Book excerpt: A spin-off of The Hunt series. Melisizwe is the Kgosi and sole ruler of the bu Kumkani Kingdom. He needs a powerful queen with alliances, wealth and connections at his side. To find his perfect mate, he invites nine dignitaries from across the galaxy for a meet and greet. Instead of focusing on a fitting match, he’s plagued with assassination attempts, civil unrest, and meeting his true lifemate—a human. For the good of his race, he must pledge himself to a female of status, so there’s no room in his life for a lowly security guard. Atlanta Georgia Moore has never visited Earth or her namesake. Born and raised on a distant alien planet, she has worked hard to fit into a world with people who view human emotion as a weakness. She has trained hard to suppress all human traits until she meets the Kgosi. The effect he has on her body and heart frightens her but, for the first time in her life, she wants to embrace who she really is. Atlanta can fight and protect others, but defending herself against love just may be the battle of her life.