I've been busy busy in the writing cave! I'm working on an mpreg romance that has a slightly more dark theme than usual. The gist of it is the omega is kidnapped by a mobster, and the alpha holding him is part of the kidnapping. The alpha isn't the nicest guy, but he isn't the worst either. This dynamic makes it fun to write. Of course, there is also the challenge of making the alpha likeable enough that the readers don't hate him.
I'll give you a taste, and the cover too! (My reader's group already saw the cover. If you're interested in joining my reader's group, click on the link WYNNER'S CIRCLE
EXCERPT (unedited):
Chapter One
Opening my eyes, I couldn’t see anything. It was dark as night, and there was the sound of dripping water nearby. My head throbbed, and I was cold. Bone cold. Why wasn’t I in my warm bed? Had I partied too hard last night and fallen asleep in someone’s yard? Sitting up, I groaned loudly as my stiff muscles protested the movement. There was no sound of crickets or any type of wildlife. I seemed to be inside. I searched the gloom, hoping for something that might jog my memory. I scowled when I became aware that my wrists were bound.
What. The. Fuck.
I needed to think. Where had I been last night? The Golden Ring. Yes, I’d been dancing and drinking with Seth at The Golden Ring. So… where was my best buddy Seth, and why was I tied up? Was this some bizarre sex game gone wrong? I didn’t remember picking anyone up last night. I’d been tired and not really in the mood to sleep with anyone. No one had appealed anyway — Wait. None of that mattered. I needed to figure out why I was tied up in this damp hellhole.
I managed to scramble onto my knees. “Seth?”
No response.
“Hello? Anybody? Where am I?” I called out, as my heart thumped my ribs. “Why am I here?”
Silence.
My stomach growled, and I really needed to pee. How long had I been here? Had someone drugged me? I’d heard about shit like that happening, but I’d never thought it could happen to me. I struggled clumsily to my feet, stumbling a bit. My eyes were beginning to adjust to the gloom, and I noticed a small bed against the brick wall. I was a bit peeved whoever had dumped me here hadn’t bothered to put me on the bed, they’d just tossed me on the ground like a piece of trash. Even though my hands were tied, I managed to pat my pockets, but was frustrated to find my cell was missing.
I gritted my teeth and yelled, “Why am I here?”
Nothing.
Anger rolled through me, and I shouted, “You’d better let me go! My father is a very powerful man. He’s not going to appreciate you treating his only son like this.”
Something fluttered above my head, and I winced and looked up. I couldn’t see anything, but the soft cooing of a dove came to me. This was crazy. What the hell was going on? Had I actually been kidnapped and tossed in a fucking barn? I almost laughed because the idea of that just seemed so ridiculous. And yet… it was also terrifying. Whoever had brought me here hadn’t cared about my comfort, that was for sure.
There was a narrow red door near the foot of the bed. I moved toward that, feeling uneasy. The door had a grimy window, but it seemed someone had sprayed it with black paint so my view was blocked. My heart pounded as I approached the door. With my hands tied, it was awkward, but I managed to grab the knob. It didn’t move, and with a sinking stomach, I realized it was locked.
Anger rolled through me, and I kicked the wood. “Let me out of here, now!” I growled. My foot throbbed from striking the hard surface, but I kicked again. “I demand you let me out of here. Who the fuck do you think you are? This isn’t funny. Seth, if this is some kind of sick joke, I’m going to murder you.”
Nobody responded. There was nothing but a sickening silence. A part of me was relieved whoever had done this to me didn’t seem to be around. Anyone who’d do something like this probably wasn’t a very nice person. I tried to keep my fear at bay, but it wasn’t easy. If no one knew where I was, then no one would be able to help me. If this truly was a kidnapping, what did this sicko want? Money? I really hoped that was all they wanted. My dad would pay up, of that I was sure. He wasn’t going to let anything happen to his sole heir. Maybe we didn’t always get along great, but I was his only child, and I knew he loved me.
My head still pounded, and I sat gingerly on the little bed. The springs creaked alarmingly, but it held me. The bedding was a gray flannel blanket, a flat foam pillow, and white sheets. Nothing fancy. I thought longingly of my king sized bed back home with the down comforter and pillows. I leaned down and sniffed the pillow. It smelled new. Thank God it didn’t have some other alpha or omega’s scent. Thankfully, the sheets smelled of bleach. At least whoever this was who’d taken me hadn’t given me soiled bedding.
Hours passed as I nervously stared into space. Eventually, my shivering got to be too much, and I crawled under the blanket. The air of the room was freezing, and my teeth chattered because the blanket was thin. Did my captor not realize how cold this room was, or did they find pleasure in my discomfort? I’d be lucky if I didn’t catch pneumonia. It was February and the temperatures had been unusually chilly this year. Either this person who’d taken me didn’t remember that, or they didn’t give a crap if I froze to death.
As scared as I was, I apparently still dozed off. The sound of metal scraping jerked me awake, and I sat up in fear. I searched the darkness for some signs of movement, but didn’t see anyone. My gaze dropped to a slot at the foot of the door, where golden light shone through. It appeared someone had shoved a tray of food through that slim opening. I’d been distracted earlier and hadn’t noticed the slot before. I climbed slowly from the bed, crouching in front of the tray. Did I dare eat or drink anything offered?
“Who are you?” I called through the slot. “Why am I here?”
The slot slammed closed, making me flinch.
“You expect me to eat this? For all I know it’s poisoned,” I hissed, glaring at the slot.
The only response was the sound of heavy footsteps receding. I grabbed the bottle of apple juice from the tray, ignoring the food, and got back on the bed. When I twisted the cap off the drink, the safety seal cracked reassuringly. At least the juice probably wasn’t tampered with. But I wasn’t hungry enough yet to chance the food. It appeared to be some sort of beef soup. While the thought of eating something hot did appeal, the the idea of being poisoned did not.
I gulped the juice, knowing it would make my need to pee worse. Did this asshole expect me to simply urinate and shit where I slept? I hadn’t done much exploring of the space yet, but once I’d finished my juice, I set the empty bottle on the ground and stood. There seemed to be some cracks in the walls that were now allowing a hint of sunlight. Without my cell, I had no idea what time it was. I didn’t wear a watch, and was now regretting not listening to Dad about that. Of course, for all I knew this person would have stolen my watch.
I inched around the space, taking care not to trip over the various paint buckets and gardening tools. With the sun coming through the walls, I was now able to see the room better. It was larger than I’d first thought. There was what looked like a closet at the far end. When I creaked open the door, I found a dingy toilet and sink. I’d never been so happy to see a toilet in my life. I moved to the porcelain bowl, fumbling with my zipper. With my wrists tied, it was no easy task freeing myself enough to pee into the toilet. Somehow I managed to hit my mark, although zipping my pants back up was a challenge.
Once I had an empty bladder, I felt a little better. I still had a headache, and was still freezing, but at least I wasn’t in danger of pissing myself at the moment. I washed my hands, and returned to investigating my prison. There was one window, but it was boarded over, and no other door, other than the one with the slot. I tried prying the boards from the window, but wasn’t able to budge them.
My guess was I was in some kind of gardening shed. I eyed a rusty red shovel, wondering if I should drag it nearer to the bed, so it could be used as a weapon. I bent down and grabbed it, then I pulled it after me as I returned to the bed. I kicked it under the bed, making sure the ends of it weren’t exposed. With my hands tied, it would be difficult to grab the shovel, and use it effectively as a weapon, but it felt wrong not to at least try and defend myself.
Feeling groggy, I sat back on the bed and closed my eyes. I was still thirsty. All I’d had since last night was that apple juice. I’d had about four margaritas at the club, which was definitely helping me to feel dehydrated. I curled into a ball, listening for sounds from outside of the shed. At once point I thought I heard a dog barking, and the sound of a car, but I couldn’t be certain.
It was odd to have nothing to do. If I’d been home I’d probably still be sleeping off last night. Without my phone, all I could do was stare into space as my thoughts circled anxiously. Of course, I was too scared to be bored. I wanted to find a way out of this mess, but didn’t know where to begin. If my captor wasn’t willing to talk to me, I couldn’t try and reason with him. If I’d had my cell, at least I’d have had some hope I could be tracked.
My thoughts drifted to Seth. I hoped he was okay. Had he been there when I was abducted, or had we parted ways already? I couldn’t seem to remember the last half of the night. I had no memory of a struggle, or of being attacked. Was that because I’d been drugged? Hit over the head? I bent my neck, and ran my fingers over my skull. There was no bump that I could find.
I just needed to sit tight. Someone would come for me. My dad was rich and had plenty of connections. There was no way he’d just not care if I suddenly disappeared. I winced when I remembered we’d had a huge blow up a few days ago. He had been furious, but he wouldn’t let that stop him from finding me. He’d been angry because I’d been blowing off work at his company for a few weeks. I’d been having a blast with Seth in Hawaii, and I hadn’t wanted to cut it short. I didn’t have anything to do when I did show up for work. I was the VP of my dad’s company, Lewis Technologies, but it was mostly a name only kind of thing. Lewis Technologies was a well oiled machine, and all I did was get in the way. Besides, I had no interest in my dad’s business. I enjoyed the financial rewards it gave me, but I definitely didn’t feel passionate about circuit boards etc. It would be a cruel irony if I ended up murdered because of that company.
Of course, this person who had me captive could easily just be a random nut case. A pervert. He or she might not even know who my dad was, and I’d simply been in the wrong place, at the wrong time. This person might just like torturing strangers. For the first time in my life, I was grateful my mom wasn’t alive. She’d have made herself sick with worry.
I squeezed my eyes closed, burying my face in the pillow. I was scared. More scared than I’d ever been in my life. I hated admitting that. I wanted to be brave. I wanted to figure out a way to save myself, but I didn’t know where to begin. My daily life was pampered. I didn’t have to figure things out because there was always someone there to do that for me. But no one was here with me now. No one was shielding me, or watching out for me. I was at the mercy of some lunatic who didn’t care if I froze to death. I held on to the glimmer of hope that he’d tried to feed me. If he just wanted me dead, he wouldn’t have offered me a warm meal, right? Unless offering me food was simply a way to get drugs in me. I’d be less likely to try and escape if I was drugged. Sticking me with a needle would be a lot harder than drugging my food.
I shuddered, and pulled my knees to my chest, trying to hold in my body heat. I had to believe someone would save me. I had to hold on to that thought, because the alternative was unthinkable.
This one will be released June 2019!
Hope you enjoyed the sample. :)
S.C.
www.scwynne.com
