Here's a sneak peak at a scene of The Human Pyke
Saint Lakes Book Eleven
Get it as soon as it releases
A human soldier must turn to the enemy if he wants to live. He doesn’t expect to find his fated mate among them.
Taylor Kramer is out of choices. If he wants to live, he has to side with the enemy. The government wants him dead and the paranormals don’t trust him. The last thing he needs is a mate who plays by the book.
Marshall Pyke is rebounding from a breakup. He needs a break from his ex and from being a city cop. What better place to do that than in the small town where he grew up? But Saint Lakes is in the center of a war with the human government. He isn’t looking for love, but when the new farmhand turns out to be his fated mate, sparks fly. Too bad he’s also the enemy.
When Taylor’s asked to work for the paranormal council, he knows he has a lot to prove, especially to his mate. If Marshall wants his mate to stay safe, he’ll stop playing it safe.
The Human Pyke is the romantic eleventh book in the MM Paranormal Romance series Saint Lakes. If you like men with hearts of gold and hard-nosed cat shifter cops, then you’ll love this enemies-to-lovers novel.
Excerpt
Marshall glanced at the barn entrance when he heard someone come inside. Taylor carried a bucket. He closed the distance between them, standing next to Marshall.
“Is something puzzling you?” Taylor's southern accent made Marshall smile.
“A couple things.” Marshall’s eyes shifted as soon as he saw Taylor, and his fangs dropped. Marshall could no longer detect the fear in Taylor regarding Marshall’s cat. It was a step in the right direction.
“Anything I can help with?” Taylor kept a few inches of space between them. While Marshall would rather have Taylor plastered to his side, he gave Taylor the space he seemed to need.
After sharing the one kiss, they’d had moments of conversation and nothing else. For days, Marshall had seen Taylor coming and going. He did his job and treated Marshall like they were work colleagues.
They needed to have a conversation about it, eventually. But Taylor needed time to come to terms with the direction his life had taken. That didn’t only include them being mates. So Marshall had given him space.
While Marshall’s cat grew impatient, he also wanted to take care of Taylor. That included his mental and emotional wellbeing. Pacing mattered. Taylor’s body language said that much.
“You can tell me what’s in the bucket.” Marshall wondered what Taylor was up to. Might as well ask.
“Medical supplies for this one.” Taylor gestured to the stall next door. “I noticed she had a cut on her side. It’s small, but I still wanted to take care of it.”
Marshall hadn’t noticed and he should have. “Poor girl.”
“She hasn’t had it for very long. An hour at most. Probably got it right before you came in.” Taylor knew when Marshall had entered the barn?
“We ought to find out what cut her.” Marshall wouldn’t want it to be a reoccurring problem.
“Jasper kicks at the division between them. It loosened a nail.” Taylor shrugged. “I took care of it as soon as I saw it. It took me a while to find yall’s medical supplies.”
“Dad keeps them in the house.”
“Keaton helped me find what I needed.” Taylor approached the door but didn’t go in right away. He put the bucket down and stood at her stall door, letting her get used to him all over again. He’d obviously gone inside with her if he fixed the problem. He might have even been inside when he saw the cut. When he spoke, it was in a soft tone, and he addressed Marshall. “What’s the other thing you’re thinking about?”
“Letting Jasper out to pasture. It’s problematic. But might make him happier than being in his stall all the time.” Marshall had decided to just do it, but he had to work up the courage to get Jasper out of his stall. That wouldn’t be easy, and it would probably come with a nip or four.
“He’s a handful.” Taylor opened the stall door and disappeared inside with the bucket. “Yall treat him well, though.”
Marshall grabbed the lead from outside Jasper’s stall. Jasper must have heard the latch click because he kicked at the stall door. “It’s alright, boy. I won’t hurt you.”
Taylor never made a sound, but he didn’t have to. Marshall smelled the arousal even from the other side of the division. He tried not to find that promising. He didn’t want to get his hopes up It made him smile, though. He was glad Taylor was in the stall and couldn’t see him. He also didn’t know what brought that out in Taylor. If it was something Marshall did, then he’d repeat it as many times as possible.
Jasper snorted when he stuck his head out. With Jasper, that could mean anything. He might be receptive, or it could be him trying to fool Marshall into a false sense of security.
Because Marshall had learned the hard way not to trust Jasper, he continued to talk to him. He used the same gentle tone as before. “You’re safe, Jasper. That’s a good boy. That’s right. See, my touch feels good, doesn’t it?”
Taylor cursed. He tried to whisper it, but Marshall heard it. A flood of his scent flooded Marshall’s senses.
Marshall fought the urge to growl. He’d lose his progress with Jasper if he did.
Marshall ran his hand down Jasper’s nose. “Are you ready to stretch your legs, boy? I bet you’ll like it in the pasture.”
“That man’s trying to kill me. I swear to god.” Again, Taylor spoke under his breath, as if talking to himself.
Marshall had never been harder in his life. “Should I apologize, mate?”
Marshall chuckled when Taylor squealed. And then Taylor’s poked his head out of the stall like a horse would and met Marshall’s gaze. “You heard me?”
Marshall grinned and stepped toward Taylor. His movements were slow. He didn’t want to spook him by taking things a step too far. He wasn’t sure what Taylor wanted. Maybe he didn’t want anything.
They were having a moment, though. Marshall wanted to cultivate it. He could go at a snail’s pace, if that’s what Taylor needed. It wasn’t about pushing him.
He stopped when they were about a foot apart. “I can smell your arousal.”
Taylor’s eyes widened, and he stiffened. “Seriously? You ain’t just teasin’?”
Marshall chuckled. “Seriously.”
Taylor was beautiful all the time, but he lit up when he smiled. “That’s a neat trick.”
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