Cloaked in Blood
T.F. Walsh
(The Wulfkin Legacy #3)
Published by: Crimson Romance
Publication date: May 9th 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal
The daughter of a sultan alpha, Selena Kurt agrees to an arranged wulfkin mating to protect her sister from a dangerous alpha from the enemy clan. To her surprise, her match is Marcin Ulf, the next in line for the Hungarian throne . . . and the wulfkin who broke her heart years ago.
Marcin is just as shocked to learn he’ll be matched to the enemy’s daughter and the woman he’s never forgotten. Before they can be paired, however, they’re drawn into a tournament where Marcin will compete to free his estranged imprisoned brother, while Selena battles for the life of another wulfkin alpha. Both intend to seize this chance to save those they’re fighting for – even if it means facing off with one another just as their romance rekindles.
Will tribe loyalty triumph, or will they realize they’re better off as a team before it’s too late?
Cloaked in Blood is the book 3 in the Wulfkin Legacy series, but can be read a stand-alone-book.
Wulfkin Legacy Series:
Cloaked (prequel to #1) – Out now
Cloaked in Fur (Book #1) – Out now
Cloaked in Secrecy (Book #2) – Out now
Cloaked in Blood (Book #3) – Out now
Cloaked in Christmas – End of 2016
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EXCERPT:
SELENAThen another wulfkin entered the room behind him. Solid, tall, and all shoulders.
And suddenly my heart hammered so hard the walls seemed to be thumping too.
Marcin.
Windblown hair draped over his shoulders, tawny brown strands reaching halfway down his chest. His shirt was torn across his shoulder. Blood stained the fabric, worn as a badge of honor for whatever heroic deeds he’d accomplished.
Our gazes locked, and he stopped midstride. It was like a sucker punch to the gut. All the air left my lungs, leaving me light-headed.
Sea-spray blue eyes, darker than I remembered them, searched my face. Shock crammed behind his gaze as his cheeks blanched. He’d had no idea I was coming here—it was written all over his frozen expression, the way his mouth fell open, his breath hitched.
My wolf prodded me, stirring inside, well aware of who stood before us. Marcin had grown into even more of a wulfkin god: muscular, strong cheekbones, and a chest broad enough for me to sleep across. All I could think about was touching him to make sure he was real and not in my imagination.
Move closer. Take him.
I shouldn’t, yet every molecule in my body fought against the logic that said stay away.
Sure, I’d planned for this very moment and even practiced my nonchalant response in front of the mirror. Except now, my voice was wedged somewhere between my toes and head. My body shook with the desperate urge to be pressed up against him, feel his hungry kisses, and listen to his wicked whispers. I struggled with the charge in my veins screaming that I should run to him, throw my arms around his neck, and forget the past nine years. Forget that he tore out my soul. Forget that I mistook him as my mate because he’d lied to me. Abandoned me.
5 Reasons Why Cross-Cultural
Romances Are Great (As TF Walsh discovered)
My husband was born in Australia. In fact, his family
tree traces back to the first few fleets that arrived on Australian shores back
in 1788. He’s a true blue Aussie.
Me, I was born in Romania and moved to Australia at
the age of eight with my family.
While we’re both from vastly different cultural
backgrounds, it only brings us closer. He adores the way I can roll my ‘R’,
which he can’t do, and I love learning all the different Aussie sayings.
In Cloaked in Blood, I wanted to show this exact
blending of cultures.
Marcin is Hungarian, the heir to the Emperor Alpha
Varlac throne. While Selena is Turkish and her father is the great Sultan Alpha
Varlac. So, yep, these two grew up with diverse lifestyles, but it lends itself
to discovering some amazing things about each other. Such as Selena introducing
Marcin to delicious dishes.
-----
Selena leaned forward, grabbed a slice of bread, and
used it to scoop up meat. She popped it into her mouth. I followed suit,
inhaling the spicy fragrance that tingled across my tongue. I swallowed the
food and was going in for another.
“Do you like it?” Selena asked.
I swallowed the food. “I might just marry this sauce.”
She wiped her lips with a napkin and smirked. Black
makeup swept across her eyelid,
curving upward at the corners and giving her sexy cat
eyes. When we first met in Turkey, she’d never worn makeup and her beauty still
radiated, though the theatrics of her new look definitely held my attention. CLOAKED IN BLOOD
-----
5 tongue-in-cheek reasons I believe cross cultural
relationships are great.
- You can’t help but find the other person fascinating as you learn
about their background, their language, their culture. You’re always
learning new things
- Perfect reason to travel abroad regularly
- Becoming bilingual, plus the kiddies will be too
- Discovering new foods and learning from the mother-in-law how to
cook it perfectly
- Life will be full of surprises with new situations always coming
up. Like in Romanian Easter, we paint boiled eggs, then tap them between
two people. The person whose egg doesn’t crack is the winner. It’s all
about picking the best egg initially. Something my husband has become an
expert at:)
TF Walsh Introduces the Battle of Innocence
In ancient tradition, before the notion of duels,
there were single combats. Each side sent their champion as their respective
armies. Then these two men would fight to the death as a way to settle their dispute
or whatever matters were at odds. While often it addressed the argument,
sometimes it lead to further battles. One well known such battle is between
David and Goliath.
Now, this very idea of single combats inspired my
creation of the Battle of Innocence in the novel, Cloaked in Blood.
"Battle of Innocence – A challenge whereby a
worthy champion will engage in a tournament or task on behalf of another
wulfkin facing charges. If the champion succeeds, the wulfkin he or she is
representing will be found innocent and freed. If the champion fails, the
wulfkin will be found guilty and punished accordingly.” CLOAKED IN BLOOD
The wulfkin have rules, hierarchy, and deadly
punishments for any pack members who don’t follow protocol. For centuries,
these methods have worked, but what happens when two alphas stand accused of
crimes they didn’t commit?
Two worthy champions must step up and agree to endure
gruelling challenges that might end in death. Except, the two champions have a
romantic history. When the rules are upped to include a boon—the first to
complete the challenge can claim any prize he or she desires—they both have
compelling reasons to win. But are they willing to sacrifice their rekindled
love to save those they love?
Forgotten But Not Lost With TF Walsh
Whenever I start to write a new story, I carry out
extensive research to locate the best setting. I don’t want the usual city or
country that’s in every second book. I want to take readers on a journey to
explore new locations. And in Cloaked in Blood, I had lots of fun researching
the Őrség National Park in Hungary. Besides, it makes sense that a pack of
wulfkin would want to set up home in a place isolated from humans:)
-----
Wooden beams creaked beneath my footsteps. The outside
corridor was overdue for maintenance, but considering no one but me visited the
place, it wasn’t a priority. Ferocious winds battered us.
“This post was once used by guards who spend nights
here, watching for approaching enemies from the forest. Kind of suits the name
of the land: Őrség, meaning defense area.”
Up ahead, Selena stopped at the end of the lookout
point, a small circular area, and turned toward me. “I love it up here. So
free.” The wind swept through her hair, blowing strands across her face, which
she pushed away.
Behind her, the great expanse of the forest was draped
in night’s cloak. I resisted the urge to take Selena into my arms and taste
those lips. “If you look straight ahead, you can just make out tiny lights.
That’s the closest city in Slovenia, on the border of Hungary.” CLOAKED IN BLOOD
-----
Cool facts about Őrség National Park:
- It has the most densely forested and game-filled slopes in Hungary
- The Austrian Alps are visible on the horizon from multiple points
in the park
- The park is closer to Vienna than Budapest (capital of Hungary)
- Pork is the nation’s meat in Hungary, but people who live
in Őrség eat local fish, game and soups. Oh, also savory and sweet
pancakes.
- 63% of Őrség is covered in forest
- Őrség has been continuously inhabited since the Magyar Conquest,
which means it’s Hungary’s oldest inhabited area.
Author Bio:
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.
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