Tracy St. John's Blog, page 20

WIP Wednesday - Clan Companions: Matthew

 

Nudist Nobek. Shorter-than-average Earther. Awkward parent encounter.

Matt and the clan had returned to the common room. The clan switched their computers off. They were beginning to discuss what to have for lunch when the apartment’s door announce went off. Kom went to answer it, since no one was expected.

Voices rose from the greeting room. Avir chuckled. “So much for them waiting a couple of days while we get you settled.”

“Who is it?” Matt asked.

“Kom’s parents. You’ve spoken to them, haven’t you?”

“A couple of times. We haven’t met face to face though.” He wished he could return to his suite. Kom’s parent clan had been nice over the com, but how would they be in person?

Something else occurred to him. “Kom’s naked.” As usual.

Masok snickered as he rose from his seat next to Matt and pulled him to his feet. “They’re used to it. He refused to wear clothes from the start. As a toddler, he’d turn blue from cold rather than be wrapped up in a blanket.”

Avir sniffed as they headed down the impossibly long hall. “They brought lunch, so that’s solved.”

The voices no longer came from the greeting room, and the trio veered to the dining room. Matt wanted to enter behind the men, to stay hidden as long as possible. Masok prodded him ahead, insisting he to in first.

Kom was on the other side of the table with four elder Kalquorians. He was the very image of his Nobek father, Satuv, but for the graying hair and clothes. Imdiko Ogso was an impeccably dressed, earnest-looking man. The oldest member, Dramok Barnur, had a weathered but kind face. Matara Jomsas had broad, cheerful features, framed by curly elbow-length hair.

They beamed at Matt. Jomsas fairly flew around the table to grasp his shoulders and declare, “Welcome to Kalquor, Matt. Ancestors, look at you. You’re so tiny! And far cuter in person. How do you avoid being trampled?”

“Mother,” Kom sighed. He flushed in embarrassment.

“I know, I know, but I want to put him behind a containment barrier so no one steps on him. Am I being rude, Matt? Or hurting your feelings? I’m sorry if I am.”

He was overwhelmed by her exuberance, but her delight warmed him and quelled his hesitation. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you in person, Matara Jomsas. Don’t worry; I’m used to scurrying around people’s ankles.”

 

Releasing early 2023

His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.

Matthew Larsen should be happy. Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will reclaim him.

Nobek Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t protect someone against his nightmares.

Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss. 

 

WIP Wednesday - Clan Companions: Matthew

 

A star in the making?

Matt was pleasantly surprised to hear how strong his baritone voice sounded. He hadn’t sung in years, but like playing, the training came rushing back as second nature. It was imperfect, and he’d have to resume vocal exercises to get up to speed. Considering how long it had been since he’d vocalized, he couldn’t complain.

“Say I can stay/I, an unworthy soul/Say I may/With you, I’m whole.”

Movement at the corner of his eye brought him out of the fog he’d happily lost himself in. He blinked at Kom, Avir, and Masok, who stared open-mouthed from the doorway.

“Ancestors,” Masok breathed. “That was amazing. What’s the name of the song you were singing?”

Matt flushed, his shoulders hunching. “It isn’t an actual song. I was just messing around.”

Their jaws dropped lower. “You made it up? Off the top of your head?” Avir shook his head, as if to clear it. “Incredible.”

Masok pulled his handheld out of a belt patch. “You play and sing better than most I’ve heard, and you compose your own material? Come here and let’s look at professional grade recording systems. And don’t forget what you were playing, because I want a copy to listen to.”

Kom waved his handheld at Masok. “He won’t forget. I recorded while he was playing.”

“It was just twaddling.” Matt couldn’t understand why they were so excited. He’d possessed talent when he was in his teens, but that had been ten years ago. “It was the guitar that sounded so good.”

 

Releasing early 2023

His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.

Matthew Larsen should be happy. Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will reclaim him.

Nobek Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t protect someone against his nightmares.

Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss. 

 

WIP Wednesday - Clan Companions: Matthew

 Infatuated Imdiko

Masok licked along Matt’s ribcage, delighting in the salty flavor of the Earther’s skin. Everything about Matt was perfection. He was toned with swells of muscle in proportion to his size. The way he writhed in eager surrender as they coaxed him toward climax was exciting. His moans, too. Masok paused to watch enviously as Kom bobbed over the engorged cock, wishing he could have a taste of Matt’s sweetness.

Kom had begged them to take it slow when it came to sex with Matt. “He’s terrified of the consequences he faced on Earth. He fights what he wants. I’m worried about how he’ll react if he’s pushed into what he isn’t ready for.”

Kom’s concerns were valid, but Matt showed no sign of past trauma at the moment. His gaze was as glassy as when he’d held his guitar, lost in a haze of craving. He arched, crying out when the wet noises of Kom’s eager sucking grew louder.

“That’s it. You’re getting close,” Masok whispered, nipping the delectable Earther’s earlobe. “Feel his hungry mouth pulling on you, ready to taste your cum.”

“I wish it was me swallowing your cock,” Avir growled to Matt. He stuck his finger in the young man’s mouth. Heat filled Masok’s groin as Matt’s lips closed around it, sucking desperately as Avir moved it in and out.

“I’m starving for a hot mouthful of beautiful Earther man too,” Masok said. He gripped his primary, stroked his fist over it while he swirled his tongue over Matt’s nipple. He was ravenous for a lot more of the blond darling whom Kom had brought home.

Not tonight, since he’d promised Kom…but soon. Very soon.

 

Releasing early 2023

His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.

Matthew Larsen should be happy. Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will reclaim him.

Nobek Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t protect someone against his nightmares.

Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss. 

 

WIP Wednesday - Clan Companions: Matthew

Waking to a clan

Clan Avir was there. Matt had been surprised to discover they expected him to share their bed. He’d been more surprised but greatly relieved there’d been no mention of sex. He’d been a little disappointed too, as it worried him Avir and Masok might not find him attractive. Mostly he’d counted it as a blessing he didn’t have to immediately worry over intercourse with three men.

“Are you okay?” Kom’s whisper came from behind. It was he who spooned Matt, curling him inside a muscled cradle.

“Yeah.” Without moving, he rolled his gaze up to check on Masok, whose arm and leg slung over him. The dim light in the room, coming from the bathroom’s slightly opened door, revealed the Imdiko’s eyes were closed, his breathing deep.

“Were you dreaming?”

“Yeah. But I’m fine.” He was. His heartrate was slowing from the nightmare.

Kom carefully lifted Masok’s leg off Matt. Masok muttered thickly and turned over to face Avir, who slept on his opposite side.

“Roll on your back, beautiful man.” Kom was already pushing Matt in position. The Nobek kissed him deeply, waking his lust and dispelling the nightmare.

He was concerned what the other two might think if they woke to find Kom soothing him as he so often did, but his thoughts were eclipsed by the Nobek sliding his hand inside the briefs Matt had worn to bed. Kom grasped his wakening cock and masturbated him. Matt whimpered into his mouth and fought the urge to attempt escape.

He was safe to enjoy this. Safe to live in the home of Clan Avir, where monsters only invaded dreams. Nonetheless, he grabbed Kom’s wrist as his lover rubbed him to fierce arousal and tried to push him away. Kom’s rhythm never faltered, and his kisses traveled down Matt’s chin, throat, chest, stomach. All the way down, and the strong grip of his fist was replaced by the hot wetness of his mouth.

Matt bit his lips together, screwed his eyes shut, and shook his head in denial of what shouldn’t happen but would. The gorgeous, damning slide of lips and tongue over his eager shaft and the firm caresses to his sack made him whimper despite his efforts to remain silent. An inner argument sprang to life.

Don’t.

It’s safe.

I can’t.

It’s okay.

If we’re caught…

We won’t be.

Stop!

His eyes were shocked open as a second body eased next to his and an arm circled his waist. He gazed at Masok and terror rose high. He drew a breath to shout a warning.

The cry was muffled against Masok’s lips. The Imdiko’s kiss was as thrilling as Kom’s. Perhaps more, because Masok had merely brushed his lips over Matt’s cheeks, forehead, or crown before. This was their first real kiss, a kiss for the ages as Masok’s tongue stroked his, then dived in to taste him deeply. Matt’s senses scrambled, and the voice in his head insisting terrible things would come of sensual acts with men was silenced.

An instant later, another body moved against him on the opposite side. With Masok kissing him as deliciously as Kom sucked his cock, Matt had no opportunity to see Avir. He felt him though, as the Dramok licked, kissed, sucked, and carefully bit his nipple.

Hands roamed over him, until Matt was sure not an inch of skin was left untouched. Masok mouthed a path to the nipple Avir hadn’t attended to, and Avir delivered his own passionate kiss to Matt’s tingling lips.

He writhed beneath them, trembling eagerly as they tasted him thoroughly. His earlier fears of handling the lusts of three Kalquorians were lost in a fog of desire, fed strongest by Kom’s always thrilling handling.

 

Releasing early 2023

His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.

Matthew Larsen should be happy. Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will reclaim him.

Nobek Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t protect someone against his nightmares.

Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss. 

 

WIP Wednesday - Clan Companions: Matthew

 When dreams come true

He went into the next room and gasped. It was a music room.

The walls were adorned with acoustic padding, the sort used in professional recording facilities, interrupted by lighting strips, which managed to look decorative as well as functional. There was even a ledge extending from a wall, ample space to accommodate a number of recording devices. At the moment, there were only two sets of speakers on them.

What grabbed and held Matt’s attention were the instruments: a piano, a violin, a mandolin, and several guitars, electric and acoustic. He stopped breathing when he saw the Martin hanging on the wall to his right.

He glanced at Kom, who was watching him closely. “Is that the D-45? The one we saw—”

“In the Earther salvage shop on the Adraf station. I told Avir, and he had them ship it here.”

“If there’s a better instrument, I can send out feelers for it,” Avir said. “Kom said you were pretty excited about this one, though.”

“It’s…it’s…” Matt couldn’t vocalize the beautiful instrument was a holy grail. He drifted close, staring at the spruce and rosewood body, the mahogany neck, the gloss finish that hadn’t faded with the decades of its existence. The gold tuners showed some wear, and the strings would have to be replaced, but there’d been no signs of warping. When he’d been allowed to strum it in the shop where he’d seen it, the incredible deep tone had resounded straight to his soul.

It drew him. He reached trembling fingers toward it, this hallowed beacon of music, his being aching to make it sing. At the last second, he stopped.

He burst into sobs.

 

Releasing early 2023

His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.

Matthew Larsen should be happy. Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will reclaim him.

Nobek Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t protect someone against his nightmares.

Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss. 

 

WIP Wednesday: Clan Companions: Matthew

A Nobek in love

Kom stepped to the hatch of the cargo transport vessel Roguefor the last time, feeling unreal to close this particular chapter of his life.

I’m opening another. Hopefully, it’ll be happy. He glanced at Matt, who stood at his side. The sight sent doubt thudding through him.

Matt was pale-skinned as a matter of course. “Nordic bloodlines. I didn’t get the height, but I have the skin. If I were any whiter, I’d be mayonnaise,” he’d joked.

“You taste a hell of a lot better than mayonnaise,” Kom had answered, grinning when Matt blushed.

He was white, all right, more so than usual as they readied to leave the Rogue. It made the blue of his eyes stand out. His lips, a fascinating shade of pink, were a stark rose color at the moment. They darkened when he was emotional, whether the feelings were good or bad.

Kom had a good idea of which way Matt’s feelings were tending at that instant.

Though he was obviously tense about the coming face-to-face meeting with Kom’s clanmates…not for a mere week’s visit, but a reunion that was to hopefully last the rest of his life…Matt’s appearance yanked on Kom’s heart in a way no other man ever had. He appeared vulnerable, igniting the protectiveness native to a Nobek warrior. Beyond his anxiety, however, was a sweet, guileless visage Kom was certain had never turned angry his entire life. Fearful and sickened, yes, but irate? An enraged Matthew Larsen was impossible to imagine.

He summed up the word adorable. A cute snub nose. Round cheeks. Those plump lips, which pooched when he was upset. An impish smile capable of halting Kom’s heart when it made its too-seldom appearance, because it transformed Matt into a being too endearing to deny him anything.

A true Nobek wouldn’t speak of love for another man, but a mere glance at Matt filled Kom to the brim with the sentiment. It took every ounce of his strength to avoid reaching for him, to escape grabbing him, holding him close, and stroking his silky, shoulder-length blond hair. It was on the tip of Kom’s tongue tell him for the millionth time everything would be all right and no one could hurt him now.

Releasing early 2023

His past demons have returned, and only a Kalquorian clan can save him.

Matthew Larsen should be happy. Reunited with the Nobek he fell in love with years ago, welcomed into a clan determined to give him a better life, he has everything he never imagined possible. However, he’s haunted by the hellish past and certainty it will reclaim him.

Nobek Kom spent years searching for Matt. Their reunion and his clanmates’ acceptance of the troubled Earther seemed to be all that stood in the way of the perfect future. His Earther love isn’t so easily rescued, however. Even a warrior can’t protect someone against his nightmares.

Dramok Avir and Imdiko Masok are devoted to the beautiful Earther Kom brought home. Loving such a gentle soul isn’t a problem. Saving him from monsters, real and imagined, is another matter when Matt’s worst fears come true and the terrors of the past rise once again to drag him into the abyss. 

Thanks And What's Up Next

 

Bernadette, the latest installment of Clans of Europa, has received amazing ratings. Thank you, everyone, for reading. I truly had a lot of fun with this second-chance clan love story. It was particularly enjoyable to write a kick-ass heroine who doesn't put up with anyone's nonsense. I appreciate you taking this ride with me.

After reading Bernadette, I'm sure you can guess where we're going next. I'm halfway through the first draft of the next Clan Companions book, Matthew. I'm hoping to have Matt Larsen and Kom's tale (and Kom's clanmates, Avir and Masok) out late winter/early spring of 2023. There's a lot of drama happening in this story. Keep your eyes peeled for excerpts to show up in about a month or two, after I start editing it.

Again, thanks for the incredible support for Bernadette. Much love to you all.

Available at Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and print.

Now on Sale - Clans of Europa: Bernadette

 

 Now on sale at Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and in print.

Disaster strikes Clan Tumsa...again

Doljen’s steps slowed as he came within sight of Berth 615 and the massive Earther transport docked in it. In contrast, his heart went into overdrive as he drew close to seeing Bernadette, Tumsa, and Halmiko.

He was perhaps fifty yards distant when he heard a muffled boom. The rear section of the ship visibly twitched. Smoke began to issue from it.

Figures beneath the vessel were lifting hover stretchers into the air with people on them. They raced off with their patients, startled cries trailing them.

Anxiety fled, and Doljen shot forward to catch a glimpse of the Kalquorian men on the stretchers. When he saw neither were Tumsa or Halmiko, he diverted to the ship ahead of security personnel, who ran shouting toward it too.

He’d served on board spyships during the two recent wars Kalquor had fought. He recognized an explosion when he heard it, and it called to his instincts as a doctor with an emergency on his hands. He raced onto the craft without a second thought.

He didn’t recognize the carrier’s configuration, but it was easy enough to follow the smoke and panicked yells down the corridor toward the ship’s stern. He recognized two voices, and he ran faster. He ignored his diminished vision, brought about by the billowing gray cloud filling the hall. It burned his lungs.

“Bernadette!” he shouted. “I’m coming!”

He nearly ran into a wall that came out of nowhere. There was a doorway next to it, where the already thinning smoke was eddying from. The hiss of fire retardant and Bernadette and Tumsa’s cries filled his ears. He headed to the indistinct forms struggling to lift components off the floor.

Doljen could have cried with relief to see Bernadette unharmed. Next to her, Tumsa raised a shocked gaze to his.

“Halmiko’s under here!” he shouted. “And Kom!”

 

She searched for the man she couldn’t forget and found a shattered clan she couldn’t resist.

Captain Bernadette Miller was a nun on the moon Europa, hiding from a painful past. Now she hunts the galaxy for the Kalquorian who made her stop running from herself. When she gets a lead on his clanmates, she thinks her search is finally over. What she finds, however, is a clan devastated by broken promises.

Nobek Halmiko was once a star kurble player. Now he wanders space aimlessly, picking up jobs where he can find them, trying to forget the clanmates he let down. When Bernadette shows up asking questions about his missing Imdiko, he has nothing to say. But some women get in a man’s head. Some women don’t take no for an answer.

Dramok Tumsa had it all: a career he loved, the perfect clan, a troubled but talented brother he’d do anything for. Tragedy on the kurble field destroyed it all. Now his estranged Nobek is back, with a beautiful, hardnosed Earther captain who offers him an opportunity to make amends. Can he piece his clan together again? Does he deserve the chance?

Imdiko Doljen is wracked by guilt. He’s hidden from those he let down…including a woman he couldn’t keep. When she shows up in the company of his clanmates, old hurts ignite anew. It doesn’t matter what he wants; he can’t fix the mistakes he made.

The only path to regaining the love Bernadette lost means healing this shattered clan. Is she ready to commit to three men instead of the one she came for? When disaster strikes, she has to call on all the strength she possesses to stop them from falling apart for good.

Now on sale at Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and in print.

 

Now On Sale - Clans of Europa: Bernadette

 

Now on sale at Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and in print.

The past has returned

Doljen opened his eyes the next morning reluctantly. He feared the day before had been only a dream.

She was there. In his bed, naked, asleep, snuggled in his arms. Bernadette. A true miracle. He could hardly believe it, but there she was.

She wore a slight smile as she slept, a balm to his soul. How many times had he replayed their goodbye in his thoughts? Her standing before him, her expression set. Eyes glassy with tears she refused to let spill. Seeking refuge in that stubborn strength of hers, though her heart was breaking in concert with his. He’d been in agony, but he’d been proud of her too. She’d reclaimed the person she’d left behind, unafraid to face an uncertain future. She’d told him he’d woken her, but it had been all her. The power of her personality had awed him. He’d wished he had half her grit.

He wished for it even more so now. Tumsa and Halmiko were near, and they knew where to find him.

He was relieved they were alive and well. They’d haunted his dreams and thoughts as often as Bernadette. However, he could never go back to his clan. It was impossible. He’d done too much damage, had destroyed any hope of regaining their trust.

Some dreams weren’t meant to be. Looking at Bernadette, however, Doljen prayed at least one might come true.

 

She searched for the man she couldn’t forget and found a shattered clan she couldn’t resist.

Captain Bernadette Miller was a nun on the moon Europa, hiding from a painful past. Now she hunts the galaxy for the Kalquorian who made her stop running from herself. When she gets a lead on his clanmates, she thinks her search is finally over. What she finds, however, is a clan devastated by broken promises.

Nobek Halmiko was once a star kurble player. Now he wanders space aimlessly, picking up jobs where he can find them, trying to forget the clanmates he let down. When Bernadette shows up asking questions about his missing Imdiko, he has nothing to say. But some women get in a man’s head. Some women don’t take no for an answer.

Dramok Tumsa had it all: a career he loved, the perfect clan, a troubled but talented brother he’d do anything for. Tragedy on the kurble field destroyed it all. Now his estranged Nobek is back, with a beautiful, hardnosed Earther captain who offers him an opportunity to make amends. Can he piece his clan together again? Does he deserve the chance?

Imdiko Doljen is wracked by guilt. He’s hidden from those he let down…including a woman he couldn’t keep. When she shows up in the company of his clanmates, old hurts ignite anew. It doesn’t matter what he wants; he can’t fix the mistakes he made.

The only path to regaining the love Bernadette lost means healing this shattered clan. Is she ready to commit to three men instead of the one she came for? When disaster strikes, she has to call on all the strength she possesses to stop them from falling apart for good.

Now on sale at Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and in print.

Now On Sale - Clans of Europa: Bernadette - Read the Second Part of Chapter Two Now

 

 

Now on sale at Amazon, Amazon UK, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and in print.

Present day

The afternoon after her disappointing encounter with Halmiko, Bernadette met with the station’s dockmaster, a Dantovonian named Bik. With her cargo set to be offloaded and a promise from Bik that he’d inform her if a shipment for Haven Colony came up in the next two days, she headed back to the Rogue.

As she navigated Nove’s crowded corridors, she scanned the beggars huddled against the walls without being obvious about it. There almost as many as those with jobs who dashed about the station performing their tasks. Nove was due a purge. No doubt the station’s administrators were readying a transport to take the homeless and offload them on the Galactic Council’s overrun charity bases. For a week or two, Nove would be free of the desperate sleeping in corners and alcoves, asking passersby for money or work. Then they’d begin drifting in again, desolate wretches with tragic tales and only a sliver of hope for the future.

Bernadette kept a lookout for children and women, those most likely to be taken advantage of by the unscrupulous that numbered among those who frequented Nove Station. She’d pass on her ship’s name and dock to them, written on scraps of paper. Those who answered the summons would be granted the opportunity to hitch a ride on the Rogue to a friendlier port where they could be sent on to relatives or friends. If she couldn’t convince them to come with her, she’d at least guarantee they’d received decent meals and a safe place to sleep until she left. What wasn’t spent on ship’s maintenance and crew pay went to refugees. She’d cast aside most of her vows as a nun, but charity to those less fortunate remained her primary goal.

That, and finding Doljen.

She’d bequeathed scraps of paper with the Rogue’slocation to three women, two with children, when she reached the merchant concourse in the center of the station. The wide, circular space boasted shops on its outer walls and a maze of portable kiosks one had to wind a path around. Sellers cried out to passersby, hawking their wares, creating a din that Bernadette had learned to fend off by inhaling pain relievers before she arrived.

It was a scene so chaotic with colors, textures, angles, curves, odors, aromas, stenches, and noise, it was difficult to make sense of any of it. Yet, as if drawn by a magnet, Bernadette’s gaze immediately fell on a hulking Kalquorian. Halmiko.

He stood at a stall, which glittered with blades of every size and configuration imaginable. The proprietors, Beonod twins, were as silvery as their wares. They watched Halmiko eagerly as he perused the collection of knives and daggers and weapons Bernadette couldn’t have put a name to.

She snorted. His chest was crisscrossed with bandoleers. A belt cinched his waist, and a second rode lower on his hips. Straps circled his beefy thighs. In every pouch was the handle to some sort of blade or blaster. No doubt, like most Nobeks, he had more weaponry hidden in his knee-high boots and probably the black leather gauntlets he wore on his heavily scarred arms. The man was already a veritable porcupine bristling with pointy objects, yet he was shopping for more. Even his two-pronged beard had points, for heaven’s sake.

She wasn’t sure why she sauntered to him, considering how useless he’d turned out to be in her search for Doljen. Nonetheless, she approached. He didn’t acknowledge her, but he was a Nobek, so he knew she was there.

“The first step in fixing a problem is admitting you have one,” she told him.

“What problem do you think I have?” A smile twitched his lips.

“An addiction to knives, apparently. How many does one man need, Hal?”

He glanced at her then. Maybe it was her pointing out an obvious obsession. Maybe it was her mocking tone. Maybe it was being called Hal. Either way, his expression shifted to suggest irritation.

“How goes your search for my Imdiko?” He shook his head at the blade the male Beonod offered him.

“We’ll see when I reach Haven. Shall I give Tumsa your regards?” She caught herself eyeing a decorative jeweled sword fit for an ancient Earther king. The Beonod female noticed and made as if to take it out of its protective glass case.

Bernadette waved her off. “No thanks. I’d cut my own arm off with that thing.”

The Beonod giggled and winked.

A definite frown from Halmiko. “I’d like to find out what happened between you and Doljen.”

“Yeah? Tell me exactly where on Haven I can locate Tumsa.”

“He isn’t hiding, as far as I know. Ask around.” Halmiko looked her over, his gaze evaluating. “You look better with your hair down.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment? Let me try. You look better with my eyes closed.” Bernadette patted the coiled bun of her hair. “At least I have hope of improving my appearance in the light of day.”

She was lying through her teeth about his looks. His features were a touch craggy and rough, yes, but handsome, framed by jet-black hair that reached to his waist. That double-spiked beard gave him a devilish aspect. In a good way.

A hint of warmth within told Bernadette she was perfectly fine with his appearance. He probably would have looked even better without the grim set of his features, which occasionally drifted into a morose expression.

He relaxed. There was no smile, but he proved her assessment correct as his countenance eased. When his irritation faded, he was striking. He turned from the knife display to the Beonods’ shared chagrin. He made a show of sizing her up.

“Let’s go somewhere private. When I strip off my clothes, you won’t give a damn about how my face looks. You won’t be able to take your eyes off all I have to offer.”

“You have nothing I’m interested in, unless you can tell me where Doljen is.”

“Did you fuck him, little girl? Is that why you’re so determined to find him?” Halmiko took a step toward her. No softness now. He was brutish with sudden anger.

His fury was red hot, and Bernadette met it with ice-cold ire. “I want to find out if he’s all right. If he’s in one piece. Safe. In short, I’m doing what you, as his Nobek clanmate, promised and failed to do.”

Rage turned him into the demon he’d only vaguely resembled. Halmiko abruptly loomed over her, threat etched on every inch of him. His growl filled her ears, erasing the racket of the marketplace.

He froze, a terrible gargoyle hanging over her. His gaze slid from her face to the blaster she’d shoved into his rock-hard abdomen.

“You can back up now, Hal,” she purred.

A new emotion was added to his anger. His pupils dilated. He licked his lips as he retreated a step. “Quick draw, Matara. Impressive.”

“Thank you.” She pretended she didn’t notice the telltale spicy scent that came from him. Anger and arousal were a dangerous mix when it came to Nobeks. Even if she’d considered for a single moment taking him up on his offer of sex, she wouldn’t do so in his current mood. “I’ll leave you to your shopping, big guy.”

She left him there, holstering her weapon as she walked off…purposeful strides, but not too fast. Running from a Nobek was more dangerous than fucking him when he was angry.

 

She searched for the man she couldn’t forget and found a shattered clan she couldn’t resist.

Captain Bernadette Miller was a nun on the moon Europa, hiding from a painful past. Now she hunts the galaxy for the Kalquorian who made her stop running from herself. When she gets a lead on his clanmates, she thinks her search is finally over. What she finds, however, is a clan devastated by broken promises.

Nobek Halmiko was once a star kurble player. Now he wanders space aimlessly, picking up jobs where he can find them, trying to forget the clanmates he let down. When Bernadette shows up asking questions about his missing Imdiko, he has nothing to say. But some women get in a man’s head. Some women don’t take no for an answer.

Dramok Tumsa had it all: a career he loved, the perfect clan, a troubled but talented brother he’d do anything for. Tragedy on the kurble field destroyed it all. Now his estranged Nobek is back, with a beautiful, hardnosed Earther captain who offers him an opportunity to make amends. Can he piece his clan together again? Does he deserve the chance?

Imdiko Doljen is wracked by guilt. He’s hidden from those he let down…including a woman he couldn’t keep. When she shows up in the company of his clanmates, old hurts ignite anew. It doesn’t matter what he wants; he can’t fix the mistakes he made.

The only path to regaining the love Bernadette lost means healing this shattered clan. Is she ready to commit to three men instead of the one she came for? When disaster strikes, she has to call on all the strength she possesses to stop them from falling apart for good.

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