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Imperfect |
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Imperfect... Available at Extasy Books Illora doesn't want to be anyone's pet, but instead of merely being a bride, finds herself an imperfect Prime in the arms of a man she could never imagine. Illora has been through a lot and is looking forward to a solitary retirement. All she needs to do is to get past the selection process in the Lorahan seralgio for three more days and she is home free. The Prefect of Lorahan wants Illora and her successful efforts to dodge the selection process has turned him ashen with fury and parts of him blue. He concocts a plan to trap her with her own honesty and the race is on to make her his before the Alliance comes to retrieve her. He must fight his urge to be forthright and deliberately manipulate her into the position as his wife. Let's hope they both survive the process.
Excerpt: Nikolay was a checkers fan. He took
drawings and had a set made for her that he presented her as a gift. The
pieces and board were precious stones instead of wood and cardboard, her
original set was tucked safely away in her quarters. As soon as he had taken one of her
pieces, she jumped three of his pieces in a massive surge of enthusiasm,
setting aside her winnings while she waited for her man to be kinged. Nikolay was not impressed. He
grudgingly placed another piece on top of her victorious icon and took
his turn. A few more minutes and a short
triumph for her later, she clapped her hands as Nikolay got to his feet.
“Who is on duty after you?” “Kai Miron.” Illora stifled a groan. Her
least-favourite guard and he had to be in charge of the whole seraglio.
She swiftly packed up her checkerboard and prepared to hide back in the
main common rooms inhabited by the other women. “I think I hear a nap
calling me.” Nikolay laughed and ran a hand
through his smoky hair. His skin was a charming shade of mahogany and
his eyes danced with golden glints in a midnight blue orb. There were no
whites in his eyes—it was all a deep blue. Soothing really, like
looking into a starry night sky. He was the perfect example of the
men of Lorahan, blended genetic histories that culminated in a single
joined moment. They had all been held or fought in a variety of
underground arenas and were refused re-entry to their home worlds. Some planets claimed that the men
had been altered by the arena medical staff, some that their blended
heritages did not allow for full citizenship, but very few were honest
enough to say that they believed the newly released men to be dangerous. Illora didn’t look back over her
shoulder as she made her escape. Kai Miron was one of those dangerous
men. He had midnight black skin, snow white hair and blazing red eyes
that saw through any and all attempts she made at conversation. When he
was around, she never had to guess at what he was looking at, he was
staring at her. It was not a comfortable kind of stare. Many of the guards she had seen were
the same shade as Nikolay or else the deep charcoal grey of the Ikath.
None had the blackness of space in their skin that Kai Miron had. He was
something different, something that frightened the life out of her. It wasn’t that he was cruel or
gave off a sicko vibe, she was simply very unsure of herself when he was
around. Her dress felt tighter over her breasts, the earrings swung more
heavily against her neck, she felt small and vulnerable. She never felt
small and vulnerable. The other women looked up as she
scurried inside, jewels swinging. The graceful and elegant Benar greeted
her. “Is there something wrong? Usually you are out playing games
until you are forced in here for dinner.” A lovely woman in green, Ulani,
smiled. “I am guessing that Kai Miron is coming on shift. It’s the
only time you grace us with your presence.” “Yes, fine. Right. I am hiding.
Any news, new books, anything?” Illora took a seat on the lavish
embroidered cushions dotting the group of women. “Eruhar is married now and living
in the countryside with the male she was given to.” Ulani was always
good for gossip. It was her most endearing trait. “So, the Prefect just gave her
away?” That was not a fate that awaited her. She had to be taken as
bride or not at all. Representative Tyrell had made quite the bargain on
her behalf. “I am assuming that he tried her
out first. Perhaps she failed to please him.” “It still sucks.” “Perhaps she didn’t.” The lewd giggling that ran through
the seraglio lightened the aura of the room for that one moment. The
next instant, a servant was scurrying in to the ladies’ quarters and
stopping at Illora’s side. “Yes, Ben?” “You are summoned to the common
space, milady.” She closed her eyes as the women
cackled. Resigned, she stood and returned her checkerboard set to her
private room, sealing the door with a palm lock. She followed the mint-coloured man
with all the dignity she could muster. It was only the presence of a jug
and two goblets that surprised her as she approached Kai Miron. His gaze
was on her breasts, hips, waist and neck in a restless pattern. Kai Miron had his hair braided
today, weaving down his back in a snowy column, the dark, high-necked
livery of the palace almost matching his skin tone. Only the gold braid
denoted where he ended and the uniform began. Remembering what she could of her
etiquette training she curtseyed gracefully. “You sent for me, Kai
Miron?” “You are a hard woman to
understand, Illora Danyon. Please have a seat. I wish to have a
conversation.” Ben held a chair out for her, so she
took the hint and sank onto the seat with all the self-control she could
muster. Her blue-green gem-encrusted earrings made a tinkling noise as
she turned her hear slightly to face his blood red gaze. “I am quite easy to understand,
you merely have to listen to my endless nattering.” For the first
time, she noted the pointy ears that were protruding from his slicked
back hair. That one discovery relaxed her from head to toe. No elf could
be nasty. They were in fairy tales for pities sake. He poured the liquid into both
goblets and handed her one while he took the other. Falling back on her
manners, she sipped, then sipped again. Whatever she was drinking was
lovely. Sweet, tart and rich all at the same time. “Nikolay tells me that you only
have three days left in the seraglio and then you are free by contract.
How could that possibly be?” He was relaxed, leaning back in his chair
and keeping the full force of his gaze off her. Behind him were the
standard two guards, there to insure that nothing more than the juice in
the pitcher pass between them. She was going to avoid it, but she
heard herself saying, “My Rep formed an ironclad contract. Either I am
taken as bride by the Prefect in six standard months from the day I
arrive, or I am free to go my own way and a retrieval team will land on
Lorahan to come get me.” What did I just say? Blinking,
she looked around to see if she had gone insane. Honesty couldn’t hurt
her at this point, but it was a little awkward when the other women had
no way out. “Interesting. How have you not
been chosen?” The grin that crossed her features
was hidden by the gulp of juice she took. “The machine never chooses
me.” He sighed. “You know as well as I
do that the Prefect is behind the hovering bot that makes the
selections. He has been trying to select you for some time, but the
machine will not register you. Why is that?” She giggled and wanted to kick
herself. Her logical mind was screaming at her to shut up, but her
attention-seeking outer ego wanted to explain. “That was easy. I
cheated.” Kai Miron was leaning forward with
interest, “How?” “I was coming off a recuperative
leave when I was sent here, when the scans were done. I started working
out furiously every moment alone and changed my muscle mass. The
computer couldn’t register me as a match because it doesn’t have my
muscles on file. I weigh more with a different metabolic rate. As far as
the seeker is concerned, I don’t exist.” To see the darkly dangerous man
sitting there with his mouth open was funny enough, but to her giggling
mind, it was hilarious. She fell off her chair with mirth and before Ben
could help her up, Kai Miron was at her side and lifting her back onto
her seat. Shock stilled her mirth. The guards
were not allowed to touch them, it was worth their lives. That the two
in the hall duty had not complained or raised an alarm sent a chilling
realization through Illora. She looked up into the eyes that
were registering their concern with her tumble. “You are Prefect
Morgyan.” The smile that he gave her exposed
sharp white teeth. “And you, Illora Danyon, are overdue for an updated
scan.”
Imperfect...Available from Extasy Books
The third book in this set... Impulse available from Extasy Books The second book in this set...Impatient available from Extasy Books The first book in this set...Impure available from Extasy Books
The first book in the previous set ... Entranced available from Extasy Books The second book in the previous set ... Entwined available from Extasy Books The third book in the previous set...Enchanted available from Extasy Books The fourth book in the previous set...Enthralled available from Extasy Books The Final book
in the previoius set...Enraptured
available
from Extasy Books
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