Under Starlight

By Kassandra Lea

In a forgotten part of the city, where unusual beings are free to be themselves, werewolf police officer Warden searches for his boyfriend, Tate. With help from Snap, an odd little fellow and Tate's assistant, Warden descends into the trolls' den to find Tate. Knowing Tate is a feared inhabitant -- if not unofficial ruler -- of the Underground, Warden can only imagine the way things will play out if he isn’t found.

Tate knows all about magic, and he knows trolls don't generally possess it. Upon discovering a doorway, he's captured and held prisoner. Now his only hope is Warden, who wears the key to Tate's freedom. But freedom comes with a price, and Tate makes a tough decision to ensure the trolls never cause problems again.

• Language: English
• Publisher: JMS Books LLC
• Release date: Jul 8, 2017
• ISBN: 9781634864053

Kassandra Lea

Kassandra Lea’s stories have appeared in a number of anthologies. She lives in southern Wisconsin. For more information, visit facebook.com/leakassie.

Book preview

Under Starlight

By Kassandra Lea

Published by JMS Books LLC at Smashwords

Visit jms-books.com for more information.

Copyright 2017 Kassandra Lea

ISBN 9781634864053

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Cover Design: Written Ink Designs | written-ink.com

Image(s) used under a Standard Royalty-Free License.

All rights reserved.

WARNING: This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work and violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.

This book is for ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It may contain sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which might be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where they cannot be accessed by minors.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Published in the United States of America.

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Under Starlight

By Kassandra Lea

Chapter 1

Tate yawned, stretching his hands high above his head. Sunrise was an hour or two out still, and he’d spent the better portion of the night helping a family of dwarves get settled in their new apartment. Two stories above ground was a bit of a change, especially when they were used to living in mountains or underground. But the Underground, the collection of rundown buildings across the river from the proper city, didn’t have much in the way of subterranean dwellings. Tate did the best he could, with a promise to find something more suitable.

He did know of one place…

Shaking his head, Tate drove the matter from his mind. Later, he could see to it later. Wandering from the bedroom toward the balcony, he caught a brief reflection of himself. Upon returning home, he stripped bare, ditching his clothes in the hamper as dwarves always smelled musty. He was buck naked, from the very tips of his velvety antlers to the bottoms of his feet. And he stepped outside that way, relaxing as the cool air caressed his flesh. In that moment, he allowed himself to pretend he was back home and not lost in this forsaken mortal world. He could almost hear the melodious tune of the sunjays as they greeted the new day, smell the strong perfume of the night-blooming flowers as they shot off one last hooray before closing up until the stars reappeared.

But when he opened his eyes, Tate was greeted with the now familiar sight of red brick buildings, some splattered with graffiti, and weedy, cracked pavement. Across the inky waters, he saw the twinkling lights of the city.

And he loathed it.

Perhaps it was time to pick a place to plant a proper garden, a green space to help those trapped here feel at least a bit cheerier. Yes, that sounded like an exquisite plan.

Feeling his soul rejuvenated, the horizon turning lighter with each passing second, Tate took to performing the fluid movements of his morning yoga routine, ever mindful not to get an antler stuck in the balcony railing; doing that once was more than