Alphas
in the Wild
Ann
Gimpel
Dream
Shadow Press
102K
words
Release
Date: 12/21/15
Genre:
Paranormal Romance Anthology
Dark.
Delicious. Unforgettable.
The
hottest alphas live--and love--in the mountains.
Tumble
into second-chance love, where magics collide, mountain gods are out
for blood, and aliens invade Earth.
Book
Description:
Alphas
in the Wild is an action adventure, paranormal romance collection
with three full-length books.
Hello
Darkness
Earth
magics collide, forcing Moira Shaughnessy to take a chance on a man
who hurt her so badly she never forgave him.
A
ranger for the U.S. Park Service, Moira is in serious trouble.
Fleeing from her cheating husband, who’s a Native American shaman,
she stumbles into the arms of a man she never thought she’d see
again. He hurt her once by choosing his magic over her. Would she be
a fool to take a chance on him now?
Alpine
Attraction
Tina
made a pact with the devil seven years ago. It’s time to pay the
piper—or die.
Independent
to the nth degree, Tina meets everything in her life head-on—except
love.
Caught
between misgivings and need, Tina signs on as team doctor for one of
Craig’s climbing trips to the Andes. Though he was the love of her
life, she pushed him away years before to keep him safe. Even if he
doesn’t love her anymore, there’s still no one she’d rather
have by her side in the mountains. And if she’s going to die, she
wants to make things right between them.
A
Run For Her Money
Sara’s
day begins like any other. A routine extraction in tandem with a
local Search and Rescue team. Routine crashes to a halt when she ends
up trapped in a hut, high in the Sierras. Four days later, running
out of food for herself and her dog, she makes a bold dash for
safety.
Jared’s
walking the Muir Trail when all hell breaks loose. After hunkering
beneath a boulder pile for days, he dares a difficult cross-country
route, hoping it’ll put him into position to approach a backcountry
ranger station. He locates the station, but it’s locked tight. He’s
packing up to leave when a helicopter lands, with Sara at the helm.
There’s no time to trade war stories. It takes a leap of faith, but
they throw in their lot together. Can they face the impossible and
come out the other side unscathed?
Amazon
Barnes and Noble iTunes
Kobo
ARe Google Play
Excerpt
from Hello Darkness:
Hello
darkness my old friend. I’ve come to talk with you again.
Paul
Simon, Sounds of Silence
Chapter One
Moira
Shaughnessy’s booted feet hit the ground in front of the Family
Medicine Clinic. Slamming the door of the dusty white Park Service
pickup, she considered ignoring her boss’s orders, peeling out of
the parking lot, and heading for the Baxter Pass trailhead. She had a
crew to oversee, goddammit. A work project to complete. But her boss,
John, had been painstakingly clear, both yesterday at Park
Headquarters in Three Rivers, and a mere ten minutes ago on the sat
phone. Granted, he’d been far more pointed on the phone.
“It’s
not a suggestion, Moira,” he’d growled. “This is a
directive—from me. I want to hear from someone with MD after his
name before I authorize you to head up that work detail. Do not set
one foot on the trail before you receive my orders, e-sign them, and
e-mail them back to me.”
“But
that’s usually a formality—”
“Not
this time. No buts. I made you an appointment at the clinic in Bishop
that clears some of our crews. They’re open until six. I already
lost two rangers this summer in the Pinecrest fire. That was two too
many in my book, so get your butt into that clinic.”
Moira
gritted her teeth. She’d thought she could avoid dealing with the
whole mess by leaving the office early yesterday and taking one of
the northern passes over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but John
tracked her down.
Phooey.
I ran, but guess I couldn’t hide…
It
was downright annoying that her boss needed a doctor to reassure him
she wouldn’t collapse—or something—in the backcountry. For the
briefest of moments, she felt like pounding her fist into the nearest
tree, but then she pulled herself together. Nothing was wrong with
her, except her slimy, cheating husband. Sure, she’d lost a few
pounds since she left him, but she hadn’t been all that hungry.
Problem
was, John remembered similar struggles from years ago when she first
started working as a park ranger. She hadn’t eaten enough then,
either, and grew far too thin. Just her luck, he’d been overseeing
a backcountry work detail when she got woozy and fell off one of the
mules.
Understanding
surfaced; embarrassment followed. Her boss cared about her. That
wasn’t a bad thing. Anger bled out of her with a whoosh.
“May
as well get this over with,” she muttered.
Moira
walked briskly to the clinic, pushed the door open, and headed for
the counter. The antiseptic smell common to all medical offices hit
her like a wall as she strode across the scrubbed linoleum floor.
“Yes?”
A young woman with dyed red hair looked up from her computer screen
with eyes so green she had to be wearing colored contact lenses.
“Moira
Shaughnessy. I think you’re expecting me. My boss called from Kings
Canyon-Sequoia Park Headquarters.”
The
receptionist clicked a few keys. “Your insurance card, please.”
Moira
blew out a frazzled breath and dug through her fanny pack for her
wallet. Once she found it, she extracted the plasticized Blue Cross
card, handing it over. “I’m really in a bit of a hurry—”
“Here’s
your card back.” The clerk gestured at the nearly full waiting
room. “The doctor will be with you as soon as he can. He had a full
schedule before he agreed to work you in.”
“Is
it okay if I go outside for a few minutes? I need to lock my truck.
I, uh, didn’t think I’d be in here for very long.”
“Sure.
So long as we know where to find you.” The phone trilled, and the
receptionist picked it up, Moira obviously forgotten. “Family
Medicine, how may I help you?”
Moira
let herself back outside. Too restless to return to the overcrowded
waiting room, she paced up and down the parking lot. Fall had turned
the aspen trees lining Bishop’s streets to shades of red and gold
that were quite striking, but all she could think about were the
minutes ticking by. It was twelve miles from the trailhead to the top
of the pass, and a couple more to where her trail crew was. Leaving
today would be foolhardy at this point. She’d never even make the
pass before night fell.
“Damn
it!” She glanced at her watch. How long was this going to take
anyway?
“Ms.
Shaughnessy?” A man’s voice sounded from behind her.
She
spun, surprised out of her funk.
And
stopped dead.
“Tim?”
Moira
stared at the tall, rangy man with long, white-blond hair and
ice-blue eyes. He was dressed in teal scrubs and sandals with a
stethoscope draped around his neck. A broad grin split the clean
planes of his face. She’d forgotten how heartbreakingly beautiful
he was.
“I
saw the name and hoped it was you.” He held out a hand, but she
remained frozen in place. “After all, how many Moira Shaughnessys
could there be?”
She
stood there, flabbergasted. What were the odds? She hadn’t seen Tim
O’Malley since they’d both graduated from U.C. Davis. When she
realized her mouth was hanging open, she shut it with a snap.
“Is
that any way to greet an old friend?” One corner of his mouth
turned down in an expression she remembered all too well.
“It’s
just… I mean I never expected…” She felt warmth rise from the
open neck of her buff-colored uniform shirt. Heat suffused her face
until she was certain every freckle was outlined in bright, living
color.
“Hey,
mo
ghrá.
I know we didn’t split up under the best of circumstances…”
“No
shit. And you can skip the beloved
part.” A familiar anger stirred, but she batted it aside.
“Moira,
I’m sorry. I was sorry then, and I still am.” He sounded so
sincere, it tugged at her heartstrings. Part of her wanted to believe
him, and part of her was afraid to.
“Grannie
told me some of it—about the Arch Druid stuff. And you having to be
celibate or something.”
He
creased his brow, the smile fading. “I’m glad she did. I was
sworn to silence about Druid affairs.” He cleared his throat. “In
truth, I still am.”
“What
she told me didn’t make it any easier. I tried to call you—a
bunch of times.”
“I
know.”
“Christ,
Tim, it’s been close to ten years.”
He
looked chagrined. “I suppose I know that too.”
Her
heart, already damaged from her sham of a marriage, squeezed
painfully in her chest. She’d loved Tim once. And thought he loved
her. They’d known one another since they were children growing up
in the same sprawling Irish immigrant community.
“So
what happened?” She eyed him, struggling for equanimity. “It’s
a long way from Druid to doctor. Or are you a nurse here?”
“Nope,
I’m the doc. My training took up eight of the ten years since—”
The
clinic door flew open. A harried-looking, overweight woman in white
scrubs rolled her eyes. Her short brown hair stood up in spikes, and
her muddy green gaze shot darts. “There you are. Dr. O’Malley,
you have patients.”
He
waved her to silence. “Fine, Bridgette. I’ll be in soon.”
“But—”
He
made shooing motions with both hands. “I said I’ll be in soon.”
Bridgette
screwed her face into a disapproving frown. “Whatever,” she
snapped and banged the door shut.
Tim
closed the few feet between them and laid his hands on Moira’s
shoulders. “Can I buy you dinner? Or maybe just a cup of coffee, if
you’re still mad at me and not willing to risk an entire meal.”
“I’d
like that, but I’m on my way to work. See…”
She
took a big breath, and an annotated version of her story tumbled out.
She mentioned her divorce and her lack of appetite, but skipped the
low points about her marriage, figuring it wasn’t really any of
Tim’s affair.
“Last
time I wasn’t very hungry was right after you and I broke up. I’d
just started working for the Park Service. Unfortunately, John—that’s
my boss—has a long memory.”
Tim
listened until she was done talking, and then placed his stethoscope
in his ears. “Take a deep breath.” He moved the bell to several
locations on her chest, and then had her turn around and positioned
it on her back. “Your heart sounds healthy to me.” He gripped her
wrist, taking her pulse as he ran his gaze over her body in a
familiar way that tightened her throat and made her belly clench with
heat.
“What
do you weigh?” He eyed her again. “Maybe one thirty?”
Moira
nodded. No point in lying since he could drag her inside and plunk
her on a scale. “One twenty-two.”
“It
could be worse. Have you had issues with anorexia since—” color
blotched his cheeks “—well, since us?”
Moira
shook her head. “I’ve maybe lost ten pounds this time round.”
She looked away. “The problem was a whole lot worse ten years ago.”
“Moira.”
His voice cracked with emotion. “I’m sorry. Scarcely a day goes
by—”
“Don’t.”
The word tore out of her. “Just don’t. I have to get to work. I’d
never have stopped, except John insisted.”
He
stepped back a pace and nodded. “You should be fine, so long as you
start eating again. What is it your boss needs?”
“A
phone call, I think.”
“Not
a fitness for duty statement?”
She
shook her head. “No. Nothing so formal.”
Not
yet anyway.
“Good,
because that would require a real physical and some labs. Jot his
number down for me.” He pulled a small notebook out of a pocket and
handed it to her, along with a pen.
As
she gave it back, he caught her hand in his. “I’ve thought about
you so many times over the years. I guess I always believed—” The
color in his face deepened. “When will you be back through Bishop
so we can talk? Or better yet, I’ve got a few days off after
today’s clinic. I could backpack with you. Meet you wherever
you’re—”
“Uh-uh.”
She shook her head. “It’s against regulations to bring civilians,
other than the trail crew, on Park Service work projects.”
His
blue eyes twinkled. She’d forgotten how intense they were, like a
multihued ocean. “You told me you were heading over Baxter Pass.”
“Yeah.”
She smiled back because she couldn’t help herself. “So I did. I’m
also telling you not to follow me.”
He
bent his head, and brushed his lips over hers. The kiss was so sweet
and so fleeting, memories flooded her, and she pulled away, her heart
doing flip-flops.
“If
it won’t be different this time, don’t start.” Her voice held a
thin, strained note.
“Things
will be different. I would’ve called you. Almost did a hundred
times, but I felt so rotten about—”
“Dr.
O’Malley.” Bridgette clumped across the yard and grabbed his arm.
“You have patients.”
He
shook her off. “When have you ever known me to leave before I’ve
seen each and every one of them?”
“Never.”
She sounded sullen.
“And
it won’t happen today, either. Get back inside, and hold down the
fort. If you could take vitals on everyone it would be a big help.”
Bridgette’s
gaze moved from Tim to Moira. Pursing her lips in an unpleasant
expression, she stalked back into the clinic.
Tim
turned to Moira. “It was wonderful to see you again. Here.” He
scribbled something on one of the tiny sheets of notebook paper, tore
it off, and handed it to her. “My cell. Call anytime.”
“I
just may take you up on that.”
* * * *
Tim
wasn’t ready to go back into the clinic. His emotions were too
close to the surface. He watched Moira’s truck drive out of the
parking lot heading south. The last time he’d seen her ate at him
like an out-of-control cancer. They’d spent hours in his apartment
arguing. Though he’d dissected it a hundred times, trying to figure
out what he could’ve done differently, he’d never come up with
anything useful.
He
made a strong effort to stuff the memory into its subterranean
hidey-hole, but it wouldn’t cooperate. Since the professional
objectivity he’d need to face a waiting room full of patients had
just scattered like so much dust, he set off at a brisk pace
intending to circle the block. He knew from experience that once that
particular memory surfaced, he had to let it play itself out.
Bridgette
and the clinic would just have to give him a few minutes more.
“I
tell you I’m done. Not just done. Fucking done.”
Tears
streamed down Moira’s swollen, blotchy face.
“I’ve
waited for you since I was sixteen years old, Tim O’Malley. That’s
six years in case you can’t count. I didn’t expect much back
then, but we’re nearly done with college. You won’t do any more
than kiss me. You won’t live with me. You won’t talk about
getting married. Fuck! Why am I even bothering?”
She
jumped to her feet and ran to a window, gripping the sill hard enough
to whiten her knuckles.
He
grabbed her arm. “I—I do love you, Moira. I’ve told you I want
to save sex until after we’re married.”
“Well
I don’t. Besides, you never asked me to marry you.”
“You’re
not being fair. There are things I can’t tell you.”
She
whirled, her golden eyes on fire. “Fine. Keep your fucking secrets.
And keep your fucking virginity. I talked with Father O’Brannigan—”
A
chill marched down his spine. “You what?”
“You
heard me. I had to talk to someone. Even he said it wouldn’t be the
end of the world if we had sex. He said God would forgive me so long
as we got married. What’s the problem? Do you like boys? Jesus,
even the clerk at the corner store is hotter for me than you are.”
“Mo
ghrá—”
“Don’t
‘mo
ghrá’
me.” She twisted out of his grasp. “Get out of here. Don’t
worry. I’ll be gone by the time you get back.”
“Moira—”
“For
the love of Christ, just leave. If you ever loved me—” Her face
crumpled and she sobbed helplessly, turning away from him.
Feeling
like he was being torn in two, Tim stormed out of his apartment. The
minute he got to the bottom of his steps, he began to run. He loved
Moira. Loved her with every fiber of his being. But he understood his
duty to his Druid heritage too. Slated to be the next Arch Druid, he
was forbidden physical congress with women. His magic needed to be
honed to the highest possible level.
Sex
would interfere.
Tim
ran until sweat streamed down his sides, despite the chill of an
unseasonably cool June in California. A full moon hung low, clinging
to the horizon. It was a lover’s moon. He cursed, drowning in
irony. A lover’s moon, but not for him.
He
wasn’t surprised when he ended up ten miles north of Davis at the
Druids’ priory. Despite it being three in the morning, he pulled
the bell chain. Its somber chime matched his mood.
The
intercom next to the carved oak door crackled. “What business
brings you here?” It was a standard Druid greeting, though the
speaker sounded half-asleep.
“I
must see Liam. Now.”
“Tim
O’Malley. Is that you?”
Tim
blew out a ragged breath. “Yes. Let me in, goddammit.”
A
tone sounded, and the door swung open soundlessly on well-oiled
hinges. A man he didn’t recognize hustled up the long hallway.
“Master.” He inclined his head.
“I’m
no one’s master. Go back to sleep. I know the way.”
Liam
McAllister’s quarters were on the third floor of the rambling stone
structure that had once been a Catholic monastery. Tim pounded up the
stairs, his stomach so tight he wondered if he’d vomit. He’d just
raised a fist to hammer on Liam’s door when it opened, and the Arch
Druid stood before him. If the older man had been asleep, it didn’t
show.
“Welcome,
son.” Liam held out his arms, but Tim shook his head. Without
waiting for an invitation, he stomped into the spacious quarters
lined with leaded glass windows on two walls. The moon mocked him,
front and center in those windows.
“You
have to release me from my vows.”
Liam
drew his thick eyebrows together. “You must know I cannot do that.
You didn’t take vows. You were born to your calling.”
Tim
spun to face the man who’d been like a father to him. Long, white
hair framed his bearded face. Bright blue eyes radiated concern. The
Arch Druid was tall—of a height with Tim—and wraith-thin. Black
robes flowed around him.
“But
it’s not like I’m the Dalai Lama.” He took a breath to steady
himself. “You don’t understand. I love Moira. It’s tearing me
up that I can’t have her. Christ! I can’t even tell her why I
can’t make love to her—or marry her.”
Liam
nodded slowly. He reached a kindly hand toward Tim. “Actually, you
are a lot like the Dalai Lama. ’Tis the goddess who picks our
progression. Would you care to sit, son? I believe a spot of spirits
might calm you.”
“Irish
whiskey won’t solve this.”
Liam
made a snorting noise. “A dram of good Irish whiskey will solve
practically anything. Or at least soften it till it feels more
manageable.”
He
pulled a decanter close and poured amber liquid into two cut-crystal
shot glasses, pushing one toward Tim. “You will be able to wed once
your training is complete, and you sit in my place.”
Battling
frustration, Tim drained his glass. The whiskey burned going down. It
matched the fire in his soul.
He
trained his gaze on Liam. “You don’t understand. That may have
worked hundreds of years ago. Not anymore. Look at you. Goddess
willing, you’ll live another twenty or thirty years. Maybe more. By
then Moira will be long since married to another. Hell, she could be
a grandmother.” He banged a fist on one of the tables scattered
about the room. A lamp rattled ominously, and he reached to steady
it.
“Please,”
Tim begged. “At least let me tell her why I can’t wed her.”
Liam
shook his head. “I cannot do that. The workings of our society have
always been secret. ’Tis how we’ve shielded ourselves from the
machinations of the Church.”
“The
Church isn’t still out to get us. Not actively, anyway.”
Liam
turned on him, blue eyes ablaze. “Thinking like that will land you
in trouble. Have you not followed their exorcisms? Or their dogma?
And ’tis not just the Catholics I’m talking of here. What do you
believe clerics think of those like us who call magic, engage in
astral travel, and commune with gods, spirits, and the dead?”
Tim’s
shoulders sagged. He felt like a sail with the wind knocked out of
it, attached to a ship that would never find port. “That we were
evil.”
Liam
nodded. “Organized religion’s raison
d’être
is to rid the Earth of wickedness. Moira is Catholic. She goes to
confession. I tell you, son, we cannot risk it. ’Tisn’t been so
very long since they killed one of us. Surely you recall Sean Newbry.
’Twas scarcely an accidental drowning. His astral self came to me
whilst he was dying.”
“And?”
“The
parish priest caught him in the midst of a blood offering ceremony,
talking with Earth spirits. Sean was certain the cleric followed him
since he’d taken care to go deep into the Sierra foothills.”
Tim
fought a sinking feeling. “You said drowning.”
“Are
you certain you want the grisly details?”
“Yes.”
“Four
priests waylaid him late one night, bound him, gagged him, tied a
heavy weight about his waist—”
“Enough.”
Tim sat heavily. He dropped his head into his hands and remembered
what Moira told him about talking with Father O’Brannigan. What a
fucked up mess this had turned into. He still cared about Druidry,
but did he care enough to give up Moira for the rest of his life?
“Tim?”
Liam asked after a long silence.
He
looked up. “No matter how I slice and dice this, I don’t want to
live without her. Hell, I don’t know if I can.”
“I
understand.” A considered intake of breath and Liam continued. “I
gave you permission to attend medical school. That was a concession
as I’d rather you were here by my side. Then you came up with that
idea about a public health degree.
“Mayhap
it would be best if you didn’t see Moira—or even call her—at
least for a while. Try to immerse yourself in your studies. Believe
me, son, when I tell you the goddess takes care of her own.”
A
sob rose from the depths of his soul. Mortified, Tim tried to swallow
the next one down. He stuffed a knuckle in his mouth and bit down
hard.
“’Tis
all right. Life does not give us easy choices.” Liam got to his
feed, walked around the table, and patted Tim’s back. “There is
no shame in tears.”
Forcing
himself to return to the present, Tim took a deep breath, and then
another. He wasn’t twenty-two anymore. He could stand up to Liam if
it came down to it. He pulled open the side door to the clinic and
went to the tiny staff room, where he knew he’d find the
afternoon’s schedule posted. Despite reliving painful memories, he
felt more alive than he had in years.
The
goddess had brought Moira back into his life. Things would be
different this time. He’d see to it, even if it meant confronting
Liam and walking away from Druidry forever.
My Review
So this book is a box set, but it's three different stories. Not related, except maybe the wild part. LOL It's pretty awesome though :)
Hello Darkeness
Moira and Tim... Moira is a park ranger and Tim is a doctor, how also happens to be a druid. They were in love at one time, but split in college, Tim kept secrets, Moira thought is was something completely different. And now in the present time, Moira sees Tim at his clinic. He's a doctor now and stable, and Moira is basically on the run from her sociopath husband she's trying to divorce. That ex husband is a shaman, and things are getting really interesting here. :) Of course Miss Gimpel wouldn't be her normal self if she didn't give you excellent suspense thrown in with some steamy romance. This is no different, and it's fast paced, full of magic, and twists, and will keep the pages turning. I enjoyed this one and I loved how things ended.
Alpine Attraction
Tina and Craig... oh and a not so nice evil something... LOL So Tina is a doctor in this one, and Craig is a mountain guide for his tour company. A while back, Tina almost died hiking on a mountain, and "something" saved her. But she has 7 years to live her life and then she must return to her "something" or else. Well, Tina broke up with Craig to keep him safe, and moved away, and has a sad life really. and when her time is almost up- like 2 months left- that something starts reminding Tina. So Tina decides to go with Craig on a tour trip as the doctor where she will meet her terms of things. But there's a lot of things that they all didn't count on. Craig and Tina's love, the lonely God who wants her, and the environment and people around them. This one is also fast paced and has a very interesting take and turn about what's happening. It surprised me at the end.
A Run for Her Money
Sara, her dog Jake, and Jared... So Sara is a mountain ranger, and she brings Jake with her everywhere. Jared is a business man who likes to hike. And with some complications, we have an alien invasion. So Sara decided her safest bet was to stay hidden in the mountains. And then she gets some help to try and take back what the aliens took. Sara and Jared are opposites and I loved their story. Jared was the always busy city business man. Sara is content to live in the mountains with her dog and nature and never needed the extra people. Until they are taken over by evil aliens. And they help some cool NASA guys. I really liked this one for some reason. Not that the story was better than the others, I just liked the characters more. And it was fun!! And there's a cool doggie!!! :)
So with those stories wrapped up, we of course get another amazing book from Miss Gimpel. She has such a fun way of throwing romance into a story. I loved her nature descriptions, and I felt like I was there with them. I love her writing style and I of course couldn't put this one down. It was great!! 5 PAWS!
About
the Author:
I'm
basically a mountaineer at heart. I remember many hours at my desk
where my body may have been stuck inside four walls, but my soul was
planning yet one more trip to the backcountry.
Around
the turn of the last century (that would be 2000, not 1900!), I
finagled a move to the Eastern Sierra, a mecca for those in love with
the mountains. Stories always ran around in my head on backcountry
trips, sometimes as a hedge against abject terror when challenging
conditions made me fear for my life, sometimes for company.
Eventually,
the inevitable happened. I returned from a trip and sat down at the
computer. Three months later, a five hundred page novel emerged. It
wasn’t very good, but it was a beginning. I learned a lot between
writing that novel and its sequel, and I've been writing ever since.
In
addition to turning out books, I enjoy wilderness photography. A
standing joke is that over ten percent of my pack weight is camera
gear, which means my very tolerant husband has to carry the food --
and everything else too.
Find
Ann At:
@AnnGimpel
(for Twitter)
No comments:
Post a Comment