Gosh, this story is going to be a killer.
I wrote Heart of a Beast first, thinking it would be a quick 60k word story that I'd have done in a few months and it turned into 97.6k words and took 9 full months to write. (Yikes, I can't believe it took me that long to write).
I anticipate Heart of a Knight to be long. Like, at least 120k words (Heart of Stone Part III length), if not longer. It's going to be 1 book and span over a longer period of time than the others.
There's a lot of elements going on in this one and it's going to be a struggle. I think this is going to be the hardest book of them all to write and read, and just like Heart of Stone and Heart of a Beast drew from personal experience, so does this one.
I'm not sure when I'm going to start posting chapters, but you can find Heart of a Knight on my profile page to add to your libraries so you don't miss it when I start posting chapters.
It's going to be cute, gut-wrenching, and steamy. So, so awesome. I can't wait to return to the old gang.
Anyway, here's a little blurb/summary and preview.
---- Summary ----
In the midst of a war with vampires, vampire slayer Trey just wants to keep his little sister, Diandra, and their family safe after losing his other sister to vampires.
Lycanthrope Gawain--"Gavin"--can't say no to Trey's request to look out for his sister after his own sister's recent brush with death.
Diandra could kill her brother for setting her up with a "protector" but with two gang leaders after her head, the timing couldn't be better--as long as Gavin didn't tell her brother about her past involvement with the Black Widows.
Gavin's not like any guy she's met. At first, she can't quite put her finger on it, but she quickly puts the puzzle pieces together given her brother's background in the supernatural.
As Gavin and Diandra get to know each other, sparks begin to fly.
But Diandra's not Gavin's soulmate and lycans having relations with humans is forbidden.
Can they resist the undeniable chemistry, or will they risk it all against the Lycan Code, gangs, and vampires?
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She looked evil in the eyes and smirked.
"I want out."
Predators have a way of looking deep within. At the weaknesses within and pulling them out to the forefront and using it as a weapon.
She hoped he couldn't sense the fear resonating under her skin.
You'd have to be crazy not to be scared.
His hard eyes bore into hers. He took another drag on the blunt. Held it, then slowly released it. The smoke curling before him in tangled wisps before he coughed and passed it onto the middle-aged woman at his side. Her hair was wrapped in black with red along the hems against her forehead. Dark circles lined blood-shot eyes over sagging cheeks. Her wide nose was slightly bent in the middle from an old injury. Scars etched across tight caramel skin lined with muscle. Cigarette burns dotted her arms under old heroin tracks. She was clothed in black like everyone else, but three red stripes on the arms of her T-shirt revealed her identity and rank.
Closing her eyes, she took a long pull as he licked his lips. His eyes slightly glazed over.
"You hear this hoe, Chanty?" he asked, his eyes never straying from hers as Chanty—Chantel—exhaled, the smoke wafting lazily up before her as her blood-shot eyes cracked open. "She lost her damn mind."
"Di's gonna risk her sisters' necks, but not her own," Chantel said as she passed the blunt back to him and spat at her feet.
"My mama's sick, you know that." Diandra tried to keep her tone even and strong. "She needs me to take care of her, not run around from the cops every night—and for what?"
"You got your share, don't be bitchin' about that," Chantel said.
"Salty hoe."
Diandra narrowed her eyes at Jako—Jakobe—when he spat those two words before turning back to Chantel. "You promised me green. I need green of the paper kind, not the herbal kind."
"Herbal green will relax your mama—"
"I need money to buy her medicine!" Diandra yelled. "You guys promised me green every night! I could make more green working a damn job! I got one now, and I can't risk losing it—or worse, getting locked up!"
Her phone started ringing in her purse.
Shit.
That had to be her brother, Trey. She was supposed to be home by now, but she stayed an extra hour after work and got hung up by the Black Widows. He had to get to work. The sun was setting and Mama was in no shape to look after the baby.
"You gonna answer that?"
Diandra swallowed.
Shit. Show no fear.
Pulling the phone out from her purse, she quickly swiped her finger across the screen to answer the call.
"Finally!" her brother said on the other end. "Where you at? You know I have to be out there half an hour before dark."
"Something came up," she said flatly.
Trey didn't know about her being in the gang and she didn't want him to know. What he didn't know was the difference between life and death. The Black Widows didn't call themselves that for nothing.
"Shit, what did you do now?"
"Nothing. I just worked an extra hour. I'll be home soon."
He didn't suspect she'd gotten involved with the Widows, did he? He'd be pissed. He told her not to get involved with the all black women gang that ran the Twin Cities.
Too bad he was too late telling her that.
The Black Widows were vicious. They wiped out the other women-only gang that ran the city for decades eleven years ago. Even the Hmongs were no match for them.
Chantel ruled over the Black Widows, while her brother, Jakobe, ran the all black men's gang called Black Vipers. The various other gangs in the Twin Cities tried to take the Vipers out in the last few decades but failed each time.
Together, brother and sister ruled the night.
At least, that's what Chantel and Jakobe thought.
Diandra knew who really ruled the night. Ever since her twin sister was killed three months ago, leaving her infant son with her and Trey to take care of, Diandra learned the truth.
Vampires ruled the night.
And Trey worked every night with a pair of other slayers to avenge their sister's murder.
She couldn't let Trey know she was in trouble with the Widows, but she needed to get home in one piece too—and fast.
"Have you left yet?" Trey asked.
"No, I was just talking to my boss when you called. I'm leaving now."
"Stay there. I'm sending someone."
Shit, no!
"I'll be fine."
"Di, we've been over this before. I need you. Ma and Teddy need you. I can't risk your life when darkness falls."
He hung up before she could protest.
No, no, no!
Fuck!
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Can't wait to get to work on this story but I need a bit of a break from writing.
So add Heart of a Knight to your reading list so you don't miss updates because I'm not sure when I'll start posting chapters.