Olivia Waterhouse has just graduated from nursing school and has her whole life ahead of herâuntil she gets drafted. Problem is, she isnât being forced into the Army, sheâs been chosen as a Kindred bride.
The Kindred are alien warriorsâa race of genetic traders whose population is ninety-five percent male. After saving Earth from the threat of invasion they demand a rewardâthe right to find brides among the population. The chances of being chosen are about the same as those of winning the lotteryâguess itâs just Livâs lucky day.
Baird is a Beast Kindred who recently escaped imprisonment and was tortured at the hands of the malevolent Scourge. Through the torment and pain only one thing kept him saneâthe thought of finding and claiming his brideâOlivia. His need to possess her is a burning intensity that threatens to consume them both.
Angry at having her future and her family taken away from her, Liv vows to fight back the only way she canâby resisting. Sheâs determined to resist him but his touch sets her on fire. And just as she thinks she knows what she wants, a twist of fate and an attack by the faceless Scourge AllFather changes everythingâŠ
Olivia Waterhouse has just graduated from nursing school and has her whole life ahead of herâuntil she gets drafted. Problem is, she isnât being forced into the Army, sheâs been chosen as a Kindred bride.
The Kindred are alien warriorsâa race of genetic traders whose population is ninety-five percent male. After saving Earth from the threat of invasion they demand a rewardâthe right to find brides among the population. The chances of being chosen are about the same as those of winning the lotteryâguess itâs just Livâs lucky day.
Baird is a Beast Kindred who recently escaped imprisonment and was tortured at the hands of the malevolent Scourge. Through the torment and pain only one thing kept him saneâthe thought of finding and claiming his brideâOlivia. His need to possess her is a burning intensity that threatens to consume them both.
Angry at having her future and her family taken away from her, Liv vows to fight back the only way she canâby resisting. Sheâs determined to resist him but his touch sets her on fire. And just as she thinks she knows what she wants, a twist of fate and an attack by the faceless Scourge AllFather changes everythingâŠ
âBad dreams again last night?â
Olivia Waterhouse jerked at the sound of her twin sisterâs voice and then went back to staring at the kitchen table. âUh, not so much,â she lied and tried to smile.
âCâmon, Liv, give. Itâs me, your womb mateâremember?â Sophia sat down across from her and patted her hand gently. No one could ever decide if the Waterhouse twins were fraternal or identical. Liv had honey blonde hair with grey eyes and Sophia had a rich, chestnut mane with pale green eyes but their facial features were exactly the same. They had the same build too, both were five-seven and slender with hourglass curves. More than just twins, they were also best friends, which was why it made Liv uncomfortable to lie to her sister. But she couldnât help itâthe things sheâd seen last night didnât bear repeating.
âReally,â she said, not meeting her sisterâs eyes. âIâm fine. I just had a restless nightâthatâs all.â
The truth was the dreams sheâd been having for the past half year about the muscular stranger with glowing, amber-gold eyes had become progressively more disturbing. He was her nighttime visitor every time she closed her eyes. Liv had even named himâinside her head she called him âthe dark man.â
For the longest time sheâd dreamed of him someplace filled with shadowsâsomeplace where despair was an almost palpable thing. Sometimes he was chained to the wall, his head bowed as if in exhaustion. Other times were worse. Liv had seen him hooked to some kind of machine, wires embedded in his dusky tan skin like malignant snakes feeding off him. On an inverted dome, as big as an IMAX screen above his head, images flashedâpictures of strange worlds she never could have imagined. One seemed to be all ice and snow, another a lush tropical jungle where the vegetation was mostly blue instead of green. And yet another seemed to be a world that was mostly a clear, golden ocean with tiny rocky islands dotted here and there.
When she dreamed of the pictures of other worlds flashing across the enormous screen, Liv always got the idea that they were somehow drawn from the memories of the dark man. And there was painâso much pain, both physical and emotional. He was hurting and she was powerless to help him. She didnât even know him but somehow his agony affected her deeply. She woke up with tears in her eyes most mornings, her heart clenched like a fist in her chest, his nameâa name she could never quite recallâtrembling on her lips.
Liv tried to tell herself her dreams were just thatâonly dreams. Lots of people had reoccurring dreams. Why her brain should choose to show her the same thing night after night was a mystery but it was also no big deal. And she only felt for the mysterious dark man because that was the kind of person she was. Sheâd just finished nursing school a few weeks ago and was taking some time off before she started her new job in the pediatric unit at Tampa General. She could be tough when she had to but by nature she was a nurturing person. Otherwise she wouldnât care how this man, this dream stranger, was hurting. Wouldnât care about the pain she saw in his unusual amber eyes.
Then, two or three nights ago, the dreams had changed. When she finally let herself sleep, she saw the man as usual but he was free. Unchained and out of the shadowy place where his only emotions had been despair and agony.
The change in her depressing dream should have elated Liv but she found herself frightened instead. Because in her new dreams the huge man with black hair and golden eyes was looking for someoneâsearching tirelessly. And somehow she knew that the person he was searching for was her.
Then last night, heâd found her. Liv still remembered sitting bolt upright in bed at four in the morning, her hand pressed between her breasts as if to still her pounding heart. The scene in the dream had showed the mysterious dark man staring right into her eyes and heâs spoken only one word.
âMine.â
âWhat?â Sophia looked at her in concern and Liv realized sheâd quoted her dream aloud.
âNothing. Whatâs for breakfast?â It was a Saturday morningâthe day officially decreed as off the diet and anything goes. Liv tried to curb herself the rest of the weekâher curvy figure was already a lot more hippy than she likedâbut on Saturday she let herself off the leash.
âHow about pancakes? Katâs coming over and bringing some blueberries from that organic farmerâs market on Dunn. Sound good?â
âMmm.â Liv nodded, trying to look enthusiastic and failing miserably if the expression on her twinâs face was any indication.
âCome on, Liv, blueberry pancakes are your favorite.â Sophia frowned as she moved around the warm yellow and cream kitchen, getting out the eggs and flour and sugar and pulling down a frying pan from the hanging rack above the sink.
âYummy. Canât wait.â Liv gave her a weak smile and stifled a yawn. âSeriously, Sophie, Iâm just tired. I stayed up a little too late reading.â
Sophia shot her a skeptical look. âRight. And thatâs why you look like one of my first graders whoâs just been sent to the principalâs office.â She taught at an affluent private school in South Tampa that catered to the wealthy and gifted children of the city and she absolutely loved her job. Since it was summer, however, she had three months off to pursue her other loveâart.
Liv knew Sophia was itching to go paint and was probably only hanging around the kitchen making blueberry pancakes because she was worried about her twin. She opened her mouth to protest that she was fine again when a rat-a-tat-tat sounded at their front door.
âComing!â Sophia beat her to the door and opened it to the beaming face of Katrina OâConnor, their mutual friend since high school. As Sophia ushered Kat inside, Liv shook herself mentally. It was time she stopped letting these silly dreams affect her so much. She was Olivia Waterhouse and she wasnât afraid of anything.
Despite being compassionate Liv was no pushover. She had worked her way through nursing school and always stood up for herself, even to the crankiest doctors who could verbally eviscerate anyone with a sarcastic word or two. She went car shopping and to the mechanic by herself and never got screwed over. And most importantly, she never took no for an answerâwhen she really wanted something, she went for it. So why was she letting a stupid dream put a crimp in her personal style?
Time to get over it, girl, she lectured herself sternly. Itâs just a dream and heâs not real. Let it go and enjoy your pancakes. Itâs a beautiful Saturdayâanything could happen. But rather than cheering her up, the thought sent a shiver down her spine. Thatâs right anything could happenâŠanything at all.
âWhatâs your deal, Liv? You look like you saw a ghost.â Katâs cheery voice broke her morbid train of thought and Liv looked up and tried to smile.
âHey, Kat-woman. Heard you were bringing some blueberries.â
âDid better than that.â Kat put a large recycled cloth shopping bag on the round kitchen table and started pulling things out of it, like a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat. âEggs, butter, ham, chivesâŠâ She stopped to push a wisp of auburn hair behind her ear before continuing. âSome fresh shitake mushrooms, goat cheeseââ
âWhoaâwhoa!â Liv was startled into laughing. âWhat the hell kind of pancakes are we making here, anyway?â
âNot pancakesâquiche. I saw this new recipe last night on Food Networkââ
Liv and Sophia both groaned aloud at this, cutting her off. Kat was a paralegal at Linden and James downtown but she had always had grand aspirations when it came to cooking. Unfortunately, she didnât like to follow a recipe so most of her culinary creations landed in the trashâa fact that didnât discourage her in the least when it came to trying something new. Especially if she was working in someone elseâs kitchen and didnât have to worry about cleaning up the mess afterwards.
âTell me something, Kat,â Sophia demanded. âExactly how much of that stuff in the bag does the recipe call for?â
âAnd how much is your own addition?â Liv finished her twinâs thought effortlessly.
âCome on, you guys.â Kat pouted unconvincingly. âThis one is going to be good, I can tell. And just because it doesnât actually call for sardines and black olives doesnât mean they wonât be good in there.â
âBlack olives?â Sophia made a face.
âAnd sardines? Yuck! Are you making a quiche or an everything pizza?â Liv crossed her arms over her chest.
Kat noticed the gesture and grinned. âOoo, nice nighty, Liv. Did we have a nocturnal visitor last night?â
Liv opened her mouth but Sophia beat her to it. âNo one besides her dream manâwhoever he is.â
âI didnât dream about him last night,â Liv lied defensively. âAnd I wore this because I happen to like itâitâs comfortable.â In contrast to Sophieâs Sesame Street pjs and Katâs sensible t-shirt and shorts, she had on her lacy black baby doll nighty. It was the one her ex fiancĂ©, Mitch had given her and it had a short black robe and panties that matched.
Liv wasnât wearing the set because she missed the jerkâsheâd really dodged a bullet when she gave him back his ring and told him to hit the road. It was more a case of not letting something so nice go to waste. Mitch may have been a cheating bastard but he had good taste in underwearâunderwear for her, anyway. Heâd worn tighty-whities himself. Liv had always struggled not to laugh when he strutted around the house in them, thinking he looked so hot.
âShe claims she stayed up late reading a bookâthatâs why the dark circles and eye luggage.â Sophia sounded skeptical.
âWell you look like hell,â Kat said frankly. âIt must have been some book. Was it a horror novel or what?â
âSomething like that,â Liv muttered sulkily. She was in no mood to put up with her friendâs teasing.
âWell donât get bent out of shape, doll.â Kat smiled at her as she continued pulling ingredients out of her shopping bag. Liv hoped the strawberries and mangos were for a fruit salad and not the sardine and black olive quiche. âI just thought with that sexy outfit maybe youâd finally decided to get back on the dating train. You and Mitch hit splitsville over six months ago now.â
âYouâre the last one to talk about dating.â Sophia was whisking something in a bowlâno doubt sheâd decided to make pancake batter after all as a back up to the disastrous quiche. âYouâre even worse with men than meâand I suck at the social scene,â she added, tasting the batter and reaching for a bottle of vanilla extract.
âExactlyâbecause most men today donât appreciate the pleasures of a plus sized woman.â Kat gestured at her own lush figure with a small pineapple sheâd pulled out of the seemingly bottomless bag. âWhich is why I have to live vicariously through you two skinny-minnies. A size eight looks good in that naughty little nightyâa size eighteen, not so much.â
It was true Kat was a size eighteen but she had it all in the right places, Liv thought. She had often wished that her breasts were as full as Katâs but then, Kat was full to running over all over the place, including her mouth. She was thinking of going back to school to become a lawyer instead of just a paralegal because getting paid to argue was her idea of a perfect job. Usually her quick wit and naughty sense of humor cracked Liv up but this morning she so wasnât in the mood.
âChange the subject. Preferably away from my hot jammies and the fact that I donât have a man to wear them for,â she said, getting up from the table and going to the fridge for a glass of juice. Actually sheâd tried dating again after sheâd dumped Mitch but somehow it didnât feel right. Mainly because none of the men she went out with were tall and dark with glowing amber eyesâŠStop that! she scolded herself, pulling open the fridge door which was covered in colorful magnets and reaching for the carton of OJ. Stop thinking about himâheâs not even real!
She tried concentrating on her favorite fridge magnet instead, the one with two California rolls in bed side by side. The caption underneath read, Wake up, little sushi!
âOkay, sourpuss, try this subject on for size,â Kat snapped, folding the empty shopping bag and stowing it away in her barn-sized purse. âYou remember Jillian Holms that took home-ec with us in high school?â
âThe head cheerleader?â Sophia made a face. âHow could we forget?â
âThatâs her.â Kat nodded enthusiastically. âWell, youâre not going to believe this but she got drafted.â
There was complete silence in the room for about two seconds and then Liv and Sophia said simultaneously, âShe what?â
âGot drafted. I know, can you even believe it?â
There was no need to ask what Kat meant when she said their old acquaintance from Hillsborough High had gotten draftedâevery woman in the room knew about the draft and every one of them lived in fear of it.
Five years before the Earth had been suddenly attacked. The space station orbiting the moon, which had been completed in 2025, had been destroyed and the rest of the planet was threatened by a mysterious force known only as the Scourge. Attempts to contact and reason with the menacing threat had failed and even the deadliest weapons had little or no effect. It looked like the Earth was down for the count and everyone on the planet was going to wind up as alien take-out.
Liv remembered those horrible daysâit had been forty-eight hours of mass panic. Suicides, bombings, looting and unprotected sex which she thankfully had not personally participated in. With no other immediate family, she and Sophie and Kat had locked the doors to the little apartment sheâd been living in at the time and eaten themselves sick on Ben and Jerryâs while they watched a never-ending marathon of vintage chick flicks.
It might not have been the most productive way to spend their last days on Earth but eating your body weight in Chunky Monkey and watching Sixteen Candles and Pretty Woman beat chowing down on the business end of a gun or having sex with a total stranger any day of the week, in Livâs opinion. And their wait-and-see approach had been justifiedâin the end everything turned out all right.
Because of the Kindred.
The Kindred were a race of alien warriors, humanoid in form but much more massive in scale than the average human male. They had swooped in suddenly and forced the Scourge to stop their attack and retreat to the far side of the moon. There were rumors that the war continued somewhere in space with scrimmages and battles between the two factions but if so, it was kept quiet. The alien warriors took up orbit around the planet, ensuring that the tenuous peace continued, for Earth at least. And they only wanted one thing in exchangeâa genetic trade.
Because a mutation in their genes caused their race to be ninety-five percent male, the Kindred had become a space faring race, looking for other planets to inhabit and other humanoid species to trade with. Earth was only the fourth planet in their ten thousand year odyssey to offer a viable trade and they were eager to get started.
Of course the governments of Earth agreed to the tradeâwhat else could they do? The only thing that stood between the planet and total annihilation was the warrior race keeping watch far above the ionosphere, so it was considered best to keep them happy. An all female draft was set up which every unmarried woman between the ages of nineteen and thirty-five was required to enter. It was considered a patriotic duty but also a long shot. There was only about a one in ten thousand chance of ever getting called to do your âdutyâ which was why it was so unusual to actually know a person whoâd been drafted.
The Kindred pretty much kept to themselves, staying in their ships above the surface of the planet and only coming down occasionally in twos and threes to claim their brides. Nobody knew how they picked them and personally, Liv didnât want to know. It was easier to pretend that the Kindred didnât exist, easier to forget that you personally might win the bed-an-alien lottery at any minute. But something like thisâactually knowing a girl whoâd been draftedâmade pretending and forgetting impossible.
âSo what exactly happened?â Sophie had stopped whisking her batter, intent on Katâs latest piece of news.
Liv realized she was still gripping the juice carton with the fridge door open. She shut the door and turned around. âYeah, what happened?â She couldnât help echoing her twinâs question.
Kat shrugged. âTwo draft officers came to her house and took her down to the HKR building. Then she had to sign some kind of a contractâlike a marriage license I think.â There was a Human/Kindred Relations building in every major city in the world built specifically for this purpose but Liv had never been inside the Tampa facility which was located downtown. Just driving by it gave her the willies so she tried not to even look at it when she did.
âWhatâŠwhich kind of Kindred did she get?â Sophia asked in a hushed voice. The Kindred were split into three distinct branches, all outcomes of their past genetic trades.
There were the Tranq Kindredâa group of males with piercing blue eyes and a double set of short, sharp vestigial fangs. There were rumors that the fangs grew and they bit when they had sex with the female of their choice and other rumors that they could heal any illness with a bite. Liv wasnât sure how much of that was true and how much was just media hype but the buzz about their sexual habits had earned this group the nickname âBlood Kindred.â
Then there were the Twins, a branch of the Kindred in which the males always came in pairs and had to share a woman. No one knew exactly why and they declined to offer an explanation. Some said they were telepathic and needed sex to communicate but that hadnât been provenânot that anyone had ever gotten a chance to study them. The Kindred as a whole kept strictly to themselves and refused to participate in any kind of scientific research or experiments. So no one really knew anything about the Twin Kindred other than they refused to make love to a woman individually.
And then there were the Ragersâalso known as the Beast Kindred.
Working for so long in a hospital as she went through nursing school, the sight and idea of drawing blood wasnât frightening to Liv so the Blood Kindred didnât scare her. And being a twin herself, she wasnât terribly afraid of the Twin Kindred either. But the Beast Kindred, wellâŠthey scared the ever-loving crap out of her.
As tall and dominant as the rest of the warrior race, the Beast Kindred were said to have the most unpredictable tempers. Rumor had it that they could go into berserker-like rages when protecting their women, killing anyone that stood in their way no matter how many opposed them. But it was the other rumors, the sexual rumors, which put a lump in Livâs throat.
Besides being filled with animalistic lust, the Beast Kindred were said to have sexual stamina unequaled by anyone. Rumor had it that they could come again and again without going soft and their marathon love-making sessions put even practitioners of tantric sex to shame.
Just the idea of being held in place, helpless, while a huge alien male filled her for hours made Livâs blood run cold. She hadnât had many lovers but the men sheâd been with in the past had convinced her that sex was like a box of chocolatesâyou never knew what you were going to get when you went to bed with a man. And sadly, you were more likely to pick the nasty pink marshmallow cream than the yummy nut cluster. So rather than lingering for an indefinite amount of time, it was better to get in, get out, and get on with your life. Cuddling was more fun in the long run anyway.
The year and a half sheâd spent with Mitch had only reinforced her ideas. In retrospect, Liv couldnât understand why sheâd stayed with him so long. His idea of good sex was to get on top and grind her into the mattress while chanting, âWhoâs your daddy? Whoâs your daddy?â over and over again until she wanted to scream and not in a good way. No amount of tactful hints that references to her parentage during intimate encounters didnât do a thing for her would make him stop. Finally Liv had given up and just plugged her tiny iPod micro-mini into her ear whenever it looked like he wanted some nooky. Sheâd even had a playlist called âsex with Mitch.â
That had been bad enough but at least Mitch had never had the stamina to get through the whole playlist. Liv imagined with horror what it would be like to have sex with a man who could go through the entire micro on shuffle setting without quitting once. Just the thought was enough to send her runningâwhich was why the idea of getting chosen by a Beast Kindred freaked her out completely.
Donât they say the Beast Kindred have golden eyes? whispered a small voice in her head. Shut up! Liv told it fiercely. Heâs just a dream and thatâs all there is to it.
âSo what kind did she get?â she forced herself to ask, not looking at Kat while she got a glass from the cabinet.
âTwins, I think.â Kat shivered. âCan you even imagine? I mean, I know lots of people have had three-ways. You get drunk in college and before you know it youâre getting the shaft, both literally and figuratively. But two horny frat guys is one thingâthe Kindred are supposed to be hung like Clydesdales.â
âKat!â Sophie slapped at her with the hand not holding the bowl full of pancake batter. âYou are so bad!â
âBut I mean honestly, how would they fit? Youâd be bowlegged for life if you ended up with a pair of Twin Kindred.â Kat raised her eyebrows comically and took a few wincing steps as though it hurt to walk. Sophie giggled and shook her head. Liv tried but all she could manage was a weak smile as she poured the orange juice and put the carton back in the fridge.
âWell, I hope sheâs happy. When does she come back?â
âSheâs not. She did her month and sheâs staying.â Kat went back to assembling her quiche ingredients which appeared to include fresh thyme, basil, and cilantro as well as some cayenne pepper. âYou know everyone that gets drafted has to sign an agreement to at least try things out for that longâa month long claiming period. After that you can come back and call it quits for goodâif you and the Kindred stud who chose you havenât made the beast with two backs. If you haveâŠâ She shrugged fatalistically. âWell then itâs too bad for you. Youâre a Kindred bride for life and they donât do divorce or separation. So it looks like Jillianâs stuck.â
âHow do you know so much about it?â Liv demanded.
âI helped one of our attorneys prepare a case for some clients of my firm. We had this young womanâs family try to sue when she got called up,â Kat said matter-of-factly.
âWhat were the grounds?â Sophie asked.
âThat she was a virgin and wasnât prepared to be with, uh, such a large guy.â Kat snickered. âBut all I have to say is, sitting there, listening to what this huge masculine alien could and couldnât do to you sexually and what you could and couldnât to do to him with your parents listening in had to be at least as bad as actually doing it.â
âHow embarrassing!â Sophie shuddered. âIâd rather die.â
âDid they win the case?â Liv asked, taking a sip of juice.
Kat shook her head. âNot on your life. The court threw it out almost before her lawyer finished talking. Everybody knows we have to keep the Kindred happy. The Scourge is still out there somewhere and if throwing the big guys a bone by boning them is the only way to keep them on our side, well then, so be it. So if you get drafted you better develop a taste for alien nookie pretty quick.â
âYou know the thing that really freaks me out?â Sophie dropped the blueberries into the batter, stirring as she talked. âThe fact that nobody ever decides to leave and go back to their old life after that initial thirty day period is up. You canât tell me the Kindred always know exactly which woman is going to be their soul mate for life when they pick a bride.â
Kat shrugged and started cracking eggs into a large mixing bowl. âMaybe they brainwash you once you get up to their ship. Maybe itâs filled with all kinds of sex toys and pleasure rooms and itâs so good you just canât say no.â
âOr maybe they trick you into having sex in the first placeâlike they slip you a roofie,â Sophie said darkly. âAnd when you wake up itâs like, âOh, sorryâwe did the deed and now youâre mine for life. Hope you donât mind moving to a galaxy far, far away and having sixteen pound alien babies the rest of your natural.â
Liv gripped her glass full of OJ tightly. This certainly wasnât the first time theyâd speculated about the Kindred when they got together on a girlsâ day but for some reason her nerves were so on edge she felt like she might scream if she had to listen to another word. Just then the doorbell chimed faintly and she breathed a sigh of reliefâfinally a distraction.
âIâll get it!â She was already halfway to the door when Sophia objected.
âLiv, youâre hardly decent! That outfit almost shows your panties.â
âIâm fine,â Liv called back, pulling the short black lace robe that went with her baby doll nighty more tightly around her. âItâs probably just Mrs. Jensen from next door. Sheâs always wanting to borrow somethingâeggs, sugar, you name it.â
She threw open the door expecting to see the kind and wrinkled face of her next door neighbor and instead was treated to the sight of two perfectly huge males in black uniforms.
âIâŠIâŠWho are you?â Liv gasped, barely able to get the words out.
âH/K officers Trex and Locan at your service,â the one on the right rumbled and both of them made stiff, abbreviated bows. âWeâre here for Miss Olivia Lauren Waterhouse.â He held up a digital picture and Liv recognized her own face staring back from the holo sheet. âThis is youâcorrect?â
âIâŠyes, thatâs me,â she said weakly, meaning both the picture and the name.
âAnd can you sign this document, verifying that it is so?â He held out a thick sheaf of papers with legal looking words on them along with a pen. Liv signed automatically where he indicated.
âAll right, but Iââ she began as the guard snatched back the papers and stuffed them into his uniform pocket.
âExcellent. Subject confirms identity,â said the one on the left, as though he was making some kind of official report. âPreparing to escort subject to the HKR building at once.â As one, both huge officers stepped forward and each took one of her elbows. The glass full of orange juice dropped from her fingers and shattered on the tile of the foyer like a bomb, spraying glass shards and sticky juice everywhere. One shard pierced her heel when she took a step back but Liv barely noticed the sharp little pain.
âNow wait just a minute,â she protested, aware that both Sophia and Kat had crowded into the doorway behind her. âWhat are you saying? Where are you taking me? And canât I change first?â
âNegative. Flight risk is incurred if the subject is allowed to linger on the premises for any reason,â barked the one on the right.
âBut I havenât done anything. Let me go!â Liv struggled against them but it was like she was being held in pincers of iron on either side.
Kat and Sophie were suddenly there in front of the huge males, blocking their exit. It was like two Toy Poodles facing off Great Danes but neither woman budged even when the officer on the right glared at them in a menacing way.
âWhere exactly do you think youâre taking Miss Waterhouse?â Kat demanded, her blue eyes flashing. âAnd on what grounds?â
âPlease step aside, Maâam,â said the officer on the left with mechanical courtesy. âWe are simply fulfilling the orders on the papers we have just served to Miss Waterhouse. And weâre taking her to the Human/Kindred Relations building for her claiming ceremony.â
âHer what?â Sophia exclaimed, her green eyes wide with distress.
âHer claiming ceremony, where she will meet the Kindred warrior who has chosen her as a bride,â the other officer explained patiently. âMiss Olivia Waterhouse has been drafted.â
I usually try to avoid reading romance novels involving aliens. I think the idea of it just kind of weirds me out. On the other hand, I love watching TV shows and movies that involve aliens, and I enjoy reading thrillers and science fiction novels with aliens. It's just that alien romance is something I have never really been drawn to. However, this blurb had me intrigued. It really sounded like an interesting and different concept to what I usually read.
There are three types of Kindred alien warriors: the Beast Kindred, the Blood Kindred, and the Twin Kindred. The Kindred are genetic traders who saved Earth from invasion. Oh, and also, the Kindred population is mostly males. The price of saving Earth is the right to choose brides from among the population. While the chances are rare, it happens. And so Olivia Waterhouse finds herself being drafted as a bride to Beast Kindred, Baird. Recently escaped from being imprisoned, the thoughts of finding Olivia were the only things that kept him sane. But Olivia is determined to resist. Can she, though? Beast Kindreds are renowned for their...umm...charms, and there are rules to be followed that makes it difficult to resist.
This book was a different and somewhat unique one for me. The writing draws you in from the beginning. It is a great mix of intrigue, science fiction, and romance. If you have any doubts about an alien romance, this book will put those to rest. Baird is hot and readers will love him. Olivia is amazing and watching her fall for him is sweet. There are some really hot and steamy scenes in there too. I would recommend if you're looking for a romance novel with a twist.