 by A.E. Via.jpg)
Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 34185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34185 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 171(@200wpm)___ 137(@250wpm)___ 114(@300wpm)
After two thousand years of providing peace for his people, Notalus was ready to pass on his kingdom to his heir and live out the rest of his days gardening in his fields in the land of Autumn… alone.
But the Gods had other plans for him.
Notalus knew he should’ve stayed away from the Earth realm after Dustin Constus Hill—the handsome wolf and harvester for the Volkov pack-lands—had imprinted on his soul. Falling for such a divine mortal could not have come at a worse time.
“Love comes fast for titans when their souls are touched.”
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Dustin
A Memory That Came with a Storm
Dustin sat in his oversized recliner in front of his television watching National Geographic while he ate his dinner alone. His lip smacking and finger sucking was loud enough to drown out the depressing silence as he devoured his platter of beef tips, grilled prawns, and stewed vegetables. Vegetables that came from his garden, his fields. The pumpkins were especially flavorful this harvest, and so far, Henry, the king’s house chamberlain, couldn’t thank him enough for how well his soups and stews were turning out lately.
Dustin provided Henry with the best farm-to-table, organic crops he could never get from a supermarket and the handsome vampire always made sure to prepare Dustin a heaping platter each evening for him to take home for dinner.
He set his empty plate and glass in the sink, then stared out of his small kitchen window that overlooked his south fields. He was glad his one-room cabin was on the outskirts of the massive property because he couldn’t hear when the pack would congregate in the community yard and enjoy each other. Some went for a run, some stayed in the courtyard and made a ruckus, while others returned to their cabins to spend the evening alone with their partners. Dustin couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to have someone to come home to after a long day in the fields. He’d tried to convince himself that he preferred the solitude, and his life was far more peaceful without a mate to care for, but deep down in his soul, he knew he was lying.
After fifty years of traveling the country and visiting as many pack lands as he could, Dustin had never scented his true mate. He’d given up searching years ago because apparently it was destined for him to be alone the rest of his days. It was exhausting moving from state to state only to have his hopes diminished with each empty disappointment. He wasn’t a snob either—his mate didn’t have to be fated. Dustin attempted to date several men over his years—betas, an alpha, and even a few humans—but he often encountered complications in the bedroom that left him unsatisfied and mildly ashamed. It would take a considerably strong man to be his mate… or his lover.
The winters were brutal in the White Mountain Forest, and the nights were long and cold in his king-sized bed with only his old kerosene heater and his deceased mother’s handmade quilt to keep him warm. He’d lived over half his life searching for companionship, but he was too old to keep that up. Now, he chose to live out his years in peace within the Volkov stronghold, where he could best use his talents and where they were most appreciated.
Dustin watched the sun set and darkness cover the sky as he thought about what he could do to pass the time this evening. Maybe he could let his wolf out for a run since his animal loved the cool night air ruffling through his fur while he hunted and chased small creatures. Actually, that sounded like an amazing idea.
Dustin kicked off his hiking boots and was unbuttoning his suspenders when the National Geographic documentary he’d been watching on television began to blare a weather warning signal across the bottom for all of western Maine, from Conway to Portland.
“Oh no,” he groaned. “Gods, please don’t let this storm shift in our direction.” Dustin dropped down on the oak coffee table in the center of his small den and stared at the alert scrolling by with both fingers crossed. Which was silly because he knew exactly what the notice was informing him: the huge windstorm that was ravaging the northern states was shifting and aiming in their direction. It wouldn’t be a direct hit, but they would get some of the disastrous outer bands of a storm that was building in devastation every hour.
“Damnit, damnit, damnit,” Dustin cursed on his way to the closet to get his heavy boots and weather gear. He closed and locked his storm shutters over his living room window, locked away his couple of patio chairs and mini fire pit in the shed, then turned off the gas just in case they had any lightning strikes.
Justice, the AZ, texted him to be sure he saw the warning and asked Dustin to protect the harvest as best he could, but most importantly, he told him to stay safe. The leader of the pack said that whatever happened, they’d be okay. Dustin shook his head as he shoved his cell phone back into his pocket. The Alpha Zenith and his betas were miles away visiting another pack, but Dustin and his hands knew what to do in his absence. Everyone that lived on the pack lands had a duty to fulfill, and none of them needed micromanaging to do it. Dustin flung his front door open and found three of his gardeners already standing on his porch.