Cometh The Bewitching Blog Hop

Tuesday howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers!

Treat yourself to a bewitching array of fun, flashes, eye candy, and PRIZES! The HOP begins on Friday, the 19th. And, if you refuse this invitation... well, there just might be a werewolf tracking you down... and once he finds you, he just might persuade with a few nips to your tail end.
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Okay, then, no flash scene today. The muse is saving her creative energies for the blog hop. However, here's the latest, *close to the end of the story* Chapter of my WIP. It's a transition scene with no sex, and no violence... but, you may enjoy it anyway.

Please, just remember it's UNEDITED and rough around the edges.
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From the Kougar’s Writing Den ~

Her Midnight Stardust Cowboys

'Unedited' Chapter Seventy ~

"Victoria, a pleasure to see you here. Happy New Year."

Dontoya stood as the slender attractive woman approached his table. She carried herself with a bit more confidence than when he'd last seen her, and that pleased him.

Several months before he and Zance spotted Sherilyn, Victoria had caught his eye for a short while. However, he'd soon realized after an in-depth conversation they had too little in common.

"Happy New Year, Dontoya." Victoria smiled in that shy but endearing way of hers. "I hear you're happily mated now. Congratulations."

"I am. Thank you, Victoria." Since she appeared nervous, slightly wringing her hands, Dontoya figured she wanted to talk with him, beyond the usual pleasantries. "Have a seat, and we'll catch up. Or am I keeping you from dancing in Anthony's arms?"

"No, no you're not." She lowered herself gracefully, if a somewhat stilted. "Anthony is...is talking with Nick about the newspaper business. All that good ole wolf boy bantering they do is too much for this gal."

 Dontoya seated himself watching Victoria shake herself, as if casting off negative vibes.

"Understood." Dontoya gave her a grin. "May I pour you some champagne, Victoria?"

"Kind of you to offer. No, thank you. I'm bubbly clear up to here." She swept her hand to the top of her head, and smiled, a giddy expression on her face. "My Anthony never skimps when it comes to the luxuries of life."

"Are you two staying in Talbot's Peak? Or is Alaska still home?" Dontoya offered the plate of biscotti the waiter had brought with their coffee.

Victoria selected one, and took a dainty bite. "This is just a visit. The grand opening of the Midnight Stardust, and a stay at the Pleasure Club...it was simply too irresistible."

"Dante is a magician when it comes to building his underground empire. I've never witnessed its like in all of my long lifetime."

"Speaking of underground empires." Victoria twisted restlessly, and took a large obviously nervous bite of the biscotti.

Every hackle Dontoya owned as cougar, stood on end, like he'd been struck by lightning. His inner tail twitched. "Something you'd like to share?"

 After swallowing, Victoria drew in a big rush of breath, then squared her shoulders. She looked him straight in the eye. "Ever hear of the buried black pyramid...located near Mount McKinley?"

Warnings he'd heard from other shamans, since his youth, swamped Dontoya.  In the next instant, a tsunami as his own 'knowing' seized him. "It's been activated."

"About to be activated. If what I overheard is correct."

Dontoya calmed the ocean of turmoil inside him. "Start at the beginning. Can you do that, Victoria?"

"It's short and sweet, really." She paused, and dragged in a sustaining breath. "I was working the late shift...classy establishment for the late night crowd...anyway, I was serving these two men at the bar. They were, were good looking enough in that yuppy-wealth sort of way.

"But, their eyes were odd, slanted differently. I don't mean like someone who is Asian. So, because of that, I paid more attention to what they were discussing. And they were deep into it. Turned out to be about this strange enormous pyramid."
 
Victoria shuddered delicately, and Dontoya observed the memories in the depths of her eyes. "Go on," he gently encouraged. "I'm listening."

She nodded, visibly bracing herself. "I couldn't believe it when they said this pyramid structure was underground near Nome, Alaska. But," Victoria squirmed, restless.

Dontoya automatically placed his hand over hers, and she continued. "They said it would be a beacon to another race...once inhabiting Earth...when they let it gain full power again. Can you believe that?"

Images of that other race, as they were depicted on the ancient scrolls of his people, flashed before his mind's eye. Dontoya figured the men she'd overheard were hybrids, human and R'sarryun.

"The universe is teeming with life," he purred soothingly. "What else did you hear?"

"That it has something, something to do with the increased activity of the sun."

"The pyramid is on a galactic timer. Or, to explain it this way, it's been tuned to the celestial events of 2012."

"Do you mean the whole Mayan calendar thing?" Victoria's eyes widened, reminding Dontoya of an owlet.

He curved one corner of his mouth, grinning. "A collision of cycles. The end of an age. And the possible return of those who are the progenitors of the star nations."

"Possible?"

"Nothing is written in stone, except where it is written," Dontoya joked, wanting to put her at ease.

"Like the Earth events recorded in the Giza pyramid?"

Dontoya nodded, recalling all that he'd been taught. "Yeah, like that. Several ages ago, one of the black pyramid's purposes was to serve as a power station for some of the craft that are labeled UFOs, in these times."

"I knew you would know." Turning her hand beneath his, Victoria took hold, and squeezed. "There wasn't...wasn't anyone else I could talk to...about this." Her gaze suddenly brightened with curiosity. "Star nations?"
   
"The sacred wisdom once guiding civilizations like early Atlantis. A time when the people lived in harmony with the Earth, in celestial harmony of the universe."

"A beautiful thought," Victoria wistfully sang. She withdrew her hand. "May I stay in touch?"

"Of course." Dontoya sat back, steadily gazing at the wolf shifter who eyed him with yellow-eyed suspicion.

Dontoya suppressed his urge to belt out a huge laugh. Instead, he drawled, "Happy New Year, Anthony."

"Happy New Year." Anthony moved to stand behind Victoria, placing a possessive hand on her shoulder. "Seems as though I thoughtlessly ran off my Tory. My only excuse, Nick and I have newspaper ink flowing through our veins, instead of blood. Although," the dominant wolf offered a semblance of a smile, "we're turning into relics in this digital age."

"Me and Zance appreciate the downright convenience of the internet, but we believe print is more valuable than ever. We're savin' every copy of the G&B Gazette. Another savage solar storm hits, like the 1859 Carrington Event, and we'll be ahead of the game."

"Dante's designed the Pleasure Club like a super Faraday cage."

"Yeah, we've hardened the ranch's electronics against both an EMP or a CME."

"You mean electro-magnetic pulse and coronal mass ejection," Victoria quietly added. "We've been preparing too."

"Tonight is for celebrating." Anthony reached for her hand and twirled Victoria from her chair, then offered his arm.

After their parting words, Dontoya mentally filed away what he'd learned about the black pyramid. Nothing could be accomplished at this point in time.

Desiring nothing more than to be with his Sherilyn, he rose moving to a position where he could more easily view her and Zance. They spoke with Sergei and Gypsy. Talbot's Peak's own fortuneteller was gorgeous in a scarlet gown that flowed like water over her curves.

Mind-hearing Zance telepathically reach out to him, Dontoya stilled. Moments later, he closed his eyes, and entered his shadow-walking state.

Sensing for Tod's presence, Dontoya searched the supperclub. While he could feel the vibration of his light body, Dontoya couldn't pinpoint the precise location of Sherilyn's long lost brother.  
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Wishing you shapeshifting love on the wild side…

Savanna

Savanna Kougar  ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~
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