Title: Omarati
Series Title and Number: Soulmates #1
Publisher: Torquere
Cover Artist: Kris Norris
Release Date: March 2, 2016
Heat Level:
5
Pairing:
Male/Male
Length: 22,086
Categories:
Alternative Universe, Erotica, Fantasy, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance,
Book/Buy
Links
Book Blurb
Everything changed for werewolf Calliph after the Shifter
War. Now nothing more than a slave and plaything to human Prince Obyn, Calliph
finds himself on the Golden Magus, sailing across the sea with his owner. But fate has something more in mind for
Calliph in the form of Ship's First Mate Mateo—who just happens to be Calliph's
Omarati—his soul mate... and a werecat.
Heartbroken, Calliph knows he can't stay with Mateo—he is
forced to follow wherever Obyn leads. Years later, when an attack at sea lands
Mateo in the hands of vicious pirates, the cat discovers that, though time has
changed some things, his bond with Calliph is eternal. Previously published by
Noble Romance.
Excerpt
"I see no wheel," Obyn observed.
Calliph followed Obyn and Captain Ba'Tal
up the walkway to the deck of the Golden Magus. His nostrils twitched,
catching a hint of something. Crisp and clean, he could have mistaken the smell
for simply the sea itself. There were undertones, though—subtle hints of sweat,
musk, and the sharp tang of manhood. The scent mingled with his own, blended
harmoniously, nearly drawing a growl from his throat. The smell of a mate,
another shifter, but not one of his own kind. No. A cat. And no little
tabby, either. The pheromone belonged to a panther.
"No," Ba'Tal said. "These
damned elf ships are all controlled by magic nowadays."
"Yes, well, you still need someone to
keep her on course."
Calliph looked toward the owner of the
voice...the owner of that heavenly scent. The most beautiful man he'd ever laid
eyes on. He was short—Calliph had a least a foot on him—with a slender, lithe
body, and long dark hair. Strong, firm muscles rippled beneath sun-tanned skin.
"That there'd be my First Mate,
Mateo," Ba'Tal said. "This is Obyn and his wolf, Caliph."
"Calliph is not my wolf."
Ba'Tal inclined his head in apology.
"Begging your pardon, my Prince. I thought the Queen said he was a
shifter."
"He is a shifter." Obyn looked
Calliph up and down, upper lip curled into a sneer. "However, wolf is a term reserved for the free of
his kind, and he is not free. He is merely a dog."
Calliph swallowed down the words he knew
he'd regret.
Mateo turned. A dizzying, hot wind swirled
around Calliph as his eyes locked with the man's amber gaze. Time seemed to
halt, as the deck seemed to spin in a lazy circle, Calliph in the middle. His
head felt heavy and wobbly; his neck and shoulders lacked the strength to
support it.
Calliph struggled to make sense of what
was happening as a jolt of recognition raced up his spine, even though he'd
never met Mateo. His feet seemed to move of their own volition, carrying him
forward—answering a call he heard in his heart and felt deep in his bones. Made
no sense, yet Calliph kept walking.
"Where do you think you're
going?" Obyn demanded, tugging sharply on Calliph's leash.
Calliph's head snapped back and his steps
faltered. Obyn. Somehow, he'd actually forgotten about his Master.
"To see how it works." He recovered quickly. "With your
permission, I'd like to learn the steering mechanism in the event danger should
befall our voyage."
Obyn's eyes narrowed and he glanced at
Mateo. "Fine. I expect you below deck in an hour."
Ba'Tal lead Obyn away, and Calliph closed
the distance to Mateo. "May I?" He nodded toward the steering column.
"Be my guest." Mateo guided
Calliph's hand. "Magic controls the orb. Feel that?"
Calliph felt something, but nothing to do
with the ship. Mateo's hand on his burned. He fought against the desire to pull
Mateo close and smother him with kisses. "What is it?" he asked, not
referring to the mechanism.
"You're connected. The magic
regulates the pitch of the ship. Left and right—back and forth. Keeps the deck
level. Simple, really. You just have to get the feel of it." Mateo pressed
his hand down on Calliph's and moved them both slowly from side to side.
"There. See? Just a slow, soft touch."
Calliph wasn't interested in the
orb—wasn't even looking at it. Mateo tilted his head toward him, bringing their
lips inches apart. Calliph's mind reeled. Mateo moved closer; his grip
tightened, his breathing quickened. He felt it too. Calliph's gaze dipped to
Mateo's lips, parted ever so slightly. Mateo must've licked them a moment ago,
because they looked moist. Calliph imagined those lips were soft and warm as
well. Oh, so soft and warm. Gods, he wanted to kiss them. (To keep excerpt PG, stop here or delete
following sentence before continuing) Calliph's cock twitched and
hardened and he marveled, almost having forgotten what an erection felt like.
Something nudged Calliph's leg and he
looked down. A tail. Mateo moved his head; his hair shifted, revealing
the sharp upward curve of his ears. Cat though he might have been, Mateo's tail
should've been nonexistent, and his ears should've been human ears. Calliph
noticed other things then: the fine dusting of dark fur on the back of Mateo's
hands, the not quite feline but not quite human shape of his nose and his eyes.
"They're permanent," Mateo
interrupted his perusal, obviously used to being questioned.
"How?" Calliph swallowed hard.
He knew of only one explanation.
"Alchemists." Mateo hung his
head.
Calliph snarled, his suspicions confirmed.
"It's nothing to be ashamed of. Can you shift?"
"I can but not for long. The
transformation is painful and leaves me exhausted."
That Mateo shared such a fact with him
thrilled Calliph. He gestured between the two of them. "You feel it
too?"
Mateo's face flushed red; he was panting,
trembling. "I do. We're Omarati."
Omarati.
An ancient term. No common translation existed; the best Calliph knew was soul mate. Far beyond that, Omarati were
shifters who were created—literally—for each other, drawn together by a bond
unbreakable, unending. Animal, age, gender—none of that mattered, for Omarati
were compatible by design, made to accept and overlook any flaws in favor of
their bond. Their hearts and their souls knew each other already, even if their
minds had a bit of catching up to do. A connection like this, as far as Calliph
knew, existed between no other beings. Mateo's small hand slid into his.
"What are we going to do?" Mateo
asked.
Calliph ran a finger under his collar.
What indeed.
Author Bio
Romance author, sci-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer,
reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we're talking about DC
Juris. She’s a cupcake-making, football-watching, rubber-duck-collecting, drag-show
loving, full-of-fabulous-with-a-capital-F
kinda gal. She's also an ordained minister and an amateur photographer. She
lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When
she's not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching Star Trek and Supernatural repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she
lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::
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congrats DC
ReplyDeleteCongratulations DC Juris on the release of Omarati! Much Success to you!
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