Keeper of the Light
Wicked River 1

Professional Reviews

4.5 CHERRIES: "How could fate be so cruel to mate two loving males to a female who is married to another man? The sense of injustice on a cosmic scale was palpable in Gabrielle Evans' Keeper of the Light. This book is a great introduction to the manlove genre for those who are curious, and is a fantastic example of the idea that love is love no matter what form it takes. Ryah, Damon, and Tate are the main characters in this love story and their connection is defined almost immediately. Tough issues like domestic violence are dealt with and it was amazing how these men defended Ryah without question time and again. I've added a “forced seduction” tag because there are parts in the book where abusive scenarios are recounted by Ryah as a memory of times with her husband. There are several different types of sex scenes portrayed here; all are off the charts in heat level. The manlove was smoking hot in the beginning of the book and quite naturally evolved to include the female element as the story progressed. There were a couple of scenes toward the end of the book that had really rough sex that seemed unloving at first. As the plot continued, it became evident that they were necessary for the story line and future books. To say any more would reveal too much. There are several different types of paranormal beings in this story. Some were familiar: vampires and werewolves; some were new and the rules surrounding these new beings were interesting and original. If you are looking for a unique and original new series by a fantastic author, I gladly recommend Keeper of the Light. The romance, angst, and happily ever after were wonderfully brought together with a creativeness that has the Wicked River series on my must read list. I'll end with my favorite quote from this lovely book, “Who’d have ever thought,” he mused, “that a couple of demons like us would be granted the love of such perfect angels?” -- Edelweiss, Whipped Cream Reviews

Excerpt

STORY EXCERPT

Damon held his composure, but on the inside, he whooped like a kid on Christmas morning. “You are our mate, Ryah. We wouldn’t ask if we didn’t want you.” He brushed her lips softly with his own.

Ryah nodded and turned to Tate, apparently seeking confirmation.

Tate’s smile lit up his entire face. “Don’t look at me, little girl. I would have had you in our bed from the get go. We just wanted you to feel comfortable, and we figured you needed your own space to do it.”

Ryah slung her arms around his neck and planted a brief, but searing, kiss on his lips. “I love you,” she whispered when she pulled away.

“Love you too,” he responded dazedly.

“Hey, what about me?” Damon pouted.

“Oh well, I suppose I love you as well,” she quipped.

“You suppose?” He gawked at the woman in front of him.

“Well, Tate is cuter. I guess you have your uses as well, though. I mean, we do need someone around to lift the heavy stuff.” She winked at him then giggled as she took off running down the hall.

Tate laughed so hard he had to prop himself against the wall to keep from falling over. “Don’t worry, big guy. I guess I love you, too,” he gasped around his chuckles.

Damon didn’t know what to do. His mates were ganging up on him, and he had a feeling he better get used to it. Honestly, he found it cute and fun. “Asshole,” he mumbled to Tate as he took off down the hall after his other mischievous mate. “Ryah, you little shit, get your ass back here.” Though he tried for commanding, he couldn’t keep the laughter from his voice.

Ryah hurried back down the hallway, coming to a stop right in front of him, and bouncing on her toes. She held her hands behind her back and looked up at him innocently. “You bellowed?”

It warmed his heart to watch her flirting with him, teasing him. She possessed none of the scared mouse look from when they had first met her. Gone was the terrified and disbelieving woman that had run screaming from the garage. She looked like a regular brat.  

“You have about two seconds to give me a kiss and proper pledge of love, or I’m going to bend you over my knee.” Damon arched a brow at his little mate. “I’m waiting.”

Ryah tilted her head to the side and contemplated him. “Well, now a spanking does sound pretty kinky. Decisions, decisions,” she muttered, shaking her head.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. “Why don’t you give me a kiss now,” he whispered huskily, “and we’ll see about that spanking tomorrow?”

Ryah’s head tipped back on her shoulders, and she smiled. “I like the way you think, Mr. Lewis.” Then she twined her arms around his neck and rose up to give him a kiss that melted him on the spot.

“Get a room.” Tate chuckled as he walked up behind them, wrapped his arms around Damon’s waist, and pressed his chest to Damon’s back. “Preferably ours.”

Ryah pulled away from Damon’s mouth and looked over his shoulder at Tate. “You can sleep on the couch,” she said casually.

Tate jerked back, unwinding his arms from Damon’s waist, and stepping around him. “What the hell for?” he demanded.

Ryah didn’t back down. She put her hands on her hips and glared right back. “Because you, Mr. Jennings, left a sink full of dishes this morning, water all over the bathroom floor, and I found your smelly socks in the couch cushions again.”

He looked properly chastised and bowed his head. “Sorry, baby,” he mumbled. “I’ll do the dishes first thing in the morning.”

Damon bit the inside of his cheek so hard he actually tasted blood. Ryah’s little temper tantrums were funny as hell when not directed at him.

“Yes, you will. I still think you need to sleep on the couch and think about what you’ve done. I don’t bust my hump around here just so you can dirty it up again.”

Tate still stared at the floor, so he missed the quick smile and wink Ryah threw at Damon. He held on to his composure by sheer willpower.

Tate finally looked up at her, his eyes pleading. “Aw, come on, baby. I don’t want to sleep on the couch.” He turned his attention to Damon. “Damon, tell her to let me sleep with you guys. This isn’t fair.”

Damon had to look away. He was seconds away from losing it. “That’s up to Ryah,” he managed to get out without cracking up.

Tate dropped to his knees and placed his hands on her hips. “You are so pretty, and smart, too. You smell good, and your skin is really nice. Come on, have a heart. Please,” he pleaded. “I’ll take you shopping tomorrow.”

Ryah narrowed her eyes. “What kind of shopping?”

He perked up immediately. “Anything you want, baby. Clothes, shoes, purses, make up. We’ll even go and get your hair done.”

She pulled the ends of her long ebony hair through her fingers. “What’s wrong with my hair?” she asked icily.

Tate looked horrified. “Nothing, nothing is wrong. It’s beautiful, perfect even. I just thought girls liked that kind of stuff.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Coming out of his daydream, he realized the shrieks and giggles had turned to pants and moans. His mates were naked, wrapped around each other in a sensual kiss that had Damon’s cock hardening in seconds flat.

Stripping out of his clothing, he made his way quietly to the pair, pressing against Tate’s back. “Want you,” he whispered against the back of his neck.

Caught up in caring for Ryah while she suffered through her heat, he hadn’t taken Tate in more than a week. He craved his mate’s tight ass, the closeness they shared when he was buried balls deep inside Tate’s body.

“Yes, please,” came a deep moan in response. To Damon’s surprise, the plea came from Ryah, not Tate.

“Slut,” Damon joked.

“You bet.” She giggled back.

“Do it, Damon. I just want to watch.”

“Ryah, are you hurting?” Tate, always the caretaker.

She smiled and kissed his lips. “I’ll be fine, baby. I want to watch my two gorgeous mates love each other.”

Tate growled, pushing back against Damon, grinding his ass on Damon’s naked cock. “Pick a chair, babe.”

Damon had to blink several times before he could focus long enough to make it to one of the kitchen chairs. He sat down, waiting expectantly for whatever Tate had planned for him. He spread his thighs invitingly, rubbing his hands over his pebbled nipples and down his taut stomach. He crooked a finger, leering at his mate.

Tate climbed up into his lap, pressing their lips together and gyrating his hips. “Dammit,” he cursed, breaking the kiss. “Forgot the slick.”

Before Tate could move, a small bottle of lube sailed over Damon’s shoulder, smacking Tate in the chest. “Covered,” Ryah panted from behind him.

Damn, he adored that girl, especially, when she started laving kisses along his neck and shoulders. She nipped at his skin, lightly at first, then hard enough to bruise.

Damon let his head fall back, capturing Ryah’s lips and sucking her tongue into his mouth. They dueled, their tongues slipping and probing, each fighting for dominance. He appreciated that Ryah didn’t simply roll over and submit to him. Who’d have thought?

He almost came unglued when Tate’s long fingers wrapped around his shaft, and he impaled himself in one quick motion.

Damon ripped his mouth away from Ryah, turning quickly to look down at the place where his body met with Tate’s. Tate didn’t even take time to acclimate himself to Damon’s girth, just rose up and plunged down again.

He claimed Damon’s mouth, biting at his lips, thrusting his tongue in to explore the depths awaiting him. Then Ryah joined, her tongue slipping into the three-way kiss, her slender fingers wrapping around Tate’s cock. She stroked him quickly, even giving a little twist around the head just the way Damon knew his man liked.

The tastes, smells, sensations coursing through his body swirled and combined, until he knew he couldn’t last. Not even a whole minute into it, and Damon fought not to blow his load.

“Not gonna last,” he warned.

All movement stopped. Damon groaned in frustration, his dick so hard it throbbed painfully inside Tate’s clenching ass. “Not done with you yet.” Tate smirked. “Climb up Ryah,” he said with a wink. “I believe I won our little bet the other morning.”

Ryah looked blank for a moment then broke into a purely predatory grin. “Lie back, darlin’,” she drawled.

Damon tried desperately to not swallow his tongue when Tate leaned back, resting his shoulders on the table. It became a near miss when Ryah crawled up on the table on all fours, straddling Tate’s face and lowering herself to meet his questing tongue.

Her sweet moan caused Damon’s cock to jump inside its sheath, pulling a ragged groan from Tate. They were trying to kill him, Damon was certain of it. Ryah peeked over her shoulder, her eyes smoldering at him, and he gulped audibly.

Move. He needed to move. The pressure in his balls built, his dick pulsed, demanding release. He surged forward, setting off a chain reaction of moans and whimpers.

Steadily pumping in and out of Tate’s tight body, Damon eyed the enticing sight of Ryah’s pink, quivering hole. Releasing his hold on Tate’s hips, he leaned forward, parting the globes of her perfect bottom to get a better look.

His mouth watered as he watched her snug entrance clench and relax. He licked his lips once before closing his mouth over the sweet pucker. Ryah cried out, pushing into his mouth as Tate managed to rock back on his dick.

Damon swirled his tongue around the wrinkled hole, loving the taste of his girl. He continued lavishing attention to Ryah’s hungry ass, groaning at Tate’s assault on his cock.

“Gonna,” Tate gasped out, letting his head fall back to thump against the table.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Ryah panted. She moved forward, spinning quickly and almost diving off the table. She straddled Tate’s face again, leaning down over his body, bracing her hands on the top of Damon’s thighs. She dipped her head, swallowing Tate’s cock to the root.