Blue Mountain
By Cardeno C.
Expected publication: November 21st 2014 by The Romance Authors, LLC
Exiled by his pack as a teen, Omega wolf Simon Moorehead learns to bury his gentle nature in the interest of survival. When a hulking, rough-faced Alpha catches Simon on pack territory, he tries to escape what he’s sure will be imminent death. But instead of killing him, the Alpha takes Simon home.
A man of action, Mitch Grant uproots his life to support his brother in leading the Blue Mountain pack. Mitch lives on the periphery, quietly protecting everyone, but always alone. A mate is a dream come true for Mitch, and he won’t let little things like Simon’s rejections, attacks, and insults get in their way. With patience, seduction, and genuine care, Mitch will ride out the storm while Simon slays his own ghosts and Mitch’s loneliness.
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As he kicked the last of the dirt over his mother’s grave, bone deep exhaustion nearly brought Simon Moorehead to his knees, but at least he’d delivered his mother home to rest. She had left Blue Mountain for him, and he had returned for her. There was a certain harmony in that, albeit an ironic one. But harmony or not, he had to leave the territory before another welcoming committee was dispatched to greet him. He darted his gaze around the surrounding landscape, looking for a flat rock to pound down the loose earth. Once he found an appropriate stone, he shifted into his human form, lifted it with both hands, and returned to the grave where he used the last of his energy to repeatedly raise and then slam down the rock, packing the soil.
“Stop.”
Shocked by the deep, rumbling voice, Simon lost his balance and toppled onto his backside. “Who’s there?” He held the stone in front of him like a weapon as he jerked his head from side to side and squinted, trying to see beyond the surrounding trees by the light of the moon.
“Relax, little one.”
He had his answer—it was a pack member who mistook his size for weakness. Well, Simon would prove him wrong just as he had the others. He’d been banished at age twelve and spent the next thirteen years learning how to take care of himself. Shifters underestimated him because they were led by scent and sight and refused to look beneath the surface. They didn’t expect an Omega to fight or disobey. But Simon had learned to act as strong as any Alpha. And if rejecting his true nature meant his soul suffered and withered, ultimately leading him to the same demise as his mother, so be it.
“Show yourself,” he demanded as he stood.
The direction of the wind changed, and Simon caught scent of the other shifter before he saw him. Alpha. The urge to bare his neck and roll over hit him deep in the gut. Forcing himself to ignore it, he mentally recited his mantra: Never show weakness. Stay in charge of every situation. Don’t back down. He wouldn’t be a slave to reactions he couldn’t control. He was better than that, stronger than that.
Then the biggest man he had ever seen stepped into the clearing. Broad was an understatement in describing his shoulders. He was almost twice as wide as Simon and well over half a foot taller. “Drop the rock,” he said, piercing Simon with black eyes.
Grateful for the reminder that he could use the tool as a weapon, Simon ignored the wetness dripping along his forearm, raised the rock above his head, and said, “Back away.”
A growl was Simon’s only warning before the Alpha grabbed his wrist and forced him to release his hold on the stone.
“Let me go!” Simon tried to yank his arm away from the powerful grip but strained his shoulder instead. He’d never come across anyone so large and powerful. The timing was terrible because Simon was already running on fumes, worn down soul-deep, but he gathered whatever energy he had left and tried to fight.
“You’ve injured yourself.” The Alpha clasped Simon’s hip with his free hand, further impeding his movement. “Stop.”
Grunting in denial, Simon struggled to get free. His backpack was a thirty minute hike away at the campsite. If he could shift and get there, he’d have his supplies and enough cash to get out of the Blue Mountain territory.
“Let me go, and I’ll leave,” he said. Then, his gut rebelling at the possibility the Alpha would consider that a concession on his part, he added, “Like I told the men you sent, I have no intention of staying here.” He wriggled. “Let me go.”
“I sent nobody.” The Alpha’s voice was deep and rough, like his face. “Be still.”
With a grip just shy of painful, he raised Simon’s hand, leaned forward, and nostrils flaring, he inhaled deeply.
“Males can be Omegas,” Simon resentfully answered the inevitable question. “It doesn’t make us weak.”
“Not weak.” Bottomless black eyes peered at him as the Alpha shocked him to his core by parting his lips and licking his palm. “Mine.”
Involuntarily, Simon trembled. The Alpha wanted blood—more blood than he was getting by lapping at Simon’s wounded hand, which meant he was feral, his animal half overrunning his human half and driving him to kill.
When the giant leaned forward, going for his jugular, Simon delivered a well-placed kick to the groin and then went limp, making himself dead weight. The strategy worked—the Alpha lost his grip and Simon toppled to the ground. Before his attacker could react, he scurried out of reach, shifted into his wolf, and ran.
Simon wasn’t a big wolf, but he was fast and he had a lifetime of experience evading other shifters. He ignored the instinct pulling at him to roll over and show his belly and wove around the trees at a breakneck pace, planning to do exactly what he’d done thirteen years earlier: take his meager belongings and escape from the Blue Mountain Alpha. But then a roar shook the very air around him, a big body knocked him to the ground, and teeth dug into his nape. Without breaking his skin, the Alpha shook him like a lamb and growled. Human words weren’t needed for the message to come through loud and clear: submit.
It wouldn’t happen. If Simon was going down, he’d do it fighting and inflicting as much damage as possible along the way. He kicked and bit, clawed and smacked, never getting free but occasionally hearing pained yips and eventually smelling copper.
As the scent of the Alpha’s blood permeated his entire being, Simon twisted in knots, waging an internal war between the cell-deep instinct to bare his throat to the wolf above him and the well-honed habit to fight and get free. When the world began darkening, he was less sad about the loss of his life than he was thankful for the reprieve from the battles—both external and internal. At least he’d be laid to rest with his mother.
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆
Patience, understanding and gentleness are all needed by Alpha wolf Mitch if he is to stand any chance on winning his mate, Omega wolf Simon. Simon has been harassed and attacked for being a male Omega wolf all his life and was the reason he had to leave the Blue Mountain pack all those years ago with his mother. Now he is back to bury his mother but gets caught by Mitch. Mitch is the Alpha of the pack with his twin brother. He has uprooted his life to be part of the pack but all he wants is to find his own peace with a mate of his own.
With the power and strength that Mitch possesses, he could have very easily forced Simon to submit by force but he chooses to nurture Simon and show him how important he is to him. When Simon arrives he is shy, nervous and unsure about himself but with Mitch's nurturing we see him grow in confidence and become comfortable with who he is.
I love the way that Cardeno C. wrote this story, enabling the love to develop over time and in a romantic way. It was as beautiful as ever, just with a shifter twist. Cardeno C. stories are sweet yet sensual and 'Blue Mountain' is no exception.
Cardeno C. – CC to friends – is a hopeless romantic who wants to add a lot of happiness and a few “awwws” into a reader’s day. Writing is a nice break from real life as a corporate type and volunteer work with gay rights organizations. Cardeno’s stories range from sweet to intense, contemporary to paranormal, long to short, but they always include strong relationships and walks into the happily-ever-after sunset.
Cardeno’s Home, Family, and Mates series have received awards from Love Romances and More Golden Roses, Rainbow Awards, the Goodreads M/Romance Group, and various reviewers. But even more special to CC are heartfelt reactions from readers, like, “You bring joy and love and make it part of the every day.”
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