Ballad and Blade (Destiny’s Edge)

A prequel in the Destinys Edge universe.

Widowed for four years and raising her son alone, Tamaka needs an escape from her loneliness and the crushing weight of her responsibilities. When she meets a charming young human bard in a tavern, she seizes the chance to be someone else for a night. Hes moving on to the next kingdom in the morning, after all. She can indulge her long-suppressed desires without worrying that shell ever need to see him again.

Anslo is a traveling bard, no entanglements to tie him down. Hes happy to spend a night with a beautiful orc woman and then be on his way. But he cant stop thinking about Tam, the fire and passion in her touch, the secret sadness in her eyes. Over a single night, she turns him inside out. Despite how hard he tries to forget her, he finds himself returning to the orc kingdom, hoping to see her again.

But his lovely Tam has been keeping far more secrets than he could have guessed. She is a widow with a child, the ruler of all the orcs and pregnant with Anslos baby. Anslo had never planned to settle down and raise a family. He doesnt know the first thing about being a father. But his heart cant let Tamaka go, and hes willing to do whatever he must to be worthy of her.

(Ballad and Blade is a monster romance with a dominant heroine and bisexual hero. It can be read alone, or with the rest of the series in any order, though some elements of the book will be enhanced by first reading Seed.)