The Beastkeeper's Temptation

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Summary

Lady Calliope Wright has always been the obedient daughter of an earl, living under her father's strict expectations. But as her arranged marriage to the uninspiring Sir Reginald draws near, Callie's longing for freedom becomes impossible to ignore. In an uncharacteristic act of bravery, she escapes to the Sahara, determined to find her brother Robert, the only one who's ever truly supported her. Her hope? That Robert might help her escape this fate, or even convince their father to call off the marriage. Lord Samuel Wright, however, is quick to act when he learnt that his daughter's attempt at escape when awry. Discovering that Callie had secretly joined Mrs. Addilyn Holt's notorious matchmaking service before her disappearance, he enlists Rogane To'ran-a reclusive Beastkeeper known for his skill in tracking and his bond with hounds abandoned by London's wealthy. Though Rogane has little interest in rescuing spoiled heiresses, loyalty to Mrs. Holt sends him on a pursuit across treacherous sands. In the depths of the desert, Callie finds herself captured by ruthless traders who plan to auction her. Rogane arrives just in time to free her, and together, they face the desert's brutal heart. For Callie, it's a journey of self-discovery and courage; for Rogane, a test of resolve as he fights a growing attraction to the woman he's bound to return home.

Status
Ongoing
Chapters
23
Rating
n/a
Age Rating
18+

Pronunciation Guide

Pronunciation Guide

⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅

The Anxious Hearts Series:

🌑Book 1:The Beastkeeper’s Bride (Millie & Blayne)

🌒 Book 2:The Dragon’s Match (Lillian & Aeghan)

🌓 Book 3:The Beastkeeper’s Redemption (Izzy & Kaede)

🌔 Book 4:The Beastkeeper’s Temptation (Callie & Rogane) - ongoing

The books do not have to be read in order and can be read as standalones. There is an overarching plot throughout each narrative and some elements may be best understood if you do read them as a series, but it is not necessary.

💚

Author’s Note:

Greetings!

A few notes before you take on this specific story.

1. It is book 4 in the same universe - plot arc - thing. Totes can read it as a standalone, but you could miss out on a few pertinent points and get a bit confused. Head over to the synopsis at the end of this spiel for a quick update, or take on book 1 :)

2. I’m not gonna lie... updates will be sporadic at best. I have made a few monumental life changes recently that I am still adjusting to. I should have probably held off even longer at putting this out, but I couldn’t. Rogane wouldn’t let me. He wants to be on the page, taking up as much of your mental space as he is mine. I’m just the messenger.

3. My leading men have tails. Sometimes they turn into dragons. Who knows what else at this point. More adventure and creatures than before in this adventure.

Pronunciation Guide & Glossary

The Beastkeepers

Rogane To’ran - Rogan Torn

Blayne Leowyn - Blane Leo / win

Kaede C’Lainn - Kade Coo / lain

Caëlhon C’lainn - Keel / lin Coo / lain

The Dravolese

Aëghan Dranora - Ee / gan Dra / nor / ruh

Enorae - Ann / nor / ray

Dellanae - Della / nay

The Fae Beasts

Teprouma- furry cattle-like, land-based creatures used for transportation of bulky goods and textiles

Aelfen (Other hounds)- canines humans use for scent hunting

Bara- stoat-like creatures with luminescent antennae

Llaelleanoid-spectral being of Hielda, know to covet souls of the dying on battlefields in Draëll (written in Italics as derived directly from Draëllian and the only creature to purportedly act at the behest of god)

Valkyrie- winged creature contained by Aëghan, only one known to have crossed through The Reveal.

Halcoon- cute, rotund canines that live in trees, though not very adept at it.

Wunvil- huge grub, emits putrid mucus when terrified

Púca- shifter, takes many forms to coax a rider

Pixies, trolls, wisps -mischievous tiny humanoids of varying genus

Lipad- harmless amphibian-like creature with the ability to purify begrimed water

Lakey- medium-sized herd creatures with a penchant for mischief in damp weather

What has happened before:

The Reveal occurred over twenty years ago, where the fabric between two planes of existence separated and merged two worlds together. This caused the displacement of the fae and their creatures, merging magical beings with non-magical humans.

Adjustment happened precariously- the fae became ostracized, treated with wariness and skepticism. Rules forbidding the use of magic, unless a special permit had been acquired, were set in place, along with a wealth of other restrictions that coordinated the living conditions and limitations of faeborn existence in this world.

In the wake of her father’s demise and her older sister’s mysterious disappearance four years ago, Mildred Adams is set to inherit her the dukedom when the machinations of her insidious distant cousin cause her to flee. She marries Blayne Leowyn, one of the infamous beastkeepers and faeborn himself, becoming the first human and Other match.

The beastkeepers protect the remaining creatures from their world, ensuring their survival through means of nurturing and safekeeping in protected areas around England removed from human settlements. When Millie learns of all their work and what they do, she vows to aid them and use her influence to petition for the rights of the fae.

It was during the marked couple’s introductory ball that Lillian’s return occurred, and Millie learned the truth of her sister’s disappearance- that she had inexplicable been drawn into the world of the fae, a realm that no human had ever been known to exist in before.

It was during this night that Blayne was stabbed, his injuries prevailing and enticing Millie to break a rigid law forbidding humans from the use of magic to heal medical afflictions. In order to seek out a healer, she orders Aëghan Dranora to Ravensfield to reveal the location and identity of one who would be of assistance. In return for his services, Millie assents to his presence on Ravensfield, providing sanctuary for his kind and his supporters who were of a lawless nature.

When he shows interest in Lillian, Millie issues an estate wide restriction that ensures Aëghan would never encounter her sister, which compels him to seek aid from the matchmaker- Addilyn Holt.

Upon his first encounter with Lillian, he is marked with the sacred band and so is she, connecting them intrinsically to each other even though neither of them wished for it. He agrees to disguise the magical signature of the mark for Lillian without revealing that he is the bearer of the its twin, and endures her continuing to utilize the efforts of the matchmaker to procure a husband so that she may take control over her dukedom.

However, when it became too much for the dragon in Aëghan to bear, he snatched Lillian way into thin air and away from Ravensfield entirely. Here, they form an irrevocable bond, and upon return to Ravensfield some time later, discover another match had been made between Isabella Hawkins and Kaede C’lainn, the youngest beastkeeper.

Aëghan discovered a manipulation to Lillian and Millie’s father’s last will and testament, enabling Lillian to rule over Ravensfield without the need to secure herself a duke, hence she still refuses outright each proposal the Dravolese issues her (they are plentiful).

Once quiet and secluded, Ravensfield is now a bustling estate that has come alive with fae and human alike, housing creatures and beings that require sanctuary while the Adams sister tackle a political and societal landscape that wouldn’t necessarily be accepting of their circumstances, and their heartmates.

And that’s where we left off...