Cracking the Love Triangle
Helena Maeve
Why are romantic rivalries so much easier to write than
friendships? Part of me wants to blame our cultural obsession with love
triangles or monogamy, but I think that’s too easy. I’m pretty sure they’re
just fun to read and watch—and write
about, for those of us who wear that hat.
Maybe it’s as simple as there being something about a
character, male or female, who’s struggling to pick between two partners that
helps us crystallize the attributes we value in an ideal mate. Is it the
Lamborghini or the great sex? Is it the flowers or the DIY handiness around the
house? Is it that they’re good with children?
I’ve never enjoyed a story more than when I can shout at a
character because I see her—or him—making the wrong choice. The more I identify
with the protagonist and the more passionate I feel about this. But recently
I’ve found myself reading and writing about relationships that don’t require
that choice to be made in the first place. It’s very much the case with Beyond the Poison Chalice, my
contribution to the Wild
After Dark anthology.
Claudia, my heroine and badass vampire sheriff, has little
thought for romance when she meets Lucan and Silver. Yet the attraction is
immediate and not simply because Silver could slake her thirst in a very
literal way. Both Lucan and Silver are handsome and interesting, and at her
mercy until she can safely escort them out of her territory. Naturally,
Claudia’s thorny history with Lucan, lycan and lone wolf, should propel her
into his companion’s arms. But it’s also true that Silver’s uncanny appeal
should frighten her as it threatens to unravel her hard-won discipline. And
both of them should fear Claudia for the tantalizing menace she represents.
Complicating matters are the tensions between their
disparate factions and Claudia’s commitment to keeping the peace—through force,
if necessary.
Claudia can ill afford a partner, let alone one not of her
kind, and the sensible thing to do would be to usher Lucan and Silver on their
way. But it wouldn’t be much of a story if characters did the sensible thing,
now would it? Cooped up in Claudia’s austere home as they wait out the
daylight, the trio soon do away with better judgment and inevitably surrender
to their desires, which doesn’t help at all.
Lucan and Silver’s friendship is still fairly green and,
although wrapped up in duty and gratitude, it shouldn’t take much to turn the
two men into rivals for Claudia’s affections. Yet Claudia isn’t the kind of
woman to content herself with half measures. From the moment Lucan and Silver
cross her path to the point where they find their way into her bed, she
understands that the two are a package deal. And if they’re happy to share,
who’s she to complain?
Excerpt:
“What was that you swore about laying a hand on
him?” Lucan growled in my ear. His warm breath gusted into the inner labyrinths
hidden deep within my skull, eliciting a shiver. The part of me not so willing
to fight off his hold wanted to sink down to my knees and reciprocate that
small sliver of pleasure the only way I knew how.
“I said I was sorry,” I gritted out.
“Not good enough.”
“Maybe if you had a taste?” Silver suggested
nebulously, our eyes locking over Lucan’s shoulder.
“What?” Lucan and I asked nearly at the same time.
I wanted to laugh. Lucan was bearing down on my
trachea, which made it harder than usual to force air into my lifeless lungs.
Silver held his ground. “Maybe you’d build
tolerance if you…you know.”
“Out of the question.”
“Lucan.”
Silver stepped closer, tension evident in the lines of his mouth. “How long do
you think you can restrain her? An hour? Two? What happens when she’s worked
herself into a frenzy and can’t hold back?”
“Um, I’m right here?”
Silver went on as though uninterrupted. “What
happens when you can’t help me?” When she
puts you out of commission went unsaid. As much as I appreciated his faith
in my ability to kick Lucan’s ass, my pride smarted at the implication that I’d
lose control like that. Silver laid a hand on Lucan’s shoulder, fingers pale in
contrast to Lucan’s leather jacket. “Trust me on this.”
Lucan gnashed his teeth, but however reluctantly,
he retreated.
Beyond the Poison Chalice by Helena Maeve
Coveting the enemy is simply to die for.
Claudia Salizar has given blood, sweat and tears
to the tenuous armistice between the factions that inhabit St. Louis
Steal Your Soul Away by Elizabeth Coldwell
In Brighton , the undead come alive when
the sun goes down. Can a vampire and a werewolf put their differences aside and
enjoy the ultimate threesome?
Angelique is not like other burlesque dancers—she’s
been a vampire for over two hundred years. She meets hot, young sculptor Tom,
and his friend, Lucas, a lycan. Desire and distrust mix in an explosive
combination as Angelique is drawn closer to both.
Taken in by Wendi Zwaduk
Find what you need at the Store Front. Blood, sex...we have it all just
for you.
The Supernaturals have taken over the earth,
leaving the humans to serve them. The Store Front is one place for the Supernaturals
to find partners for feeding and sexual needs. Vic, a wolf shifter, and Gale, a
vampire, have a special human female they love to visit.
Intervention by Aurelia T. Evans
It starts as an intervention for a friend. It ends in bloodshed, lust, betrayal
and death, as love often does after dark.
When Emily’s husband, Land, calls her to come
down to the warehouse district at sunset, she thinks it’s just another job for
their para-extermination company. However, he tells her that he’s finally
caught Matt, the third member of their team, who was bitten by a werewolf a few
weeks ago.
Darker Nights by Nan Comargue
Lawyer Delia Darker’s world becomes very dark when two new clients turn
out to be immortal vampires – and her long-time fantasy.
Delia Darker works at her family’s law firm
serving vampires and other immortals. She’s suddenly thrown into the nighttime
world of music, partying and incredible sex. How can she resist spending the
night with Mark Lyons and Caleb Jennings?
Sated by Lucy Felthouse
A human, a vampire and a werewolf walked into a bar. Sexy is what
happens next.
Since getting together with her vampire
boyfriend, Ace, Aneesa is enjoying a sex life she could never have with a
human. Aneesa is checking things off her sexual bucket list at a rate of knots.
So when Ace proposes a threesome with his werewolf friend, Barton, Aneesa’s
definitely up for it.
About Helena Maeve:
Helena Maeve has always been a globe trotter
with a fondness for adventure, but only recently has she started putting to
paper the many stories she's collected in her excursions. When she isn't
writing erotic romance novels, she can usually be found in an airport or on a
plane, furiously penning in her trusty little notebook.
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