Novel 1

King Merek and the Mechanic

Merek Sorenson is a king with a problem. His world is in unrest and the Legari warriors are hunting him and his brothers for extermination.

Vance Morrow is a mechanic who spends his Saturdays with his buddies playing baseball. Meeting Merek has raised hope within his heart. He feels an incredible pull to the loving man who has brought kindness, happiness, and downright need back into his life.

Merek has waited for his aheri, his destined mate, his entire life. The love Merek has for Vance is soul deep. He knows he must reveal who he is and the danger that follows him. He prays Vance will want to bond with him and will be open to the fact that the men of Merek’s world can become pregnant. He aches to hold Vance in his arms forever, bring him home to rule beside him on Sanzel, and create children with him that they can nurture and love.

King Merek and the Mechanic

is not available at this time.

It is currently being revised and re-edited for future publication.

Excerpt

“You have the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen, Merek,” he told him, reaching out and touching his cheek gently. “They’re a soft brown, but there are unique bits of amber in them. They’re beautiful.”

Merek blushed at the sincere compliment and leaned into the warmth of Vance’s hand, loving the careful way his aheri touched him. He was glad that Vance was not afraid to show him such tenderness with other people around. In his time on this world, he had seen much cruelty to individuals who did not follow the traditional mating of a man and a woman. His own world was not opposed to matings between males. It was a natural order of things.

Since the birth of females was so rare, their race had evolved into one that accepted and encouraged all matings. No one type of mating was held as more important or was more respected than another. Male and female matings were just as cherished as males mating with males. The importance of the matings was the celebration of the bonding of aheris. To be so blessed as to find your aheriwas cherished and revered above all else.

“My brothers and I all have the same color eyes,” Merek told him as he reached up and covered Vance’s hand with his own to press it more firmly against his cheek. “It is a trait that is unique to my family. Both of my parents had the same color eyes. All of the children born in our family inherit that trait. My children will most likely have my eyes.”

Vance pulled his hand away from Merek’s warmth, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. “Are you planning on having children, Merek?”

“I would like children, yes,” Merek admitted. “Do you not want children, Vance?”

“Well, being a gay man, it never occurred to me that children might be a possibility,” Vance answered honestly. “Do you plan on marrying a woman in order to have the children you want?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No, Vance. I will not marry a woman to have my children,” Merek answered honestly. He wondered how much he should share with Vance without causing him to turn and bolt from the small restaurant. “There are other ways to achieve such a wonderful gift.”

Vance looked at him silently, cautioning himself that he should not give his heart to this man even though everything in him demanded that he do so. He would not risk falling in love with a man who intended to find a woman to have the future he wanted. He had seen that happen before. He had been on the receiving end of heartbreak, and he wasn’t going to go there again. He repeatedly cautioned himself to keep his distance from Merek, but there was just something about the man that made him want to take a chance and trust that he could have a loving and permanent relationship with him.

He sat back and was relieved when the waitress brought their meal. He really didn’t know what he would have said. Instead he focused on the large pepperoni pizza.

“Is there anything else I can get you, gentlemen?” she asked, winking at the two of them. “Do you want a beer, Vance?”

Vance gave her one of his brightest smiles. She was a sweet woman who reminded him of his mother. “No thanks, Lois. Just water for me today.”

“And you, gorgeous?”

“I will have water as well, thank you,” Merek answered politely.

“He’s a keeper, Vance,” Lois told him, winking at him before she walked away.

“A keeper?” Merek asked as he accepted the plate Vance handed him and allowed his aherito place one of the oddly shaped pieces of what was called pizza upon it.

“A keeper is someone you should not allow to slip away. I would say that you are a keeper, Merek,” Vance said quietly as he watched Merek’s face transform into pure joy as he bit into the piece of pizza. “Good?”

Merek nodded as he took another bite and hummed his approval. “This is absolutely wonderful,” he said finally. “Thank you for giving me this delicacy, Vance.”

Vance laughed softly. This man was such a joy. He saw things with such innocence, and he appreciated everything. It was precious. Biting into his own slice, he groaned his approval.

Merek froze with his slice of pizza just in front of his mouth. The sound that Vance had emitted brought his thoughts around to how he would make the man utter the same sounds of pleasure as he made love to him. In the space of one second, his cock was rock hard, his mouth was salivating, and his heart was racing. He needed to claim his mate.

Vance laughed as he saw Merek staring at him with his mouth open. “Sorry,” he said with no remorse in his tone. “This is the best pizza around. It’s almost as good as sex.”

Merek slowly placed the slice of pizza back onto his plate. “You should not tease me about that, aheri,” he warned him.

“That’s the second time you’ve called me that, Merek,” Vance said, slowly lowering his own slice of pizza to his dish. “What does it mean?”

“It is a term of endearment,” Merek explained. “It is used only when a person has found someone that is special to them.”

“I’m special to you?”

“Yes, aheri. You are very special to me.”

Vance looked at Merek silently. He wanted to take a chance. He had to take a chance. He might be looking at future disappointment, but he had to try. What if Merek was the man he was meant to have a life with? He couldn’t deny how he felt. He might be risking heartache, but he might be gaining love.

Vance smiled and reached out to take Merek’s hand in his. “I’m glad. You’re very special to me, too. That’s why I’m only having water instead of beer to drink.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t want anything to interfere with the taste of you when I kiss you again.”

“You are planning on kissing me again, aheri?”

“Oh, yeah. Unless you don’t want me to.”

Merek smiled at the sudden worry that filled his mate. How could he not know just how much he wanted his mate to kiss him? He chastised himself. Of course Vance would not know. How could he?

“I would like it very much if you kissed me,” he said quietly, tugging on his hand to bring him closer. “That would be very agreeable.”

“Good, because I plan on kissing you for the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening, Merek,” he told him with determination. “Finish your pizza. You’re going to need your strength for what I have planned for you.”