Showing posts with label cat shifter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cat shifter. Show all posts

Monday, September 29, 2014

Cat Flash is out now!

The final story in my Stray Cats series is out now. The final chapter! I'm both excited and sad. Excited because I love this series. Who doesn't like black cats? I've got one and he's a real piece of work. He's a pistol but so loving and snuggly. At the same time, I'm sad. I knew this series had to end because it needed closure. But I didn't want to let the kitties go.

So when I set out to write the final story, I knew I had to give the series the proper send off. Adrian doesn't get to come into his shifting powers right away. He's got to wait an extra year--not that he minds. He likes being a cat. Meliana isn't the average human. Nope. She's exactly what Adrian needs, although he doesn't realize that at first. She's a witch.

The weather is getting cooler and it's nearing Halloween. Why not curl up with a black cat, his witch and a fun short story? If that sounds good to you, then why not try Cat Flash and the others in the Stray Cats series? :-)

Cat Flash by Megan Slayer 
Stray Cats, book 4
BIN: 07116-02292
Word Count: 18K
Page Count: 59
Price: $3.99
Release Date: September 26, 2014
Editor: Katriena Knights
Cover Artist: Bryan Keller
Genres: Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Themes:  Shapeshifters, Magic

She's got the flash and he's the cat. Together they'll create magic.

Meliana has denied her powers as a witch because she'd rather fit into society. She doesn't want to stand out, but a woman with blue hair and the power to work magic doesn't necessarily blend in. She got the cat in an attempt to be normal, but this kitty has a secret and it's guaranteed to surprise.

EXCERPT:

©2014 Megan Slayer, all rights reserved
As she blinked and shifted on the bed, an arm curled tighter around her.
She froze. An arm? What the fuck? She lived with a cat. A thick cock slid between her ass cheeks. She screamed. A cock of any sorts was not supposed to be in her bed.
“Meli, it’s fine. No one broke in.”
She had no idea who the hell just said that, but the fact they’d used her name freaked her out even more. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She tried to thrash, but couldn’t move.
Her body warred with her brain. Normally, having a cock between her ass cheeks made her happy -- when she knew who the cock belonged to and how he knew her name… like her ex-boyfriend Lane, but he wasn’t there. He’d left her for another woman. He’d told her to go to hell when she’d called, so no doubt he wasn’t there.
Her pussy throbbed. No sex in more than four months made the lady parts not so happy and apparently extremely responsive to crazy-ass people who’d climbed into her bed.
Screw it. She’d give this stranger a piece of her mind before he took a piece of her ass. She rolled over and stared into a set of yellow-green eyes. The man, stubble sprinkled on his cheeks and his inky black hair mussed from sleep, grinned. He had a dimple. She was a sucker for dimples. No, no, she had to get back to the point and get the jackass out of her bed.
“Who are you and why are you in my bed?” There. She’d asked the questions. “Get out of here.”
“I’ve been in your bed for the two years, sweetheart.” The smile faded and he shrank back from her. “Meli? It’s me, Chaos… er… Adrian.”
She slumped back onto the bed and her jaw slackened. Her cat was a hunky human-looking male named Adrian? Holy shit.
Adrian crawled off the bed, taking the sheet with him. He barely covered his toned body with the bedding. His nipples beaded. A thin trail of black hair led just below his belly button and disappeared beneath the sheet. She pressed her lips together. She shouldn’t be gawking at him, but the man was sexy. She could never attract someone like him.
“Then tell me, if you’re Chaos, how you got here and why you’re a guy now.” She folded her arms. “How’d I end up with a cat shifter? I was supposed to have a plain old black cat.”
“I’m a shifter.” He shrugged. “I took a little longer to mature than the others, I suppose. Your grandmother rescued me and my three brothers. The others were adopted out. I’m assuming they found good homes. Hildy wouldn’t just hand them over to anyone. She knew you and I would suit each other and made sure she brought us together. I’ve been with you for the last two years, babe. I know what you are and what you can do.”
Realization washed over her. If he was truly her cat, then he had seen everything. He could do one hell of a lot of damage.
Adrian crept to the side of the bed and sat next to her. “I know this is a lot to take in. I’m not totally used to this either.” He gestured down his body. “I have to figure out what all to do with me -- although I’ve got some definite ideas.”

“It’s the mind control spell.” She was grasping at straws. Her cat could not be a shifter. The idea wasn’t even possible. She’d picked out a perfectly normal kitten who’d grown into an overly hyper but normal cat… who happened to be missing. “Where is Chaos? I want my cat back.”

* * * * * *
When she's not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.
When she’s not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school. She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best. The cabana boys are willing to serve, unless she needs them. She always need them. So be nice to Javier or he will bite--on command.
She also masquerades under the name Wendi Zwaduk and is published through Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press, Decadent Publishing , Liquid Silver Books, MLR Press, Resplendence Publishing, and Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Megan’s Fan page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendi-Zwaduk-Megan-Slayer/195277927167481
AuthorGraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/MeganSlayer
Newsletter sign up:  http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj 

Friday, August 29, 2014

Cat Shifters...Normal...Black Cat Shifters...HOT STUFF

I like shifters. I do. I like that they can be two things. I especially like cats. I'm probably in the early stages of being a crazy cat lady. Hey. It happens. To celebrate my love of cats, cat shifters and hot guys, I wrote the Stray Cats series. This particular book, Cat Groove, has an episode from my life. Okay, so I didn't have a cat actually turn into a hot guy reminiscent of Colin O'Donahue from Once Upon A Time, but I've had to chase cats down for flea baths. Read on!

Stray Cats -- Book 3: Cat Groove  

Megan Slayer
Changeling Press
Novella
M/F



He’s found his mate and his groove, but he’s got to convince her they belong together.

Watching his woman with another man just about killed Roman. His heart beat for Jessa. His ability to switch over to his human form has allowed him to show her his other side, but will he scare her away? He’s willing to work his grove in order to win the heart of the woman he loves.

EXCERPT:
©Megan Slayer, 2014, all rights reserved
“Damn it, Roman, get back here. I’m not very in love with you right now.” Jessa tossed the towel onto the floor, then raced after her black cat. “Whoever said he was calm should’ve had to bathe him.” With him speeding ahead of her, she sprinted down the hallway.
“Come back here.” Her hair flew in her eyes and her chest hurt from the scratches inflicted moments earlier when she’d first introduced him to the water.
Roman backed himself into a corner and hissed, his gold eyes blazing.
“Don’t make me have to tackle you.” Jessa crouched and took her best offensive stance. She counted to three, then lunged. An earth-shattering screech echoed in the room, but she managed to grab him. When she looked down into her curled arms, the cat struggled, but couldn’t free himself.
“You are a brat -- cute, but a brat.” She kept him tight in her grasp and marched back to the bathroom. “If you weren’t one gigantic flea, this wouldn’t be necessary.”
Upon entering the bathroom, she kicked the door shut. “Now try and get away.” She glanced around for where the cat shampoo had landed. “This won’t take long.”
The cat scampered from her arms and skidded on the rug. He collided with the bathroom door. When he fell back, instead of a black cat, a man -- a naked man -- lay sprawled in his place.
Jessa dropped the towel she’d picked up and sat down hard on the edge of the tub. “What the hell just happened?” She knew what she’d seen... her cat had morphed into a man.
The guy shook his head, his dark hair ruffling with each shake, then glanced over his shoulder. “Now do you see why I don’t need a flea bath?”
“I don’t understand what I’m seeing.” Jessa balled her fists. What the hell was she supposed to do? Locked in a bathroom with a strange man. “What’s going on here?”
“I’ve got a knot on my head from the door.” The guy turned around and rested against the wooden door. “Remind me not to run full blast away from you.” He rubbed his forehead. “But I’m kind of glad this happened. I was tired of being a cat.”


* * * * * *
When she's not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.
When she’s not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school. She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best. The cabana boys are willing to serve, unless she needs them. She always need them. So be nice to Javier or he will bite--on command.
She also masquerades under the name Wendi Zwaduk and is published through Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press, Decadent Publishing , Liquid Silver Books, MLR Press, Resplendence Publishing, and Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Megan’s Fan page! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wendi-Zwaduk-Megan-Slayer/195277927167481
AuthorGraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/MeganSlayer
Newsletter sign up:  http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

I didn't Forget... I got Behind

Ever have that happen? You think, okay, I'm on the ball and will get this done...then life happens. I seem to be having a case of life happening a lot. Was talking with tot today and he was upset about feeling dumb. I asked him how he believed he was dumb. "Because I forget everything."

I knew exactly how he felt. I have post-it notes all over with plot things I want to remember. I've got lists for what I need at the store in various parts of my purse. The notebook I keep with me has more than just story ideas. It's got posting reminders and grocery lists and pretty much whatever else I might want to remember. Google calendar loves me because I've got multiple things in there telling me what not to forget.

And yet, I forget a lot of stuff. I think that's part of the life of an author. You have so much going on you forget some stuff. That's me. I made a resolution to be better prepared and to remember to do what I had to do. Involved in that was the actual DOING of the stuff planned. So far? I'm not exactly hitting high marks. I'll get better. I will. Grin.

Here's my latest paranormal offering, Cat Style, from the Stray Cats series at Changeling Press!

Cat Style (Stray Cats, bk 2) by Megan Slayer 

BIN:  06761-02176
Word Count: 10K
Page Count: 37
Genres: Erotic Romance, Novella, Paranormal
Themes: Shapehifters, Magic

He’s got cat style, but does he have what it takes to win her heart?
Penelope went to the witch’s house to look at the cats, not bring one home. The moment she spotted the tiny fur baby with huge green eyes, she lost her heart. But Hildegard’s cats aren’t all they seem. One skeptical owner plus one affectionate shifter equals love cat-style -- but will love prevail over the evil threatening to kill her furry best friend?


And a Hot Excerpt!

“Meow.”
She knew that sound. “Fang! It’s Halloween. How in the name of God did you get out? I had you in the bedroom so you wouldn’t get loose.” She scooped the cat into her arms and flipped the switch to turn off the porch light. “You can be a real poop sometimes.” She nudged the door shut with her hip then engaged the lock. As per usual, the cat cuddled in her grasp and purred. She plunked him on the couch. “What am I going to do with you? Huh? I’ll get that bell I’ve threatened to put on you.”
Penelope sighed and closed her eyes. She rubbed her temple. As much as she loved the cat, he drove her crazy. “I should take you to the vet and have you fixed,” she grumbled. “That would teach you.”
“I suppose you could, but what fun is that?”
She opened her eyes. Instead of her black cat lounging on the couch, a dark-haired man with a hint of scruff on his cheeks and not a stitch of clothing on sat in his place.
“You’re not Fang.” Not her best response, but who in the hell was he? She balled her fists, ready to punch the intruder. “What did you do with my cat and how the hell did you get in?”
“Penn, it’s me, Fang. My mother called me Ascher, and I rather like it better.” He rose to his feet. “I don’t want to hurt you. I’d rather be back in your arms.”
Her brain misfired. A nude man, handsome at that, in her house and wanting to be in her arms? And he claimed to be her cat? She wobbled on her feet. The room went blurry, then black. When she opened her eyes, the man was crouching over her.
“Penn? Fuck.” His eyebrows crinkled and he smoothed her hair from her face. “I knew I should’ve told you yesterday but there wasn’t time.”
“You’re a strange man in my house.” She scrambled to an upright position. “Get the fuck out.” Where in the hell were her purse and her mace?
“Penn.”
“You don’t know me.” She inched away from him. Instead of coming after her, the naked man sat still. “Now get out.”
“I do so know you, Penelope.” He pinched the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. “Wait.” He grabbed a pillow to cover his crotch, then sat on the floor. “I know. Piss-poor timing to hide my junk. I’m sorry.” He sighed. “When you went to Hildegard’s to get a kitten, you were handed me. You didn’t know you wanted me until you saw the fluff on my ears. You loved that I had those funny tufts of fur.”
“No.” She shook her head. “No, no.” The man knew too much about her cat. What a lunatic! She grabbed her purse and rummaged for the bottle of mace -- all without moving her attention from his face.
“You wondered why I hadn’t been nabbed yet.”
Shit. Those were just about her words exactly.
“Hildegard said I’d be exactly what you needed. I can be, but you have to believe me and trust me.” He finally moved toward her. “Please?”
“I’m supposed to believe a naked man in my house is my cat? Not on your life.” And yet, somewhere in her brain his story made sense.

“I’ll show you.”
@Copyright 2014 Megan Slayer

When she's not writing the stories in her head, Megan Slayer can be found luxuriating in her hot tub with her two vampire Cabana boys, Luke and Jeremy. She has the tendency to run a tad too far with her muse, so she has to hide in the head of her alter ego, but the boys don't seem to mind.
When she’s not obsessing over her whip collection, she can be found picking up her kidlet from school. She enjoys writing in all genres, but writing about men in love suits her fancy best. The cabana boys are willing to serve, unless she needs them. She always need them. So be nice to Javier or he will bite--on command.
She also masquerades under the name Wendi Zwaduk and is published through Changeling Press, Decadent Publishing , Liquid Silver Books, MLR Press, Resplendence Publishing, and Total-E-Bound Publishing.
AuthorGraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/MeganSlayer

Saturday, November 23, 2013

So long but not necessarily goodbye...

My fourth book in the "Blood of the Pride" series, "Battle Scars", released last month, both in audio and ebook form. While I think it's a heck of a good read (obviously) it's unfortunately going to be the last in the Felis series for the present.

And I'm okay with that.

One of the things that I've experienced over the years is falling in love with a series and watching it become less and less entertaining, at least to me as a reader. Sometimes the story's been told and it's time to move on. The characters have evolved and grown from the first book but like in real life there comes a time to shake hands and walk away, relishing a good friendship and remembering the best of the best.

When I wrote "Blood of the Pride" it was a NaNoWriMo project, fifty thousand words in thirty days. I finished it and edited the heck out of it. The first incarnation with a small publisher didn't go so well with the publisher deciding to stop putting out paranormal romances about the same time it came out. Needless to say the sales weren't much and when I asked for the rights back a year later we parted on amicable terms.

I polished it again and submitted it to Carina Press and for some strange reason got that golden phone call from Angela James, offering me a contract. It was retitled, re-edited and released as both an audio book and in ebook form. Later on "Blood of the Pride" would be picked up by the Harlequin Direct-to-Consumer program and placed into print for special subscribers.

I jumped at the chance to continue the adventures of Rebecca and Brandon in further books with "Claws Bared", "Family Pride" and now this latest release, "Battle Scars". All went to audio and all have been accepted into the DTC program, meaning that for the next few months they will be available from the Harlequin website for those wanting to get their Felis fix in print form.

But it's time to move on and I'm okay with that. I've got a new series starting in May 2014 with Carina - "In The Black", book 1 of Tales of the Bonnie Belle and a second book coming in October 2014. One door closes, another opens.

Not that I've given up on Reb and Bran - not by a long shot. But for the time being I'm happy to think of them snuggling on the couch with Jazz happily purring away in a rare moment of peace and quiet.

For those of you who have enjoyed my cat shifter adventures I thank you for your time and support. I hope some of you will come on over to check out "In The Black" which is best described as "Firefly" meets "Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". I'll be tweeting updates under the hashtag #InTheBlack and #TalesoftheBonnieBelle as we head towards the book release.

Again, my thanks - and hope to see you all back here soon for more great readings!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Another Cat Shifter to Celebrate Halloween With

It's almost Halloween. Time for the ghosts, goblins and spooky stuff. I was asked to write a quick story about a shifter. I'd written about tigers and black cats, so I wanted a new-to-me shifter. Enter King, the lion shifter. He's got one day to find his mate. One day! Halloween! Not much time. Tonya's never dealt with shifters, but something in this sweet lion's eyes makes her want to get to know the man underneath.

Writing shifters isn't as easy as it looks. Lions are complex critters. Lots of females, but only one male. I didn't want him roaming, so he's got to find his one person.

I'll admit this story goes by quick, but I like it. Tonya isn't a pushover. She gives him a run for his fuzzy money. Why don't you take an hour over Halloween and curl up with this hot read?

Roar by Megan Slayer
Contemporary, Paranormal
Short Story
M/F
Shara Azod Publishing

When the leaves turn and the air cools at Halloween, the shifters come out to play.
King has one chance for the entire year to find his mate. Halloween. Twenty-four hours to balance out the man and the animal. Will he be able to find her? Or will he be sentenced to another year locked within his lion’s form?
Tonya doesn’t believe in shifters, but she’s drawn to the massive lion at the zoo. The more she watches him, the more she wonders what secrets he hides. She’s not looking for romance on Halloween. Will she accept what she doesn’t understand...all in the name of love?
Available here:

EXCERPT:
She’ll be the death of me or my salvation. King strolled the length of the lion enclosure. Being in his animal form meant he could watch the visitors to the zoo with no interruptions. They gawked at him and the lionesses, and he snarled and strutted for them. Not a bad life—if he were just a lion. No, he had to be born a shifter.
He snorted and shook his head. That’d give his artist something to look at. He watched her. The saucy woman with warm brown skin churned something inside him. He wanted to see her, talk to her, curl his arms around her. Her scent wafted to him. She smelled of flowers and sweetness...things he hadn’t smelled in a long time.
She tipped her head and focused on the page again. Was she looking at him? Or admiring the lionesses? Goddess, he wanted her to be paying attention to him.
One of the lionesses strolled past him and sniffed, then continued on her way. He knew the score. He’d been sold into slavery by handlers wanting to give him to the zoo. He flopped on his side and stretched out.
If he’d found his mate before the handlers attacked him, he wouldn’t be in this situation. He wouldn’t be locked in a zoo with lionesses who hated him for not being an actual lion.
Two of the zookeepers entered the feeding room behind the rock face of the enclosure. If they only knew what he really was, would they let him out? Cage him up tighter? He snorted again. Their voices floated out to him, thanks to his hypersensitive hearing.
“If he doesn’t mate with the lionesses, we’ll have to bring in another one,” the female zookeeper said. “He’s not working out.”
Well, no shit. He wasn’t a full-blooded lion. The lionesses didn’t understand his shifter self. They wanted an animal. He glanced over at the artist again. She stared at him, her brow scrunched and her lips twisted, like she was deep in thought. A man sat beside her. King’s inner man growled. Odd, since usually the animal roared, not the man. His lion wasn’t real thrilled, either. Was she his mate? If the cat and the man both claimed ownership, then she could be. But the real wild card was her. If she didn’t accept him, he’d spend another year locked in his cat form. He loved the cat, but the man needed a chance to stretch and exist.
The zookeepers grabbed his attention again. “He’ll work out down in Cincinnati. They need a lion. He’ll be alone for a while, but he can handle it. I’ll start the paperwork. They won’t move him on Halloween, so we’ve got a couple days.”
Like hell. He wasn’t going to be lonely much longer, especially if it was indeed Halloween night. King sat up tall. He roared at the man next to his dark beauty. Get away from my girl.
King suppressed a snort. His girl? Who the hell did he think he was to claim her? She could reject him. The reality that he could be stuck for at least another year wriggled into his brain. The woman met his gaze and grinned. Smiling at him? He wrapped his tail around his legs in his best photographic pose. Or he could win her over.
She shook her head at the man and grabbed her phone. “I’m taking a picture. Leave me alone.” She nudged him. “Go.”
She’s not interested, asshole. Instead of his words, all she heard was his roar. Damn it.
The woman swatted the man’s hand away again, but this time Mr. Grabby got the hint and left her alone. Good thing. King nodded once as if to approve the man’s leaving.
“It’s like he’s watching me,” she murmured, then smiled at King. “I’m not sure I want to know what you’re thinking, but you look like you’re paying attention to me.” Yes, yes, he was paying attention to her. She met every one of his needs in the physical sense. Would she warm to him? He’d find out. He needed to get out—out of the zoo, out of his animal...and into her arms. Tonight. Yeah, time to get the hell out of Dodge and start his new life.

* * * * 

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

You can't pick your family...


You know that old saying – you can't pick your family but you can pick your friends. And hopefully the two will merge in a wonderful connection where your sister *is* your friend and so on and so on and so on…

Yeah, right.

Me neither.

In "Battle Scars", book 4 of the "Blood of thePride" series releasing on October 28th, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story where two Felis families end up fighting in her front yard of Toronto, Canada – and the possibility of collateral damage is high.

This is the fourth book in the series and frankly, I think it's the best. Rebecca and Brandon's relationship hit a new speed bump and new family members arrive to make the situation even more dangerous – and in some cases, humorous.  

I hope you'll come along for one more prowl through the streets of Toronto and visit old and new friends in "Battle Scars"!

Here's an excerpt from "Battle Scars", releasing October 28th from Carina Press and available at all ebook retailers!

Book four of Blood of the Pride

P.I. Rebecca Desjardin is surprised when two seemingly unrelated missing-teen cases land in her lap on the same day. Her cat-shifter instincts tell her there's more to the story, and when she uncovers a bitter feud between the two families, she suspects Romeo and Juliet runaways. She turns to her lover, Brandon Hanover, a man who knows the underground better than most.

Brandon is determined to help the woman he loves outwit ruthless enforcers and bring two missing kids to safety, but when a woman from his past resurfaces he finds himself caught between two worlds once again.

As the claws come out and the war between the shifter families turns deadly, the two will have to stand together or fall separately--and even that might not be enough to save them.

Excerpt:

...
I'd always thought I'd appreciate the sight of a near-naked man scampering around my house in a pair of boxer shorts.

Until now.

I cleared my throat as Jake Middleston glared at me, his back to the kitchen. He had about ten years on me, with skin that had been left out in the sun too long. The jean jacket he wore over a dingy gray T-shirt was ripped along the arms--honest injuries and not for fashion. His short-cropped black hair was turning gray in spots, scattered over the scalp.

His nostrils flared and he frowned.

He could smell Brandon Hanover, my lover and new roommate, as Bran snuck into the kitchen.

He let out something akin to a huff.

Jake was old-school Felis. Tolerated humans when necessary, and even then under duress. He and his kin believed in the doctrine of each to their own and being in the same house as a human was tough, much less knowing said human was mated to me, a fellow Felis. I could see the words on his lips itching to break out, a good old-fashioned racist rant at me for being so involved with human society that I'd consider one of them as my beloved.

But he was also a client and I had to stay polite in the face of old-fashioned prejudice. I'd done it before for other clients, slimy adulterers who wanted an easy way out of their marriage and itchy-fingered businessmen looking for criminals in their midst who stole paperclips and pencils.

If you had asked me six months ago if I'd have my fellow cat shifters as clients I would have laughed in your face. Being outcast for two decades has that effect on me.

But recent events had brought me back into the family and scored me one hot human mate, so I was prepared to deal with family as possible clients. And keep my mouth shut.

Besides, I needed the cash.

"You said you needed my help," I prompted, trying to draw his attention away from Bran. I couldn't see him but I could smell him, fresh from our bed upstairs.

He hadn't showered yet, making his natural male smell more intense, almost to the point of overpowering--let's just say that we enjoy waking each other up multiple times before we actually get up. I'd managed to get into the shower before my arranged meeting with Middleston but he'd refused, showing his stubborn streak and annoyance at me having anything to do in the morning other than stay in bed.

Bran knew we Felis had an enhanced sense of smell. And he knew I knew my new client would have it, as well.

The older man rubbed the palms of his hands on his jeans, likely in an attempt to ignore the musky scent drifting across the room. "I have a daughter, Lisa. She's almost eighteen and thinks she knows it all." He gave me a knowing smile. "As you can guess we disagree on a few things."

I nodded. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Bran tiptoeing toward the stairs cradling a huge bowl of tortilla chips and a bottle of salsa.

He knew I hated crumbs in bed.

He knew I couldn't say anything without making a scene.

I kept my attention on Middleston. It kept me from considering disembowelment.