There's always something good to read on Cover Reveals: Seth by Lisa Carlisle

Seth
by Lisa Carlisle
Highland Gargoyles Book Four
Seth, wolf shifter and beta of his island's pack, had his life planned out. He'd mate with the alpha's daughter and eventually they'd rule the pack with her. When she chooses another shifter as her mate, his pride his is wounded and future with the pack is threatened. Lost and betrayed, he sets off to find his destiny — or die trying.

Hailey, a park ranger in the Scottish Highlands, is on a mission to save wolves — including the one she rescues from a watery grave. When she treats the wolf's injury, she's in for the surprise of her life.

Seth knows better than to trust a human — even one as irresistible as curvy, principled Hailey. Before long, he's not just struggling to survive — he's struggling to resist his attraction to Hailey. His wolf promotes a course of action that would change his destiny and put his life in danger. What's a wolf to do when his heart interferes with his pride?

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Content/Theme(s): Shifters, Park Ranger, Wolves, Highlands, Scottish
Release Date: December 2, 2016
Publisher: Indie

Excerpt & More

Seth and Hailey's romance is a wolf shifter story in the Highland Gargoyles series. Each book in the series features a romance between a new couple and can be read on its own, however, they are best enjoyed read in this order:
Knights of Stone: Mason
Knights of Stone: Lachlan
Knights of Stone: Bryce
Seth
Purchase link(s): Amazon ARe iTunes Kobo Google B&N
Excerpt:
Seth couldn’t stay here any longer. His future here as alpha was destroyed. He had to leave the pack.

After he’d regained his breath, he retrieved his red kilt from a branch in the forest. For several hours, he stayed in the fringes of wolf territory, stalking through the forest while he kept an eye on the comings and goings of his packmates in the cluster of homes that they used in human form. When the opportunity arose to talk to Ian alone, Seth approached his alpha by stepping outside his stone cottage.

“Seth,” Ian greeted him warmly. “We’ve been wondering when we’d see you again.”

Sure. Raina was likely dancing on stars hoping that Seth was out of the picture so she could cavort with Lachlan without guilt. That was all he’d sensed during their last few encounters—her guilt.

“I came to tell you one thing,” he addressed Ian. “I’m leaving the pack.”

“Come now, Seth, you’re acting too rashly,” Ian said with concern. “Things are awkward right now. But with time, it will work out.”

“No,” Seth declared as he scanned the brick and stone houses of his packmates. He’d made his decision. “I’ve considered it long enough. The best solution is that I leave.”

“Seth, if it’s about you and Raina—”

“It’s not,” he cut Ian off, not wanting to discuss that sensitive topic. “I no longer want to be part of this pack.”

Ian exhaled as he rolled his shoulders back. “I understand. Life doesn’t often go as we plan.”

Ian’s voice conveyed a wistful edge. Seth forgot his pain as he recognized Ian’s. His mate had been killed. Seth and Raina were both young cubs at the time, but old enough to see how it had ripped their alpha apart.

“Where will you go?” Ian asked.

That was a bloody good question. He scanned the wolf pack’s territory with houses, woods, and open space that allowed the shifters to live their dual lives as human and wolves. The only world he knew.

“I’ll find somewhere.”

“You need to be careful out there, Seth. There’s a reason our pack moved to the isle. It’s dangerous for shifters in a human’s world.”

Ian’s warning gave Seth a moment’s hesitation. The little he knew about humans wasn’t favorable.

“Is there some way I can help you?” Ian added.

“I need to do this on my own.”

Ian nodded. “Say goodbye to the others before you go.”

Like Raina? He gritted his teeth while picturing the relief on her face. “I will tonight.”

After leaving Ian, Seth hunted and returned to the coast late that afternoon. The reflection of the trees and leaves on the water’s surface morphed. He groaned. It was like his future—what had once been so clear was now as clouded as the distorted echoes before him.

As soon as he stepped from the pebbled shore into the ocean, the cool waters invigorated him. As he swam and turned over his shoulder to glance at the dark forests and rugged cliffs on the isle, relief swept through him for the first time in days. Like he was leaving his problems behind.

He swam for that elusive point where the sky met the sea. When he tired, he floated, before continuing. His biceps burned, but he powered on, eager to increase the distance between himself and the pack. He tried to figure out a plan. Where would he go? He’d grown up on this isle. Starting off somewhere new would be a challenge.

His options for sailing from the island were limited. He’d have to use one of the pack’s boats. That meant asking them for help—not an enticing prospect.

He lost track of time the farther he swam from the Isle of Stone. When he turned back, it was no longer visible. A moment of panic struck. His wolf cocked its head, closely monitoring the situation. He was in the middle of the ocean and nobody knew where he was. Fueled by stubborn wolf pride, he might have acted too rashly. For several frantic heartbeats, his mind raced over the options. One that repeated itself was to continue swimming.

Aye, that was the best option. It would be foolish to turn back now when he’d likely traveled miles from the isle. Sure, he told Ian he’d say goodbye to his packmates, but did it really matter? He’d been closest to Ian and Raina, and he’d already told Ian his plans. Why return to the place he was itching to leave? He’d already gone so far, he should keep swimming to the next isle, which had to be closer than turning back.

He could do it. He was an excellent swimmer. Humans swam the English Channel, and he was a wolf shifter with far greater endurance, abilities, and tolerance for cold. Since it was still summer, the water temperature wasn’t brutal. Armed with his new resolve, he powered on, hammering through the waves. He now felt as light as the clouds above, not so despondent about what lay ahead.

As the time stretched, the buoyant feeling disappeared. In the deep ocean, the coolness of the water pierced with a bite. His limbs grew heavy and his movements slowed. And still there was no land in view.

He took a moment to rest, floating on his back and searching the sky above. Panting with a racing heart, he had to calm the rising panic. The hovering clouds morphed and reshaped into different images. One looked like a sheep. Another a rabbit. Och, conjuring images of food. Now wasn’t the time to think of hunger, but staying afloat. When his body’s systems relaxed, he flipped back onto his stomach. He had to keep going, powering on. The alternative was to give up…

No, he wouldn’t think of it.

With his energy depleted, his movements grew erratic. His limbs, as heavy as ice, threatened to weigh him down.

When the next wave approached, he lacked the energy to adjust and sank beneath it, gulping a lungful of sea water. With frantic motions, he beat through the water. He choked, gasping for air as the salty liquid burned his throat.

His wolf clawed at him inside, desperate to take over and give them a chance. The fur would help insulate him. He initiated the shift to wolf form.

The shift only gave him a temporary respite from the cold and fatigue. Within minutes, he was back in a precarious state, hovering between sinking and swimming.

A painful burst exploded like fireworks blasting across his thigh. He howled as the saltwater intensified the sting.

He thrashed at the water, yelping, as he struggled to stay afloat, while his leg grew heavy and sluggish. A cloud above appeared to sneer at him. He’d swear it was a face—perhaps a bloody gargoyle or one of his packmates. Whatever it was enjoyed Seth’s struggle, savoring it with a sinister grin.
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