Jessica E. Subject's Blog, page 3

First Chapter Friday: TAYRYM, a M/M Sci-Fi Romance

Enjoy the beginning of TAYRYM... Tayrym groaned at the sudden burst of light in his face. He put his arm over his eyes before turning over in bed.

“Oh no, you don’t. It’s time to get up.”

What was his best friend, Gwenodyn, doing in his room? “Go away.”

“No.” She yanked the blankets off him.

In a panic, he grabbed one of them back and covered his waist, not remembering if he’d worn anything to bed. Peeking under the blanket, he sighed with relief when he saw the elastic waist of his night shorts. Thank the universe!

“We don’t have school today.” Gwenodyn tugged on his wrist. “I thought we could hang out, since you’ll be leaving for Defender training soon.”

“How did you get in here?” His mom never would have let a girl in his room before he’d become an adult. Not that it would have mattered.

“Your mom was leaving for the market. She let me in and told me to wake you up.”

Market? It was that close to full sun already? “Cosmos! I’m late!” He scrambled off his bed and searched for a pair of pants and shirt to wear.

“Late?” She rushed out of his path and stood in the doorway. “For what?”

“My morning run.” He pulled the clothing over his night shorts, not wanting to waste any more time.

“Since when do you run?” Gwenodyn glared at him with her hands on her hips.

“I started two weeks ago.” He hoped that was enough of an explanation to get her out of the way so he could leave. Sure, she was his best friend, but there were some aspects of his life he kept secret even from her.

“Oh, to get ready for your Defender training?” Her lower lip stuck out as she moved to the side.

“Sure.” He didn’t want to tell her the true reason or listen to her whine about how much she’d miss him when he left. Not this morning.

She jumped in front of him. “You lie.”

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. “Stay out of my head, Gwen. Isn’t it unethical for Mingots to read minds without permission?”

“I don’t have to read your mind to know you’re lying.” She poked him in the chest. “You won’t look at me when you’re fibbing. Plus, you’re flinging your thoughts at me, so it’s hard not to know what you’re thinking. I can’t block you.”

Tayrym sat on his bed and cupped his face in his hands. He’d hoped to get off planet before telling anyone his secret, to go somewhere where he’d be accepted as normal rather than an outcast.

Gwenodyn sat next to him. She wrapped an arm around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. “C’mon, Scrym. You know you can tell me anything.”

Scrym, the nickname she’d come up with when they were both much younger. One only she was allowed to call him. They’d known each other for so long. Yet, he still kept part of him from her.

“I was going for a run.” He rested his head on hers, hoping she wouldn’t leave when he told her the truth. “To the Defender barracks. There’re a few guys who play kickball there.”

“And you play with them?” She turned and scrunched her eyebrows. “What’s wrong with that?”

“I don’t play.” He ran his palms across his lap. “I go to watch.”

“Oh, I get it.” She nudged him, a weird smile plastered on her face. “Is there one you think is cute?”

His insides seemed to disappear, leaving him empty, hollow. She knew? How? “Uh....”

She rubbed his back. “I’ve known for over a Galactic year. It’s why I stopped insisting we were going to get married someday.”

That long? She’d known for over one rotation and was still his friend? He released a heavy breath. Why had he doubted their friendship? Why hadn’t he told her earlier? “Yes. There’s a guy I like to watch. But he probably isn’t like me, in that he likes women, not guys. I’m probably wasting my time admiring him from a distance.” Those who’d admitted to being attracted to someone of the same sex on Hemera were shunned, forced out of the kingdom and never seen again.

“Only one way to find out.” Gwenodyn jumped to her feet and tugged on his hand. “I’ll go with you and read his mind.”

He froze. “But you can’t.” Did he really want these two parts of his life to collide? His mind said no, but his gut, unlike every other time he’d gone to watch, gave no objection. Yet, he couldn’t ask her to do something unethical just for him. “It’s not right.”

“If he’s blasting his thoughts around the way you sometimes do, I won’t be doing anything wrong.” She tugged on him again. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

“Okay.” He stood and gave his best friend a shy smile. “Thank you. For this. And for not leaving me when you realized we’d never get married.”

She cupped his cheek. “I was sad at first, but I can’t make you someone you’re not.”

“But you’re royalty now.” He leaned into her palm. “What would your new parents say if they learned I’m attracted to guys?”

She grinned and shook her head. “Hemera’s changed from when we were little kids. Lalia lived on Terra for many years. And Bryce was a Defender. Your homosexuality is not a big deal to them.”

Tayrym drew back. “You told them?”

“No.” She pushed him out of his room then shoved some naip into his hand. “They know one of my friends is a homosexual, but not which one. And they don’t care.”

“Oh. Okay.” Though Gwenodyn didn’t have any really close friends other than him. He still couldn’t believe she knew, the royal family knew, and yet he hadn’t been sent away. He doubted his own mother would be so understanding. She kept telling him he needed to find a good girl to settle down with instead of chasing his dreams of becoming a Defender.

“Let’s go, already.” Gwenodyn waited for him at the front door with his boots in her hands. “You don’t want to miss him, do you?”

He didn’t talk on the way to the barracks, and she didn’t ask any questions. But once the playing field came into view, Tayrym slowed down. “Let’s watch from over here.” He guided her to a patch of trees near the end of the field where his crush played. The spot he normally watched from.

There were five players again, the sixth guy only showing up occasionally. The missing player and another on the field were both teachers at his school. The guy he had a crush on, Guri, played on the same team as the teachers. He used to go to school with Tayrym, but within days of Tayrym admitting to himself he had a crush on Guri, his classmate stopped attending school. It wasn’t until two weeks ago, when he’d wandered around the Defender barracks that he saw him again.

“This isn’t going to work.” Gwenodyn left the trees and headed toward benches at the edge of the field.

“No.”

She didn’t respond to his whispered objection. He stumbled after her, hoping she didn’t embarrass him, make it impossible for him to ever come back and watch. Though he hadn’t yet told her which guy he liked.
​
She sat on the very front bench and leaned forward, examining all the players. “So, let me figure out which one you have the hots for.”
TAYRYM (Galactic Defenders #4) by Jessica E. Subject
​Tayrym has dreamed of becoming a Galactic Defender since meeting the infamous Bryce when he was just a boy. Finally an adult and awaiting the day cycle he is set to leave for training, Tayrym learns his long-time crush shares his affections. Now, he’s unsure whether he wants to leave, which dream matters more.
 
With the threat of being sent away for his sexuality haunting him, Guri keeps his feelings for his former classmate to himself. Even with a new progressive ruler on Hemera, he still hides his attraction to the young man. But when he catches the other shadowing him, Guri decides to take a chance. The only problem is, the man of his desire is leaving the planet soon. Possibly forever.
 
With obstacle after obstacle in their path, will Tayrym and Guri ever have a chance to be happy together? Or are they destined to fulfill their dreams light years apart?
Find TAYRYM at Amazon TAYRYM Universal Buy Link

First Chapter Friday: BRYCE, a M/F Sci-Fi Romance

Today's First Chapter Friday is from the first book in my Galactic Defenders series, Bryce. One of the first books i wrote was titled, The Zurian Child. It was published at one point by a publishing company that no longer exists. When I got the rights back to that book, I considered republishing. But I had learned so much in between when that book was published, and when i got the rights back. So, I rewrote the story instead, making it different, yet much better. In Bryce, the Galactic Defender is sent to Earth on a mission to hunt down Erebus that had made it to that planet. It's there he finds the princess of Hemera who was also his lover whom he had assumed had died in an Erebus attack on her home planet. He also learns she has a daughter who resembles him a bit. So, what happens when they're reunited? Read BRYCE to find out! You can find the beginning of the story below... Enjoy the first chapter of BRYCE from Bryce's point of view... ​Bryce raised his crossbow, lining his sights on the creature standing amongst the bushes, its branch-like tentacles undulating in the gentle breeze. Focusing the crosshairs on the alien’s torso, he drew in a deep breath. He had one shot. If he missed, the Erebus would cry out and alert the natives of Terra to its existence, resulting in more casualties. At first glance, no one on the planet, also called Earth, would believe an Erebus anything more than an overgrown bush, but Bryce knew the truth. He’d trained to hunt the creatures from childhood.

Each step carefully placed, he advanced until he stood twenty feet from the Erebus, no chance to miss the shot. With a slight movement of his finger, he squeezed the trigger, sending a zuranium-tipped arrow racing toward the alien.

“Quinn, would you grab me another garbage bag?”

Fornax. The creature lunged toward the female voice, Bryce’s arrow stuck in one of its tentacles. A kill, but not instant.

He loaded another arrow. At the risk of being seen, he charged through the hedges. He had to cut the Erebus off before it had a chance to kill the Terran. He leaped over metal furniture and large urns, keeping his focus on the creature.

“What the hell? Get out of my yard!”

The woman rushed him, but Bryce darted around her. When the Erebus lumbered in front of him, he raised his weapon and fired. A clean shot to the middle. The creature dropped like a fallen log, crushing the furniture it landed on.

Bryce loaded the crossbow again. No time to celebrate the kill. He had to worry about the possibility of other Erebus in the area, along with the Terran woman who had seen him. Instead of running away screaming, as he’d expected her to do, she stared, wide-eyed in horror. Not at him, but the Erebus. Her body trembled as she shuffled backward, mumbling incomprehensible words.

An unexpected sense of familiarity washed over him. He couldn’t draw his attention away from her slim figure, the way her long brown hair flowed over her shoulders. Far more attractive than he’d pictured the Terrans when others talked about them. He took a closer glance. Lalia? How had she traveled so far from home without anyone knowing? She was no stranger, and definitely not Terran. Or, perhaps she was simply a doppelganger of the woman he’d once loved. He had the sudden urge to comfort her, relieve her worry. Hold her in his arms the way he had many years ago. But what if the missing princess had somehow made her way to a planet unaware life existed beyond their own? After she’d left Hemera and him behind without so much as a goodbye, he’d searched everywhere. Though not once had he thought to look on Terra.

A ground-shattering bellow pierced the night. Bryce spun around, finding himself face-to-face with another Erebus. It stared at him with beady red eyes. Thick black goop dripped from its mouth.

Bryce raised his bow, but the creature slammed him with one of its tentacles, flinging him back. The Erebus lunged at Lalia.

Rolling to his knees, Bryce aimed and fired. He hit the alien from behind, launching it forward. Onto his former lover. Slinging the bow over his shoulder, he raced toward her. The creature’s tentacles still pulsed, even though dead. Careful not to trip himself up, he shoved his hands under the creature’s torso and heaved it off her.

Lalia stood immediately and wiped the black goop from her clothes, as if she hadn’t been flattened by an alien. “They weren’t supposed to follow me. I was supposed to be safe here.”

“Lindsay?” A Terran man appeared in the doorway of the house. He surveyed the property before his eyes focused on Bryce. “What the hell is going on? Who is that guy?”

Lindsay? Maybe she wasn’t the woman he remembered, but his tired mind played tricks on his lonely heart.

“Go back inside, Quinn.” She held her hand in front of her, slowly heading toward the other man. “It’s not safe out here.”

“I’m not going anywhere until—”

An Erebus leaped over the hedges, landing mere feet from the man. Erebus generally traveled in packs, but specimens this large had never been hunted so far from the systems in the Galactic Alliance. With one swipe of a tentacle, the Erebus knocked Bryce onto his back. He grabbed his bow and loaded an arrow. He shot. Too late. The alien pounced upon Quinn, its poisonous saliva filling the Terran’s mouth.

Bryce lurched forward and heaved the alien off the man. He scooped the tar-like substance from his mouth. “Spit it out. Don’t swallow.” No one had ever survived an attack, but he had to try. Though with the black foam pouring from the man’s mouth, Bryce feared the worst.

“Hey, there’s another Erebus.”

The fact Lindsay knew the name of the creature gave him pause, but only for a second. Bryce pivoted and shot the creature the moment he had the arrow loaded. And missed. The Erebus bounded toward Lindsay, and she blocked his direct shot at the creature. With no other option, Bryce dashed to her, hoping to thrust her out of the way before the Erebus could pin her down. Closing in, he realized they would reach the Terran woman at the same time. As the creature launched into the air to attack, Bryce dove for her midsection. He skidded across the ground with her before the alien flew over them. It skidded to a halt, spinning around for another attack.

At the same moment Bryce readied his weapon, a younger woman raced out of the house, holding a knife above her head. She launched off the deck, flying through the air toward the moving alien. Before he could get a shot off, she plunged the knife into the back of the Erebus, dropping the creature to the ground.

What in Gaspra? Bryce stared, stunned by what he’d witnessed. She could only have killed the creature with a zuranium blade, metal not believed to exist on Earth.

Yet, Bryce had no time to confirm. He needed to secure the yard then get the two women to a safe house. They had already seen him and the Erebus. Pollux and his squad couldn’t erase what the Terrans had witnessed, but he could protect them from another attack.

After grabbing the canister from the side pocket of his pack, he thrust it at Lindsay. “Spread this around the edge of your property.” The zuranium powder would keep the Erebus back, give him a chance to get them to safety before he tackled the front of the house, allowing the cleanup squad the opportunity to do their job without coming under attack.

“But, Quinn.... He’s gone?” She glanced behind her at the foaming lump, once a man, her body quivering. “This is all my fault.”

Bryce gripped her biceps to hold her still. “No, it’s not. None of this is your fault.” Only his. He’d been too careless, easily distracted. “But, I need you to take the powder and spread it along the edge of your yard. There are likely more Erebus on the way. Okay?”

Lindsay nodded, and while she sprinkled the metal powder along the bushes surrounding the yard, Bryce surveyed the area. He didn’t want to be caught unawares by another creature. The younger woman sat next to the remains of Quinn, holding her knees and rocking back and forth. She never should have had to kill an Erebus. He’d failed at his job. Failed her, Lindsay, and the dead Terran.

Far too many beings had died across the universe at the hands of the Erebus, an experiment gone wrong by a now-extinct race. They’d thrown the creatures into the sun to burn, trying to put an end to their mistake. But the move produced the opposite effect, multiplying the Erebus’s numbers and giving them transport to many systems and worlds through solar winds.
​
The Defenders of the Galactic Alliance fought to bring the Erebus population to extinction and end the casualties of the innocent. Yet, so many still perished. Including the man in front of them. Bryce’s fault for becoming mesmerized by the appearance of the woman called Lindsay. As a Defender, he had one responsibility, and it wasn’t to reminisce on his sexual escapades. He’d locked away all memories and feelings for Princess Lalia after she’d fled Hemera. But one Terran woman brought the heartache rushing back, leading to an innocent man’s death. BRYCE (Galactic Defenders book 1) by Jessica E. Subject
​A dedicated Defender…

Bryce fell in love once, but after Lalia was ripped away from him, he locked his heart from feeling anything for anyone else. Instead, he devotes his life to the Galactic Alliance, killing every bloodthirsty Erebus he comes across.

A shunned princess…

Lalia Comosova fell in love with the wrong man. When her parents learned of her transgressions, they sent her to Earth to hide her error in judgment from the rest of the kingdom.

A second chance?

When these lovers are reunited after many years apart, they have a chance to find happiness together. But fate steps in and threatens to rip them apart as it did years ago.
Bryce at Amazon Bryce Universal Book Link

First Chapter Friday: 4 UNITED, a FMMM Polyamorous Sci-Fi Romance

Today's First Chapter Friday is from the first book in my Romance Tales from the Quadrants series, 4 United. I didn't want to leave behind the universe I created for my Kaddim Brothers series, so I decided to write more love stories that take place in that distant world. While the stories in Romance Tales from the Quadrants involve many different pairings/groupings, they are all about finding true love. And in 4 United, Eta is reunited with her three childhood friends when an assignment sends her back to the planet where she was born. There are many reasons why she does not want to return, but she does and finds far more than she expected. Below is an excerpt from the beginning of chapter one. I've skipped the two prologues which take place at two time periods before Eta is assigned to return to Ma'an. Enjoy the beginning of chapter 1 from 4 United... I jumped awake, the buzz of a message rattling me from sleep. It came through my private USRA channel, my in-ear instead of on my handheld comm unit. Someone from the Universal Space Racer Association wanted to talk to me right away. Probably my supervisor. But why so early?

Slipping out from under the covers, I tried not to disturb the sleeping space racer beside me. I had no recollection of his name or what team he raced for. But he had been a good ride.

In the dim glow of light from his comm-charging pad, I collected my clothing from various corners of his sleeping pod and dressed. Yeah, it had been a wild night. But it didn’t matter. I had no connection with him. No spark of longing. No desire for something more. I had to leave before he woke.

After gathering the few belongings I’d brought with me for the hookup, I headed for the door. Once it slid open, I sneaked out, hoping not to run into any of the sleeping guy’s roommates.

I cleared the dorm without any awkward encounters then headed toward the closest tube shuttle port. On my way, I pressed my comm sensor behind my ear to receive the message.

Eta, this is Skyranked Rayne. Please come to my office at 0900. I want to review your last assignment and discuss your next one.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I shook my head in disbelief. Real, or had someone hacked into my comm? I’d just returned from my assignment on Oloria. And already the USRA had a new planet to send me to? I rested a hand against the wall and sighed, glad I’d spent the night having fun. If the message came from my supervisor, I didn’t know when I would get another chance.

Stepping into the tube, I entered my building and floor number. I barely had enough time to wash up before my meeting with my supervisor, but I couldn’t go to her office smelling like sex.

Once the contraption dinged, I braced for the ride. The tube rocketed quickly up, down, and around corners. Closing in on my destination, I grabbed the bar along the edge. If I didn’t hold on, I would fall on my ass when it stopped. As past experience had taught me.

In less than a minute, I reached my destination, thankful to no longer feel the dizzying effects of the ride as I had when I first used one. Leaving the tube behind, I walked down the hall to my apartment. I scanned my wrist in front of the sensor to unlock the door then went inside, unsure if my roommate had made it home. They had gone out last night, too, and without any message from Rumi, I didn’t know if they had returned or spent the night elsewhere as I had.

Listening closely, I heard the faint music from their home planet, Kalpier, they always played while sleeping. Good, at least they’d made it home. But I had to be quiet not to wake them. If any noise interrupted the music, they would wake at once.

I tiptoed through our common area, all the way to my side of the apartment, taking the few stairs down to my closet space. My sleep pod was installed above, a place I hadn’t been in several lunar cycles. And if another assignment already waited for me, I didn’t know how many nights I would spend there before I traveled off planet again.

With Rumi sleeping, I couldn’t turn on the clothes steamer. It made too much noise starting up. So, after finding a fresh uniform, I took it with me into the bathroom. It would get steamed in there with me as I washed up.

Clean and in a fresh uniform, I left the apartment with very little time before my meeting with Skyranked Rayne. Another tube ride transported me away from the racer and employee dorms to deep into the metropolis where the USRA headquarters stood tall.

I found it amazing how Eurebly grew every time I left. More teams meant more offices and training facilities. And teams needed a dorm, too, even if the members didn’t live on the planet full-time. Each team still had to train for a prescribed amount of time on Eurebly. So, I approved a team if they met all of the qualifications, only after their facilities had been built and reserved. The tube system wasn’t that old, the final stage of it having been completed shortly after I received my promotion from Runner to the Team Development Department.

At my stop, I raced out of the tube and down the hall. Skyranked Rayne wasn’t mean, but she didn’t like tardiness. She preferred when her staff were early, but with my last-minute call, I could only hope to make it on time.

I stumbled into her office, her assistant glancing up from zir comm unit as I tried to right myself.

“Oh good. You got her message.” Ze gestured toward the inner door. “You can go right in.”

Real message. Not a fake. But another assignment already?

The metal door slid open, and I headed inside the office. Every time I entered the room, the view behind my supervisor’s desk captivated me. Most buildings only had small UV protected windows to let in a minimal amount of light. Probably to protect light-sensitive beings. Yet, Skyranked Rayne had an entire outer wall of windows, revealing an amazing view of the metropolis. Especially from fifty stories up. Masses of buildings gave way to a clear, blue sky, dotted with various spacecraft. Cargo ships, pleasure craft, interplanetary shuttles, and more carried passengers and freight from Eurebly to spaceports all across the universe.

“Eta, thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” My supervisor gestured to one of the faux phalagump-hyde covered loungers on the other side of her desk. “Please, make yourself comfortable.” She activated the shutters for the windows, allowing the artificial lights to illuminate the space instead.

Though tempted to lean into the lounger, I sat on the edge of the cushion. I didn’t want to doze off after my late night and early morning.

Focusing on my supervisor, I tried to figure out her mood based on the current color of her skin. Most Derinjians I’d met had green skin, except when experiencing extreme emotions. But Skyranked Rayne never seemed to hide her feelings. Strangely, she appeared a bit yellow. Perhaps a little gray, too. Did that mean she was nervous? Then, very quickly, her skin turned bluish-green. Stars, what was she hiding? Had I gotten a complaint at my last assignment?

She sat cross-legged on the bench behind her desk. “I know I usually give you a couple days upon your return to complete your files and turn in your final report. But, seeing how you seemed to keep all your findings up to date in your files while on Oloria, and a pressing matter we need to discuss, I thought we could make a decision now regarding the planet’s racing status.”

I sat there, unsure how to respond. She’d said so much and I hadn’t fully woken. “Um, sure.” I wasn’t prepared for the meeting, hadn’t thought to buy a koobee on my way there, but I didn’t think I had any choice. And what pressing matter concerned either me or my supervisor? I thought I had another assignment already. Oh no, was she getting promoted and someone else would take her place? I hoped it wasn’t Skyranked Egdoe. I didn’t get along with them. They had been my supervisor when I first started as a runner for the USRA. Expected me to do things for the teams that weren’t part of my duties. When some other runners and I complained, they’d been reassigned to another department. But, last I heard from my roommate, they constantly begged to be transferred to the Team Development Department.

Skyranked Rayne loaded up my files from Oloria on her comm screen. As she flipped through them, a smile spread across her face. “Always so organized. That’s why I know you’re the ideal candidate for this next assignment.”

So, she wasn’t leaving. A relief for me. But I still didn’t know why I had another assignment already. The ideal candidate? Inspectors always received their assignments in order. I should be put into the queue the same as the others. Complaints would be filed when my colleagues learned about the change in protocol.

With a faint smile—she did compliment my work after all—I waited for her to continue.

Skyranked Rayne closed the files. “So, what is your overall assessment of the team from Oloria? Are they ready to join the USRA? Does the planet have the necessary facilities to support a team and the subsequent events?”

I nodded. They’d met all of the qualifications before I’d arrived. My three-lunar cycle stay had been nothing more than a formality. “Everything there meets or exceeds our standards. I have no doubts that the team from Oloria will make a great addition to the circuit. And the government is anxious to learn when they will get a chance to host their first official race.”

Several teams had already practiced on Oloria to get a feel for their course and to give the rookies a chance to race alongside more experienced racers. But the team and the planet couldn’t participate in any official events until the USRA approved their application.

“Okay, with your current reports, I will get their application sent for final approval. No need to write up a final report, as I need you to focus on your next assignment.”

Yaflats suddenly sprung to life in my stomach. The way the new assignment didn’t follow normal procedures made me nervous. Were they sending me beyond the quadrants? I didn’t think we knew much about the planets beyond the quadrants’ borders. But maybe things had changed since I’d been away. Though I probably would have heard about it, even on Oloria.

“Now…” She adjusted her sitting position, swinging her legs to her side. “For your next assignment, we’re sending you to your home planet, Ma’an.”

“No.” The word blurted out before I could stop it. I had never said no to an assignment before, but I couldn’t return to Ma’an. I had escaped from that planet for a reason. And while I had sneaked there once, that wasn’t a mistake I planned to make ever again. Why couldn’t someone else go?

Skyranked Rayne wrinkled her large forehead as her skin turned yellow then gray. “I thought you would be ecstatic at the chance to return. Don’t you have a cousin there?”

Gripping the edge of the cushion, I tried to withhold the urges to run, scream, and cry. While I certainly did not want to return to Ma’an, I had to show respect to my supervisor. Somehow, I had to make Skyranked Rayne understand my objections in a respectful manner. Even with my l’sida still on the planet.

I took a deep breath. “While I appreciate the confidence you have in me, I’m afraid I won’t be able to complete this mission. You see, my moema—mom—and I escaped from the planet when I was young. If I return, they won’t let me leave again.”

“Ah, so that’s what Chairman Lo’an referenced when he specifically asked for you to be assigned to his planet.” Her skin turned back to a blueish-green as she rested her forearms on her desk and leaned forward. “He assured me you will not be forced to marry anyone and will be assigned a shagard, someone to keep you safe while you complete your assignment. He also said, he’s working to change the laws regarding appointed marriages.”

I’m sure that would go well with the rest of the High Council, especially since they were the only ones on the planet who benefitted from the laws.

“I don’t know.” I sighed. So many doubts from the assignment churned through my mind. “As much as I would love to see my remaining family and my friends again, I don’t believe the planet has changed enough to assure my safe return at the end of the assignment.” If no one had concerns for my safety, why did I need a shagard?

“Eta.” Skyranked Rayne tapped away on her personal comm unit. “You are an employee of the USRA and thereby automatically protected by the Council of the Quadrants, of which Ma’an is a member of. I don’t think Chairman Lo’an is willing to break the many treaties he has signed, to keep you on the planet.”

When she finished typing, she pointed to my comm unit. “I’ve sent you all the necessary files pertaining to your assignment, including a personal video message from Chairman Lo’an. Please review them before you leave. Your shuttle is set to depart in two days.”

So, my objection meant nothing. I had to return to my home planet for an assignment with the likelihood of never returning. No one from the USRA bothered to check to ensure the planet had safety protocols in place. They simply took the word of Chairman Lo’an. And it was my responsibility to go there and ensure it proved safe to host events there, and for tourists to visit. Even if it meant sacrificing my own freedoms to prove the opposite.
​
I pocketed my comm unit and stood. “Okay.” Not waiting to be dismissed, I left my supervisor’s office. Somehow, I had to find a way out of the assignment. Maybe I could find a rule about not being allowed to evaluate your home planet. Or maybe some piece of information the chairman hadn’t provided. I wasn’t leaving right away. I still had time to find a loophole.
4 UNITED (Romance Tales from the Quadrants #1) by Jessica E. Subject Why would I ever return to Ma’an?

My moema and I escaped from the planet star cycles ago, to avoid her being forced to remarry after my poepa’s passing. I grew up well far away from there, not worrying about being betrothed to some government official just to bear his children. And now I work for the Universal Space Racer Association, traveling all over the quadrants to decide whether new teams meet the qualifications to join.

I never expected to be on a shuttle, heading back to Ma’an. The new chairman of Ma’an and the USRA assured me I’ll be allowed to leave at the end of my evaluation of the planet, but I have my doubts. I can’t even get out of the assignment. Trust me, I’ve tried.

At least I’ll be able to see more of Deyal, my only family member still alive. Plus, my best friend is convinced the three childhood friends I left behind are my fated mates, two of which are on the team, and the other is my shagard. I’m not ready to commit to one person, let alone three. And polyamorous relationships were banned on the planet long before my birth. But the three of them have grown from the cute boys I remember into sexy strangers.

It’s too bad I have a rule to never sleep with the racers I’m inspecting.

4 United is the first book in Jessica E. Subject’s sweet and spicy Kaddim Brothers spinoff series, Romance Tales from the Quadrants. 4 United features Eta, who escaped Ma’an with her moema just as her hair was starting to turn pink, her three childhood friends who grew up to be very sexy men, an unexpected assignment, fated mates, true love, and other family and friends getting involved to make sure the four of them get their happy ever after. If you like MMMF relationships, second chances at love, friends to lovers, and fated mates, read 4 United today.
4 UNITED at Amazon (ebook, paperback, and KU) 4 UNITED Universal Buy Link

October 2024 reads...

Below are the books that I read in October and my thoughts on each. 

I'm trying to do the Fold Reading Challenge to diversify my reading. In October, I was to read non-fiction by a nonbinary and/or transgender author. Instead, I read fiction by a transgender author with two transgender characters. In November, I'm to read an ACCESSIBLE book by a marginalized author. That means a book that is available in Braille, Audio, and Large Print. I'm not sure what I'm going to read for that yet. I'll see what The Fold recommends.
THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH by Andrew Joseph White

The Spirit Bares its Teeth reminds me of a book I read earlier this year where young people fight back against those working to oppress them. Only this book is set in a Victorian paranormal setting, and the fighting back is not in secret and much more gruesome. It is important to read the Letter from the Author at the beginning of the book to know the trigger warnings. But I kept reading and enjoyed this story of friendship, betrayal, found family, and revenge. The main character, Silas, is Trans and Autistic, both which play an important part in the story. The Spirit Bares its Teeth is an intense fantasy horror story that portrays only a minimal amount of the real cruelties if human nature. It's the second book by Andrew Joseph White that I've read, and I will definitely read more! Here are some memorable quotes from the story:

"When something terrible happens--or at least, when you learn about it--it feels like it should affect the entire world. It feels like something should change. But it doesn't."

"I think the entire world depends on people pretending they don't know they're doing terrible things."
BLOOD SISTERS by Vanessa Lillie

Blood Sisters is an intense read, both in terms of suspense and the Indigenous issues it tackles head on. Syd is a BIA officer who is sent back home to help with a case, leaving behind her pregnant wife. She hasn't been there for a couple years, and her contact with her family has been fleeting at that. But when she returns to Picher, Oklahoma, she can no longer avoid them. And her priority changes from the case she's supposed to help with to finding her missing sister. 

Syd's assumptions about her sister and her stubbornness that has her doing everything alone instead of waiting for help, get her into a lot of trouble and prevent her from finding the clues she needs to find her sister. Once she begins to let others into her investigation, she learns the connections between her sister, her own traumatic past, and the case she was sent there for.

In Blood Sisters, Vanessa Lillie wrote a very suspenseful novel that kept me reading from beginning to end. And it also weaves in many Indigenous issues that need to be learned in both Canada and the US, including government land grabs, broken treaties, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People.

I highly recommend Blood Sisters as both a suspense novel, as well as one  to learn more about important Indigenous issues.
​
Here are some memorable quotes from the story:

"If he wasn't so ignorant, he'd see that the people he hates and villainizes have more in common with him than the better-off white people where he thinks he belongs."

"As with justice and as with the earth, there can always be a balance returned. There is healing in the very pursuit."

First Chapter Friday: VAWN, a M/M MPreg Sci-Fi Romance

Today's First Chapter Friday is from the first book in my Kaddim Brothers series. It's the story of the youngest brother in the family. In VAWN, the youngest is widowed and preparing to visit his space racer brothers on Eurebly, his first time leaving his daughter since she was born. He didn't mean to catch feelings for one of the space racers on their team, and somehow, fate keeps bringing them back together. Enjoy the first chapter of VAWN in Vawn's point of view... Shit, I almost forgot my suppressants! I lunged toward my nightstand and grabbed them out of my top drawer before tossing the package into my travel case. Going into heat was the last thing I needed to do around a bunch of horny space racers. While I was going to the “Family and Friends” weekend event to visit my brothers, I wasn’t going to say no to a hot space racer looking for a good time. It had been forever since I’d had any of that kind of fun.

“Daddy, are you gonna fwy in one of dese?” Enif, my daughter, came racing into my room, flying the toy solo jet my brothers had gifted her the first chance they’d had to see their niece. That was two years ago, for Enif’s first birthday. We hadn’t seen Genj and Ret since then, at least not in person. Only on screen. Therefore, I was excited for this opportunity.

“I don’t think so.” I ruffled her sandy-blonde hair, the same color as mine, before clutching the handle of my case and heading out of my room. “I think your uncles may let me sit in theirs, but they would never let me fly them.”

“What ’bout me?” She stuck her arms out and raced up and down the hallway. “Do you sink de’ll let me fwy?”

“Uncle Ret told you he’d give you lessons as soon as you get your license to fly.” Originally, I’d planned to take Enif with me, but my best friend, Utahn, whom I shared a house with, insisted I needed to get away on my own for once. He said he’d take care of my daughter and already had my parents on standby in case of emergency.

“But dat’s….” She haphazardly counted on her fingers. “Firteen years from now. I wanna fwy now!”

“I’ll help you fly.” Utahn came up behind my daughter and flipped her up until her stomach rested on his shoulder. Then he ran down the hallway.

My daughter giggled and squeed until Utahn put her down and stared at me with his hands on his hips. “You ready to go?”

“I think so.” I scrolled through my mental checklist and hoped I wasn’t forgetting anything. “I’ve got my tickets, my communicator and charging pad, suppressants, and enough clothes for two people. I hope that’s enough.”

“A can of mesodenka?” Utahn wiggled his brows at me. “You need other protection. Suppressants aren’t enough. You never know who else these space racers have been with.”

“Po-tec-shun? Fwom what?” Enif stared up at me with her bottom lip sticking out. “I sought space racers were good guys.”

“They are.” I crouched down in front of her, wishing my best friend had kept his mouth shut. “But don’t worry. If there are any bad racers, your uncles will protect me from them.”

I hugged my daughter while glaring over her shoulder at Utahn. “I love you, Ennie. And I’m going to miss you so much while I’m gone.”

“Don’t wowwie, Daddy.” She squeezed me tight. “I be good for Utahn.”

“I know you will.” I brushed her bangs from her face. “’Cause you’re the best kid ever. Now, give me a kiss and hug before I go.”

After the hug from my daughter, I got one from Utahn before I headed out the door. With a deep breath, I tried to push down the worry about leaving Enif for the first time. I’d lost her father in a mining accident on Dynam only one month after we’d become parents. And that made me extra weary about leaving Enif anywhere I wasn’t. Even when I had to submit my designs to the biggest fashion labels in this part of the universe. My parents, or Utahn when he wasn’t at his bakery, usually kept her occupied in another room while I used holograms to accentuate my digital presentation. Enif was also the reason no label ever revealed any pictures of me. But I could handle one weekend away from her. At least, that’s what I’d been telling myself for the past two weeks.

At the corner of the block, I took the lift up to the sky platform just in time to catch the hoverbus to the spaceport. Yep, I was going to have fun. No matter what my brothers said. That’s how I’d keep myself from worrying too much.

It was only a fifteen-minute ride to the spaceport, and I’d already done my pre-flight check-in before I left, allowing me to head straight to security when I arrived. My baggage and I were both scanned before I was permitted to advance to the waiting room. It literally was a single room, the spaceport on Orez not that big compared to others on nearby planets. As the last descendants of Trid, a planet that had become unlivable a few decades before I was born, our population here wasn’t that big. And our new planet had only one major land mass, the rest occupied by water. Usually only small ships landed and departed from here. The flight I was catching to Eurebly would probably be one of the biggest crafts to arrive here in some time. And it would likely be almost full by the time I boarded, only one more stop between here and the planet where space racers’ headquarters was situated.

I sent a quick message to Utahn, and to both my brothers, to let them know I was waiting for my flight. Utahn replied with a picture of him and Enif waving, while I didn’t hear anything from my brothers. And didn’t really expect to. Between their crazy practice schedule, sleeping at odd times, and the time difference, they usually didn’t reply for a couple of days. Though I hoped they’d be waiting for me when I arrived. Or, at least, one of them.

I caught my flight shortly after, and, as expected, I had to search the cabin for a place to sit.

“Is this seat taken?” I asked a man who had probably boarded on Retem. His skin had a green tinge with darker spots along his forehead and the sides of his face. And his green, straight hair ended crisply just above his shoulders, barely covering the gills in his neck. His home planet was much like Orez, but his species had evolved to live in the water as well as on land.

“No, not at all.” He moved the strap of his bag off the arm of the empty chair. “Go ahead.”

His smile was sweet, and, I had to admit, he was kind of hot. He wore a basic blue T-shirt and slightly darker denim pants that accentuated how muscular he was.

I took the empty seat. “So, do you know one of the space racers, or are you a fan visiting for the weekend?”

Dimples formed in his cheeks as his smile widened. “Well, I am a fan, but I’m going to Eurebly as a guest of my best friend, who is the center for Team Storm. How about you?”

Oh, I’d heard of that team. My brothers cursed their pilots quite often because they were their biggest competition. “I don’t really follow the circuit much, but my brothers are both guards for ORIXA.”

He chuckled. “Ah, the Kaddim Brothers. I imagine they’d be upset to learn we sat together for the flight.”

“Probably, but they don’t have to know.” I lightly touched his arm, waiting to see how he’d react.
Another grin. This flight was going to be fun. “I’m Vawn.”

“Trog.” He shifted in his seat to face me better. “So, have you been there before?”

“No, this is my first time. I always had something else going on during these events.”

We chatted the entire flight, making the time pass remarkably fast. I hadn’t realized we’d landed on Eurebly until other passengers started getting up from their seats. Trog walked with me to the baggage claim, where he saw his friend.

“I’m going to go now, but maybe we can meet up again sometime this weekend. I think there’s a dinner and dance tomorrow night. Will you save me a dance?”

“Definitely.” I rubbed his arm, casually feeling his biceps. “Maybe a couple.”

He nodded with a smile. “I look forward to it.” He kept his gaze on me as he started to walk away. When he finally turned, I searched for my luggage.
​
This was already turning out to be a great weekend. I had wonderful company during my flight and already had a dance partner lined up for tomorrow night. Now, I needed to locate my travel case and search for my brothers.
VAWN (Kaddim Brothers #1) by Jessica E. Subject
​Vawn doesn’t need a mate. He’s already established himself universe-wide as a hot name in fashion, while raising his daughter. But he won’t say no to a fling with a hot space racer when he travels to Eurebly to visit his brothers. One night. That’s all he can give. Because his heart shattered when he lost his previous alpha, and he hasn’t been able to repair it completely. He refuses to love someone like that ever again.

Ojokun survived on Jenegath in order to leave the planet and become the best space racer in the universe. Though he flies with a team, he’s never depended on anyone outside of his jet. He keeps to himself. Has one-night stands, just like every other space racer. But, after a mind-blowing night with the brother of two of his teammates, he can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous omega, or the foreign longing that scares him more than his overly-protective teammates.

Can Ojokun convince Vawn that he wants more than one night? Or is that all they were ever meant to be?
VAWN at Amazon US VAWN Universal Buy Link

First Chapter Friday: HIS OMEGA ON STAGE, a M/M MPreg Shifter Popstar Romance

Today's First Chapter Friday is from my fourth Shifter Towers story, His Omega on Stage. I tried to expand what we know about the city of Saramto with this story, while returning to Adan Records at the same time. This is the longest story in the Shifter Towers series. And I'll let you in on a secret, there is more Shifter Towers coming in the future. In His Omega on Stage, Ash is releasing his debut album under the stage name AI. And when mishaps happen, he ends up working alongside his high school crush. But in the entertainment industry, relationships are never easy when they happen in the spotlight. Enjoy the first chapter of HIS OMEGA ON STAGE from Jun's point of view...
Another day, another dollar. Okay, so I made more than a dollar a day, but that was how the saying went. I was on my way to work once again. All I seemed to do lately, with nothing to break the monotony of my week. I used to teach guitar lessons to a few high school kids on my days off, but they either went off to college or had their own part-time job now with no time for lessons anymore. And I hadn’t bothered to look for more students. A boyfriend? Yeah right! Who wanted a leopard cat alpha who worked the evening shift at a record store? One who had a bad-boy reputation in high school that hadn’t translated well into adulthood. I had the occasional lonely omega come into the store at night. But a hookup with them never led to another. At first, that’s exactly what I’d wanted, having been burned by those I’d loved in the past. But, that had quickly become a lonely life. Now, I was “too passionate,” or “an overgrown house cat,” and not at all the type of fun my bed warmers were looking for. I wasn’t the “bad boy” they expected.

So, I worked. And when I wasn’t working, I listened to music at home, sometimes strumming along. That was my life. Boring. And another boring night awaited me at work.

Or so I thought until I got there and saw my boss, Kathie, the owner of KMM—Kathie’s Music and Merch—at the back of the store, fingers clenched in her dark-brown hair.

“Thank the stars you’re here.” She handed me a tall, yet thin cardboard box. “My father was rushed to the hospital a couple of of hours ago, and I need to get there.”

“Why didn’t you call me to come in earlier?” I felt bad for sleeping in and lazing around all morning while she was stressing the whole time. Sure, my job was boring, but Kathie treated me well, and we got along. “You know I would have.”

“I know.” She lightly touched my forearm. “But the doctor said he was stable, and I needed to discuss things with Sanjeet, the rep from Adan Records, before AI’s signing tomorrow.”

She nodded toward a stack of tall cardboard boxes like the one I held. “This is only some of the display for tomorrow’s signing. I need you to help those coming down from AR to set up. Felix is coming in to work the store so you can do that for me.”

“Okay.” I nudged her toward her office. “I’ll take care of it all. Now, get your stuff and go to your father.” She didn’t need to stress about anything else.

While Kathie gathered her belongings, I rang up a couple of customers. The part of my job I was used to. Setting up the event room for the signing would be new for me. Usually, Kathie did that herself. Sure, I’d retrieved items for her when the store wasn’t busy, but I’d never been left to complete the task on my own. Or even with support staff from AR. But I wasn’t worried. She wouldn’t trust me with the task if I couldn’t handle it.

A few minutes after Kathie rushed out to catch the light rail transit to the hospital, Felix arrived, his normally blond hair sprayed silver, the main color in all the promo for AI’s debut album.

I tried to hide my smirk. “Excited about the album, or hoping to pick up a fan?”

He winked at me. “Maybe a bit of both. AI is cute. Have you seen him?”

“Nah. I don’t get into artists for their looks. I need to hear them first before I become a fan.” And if they’re good-looking, it’s an added bonus. But like I’d ever have a chance with anyone famous.

“He has some covers out already.” Somehow Felix managed to pull an app with a list of AI’s covers up on his phone, and flashed it in front of me within seconds. “You should give them a listen while you’re setting up for him.”

I shrugged. “Trying to copy someone else’s song doesn’t give me any idea of what an artist truly sounds like.” From my experience, artists usually didn’t live up to my expectations on their own music after I’d enjoyed a cover. Sometimes the artist released a single of a completely different style than what I’d hoped for.

“But he makes them his own. Does his own thing.” Felix’s pout was cute, but it wouldn’t make me listen to this AI kid any sooner than I had to.

“Whatever.” I picked up a couple of the boxes. “I know the album will be playing here all day tomorrow. I’ll decide then.” Likely I’d be sick of every song by the end of the day and never want to hear the album again. Adan Records did have some good artists, like Envi and TK, but the boy group they debuted recently was too bubble-gum pop for me. Listening to them made my teeth hurt. Although they and groups like them seemed to sell well. With the rise of digital music, many fans no longer bought albums, but they came in searching for other merchandise, like clothing, posters, trading cards, figurines, and more. Their hunger for goods was endless.

Tonight, we wouldn’t be very busy. Only the customers who knew about the signing and wanted to avoid the crowd would come in. Plus, the occasional random shopper. Nothing Felix couldn’t handle. So, I set to work carrying all the material to the event room.

I’d just finished bringing in everything labeled for the signing when two women from AR arrived to help me get the room ready. The older one, probably in her mid-forties, with shoulder-length blonde hair and a large tattoo of a snake around her right arm, had a detailed layout of where everything was supposed to go. We divided the room then set up cardboard cutouts, decorated tables, and arranged the line area. The merchandise would come in the morning. Adan Records was really strict about not letting anyone get an early peek at their albums. Even though customers always came into the store early, hoping to snag a copy before their friends, they never had any luck with AR artists. Because we didn’t get them ahead of time.

I had just put the last barrier in place for the fan lineup when my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to find a text from Felix.

Suspicious customer. Busy with others. Can you come deal?

Be right there, I replied.

I quickly excused myself from the room then rushed back to KMM. Felix was ringing through customers, but I could see him side-eying the person he’d texted me about. And for good reason. The figure browsing through the pop CDs wore baggy black jogging pants and a hoodie, with a black bucket hat and black face mask bejewelled with silver beads in the shape of a diamond. Obviously trying to keep their identity a secret, but that made them more suspicious in a record store. Though we had security stickers on most products, there were still too many items that could easily be pocketed.

I caught a whiff of their scent. Vanilla and brown sugar. An omega, which I hadn’t expected when I’d first seen him. Though I couldn’t tell what kind of shifter. “Can I help you with something?”

I don’t think he heard me approach, as he jumped a little before turning my direction. “I uh, yeah.... I’m looking for AI. His new album. For my sister.”

His deep voice caught me by surprise, too, but I didn’t believe his story at all. Why did he have to hide, in multiple ways, that he was a fan?

I sneaked a glimpse of his eyes under the rim of his hat. He appeared strangely familiar, as if I should know who the person was but couldn’t seem to remember. Someone I’d seen in person before maybe? Why couldn’t I remember?

“AI’s album doesn’t release until tomorrow. We don’t get any copies of it until first thing in the morning. Sorry to disappoint you, I mean, your sister.” Would he get the hint I didn’t find his story credible? “But if you’re available tomorrow, AI will be here to sign his new album from eleven until two. There’ll be new merch, too.”

“Oh, okay.” The guy adjusted his hat and mask, covering even more of his face. “I’ll come back then to get one. Thank you.” He rushed out of the store without bothering to look for anything else.

Not that I minded. It meant I could return to setting up for the signing. But I wondered if the guy would really come back. Would he admit to being a fan if face-to-face with AI?

“Customers are looking for his album already,” I said, walking into the event room. “That’s a good sign.”

“Understandable. He’s really good.” The older woman carried the cardboard cutout of AI to the stage. “I heard his album is a bit different from the covers he posted though.”

Everyone spoke so highly of his covers, but I still wouldn’t listen to them. I wanted to hear him singing his own music to make my judgment. “Well, I’m sure he’ll have quite the turnout tomorrow.”
​
The woman set the cutout in place, and that was the first time I got a glimpse of the artist who went by the stage name AI. All other cutouts had him wearing a white full-face mask, with intricate silver patterns. In this one, I could see his dark hair and big doe eyes. I couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity, like I should know him from somewhere. I guess I’d have to try to get a glimpse of him sometime tomorrow to know for sure. That is, if I had a moment to leave the store. HIS OMEGA ON STAGE (Shifter Towers #4) by Jessica E. Subject Jun
For leopard cat shifter, Jun, being the rogue alpha in high school hadn’t helped him as an adult. Though he sometimes believed he was ready to find a mate, past experiences taught him those he loves eventually leave him. So, he protects his heart by seeing omegas looking for nothing more than a one-night stand. Until he runs into someone from his past.

Ash
As the first omega signed to Adan Records, AI is anxious for the release of his debut album. Being a leopard cat shifter instead of an actual leopard like the rest of his family has always made him feel small and insignificant. But now he’s about to shine bright in front of the world, all on his own, without an alpha by his side. He doesn’t need one, and definitely doesn’t have time for one. Though when he runs into someone from his past who knows him as Ash, he wants to give this alpha all of his attention.

On Stage
But with all the problems that fame brings, will Ash be able to make a relationship work? Will Jun fight for the omega he’s sure is his fated mate? Or will they let each other slip away, believing what they have isn’t enough? Get HIS OMEGA ON STAGE at Amazon Universal Buy Link

Release Blitz: DEAD LATE by Anise Eden & Giveaway

Two hearts. One choice. And the clock is ticking. DEAD LATE by Anise Eden
The chilling conclusion to the award-winning Things Unseen romantic thriller series.
He’s forced to make an impossible choice—and the deadline is deadly.

Dr. Cornelius O'Brien brought his new girlfriend, psychotherapist Neve Keane, to his home country of Ireland for a romantic getaway. There’s just one thing they need to do first: a personal favor for the President of the United States.

It was supposed to be simple: check on the president’s goddaughter, who is struggling with a strange medical problem while studying abroad in Cork City. But with every step, Neve and Cornelius find themselves first slipping, then plummeting toward a terrifying, clandestine world at the abyss of human suffering.

Trapped by malicious forces he can't escape, Cornelius must make a terrible choice: violate the Hippocratic oath or put Neve in imminent danger. Left in the dark, Neve faces her own perilous dilemma: honor her promise to Cornelius or act quickly to keep an innocent young woman out of the hands of vicious murderers.

With no good options, they are forced to act. Meanwhile, the patient is prepped...and the clock is ticking.
Dead Late Kindle/ebook Dead Late in Paperback Dead Late Universal Buy Link Other books in the Things Unseen series... Dead Sound Dead Keen About Anise Eden... ​Following the advice to “write what you know,” ANISE EDEN authors psychological suspense and paranormal romance novels. Her qualifications include growing up in the countryside where rattlesnakes and cougars jumped out of nowhere; living with family members who are a little bit psychic; and having her life saved on more than one occasion by her SEAL Team of guardian angels.

After college, Anise soaked up life in NYC, Washington DC, and points in between. She tried her hand at grooming horses, scooping ice cream, and designing billboards before returning to school to become a psychotherapist. Though she left that field after many rewarding years, Anise remains a passionate mental health advocate.

Continuing her real-life adventures, Anise is now exploring life in Ireland with her husband and their small, benevolent canine dictator. While her books have won multiple awards, Anise’s propensity for dropping glass objects while barefoot makes it highly likely that her next win will be a Darwin Award.
Website Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Giveaway! Enter to WIN a $10 Amazon gift card! Enter here!

First Chapter Friday: MINK OMEGA IN HIDING, a M/M MPreg Shifter Romance

It's been a while since I've done a First Chapter Friday post, but since there are many stories I haven't posted about yet, and I'm trying to link excerpts to my book pages, I thought I'd start these posts again. Today's First Chapter Friday is from the second book in my Shifter Towers series. There were many real-life events, conversations, and experiences that inspired this story. In Mink Omega in Hiding, a bear shifter longs for his fated mate whom he hasn't seen since they attended college together. And one day, the mink shifter shows up on his doorstep, looking for a place to hide out. Enjoy Roan's POV in the first chapter of MINK OMEGA IN HIDING... As a child, I often believed standing on stage performing for enraptured spectators would be the best feeling in the world. I was so wrong. My audience twenty years later consisted of drunk and horny wolf shifters waiting for me to sway my hips and peel my clothing off one piece at a time.

Even though I knew they were there, I couldn’t look at any one of them. If I did, I would freeze, be completely unable to perform. Instead, I imagined stripping for someone else, someone from long ago. Thoughts of my first love helped me through work, and every day at home when Tuan wanted me to perform sexual favors for him and several of his gang members, or decided he wanted to remind me of his dominance with his fists.

Memories of my first love helped me through it all. He’d never loved me back. Not in the way I’d wanted him to. But he’d always treated me as an equal, even if he was an alpha and I was only an omega. I pictured him sitting in the front row, weaved my hips around to entice him, make him want to claim me. I teased him, showing flashes of skin before lifting my shirt off. Then I slowly rolled down my pants, a little at a time before I bent over in front of him, giving him a view of my bare ass.

Ignoring the catcalls, I imagined his deep voice encouraging me, telling me that I was a good omega and how much he loved me.

And then my performance was done.

“Oh, you were so good, baby,” Pog, one of Tuan’s minions called from the audience. He’d arrived later than usual tonight, though I wished he hadn’t shown up at all. “Let’s go to a private room where you can grind that pretty little ass over me.”

Swallowing the bile that tried to escape, I grabbed my clothes from the stage and ran off. Tuan insisted that I didn’t give private dances at work. Not when he wasn’t there to profit from it. Besides, it was my last dance for the night, and I had to rush to get dressed and catch the last bus of the night that went past the club.

After saying good night to some of the other dancers, I pulled the strings on my hoodie a little tighter and pushed open the door of the employee entrance. Escaping out into the muggy night, I headed for the bus stop. My shift was over, though I wanted to go home as much as I wanted to stay at work. Tuan would want the same thing every guy who came into the club longed for. My body. But, for once, I wanted to feel like I was appreciated for more than the shape of my ass and sway of my hips. I wanted to have an intellectual conversation instead of hearing, “Hey, baby, come and sit that pretty ass on my lap.”

Yet I had nowhere else to go. No one else to depend on. Not even myself.

I reached the stop as the bus pulled up. Getting on, I found a single seat in the middle. Perfect. I pulled my hood over a little more so no one would recognize me. Even in sweats and a hoodie, I often got recognized by my face. Though it seemed no one ever looked there while I danced, they obviously did at some point during my routine. Could and did spot the mole on my right cheek from fifty feet away.

Didn’t matter. I still wanted out. My tips were slowly adding up, but not yet enough to afford my own place. Why had I become involved with a wolf omega who was the leader of the worst gang in all of Gitown? What had I ever seen in him in the first place, giving up a promising future to be with him? My parents were right when they’d objected to him. But it wasn’t until they were killed in a car accident that I realized how right they were. Now I had no one else to depend on. No one to help me leave his clutches.

After transferring onto my next bus, I heard my phone ding, indicating a text. I rolled my eyes as I pulled it from my pocket. Probably Tuan wondering where I was even though he knew my shift ended at midnight and how long it took me to get home.

No, it was from an unknown number. I froze at the single word on the screen.

Run

What did that mean? And who had sent it? No one had my number except work and Tuan. He’d made sure of that.

My hand holding the phone shook. Should I believe what the message said? Had something happened? Or was it a threat? Tuan had a lot of enemies, some of whom had found me at the club. Thank goodness the bouncers there were armed for such occasions.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Maybe someone had texted the wrong number. The message was meant for somebody else.

Suddenly the volume of the voices on the bus heightened. I glanced out the window to see what the excitement was about then realized how close to home I was. I yanked on the stop-request cord then carefully headed for the exit. And that’s when I noticed the lights. Blue and red. All flashing. My home was surrounded by police cars and crime scene tape.

Then I recalled the message. Run. It was meant for me. But who had sent me the warning?

I returned to my seat, not budging when the bus stopped.

“You getting off, sweetheart?” the bus driver called.

I ducked low in my seat. “Uh, no. Not yet. Forgot I had to pick up some groceries before I go home.”

The driver knew I lived in the neighborhood but not which house. Tuan had me circle the block and enter through the back gate. Paranoia, I’d originally believed, but now I was thankful for the stupid tactic. No one on the bus knew the house they were all staring at, wondering what had happened there, was my home. A place I doubted I could return to. Though I didn’t want to anyway.

I crossed my arms and rocked my right leg back and forth, trying to prevent the fear swirling in my stomach from consuming me. I had to find somewhere to go, someone I could trust. But that wasn’t anyone or any place in Gitown.

Shit! All my saved money was hidden in a canister tucked under a loose floorboard in the back of my closet. I had only the one hundred dollars in cash I’d made tonight, money Tuan would have taken the instant I walked in the door. It wouldn’t last me long. But I refused to return home. I had to figure out where to go. I wasn’t going down for whatever Tuan got himself involved in this time. I always minded my own business for that reason. Yet, I was sure Detective Merida would find any excuse to interrogate me. That couldn’t happen. I needed out of the city. And fast.

When the bus reached the main terminal, I rushed off and headed to the station for the out-of-town routes. The arrival/departure screen indicated several buses would be leaving at six a.m. But I didn’t want to wait around the station for the next few hours. I knew what happened to people who were found here in the middle of the night. Especially omegas like me. Tuan had told me stories, been involved in many of the attacks. I needed to go somewhere now.

One bus on the platform was boarding passengers. Its sign read Saramto. A ten-hour drive to a place I hadn’t been in years. A city that held so many good memories. But with the way I’d left, would the memories have washed away, be long forgotten? Would he remember me? Would he even want to see me? Heck, I didn’t even know if he still lived there. But I had no other choice.

I went to the ticket booth. “How much to get on that bus to Saramto?”

The woman behind the plexiglass and metal bars looked up. “One way is fifty dollars. Round trip is eighty.”

I counted out the right cash then slipped it into the metal bowl on the counter. “One way, please.”

The agent didn’t say a word, just took my money then printed off the ticket, which she dropped into a slot in front of me.

Grabbing the piece of paper, I rushed onto the bus. Thankfully, it wasn’t crowded. In fact, there were maybe ten other passengers. I took a seat two behind the driver, the aisle seat. When the bus finally got going, I moved to the window, but I didn’t want anyone to dart on at the last minute and sit beside me.
​
Finally, the bus departed the terminal and, within a half hour, Gitown was behind me. A place I never wanted to return to. And never would. Even if things didn’t work out in Saramto, I wouldn’t have any money to get back. I could only hold onto the hope that an old friendship would remain true even after so many years. Otherwise, I was doomed. MINK OMEGA IN HIDING (Shifter Towers #2) by Jessica E. Subject Roan is looking for a way out...
As a mink shifter omega, I never thought I’d escape the soul-crushing, gang-ruled world I lived in. But, one night on my way home from working at the strip club, the opportunity arose. I needed to find a place to hide, somewhere I could go where no one from this life would ever find me. Someplace I could start over. With my parents deceased, I only had one person from my past I could ask for help. But would he want to see me again?

Hansol has everything in his life, except his mate…
After two years of running a successful fitness center with celebrities as my personal clients and friends, one would think I had everything I’ve ever wanted. But I don’t. The one thing I still desire is to have my mate by my side. Something my sun bear keeps reminding me of every day. Sure, I’ve had plenty of omegas and other alphas in my bed, but no one I want to wake up with each morning. That person left my life years ago with no explanation and no goodbye.

Will they find their way back to each other?
Then Roan shows up on my doorstep, soaking wet, and with no belongings. Of course, I take him in. But I don’t know how long I have until he leaves again. Can I trust him this time? Can I finally claim him as my mate? Or am I holding onto false hope? Because I know there is something he is keeping from me.

Mink Omega in Hiding is a super sweet with knotty heat shifter M/M mpreg romance featuring a mink shifter escaping horrific abuse, a reconnection with an alpha friend from the past who stands between him and danger, and the discovery of what really could happen between them. It is the second book in the popular Shifter Towers series and can be read as a standalone. Get MINK OMEGA IN HIDING at Amazon Universal Buy Link

September 2024 reads...

Below are the books that I read in September and my thoughts on each. 

I'm trying to do the Fold Reading Challenge to diversify my reading. In September, I was to read fiction by a neurodivergent author. And I read two! In October, I'm to read non-fiction by a nonbinary and/or transgender author. And I've already started reading a book for that. Though it's not non-fiction. I really don't read a lot of non-fiction. LOVE IN THE AIR by Mariah Ankenman

Love in the Air is a quick and fun enemies to lovers romance with just the right amount of spice! Iz and Chance went to high school together and competed for marks, dates, and scholarships. When they graduated, they never expected to see each other again. Then they both audition for the same aerial performance company and are partnered for a hoop routine. They must try to get along or face being kicked out of the company. Well, working that closely together leads to a whole lot more, and they both must come to terms with their pasts and their feelings for each other. I look forward to reading more from Mariah Ankenman! DEAD SOUND by Anise Eden

I really enjoyed Dead Sound with its slow burn romance and high intensity action! When Neve goes back to work at the mental health unit of the hospital after being hurt by a patient, she doesn't expect to walk into a cult gathering, or to find she's the center of it all. But this is just the beginning of the ride that happens while reading Dead Sound. Anise Eden wove many twists and unexpected turns into this story while developing the relationship between Neve and Con from good friends into something much more. And I think their relationship continues to grow throughout the series. The end of this book flows nicely into the next without leaving the reader on a cliff hanger, yet providing some crumbs for Dead Keen to pick up on. I look forward to reading more in this series!

It's release day ~ Once Upon a Dance Club Wish

ONCE UPON A DANCE CLUB WISH release day! I'm super excited to have another book release this year, and a new series at that. I wasn't sure if I was going to write more mpreg, but after the popularity of Fox Trapped, my imagination kept filling me with new ideas for new mpreg stories. Thus, how my City Wishes & Enchanted Dreams series was born. I had ideas for four stories before I started writing the first, though I've written this series so that it's open to so many stories if I want to write them. 

And Nelson got his story first, the poor guy is so down on his luck after losing his boyfriend, place to live, and job in less than a month. And he just wants to find real love. Here's more about his story, Once Upon a Dance Club Wish...
The card says ‘Make A Wish.’

After several failed relationships, Nelson Connor yearns for a long-term boyfriend who will one day become his husband. Sure he won’t find anything more than a one-night stand at the dance club his friend dragged him to, Nelson makes his wish as he leaves. But he doesn’t expect to step out of the club into a meadow far from the city. And he definitely doesn’t expect to meet a smexy man who claims to be a turtle shifter wanting to take him into the ‘Enchanted Forest’ to meet his fated mate.

It all seems so unreal, but with no place of his own and no job due to corporate downsizing, Nelson doesn’t have anything promising to go back to. He decides to follow the turtle shifter into the forest.

Did Nelson finally find the happy ending he’s looking for? Or will he try to escape back to his world when he learns the conditions of staying in the Enchanted Forest?

Once Upon a Dance Club Wish is the first book in the new MM MPreg City Wishes & Enchanted Dreams series by USA Today bestselling author Jessica E. Subject. Once Upon a Dance Club Wish is a MM shifter fantasy romance that features a man down on his luck who doesn’t know shifters exist, a turtle shifter who longs for a mate but doesn’t think he’ll ever find one, the wizard who brings them together, and many other fantastical creatures from the Enchanted Forest. If you like fated mates, true love, meggs, baby turtle shifters, and a guaranteed happy ever after, Once Upon a Dance Club Wish is for you! While each book in the City Wishes & Enchanted Dreams series is set in the same world, they can be read as standalones.
Once Upon a Dance Club Wish at Amazon Once Upon a Dance Club Wish in paperback Universal Buy Link Read an excerpt from Once Upon a Dance Club Wish