Kathryn and Gabriel Indulge in Midnight Games by ED Walker

ED WalkerAs one of the #RUDC15 featured bloggers, I get to start the shenanigans early with a few of the fabulous authors who will be up all night in Denver at Reading Until Dawn 2015 by showcasing their many stories. To help do that, I came up with this really fun idea to having the authors introduce us to their characters and world by showing us what it would be like if they were staying up all night, playing games of their own.

Quite a few of the authors took me up on it and today ED Walker has set up a game between Kathryn and Gabriel from the first novel in her Beauty’s Beast series, The Beauty’s Beast. The follow up novel, The Changeling Child releases later this fall, along with a prequel novel, Enchanting the King.

_____________________________________________

This is fun quickie epilogue to my Amazon bestseller The Beauty’s Beast, a fantasy romance about a cursed werewolf knight and the brave lady who loves him.

Kathryn and Gabriel Indulge in Midnight Games

EDWalker-Beautys BeastIf you’d told Kathryn, the new Duchess de Dorré, a year ago that one day she’d be playing hide in seek with a werewolf she would never have believed you.

Of course, she wouldn’t have believed she could become a duchess a year ago.

Or that she would be married to the werewolf.

…or that she would be married at all, actually.

Truly, her life was full of marvelous surprises. Including the soaking wet black wolf who didn’t seem to realize his tail was sticking out from under their bed, utterly betraying his hiding place.

Biting her lip on a giggle, she tweaked his tail gently then laughed as he twisted around to nip at her fingers. Her husband made a very dignified wolf usually, with sleek black fur and beautiful blue eyes. Just now, though, his fur was spiky wet and mud covered both his paws. Of course, her hem was also caked with mud, and she didn’t have the excuse of being a wolf.

Her wolfish husband wiggled out from under the bed and lay his head on her lap with a happy sigh as she sat on the floor beside him. She curled her fingers through his fur and rubbed his velvet soft ears. “Shall I hide now so you can chase me?”

He sighed again and set his paws against her legs, pinning her down.

She laughed a little. “No then? All right.”

He never did like to chase her, even in jest, even in his human form. He was afraid of hurting her, afraid the wolf in him would take over even without the full moon. She was perfectly content, though, however they spent their evening as long as they spent it quiet and close together.

Usually he went away during his changes, out hunting with the king or his own men, doing activities where the wolf’s hunting instinct would be useful.

But this month, her husband had asked her to come with him. Just the two of them in a small hunting lodge. She liked the serenity of this place for herself and she appreciated all of its lovely game for her now-wolfish husband.

Just too bad for him that the first night of his transformation a heavy rainstorm had rolled in, trapping his wildness inside.

“I’m sorry you couldn’t hunt tonight, love.”

He let out a small huff and tilted his head so she could scratch his ears better. What a silly beast.

His breathing slowed, and a happy growl rumbled from between his lips.

Kathryn hated to do it, but she couldn’t let them fall asleep like this, wet and dirty on the floor. She tweaked his ear, pulling her husband back to wakefulness. “No you don’t, Gabriel. A wash for the both of us and then bed. A duke–even a furry one–does not sleep on the floor.” She shifted and smoothed the skirts of her own filthy riding habit. “And his duchess most definitely does not.”

Tail wagging, he followed after her, a wolfish smile on his face, a happy gleam in his human blue eyes that was only for her.
______________________

Meet E.D. Walker (a/w/a Beth Matthews)!

EDWalker-Heir to the UnderworldE.D. Walker (a.k.a. Beth Matthews) is a Southern California girl, born and raised. She’s a total geek, a movie buff, and a mediocre swing dancer. She lives in sunny SoCal with her husband and two of the neediest housecats on the planet.

Contact Info: Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Amazon | Beth Matthews on Amazon | Pinterest | Tumblr

Want to purchase ED/Beth’s novels?
The Beauty’s Beast
Love’s Last Call (Ladies of Jezebel’s #1)
A Midsummer Night’s Fling (The Stage Kiss #1)
The Lady and the Hound
Heir to the Underworld
The Weaver

RUDC15.FAAre you registered for Reading Until Dawn Con this October in Denver, Colorado? If not, why not?! Join us for fun, games, snacks and possibly pants-optional dancing.

REGISTRATION is now open! Come party with the authors who keep you up all night.

Be sure to keep up with all things Reading Until Dawn, by following it via your own personal social media drug of choice: Facebook |Twitter | Google+ | Up All Night Reading Challenge | Pinterest | Tumblr | RSVP at the Facebook Event.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.