Flash Fic Friday

Flash Fic Friday

Kristbethke

**After a few week break, we’re back at it. For those interested, the new job is going well! I don’t dread going to work every day. There’s some usual office politics, but for the most part, the work is good, the people are good, and my team lead is of the mindset that humans make mistakes and there aren’t any mistakes that can’t be fixed. It’s refreshing. For the first time in the better part of two decades, I don’t mind my job! But now that I’m settled in and finding a new normal, here’s some story for you. Probably a multiple parter again. Content warning for mentions of abuse. Enjoy!**

Run. RUN. RUN!!

I had to keep moving. I couldn’t stop. If I stopped, they would catch me and that would mean my death. Exhaustion swamped through me, my legs giving out. I had no idea how long or how far I’d run. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t far enough. I pushed myself to my paws and kept moving.

Each step felt like a mile, my body giving out. Every time I stumbled, I got up again, but it took longer and long to find my feet. To get my body to move. My fur was matted with sweat and muck, my paw pads scraped and bruised. Everything hurt. My muscles cramped and seized, too long without nutrition.

I collapsed and I knew, this time, I wasn’t getting up again. My last thought, as the darkness came for me, was at least I’d be dead by the time they found me.

<><><><> 

Low murmurs penetrated the fog in my head, bringing me back to awareness. I couldn’t make out the words, or even who was speaking, but it was the first thing I noticed. The second was the soft sheets and comfortable bed. I couldn’t seem to move my body, and sleep threatened to take me under again. So I just breathed and tried to figure out what was going on.

“There you are,” a melodic voice coaxed gently. “Take your time. You’ve been out of it for two days. We’ve been doing our best to help, but recovery is hard work.”

“Everly, step back. We don’t know—”

“He’s fine.” That melodic voice came closer instead of moving away as the harsher voice instructed. “Aren’t you? You’re not going to hurt anyone. I know it.”

I wasn’t. I would never. That was part of the reason I’d ended up in this situation to begin with. Not that I knew what was going on now. Just that this voice was not one I recognized, and it was actually speaking to me with kindness. Gentleness. That wasn’t something I’d had in a very long time.

I manage to get one eye open, but immediately slammed my lid closed again, the bright light stabbing straight through to my retina. I bit back the whimper that wanted to escaped. I’d learned very young that making distressed noises were a good way to get hit.

“Killian, dim the lights please,” Everly commanded sweetly, and even though my eyes were closed, I could tell when it was done. It took me another minute or so before I could pry first one, then the other, eye open.

My body still wasn’t cooperating, and the fact that I couldn’t move made me panic. My breathing sawed in and out as I desperately tried to get my limbs to work. If I couldn’t move, then I couldn’t protect myself. Not that I was that good at it, but it was better than getting beaten without fighting back.

“Hey, hey. You’re okay.” Everly was suddenly in my line of view, her pink hair a curly fluff around her face. Her eyes were warm and concerned, and while she kept her distance, she didn’t seem afraid. I focused on her face, willing myself to calm. If I could do that, then I could figure out how to get free.

Everly smiled, showing off white teeth and one canine that was a little pointier than the rest. “I promise. You’re okay and we aren’t going to hurt you. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Not after I did so much to patch you up. You were in a right state, do you know that?”

I didn’t answer her. I couldn’t. It was better to stay quiet, to not speak, so my words couldn’t be used against me in the future. I’d learned that lesson young as well. Everly didn’t seem to mind, though, as she kept talking.

“We found you two days ago.” She paused and looked at her watch. “Almost three days now. You were near death, so we brought you immediately back. Can you tell us what happened to you?”

I didn’t move. Didn’t speak. Barely even blinked. After a long few minutes of silence, Everly smiled, but this time it was sad. “Well, it doesn’t matter. Not right now anyway. You’re safe now and we’ll get you feeling all better. I’m going to pop down to the kitchen and get you some broth to sip on now that you’re awake.”

She stood and panic ripped through me at the thought of her leaving. She was the first person who treated me with any kindness in years and even thought I didn’t trust the motivation behind it—conditioning was a powerful thing—I thought I was safer with her around. If she left, there was no telling what would happen.

“It’s all right.” Everly soothed, and even went so far as to smooth some of my hair back from my forehead. I flinched when she reached for me, but she wasn’t deterred. The touch felt nice. I didn’t trust it, but I craved it. I was so starved for touch. “I’ll be right back, I promise. And Killian is going to stay right here and watch over you until I return. Be nice, Kill.”

With that, she left and I turned my head to watch her leave. The panic hadn’t subsided despite her words and in only increased when the big man who must be Killian came closer. But he didn’t yell or hit or hurt. He sat in the chair Everly vacated and offered me a smile.

“I’m Killian, the alpha of this pack. I swear to the goddess, I will protect you now that you’re here.”

There was power in the words. The vow. I felt it deep in my bones, and for the first time in more than a decade I relaxed. Just a tiny bit, just enough to unclench. But I still eyed the alpha warily. He was pretty, there was no doubt about that. With dark hair and dark eyes, and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass. But I didn’t let that show. I knew better.

“I don’t recognize you, so that means you aren’t from a local pack. Which means you had to come from a distance.” He squinted at me, assessing. “Just how far did you travel to make it to my territory?”

I opened my mouth to tell him I didn’t know, but nothing came out. It was as though my voice was trapped, because even though I wanted to answer him—he was the alpha after all—it didn’t work. I couldn’t speak. I lifted my hands and held them far apart.

“A long way, huh?” Killian relaxed back into the chair, his gaze never leaving me, seemingly unconcerned by the way the chair creaked. “What’s your name?”

I managed a squeak that time, but nothing else. Had I suffered some kind of damage to my throat or vocal chords? I didn’t think so, but I couldn’t remember all that had happened before I escaped. That was probably a good thing. All I knew in that moment though was that my voice didn’t work, and if I couldn’t answer a direct question from the alpha, I was in for a world of hurt.

Before I could hunch in on myself, the alpha’s expression softened. “Do you think you could write it down for me?”

I nodded, because he seemed understanding. He stood and turned, striding across the room, but a moment later he was back with pen and a small pad of paper. I took them when he handed them over, and my hand shook as I tried to hold the pen. I snuck a glance at the alpha, but he didn’t seem upset at my slowness. Even still, I wrote, the letters a little wobbly. It had been a long time since I’d written this name, and longer still since someone had used it. But I gave him the nae I’d been before I was five, the last time anyone had treated me with anything but ill intent.

The alpha peered at the paper when I turned it, then he smiled again. “Elliott. Welcome to the pack. We’ll take care of you.”

I didn’t believe it, but I nodded anyway and then closed my eyes. Once I had my strength back, I could run again.

A life alone was no life for a wolf shifter. But it was better than abuse. And I was never going to be in that position again.

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Get Your Updates

Kristbethke

First week of the new job is done!

Overall, it’s going great. Most everyone I’ve met is really nice, and my “immediate” coworkers are really lovely. There are four of us in a smaller office within the department and it seems like we all fit together pretty well. The atmosphere in the office seems pretty normal. By that, I mean, you know there’s always going to be office politics and small issues whenever you have a large group of people together for an extended period of time, but nothing out of the norm.

The only sticking point was the department manager. I didn’t meet him at my interview because he was away that day, but I did have an inside scoop as to how he was. My work bestie from my previous job, who abandoned me there to move on, works for the practice (which is how I knew about the job in the first place) and she told me things, so I was prepared for him. But there were red flags immediately upon meeting him. Ten minutes in to my first day, sitting in his office, I get that creeping uncomfortable feeling as he shares things he shouldn’t be saying to a brand new employee. Among other things, he was speaking badly about other employees. I chalked it up to his personality, and though I was uncomfortable, I reminded myself it was just one person, not the company as a whole. The company picnic was this past Friday, and he flat out told me that it was mandatory (which I couldn’t imagine to be the case, let alone for a new employee of four days) and when I asked to be excused, given the circumstances, he agreed but told me I would have to attend in the future. When we had a meeting, he spoke over me and others, and ultimately agreed with what I was saying…but not before it had been repeated by his right hand person.

Because of the inside intel I had, I knew that he was a recurring problem. There had been rumors that things were being documented for possible action. But I’m not going to lie, given my previous experience for pretty much my entire working career, I didn’t expect anything to be done about it. I consoled myself with the thought that not only were the majority of coworkers good people and that the practice as a whole seemed like a good place to work, but that my team lead actually has been working for the practice the longest of everybody there, including the doctors, and she had our backs. She repeatedly told us she would run interference and give support.

So imagine my surprise when I arrived at work on Friday morning to be told that problematic manager had been let go the previous evening. And that his right hand person had quit in protest. The department was already understaffed, largely due to people quitting as a direct result of problematic manager (which, it was implied, was a major reason for his dismissal) and now we’re severely understaffed. But both the CEO and HR rep were supportive, understanding, and cared about how we all were feeling and reacting to the news.

It’s that last part that solidified that I made the right choice with my new employment. I’m still slightly skeptical, as conditioning as made me such, but it’s a major green flag for the practice. Things are going to be bumpy for a while as they hire new people, both for regular roles and managerial ones, but I feel good about how it will all shake out.

All that is to say it’s been a rather eventful week! The biggest bonus is that while of course I’d love to be able to stay home and write full time instead of going to a day job, I don’t dread going into work every day like I have for the past…many years.

In writing news, a new serial will start on here soon, I’m hoping upcoming Friday. Expect more shifters, because that’s my love, and I have many ideas to explore there.

As Luck Would Have It is out in the world and people really seem to like it, which makes me so incredibly happy because I adore Kyle and Xavier so. Kyle is a hit, as I knew he would be, and I’ve gotten some positive feedback on Xavier’s T1 diabetes rep, which warms my heart as I worked hard to make that as accurate as possible.

As far as my next release, expect a holiday story in December. I haven’t quite got my brain around the story yet, as I had one idea I started writing but hit a major wall, but I have some other ideas as well. Don’t worry though, there will definitely be a holiday story, because holiday stories are one of my favorite things and I always want to write one. I just have to figure out if it’s going to be another Landry’s Fall book or something else entirely. Anyone have any thoughts?

Flash Fic Friday, Serial

Flash Fic Friday

Kristbethke

**On my last Friday of vacation, let’s have the conclusion of Jace and Ian’s story. New job starts on Monday and I’m making no promises about new flashes/serial. While I will try to get something done, it’s going to involve getting into a new rhythm so bear with me. In the meantime, enjoy!**

I was sort of astounded at the amount of goats Ian owned. Hundreds of them. All separated into smaller herds and held in different paddocks on his massive amount of acres. Mack had taken me on a tour because I asked, all to happy to show off. He’d worked here since he was a teen and even though the goats didn’t like it when he shifted, they loved him as a human. Every paddock we entered, the goats came running for pets and, apparently, the treats he usually had with him.

I’d taken a chance and shown up at Ian’s even knowing he might not be home. Though the goats on the land adjacent to mine and done their job and had been brought back home, he had several other contracts at the moment and Ian made it a point to try and check in on his goats every day.

He was a protection dog, and though he trusted the actual dogs who stayed with the herds, he felt better when he had eyes on them himself. I would be lying if I said that mile-wide protective streak wasn’t one of the things I liked about him best. He was tall and handsome, unfailingly kind and had a huge heart. All of that endeared him to me. But that protectiveness was something I valued as well. It got my blood humming and my heart singing.

I’d be in trouble once Ian figured that out.

We’d been dating for a few weeks by now. Ian liked to take me out, but we often ended up in my bed at the end of the night. We talked for hours, and Ian was as good a listener as he was a sharer. But more often than not, when we made it back to my house, the kiss on the porch didn’t end until we were naked, sweaty, and mutually satisfied. Then he’d curl around me, keeping me close as we fell asleep. If I managed to wiggle free in the night, he’d chase me over the bed until he had me snugged up against him again.

I loved it. Ian knew it. And I wanted more.

Ian knew that too.

I’d been out to the farm once before, but hadn’t gotten a real look at the place. It wasn’t because Ian was keeping anything from me. The schedules just hadn’t lined up. But today I had an unexpected afternoon free, so I took a chance and showed up. Ian wasn’t around, but he’d be back soon, and I wouldn’t put it past Mack to send his boss a message that his boyfriend had shown up. Ian wouldn’t shirk his duties to come back, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he hurried things along.

We were in one of the far pastures when the dogs—all three of them, there were always three with each sub-herd—suddenly stood, attention off in the distance. I knew what that meant, and turned to look where they were, to see a huge white blur speeding toward us. My heart pounded and the smile that bloomed across my face made my cheeks ache.

Mack mumbled something and walked away, but I barely noticed or cared. Ian was here and that had my entire focus.

He shifted as soon as he skidded to a stop in front of me. His gaze never left mine as he stood, and he gave the dogs a quick command that had them running off after the herd that had meandered away. I gave Ian a once over, my smile turning to a leer. He preened, which made me laugh.

“Hey there, sweetheart. Whatcha doin’ here?”

“Wanted to see the place.” I tried for non-chalant and failed. “Wanted to see you?”

Ian’s soft smile made my heart melt, and he grabbed me, pulling me in and kissed me util I couldn’t breathe. It took a few minutes, and I was more than happy to allow it. When I finally had to pull back, Ian rested his forehead against mine.

“Wanna run with me?” He murmured.

“Oh, I, uh…” I took a breath. “I don’t want to scare the goats.”

Ian chuckled, a soft sound. “They’re goats, honey. Scared, curious troublemakers is kind of their default. Besides, they need to get used to you. They’re never going to be comfortable, but they at least won’t be as wary.”

It took a second for his words, and their implication, to sink in. Ian wanted me around for a long time, and therefore, his herd would need to get used to my scent. I practically melted into a puddle, because it was too fast, too soon, but my heart didn’t care. I wanted that too. We might have met under strange circumstances, and our first few days might have been a whirlwind of weirdness, but it was clear we were compatible. Every moment we spent together was proof of that.

“If you’re sure?”

“I’ll keep you, and them, safe.”

I knew he would.

I stripped fast, leaving my clothes on the back of the ATV Mack had driven us out here in. The man himself was nowhere to be seen but I hoped if he took this back to the house, at least I’d have my clothes. And if he didn’t, at least they wouldn’t be laying in the dirt. And maybe the goats wouldn’t eat them.

I crouched and shifted, my transformation not as quick as Ian’s. I was slightly taller, but he was much more muscled. All in all, we were roughly the same size and I loved that. Ian didn’t waste any time scenting me all over, leaving his mark, and I let him. When he was done, I returned the favor.

Then he gave one big booming bark and took off. It took me a split second, but I was right behind him. We ran over his fields, jumping fences, chasing each other, tagging and pouncing. I hadn’t played like that since I was a pup, and my heart soared with the sheer freeness of it. Eventually, he herded me back toward the house where the ATV now sat by the porch but when I veered toward it for my clothes, Ian blocked my path.

He shifted. I followed suit. He was breathing hard, but his pupils were dilated and he licked his lips. He grabbed me and tossed me over his shoulder, and I laughed.

“You won’t be needing those.”

He carried me into the house, and I couldn’t stop laughing, because I hadn’t felt that carefree and cared for in a long time. I knew, with startling clarity, that this was one the beginning of a long life for us.

Flash Fic Friday, Serial

Flash Fic Friday

Kristbethke

**It’s been a bit but let’s see what our protection dog is doing! One more after this. Enjoy!**

“You could come inside, you know? You don’t have to spend the night on the back porch..”

The big white head turned to me, and I didn’t know if it was something all dogs did, or if it was because Ian was a shifter, but he gave me an epic side eye. I had to stifle my amusement because I did actually feel bad about him staying out there.

Three days. Or nights, I should say. Three nights of a Ian taking up residency on my porch, not moving, keeping watch. Mack had said that the trail Davy—and it was Davy because I’d shifted and scented it out—had left wasn’t old, with multiple trails overlapping. I wasn’t nearly as good a tracker as the bear shifter was, so while I could tell he’d been there several times, I had no idea how old they were.

Ian wanted to know why I hadn’t scented it before. Truth was I hadn’t looked for it, and hardly ever shifted when I was at home. My sense of smell as a human was crap. Not as terrible as a regular human, but nowhere near someone who’d practiced the ability. I shifted with my pack, when we ran, and that was about it. I didn’t have a reason to do it at home. And I was a mid-pack wolf, so my abilities mirrored that. I was no one special and that’s how I liked it.

For some reason, Ian had looked angry when I mentioned that, and every night for the past three days, he’d shown up at my house, shifted, and taken up residency. I’d put out a big fluffy pillow to make him more comfortable, but he remained sitting and alert. I didn’t know when, or if, he actually slept. Considering he was dealing with his goat farm during the day, or the herd on the adjacent land, and then spending his nights with me.

I narrowed my eyes at the back of his big head and opened my mouth to ask when he suddenly went completely alert. Up on all fours, his body rigid. I expected that huge booming bark, the warning sound I’d heard from his actual dogs, but it never came. He just took off, paws pounding the ground, and pounced halfway across the yard. I took off after him to see what he’d caught.

When I was closer, I heard the weird chirping of a stoat. That was the only way I could think to describe the sound.  I’d know it anywhere, the amount of times I’d been around Davy’s caravan when they shifted. They’d never really liked me, predator that I was, so it was familiar. And even though one of Ian’s paws kept the stoat pinned, it was wiggling madly and chirping like crazy.  

The stoat started shifting when it was clear he couldn’t get away from Ian. Ian remained as he was though, on high alert and ready to pounce. I realized it was, in fact, Davy about halfway through the shift and the petty part of me wanted Ian to scare Davy enough that he’d pee himself or something equally as embarrassing.

“What the hell, Davy?” I hissed, anger making my tone sharp.

Davy hunched over, hands over his naked crouch, and let out a squeak when Ian gave a warning growl. I didn’t think the little weasel was going to run now that he’d been caught, but I was secretly a little pleased Ian was keeping him in check.

“I was just looking out for you.” Davy’s voice had always been on the higher pitched side, but he was downright soprano right now. He really was scared. I didn’t know Ian well enough to say for sure that he wouldn’t attack, but I didn’t think so. Davy, clearly, wasn’t convinced.

“We’ve been done for a long time now,” I responded with patience I didn’t feel. “There’s no reason for you to be sneaking around my house and I certainly don’t need looking after.”

“Not even if the goats came into your yard?”

I narrowed my gaze. He seemed so confused, as though that made perfect sense to him when it actually didn’t make any sense at all. It took me a second to put the pieces together, because I had to put myself in his brain. Sometimes he was really dumb.

“Did you…” I had to take breathe to get the incredulity out of my tone. “Did you think that if the goats swarmed my yard I’d call you for help?”

Davy nodded so earnestly I couldn’t help the eyeroll.

Ian took a menacing step forward, his posture threatening. Davy yelped and retreated a few steps. I took a chance and placed my hand on Ian’s head. Ian relaxed, just a fraction, but he maneuvered until he was between me and Davy. Not that Davy was a threat. At all. But a warmth spread in my stomach at Ian’s actions.

“Why would I ever call you for a goat problem?” I didn’t both to try to check the disbelief this time. “If Ian hadn’t shown up himself, I would have figured out who owned the goats and called them for help.”

Davy’s mouth dropped open, staring at me with open surprise. After a minute or so, where I let him work things out, he snapped his jaw closed. “Yeah, that, um, actually makes sense.”

I sighed and then rolled my eyes. “We’re done, Davy. We’ve been done. Just stop, okay? We aren’t getting back together. I’m not going to take you back and you need to stop coming around. If I catch you again, I’m reporting you to the Council and having you sanctioned for stalking and harassment. You got me?”

He wanted to argue. I could see it all over his face. But then his gaze dropped to Ian, he took another small step back, and then looked at me again. His shoulders slumped. “Yeah. Okay. Fine.”

Davy dropped to his knees and I knew he was going to shift back. But just before he started, I remembered something. “Wait. How’d you cut the fence and not leave your scent?”

Davy waved that away, crouching low. “Oh I had Rob do that.”

And before I could say anything else, he shifted and scampered away. From the tension in Ian’s body, I knew he wanted to chase, but he stayed by my side and we watched until the little stoat body was gone from sight. I sighed, and Ian huffed a breath. A moment later, he shifted to human.

“What a tool,” Ian ground out, his voice rough from the shift.

“Yeah.” I sighed again. “Come on inside, would you?”

Ian nodded and rose. I purposely kept my gaze pinned to his face so as not to take in any of his glorious body. Now was not the time to perv on his beautiful form. Maybe later, but not now.

“Who’s this Rob he mentioned?”

“Red fox shifter.”

Ian nodded, and I got the impression he was thinking what I was. Foxes were stealthy as hell, and some of them could mask their scents completely. I didn’t know Rob was one who could, but clearly he had, considering the lack of scent at the fence.

As we walked toward the back door, I glanced sideways and ogled Ian’s shoulders, because they were just that magnificent. He caught me looking and gave me a smirk.

“So, I, uh, I bet you’ll be glad to sleep in a real bed tonight huh?”

Ian’s smirk grew. “Yours?”

I flushed hot, blood rushing at the implication. I wanted to say yes, because he was beautiful and kind, and I really liked his protective streak. But I didn’t want him to think that I was only doing it because he’d helped me. More than that, I didn’t want him, or me, to think that sex between us was some sort of payment for services rendered.

“Not tonight.” I laughed when he gave an exaggerated pout. “I’m not that easy. You need to wine and dine me first.”

Ian’s smile was radiant and my breath caught. He leaned it close just as we reached the porch. “I can do that.”

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Out Today!

Kristbethke

As Luck Would Have It is now out in the world! You can get it directly from JMS (with a discount!) or from your other favorite retailer here.

Kyle Swansie loves his hometown of Landry’s Fall. An extrovert who loves talking with people, managing and serving at his family’s diner is the highlight of his day. Even when he has to deal with the occasional cranky patron. When a stranger cops an attitude, Kyle doesn’t hesitate to put the beautiful man in his place. But Xavier Ormsby is so much more than Kyle’s first impression and it doesn’t take long for the two men to find common ground. Neither Kyle nor Xavier expected to find a connection.

Xavier might be in Landry’s Fall on a forced vacation of sorts, their time together quickly moves from friends to more. Xavier is everything Kyle never realized he wanted. Kyle provides a light Xavier didn’t know he needed. Though their worlds are very different, there’s no denying the depth of their attraction. With each day that passes, both Kyle and Xavier start looking to a future.

Things that should be obstacles — their age gap, Xavier’s diabetes, the financial disparity — simply aren’t. But it’s still not easy to find a way to fit their lives together. With their love on the line, can they find a way to have their happily ever after?

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Kyle’s adorable, Xavier’s a sweetheart. It was a blast being back in Landry’s Fall, and I’ll probably head there again soon (wink). In the mean time, enjoy this celebratory story and all the fun it has.

And just a note: we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming here very soon, with maybe a few extras. It’s been an incredibly stressful couple of weeks and I’ve had to focus on other things. But with some time off looming, hopefully I’ll be able to bring you the conclusion of Jace and Ian’s story, as well as more!

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Coming Soon

Kristbethke

JMS Books is celebrating a lucky 13 years in business. To join in the festivities, I’ve written another addition to the Landry’s Fall tales!

Some of you may recognize Kyle Swansie, the fun and flirtatious server at Swansie’s Diner. Here he finally gets his own love story. You can pre-order it now directly from the publisher (with a discount!) It releases on July 1st, when it will be available at other e-tailers.

Kyle Swansie loves his hometown of Landry’s Fall. An extrovert who loves talking with people, managing and serving at his family’s diner is the highlight of his day. Even when he has to deal with the occasional cranky patron. When a stranger cops an attitude, Kyle doesn’t hesitate to put the beautiful man in his place. But Xavier Ormsby is so much more than Kyle’s first impression and it doesn’t take long for the two men to find common ground. Neither Kyle nor Xavier expected to find a connection.

Xavier might be in Landry’s Fall on a forced vacation of sorts, their time together quickly moves from friends to more. Xavier is everything Kyle never realized he wanted. Kyle provides a light Xavier didn’t know he needed. Though their worlds are very different, there’s no denying the depth of their attraction. With each day that passes, both Kyle and Xavier start looking to a future.

Things that should be obstacles — their age gap, Xavier’s diabetes, the financial disparity — simply aren’t. But it’s still not easy to find a way to fit their lives together. With their love on the line, can they find a way to have their happily ever after?

I adored writing this book. Kyle is such a joy. Xavier was a blast too, as I delved into the world of Type 1 diabetes and the way that affects this character. This book might be the very definition of sweet with heat, as these two men were in the right place at the right time to find their HEA. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I didn’t writing it!

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The News

Kristbethke

After 5 and a half years (or thereabouts), I’ve quit my day job.

Now, sadly, I didn’t do this to write full time. That’s the dream, right? But that’s not feasible. I do have another job lined up. And after a couple of weeks notice, and a couple of weeks off, I’ll start there. I’m looking forward to it as much as I can for any day job.

The job has been…stressful to say the least. For quite a while now. And I’ve been doing the best I could but it’s been taking it’s toll. The result is that I haven’t had many spoons for anything else. The writing, in particular, has suffered. It’s hard, for me at least, to fall into a created world when I’m so burnt out that all I want to do is potato.

On the upside, between ending this job and starting the new one, I do have two weeks off. I need to decompress badly and I’m so looking forward to that. My hope is that this will translate to some words being written. Among other things to just relax.

And I’m hoping that with a less stressful job, I won’t be as tapped out at the end of the day and at the weekend, so that I can write more words then too.

But most of all, I’m just happy to be leaving a job that takes all that I have so that I can devote more of me to things that I love.

Flash Fic Friday, Serial

Flash Fic Friday-Saturday Edition

Kristbethke

**Another Saturday edition! Because there was….stuff this week. I’ll talk about it soon! In the meantime, let’s check in with Jace and Ian and see what’s going on with the goats. And what Mack found out. Enjoy!**

“Stoat.” Mack was shoveling pancakes in as fast as he could chew and swallow. I indeed didn’t have any fish or berries, but I figured that the carb load of pancakes, plus sugar from the maple syrup, would go a long way to restoring Mack’s calories. He seemed appreciative at least.

“Stoat?” Ian’s tone was all confusion, his brow creasing.

“Stoat?” On the other hand, I broke out in a cold sweat. To hide my reaction, I turned back to the griddle and ladled out more batter. I was pretty sure Mack could eat more, and even if he couldn’t, perhaps Ian would want some. I’d been intending to eat some as well but I’d suddenly lost my appetite.

Mack slurped some coffee and gave a single nod. “Stoat. Definitely. But not near the fence, which was weird. All around the house though.”

I cleared my throat. “But that could have probably been there for a while, right? If it wasn’t by the fence and just—”

“Nope.” Mack didn’t seem to think anything of his casual dismissal as he swiped his last bite of pancake through the dregs of syrup on his plate. “Scent trail was less than a day old.”

My knees buckled. I would have sagged right to the floor if Ian hadn’t moved as quickly as he did, catching me around the waist and holding me up. He gently took the spatula from my hand and set it on the counter, then got a better grip on me and helped me to stand. Once I had my feet under me, he didn’t let go though. Instead he tilted my chin with a gentle hand and peered into my eyes.

“Jace?” It was a question, but at the same time not. Something in his tone spoke of command, and there was no denying that he wanted me to tell him exactly what was going on. The question was should I?

I’d only met the man this morning, but we’d been thrown together because of the goats. And there was no denying there was something between us already, though I wouldn’t even begin to label it. He was attractive, sure. And he’d definitely been flirting. There’d been a vague promise of talking about things. But would that really go anywhere?

“Did you, uh, I mean, was there any scent by the fence?”

Mack squinted at me, then glanced at Ian. When Ian gave a nod, Mack answered. “No. But it was strange because it was almost as if there was an absence of scent. I can’t even explain it but when I was sniffing around, it was like something was missing.”

“That’s good information,” Ian murmured, not taking his gaze off me. “And we’ll puzzle out what that means in a moment. Thank you, Mack.”

“Sure. But what’s all this?” Mack gestured with is fork, and a stray bit of syrup flew off and landed on the floor. Mack huffed and rolled his eyes, grabbing a napkin to wipe it off.

My laugh was a little unhinged. Ian narrowed his eyes.

“Tell me.”

“It’s n-nothing.” I stopped and took a breath, in and out. “Just…an ex-boyfriend. Or one of his caravan. No big deal.”

I didn’t know what it was about Ian, what exactly changed, but suddenly it did. He straightened and pulled his shoulders back, maybe. A light changed in his eyes or his micro expression changed. I couldn’t put my finger on it but from one moment to the next he changed from concerned to protective.

“You have a stalker?”

I gently pulled away and turned back to the griddle. I flipped the pancakes just in time—they were a little too dark but they hadn’t burned—and gave them all a pat just so I would have something to do.

“No, of course not.”

Ian crowded my space, getting almost too close. “That’s what it sounds like. Looks like. You panicked when you heard it, like you didn’t even know it was going on. And if someone is skulking around and hiding themselves, that’s stalker behavior.”

I tried for a smile, pretty sure it didn’t work, and patted his chest with the hand not holding a spatula. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

I scooped the pancakes into a stack then balanced them on the spatula to carry them the three feet to the table and deposited them on Mack’s plate. He gave me a quick smile of thanks and then focused completely on his breakfast, very studiously ignoring Ian and me.

Ian caught my arm when I turned back around, drawing me to the other side of the room. It wasn’t far enough for Mack not to hear, but I didn’t think that’s what Ian intended. He clearly trusted Mack completely. It was just a semblance of privacy.

“I’m a protection dog. That’s what I do. And now I have to worry about this. So tell me what’s going on.”

I studied him for a long moment, weighing my options. The thing was, I really did want to have that promised conversation with him. See if there was anything more to the attraction than a little flirting. I might never have expected this—because who expected goats and their handsome as sin owner who also happened to shift into a Great Pyrenees—but I wasn’t one to ignore who fate put in my path.

“It didn’t end well. Davy, that’s my ex, he just didn’t want to let things go. We weren’t compatible and I ended things before it got serious. He kept trying to ‘win’ me back. But I thought he got over it. I haven’t heard from him in months.”

Ian’s gaze went dark. “Because he’s been slithering his weaselly little body around your house instead.”

“I’m sure that’s not—”

“Let me help you.”

I looked up into those deep brown eyes, saw the sincerity and the concern and the protectiveness. It was all the things I wanted, rolled into a pretty package. Could I trust him? I felt like I could. And unless the whole thing with the fence, goats, and Mack was an elaborate ruse, he’d been honest from the start. My gut was telling me he didn’t have that in him.

I blew out a breath. “Okay. Thanks.”

Ian’s brilliant smile was almost worth the inner turmoil.

Flash Fic Friday, Serial

Flash Fic Friday

Kristbethke

**Here’s another episode with Jace and Ian. Because why not? I’m not entirely sure where this is going. But enjoy!**

The goats had been herded back to the other property, and then didn’t seem inclined to come back on my land. Probably because Ian and I were standing exactly where the fend had come down. He was dressed again, which was a shame really, and examining the fencing as we waited for Mack to return. Mack was who he had called from my house, and though we’d been introduced, I didn’t really know who he was. I surmised he must work with Ian on his goat rental business.

Goat rental. Really. He had a whole huge ass herd of goats he rented out to clear brush from overgrown properties. I had never heard of such a thing, but it certainly was an environmentally friendly way to get the job done. The polo Ian was now wearing had logo on the breast, and while he fidgeted with the fencing, I searched the company. The “about” section was sparse but it contained enough information to let me know it was a family business that had been around for decades. Considering he was a dog shifter—which reminded me I needed to look up what kind of dog he turned into and a quick second later I was confident he was a Great Pyrenees—that made sense. Between his ability and the pack of actual dogs he cared for, the goats would be well protected.

“Jace?”

“Hmm?” I quickly locked my phone and tried not to look guilty. Though to be fair, I didn’t have anything to feel guilty over. I was accessing publicly available information after all.

“You got any enemies?”

“What?” I sputtered. “No! Of course not.”

Ian shrugged, and glanced up. I followed his eyeline to see Mack loping back to us, carrying a large back. He was still some distance away though. When Ian turned his attention back to me, he squinted as though he was assessing me.

“I don’t,” I said, and didn’t even care that I sounded defensive.

Ian held his hands up. “I’m trying to figure out motive. Were they trying to cause trouble for me? Considering this is the only occupied land that borders where we were working, having my goats come in here could make you mad, right? You could sue. Or you could shift and eat the goats.”

I sucked in a breath. “I would never!”

“Really?” Ian’s mouth quirked, and damn if it didn’t look sexy. I wasn’t sure if it was the smirk or his stupidly handsome face. Either way, I bristled. Both at the insinuation and that he was so attractive.

“I don’t hunt domesticated animals. I’m not a monster. I’m just a wolf.”

Ian’s expression instantly softened and he took a step closer to me. He reached toward me, but then dropped his hand before he made contact. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply…” He huffed out a breath. “The other option is they were trying to cause trouble for you. And inconvenience at least. Destroying your property at worst.”

I frowned. “Are you sure it wasn’t just an ill conceived prank?”

“The fence was cut here.” Ian pointed as though I didn’t know exactly where the fence had come down. “Not at the road, or either of the other two borders. It was purposefully cut right at this spot, with easiest access to your property. I think it’s pretty clear this was a deliberate choice.”

I saw his logic. But still. “That doesn’t preclude the prank theory.”

“He’s right, boss.” Mack was long and lanky, with a bright smile and fire red hair. I liked him already. And not just because he was agreeing with me. “It’s unlikely, but it needs to be considered as well.”

Ian seemed to mull that over for a few moments, then he nodded once. “Okay, fine. We can’t rule it out. But it does seem like the least likely scenario. Mack, did you scent anything?”

So Mack was a shifter too. I shuffled closer, trying to make it look like I was just shifting position. I slowly and deliberately scented the air. He definitely wasn’t a Great Pyrenees shifter like Ian. But his scent wasn’t one I was familiar with, so it was hard to deduce Mack’s other half.

Mack set down his bag and started pulling out tools before he answered. “Goats, the dogs, and you. That’s it. I didn’t even smell any humans.”

“Wait. Before you get started, take a sniff around Jace’s yard,” Ian directed.

Mack froze for a moment, then set the zip ties and snips back in the bag. He looked directly at me. “That okay with you?”

“Sure.”

Ian did touch me then, grabbing hold of my arm and gently tugging me a few feet away. “Let’s give him some space.”

I turned my back for good measure, allowing Mack all the privacy he needed. Ian kept his gaze locked on mine.

“Mack’s got one of the best noses I’ve ever seen in action,” Ian said conversationally, raising his voice just a little to be heard over the snaps, groans, and pops of Mack’s shift. I winced at a particularly loud crack. I knew from experience that shifting didn’t hurt in the least since pain receptors were the first thing to turn off, but it did sound terrible from the outside. “I hope it won’t be too much to ask of you to feed him when he shifts back, though. A shift like his burns a lot of calories.”

I was about to open my mouth and ask why, but when I caught movement from the corner of my eye, it was all I could do not to jump back. Where once a lanky man had been now stood a ginormous brown bear. He swung his big head toward me, but then clicked his tongue and lumbered off, nose to the ground.

“Holy crap.”

“Yeah.” Ian chuckled. “He smells better than me. Better than a bloodhound. He’ll let us know if he finds anything. And we don’t have to worry about the goats coming back through here while Mack is in his bear skin. They don’t like him much when he’s this way, even though he doesn’t even eat goat. Can’t tell the goat that though.”

“He probably prefers fish and berries,” I said absently, watching the bear meander around my yard. Wolves were a more insular than other types of shifters, and I hadn’t spent much time around other shifters when they were in their animal form. It was fascinating to me, watching a thousand pound bear amble around.

“That he does.” The amusement was clear in Ian’s tone. “Got any of that in your house?”

I finally laughed too. “No, but I’m sure I can rustle up a fitting me. Come on inside.”

Ian followed me and then crowded up against me when we got to the back door. I went still when he dropped his face so he could tuck his nose against my neck. He inhaled sharply, and then let out a contented sigh.

“You smell so damn good.” A second later, he went tense and then immediately backed away. “Oh damn. I’m so sorry. That was inappropriate and I—”

“It’s okay. I get it.” I kept my tone gentle. “You’re fine. Come in.”

Ian closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I have to figure out what’s going on with the whole fence thing. But after that, maybe we can talk?”

I couldn’t help the playful tone when I asked, “Just talk?”

“Jesus,” Ian muttered, then scrubbed a hand down his face. “To start with, yes.”

I winked. “Can’t wait.”

Flash Fic Friday, Serial

Flash Fic Friday

Kristbethke

*After taking last week off with the conclusion of the last serial, here we are with a new flash fic! It’s slightly NSFW though, so beware. What do you think? Want to see more of these guys? Lemme know! But in the meantime, enjoy!”

Goats.

Goats everywhere. Eating my grass and shrubs. Bleating and pooping and tussling and climbing all over each other. There had to be at least twenty. No wait, here came some more. Running in from the acreage behind my property to join their friends. More noise and more chomping. 

I stood on my back porch just staring. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Last time I checked, the acreage was nothing but wilderness and was owned by an older gentleman who had no plans to develop it. Had that changed? Had he suddenly taken up goat farming?

The predator in me wanted to shift and chase. To run down one of those tasty morsels and gorge until I was full. Then maybe drag the carcass home to snack on later. But I was more than my wolfy instincts and though my fangs prickled at my gums, I didn’t change. 

I still wanted to know how the goats appeared though. And what to do about them.

I set down my coffee on the railing, gave it a mournful look because I knew it would be cold by the time I got back, and set off toward the herd. The bleating got louder, panicked, most likely because they could sense I was more. Dangerous. The scramble they did to get away from me would be amusing if it didn’t create more chaos.

A thundering boom of a bark snagged my attention. It was quickly followed by two more, and before I realized it, three large white dogs came barreling through a fence—that hadn’t been there before—and took up a guard position between me and the herd. I froze, recognizing the livestock protection dogs for what they were even if I didn’t know the breed. I made a mental note to look later to see if I could figure it out, just to assuage my curiosity, and focused all my attention on the one who was clearly the leader. 

I didn’t think the dogs would attack me as long as I didn’t go after their goats. Was that something I’d learned somewhere or just instinct? It didn’t matter. I just knew it was better to stay still, not make a move toward the goats that were still running around and screaming, and hope that a solution presented itself.

A fourth dog came tearing into my yard, expertly maneuvering around the goats without losing speed. It was bigger than the other three, taller and heavier, and they gave ground for the newcomer. The new dog skidded to a halt right in front of me. I probably should have stepped back. Probably should have gone inside and figured out who to call. But the wolf in me wouldn’t back down and so I stayed, staring down the dogs. Peripherally I was aware the goats were calming enough to go back to eating my foliage, but I couldn’t worry about that right now.

The new dog hunched and then shifted. I blinked. How had I not scent him? I chalked it up to the goats—because that was a distinctive and overpowering smell—and waited patiently for him to finish his shift. When he did, I sucked it a breath. He was huge, several inches over six feet and as broad as a barn, with defined muscles, a chiseled jaw, and hair so blond it was almost white. He cocked his head, looking far more like a dog than a human, and then narrowed his gaze.

“Wolf?”

I shrugged because there was no denying it. “I’m Jace. These your goats?”

“Yeah. Sorry. We’re clearing the land over there,” he gestured behind him, “because it’s so overgrown.”

“Okay. But this is my backyard?” I hadn’t meant for it to sound like a question, but he was utterly distracting. His voice was a deep rumble, like the barks from the dogs, and I wanted to push closer so that I could touch, and that was weird for me. It was not an impulse I usually had.

“Looks like the fence is down. Which is strange, because we build them to keep the goats in the acreage they’re supposed to stay in.” Without a word, he turned, pushing through the herd without care for his dangling bits. The dogs walked at his side and the goats moved out of his way. I followed along behind him because I didn’t know what else to do.

He crouched and examined the fence. My gaze zeroed in on his ass, which was literal perfection. I told myself to stop staring but my body didn’t cooperate. I wanted to bite it. To touch it. Hell, I just wanted to be up close and personal with it, I didn’t even care how.

He was speaking, but I was so focused on his skin I didn’t notice until he said my name. I jerked my gaze to his.

“Hmm?”

“Were you staring at my ass?” the quirk of his lips told me he wasn’t mad. Besides, it’s not like I could lie. I’d been caught.

“Yep. It’s great. What were you saying?”

“This is had been cut.” He motioned to the fence where, now that I was looking, I could see where it had been snipped through cleanly.

“Why?”

“I don’t know. But I’ll find out. Don’t suppose you have any cameras or anything back here?”

I shook my head. “We’re in the middle of nowhere and this is the backyard that butts up to acres of unused land. It didn’t seem necessary.”

He blew out a breath. “Okay. Well, first order of business is to get the goats back where they belong and to fix this fence. Then we’ll have to figure out why it happened. I’ll need to shift and run back to my truck where I left my phone and clothes. I’d only just arrived when I heard Boomer, Gracie, and Tornado bark.”

“You can, uh…” I coughed, feeling silly before reminding myself we were a dozen yards from my backdoor and I was just being hospitable to offer assistance. “You can use my phone, if you want.”

He studied me for a long moment, gaze narrowed and assessing. Eventually he nodded. He ordered the dogs to stay—and it was then that I got confirmation that while he was a shifter, the others were just dogs—and followed me into my house. I handed over my cell and got him a bottle of water while he made his call.

“It’s Ian. Yeah, we’ve got a problem.” Ian took the bottle from me with a thankful smile, and then his gaze raked from my head to my toes. The smile turned into a smirk. “Though maybe it’s only half a problem.”