Once
Upon a Tiger
Tiger
Shifters
Book
One
Kat
Simons
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: T&D Publishing
Date of Publication: December 13,
2013
ISBN: 9781311496140
ASIN: B00H9KEAKA
Number of pages: 75
Word Count: ~23,000
Cover Artist: The Killion Group
Book
Description:
She’ll
never run.
Among the tiger shifters, Alexis
Tarasova is regarded as fierce and dangerous, with a reputation that would make
even the most daring tiger think twice about challenging her. Female tiger
shifters may be rare and the mating run a critical part of their species’s
survival, but Alexis is the only female Tracker and will not back down, even at
the threat of tiger law. She will not be forced to mate. So when a handful of
males band together to force her to participate in the run, Alexis chooses to
stand her ground and fight instead.
He's
forbidden to run.
Outcast from the tiger shifters
after a vicious childhood attack left him mute, Victor Romanov has never taken
part in the mate run. He’s never particularly cared, though, since the woman he
loves refuses to take a mate. However, when he learns Alexis may be in danger,
all bets are off. Nothing will keep him from her side.
Together,
they're unmovable.
The chemistry between them burns
wickedly hot and forges them into an unbeatable pair. Alexis knows that being
with Victor means she will have to break another one of her people’s laws—a
move that might push the tigers too far. But, for Victor, she will risk
everything, including her life, and do what she thought she’d never do—run.
Excerpt:
To Alexis’
surprise, Victor was standing at her door only a few minutes later. She
swallowed and tried not to stare. He was magnificent, muscled and lean, with
just the right amount of hair covering his human body. The hard cut angles of
his face should have made him look harsh but somehow he just looked more
compelling. Black eyes, closely cut dark hair, and a sexy half-smile that made
her stomach muscles tighten, all combined to send her heartbeat pounding.
She’d never been
around Victor when she was in estrous. In fact, since coming to terms with the
knowledge that her obsession with him could never lead to a future, she’d made
an effort to never spend time alone with him. He was the head security
technician at the elders’ compound, so they crossed paths regularly. But she
tried making sure there were others around to keep her from doing something
stupid.
Unfortunately,
she hadn’t always been successful.
She flashed on a
recent memory of literally bumping into him in a corridor at the compound when
she’d been too deep in thought to notice her surroundings. He’d held her arms
while she caught her balance. The contact sent shivers of desire shooting through
her body, forcing her to step back as soon as she could, then apologized.
He pulled a
notebook from the back pocket of his dark jeans and wrote, You okay?
“Fine. The job
I’m heading out on has me…” She shrugged. “It’s a tough one.”
A friend?
“No. Nothing
like that.” She made the mistake of looking up to finish and got momentarily
caught in the deep darkness of his steady gaze. Her stomach danced in giddy
delight even as her heart tightened. Swallowing, she said, “The tiger I’m going
after has something wrong with him. He’s started stalking children.”
Human or tiger?
“Human.”
Dangerous.
“Exactly.”
Dangerous to their people if he were discovered by the humans. Also dangerous
for her as her target couldn’t possibly be sane if he was hunting kids.
Has he hurt any
yet?
“No.
Fortunately. He came close twice, though. I have to find him soon.”
Do you want
help?
She
straightened. No one offered to help her. Not since she’d taken the Tracker
oath. But he looked serious. And beneath the façade he normally wore, she sensed
a hard core of intensity only a stupid person would challenge. His silence was
intimidating enough, but for the first time, she saw a dangerous edge to him.
And he was
offering to help her. The gesture touched her in ways she wouldn’t have
expected. Suddenly, she was aware of just how alone they were and just how
desperately she wanted him.
“I’ll be fine.”
Even as she said this, her heartbeat quickened and she had trouble speaking
above a whisper.
I know. But if
you need me, I’m here.
Her pulse pounded
loud in her ears as she read. Could he hear it? Did he realize just how much
she needed him—just not for the hunt? She found herself staring at his mouth.
The urge to lean in and taste him overwhelmed her.
Alexis blinked
back the memory and realized she was once again staring at Victor’s mouth. This
time, there was no one around to interrupt them and keep her from giving in to
the years of wanting. During that previous meeting, a member of his security
tech team had required his attention and he’d hurried away, leaving her
breathless. She’d brought in the rogue tiger with a little more aggression than
she might have normally. And then she’d taken herself off to her retreat here
in the mountains to wallow in the frustration of having to resist the only man
she wanted.
Now Victor was
here. No one between them. And her hormones were making things infinitely
worse.
His being naked
did not help her control either—which was hanging on by a very tiny, thin
thread.
Review
As a rare female tracker, tiger shifter Alexis never expected the elders to fire her and expect her to run and forced to mate. Females are rare and mating with one is a tradition to save their dwindling race. The only man she has ever even looked at to mate though is Victor, who is not allowed to run. Victor is looked down upon as not worthy, but now that Alexis has no choice she finally acts on finding a way to be with Victor, damn the rules.
This was a delightful quickie. I thought this story was unique with the mating rituals and the laws of the elders. I really liked Victor, he was so sweet and didn't let his handicap stop him from doing everything he can to be with Alexis. Wonderful read.
As a rare female tracker, tiger shifter Alexis never expected the elders to fire her and expect her to run and forced to mate. Females are rare and mating with one is a tradition to save their dwindling race. The only man she has ever even looked at to mate though is Victor, who is not allowed to run. Victor is looked down upon as not worthy, but now that Alexis has no choice she finally acts on finding a way to be with Victor, damn the rules.
This was a delightful quickie. I thought this story was unique with the mating rituals and the laws of the elders. I really liked Victor, he was so sweet and didn't let his handicap stop him from doing everything he can to be with Alexis. Wonderful read.
About
the Author:
Kat Simons earned her Ph.D in
animal behavior, working with animals as diverse as dolphins and deer. She
brought her experience and knowledge of biology to her paranormal romance
fiction, where she delights in taking nature and turning it on its ear. After
traveling the world, she now lives in New York City with her family. Kat is a
stay-at-home mom and a full time writer.
Website: http://www.katsimons.com
can't wait to read ur book..thx u for hosting :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping in and commenting! I hope you enjoy the book.
DeleteThanks for having me here today! And for the great comments on Once Upon a Tiger. I really appreciate them!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds fantastic and the cover looks gorgeous . I will most certainly add this book to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I hope you enjoy the story. And thanks for the compliment on the cover. I'm in awe of the fantastic job my cover artist did. She's really good, isn't she? :-)
ReplyDelete