#SPeekSunday - 7/26/15 - Deadly Enchantment - The Depth of his Displeasure - #Paranormal #Shifters

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 Serena is routed out during dinner, she manages to keep her true identity a secret. After her close call with their host, however, she returns upstairs to speak with her cousin, while Dominic retreats to his study to send for his sister. As he waits, he recalls his former mentor's prophecy stating both Dominic and Terrence would need to mate with a woman pure of spirit and body prior to their thirtieth birthday.  Failure to do so would mean slipping into a steady decline that would result in them not only losing their powers, but their minds as well. Since marriage wasn't a requirement, Terrence fulfilled his end of the prophecy many years, while Dominic waited until his wedding night when his bride was brutally slaughtered before they could consummate their marriage.

             Even so, Dominic hadn’t been entirely convinced that Zaltasar’s dire prophecy wasn’t merely an attempt to get Terrence and him to settle down by a certain age.  However, during the past few years Dominic had begun to wonder if Zaltasar’s timeline wasn’t just a bit optimistic.  His black moods, as he called them, seemed to be increasing in both frequency and duration the older he got.

            Since he’d told Regina none of this, her actions were still unconscionable in his opinion, and he meant to ensure she fully understood the depth of his displeasure over the matter.

            When Regina finally answered his summons, she looked less confident than she had before, which appeased him somewhat, but not entirely.

            Sitting back in his chair, he templed his fingers beneath his chin.  “I believe there were a few points you neglected to mention about these transactions you’ve made.”  Lowering his hands he leaned forward in his chair.  “Such as the hundred pounds you offered to each woman who remains with me for a week.”

            “Well, you aren’t the easiest of men to be around at times, so I had to give them some incentive.  Besides, it’s only an additional fifty pounds to what you’ve already paid.”

            “That’s still a hundred pounds of my money!  Most of our villagers pay no more than seventy-five pounds a year in rent.  I hope you didn’t expect me to conjure up the funds through magic.  I doubt Her Majesty would appreciate enchanted currency floating about her realm.”

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.