Blurb:
Mala never expected her mother to force her hand
when it came to taking a husband, but that’s what she was doing. The threat
hung over her head find a husband or be disinherited. There was no way her mom
was going to run her life. She’d show her! The money would come and go, but she
didn’t want to live without her family. What could she do?
When she called a number for a new dating site,
she didn’t expect much.
Rykiel was placed in cryo thousands of years ago.
He never expected to be woken. When he was, it was to be told that his mate was
waiting for him. If he accepted her, his new life on earth would begin.
Neither expected to wake up mated. Now they would
have to learn how to live together and what it means to be mated for eternity.
The tracker who glorified in evil was making his
way to earth. His sights were set on killing Rykiel and destroying the planet
before he went to the next one.
Could Mala and Rykiel not only find love but build
a relationship that would stand against what was coming their way?
Readers 18 and older
Chapter One
“Mom, really? This isn’t the eighteen hundreds, and
I don’t need a husband.” Mala slumped in her chair. Her mother and her
grandmother didn’t play. When they combined forces, they were deadly. She could
see her grandmother’s manipulation in her mother’s words.
“Listen, baby, I am doing this for your own good.
You and I both know there are wolves out there, and all they want is your
money.”
“Mom, I’ve been living under the radar for years.
No one knows I have money.” That was true enough. She lived in a two-bedroom
apartment that had seen better days, more like better years. It was rundown,
but it allowed her something all her mom’s money didn’t—freedom.
“It’s time for this rebellious streak of yours to
end. You’re a princess, my princess.”
“Mom, please, hear me out.”
There was a long drawn out sigh from the other end
of the line. “Talk.”
“I want to make it on my own the way grandma did,
and you did after her. I can’t do that if I’m spending your money flitting up
Rodeo drive or wherever you think I should be. Don’t you want me to be
independent? I’m not ready to get married yet; I will eventually.”
“Eventually? Young lady, did you just say you will
get married eventually? When? When I’m too old to enjoy my grandkids? When your
grandmother is dead? Is that when eventually will come around for you?”
And yep, she lost her mother. She should have left
the eventually part and anything to do with a husband off.
“Mom—”
“Don’t mom me, your grandmother was right. Let me
tell you something. Your grandmother worked her fingers to the bone, and I
followed in her footsteps to make a better life for you. Now you want to throw
it in our faces. You don’t want the money or the heritage you were born into.
That’s fine, don’t show up to your cousin's wedding, and we’ll consider this
whole thing water under the bridge.”
Mala sat back, knowing she was relaxing too soon.
“If you don’t show up, I’ll know you no longer
want to be part of this family. If you show up, then I’ll know you’re ready to
be married and live a life that doesn’t have you looking both ways before you
leave that sad apartment you stay in.”
“Mom, please, let’s talk about this.”
“I’m done talking. I love you, but…” The phone
went silent when she hung up.
She should have known better. Why would she try to
have a normal conversation with her mother? Better yet, why was she staying
away from the wealth and privilege she was born into? She didn’t want to think
about that day when everything changed. It was the first time she understood
what real fear was. How long had she lived with it tucked deep inside of her,
waiting to burst if she ever let her guard down? Too long.
Now she needed to think about her mom and her
grandma. There had to be something she could do to change their minds. The one
thing she refused to give up was her family.
She moved from the chair in the kitchen to the
couch that needed to be thrown out. It wasn’t in good enough shape to donate,
probably because she bought it second hand. With a deep sigh, she stopped
avoiding the next phone call she had to make.
“Hello?”
“Gram!” She smiled, even though the situation was
tense, she loved talking to her grandma.
“Mala, baby, I’ve missed you.”
“Sorry, I haven’t called more.”
“Are you coming to Tony’s wedding?”
“Maybe, probably, that’s why I’m calling you. I
talked to mom. She said if I don’t come, I can kiss the family goodbye. If I do
come, then that means I’m ready to get married. Can you talk to her?” She hated
the whining tone to her voice, but sometimes you have to do what you have to
do.
“Baby, you know I’m with your mother. It’s time
for you to get married.”
“All this is about money and me moving back home.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. One day that money
will be yours no matter what; this is about a husband.”
“I will not marry someone you picked out just to
make you happy.”
“I see, there is another possibility.”
Mala sat up straight, tension making her head
hurt. Slowly she surveyed her living room expecting a lion to jump from behind
her couch. Her grandmother didn’t make money in a time when women, especially
black women, weren’t respected, without being shrewd. She’d seen more than one
person take her grandmother for granted until she ripped out their throats
(metaphorically speaking).
“Another possibility?” It was better to be
cautious when dealing with her gram.
“I hear your hesitancy, baby. What can I do? I’m
just saying there’s another way.”
The lion was sharpening her claws while she
scented her prey. When Mala grew up, she would be just like her gram, if she
lived long enough.
“I’m listening.”
“Your mother already has a suitable candidate
picked out.”
Mala felt herself backing up. Her sense of self-preservation
was screaming at her to getaway.
“Who does she have picked out?” Why did she ask?
“Kenny Thompson or a Denny something. Anyway, you
went to school with him. He’s interested in you, always has been. I can just
see the beautiful children you will have.”
Snap! Mala jumped as the trap closed around her.
She was throwing herself at the walls like an angry animal looking for a way
out. That would never happen; she wouldn’t let it.
“You said there was an alternative.” She tried to
keep the tremble out of her voice, but she knew the lion heard it. Her
grandmother would be sitting on her plush chair, the one she held court on when
they were all around her. She would be smiling wide as she sharpened her claws
about to make her final lunge.
“You could do something unexpected. Something your
mother would never think of.”
“Like?”
“You could show up at the wedding with a husband
in tow.”
Absolutely not. She’d rather lose the people she
loved than fall into line and marry someone she didn’t love. It wasn’t
happening. No way.
“I do understand if Kenny or is it Denny, is the
man for you. Your mom said you had a crush on him when you were in school. Who
knew he felt the same way about you? Is he the one that got away?”
They had laws against the things she wanted to see
happen to him. Better not share that thought with her gram.
“As always, gram, you’ve been helpful.”
“Will I see you at the wedding?”
“Maybe, probably, only time will tell.”
“I know your mom can’t wait to see you walk down
the aisle. It will be the wedding of the year. The planning, the shopping, the
guest list. I can already see the blissful smile on my child’s face.” The sharp
claws reach through the bars of the trap going for the throat only to catch an
arm.
“I’ll talk to you later, gram.”
“Bye, baby, I need to call your mom.”
Mala paused and listened to dead air before putting
the phone down after making sure it was hung up.
She didn’t know how long she sat there before she
finally roused herself. What was she going to do? There was no way in hell she
would ever marry Kenneth Thompson. Even if she were drugged, she would know the
answer to the ‘will you marry me’ question was no. Not her mother, her
grandmother, or even God (sorry God) could convince her to marry that man. She
wouldn’t touch him with someone else’s hand.
The knock at the door made her jump.
“Who’s there?”
“It’s Isa, were you expecting someone else?”
“Sorry,” she hurried to the door to open it.
“Girl, what happened to you?”
Isa was her best friend; they met at the local
weight watchers meeting, which didn’t work for either of them. Everyone
speculated it was because neither was concerned about being plus size or fluffy
if you were the right man.
“You look like someone shot your dog, and I know
you don’t have a dog.”
“But I want one. Stupid apartment rules, no pets.
I know the guy upstairs has a dog, and he’s terrifying.”
“That’s why the manager hasn’t thrown him or the
dog out. Stop changing the subject. What’s wrong?”
Mala took one of the bags Isa was holding and
walked into the kitchen.
“I thought we were cooking.”
“I’m tired, so I stopped for takeout. This way, we
can settle down and watch the Avengers: Endgame in peace without being hot and
bothered.”
“It would have been cheaper to go see it in the
movies. Did you see how much the movie cost?” Mala complained, pulling out
plates.
“By the time we both got tickets, drinks, popcorn,
and chocolate, you know we would have spent way more than what it cost to buy
it.”
“I know you’re right, I’m just...”
“Avoiding the subject of what’s wrong.”
“My mom called.” She gave Isa a recap of her phone
calls before they took their plates into the living room.
“What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. Do you know a hot sexy man who’s
down for pretending to be my husband?”
“No, but how do you think that’s going to work out?
You can’t just take a pretend husband to the wedding and announce a month later
that you’re getting a divorce.”
“Did I ask you to be the voice of reason?”
“Nope, I just like messing with you.”
“Seriously, what am I going to do?”
“Get married. What else can you do?”
“I’m not a sex slave or a baby-making machine, and
I refuse to even look at the man my mother wants me to marry.”
“Then pick one of your own. You’re thirty-two,
I’ve seen you looking at the babies and the women walking around who just
happen to flash their rings at everyone they meet.”
“You saw me looking because you were looking too,”
Mala grumbled, but Isa was right. She did want to get married; it just wasn’t a
pressing matter.
“Wait, I know.” Isa jumped up and did a half skip
back to the kitchen. “Someone gave me this," she announced when she sat
again. “I snorted and shoved it into the bag with our food, but now I think you
can use it.”
It was done in big black letters in some hoity-toity
font that she would never pick. Do you need a mate? We’ve been connecting lonely, desperate, and much too
fat women with mates for years. The skinny need not apply. Skin color no issue;
no matter how fat, we have a mate for you. Skinny people need not apply. Call
the number below, and we will be in touch with you.
“Do you think they’re cannibals that prefer to eat
fat women?”
“Mala!”
“What? They said twice, skinny women need not
apply. Sounds like they are recruiting dinner.”
“If they try to eat you, I will protect you.”
“Girl, you’re not skinny, they’ll eat you too.”
“At least, we’ll die together, friends forever.
Now stop stalling and call.”
That was one reason she and Isa were good friends;
they called each other out on their BS.
“I’m calling.” Mala picked up her phone, wanting
to do anything else but this, but her mom and gram had backed her into a
corner. They better watch out. Sometimes it was the young cub that won the day.
“It’s ringing like forever.”
She wasn’t expecting a voicemail when one clicked
on, but there was no voice message
“Hi, I’m Mala.” The phone hung up. “Rude! I think
this must be a prank. I didn’t even have time to give them my number, thank
God. I hope they don’t have caller I.D., or they’ll be playing on my phone.”
“That was weird.”
“I know,” she was already putting it behind her.
“Come on, we have dinner and sexy superheroes to watch. You think I can
convince one of them to marry me?”
“Me first.” They laughed before pushing play.
Are you looking for a read to make you feel good with enough of a bite to keep you on the edge of your seat click below. This is the read for you.
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He's got just the right tool to fix her broken heart ...
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