by Shea Balik

In a world where everyone was against them, they needed a Miracle. What no one had expected was to find their salvation in an abandoned town that was ready to collapse. Yet, that is exactly what happened when they moved to the town of Miracle, Oregon.

There were some sins that could never be forgiven and Gawain York had more than his share burdening his soul. It was for that reason he wasn’t surprised when someone hunted him down to make him pay for his crimes. What he didn’t expect was for that person to be his mate.

Koen Dirks was stunned when the man he’d come to kill ended up being his mate. What had he done in his life for fate to allow this to happen? Mate or not, he wasn’t going to change his mind about Gawain after all the man had done to ruin the lives of so many shifters.

Can Gawain’s past ever be forgiven? Does Koen even want to, or is he willing to lose the one man fate had made just for him? Can Miracle pull off its usual magic and have these men Finding Absolution?

PLEASE NOTE: Although each book in this series focuses on one couple and their HEA, the overall story arc is better enjoyed if read in order.

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“Sorry to drag you all here once more but I suspect this won’t be the last time.”  Saber sat at the head of the table staring each member of the Council in the eyes, as if daring them to say anything about the fact that this was their tenth trip to Miracle in as many months.

Considering the shambles the shifter world was in when they took over the Council, Koen Dirks was impressed it hadn’t been more.  It only went to show how strong of a leader Saber was that he’d been able to provide a sense of stabilization so quickly, especially when they were reversing the majority of laws the old Council had put into place.

It didn’t hurt that Saber and the rest of the Council had done their best to visit as many shifter groups as possible to ensure the new laws were being upheld.  As a gay fox shifter, Koen understood just how unjust the old laws had been.

Not only had it been illegal for anyone to be gay in their world, but many groups had been wiped out for daring to speak out against the old Council and it’s Chief, Refugio.  His own den had taken in refugees from a scurry of squirrel shifters, whose only crime had been to allow its members to be with their fated mates, no matter their sex.

It had nearly caused his home den to be put on the list for execution when the Council assumed they’d been involved in helping the scurry.  Fortunately, Koen’s alpha had been too smart for the Council.  He’d been planning their escape for decades when Refugio had killed the former Chief and taken his place.

His alpha had set up a secondary home that was very secluded.  That was where he’d sent the squirrels, so when the Council’s soldiers had come into their den to prove they’d helped, they’d found no evidence.  Not that it had mattered much to Refugio.

He’d been sure the den had helped and made sure to punish them whenever he had the chance by not providing aid when other groups attacked them.  Hell, Koen was fairly sure it was Refugio and his band of Council thugs that had ordered the other groups, whom they’d never had problems with in the past, to go after them in the first place.

“The fact is, we have discovered who is behind the attack on Miracle a few months ago, as well as a new plot to try and blow up the town,” Saber said, forcing Koen to let go of the past and pay attention.

“There might be bombs, yet you brought us here anyway?” Banyan Huff, a ram shifter, asked incredulously.  “Why would you put the entire Council at risk?”

Koen couldn’t help but roll his eyes at the man’s stupidity.  Then again, he shouldn’t be all that surprised.  After Saber nearly died when he fought Refugio for his Council position, it had been Banyan who had pushed to have him removed as Chief since he was laid up in bed recovering.

It was a dick move as far as Koen was concerned.  Saber had just removed one of the single biggest threats to shifters around the world, yet he wasn’t allowed a few days to heal?  Koen had fought hard against Banyan’s resolution to have himself declared Chief instead.

What made it so much worse in Koen’s eyes was Banyan was to have fought Fitzroy O’Dell, a weasel shifter, in that ring, but because Fitzroy had chickened out, Banyan hadn’t even had to fight.  How in the hell did that make him fit to be their Chief?

Koen’s opponent, Gawain York, also had been a no show, but instead of feeling like he’d won anything, Koen had felt cheated.  It was one of the reasons he’d decided to take some time off from teaching at the University.  Sure, his duties for the Council were currently taking a lot of his time, but it was more about the fact that he hated the idea of winning by forfeit that had him at odds with himself.

If he hadn’t had to visit so many different shifter groups in the past few months, Koen was more than a little bit tempted to go hunt Gawain down and force him into the ring.

“Do you honestly think you should be protected more than those that live here in Miracle?”  Saber’s barely leashed anger at Banyan’s question was hard to miss.  Admittedly, other than a slight tensing of the ape shifter’s muscles, it was hard to tell from his physical presence that he was forcing himself not to lash out and punch the conceited ram shifter.

Still, everyone at the table, with the exception of Banyan, visibly leaned back in their chairs as if to gain a modicum of distance from their leader.  Banyan, on the other hand, actually had the audacity to nod his head.

“Of course, I should,” Banyan insisted.  “I’m on the Council.”  He pointed to the closed door.  “My protection detail, which you should have allowed in for my safety, needs to be told of the threat.”

Banyan started to get up to do just that when a loud crack reverberated through the room.  All chairs, other than Saber’s, rolled back as the table they were gathered around split in two when Saber’s fist pounded down upon its surface.

The force of Saber’s rage was felt by all.  Even Banyan had the sense to remain where he now stood, eyes cast to the floor by Saber’s feet in deference to their leader’s authority.  There was a reason why Saber now led the Council.  The man was a force to be reckoned with…or not.

Koen sure as hell wasn’t about to go against him.  Except…well, he had.  On several occasions, too.  They fought over policies quite vigorously at times.  All of them did.  Yet, never once had Saber let his anger get the best of him.  Then again, they all were voicing their opinions on how best to help their kind.

Banyan, at the moment anyway, was putting their people second.  Based on everything Koen had learned about Saber since they’d taken over the Council, the man put the welfare of all shifters ahead of himself.  Only his mate, Chadwick, came before the good of everyone else and Chadwick wasn’t someone to allow that to happen easily.  The man was just as fierce as Saber about protecting others.

“This Council is here at the will of the people,” Saber bellowed.  “In case you forgot, we changed the archaic laws of the past and the members of the Council will come to a vote in four year’s time.”  Saber’s meaty finger pointed at Banyan.  “I would take that into account before you think you’re somehow more important than anyone else in this town or any other town, for that matter.”

Was it wrong that Koen wanted to applaud?

 

Best Selling author of the Cedar Falls Series, Paranormal War Series, and Miracle Series, Shea Balik has always had a vivid imagination with stories running around in her head. Often her stories are taken from observations of other people with her own spin.

 

Traveling is one of her favorite ways of fulfilling her passion of people watching. You never know, one day you may spark her imagination for her next book.

 

Whether at home or traveling she is usually in front of her computer writing or curled up with a good book.

 

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