ll have to do laundry three days earlier than I planned,” muttered Smokey, trying to brush off the dusty sand.

“Some fucker was shooting at us and you’re complaining about doing laundry?” Ghost snorted.

“He wasn’t shootin’ at me!” claimed Smokey. “My money’s on Snow White.”

“Why would he be shooting at him and not you?” asked Ghost.

“Will both of you ladies shut the fuck up?” growled Glenn. Looking around, he weighed their options for getting out of the blind alley. Finally spying a fire escape ladder that ran up the side of the two-story building, his eyes followed it up to the roof. Once satisfied he found a way out, he glanced back at his friends. “Did either of you see the shooter?”

“Nope…I only saw where the bullets landed,” Ghost replied. “If I had to hazard a guess, I would say it was from a boat.”

“A fucking boat?” Smokey murmured. “That makes sense since he missed us…either that or he’s a newbie.”

“So you’re agreeing you are his target,” smirked Ghost.

“Stop twisting my shit, asshole. All I’m saying is if the shooter was a pro, one or more of us wouldn’t be sittin’ here,” Smokey growled.

Ignoring his buddies, Glenn slid down and belly crawled to the edge of the alley, raising his head slightly to search for a boat and whoever was using them for target practice.

THWACK! THWACK! THUD!

Sand flew up in his face, blinding Glenn suddenly. Scrabbling backwards, he sought shelter once again in the alley. “Son-of-a-fucking-bitch!” Blinking quickly, he tried to get rid of the sand grit in his eyes when a bullet hit the ground in front of him. Finally clearing his eyes, he glanced over at Smokey and Ghost. “Well, that answered that question. The only way out is up.”

“Did you see anything?” asked Ghost.

“You mean before nearly getting one between the eyes?” growled Glenn. “The answer is no. Let’s go. We won’t get any answers sitting here.” Rising, he kept his back against the building as he slowly walked over to the ladder. “I’ll go first. Wait for my signal that it’s safe to follow.” Grabbing the first rung, Glenn hoisted himself up, keeping himself pressed tight to it. Climbing slowly, he paused when he reached the top before peaking over the wall. Smiling grimly at the false front rising from the front of the building, he clambered over onto the roof, staying low. “Smokey, you’re next. Ghost, wait until he’s up here,” hissed Glenn.

“Aye, aye, captain,” Smokey muttered, reaching up and grasping the second ladder rung. “Shit, by the time this night is over, I’m gonna need a bath.” Pulling his body up, he knew there wasn’t any way to keep the rust and grime from grinding into his clothes. Finally, stepping onto the roof, he took a good look in the dim light at his filthy jeans and t-shirt. “Fuck!”

“Oh stop your bellyaching!” Ghost growled, climbing the fire escape. “When the hell did you ever care about being clean?” Joining them on the roof, he looked at Glenn. “Now what, Snow White?”

COLLAPSE

About the Author

A few years ago, I wrote my first book, Dire Warning. Readers loved it and I was on my way to chronicle the Blackwood Pack, seven brothers who are gay wolf shifters in search of their fated mates—stories about love at first sight with twists and turns, angst and humor, romance and adventure and, of course, happy endings. Since then, the pack has expanded, allowing more stories to be told and different paranormals to be included. The series has become, as one reader described it…an “Epic Saga.”
Now, twelve books later, Lord Manetu has just been published. I love the M/M paranormal genre because it gives my imagination a lot of territory in which to roam. My mind can really run wild and come up with some amazing stuff when it doesn’t have to stay inside the box. My story ideas come to me as if they were being channeled by my characters, all of whom I love (except for a few villains). They are eager to recount their lives, loves and adventures, and are not reluctant to let it all out when it comes to revealing steamy details. My writing style is free-wheeling and uninhibited and my readers tell me they love it that way; that it makes them feel like they’re right in on the action and a member of the Blackwood Pack.
I live in the Northeast and love the beautiful change of seasons, my husband, and our quirky calico cat, though not necessarily in that order. I read a lot (good for the mind) and love gardening (good for the soul). And I’m always happy to hear from my readers and can be reached through Facebook, my private Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, or my website.