BOOK1 BLURB&PROLOGUE

CUFF LINKED

Rami Llewellyn’s blood runs blue. He’s not looking for any complications in his life. But things get red hot real fast for the litigious Lion once he meets his potential mate.

When a Pack of Wolves crosses the legal line on what is allowed in his city, Rami hunts for answers. Throw a curvy normal in the mix, and he’s more determined than ever to shut them down.

Noemi Donato dreams of buying the bakery where she works from her boss who is soon retiring. But her mother wants her to move back home, away from the dangerous city she loves. All she needs is a reason to stay.

Will the sweet, feisty pastry chef take on the sexy shifter?

PROLOGUE

“Rami! Come! Food and coffee are ready.”

Nana’s lightly accented voice rang out from her first-floor apartment in the two-family brownstone where Rami was born. Generation after generation of the Llewellyn family had lived there for almost a hundred years.

“Rami!”

The woman was relentless. But still, her voice was welcomed. It travelled all the way up the hall stairs to the dark bedroom where Rami had been sleeping for only three hours.

He opened one bloodshot eye and looked at the old-fashioned alarm clock that sat on his nightstand. It was one of three he owned, scattered throughout his apartment on account of his smart phone acting more like a smart-ass phone.

The damn thing only worked when it felt like it, but Rami’s profession demanded punctuality. Why buy a cell phone for a thousand bucks if the hunk of junk couldn’t even get the alarm right?

Fucking technology.

It was only eight AM. He hadn’t even made it to bed till five. But he had a meeting with his captain at ten-thirty. Sighing loudly, he rolled over and tossed the covers back. Then Rami hauled his ass out of bed.

Shower, brush teeth, get dressed, coffee, and food. Every day and in that order. He was a stickler for routine. Shirt, pants, and jacket were already pressed and hanging up on the door to his closet. Rami checked to make sure his sterling silver cuff links, in the shape of actual cuffs, were in the dish on his nightstand.

Yep. He ran his fingertips over them and headed for the bathroom. They were passed down to Rami from his father, and he wore them every single day. Sort of a good luck charm to ward against evil and protect him on the job. That was what Nana said, anyway.

Some scoffed at his compliance in wearing them, but they could go hang for all he cared. Superstition had its place in society. Even Shifter society. After all, he turned into a thousand-pound cat at the blink of an eye. Who was he to judge if the older woman wanted to believe a little tidbit of silver could save him? He’d had plenty of close calls over the years to give some weight to her theory.

Grrr, his Lion growled deep and low inside his chest. The beast wanted some more downtime, but alas, Rami had none left for him. He closed his eyes, picturing the enormous dark-maned Lion in the metaphysical plane where he rested until Rami would once again wear his fur.

The gigantic animal flexed his claws and chuffed noisily inside his mind’s eye. It was unnatural for any feline to get less than twelve hours of sleep per diem, but tell that to a cop. He had no such luxury.

Sigh. Not that he was complaining about his job. Rami loved being a cop. It was his destiny. Hell, some even joked about him having blue blood throughout. Most cop families were like that. The snarky comments and jests rolled off him like water off a duck’s back.

His Pride ran the 135th precinct. The Primus, that was Alpha for Lions, was even their captain. Not much else for a Lion to do in NYC. Crowded and bustling with normals, the city was an odd choice for a group of Shifters, but Lions weren’t the only ones out there.

Wolves, Tigers, Bears, and more subspecies of Shifter existed in the Big Apple. Hell, they thrived despite the lack of woods and places to run. To each his own, and every group certainly found ways to let their animal sides out without drawing attention.

But it was the Lions who patrolled the streets. Keeping the Shifter secret, protecting society as a whole with special attention to any supernatural occurrences, was their job. They reported any changes back to headquarters, to Captain Luani, who in turn reported to the Shifter Council of New York City, or the SCNYC.

Every group and organization had a leader with a seat on the SCNYC, and they all worked together. Like cogs in a wheel. They turned together to keep everything moving and heading towards the betterment of all.

Except, of course, for those who were only out for themselves. Yes, it did happen. Unfortunately, criminals existed in the supernatural world. Fortunately for Rami and his Lion, he got to hunt them.

Having a thousand-pound alter ego who loved to run, stalk, and pursue prey was daunting in a city. But being a cop provided him with the perfect outlet. And his Lion sure loved the chase.

Humming to himself, Rami jumped in the scorching hot shower. Unwrapping a new bar of Ivory soap, he scrubbed his skin till it was all clean and fresh. Rami liked to set himself up for maximum comfort. After all, it was going to be a long day. Always was.

“Rami!” Nana yelled again as he shrugged on his freshly laundered, long-sleeved, button-down shirt with the thin blue stripe that went so well with his navy-blue suit.

Tailor-cut for his wide shoulders, trim waist, and tall frame, Rami spared time for a single glance in the mirror. He already knew it fit him to perfection. As a detective sergeant on the force, he dressed to fit his status and profession. He just had to add his cuff links and grab a comb, and he was done.

A rare dark-maned Lion, Rami took pride in his appearance. His mane was truly something else. Thick and wavy in his human skin, it was gloriously shiny and long while in his tawny fur. His supernaturally enhanced metabolism took the credit for his muscular physique, but the hair. That was all him.

Maintaining that level of shine and bounce-ability in his dark waves took effort. He used only the best products. Organic shampoos and conditioners, and of course, nothing that was tested on animals.

No, it wasn’t a sissy thing, fuck you very much.

Male Lion Shifters could be a tad sensitive when it came to their manes. Especially when said male was balding. Like his captain was at present.

Hmm. Maybe Nana bought some of those awesome cornetti home after church? I could snag one for the boss.

“Good morning, Nana,” Rami said, walking into his grandmother’s kitchen, and dropping a kiss on the cherished matron’s cheek.

“Hello, my sweet boy,” she murmured.

The older woman was still beautiful with silver strands lacing her otherwise thick, dark hair, now cut into a stylish short do. She slapped his shoulder, harder than one would think a little old lady could manage and hummed approvingly at his appearance. She was thin and lithe, ever graceful, even as she neared ninety-years old.

Rami knew better than to mistake her for a fragile senior citizen. Nana, like him, was a Shifter. A revered Lioness in the Luani Pride. The very same Pride that made up most of the 135th Precinct where Rami worked as a detective sergeant.

His family tree had been guarding the streets of New York City, catering to the supernatural community, for almost as long as they’d lived in that brownstone. It all started with his great-great-uncle Haris, who’d journeyed from Syria in the late 1890s.

The Lion Shifter soon found a Pride within the new world, but he’d had to fight tooth and nail in a bloody challenge against two older, bigger males, a sort of Lion Shifter rite of passage, in order to join the established group. The Luani Pride welcomed him thereafter with open arms. They even invited him to join their human gang as well, aka the 135th Police Precinct for the NYPD.

Made sense, really. The supernatural world existed right alongside the human one. They needed the ability to enforce both sets of laws with authority and speed. Wearing a badge and uniform helped them do just that. None of the other cops paid much attention to what went on there. Nor did they question why the 135th’s beat seemed to cover all five boroughs. It simply was what it was.

Members of Rami’s family had served on the force ever since. Some had grown to old age gracefully with mates and cubs, others were taken from them far too soon. His heart grew tight as he took in his aging grandmother. She was all he had left of his immediate family. His father had died fifteen years ago on the job, and Mom had passed soon after. Nana said she died of a broken heart.

Something that affected more mated pairs than the supernatural world cared to admit. Since finding one’s fated mate was so rare, even thinking of the consequences of losing said mate was unacceptable behavior.

Rami didn’t know shit about fated mates. But he sure as hell missed his parents. Still, he had them when it counted. His childhood was filled with great memories of them. They were a unit, the three of them. Solid and strong. With Nana and Pop-pop there to help out.

His grandfather had only passed away a year ago, but he knew his grandmother missed her mate terribly. It was the reason the old woman was always harping on him to find one. A true mate, like she’d had. Like his parents had in each other.

Grrr.

His Lion perked up at the word, but Rami pushed the feline back down. No way. He was not having that discussion again.

“Here you go,” Nana said, and set a plate of eggs and crispy, fried bacon in front of him.

“Thank you, Nana,” he winked and set about eating what had to be a dozen perfectly scrambled eggs and an entire pound of thick-sliced, double-smoked bacon.

Yum.

“So, when are you gonna make me a great-grandmother?”

“Nana,” he mock growled, “I just want to eat.”

“Ha! And who will cook for you when I am gone?”

“Are you kidding? You don’t look a day over twenty-two,” he said, wiping his mouth with one of the thick paper napkins he grabbed out of the mesh holder.

He’d learned not to use his sleeve early in life. Besides, the napkin holder always seemed full in its permanent place atop the ancient oak table. The huge hunk of wood was older than both he and Nana combined. Sturdy enough to feed a table of rowdy young Lions, he had fond memories of sitting there in that kitchen. Those were the days.

The set had eight matching chairs, which were handy when one of his many cousins came to dinner. He knew his grandmother was anxious for him to fill the empty seats with cubs of his own, but what could he say? His beast had not taken a liking to any of the females he’d met at work or Pride gatherings. And he was just too busy to search amongst the other Shifters in the area.

“I got a letter from Cousin Patricia, her daughter Arianna just had another baby,” the sky old Lioness said with just the right inflection in her voice to make him feel guilty.

“Is that what you want, Nana? I should go get some girl pregnant?”

“What? No! I don’t say that! Fresh boy,” she snapped her sharp teeth, “I wonder though if you would know how,” she raised her eyebrows, and he blushed furiously.

Sure, he’d said it to tease her, and for the most part it worked. But ouch. She knew how to hit back. Besides, he would never truly sass the woman. She’d raised him, and he loved her for it. Still, his sex life was none of her business.

“Did you stop at the bakery this morning?” he asked, changing the subject.

She usually brought home goodies for him to take to the other Lions at work. Part of her daily routine of church and shopping. Same as always, she went daily in fact.

“Uh, not yet, Rami,” she said, and the box he thought he’d spied on the counter was somehow gone. Must have imagined it, he thought with a yawn.

“Too bad, I was gonna bring the captain some cornetti.”

“You should go, yourself. Get something nice for the boss and the others before you head in,” she said a little too nonchalantly.

He typically got a good read on people at first glance. But his grandmother knew all his tricks. She stood up and poured herself some tea, looking surprisingly innocent.

“Okay,” he replied, wondering what her game was, but giving up for now, “I have to go, Nana. Come, give me a hug.”

Rami always hugged or kissed his Nana, hello and goodbye. Public displays of affection were just a part of his daily life.

“You look so like your grandfather Leon,” she sighed and shook her head, “He would want to see you settled down too, my sweet boy. We just want you to be happy.”

“I know, Nana,” he kissed her on the forehead, “but I can’t make cubs without a mate, and I am not in the market for one. I like my life as is.”

“All you do is work, Rami. That is no life.”

“It is, Nana. A good life. My job is dangerous. Why would I take a mate just to subject her to that kind of constant worry?”

“Okay, you be a good boy, Rami. Don’t forget to go to D’Angelo’s Bakery on your way in. Stay safe,” she nodded approvingly after he’d finished washing his dish, a wide smile on her face.

He frowned as he dried the dish and utensils, putting them away before taking his leave. He was no slouch. Nana was great to him, but he knew how to clean up after himself. The cooking and laundry, well that was her prerogative. She knew he would hire out the day she said no more.

Still, he worried about the older woman. She looked older and genuinely concerned about him all of a sudden. Was she ill? He fucking hoped not. Shifters did not get sick very often, but it still happened. He made a mental note to make sure she went to see her physician asap.

As for a mate, what could he say? He was a cop. The job was it for him. There was no way he would take a mate. He just couldn’t see bringing that kind of worry and pain into some poor female’s life. Especially when he wasn’t all in to begin with. How could he be when the job was his life?

That level of selfishness was not in him. Rami Llewellyn’s blood ran blue. Sure, he liked women. Loved them in fact. But he had a responsibility. He was married to the job. That was enough for him.

It had to be.