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.
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“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.
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.”
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CardenoC/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CardenoC
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Blue Mountain Fun Facts:
- Shifters like Halloween.. wonder what costumes they wear?
- Three characters in Blue Mountain are named after avid CC readers: Donia, Mitchell Grant, and Tricia Moorehead.
- Bun Huggers?
- You should have a snack while reading Blue Mountain since food is one way Simon shows Mitch he cares for him.
- Alphas do indeed get on their knees for Omegas!
4.5 out of 5 stars
So I can easily admit I'm pretty addicted to CC's books, so the fact that I enjoyed this one shouldn't be too much of a surprise. It's a really good, solid entry into a new shifter series featuring the Blue Mountain Pack. The mythology of shifters and their mating is not the same as in CC's Mates series, but all the hallmarks of a Cardeno C book are there.
We have two very solid characters in Mitch and Simon. Mitch is not a typical Alpha because he's not heading his own pack. He's content being his twin brother's Second in Command but still shows his Alpha tendencies. He's kind of a scary character to those that don't know him well, and his height/size and gruff demeanor would be intimidating to a smaller person or shifter. Mitch is also, very lonely and craving his own mate. Watching his brother happy with his Alpha female and their cubs makes Mitch long for his own Mate.
Simon, is the complete opposite of Mitch. He's smaller, almost slight from CC's description. Part of that is how he and his mom have lived since they were thrown out from their pack when Simon was a young boy. Simon's seen and experienced the worst possible actions within the shifter community. Because Simon is a gay male Omega, others have seen this as their free ticket to abuse him. For the most part the story ghosts over this part of Simon's life but it does leave a mark within Simon. He doesn't trust other shifters, let alone someone like Mitch, who is very large, very powerful, and Alpha.
Watching Mitch and Simon learn each other, seeing Simon gradually accept that Mitch is different, and that he's attracted to him is the part of the story that made me love this book. I loved seeing the playful sides to both men once they opened up to each other. It was also, really sweet watching Simon want to make Mitch happy by cooking for him and meeting him at the door when he got home.
The little things in a CC book are always what get me. I am never let down by a CC book, the characters always fit the story, and they are always well written. There was nothing about this story that didn't work and I liked that CC made it different from the Mates series. I honestly can't recommend Blue Mountain enough. Simon caught me..and I would love to see way more of him in future books in the series.
Check out this new series from Cardeno C., if you're already a fan it's a must read, if you've never read CC before ...well what better way to start than a brand new series with sexy, growly shifters.
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