Lord Manetu
by Mary Rundle
Series: The Blackwood Pack (Book 12)
Release Date: May 21, 2023
Publisher: Dragonheart LLC
Length: Long Novel / 107,226 Words / 427 Pages
Primary Plot Arc: Romance
Pairings: Theo, Norm, and Smokey
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Tropes: Alpha Character, Fated Fates / Soul Mates, Omega, MPreg, Rescue, True Love, Magic
Keywords/Categories: shifters, wolf shifters, alpha, omega, mpreg, fated mates, MMM, gay romance, mm romance, gay, new release, announcement, giveaway, paranormal, paranormal romance, PNR, HEA
🛒 Buy Links
Available in Kindle Unlimited!
Book Blurb
This is part of a continuing series by Amazon Bestselling Author, Mary Rundle – reading the previous titles is advised. Readers will enjoy catching up with members of the Blackwood Pack and reading about what is happening to them as the pack does what it does best ̶ caring for one another and helping shifters everywhere.
Barely surviving Arald’s prison, Theo’s luck has finally changed. Discovering an unknown passion for cooking, he’s settled into his new life with his fiancé at the Blackwood Pack. He’s excited about tying the knot with Norm in the company of all their friends. It’s everything Norm promised him during their bleakest days of incarceration and he doesn’t think he can be any happier.
Waking up at Arald’s, Norm’s sole mission in life is to help his Fated Mate, Theo, survive the horrors inflicted on them both. Now free, he sets about to make all of Theo’s dreams come true, including the most important one, the cub his mate so dearly wants.
Smokey heads North to pick up Kevin’s parents and deliver them to the Blackwood Pack before hurrying back to LA. Easy-peasy…right? That’s what Smokey thinks but then, what is supposed to be a simple mission, turns into a race to avoid human hunters who have already shot Kevin’s father. Using his skills honed as a secret agent, Smokey manages to elude the hunters, heal the father’s wound and then successfully transport them to safety only to find the Fates have a surprise waiting for him.
After a series of misunderstandings and then with some help from Jackson, the pack’s Alpha, Theo and Norm finally accept Smokey as their mate and set upon a journey to unite the three of them. Discovering truths about their past lives leads to uncovering long-kept secrets that end up bonding Theo, Norm and Smokey together, giving each more love and happiness than they ever knew existed.
Astounding surprises, rare and unique gifts, an action-packed mission, and many unexpected twists and turns make this passionate love story by Mary Rundle impossible to put down once you’ve read the first page.
✨ Exclusive Excerpt ✨
Oh wow! I am so excited to be here and thank you for joining me on my blog tour. The exclusive excerpt I have for you today is from Lord Manetu ̶ Book 12 of the Blackwood Pack series and is the love story of Theo, Norm, and Smokey. In this story the Fate Mates do eventually have their HEA but not before some help from the Blackwood Pack. I hope you enjoy it!
After checking the roast in the oven, Theo headed outside to his garden. It wasn’t on his schedule but since Hope and Sophia were spending the afternoon with Jake and Jessica, he was free to work with his plants. He’d debated what to sow, but after consulting with Dakota, ultimately settled on plants he could use in recipes. Once they decided what to grow, he’d ordered the seedlings from a company Brady recommended, but before they could be planted, Brady stressed the importance of properly preparing the soil—that was his job today. Walking along the fence designed to keep out rabbits, deer, and other animals living in the forest nearby, he inhaled the scent of the freshly tilled soil, reminding him of the times he helped his mother in her garden. Those were some of the happiest memories of his childhood.
Every spring, he would accompany her to the local nursery, pushing the cart as his mother filled it with plants, explaining why she’d selected each one. Thinking back, he realized how much she’d taught him.
Once in his garden, Theo’s feet sunk into the soil, bringing back happy memories that made him smile. He was tempted to remove his shoes and feel the soil squeeze between his toes as he’d done so many times in his childhood. After an afternoon of planting, weeding, and watering, his feet would be caked with mud and his mother used to laugh as he tracked his footprints across the kitchen floor on the way to the bathroom for a much-needed soak in the tub.
Sighing, Theo’s sadness when he thought back to his childhood dampened his anticipation of getting his hands dirty, making him wish there was some way his memories could be erased. Tilting his face to the sun, he closed his eyes, concentrating on different bird songs he heard.
“Hey, need some help?” Norm called from the back porch, before descending the steps. It wasn’t his plan for the afternoon, but after seeing the look of dejection on Theo’s face, the need to comfort his fiancé demanded action. Plus the fact he was worried about Theo and his frequent bouts of melancholy that had increased in the last month or so.
Theo hid any lingering emotions in his face before turning to his pooh bear. “I thought you were working on grant proposals this afternoon.”
“I was…but my eyes needed a break. I have no idea how Carson managed without giving his eyes a rest.”
Frowning slightly, Theo walked over, searching Norm’s face for signs of fatigue. He didn’t like what he saw. Placing a hand on the side of his fiancé’s face to hold it still, he ran his fingers of his other hand over the creases in his forehead, chastising himself for not noticing how tired Norm had been looking lately. “Have you been sleeping okay? Maybe you should have a nap instead of helping me.”
Taking Theo’s hand in his, Norm brought it up to his mouth, kissing it lightly before answering. “Everything’s fine, honeybunch…fresh air will do more for me than a nap, so tell me what to do.”
“If you’re sure…”
“I am.” Looking around at the bare soil, Norm asked, “Are we planting today?”
“Goodness, no,” Theo smiled. “First, I’m staking out beds for the different seedlings before adding compost which will then be mixed with soil.”
Chuckling, Norm said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. You better give me a job that doesn’t need any know-how.”
Giggling, Theo pointed to the pile of bags near the back porch. “That’s the compost and it has to be moved over here so it can be spread. While you are doing that, I’ll mark each bed according to the diagram I drew up.”
Pumping his arm muscles, Norm grinned at his fiancé, knowing it was a turn on for Theo. “No problemo…bet I finish before you.”
“We’ll see.” Laughing, Theo walked towards one of the back corners of the garden, gathering the stakes and twine he needed to outline the beds. Once there, he got to work, ignoring everything else except the task at hand.
Heading over to the bags, Norm smiled to himself, glad Theo’s blues were gone—at least for the moment. The problem though, was whatever was causing his honeybunch’s unhappiness would be surfacing again and he was at a loss as to what to do about it. Distracting Theo was a temporary fix, but he was sure it wasn’t going to help in the long run.
Tour Excerpt
Gesturing with one of his paws to Ivan, Smokey pointed out the man he was going to kill.
Ivan nodded, impressed by the giant paw with razor sharp claws.
Suddenly a hoarse screech broke the silence as a Red-Tail Hawk dive bombed the clearing at the mouth of the cave, causing the men surrounding it to scatter and duck. Before they could recover, a thunderous roar froze them in place.
Smokey’s bear rushed forward, his paw aimed at the leader, his four-inch claws easily piercing the man’s back. Ignoring the ear-splitting scream of pain, he clutched his prize then, pausing for a moment, he tore the man’s heart out. Swinging around, he saw Ivan’s mountain lion momentarily incapacitated by bear spray. Smokey’s eyes glowed red with anger as he aimed a paw at the man with the spray, his claws sinking deep into his stomach, eviscerating him. Scooping out his victim’s guts and scattering them on the ground, he then moved on to the next target.
Though all three men had now been killed, Smokey’s bear was still in a frenzy. Anger pulsed through him, demanding further revenge against those who dared hurt Kevin’s parents. Lifting up his head, Smokey’s bear roared again, silencing the forest as he broadcast his displeasure. Finally, after several more bellows, Smokey forced his bear into a shift and reclaimed his human form, his body still filled with adrenaline. Opening and closing his fists, Smokey slowed his breathing, calming himself. Standing in the clearing, he surveyed the bloody scene before turning to Ivan. “Anyone injured?”
Smirking, Ivan’s eyes lingered on the bodies of the men lying on the ground. “I’m assuming you don’t mean them. In that case, nope, other than a few scratches, everyone’s fine.”
“Smartass!” Before Smokey could say more, he heard Elen calling his name. Whirling around, he ran toward the cave, his gut tightening at the sound of panic in her voice. Once inside, he blinked several times until his eyes adjusted to the darkness, then spying Elen kneeling next to Harte, he rushed over to her. Dropping down beside her, he asked, “What happened?”
“He’s been shot and I can’t stop the bleeding, Gabriel.”
“Lemme see.” After Elen removed her hand from the blood-soaked cloth, Smokey gently lifted it, inhaling sharply at the still-bleeding wound. With the amount of blood Harte was losing, it was impossible for him to be moved. Replacing the bandage quickly, he said, “Here, press down as hard as you can.”
“Gabe, he needs to shift now. His heart has already stopped once.”
“I know…” Lifting his right hand, he extended a claw before cutting open his left wrist. Waiting a second until blood flowed from the wound, he put the open cut tightly against Harte’s mouth. “C’mon Harte…drink,” he muttered.
“Will it work?” asked Elen, trying to hide her fear.
“I don’t know…he’s weak.” Reaching down, with his right hand, he pinched Harte’s nose closed, hoping the lack of air would cause him to open his mouth. Waiting for Harte’s survival instinct to kick in felt like hours for Smokey, who was running through other options in his mind. But suddenly he felt a tugging at the cut as Harte started swallowing his blood. Removing his fingers from the man’s nose, Smokey was relieved to see the rise and fall of Harte’s chest as his breathing became steady.
Harte drank for several minutes before Smokey gently pulled his wrist away, licking his cut to seal it. “That should be enough for it to work,” he murmured, leaving the part ‘if it’s gonna work’ unsaid. There wasn’t any reason to stress out Elen anymore than she already was, especially since she was critical to her husband’s survival.
Glancing at the man she regarded as her second son, Elen softly said, “Thank you for coming, Gabriel.”
“No thanks needed,” Smokey smiled. “Kevin would kick my ass if I hadn’t.”
A shadow passed over Elen’s face at the mention of her son. “You haven’t found him yet.”
Placing his large hand over Elen’s delicate fingers, Smokey squeezed lightly. “No, but I will…promise.”
Author Bio
A few years ago, I wrote my first book, Dire Warning. Readers loved it and I was on my way to chronicle the Blackwood Pack, seven brothers who are gay wolf shifters in search of their fated mates—stories about love at first sight with twists and turns, angst and humor, romance and adventure and, of course, happy endings. Since then, the pack has expanded, allowing more stories to be told and different paranormals to be included. The series has become, as one reader described it…an “Epic Saga.”
Now, twelve books later, Lord Manetu, has just been published. I love the M/M paranormal genre because it gives my imagination a lot of territory in which to roam. My mind can really run wild and come up with some amazing stuff when it doesn’t have to stay inside the box. My story ideas come to me as if they were being channeled by my characters, all of whom I love (except for a few villains). They are eager to recount their lives, loves and adventures, and are not reluctant to let it all out when it comes to revealing steamy details. My writing style is free-wheeling and uninhibited and my readers tell me they love it that way; that it makes them feel like they’re right in on the action and a member of the Blackwood Pack.
I live in the Northeast and love the beautiful change of seasons, my husband, and our quirky calico cat, though not necessarily in that order. I read a lot (good for the mind) and love gardening (good for the soul). And I’m always happy to hear from my readers and can be reached through Facebook, my private Facebook Group, Twitter, Instagram, or my website.
Author Links
Giveaway
Mary is giving away a
$50 Amazon gift card
with this tour:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
