Destiny Forgiven (Shadows of Destiny) (29 page)

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Authors: Leia Shaw

_{“How’d the meeting go with James?” she asked.}

_{Still holding her in his arms, he leaned back against the rock wall and set her on his lap. His body had lost its urgency. She’d have to fix that.}

_{“Good. The}_{Council is almost completely flushed out of Caerwyn. I have no idea where they’re getting their resources but it shouldn’t be too hard to track them down now. Especially with Cristian’s pack helping.”}

_{“Yeah.” She chewed a nail, thinking through the last six months of work they’d been doing to shut down the}_{Council. “Werewolves are good for that.”}

_{“Don’t think,” he told her then pulled her finger away from her mouth. “This is supposed to be time to relax. There’ll be plenty of time for thinking in the morning.”}

_{“Mmm.” She wrapped her legs around his body then gasped when his erection prodded her entrance. He never needed much encouragement from her. Shifting over, she rubbed against him, smirking, “Are you going to help distract me?”}

_{He rumbled low in his chest. “Yes, I am.” Gently, he nipped at her chin.}

_{A shiver ran the length of her spine. His lips moved down her neck and she groaned. “You’re a pretty good distraction,” she murmured.}

_{“Just pretty good?”}

_{“Mmmm.” She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes. Warmth from his body and his familiar scent wrapped around her, making her feel safe and protected. The scars on his arms told a tale of suffering and pain, and there were times when she could see the nightmares that still lurked, but they were growing more distant. Now, her Maddox laughed easily, though not as boisterously as he used to. But more important than that, he’d forgiven himself. Now, he loved deeply and wholly. What happened in his past, who he’d been, what he’d done, didn’t matter anymore.}

_{Inkman was dead. He was free.}

_{“I love you, Maddox Blackwell,” she whispered against his mouth.}

_{He smiled against her lips, kissing her gently. “I love you, too, sweet girl.”}

Acknowledgements

_{Thank you to all my fans, especially the readers who’ve pushed for me to write this book. I know it was slow coming but I’m grateful to those of you who believed in me and encouraged me. And the book couldn’t be what it was without my trusty beta readers: Jess, Lina, Sorcha Black, and Cari Silverwood. And my brand new editor whom I adore, Jane Hartel! It was great working with you, Jane, and I plan to again soon!}

_{A special}_{thanks and shout out to my street team for pimping me and reviewing my books. And finally, to my husband and kids, who may not always give me the time to write but they certainly fuel me with comedic material and plenty of love.}

About Leia

_{Leia Shaw is the bestselling author of the paranormal romance series, Shadows of Destiny. Thinking up fae politics, plotting dragon power games, and calculating how fast werewolves can change forms has given her a way to express those dark places in her mind. More recently, she's branched out into the erotic world and has co-written several humorous but heartwarming contemporary BDSM romances, 31 Flavors and the Badass Brats series.}

_{Leia lives in New England with her husband and two kids. Though she will go to her grave denying it, her husband insists she would be thrilled if he suddenly sprouted fangs.}

_{http://www.leiashaw.com}

_{www.badassbrats.com}

More Books by Leia

_{S
HADOWS OF
D
ESTINY}

_{Book 1 – Destiny Divided}

_{Book 2 – Destiny United}

_{Book 3 – Destiny Unchained}

_{Book 3.5 (novella) – Destined for Harmony}

_{Book 4 – Destiny Bewitched}

_{Book 5 – Destiny Forgiven}

_{Book 5.5 (novella in Ever After anthology) – Destined for Eden, coming November 12, 2013}

_{Book 6 – Slaves of Destiny, coming Christmas 2013}