Descendants of Edyn Series
Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Romance

Kairos didn’t come to the Sharli compound looking for a woman, he just wants to do his job and go home. Only he’s been duped by Synol, his family’s patriarch, and Mar’kos, who seem to think that he needs a woman in his life. Not bloody likely. The last woman to enter his life extracts a hefty price from him every year. But they’ve made sure he can’t refuse this woman by placing her life in his hands, either he keeps her or she dies.

The Sharli have one purpose to the people of Gatlantis: ensure their survival. Most Sharli enter the compound as babes and are trained in the arts of seduction. But Mhairi is like no other Sharli. She wasn’t given to the compound, but taken by force. She wasn’t bred into submissiveness, but taught to protect what is hers. She is a fighter by nature and her instincts tell her that Kairos’ lethal arms is where she belongs. There’s only one problem: Damia.

Read the first three chapters of “Keeping Mhairi” by Stephannie Beman on Keeping Mhairi‘s book page or get it on sell for $2.99 through the month of May 2013 at Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Amazon UK, and in other e-bookstores.

Keeping Mhairi

Stephannie Beman

The west door opened and Mar’kos strode into the room followed by a Sharli woman in a ruby robe. She glided into the room, graceful as a long legged Lidra, and closed the door behind her. She stilled, her glazed gaze roaming the faces around her.

She appeared no different than countless other Sharli Kairos had seen over the years: young, serene, lacking in scent and expression, and devoid of color. The younger they were the more they reminded him of walking corpses, and not the parasitic, blood sucking kind.

“Gentlemen, anyone for a refill?” Mar’kos asked, breaking the spell the Sharli had cast over them.

Kairos jerked his glance to Mar’kos although he never let the woman out of his line of view. She folded her hands inside her sleeves, bowed her head slightly, and kept her eyes downcast in a way that screamed submissiveness, and yet Kairos had the impression that she was aware of everyone in the room and wouldn’t hesitate to leap into action at the slightest provocation.

Had Mar’kos brought a warrior trained Sharli into their midst? And if so, why?

Zekdor raised his full glass. “I’m good.”

Aldro lifted his nearly empty crystal wine glass. “I’d like another.”

Jahn licked his lips, his eyes swinging toward the Sharli beside the door, roaming over her body. “How about a taste from her while we wait?”

Kairos grimaced. How anyone could drink the concoction of red wine and the beneficial blood of a certain species was puzzling and gross. That Jahn would even suggest that they bleed the woman for that blood sickened and angered him.

A minute movement to his left snapped Kairos’ attention to the woman and put him on high alert. While her posture hadn’t changed, her entire stance spoke of lethal grace and the glint in her eyes of possible violence. Kairos had the feeling if anyone even tried to drink her blood she’d harm them, maybe even kill them.

Aggression in a Sharli? Unheard of, and odd. He kind of liked it. Meant she wasn’t as cold and serene as she appeared. There was passion in her. He was curious to know what other emotions she would display today.

“Sorry, gentlemen,” Mar’kos said. “She’s meant for another and I don’t think he’d be pleased to share what is his.”

Despite the friendly smile on his face, Mar’kos’ eyes were cold and a hint of annoyance had entered his voice. In all the years Kairos had known him, he’d never showed an emotion he didn’t want to. He was too skilled at deception to make such small mistakes. Something was amiss.

“Keeping Mhairi” copyright @ 2013 by Stephannie Beman
Published by Ruis Publishing