Soft horror anyone?

Let me start by reiterating that I am not a gory, horror or scary story writer by nature. I don’t read stories like that nor do I partake in movies of that nature, but somehow my brain managed to form 2 soft horror romances: Healing the Beast Within and Indian Blood Moon, both available at Phaze. Today’s blog is about Healing the Beast Within.

Cursed for a crime he did not commit, Keith Turner had given up on love. Even after making that decision, he still spent every night being tortured. His brother Kevin was confident that they could find a way to break the curse, but it wasn’t until Keith met Marcello that he ever took Kevin’s ideas to heart.

I was so glad to see curses on the list so I could talk about this book. Beast was my second attempt at ‘horror’ per the challenge I mentioned in my earlier post this month. Indian Blood Moon was your basic good versus evil story. Magnus was a watcher who fought off demons that tried to sacrifice Dante to their demon god. It was a safe story line for my first attempt at horror, but I wanted Healing the Beast Within to be different. I had to step it up and put a little elbow grease into it to get that done. 

I wondered how a man today would handle a curse from way back when. I picked Salem as the setting because of its history of curses, witches and whatnot. It took longer to come up with the story line because I wanted some real history to be woven into it. After some extensive research the story started to flow and bam! Healing the Beast Within came to life.

This story makes your heart pound and gets your blood rushing. You will enjoy the brotherly bond Keith has with his twin brother Kevin and have a love/hate relationship with Marcello after he meets Keith and the beast within him. Here is a look at Keith and Marcello’s first meeting.

Excerpt:

It was just before his lunch hour when Keith finished with his last client of the morning. Instead of waiting in his office, as usual, he went in search of his brother. Kevin’s office was on the other end of the building. As he walked the long corridor, his leisurely gait slowed to a stop. Something out of the ordinary was on the air. He inhaled deeply then turned slowly to look up and down the hall. His brow crinkled in confusion.

Fire? Smoke? Burnt popcorn? No…something else.

He took another breath. Woodsy and spicy scents filled his nostrils. His cock responded to the smell readily. A chill snaked down his back, making his nipples hard and goose bumps rise on his skin.

What is that?

He shook off his anxiety and moved on. The scent grew stronger as he walked along the hallway, the effects causing havoc on his senses. He popped his head into Kevin’s office.

“Kev?”

Keith closed the door and continued to look for his brother. He stopped just outside of exam room one. The unknown aroma was now overwhelming, as it wrapped around him. A sudden burst of heat surged through his body. His cock throbbed mercilessly and pressed against the inside of his pants. The sound of his breathing filled his ears. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and rolled down his temple. He griped the door frame to steady himself. His lab coat grew tight on his back and his tie felt constricting. He yanked at the knot gasping for air.

What the hell is going on?

The smell came from inside the room. He was positive of it. His brother was in the room, Keith sensed him, but Kevin was not alone. The scent did not come from Kevin. It had to be from whoever was with him. It was an intoxicating fragrance, something Keith had never experienced before. His perception was on high alert. The smell was so strong that he could almost taste this person. He was salivating at the thought of savoring him.

Him?

It was a man! Never before could he perceive the scent of another person without being in his other form. His awareness had not been so precise during the day. How could he smell a man now?

The question floated through his consciousness leaving him stunned and more confused, but no answer followed it.

Oh my God! What if I’m changing now? During the day!

Suddenly, he was very aware that anyone could walk down the hall and see. Fear and adrenaline added to the lust that already surged through his blood. It took a huge effort on his part to calm his breathing and will his coursing blood to slow. Success left him wet with perspiration and gripping the doorframe so hard that it splintered beneath his fingers. Once he regained his composure, Keith fixed his clothes and straightened his tie before finally knocking on the door. There was a slight pause before a reply came.

“Yeah! Come in.”

Keith was calmed somewhat by his brother’s voice, but when he opened the door he was struck with wave of consciousness from the unknown man. It was as if he had stepped into a sauna. Keith’s nostrils flared as the scent that drew him down the hall assailed his nose once again. Kevin had his back to him as he kneeled before his patient. Keith’s breathing accelerated immediately as he looked at the patient’s face.

He was an older man with more black than grey in his short cropped hair. Although pain filled the man’s intense brown eyes, Keith could see sparks of intelligence. His strong jaw line was covered in a five o’clock shadow that made him look ruggedly handsome. His skin was dark from the sun. A heavy tan lined his biceps, another rounded his shoulders and one more was at the top of his shoulders. All were visible in the tank top that he wore. The sweat on his chest caused the flimsy shirt to cling to his stocky torso invitingly. The muscles beneath were defined and full from obvious manual labor. The patient gripped the edge of the exam table, his muscles taunt. The man made low grunting sounds as Kevin moved one of his legs up and down. Keith stared transfixed on the hand identical to his own as it massaged the knee, then push the patient’s jean shorts up further.

Keith easily imagined the hand was his. The thought made his nostrils flare again. His eyes closed as he let the scent saturate his entire body. A visual of flipping and bending the man over the table formed in his mind.

“Hey, bro, I’m almost done here. Have you met Mr. Torres?”

Keith’s eyes popped open and the vision vanished. The sound of his brother’s voice broke the trance he was in.

There you go! Hope you enjoy. Jaxx is outa here!

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