Book excerpt: Enslaved. Exploited. Hunted. Born and raised on a slavers ship, Amalia is one of the rare survivors of the Veredian race. Like all Veredian females, Amalia possesses a unique psi ability which makes her the prized pet of her master Gruuk. She escapes to Xelix Prime, a warrior planet where slavery is prohibited. There, she participates in the Fastening to select one of countless hopeful warriors as her mate and protector. Except, she's now torn between two cousins. For Khel and Lhor, time is ticking. Like most Xelixian males, they are Tainted. On top of marking them as a lesser class of society, the disease mars their bodies and reduces their lifespan to less than forty years. Only a compatible female can slow or revert the Taint. But the females at the Fastening shun the males with visible symptoms. Until Amalia... Between Gruuk's dogged pursuit, deadly rivalries, assassins and corrupted nobles, can the cousins keep Amalia safe or will their respective feelings for her tear them apart? This MFM novel is a constant toe-curling, action-packed thriller, and the first book in the Veredian Chronicles series. It is standalone with no cliffhanger. LOSING AMALIA BONUS SCENE INCLUDED!