My Pleasure

Blurb:

Hunter Armstrong has come to love his adopted city every bit as much as he loves Lycaonia. But lately, the city of the witches has begun to feel cold and hostile.

Splitting his days between patrols and watching over two skittish children from afar, he finds his nights are filled with thoughts of his mate. As much as he longs for her to come home, he can’t help but remember what happened to Genevieve and prays instead for her to stay away and stay safe.

Kiera Sorrel received more than one update from neighbors that the climate in Storm Keep is changing, and the streets are no longer safe. Fearing for her little brother and sister, she hurries back to a house that never felt like home.

Stepping onto the cobbled streets, she wasn’t expecting that the first thing she’d see was her mate in the form of a goofy, smiling stalker, sitting across the street from her home.
As he tells her of the recent events and the Witches’ Council’s decisions, she can hardly believe that their world has come to this. Choosing to stay at his side, with her younger brother and sister in tow, they invade the Armstrong estate, much to the delight of Hunter’s parents.

As darkness begins to creep up around them from all sides, can Hunter and Kiera fight the shadows of treachery that loom just out of sight?

Excerpt: (unedited and under copyright by Alanea Alder ©2026)

Augustus passed the paper down to Rory who looked it over.
“Mediocre work at best. Give me a day and I’ll counter this.”
He stood, removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.
Meryn whimpered.
All the men at this point looked confused.
“He did the forearm thing,” Kiera whispered.
Hunter would think his cousin was innocent, but Rory was smiling as he read the paper.
“Meryn!” Aiden barked.
Augustus looked up, eyes narrowing. “Don’t be upset with her. If our small, playful efforts affect them so, that means you all have taken them for granted and stopped trying to seduce them. That means you are lacking.”
Aiden sat back looking gobsmacked. “You’re right. We’ve been so busy going from crisis to crisis, I’ve been remiss in my duties as her mate.”
Meryn shook her head as if to clear it. “Does ‘plausible deniability’ apply to you as my lawyer?”
Augustus smiled. “No, darling. You can tell me everything.”
“That doesn’t mean you can flirt,” Aiden said.
“I’m just being pleasant,” Augustus countered.
Meryn gave a single nod. “I like them.”
Kendrick drank his wine. “You would.”
Connor held up his plate as Ryuu served him three large servings of shells. “She’s quick.”
Caiden shook his head. “Were you testing us or her?”
“Testing is such a strong term,” Augustus said, helping himself to the bread.
“It was more like showing us what they can do,” Meryn explained.
Rory gave a distracted nod as he flipped to the next page of the newspaper.
“And, we really want to stay on your good side, Princess,”
Augustus said. “We met you as the King of the Fae dropped to his knees to beg for mercy. It has become our top priority to keep you happy.”