Showing posts with label Elayne S Venton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elayne S Venton. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Now Available at ARe, B&N, and Amazon: Sep 9th

Now Available at AllRomanceEbooks.com, BN.com, and Amazon.com
Spirits of Abaddon: Darkness in Paradise by Mychael Black $3.99
Forever Wicked: Twelve Strokes by Elayne S. Venton $4.99
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-twelvestrokesforeverwicked-930607-143.html
This week at ChangelingPress.com
1¢ Sale! Razor's Edge: Dangerous by Silvia VioletHe's barely in control of the need to shift -- and completely in control of her!
Tired of waiting for new releases? Get your E-books the day they release-- shop at www.ChangelingPress.com and save time and money -- 10% off every order with discount codes in our weekly Insider.
Two ways to get your books: From your account login, choose the "download this book" option to save directly to your computer. Or choose "email this book to myself" to send your books directly to your ebook reader.
And be sure to stop by the Changeling Bar and Grill this weekend for the next Changeling Flash Fiction Weekend -- 100 word Challenge
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/changelingpress/). New Theme/scenario to be announced at the start of each new challenge. Loads of fun, free reads, and readers can play too!

Sunday, December 25, 2011

No Way Out Collection by Elayne S Venton



No Way Out (Collection)
by Elayne S. Venton

Cover art: Angela Knight
ISBN: 978-1-60521-682-9
Genre(s): Action Adventure/ Suspense, Sci-Fi, BDSM
Theme(s): Bisexual and More
Series: No Way Out
Length: Collection
Page Count: 201

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1745

Blurb
When a team of Earth scientists is stranded on the planet Alishon, they're attacked and separated from each other. Only three will survive...
No Way Home: Botanist Kelly Hatchett. Saved from the predators, claimed and detained by her rescuer, Rye. Now he refuses to let her go. Even though she submits to him, Kelly swears she will find a way home.
No Way Back: Trapped underground with an alien male, forced to rely on one another for survival, Jake Santos is drawn to Drum in ways he never imagined. He fights his desire because once he surrenders, there's no way back.
No Way Around It: Lead scientist Vonna King is captured and sold to a man with a wicked reputation. But there's more to Yale than his dark sexual preferences. Drawn in by the two facets of his personality, Vonna must face her own secret desires.
Excerpt
No Way Out (Collection)
Elayne S. Venton
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2011 Elayne S. Venton
Excerpt from No Way Home

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.
"Carnivore!"
The scream reverberated inside Kelly Hatchett's earpiece and rattled down her spine. She dropped the vegetation samples she'd been collecting to take back to Earth and sprinted across the grassy plain toward the shuttle pod.
The faster she ran, the better her chances of survival. The four-legged behemoths that roamed this planet didn't move swiftly, but the pair of tentacles extending from their wide heads stretched vast distances. If one grabbed her...
Please, whatever deity there might be in the universe, don't let me die. There's so much more I want to do with my life -- find a special mate, earn a Distinguished Scientist rank, motherhood, a screaming orgasm!
Mentally, she smacked her head. When was the last time she'd had fun? She should've spent more time laughing with friends, and sought out more lovers. When her sister had invited her on an orgy cruise around Mars, she should've shaken off her unease and gone along. At least she would've been able to recall one audacious thing she'd done in her life.
The muscles in her legs burned as she pushed her body to the limit.
From the other side of the shuttle pod, two grayish-brown tentacles as thick as space-sail masts wrapped around the transport and tossed it sideways across the grassy moor. Kelly jerked to a halt, her heartbeat thundering in her chest. The other four scientists running in a semi-circle toward what they thought was safety looked as horrified as she felt. They all froze in place and watched their ride back to the orbiting cruiser explode in a fiery ball.
Shock immobilized her until the colossal beast trudged toward the two closest scientists. Armed with only short-range laser pistols, the team fired haphazardly at it, but the shots seemed to irritate rather than harm. The thick feelers flicked as if swatting a fly.
"Concentrate your shots!" the team leader shouted to the group, but Kelly turned with the others and bolted from the terrifying creature. The ground shook as the creature gained on them. One of its plodding steps equaled a twenty-yard dash for the team. Panic pushed her forward.
In her peripheral vision, Kelly watched tentacles coil around two of her screaming associates, pick them up and draw them backward toward massive snapping jaws. She slid her gaze away, unwilling to watch their fate. A loud crunch and the sudden quiet made her stomach churn.
The beast bellowed behind her, its long feelers whipping through the air searching for more prey. Her lungs expanded and contracted so fast she sucked up her auxiliary oxygen through her nose mask at an alarming rate. She stopped looking back over her shoulder. It didn't help.
She was going to die.
A loud whoosh streamed by overhead. What the hell was that? A resounding thud shook the ground so hard she stumbled. Holy stars! Was the cruiser firing down here? Before they'd left the ship, the captain had made it clear if they encountered hostiles, he wouldn't break the galaxy peace agreement to save a group of expendable scientists. She'd believed him. Besides, the trajectory had traveled horizontally.
Whatever it was, she didn't want to get hit by it. Running any faster seemed impossible but fear spurred her on, veering her toward a patch of shoulder-high grasses where she might hide. Long thin blades sliced her arms as she lunged through the tall brush.
A band of speckled brown flesh snaked around her ribs. Oh God. Oh God! "Heeeelp!" she screamed as her feet lifted off the ground.
Eyes scrunched tight, Kelly wasn't prepared for the sudden body slam to the ground. Pain shot down her spine all the way to her toes.
A heavy weight pressed down on her belly, holding her flat in a nest of crushed grass. She held her breath, waiting for sharp teeth to rip into her. And waited...
Unable to stand the suspense, she popped an eye open and slowly lifted her head.
The world around her blurred and tilted.
A male anthropoid wearing a loincloth sat on her stomach. Sunlight glinted off his skin, smooth and brown-speckled like polished granite, highlighting his ripped abs and muscular thighs. He looked surprisingly human, handsome in a rough sense. Long sable hair fell over wide shoulders, drawing her gaze to the patchwork of pale scars on his brawny chest. He was a fighter. A survivor.
Curiosity shone in his golden brown eyes as he regarded her.
She grunted and bucked against the big male holding her down. What was he doing? They had to run!
He lifted his heavy weight off her, but immediately resettled over her with his knees on either side of her hips, calm as can be.
It suddenly hit her that the ground had stopped trembling. A horrid stench filled the air. The creature --
He must have killed it.
Pent-up breath rushed from her lungs in a loud whoosh. She was safe! Amid her tremendous relief, she let out a joyful squeak and squeezed the stranger's impressive biceps. "Thank you!" She wanted to curl upward and give him a big hug, but the stern expression on his face stopped her.
"Shapitwa," the male said, pushing her back to the ground. His eyes looked hard, demanding. He glanced over his shoulder at a path tramped through the dense grassland. When he turned back, he put a finger to his lips and made motions telling her to lie still. "Shapitwa," he breathed softly.
The warrior tilted his head, listening. Kelly strained to hear footsteps, snarls, whispers, anything that might indicate danger, but all she heard was the wind sifting through the grass. She watched the alien relax his broad shoulders. The gleam in his eyes made him look downright smug.
Well, killing a ferocious beast ten times your size must make one proud.
He rambled in his native language, his tone full of himself. Great. Why was she always attracted to the good-looking, arrogant types?
She shook her head and reached for the translator module strapped to her belt.
He grabbed her wrists and slowly drew her arms over her head. Bending over her, brushing her breasts with his chest, he whispered again, "Shapitwa."

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1745

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Dark Side by Angela Knight and Elayne S Venton


Dark Side

by Angela Knight, Elayne S. Venton, Willa Okati, Elisa Adams and Sierra DafoeCover art: Angela Knight
ISBN: 978-1-60521-687-4
Genre(s): Futuristic, Paranormal, Dark Fantasy
Length: Collection
Page Count: 312

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1695

Blurb:
Within each of us lies a dark secret -- forbidden passions so strong they frighten us with their intensity. Between these pages, our heroes struggle with their own irresistible longings. Dark lust blurs the line between love and sex -- their only hope, to embrace the unthinkable hungers and follow their mates into an abyss of dark and dangerous lust. And love.
Welcome to The Dark Side
The Dark One by Angela Knight
Matia of Ruza is one of the legendary Battlemaids -- a woman warrior who has taken an oath of celibacy in service of the Maid of Light. Kaska intends to make Matia the centerpiece in a sizzling erotic ritual in honor of his god.
Chain of Thorns by Willa Okati
Riven finds himself trapped and enslaved when Earth is destroyed in a fiery cataclysm. Where is the line between fantasy and reality -- slavery and love?
Waiting for You by Elayne S. Venton
Tybirius West is a mercenary -- and the one man Major Reeva Medusa can't get out of her mind. Trouble is, if Ty were on her side, he wouldn't have taken her captive, blindfolded, stripped and bound her. This time she may not be able to free the sex slaves -- she may become one!
BloodWolf by Sierra Dafoe
Baudouin Delacor wanders the earth, solitary, friendless, and hopeless. Centuries ago an ancient evil turned him into a beast for which there had never before been a name -- not the loup garou, the WereWolf, but the loup de sang. The BloodWolf. Delacor has only one hope left: that by destroying the succubus, he can free himself of its curse.
Night Creatures by Elisa Adams
Nightmares plague Juliana McGovern -- twisted, erotic dreams where monsters urge her to join them in their terrifying rituals. It's only a matter of time before they pull her into their world. And Max, the one man she thinks she can trust, has a few deadly secrets of his own.
Excerpt:
The Dark Side (Collection)
Excerpt from The Dark One
Angela Knight
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2011 Angela Knight

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.


Kaska of Artane slowed his stallion to an easy amble. Prince Britar's fortress lay a full day away, and he'd ridden poor Warbringer hard this past month. He knew the Prince awaited the intelligence he'd gathered as a spy in neighboring Trovan but laming his horse would serve no purpose.
Particularly with war on the horizon.
Besides, the last time Kaska had come this way, he'd had to battle the local brigands. Two fell to his blade before the rest fled, but that left five. And they might be in the mood for revenge. I don't care to ride headlong into an ambush.
"Whoreson bastards!" A woman's roar of fury brought Kaska's head up. He drew Warbringer to a prancing halt.
Swords clashed, interspaced with male taunts and laughter. The laughter had a distinctly ugly note. The woman swore again, an edge of grim desperation in her voice.
The thieves had found a new victim.
Kaska set his heels to Warbringer's flanks and thundered up the road toward the sound. Rounding the bend, he saw five men fighting a lone female traveler they'd managed to unhorse. He recognized the dented, rusted armor and unshaven faces; it was indeed the same band of thieves.
But their victim was no common woman. Her armor and sword marked her as a follower of the Maid of Light -- a female warrior. She was tall for a woman, with a lithe, muscular build and pretty breasts barely contained by her intricately embossed breastplate. Long black hair swirled around her face as she spun and hacked at her tormentors with a slim sword designed for a woman's hand.
One of the brigands already lay dead at her feet, but four others remained, odds too great even for one of the legendary Battlemaids.
A grin of sheer, savage joy spread across Kaska's face. With a howl, he drew the blade sheathed across his back and kicked Warbringer into a thundering charge.
The nearest of the brigands whirled too late. Kaska took his head with a single stroke.
Another of the men jumped at him, hacking for his thigh with an axe, but Kaska spun Warbringer aside and thrust his blade into the thief's chest. The man tumbled off the lethal point, gurgling out his life.
Meanwhile, the third brigand fell to the Battlemaid's sword. His head tumbled from his shoulders.
The fourth man looked from Kaska to the thieves' would-be victim, calculated the odds, and took to his heels.
Kaska snatched a dagger from his thigh sheath and hurled it at the coward with an expert flip of his wrist. The man went down, the blade buried to the hilt between his shoulder blades.
Scarcely breathing hard, Kaska turned to the maid. "Are you well?"
"Well enough." She studied him, her dark eyes level. There was a sharp and elegant beauty to her face, with its broad, high cheekbones and square little chin. Her lush mouth could inspire a monk to carnal fantasies.
"My thanks, warrior," she said at last in a low, husky voice, pushing the long black hair out of her face. "There were too many of them for me to best alone." She considered him, appraising the width of his chest and the strength of his sword arm. Female appreciation lit her gaze, mixed with a warrior's caution.
She had reason for that caution, for he meant to challenge her himself. He worshiped the Dark One, and his god relished nothing as much as the moans of a defeated Battlemaid.
Imagining the tight grip of her virgin ass, Kaska felt his cock swell behind his loincloth.
Give her time to rest, and then...
Of course, the maid might well kill him instead, but looking at her long legs and full, sweet breasts, Kaska thought it a chance well worth taking.
But as he opened his mouth to warn her of his intent, all color left the Battlemaid's face. Her eyes rolled up. Kaska threw himself from Warbringer's back as she collapsed in a heap.
Two long strides carried him to the maid's side. Dropping to one knee on the dusty road, Kaska began an anxious examination. He found no wounds on the front of her body, so he rolled her onto her back.
The maid groaned and lifted her head. "Wha --?"
"Seems one of your cur attackers landed a blow after all," he told her grimly. "There's a stab wound in your back just under your backplate, over your left hip."
"Aye," she said, letting her head fall. "One of them had a dagger."
"'Tis not deep, but it bleeds still," Kaska said. "I can treat it, if you permit."
"Aye," the maid said, breathing now in shallow pants. "My thanks."
Kaska nodded and rose to retrieve his pack of battlefield medicines from Warbringer. Well, he thought as he walked to his horse, I won't be challenging her any time soon. Not with that wound.
Later, perhaps. When he'd examined her, he'd noticed she had a truly delicious ass.
He wanted it.
http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1695

Saturday, March 05, 2011

Taking the Heat by Elayne S. Venton


Taking the Heat
by Elayne S. Venton
Cover art: Karen Fox
ISBN: 978-1-60521-594-5
Genre(s): Paranormal
Theme(s): Elves, Dragons & Magical Creatures
Length: Novella
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1556

Blurb:

In a cold world balanced by the heat of Queen Ruby, it takes a special ice cold M'rad male to be king. Sex with the queen can be intoxicating -- and deadly. If she doesn't kill her lovers with her internal fire, she banishes them with an ache for her that cannot be quenched.
After a failed revolt against her, Commander Cyan is her prisoner and she is planning on making him pay for his betrayal in a way that will satisfy them both. But he's stubborn and plots to turn the tables on her. If he succeeds, it may end in disaster for the planet and his Queen.
Excerpt:
Taking the Heat
Elayne S. Venton
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2011 Elayne S. Venton

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.


Protective ice crystals beaded on the tip of Cyan's blue cock. Ruby flicked her hot tongue over them. His stiff penis twitched but her captive lover didn't make a sound as he battled her heat.
"Are you ready?" She lifted her gaze to his locked jaw, his flaring nostrils, his focus fixed on a distant spot on the opposite wall. He didn't acknowledge her in any way. Stubborn male.
The last thing she wanted to do was hurt him, so she gently blew warm air up and down his thick shaft. He grunted and clenched his fists as another fine layer of ice coated his skin.
"That's good, baby," she said, bending her knees beneath her long silver skirt and puffing air over his balls.
As hot as she burned, he still had the power to frost her breath. The damp air settled on him in an icy sheen.
"Mmm. So beautiful." Passing her lips over the shiny knob, she slid her hot, open mouth down his big, cold shaft. The outer frost melted down her throat, stoking her burning passion rather than cooling it.
The M'rad commander shook his pale blond mane as he wrenched on the chains securing him to the concrete wall. The muscles in his massive arms and legs bulged, but the restraints held. Deep guttural sounds, curses more than likely, rushed past the gag in his mouth. Nonetheless, his hips bucked forward, pushing his cock into the depths of her throat.
He might hate her, but he wanted her. All M'rad did. Ruby was their queen. Without her, their world would freeze. Despite what Cyan believed.
Sympathetic to the anger and frustration burning in him since his capture, she allowed the rough jerks into her mouth, to a point. After all, she had a right to be angry too.
Cyan had tried to turn the M'rad against her. Damn his traitorous blue hide. How dare he start a revolt? She'd chosen him for her lover, and he paid her back with betrayal.
Still, she couldn't punish him as she would another. She loved him too much, desired him too much.
Backing away from Cyan's hard thrusts, she grasped his thick shaft in her fists and teased him with slow licks around the darkening head. His cock pulsed with need. She closed her lips around the crown and gently sucked. The chains rattled viciously. A roar rumbled in his broad chest. His cock lengthened a few more millimeters and fixed into place, long and hard and shimmering with iridescent ice crystals. Good. The colder his temperature, the more protected he'd be from her heat and the longer they could make love.
She glanced up from beneath her lashes, savoring her imminent victory.
Their battle of wills had begun when her father appointed Cyan commander. She'd been attracted to him on sight but never considered him a candidate for her bed. Unlike her devoted lovers, Cyan was a leader, an independent thinker, proud, too much like her. It was inevitable they'd butt heads. Yet they understood one another.
Too much wine during the winter solstice celebration made her brash. She chose Cyan for the night, and she let him make the rules. Her submissive role led to amazing sex but the loss of power frightened her. In the morning, she took back control, bringing him to his knees with passionate heat that left him stunned. It became a never-ending skirmish. Each time they came together, they fought for supremacy. Deep down, she hadn't expected the relationship to work, and he'd proved her right.
His resistance drove her crazy but it didn't make her want him any less. Loving him was a challenge, but he fired her blood like no other.
How long would he last this time? M'rads were temperamental. Sometimes Cyan pleasured her for hours on end while other times he climaxed in minutes. Lately, he'd avoided her as much as possible -- too busy rallying the troops behind his cause, no doubt. Like a fool, she'd given him the respite he desired. Well, no more. She burned for him. He would give her what she wanted.
Not taking any chances, she slipped a hefty, hinged metal cock ring behind his balls and clicked it closed around his cock. That would keep him hard and delay his ejaculation.
He growled at her as the icy burn of his cock sealed the ring tight.
She straightened and tossed her long, curly red hair over her shoulder, baring her breasts. "Do you want me now, Cyan?"
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1556

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Collection: Bonds of Justice by Elayne S Venton



Bonds of Justice (Collection)
by Elayne S. Venton
Cover art by Bryan Keller
ISBN (13): 978-1-60521-127-5
Genre(s): Futuristic, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi, BDSM, Collections
Theme(s): Men and Women in Uniform
Series: Bonds of Justice
Length: Collection



Blurb:


Planetary intrigue. Sizzling sex. Survival.

Even though Magistrate Blade Kevlar and the men he enlists to help find his missing sister have no time for stubborn, independent females, the strong women who cross their stellar paths whet their appetites like none before or after. However, the women harbor vengeful agendas of their own and resent male interference, even if they mean well. Head to head, resistance melts in the heat of passion. Confronted by sinister forces, alliances are forged in more ways than one.


Excerpt:


This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.


Thea Stone leaned over the bar table and stifled a groan when the buckles spanning the front of her not-quite-closed bustier jabbed her tender skin. The wicked appeal of flaunting her body in the tight, sexy outfit had worn off four hours ago.Her drink customer winked and stuffed a tightly folded twenty-dollar bill into Thea’s bountiful cleavage. “Because you look so hot in black leather and I can brag about it in the locker room.”“Shut up, Greg.” Thea plunked down a tonic water for the vice detective working the strip club with her. Smoothing down the hem of her mini-skirt, which persistently rolled up her thighs, she spoke a decibel over the blaring music. “I see our mark showed up again tonight.”“Yeah.” The detective shifted on his seat, angling for a better view of the dark hallway. “Every guy in the place is visiting the head while Fowler bangs the hooker. Even in this dive, it takes balls to bend a woman over a chair outside the men’s room, toss up her skirt, and plow into her. Shit, look at those jiggling tits. I’m tempted to pay for a go at her.”Thea gave him an admonishing glare, having no qualms about turning him over to Internal Affairs if she caught him on the wrong side of the badge. “Take it home to the wife.”The detective grinned.Damn it! Greg was jerking her chain again, a favorite pastime of her fellow officers. Thea sneered at him good-naturedly. She knew the guys called her “Stone Cold” behind her back and she didn’t care. Her righteous façade held them at arm’s length, keeping her personal life out of the locker room. If anyone at the precinct knew about her stash of erotic books and toys, they’d keel over in shock.Tapping the empty drink tray against her thigh, Thea swung the conversation back on track. “The prostitute is Fowler’s regular. I’m interviewing her as soon as she’s done embarrassing herself.” Leaning low, Thea spoke through her teeth. “That sonofabitch killed my mother. I’m gonna nail him if it’s the last thing I do.”“Whoa.” The detective grabbed her wrist before she walked away. “I thought your mother OD’d on prescription meds?”“Where do you think she got them?” Thea jerked her arm free and tiptoed back to the bar on calf-knotting stilettos. From the corner of her eye, she caught Joe Fowler zipping up his pants and the prostitute heading out the back door. Tossing the tray on the bar, Thea called “break” to the bartender, snatching an open pack of cigarettes on her way out.Luck was on her side. The prostitute loitered by the back wall sipping from a silver flask. Thea shook out a smoke and rolled it between her fingers. She’d quit smoking years ago, but she’d take a drag if needed.“Ah, shit,” she declared, patting down her skimpy outfit. She slid a glance over the prostitute. “You wouldn’t have a light, would you?” Thea held up the unlit cigarette.Before the woman could answer, a luminescent liquid splashed across her fishnet blouse and she collapsed against the wall. Thea stepped in the woman’s direction, spotted a man’s shadow looming in the darkness pointing what looked like a Super Soaker at her. What the hell was in that thing? She dropped to the asphalt and rolled behind the stinking dumpster, wishing she had her 9 mm. As soon as she peeked around the metal bin, a warm spray stung her face, blinding her.The parking lot tilted, wavered out of focus, and Thea blacked out.
* * *Ten moon cycles transporting doomed prostitutes from Earth to Callisto, and sampling the goods had never crossed Magistrate Blade Kevlar’s mind.Even if he had the right, he hadn’t… Until now.Blade admired the rise and fall of the prostitute’s luscious breasts, the cautious wonder on her angelic face, and the flow of her feminine curves emphasized by the tight leather outfit. She had the longest damn legs he’d ever seen on a woman. Most appealing of all, she didn’t give him a “thirty guinos a blowjob” expression when he looked her over.Uninterested in his appraisal, her gaze shifted around the stark room processing every inch of its surroundings. Not much to take in, other than his judge’s bench and the view into space. Still, the others hadn’t given a damn where they were.“State your name.”The woman looked him over with wary green eyes and pursed lips, her gaze lingering on the black bands around his forearms decorated with the insignia of magistrate. His deputy, Atlas, nudged the detainee.“Uh, Thea Stone. Where am I?”“You’re on the transport shuttle Decree.”“What?” Her gaze slid to the oblong window port where stars, planets, and asteroids streaked past at light speed. The lovely felon quirked a brow. “I’ve been abducted by an alien?” She almost smiled.“I’m as human as you are, and you’ve been apprehended, not abducted. I don’t usually time travel --”“Time travel. This gets better and better.”“-- but since I followed my errant sister into your century, I put my time there to good use.” Blade repeated his verdict by rote. “As Magistrate of Colonization, I’ve appropriated you for deportation to the Jupiter moon, Callisto.”Stone’s eyes grew wide and she cast a sidelong look of incredulity at Atlas. Without a doubt, she thought he was delusional. With a slight shake of her head, she looked back at him, her expression carefully blank. “No magistrate I’ve met presides over a courtroom without a shirt. And last I heard mankind has only visited one moon -- Earth’s.”“Times have changed.” Blade glanced down at the summary displayed on the inlaid bench monitor. “Your arrest record indicates you’ve been charged with drug possession and prostitution. Those are sufficient grounds for your presence here.” No need mentioning he’d pulled her away from death’s door and saved her pretty ass for a better life. In her present she would have died tonight.An arched brow inched high. “Those charges were dropped, Magistrate. I’m not a prostitute, I’m a… ah… waitress.”Blade looked over at Atlas who shook his head. “The historical archives indicated she’s been everything from a street hooker to a high class call girl,” his deputy reported. “Sixteen arrests for solicitation, five charges of drug possession in four years.”A rock dropped into Blade’s gut. For once, he wished a detainee were not as she appeared. “Does she need to be processed through the detox unit?”Atlas shook his bald head. “Although it’s documented she associates with drug addicts, she’s surprisingly clean. Her med scan registers ‘Uncontaminated’ across all zones.”Stone glowered at him. “What kind of kangaroo court is this? You have no proof of a crime. No one read me my Miranda rights. I was assaulted, drugged, and kidnapped. I have no legal representation. And I’ve been convicted without a hearing.” She jabbed a finger in Blade’s direction. “You’re not a magistrate. You’ve kidnapped me because I stepped on your cartel’s toes. You’re a hit man. A…”“No. I am not.” Blade admired the defiance in this woman, missing from the impassive prostitutes he usually transported. If he was going to break his rule against screwing his payload, Thea Stone was the woman Blade wanted. He’d been so wrapped up in his job and his sister’s disappearance he hadn’t fucked a woman in forever. Time to correct that oversight.Blade sat forward, resting his forearms on his desk. “Once, I might’ve been considered a mercenary.” He let that sink in for a moment, but she simply crossed her arms over her chest, expressing no surprise. “It’s in my blood. I come from a long line of Scottish outlaws.” Blade didn’t know why he felt compelled to explain himself to her. Must have been because Stone reacted differently. And he wanted her to want him as much as he wanted her. “Then I saved a councilman’s daughter and you could say the councilman saved me. Now I’m going to redeem you.”“I don’t need redeeming, thank you.”Blade raised a brow. If he’d left Thea Stone to her own devices, she’d be dead by now, along with the other thirty-some women he’d picked up. But he wouldn’t share the gruesome details of her death with her. “On Callisto, you have the choice to continue your trade for a period of one year or bond with a mate. If you choose to work, at the end of your sentence you can bond with a mate, establish a mercantile business, or relocate to another new settlement.”Atlas shoved a screen modulator into her hand and Blade explained it. “Press the sim button to see the men interested in a life mate.”After a long look at his serious expression, she glanced down at the screen mod. “Sim button?” Stone began pressing them all. She gasped and looked up at the realistic hologram of Mate #1 as he introduced himself.The man leaned against a customized transporter. “My name’s Clave. I work at Drill Site 459XP. When I’m not there, I build transporters that’ll make you scream, baby. If you like tinkering with big toys” -- he winked -- “pick me.” Clave faded away and a Vaperian welder replaced him.The detainee stared in opened-mouthed shock. “It’s a 3-D movie…” Blade stifled a chuckle when she stalked to the image and poked him in the back.Her hand met with his flesh. “Oops. Sorry.” The welder finished his spiel and faded. Stone’s winged brows fluttered in confusion. Another man replaced the welder. She jabbed the man and stepped back, her brows drawing into a deep frown. “How are you doing that?”“Styson imaging.”“What?”“It’s the recording, storage, and transmission of molecules through sound waves, invented by Stanley Styson in 2206.”Stone muttered, “This is not real.” She lifted her chin. Scowling at him, she pressed her fingers against her temple. “You’ve drugged me.”“Only with a dose of docile spray, and based on your responses, it’s worn off. Besides, it does not give you hallucinations. This is real, Stone. Welcome to 2347.”