Part of New Species, book 9
First published 2013
Beauty chafes against the suffocating rules that govern Gift Species. Males cannot even speak to her. True independence remains out of reach. Then Shadow, a powerful Species officer, tackles her to the ground after mistaking her for a threat. He realizes his error immediately. He has pinned a Gift beneath him, which violates every protocol. Beauty feels fascinated rather than afraid. She wants to learn more about this imposing male. She burns with newfound desire and sees Shadow as the answer to her growing curiosity. Shadow associates intimacy with suffering and disgust. Beauty connects it with bondage and shame. Neither has experienced a lover's caress. Alone together in a remote woodland cabin, they begin to explore each other tentatively. Every caress and revelation draws them toward a future they never dared imagine.
Genres: science-fiction, romance, fantasy, paranormal
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-romance
318 pages · Paperback · Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Content warnings: sexual-content