Lora Leigh's Musings: August 2009

Bengal's Heart by Lora Leigh Available Today - Excerpt!

"BENGAL'S HEART will make you laugh, possibly cry. It will keep you on the edge of your seat with the twists and turns of an innovative plotline. The love scenes are raw and earthy and simply filled with passion." Natalie ~ Romance Junkies

Bengal's Heart by Lora Leigh

ISBN: 0425229025

Publisher: Berkley (Available August 4, 2009)

Reporter Cassa Hawkins has always supported Breed rights--especially in light of a specimen like Cabal St. Laurents, the epitome of the male animal. But when the Breeds are incriminated in a series of violent murders, it's left to Cassa and Cabal to discover the truth before they become prey.

EXCERPT from Bengal's Heart by Lora Leigh ©...(unedited)

He stumbled. Weakness rushed through him.

He'd lost too much blood. His strength was depleted. There was nothing left but the aching rage, the agony of loss and the taste of defeat. He had sworn to save them, and because of this woman's thoughtlessness, because of her trust in the wrong man, he had lost everything he had held dear to himself.

He stumbled, going nearly to his knees before he caught himself. Swaying, he forced himself upright as the sliding metal doors into the control room were pushed open, and the scent of breeds filled the room.

There was no threat, no feeling of danger. The animal inside himself recognize the animals pushing into the blood filled room. The rescue forces the scientists had been so worried about. Headed by a breed that even the Genetics Council was rumored to fear, Jonas Wyatt.

Cabal lifted his head and stared back at them, noting their expressions of disbelief at the sight of the male dying on the floor and the female staring up at him with equal parts fear and anger.

She recognized him for the animal he was, and she knew he had stamped her with his ownership. She would walk his line and by all that was holy he would ensure that she paid the price for ever allowing another to touch her.

He almost stopped in shock at that thought. He would have, except one of the men stepped for the woman. His hand reach out to grip her arm, to pull her to her feet. And Cabal was there.

He locked his fingers around the man's wrist and snarled out a warning. A primal, feral sound that had the female flinching.

What was this imperative need inside him? What had the animal pushing forward once again in rage where this woman was concerned. He should want her out of his sight, out of his mind. Never did he want to have to think of the horrors he had faced here or the mutilations that had occurred within that devils pit of death.

He could still smell the blood of his family. They shared his blood.Each of them, created of the same DNA of the same Bengal, created of the sperm from the same donor. They were true family. Blood family. And he had lost them all.

"Mine," he hissed back at the other breed male, ignoring the arrogance, the dominance in the swirling gray eyes that stared back at him. "Her debt belongs to me."

The male looked from his wrist where Cabal held him firmly, then back to his eyes. There was an edge of danger in those silver eyes. An edge of pure, primal command. The scent of it was in the air, the strength and power of the animal he faced would be one he would be hard pressed to defeat, even at full strength.

"You're wrong." The dark, even tone had the hairs at the back of Cabal's neck lifting in warning. "You're hurt, and weak, Bengal," he said softly. "I'll let this one go. But she's not one you can use, and she's not one you can harm."

"Her debt is mine," he hissed again, baring his canines as he pushed his face closer to the other breeds. Nearly nose to nose now, the battle of wills was one Cabal feared he may well lose if pushed. But he would fight. He would fight to his last drop of blood.

"She owes no debt," the other warned him, his voice lowering further. "Don't make this mistake."

Cabal's gaze moved to her husband and back to the breed male determined to stand in his way now.

"She trusted him." His tongue felt thick, awkward. "She touched him, followed him. He betrayed you all." There was a sneer in his voice now. The bastard would have never betrayed him. Cabal would have smelled the scent of his deceit from the first meeting. He would have never allowed such a creature to live.

"Her debt is not his," the other repeated.

"She is mine!" Cabal snapped in reply. "Interfere with this breed and you'll die."

He could smell the weapons trained on him, sensed the other breeds as they watched the confrontation.