VENOMOUS HUNGER
Mary Auclair
Series: Eok Warriors Book 2
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: Eclipse Press
Publication Date: May 25, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: Eclipse Press
Publication Date: May 25, 2018
His lust devours their worlds. Her love will free them both.
After being left for dead by her people, Aliena wakes up under the care of alien pirates. She escapes, only to be captured by a creature straight from her darkest nightmares, bent on the destruction of everything she holds dear.
An Eok warrior turned pirate, Kamal is one to be reckoned with. He is on a mission for the Eok nation, and his only goal is to find and save the humans before he can return to his life, a life he excels at. He has no intention to allow a headstrong human female to get in his way.
As Aliena embarks on a mission to rescue her uncle from Minister Knut's clutches, Kamal is at a crossroads. If he chooses help the human, the price might well be his own life.
When the Mating Venom unleashes its torment, Kamal has to decide. Will he change his ways and claim Aliena's heart, or is the life of an outlaw too hard to leave behind?
Publisher's Note: This steamy, thrilling sci-fi romance is the second in the Eok Warriors series, however it can be read and enjoyed as a standalone.
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Excerpt
She woke up. Her eyes scanned the ceiling, then the white, glassy walls.
Oh, Gods, I’m back.
The medical room, with its constant temperature and aseptic air surrounded her once more, but she wasn’t afraid anymore. She was worn out and tired. She’d put all she had into the fight for her escape. Now she was an empty shell. She couldn’t do it again—escaping, walking in circles, doubling around to confuse anyone who might follow her tracks back to the village.
Aliena turned her head slightly and her gaze locked onto a pair of cold, fog-blue eyes, hovering a few inches away from hers.
There he was: her savior, her tormentor.
Feelings arose and blossomed inside her, threatening to get hold of her but she tamped them down. She was still alive, and it was all thanks to him, but she couldn’t afford to feel gratitude, or anything else, toward him.
The Eok stared at her, his perfect, harsh face betraying nothing of his thoughts or feelings. Now that she wasn’t full of adrenaline and fear, she took the time to look at him. Really look at him.
Kamal. His name is Kamal.
He was strong and male in every way. From the sharp angles of his face to the constellations of tiny bumps covering his features in swirly, complex patterns, he was as alien to her as he was attractive. To be honest, he was not really handsome. His features were too strong, too masculine to be beautiful. He had a face like a hawk’s, efficient and precise. Not an inch was superfluous, from the tight skin on his cheekbones to the hard line of his lips. He might not be beautiful in a pretty sort of way, but he made her guts quiver with a new, strange feeling.
Yes, she thought. You’re like a wolf, hiding your fangs, but ready to rip my throat out.
She locked gazes with the Eok, and the intensity of those fog-colored eyes set her nerves on high alert. Kamal looked at her, his mouth closed and his body hovering right over hers.
How long has he been there, looking at me?
She squirmed, hoping he would get the hint to move back, but he didn’t. His face was close enough that she could smell his male scent, strong and good, like the cover of pine needles on the forest floor in the fall. Her heart beat faster and her breathing quickened.
“How are you feeling?” His voice, like his scent, was penetrating and deep. Male.
“Better,” Aliena said simply.
There was no point in denying the obvious. It was nothing short of a miracle, what the Eok’s medical treatment had done for her, bringing her back from the brink of death in a matter of days. In a few more days, she could be strong enough to escape, and truly go back home this time.
But before that, she needed more information. Rushing out had been a mistake, something she’d done out of fear, on the spur of the moment. She wouldn’t make the same mistake a second time. She would gather as much information as she could on the pirates, then disappear with her people.
“How long was I passed out?” She tried to sound matter of fact, but she missed nothing of his reaction.
“You were quite exhausted.” He lifted his brows. “You slept for another twelve hours.”
“That much?” She tried to smile but, judging by the look on his face, it wasn’t pretty. “Well, I’m feeling much better, so thank you.”
Seconds slipped by, one after another in slow, agonizing discomfort. The Eok glared at her, waiting for her to say something then, finally, he inhaled sharply and shook his head. There was something different about him, about the way he stared at her. Her empty stomach twisted in knots, but not from hunger.
“It’s a wonder you were able to get so far from the ship.” His brows creased with disapproval. “It was reckless, what you did. Had I arrived but an hour later, you would have been dead.”
“Had I been allowed to leave of my own free will, I wouldn’t have needed a rescue.”
The Eok’s already creased brows came almost together in a frightening frown. His mouth reduced to a thin, pale line and a vein pulsed at his temple. Gone was the charming arrogant male from before. He was mad.
Good. She was mad, too. And the madder she became, the less she feared.
Aliena pushed herself up on the small medical bed, acutely aware of how small she was, how thin the synthetic cotton gown covering her body was. She was smaller than him by a good measure, even though he sat on a lower stool beside her bed, but sitting up made her feel less powerless. It was just an illusion, but illusions were better than nothing.
Kamal’s eyes traced slowly down her body. He took in the exposed skin of her legs, from her ankles to the middle of her thighs, where the cotton gown started. His gaze slid up, taking in the womanly curves on her, but his face remained expressionless. He locked gazes with her again.
“You are not to attempt to escape anymore.”
“So I’m your prisoner.” Aliena hugged herself unconsciously, rubbing the skin of her arms to smooth the goosebumps that seemed not to want to leave. “At least that’s clear now. No need to pretend otherwise.”
The Eok swallowed, then he straightened, peering down at her. His face was no longer expressionless, but she couldn’t decipher it. It almost looked like regret, or hurt. Then it was gone and his eyes shone with cold resolve.
“No need.”
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About Mary Auclair
Mary grew up in the quiet peace of a small rural village in the heart of Quebec, Canada.
She spent her childhood chasing butterflies and catching frogs, playing in the mud and generally being as unladylike as she could. Her love of science led her to complete a mechanical engineering degree at the Ecole Polytechnique of Montreal, where she met the love of her life.
Years later, as she enjoyed the role of full time mom to her two wonderful children, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a writer.
She now write as much as her busy schedule allows to bring to life her inner world, filled with exotic planets, mysterious creatures and off course, hot, alpha heroes and the women who melt their hearts.
When she's not writing, she can be found in the garden, walking her dogs or playing with fire in her kitchen as a part time hit-or-miss chef.
She loves to hear from her readers, so don't be shy and drop her a line!
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