Definitely Dead: Happily Ever Afterlife, Book 1
M/M Paranormal Romance | Grumpy Guardian, Sunshine Soul | Fated Mates, Dead Complications
✨ Spice, Sass, and One Very Flustered Bear. ✨
✨ Spice, Sass, and One Very Flustered Bear. ✨
As a royal Guardian, Tyr Bergstrom is built for battle, not stillness. Not whatever this is. He followed his prince into the depths of the Underworld out of loyalty, but with no foes to vanquish and no lives to safeguard, he’s left questioning why he stays. It’s dark, cold, and each day blends into the next with monotonous sameness.
Until a spark of sunshine arrives in the Village of Lost Souls.
Sunne Tanaka died. Not ideal, but he’s had worse Mondays. While the afterlife isn’t anything like he expected—frankly, it’s a total scam—from the moment he meets Tyr, he can’t help but feel that he’s exactly where he belongs. He hasn’t decided if the shifter is his destiny or a beautiful disaster waiting to happen, but he knows one thing for certain. He’s not leaving the village without him.
But Tyr knows better than anyone that some lines aren’t meant to be crossed. He doesn’t know what waits beyond the dark waters of the River Acheron, but it’s the only condition of his stay in the Underworld. A rule he has never questioned…until another soul puts Sunne’s very existence at risk.
Now, he’s not just questioning.
Now, he’s prepared to take on the living, the dead, and Hades himself to bring his mate back and give them both a chance at a happily ever afterlife.
Until a spark of sunshine arrives in the Village of Lost Souls.
Sunne Tanaka died. Not ideal, but he’s had worse Mondays. While the afterlife isn’t anything like he expected—frankly, it’s a total scam—from the moment he meets Tyr, he can’t help but feel that he’s exactly where he belongs. He hasn’t decided if the shifter is his destiny or a beautiful disaster waiting to happen, but he knows one thing for certain. He’s not leaving the village without him.
But Tyr knows better than anyone that some lines aren’t meant to be crossed. He doesn’t know what waits beyond the dark waters of the River Acheron, but it’s the only condition of his stay in the Underworld. A rule he has never questioned…until another soul puts Sunne’s very existence at risk.
Now, he’s not just questioning.
Now, he’s prepared to take on the living, the dead, and Hades himself to bring his mate back and give them both a chance at a happily ever afterlife.
EXCERPT
He had taken only a single step, right onto the edge of the stone street, when a mountain of a man emerged between two of the rickety buildings. With thick, corded muscles and a permanent scowl etched into the lines of his face, he had danger written all over him.
But he also happened to be the only person in sight.
“Hey,” Sunne said, adopting the same cherry expression he used to greet patrons at the library. “We’re a little lost.”
The guy paused at the mouth of the alley, his big frame visibly tense. A thick beard covered the lower half of his face, obscuring his features, but his eyes pinched at the corners as if Sunne’s very existence offended him.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” the stranger said, his voice quiet with a hint of gravel.
Obviously. He thought he’d made that clear. “Right. So, uh, if you could just point us in the right direction, that would be great.”
The man’s eyes—one a deep, rich brown, and the other a bright, burning amber—flickered to his and Lizzie’s clasped hands, and a low growl sounded from his chest.
Okay, weird, and kind of rude. Sure, the guy was stupid hot, but he really needed to work on his people skills.
Lizzie immediately shook off his grip and took a measured step to the side, creating distance between them.
Sunne sighed as he shot her a wounded glare.
“Traitor,” he muttered from the side of his mouth before focusing on the male again. “Anyway, if you could just tell us where we’re supposed to go, we’ll be on our way.”
“Hey, Tyr, wait up.” Another muscle-bound male dressed in solid black jogged out of the alleyway, pausing across the street when he spotted Sunne and Lizzie. “You’re new.” Striding forward, he offered his hand, his lips stretching into a grin. “I’m Rune. Welcome to the Underworld.”
“I’m Sunne.”
He reached forward but froze when the other man—Tyr, apparently—growled again. Tired, confused, and just wanting answers, he pulled his hand back and huffed out an irritated breath.
“Seriously, what is your problem?”
Tyr’s entire body trembled, from anger or something else, it wasn’t clear. A pale light glowed from his dual-colored eyes, and his upper lip peeled back to reveal an impressive set of elongated canines.
Scary.
Kind of hot.
Utterly unhelpful.
“Well?” Sunne demanded. “Say something.”
Another deep, harsh growl spilled from his lips, and when he finally spoke, it was only a single word.
“Mine.”
But he also happened to be the only person in sight.
“Hey,” Sunne said, adopting the same cherry expression he used to greet patrons at the library. “We’re a little lost.”
The guy paused at the mouth of the alley, his big frame visibly tense. A thick beard covered the lower half of his face, obscuring his features, but his eyes pinched at the corners as if Sunne’s very existence offended him.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” the stranger said, his voice quiet with a hint of gravel.
Obviously. He thought he’d made that clear. “Right. So, uh, if you could just point us in the right direction, that would be great.”
The man’s eyes—one a deep, rich brown, and the other a bright, burning amber—flickered to his and Lizzie’s clasped hands, and a low growl sounded from his chest.
Okay, weird, and kind of rude. Sure, the guy was stupid hot, but he really needed to work on his people skills.
Lizzie immediately shook off his grip and took a measured step to the side, creating distance between them.
Sunne sighed as he shot her a wounded glare.
“Traitor,” he muttered from the side of his mouth before focusing on the male again. “Anyway, if you could just tell us where we’re supposed to go, we’ll be on our way.”
“Hey, Tyr, wait up.” Another muscle-bound male dressed in solid black jogged out of the alleyway, pausing across the street when he spotted Sunne and Lizzie. “You’re new.” Striding forward, he offered his hand, his lips stretching into a grin. “I’m Rune. Welcome to the Underworld.”
“I’m Sunne.”
He reached forward but froze when the other man—Tyr, apparently—growled again. Tired, confused, and just wanting answers, he pulled his hand back and huffed out an irritated breath.
“Seriously, what is your problem?”
Tyr’s entire body trembled, from anger or something else, it wasn’t clear. A pale light glowed from his dual-colored eyes, and his upper lip peeled back to reveal an impressive set of elongated canines.
Scary.
Kind of hot.
Utterly unhelpful.
“Well?” Sunne demanded. “Say something.”
Another deep, harsh growl spilled from his lips, and when he finally spoke, it was only a single word.
“Mine.”