#SPeekSunday - 12/21/14 - Deadly Enchantment - Paid, but unwanted, guests #Paranormal #Shapeshifters

An unhappy shape shifter can be a dangerous companion....

For Sneak Peek Sunday authors share six paragraphs from a published work or a WIP (work in progress).

My excerpt for this week is from my 2nd book, Deadly Enchantment.  A shapeshifting wizard romance set in Victorian England published by New Concepts Publishing, 

In this snippet, which occurs in the middle of the second chapter, Dominic Westcroft has returned from London to discover his sister has invited several young women to his home, so he can select a new bride.  What neither he nor his sister suspects, however, is that one of the women is actually his deceased bride's sister.  Tormented by guilt over his wife's tragic and brutal death, Dominic has no intention of ever marrying again.  However, when his show of temper accidentally reveals one of their guests possesses magical abilities she's trying to keep hidden, he invites the ladies join him for dinner, so he can rout her out.

Though he manages to convince the young woman to reveal herself, after dinner, he discovers his sister has not only invited these women into his home without his permission, but she's offered money for a dowry should he choose one lucky woman to be his bride.

            “Do you mean to say that you don’t know anything about the thousand pounds either?”

            “A consolation fee, perhaps?”

            “That would depend upon your perspective, I suppose, sir.  The woman you select will become your wife with a promised thousand pound dowry.  The others, if they agree to certain conditions and stay a minimum of one week, will each get fifty pounds in addition to the original fifty pounds sent once the contracts were signed and received.  For each day a woman elects to stay after the first week, she is to receive another ten pounds.  If you make them leave tomorrow, they get nothing more than the fifty their families have already received.”

            Dominic briefly closed his eyes.  “I’ll kill her.  Sister or no, I’ll wring her neck.”

            Acting instinctively, Serena reached out and placed her hand on his sleeve.  The moment she realized what she was doing, she drew her hand back uncertain what had ever possessed her to touch him.

            He regarded her through eyes deep and dark, then his lips curved into a wry smile.  “I did not speak literally, so you need not fear for my sister’s life.  Unfortunately, I happen to care for her a great deal, so murder is out of the question.”

Though Dominic Westcroft suspects Serena has secrets she's not willing to share, he is determined to uncover the truth behind his young guest's deception, even if it means keeping the other women around as a ruse.

M/F, Shape shifting  wizards in Victorian England.

Read the first three chapters at: Deadly Enchantment

Available at NCP, Amazon, Barnes & Noble or ARe

Thanks for visiting.  I hope you enjoyed this brief excerpt and want more. Please click the link below to continue your hop Sneak Peek Sunday.  Wishing you a wonderful journey.