Hello all.
It's been a minute since I've done anything with this site and I'm sorry. It's been a crazy few weeks. I spent the month of February participating in Author Life Month on Twitter and rather enjoyed it. If you followed along with my daily posts, you know what's planed for what's next on the writing agenda. If you haven't, then here it is:
Currently compiling all 3 books of The Collins Trilogy into 1 combined volume. This includes editing and plotting out areas for illustrations. I may even go back and add a bit to those fade to black scenes...
Planning out a new book set in the old west about a woman who has to run away from home and ends up in a strange town on the Canadian border. The town is run by a sheriff that is 1/2 Blackfoot, 1/2 Irish and has a BIG secret... Possibly NaNoWriMo project?
Sequel to The Collins Trilogy
I reached out to Rafi de Sousa, she's the amazing artist that did all the cover art for The Collins Trilogy books, to discuss illustrations. We're in the extremely early planning stages, but we are both excited to work on this project.
In the meantime, please enjoy this short story, I'll try to release a story once a month. Keep an eye out.
BABY’S FIRST CHANGE
Darcy didn’t need her mate bond to hear Tamsin’s scream.
“What are you doing?” Mel asked as the dark-haired woman shot up and started shedding her clothes.
“Something’s wrong with Tamsin,” Darcy explained as she toed off her shoes.
“And that requires you to take off your pants?”
“She’s home with the baby. I’m faster in my wolf form.”
“What did she say?”
“I don’t know,” Darcy said, releasing the clasp on her bra and throwing it on the pile of clothes at her feet. “I just heard her scream.”
“I could give you a ride,” Mel offered as Darcy opened the door a crack.
“No time,” she said, before turning to her wolf form and running out of her office.
She was just glad it was a teacher workday, so no students had to see their headmaster running through the halls of the school in her wolf form. She burst out the doors and sprinted through the small forest that separated the school grounds and their property.
She slid through the large dog door Tamsin had insisted on installing. The alpha had thought it would become a security issue or even a safety issue when Sarah got older, but Tamsin thought it would be better than Darcy leaving the house naked before turning. She still wasn’t as comfortable with public nudity as the werewolves.
As soon as she was in the house Darcy returned to her human form and ran up the stairs. She had to jump over the baby gate at the top of the staircase before making her way to the nursery, where she heard Tamsin talking. She opened the door and found her mate looking into their daughter’s crib with a worried look.
“What’s wrong?”
Tamsin jumped, “You’re home,” She said before noticing the state of her alpha. “Why are you naked?”
“I heard you scream. I came running,” Darcy explained, her body finally catching up with the rest of her. “What’s wrong?”
“I shouldn’t have screamed,” The redhead admitted. “I think I scared her.”
“Sarah?” Darcy asked. “Is she alright?”
A small yip came from the crib.
“What the hell was that?”
“Well...” Tamsin’s voice trailed off as her eyes went back to the crib.
Darcy walked over and looked inside the crib, expecting to see her baby smiling up at her. Instead, a small auburn wolf pup in her daughter’s footie pajamas was sitting in the crib looking up at them. When the pup saw Darcy, it’s whole body wiggled.
“Holy mother!” Darcy said.
“I didn’t mean to scream,” Tamsin explained. “But I heard barking coming from in here and when I checked her bed, I found her like this.”
“I don’t blame you,” Darcy admitted, not taking her eyes off the pup. Her pup.
“What do we do?”
Darcy shook her head. Sarah wiggled with excitement, occasionally yipping or jumping. Picking up on the hint, Darcy took the small wolf in her arms and picked her up. The pup used it’s tongue to cover her mother’s face in kisses.
“It’s definitely Sarah,” Tamsin smiled, scratching the little wolf’s ears. “How do we turn her back?”
“It’s not easy to explain,” Darcy shrugged. “You sort of just do it. When I turn to my wolf, I just picture myself doing it. Same goes for when I’m in my wolf form turning back.”
“I thought you had to be moon called in order to start turning?”
“You do. At least I thought you did.”
“Did you ever try to turn before you were called?”
“Not that I remember,” Darcy said. “She’s just over a year old and it's barely noon. This doesn’t happen to normal werewolves.”
“To be fair,” Tamsin said, taking the pup from her wife’s arms. “We knew she wasn’t going to be a normal werewolf.”
The pup wiggled in her grasp, trying to get back to Darcy.
“Maybe you can turn and then turn back to show her?”
Darcy nodded, “It’s worth a try.”
“Mama!” Sarah shrieked.
Both women were surprised to find Tamsin holding their baby again. She was reaching her hands out for Darcy.
“Want Mama!” The little girl whined.
“Alright, come here,” Darcy said, taking the little girl back in her arms. “You know, you scared Mummy half to death.”
Sarah merely snuggled into Darcy.
“She likes you better than me,” Tamsin said, rubbing the little girl’s back.
“That’s not true,” Darcy told her mate.
“Yes, it is,” Tamsin gave her a small smile, “It’s okay. You aren’t easy to compete with.”
“You know,” Darcy gave the redhead her wolfish grin. “You’re always going to be my favorite.”
“Liar.”
“No, I mean it,” The wolf wiggled her eyebrows. Earning a smack on her arm.
“No hit!” Sarah said.
“That’s right, Sweets,” Darcy said, “we don’t hit. Unless the person deserves it.”
“Don’t tell her that,” Tamsin hissed. “I’m sorry, Sarah, I shouldn’t have hit Mama.”
“Well, since everything is fine here,” Darcy said, giving her daughter a kiss and putting her back in her crib, “I need to get back to work.”
“You sure?” Tamsin asked as Darcy gave her a kiss. “I could make you some lunch.”
“You did that once already,” Darcy smiled at her mate. “I was halfway through it when I heard you scream. I hope it’s still at my desk.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Tamsin blushed.
Darcy kissed her again, “It’s alright, I understand. Who knows what I would have done if I found her like that.”
“Probably fainted,” the redhead smirked.
“Most likely,” Darcy smiled as she pushed some hair out of Sarah’s face before kissing the little girl again. “You be good for Mummy. I love you both. I’ll be back later.”
Tamsin watched as Darcy turned to her wolf form and ran out of the nursery. She heard a yip behind her before a small, furry body ran after Darcy.
“Sarah Cromwell-Collins!” Tamsin yelled. “Get your furry little bum back here, this instant!”