Could you risk your life for someone else? I know when it comes to my loved ones, I can. But what about strangers? Would you risk your life for strangers? People you don't know? What about for a whole planet? In Joined our heroine must do just that. She's targeted to be killed because she is trying to bring about peace. A bodyguard makes perfect sense, right? But what if the bodyguard is uber hot and sexy? What if he is also bossy and determined to keep you safe at any cost? Now you have to stay alive to save the planet but also you have to listen to the hot bodyguard because you don't want him putting his life on the line for yours. Tough dilemma. Duty and prophecy get in the way of everything. All I ever wanted to do was read my books, play my sports, and help people. Life and prophecy had other things in mind. Helping people is what I do; as an empath and semi-frequent telepath, I can easily sense and understand people's needs and emotions. Sometimes even before they do. Being able to read everyone’s thoughts and feelings all the time can drive me crazy with anxiety, but that moment when I can finally make someone’s life better makes everything worth it. Unfortunately, I’m also the next in line to rule the galaxy, I’m the only diplomat most planets will listen to, assassins try to kill me on an annoyingly regular basis, and a much-vaunted Prophecy has decreed that I’m going to die. Oh, and someone blew up my home planet. Kind of a lot to deal with, right? Too bad I just got another problem: a big, irritating, overbearing bodyguard with serious anger management issues. And I think I’m falling for him. EXCERPT: Synie waved her hand impatiently. “Meda, you’re seriously not arguing about having a Protector?” I held up a finger. “I never said that. And I found out who he was a week ago.” Kos raised an eyebrow and Synie started. “What? How did you know?” she asked. I shrugged. “I went through Kos’s communiqués.” The unfortunate thing about Kos was that I couldn’t read him. I had the ability to read people’s emotions, and if they were particularly weak-minded or just upset, I could read their thoughts too; being upset tended to loosen control over the mind, which made it an open book to me. It was a pretty central part of how I understood people. But Kos… nada. I studied his face, but it hadn’t altered with the news that I’d gone through his mail—again. I shifted uncomfortably. Synie flicked a glance between me and Kos before saying, “I’ll leave that little tidbit between the two of you. But, Princess, you are going to have this Protector.” I sighed, letting my head flop back against the chair. “I know. And I get it. But don’t expect me to like it.” “Do you want to know more about the Protector?” Kos finally spoke. “Perseus, right?” I considered what I’d learned. “He’s Mathan, a mercenary—often referred to as the best mercenary the galaxy has ever seen—and has never lost a fight.” Kos sat back. “So you know Mathan moods can be a bit….” “Temperamental? Explosive? Unpredictable? Testosterony?” His mouth quirked. “Mercurial.” Synie shook her head. “Is that really the kind of Protector we want?” Kos leaned forward. “He was divined by the Oracle herself.” His eyes turned hard as he looked at me. “And we sure as hell need to get the princess protected as soon as possible—from herself if nothing else.” |
Melissa KeirGator Girl Extraordinaire Archives
October 2023
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