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How to Love Thine Enemy by Eli Easton
Can a forbidden love heal the rift between two enemy tribes?
Legend says that, centuries ago, the sled dogs and the Inuit were so deeply bonded that the dogs rose up on two legs and became men. The Qimmig and the People lived together happily until one of the Inuit betrayed the dog-men. The Qimmig fled, vowing never to return.
Taq figured that was just another story elders told around the campfire. But when he witnesses two guys survive a polar bear attack by shifting into dogs, he has to rethink everything. Could the Qimmig really exist? And could they have anything to do with the special, golden-eyed boy he’d played with as a child?
Cupun has missed his old friend, Taq. But it is forbidden for the Qimmig to have anything to do with one-skinned Inupiat. When a series of events brings Taq back into his life, the feelings of protectiveness and joy awakened in his dog’s heart tell him that Taq is his soul’s mate.
But neither the Qimmig nor the Inuit are prepared to accept this bond. Are the boys fated for tragedy? Or will their love find a way?
How to Love Thine Enemy is a star-crossed lovers/Romeo and Juliet trope set in Alaska. Friends-to-lovers, doggie shifters, and destined romance with a little wilderness adventure.
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HOW TO LOVE THINE EMENY (Howl At The Moon book 6)
By Eli Easton
After five days of being in the sick hut, as Cupun called it, Taq was stir-crazy. And maybe just plain crazy too.
It was incredible to be with Cupun again. Taq felt happy—no, that wasn’t the word. Complete? Like he was himself again? He felt like he existed, truly existed in a way he hadn’t in years. But hours spent staring into each other’s eyes, lying so close together in bed, were fucking with Taq’s head.
He was twenty-three goddamn years old, and he was a virgin. It was his deepest secret that he longed for a male body, desperately, and had no attraction to girls. He’d never found the opportunity to be with a guy in Yakatuk, nor had he wanted to take the risk of trying to suss it out there, where everyone knew everyone’s business. And this was Cupun. He was so beautiful, his body so lean and strong, his skin golden, and his eyes so full of love.
Taq wanted to lean forward and kiss him more than he wanted to see the sunrise again or witness the sparkle on the crystal waters of the fjord. But he was terrified he’d get it wrong. Because what if that look of open love on Cupun’s face didn’t mean that at all? What if he looked at Taq with horror if he were to be kissed? No, no. And also, small point, Cupun was a freaking dog shifter. What did that even mean? For them? For, like, humanity? Even the legends said it had been forbidden, all those years ago, humans and Qimmiq mixing. Fuck, his people didn’t even accept LGBTQ. What would they think if he brought home a dude who was also sometimes a dog?
Also: how could a mere mortal with a job in a freaking hotel deserve a supe like Cupun?
Taq needed to get out of that room before he did something stupid. When he asked if they could sit outside or something, Cupun looked uneasy. He finally admitted that Yuki didn’t want Taq to see the camp.
Taq’s heart sank at hearing that. Did he think he could love Cupun? Hell, his pack didn’t even want Taq to exist.
But that night, after darkness fell, Cupun left and came back with a wide smile. “Come on! We’re going out.”
“What? Where?”
“You will see. Dress warm. It will be cold in your man skin. And don’t worry. I will carry you on my back so you don’t have to walk.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Taq asked, but he was already swinging his legs over the side of the bed, itching to do anything, dying for fresh air.
“Yes! No one will see. And we won’t be in the camp.” Cupun handed Taq his parka, his hands shaking with excitement.
Taq couldn’t help but notice some of the camp as they slipped out of the sick hut and headed for the woods. In the moonlight, he saw a cluster of old wooden buildings. An old town? No, a mining operation, like from the 1800s or something. Weird that his people didn’t even know it existed. He was surprised. He wasn’t sure what type of place he’d imagined the Qimmiq living in—caves or tents, maybe—but this was more elaborate than he’d thought.
How many of them were there, anyway?
Cupun traveled along a well-used track in the woods. Taq felt silly being on his back, but he couldn’t walk on his ankle. He didn’t even have a crutch to use. And Cupun seemed to carry him easily. He moved quickly, as if anxious to get wherever they were going.
Taq had a moment of fear. Where were they going? But no, he trusted Cupun. Besides, the cold air on his face felt fantastic. His people were not meant to be sick inside hot rooms for days on end.
The path opened onto an overgrown logging road. Maybe it was the same logging road he and Hanta had driven up, but they must be miles away from where the accident occurred. There was an old wooden bridge here that crossed a ravine. A gap in the middle where the boards were broken made it impassible. Two figures stood at the closer end of the bridge, waiting.
Cupun headed right for them. As they grew close, Taq recognized the two dudes from the fjord. What had Cupun called them? Timo and Zeus. Taq’s heart began to pound with fear. He’d seen these guys shift. They were bad-ass. And they didn’t look happy to see him. He clutched Cupun’s shoulders tighter.
The shorter one, Timo, had long hair like Taq’s only it was reddish-brown and bushier. His handsome face scowled as he glared at Taq. “What did you bring him for?”
Cupun hitched Taq up higher on his back. “He is tired of the sick room too.”
“But Yuki said he wasn’t to see the camp!”
“This is not the camp,” Cupun said, his tone casual and easy. His lack of fear or tension made Taq feel a little better.
“Um… hey, guys.” Taq waved one hand.
“Taq, this is Timo and Zeus,” Cupun said cheerfully.
“Hey, Taq.” Zeus reached out to shake hands.
Despite the scariness of his Cujo-dog, Zeus’s expression was friendly and his deep voice was soft. Taq supposed anyone would look fierce trying to ward off a grizzly. Taq took his hand. Like Cupun’s, Zeus’s hand was crazy hot. “Hi, Zeus. I hear you’re from California.”
“Cupun!” Timo hissed.
Cupun laughed. “He met Frannie. She’s his nurse. What do you expect him to think?”
“Guess it’s pretty obvious we’re not from around here,” Zeus agreed easily. He gave Taq a little smile before releasing his hand.
“You guys can smell him,” Cupun offered. He turned his head to look at Taq. “They can smell you, right?”
“Uh… sure?”
Cupun stepped to the bridge. This end looked sturdy enough, with heavy boards made of wood and metal as the flooring and wooden posts connected by cables on the sides. He carefully lowered Taq to the bridge and Taq leaned against one of the posts, keeping his bad ankle raised.
Zeus politely sniffed at Taq’s hair and shoulder, not touching him, then stepped back. But Timo went all in, sniffing at his armpits, his stomach, then his crotch.
“Timo!” Cupun laughed. “Stop it.”
Timo straightened up, a gleam in his eyes. “What? He said it was okay.”
Their jibes reminded Taq of the shit he and his friends gave each other. And that made him relax.
“Want me to pee on the grass?” Taq asked dryly, then regretted it because it occurred to him that Timo might say yes. Or be offended.
Timo gave him an assessing look and made a huffing sound, like he wasn’t impressed. But a smile played around his lips. “Guess this Inupiat has a bark on him. So, Cupun, what do we do now? We were supposed to go, er, running. We can’t with him here.”
“We can go another time,” Zeus said politely.
Cupun crossed his arms over his chest. “No, we can go now. Taq will wait here for us. I will make a fire to keep him warm and when we get back, we can hang out.”
Timo scowled and stepped close to Cupun, lowering his voice. “He is not supposed to see.”
Cupun rolled his eyes. “Taq already saw you both at the fjord. He saw everything. That rabbit has left its burrow.”
To celebrate the release of The Best Gift, Eli’s giving you a chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card & an e-set of the whole Howl at the Moon Series so far!
Enter through the rafflecopter below!
About the Author:
Coming from a background in computer game design, Eli has written over 50 books in m/m romance since 2013. The Mating of Michael (2014) and A Second Harvest (2016) both won The William Neale Award for Best Gay Contemporary Romance, and Eli’s books have won many awards from the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Reader’s Choice Awards. She is best known for her Christmas romances, the Howl at the Moon series of rom coms featuring dog shifters, and the Nerds Vs Jocks series, co-written with Tara Lain.
Connect with Eli:
www.elieaston.com
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Twitter: @elieaston
