Embracing the Leopard

Animal Attraction #2

by Michelle Houston

Born of leopard shifter parents, Erik had always known his feelings for other men weren’t natural for his kind. Caught between two worlds, his desires for another man and his animal within, he has chosen to be alone rather than surround himself with what he cannot have.

Then Brandon comes into his life, and he discovers a whole new way of looking at things, and of embracing both halves of his nature.

Genres: M M Romance, Shapeshifters, Romance, Paranormal, M M Shapeshifters, Gay, Short Stories

21 pages, ebook

First published June 1, 2009

About the author

Born to ride on the back of dragons, to journey among the stars in a ship traveling faster than light, or to dance the night away in the arms of a mysterious vampire, Michelle Houston willingly shares the worlds in her mind in an effort to bring them to life.

Writing everything from short and sweet stories, to hot and spicy tales of kink, from contemporary tales of erotic romance to erotica romances featuring Greek gods, vampires and were-creatures, she has crossed sexualities and has gone wherever her mental muse has guided her, a journey she has never regretted.

As for the more mundane details: Michelle is a Sagittarius, born in the Chinese zodiac Year of the Horse. She currently resides in the Midwest US with her husband and daughter. Michelle has a love of the natural world around us (except for insects, spiders, snakes, scorpions, and she reserves the right to add more at any time). She's one of those people that actually liked Biology in High School, and enjoys learning about all things science.

In other words, she is an ordinary woman with an imagination that is only held in bounds by how fast she can type.

Reviews

[Elisa Rolle]

This is only a short story, less than 20 pages, but it surprised me with the ability to have an unexpected but well developed turn right in the middle.

At the beginning of the story Erik is a leopard shifter who decided to live alone in a property in the wood since he was tired to mourn the lack of a mate. Erik is gay and he loves his pack, he loves his enlarged family made of his brothers, sisters and nephews, but he was tired to be "pointed out" how the unmated leopard. There were no other gay leopard in the pack and in the end Erik chose to stay alone.

Then one night he sees a man swimming in the lake near his home. Erik smells another shifter leopard and decides to make friends; the other man, Brandon, is younger and apparently skittish, but when Erik lets the guard down, Brandon unveils a stronger core and a very alpha attitude. It is not a chance encounter, and Brandon has his own plan on Erick.

The sudden change in Brandon's behavior is reflected in Erik; Erik is older and a strong leopard, but he is a beta, he needs the lead of an alpha man, and living along, he misses that leader. Apparently Brandon is not the right man, he is too young and not enough forceful, but Brandon is playing a role, like a nymph in the wood who is enthralling a passerby with his singing and the otherworldly beauty of his body.

Then the story moves on to an very hot sexual encounter that seal their budding relationship, and from the encounter you can already see how that relationship will be and who will play the top. In the end, a real "bravo" to the author to pack all of that in only 20 pages.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BY76M8/?...

[Jimmy Hanson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very schmexy short, full of dominance, pheromones, and a briefly shared history. As with the previous short in this series, I felt it would have been better to just be a little longer - maybe 5K wc more? Enough to smooth the transition over instead of just - BAM! They're together! - and give a little more feel to the characters themselves.

[Ro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really wish the animal attraction books were longer. They are really good and I'd love for the world to be expanded.

[Ryoma Gartre · Rating 2 out of 5]

it was ok, not as good as the first, Erick would have been a better top.