Devinmar: God of Litha: Sons of Herne, #5

By J. Rose Allister

Your next book boyfriend should be a god!

She was saved from drowning by an act of god…a seductive, smoking hot god.

It is the time of Litha, when Devinmar, god of the sabbat, will rise from the sea to mate with a human female and unleash the powers of the deep. His visit to shore comes a day early, however, when he rescues a stunning beauty from drowning under suspicious circumstances.

Hallie wakes up on a beach after being rescued by the most exotically gorgeous man she has ever seen. Believing Devinmar is an exceptional hunk of male is no stretch, but falling for his stories about selkie legends and pagan gods is something else. Still, she can’t help but give into the temptation of a sea god whose long hair, exquisite beauty, and intense stare beckons.

When Devinmar returns to make Hallie his sabbat consort, he discovers she has been taken by those responsible for her near drowning. Getting her back could mean failing in his duty to the sabbat, but he goes after her nevertheless. He’ll use the powers of the deep to make her safe again—even knowing that once their midsummer’s night has ended, he will be forced to leave her behind and return to the sea.

About the Sons of Herne series:

The god Herne has appointed eight of his most virile, headstrong sons as keepers of the pagan holidays. To honor their sabbat, each must join with a mortal female in a ritual to maintain the balance between worlds.

It is the year of The Thousand Seasons, and the Fates have secretly conspired to mark the end of an era by granting the gods one thing they lack--a true union of male and female that will last well beyond the fleeting passion of a sabbat joining.

Herne’s sons will wrestle with the conflict between sacred duty and their own yearnings, a struggle that will not only challenge their beliefs, but may threaten the success of rituals that must be observed lest the realms of mortal and immortal collide in chaos.

This is Book 5 of the Sons of Herne series.  Although the tales can be read as standalone romance, there is an overall plot arc that is best served by reading them in order. This series features pagan sex rituals, so if you prefer your romance sweet and behind closed doors, this one's not for you!

The series books in order:

1. Dominus: God of Yule (free)
2. Eradimus: God of Imbolc (subscriber exclusive)
3. Tallisun: God of Ostara
4. Jorandil: God of Beltane
5. Devinar: God of Litha
6. Feillor: God of Lammas
7. Anduron: God of Mabon
8. Archipellus: God of Samhain

• Language: English
• Publisher: J. Rose Allister
• Release date: Jul 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781533759429

Book preview

List of the Pagan Sabbats

WHILE THE RITUALS AND situations created for this series are purely fiction, they are based on actual holidays observed by a number of pagan paths. The eight pagan sabbats take place on or between an equinox or solstice. Dates vary based on the sun and hemisphere. Some pagans consider Yule the beginning of their year, while others begin with Samhain. For the purpose of this series, I used the Northern Hemisphere and Yule as the starting point.

Yule

(Dec 20-23) Winter Solstice, longest night of the year. A celebration of the rebirth of the sun, as the days will now get longer. Yule logs, wassail, and mistletoe are traditional, as is the holly king, who some believe is part of the Santa Claus legend.

Imbolc

(Feb 1-2) Also called Candlemas or St. Brighid’s Day. A time when ewes bring forth lambs, meaning spring is coming. Sacred to the goddess Brighid. Candles, St. Brighid crosses, and priapic wands are common associations.

Ostara

(Mar 20-23) During the Spring Equinox. Sacred to Eostre, lunar goddess. Spring has arrived, and new life is celebrated. Eggs, rabbits and flowers are traditional.

Beltane

(Apr 30-May 1) A sabbat honoring fertility. Summer arrives, when the god and goddess consummate their union and conceive life. Dancing around the maypole, bonfires, handfastings, and sexual revelry are common traditions.

Litha

(Jun 20-22) Summer Solstice or Midsummer. Longest day of the year. Said to be a time of high magic, especially among fairy lore. (Remember A Midsummer Night’s Dream?) The sun is at its strongest, but will weaken as it gives way to the darker half of the year.

Lammas

(Jul 31-Aug 1) Also called Lughnasadh, after the god Lugh (pronounced: Loo). The first of three harvest sabbats, it is a time to begin reaping what has been sown. Baking bread, corn dolls, and wheat are common traditions and symbols.

Mabon

(Sep 21-23) Fall Equinox. The pagan thanksgiving and second harvest sabbat. Crops are almost fully gathered now, many of which have been stored and turned into ciders, jams, and other goods. Named for the god Mabon, known for freeing captives.

Samhain

(Oct 31) Halloween/All Hallows. Summer is gone and dark days approach. The veil between worlds is thin, meaning spirits of departed souls may cross over/communicate. Apples, black cats, Jack-o-Lanterns, and brooms are common.

DEVINMAR: GOD OF LITHA

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PRIMAL URGES STIRRED, a restless hunger that attacked without warning, pulsing deep in Devinmar’s body. Were he in human form, his cock would rise, stiff and waiting, staying more or less in that erect state until he had fulfilled his purpose.

At the moment, however, he was not in human form.

Powerful swishes of his fluke sent him deeper, down to the inky depths and back up again. His dolphin body flew through the ocean like a bird in the jet stream, graceful, carefree, mated only to the power of the sea through which he glided. No other force on this world or the next could arouse such pleasure in him, not even the calling his body responded to now, telling him in no uncertain terms that another year had passed. The time approached when he would return to land, for a single night, to mate with a human female.

Within the slit that housed his dolphin genitals, he felt the tingling, the heat that would trigger mating aggression, should the demigod allow it. He had more control over his animal form than he did his humanoid one, at least when it came time for the sabbat ritual of midsummer. Then, he would be compelled to do the one duty expected of him by the realm he rarely visited. But as he was half selkie, he pushed those thoughts aside. He preferred the sea.

A whirring sound distracted him from his thoughts, and he rolled his body before changing course toward it. The drone grew louder, a chorus of humming bleats from a motor that could use some serious maintenance. Devinmar drew alongside, pulling into the wake from the sides of the craft churning below the surface. He stayed hidden, keeping his dorsal fin underwater, amusing himself for a few moments by matching course. At least, that was the plan.

A weight slammed into the surface of the water, square onto Devinmar’s back. He spun out of the boat’s path with the dolphin equivalent of a surprised cry, and the large bulk that had collided with him fell away into the darkness. Stunned as he was, Devinmar floated for a short time, getting his bearings.

What the devil was that? He poked his head above water, blowing out his air hole and watching the white boat disappear in a tumult of churning sea foam. They had lost something important, judging by the size, but the boat gave no indication of turning back. The item perhaps had no value.

Or maybe they had dumped it on purpose.

Curious and a bit outraged at the thought, he dove back underwater, shooting straight down after the abandoned item. His dolphin eyes were not acute enough to see that far, but sounding ahead with sonar turned up a startling fact, one that sped his heart. He tried sonar again, confirming his theory.

The bundle was human.

Devinmar dove faster, his powerful muscles straining to catch up with the sinking human. It was a female, unconscious, and bound with some sort of wide, flat rope. No. Tape. He tried twice to get hold of her with his broad mouth, both cursing his current form and feeling grateful for it. God or not, he would never get her to the surface as a man, but hands would have been helpful. He caught hold of her with a firm grip and rose, pulling her against the forces of nature, higher until he could see the light rippling at the ocean surface. They broke through, him with a fierce blast from his blow hole. The woman made no gasping sounds. He had little time, if in fact it wasn’t too late already. Alternating between using his snout and teeth to keep her head above the whitecaps as much as possible, he pressed for the shore. His jaw ached from dragging her to the surface over