Title: Betrayed
Author: Lyndi Alexander
Genre: Science Fiction Romance
Book Blurb:
A rash of mutated bodies discovered on planet Andaan reveals that someone is killing women in an attempt to turn them into reptiles. Taskforce agent Kylie Sanderson’s passion for her job drives her to discover why this is happening, who's behind the murders, and how to prevent more grotesque deaths.
Shapeshifting alien Griff comes to Andaan to stop his brethren from their deadly experiments. As one of the Okonnan lizard people, he struggles to gain Kylie's trust and to prove that his goal is the same as hers. In her eyes, Griff is an untested enemy.
When Kylie is abducted and subjected to the transformation process, the only one who tries to rescue her is Griff. On the run together with no support, can Kylie and Griff solve the mysteries of her past? How will Kylie deal with a very different passion competing with the one she holds for the job that means so much to her?
Excerpt:
Hawthorn’s was a haven for law enforcement types. She was glad someone introduced her the first time SIRT had come to Muraco. There was only one door; the tables and barstools were all placed so no one would have their backs to it. Robby J, Hawthorn’s jovial owner, knew a good thing when he had it. Free security around the sixty-hour clock. In a neighborhood like his? Indispensable.
Nefarious characters leaning on the wall outside checked her out, their eyes fastening on like desperate refugees, not letting go as she passed them by. She ignored them, continuing through the door.
Inside, she got the same treatment. People stared, but didn’t just glance away. She could have been a model, like Nissa, but intrigue and innards fascinated her more than fashion and fame.
Besides, her appeal could be useful. Sometimes it got her free drinks.
She nodded to local cops she knew, and grabbed an empty stool at the end of the bar. Bright neon signs depicting the names of local brews reflected off those seated at the bar, giving them an alien sheen. The canned music was some sort of upbeat tune with stringed instruments and a strong drum beat. Kylie approved.
Lin came to wipe the shiny plaz counter in front of her. “What’ll it be?”
“Something quick-acting. Then a bottle of Jack.”
“You got it.” The girl’s green eyes studied her, her tongue flicking out to wet her lips. “You’re from SIRT, right? The lizard cop?”
Really? The lizard cop? Where was the dignity in that? Holy Sprechan’s ass.
“You know I can’t discuss cases, Lin.” Kylie coughed, trying to rattle her tense nerves loose. “You got something for me, or not?”
“Sure,” Lin replied, backing away. “Coming right up.”
Kylie felt a presence behind her left shoulder, just about the time Lin returned with three blue pills in a small plastic dose cup. She choked them down dry, then turned to find a local officer she recognized from yesterday. The young blond guy smiled.
“Something I can do for you, friend?” she asked, annoyed because she couldn’t remember his name. He’d intro’ed on scene, but the horrors they’d seen had claimed her brain cells.
He took a deep breath. “Just wanted to say what a great job you did. Can’t be easy investigating this spree.”
Kylie sized him up. Didn’t seem like just an opening for sex. “Thanks.” Lin brought a bottle and a shot glass, and she poured herself a drink. “Want one?”
His eyes lit up like a puppy offered a new toy. “Sure.”
Kylie gestured to Lin for another glass, and she poured another. “Kann-pi!” She clinked her glass against his. “What’s your name again? Yesterday was…you know.”
His look of delight never faded. “Sam James. Second level with Muraco force.”
“Of course. Sam.” She gave him a genuine smile. Comrades, right? Fighting for truth and justice? His boyish face even started to appeal to her.
Now that was the drugs talking.
He fidgeted. “Just wanted to say hi, and, um, good work.”
“Thanks, friend. Sam.”
Beaming, he returned to his buddies’ table. They ribbed him and eyed her enviously. She just smiled and raised her glass.
After her third, she found herself shutting out the memories of the photos and the dumpsters. She let the music seep deeply, sitting in a pleasant haze. Background conversations made her feel less lonely. Cops knew how to treat other cops, especially on the worst days.
A man at a table near the door stared at her, dissecting her in a way that felt not like he was undressing her, but more like he looked past her skin, into her psyche, or perhaps her soul. Kylie stared back, putting a forbidding expression on her face. Usually, that was enough to scare off a would-be masher. But it didn’t seem to faze this one.
The man’s persistence triggered a defensive response, and she lost interest in the alcohol. She left twelve plat coins on the counter, enough to cover her tab and something for Lin, and then headed for the door.
As she approached the man’s table, he stood up. “Please join me.”
“No, thanks, I’m on my way out.”
“Please,” he said firmly. She stopped to look at him. His eyes were the exact yellow tone of the dead woman’s. Exact.
She surveyed the room, but no one seemed to notice. A gesture would have garnered assistance, but those eyes compelled her to wait. “Why should I?”
His voice softened. “I have information you can use.”
“Then perhaps you should come to the Cendiary. That’s where SIRT’s camped while this investigation is going on.” Her mind clicked along frantically trying to reject the half bottle of alcohol she’d consumed. There was something about this man, something about him. His eyes, but more than that. Taller than most men, and broad-shouldered. Hair, perfectly combed, his skin, without a blemish. Not even the hint of an old scar. Clothing, unremarkable. Hands, not quite perfectly proportioned, his fingers a little long, the nails even but lengthy for a man.
“No. I need to talk to you now.” His gaze continued to dance with hers, describing a tango rather than something more casual.
She blinked and looked away. “This isn’t a good time, friend.”
He cocked his head, a, thin eyebrow raised. “You consider me your friend?”
His hesitation made her miss a beat. She hadn’t meant…’Friend’ was just a name to call someone. “No, I don’t consider you my friend.” She frowned. “Come to the Cendiary in the morning.” She turned to go, found her wrist caught in an iron grip.
When she looked over her shoulder, tugging on her captured hand, he held no apology in his eyes, no welcoming smile on his lips. He nodded to the empty chair beside his. “I need to talk with you, Investigator Kylie Sanderson. Please hear what I have to say. Before any more females are damaged or killed.”
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What makes your featured book a must-read?
BETRAYED is a savage love story, solidly science fiction, that brings to life a passion born of the most desperate situation. Heroine Kylie Sanderson comes from privilege, and her job has given her great advantages. The investigation into a string of mutated female bodies calls for all the knowledge she’s accumulated and all the courage her heart can muster. The dynamics of Kylie’s dysfunctional family and her standing as one of the lead females in her law enforcement division impact her choices in devastating ways.
She travels to hell and back, finding herself in dark places she’s never anticipated, and finding herself there alone. Only by reaching out a hand into the darkness does she finally find support—in an alien who might be her enemy.
Griff, a rebel alien who opposes what his reptile brethren are doing, has followed them from planet to planet, trying to stop their horrific experiments. Approaching the humans in charge, of course, is too dangerous for him. But when he meets Kylie, he finds a way to save the honor of his people, if he can only get her to listen to him. But not only does she listen, her drive to succeed pushes her across the line of safety to disaster. Only he can save her.
Fans of The X-Files, Stranger Things or Fringe will love the melding of investigative agency work and love story that develops in these pages.
BONUS: The ebook is on sale at Smashwords for 99 cents through the end of December!
Giveaway –
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Author Biography:
Lyndi Alexander always dreamed of faraway worlds and interesting alien contacts. She lives as a post-modern hippie in Asheville, North Carolina, a single mother of her last child of seven, a daughter on the autism spectrum, finding that every day feels a lot like first contact with a new species.
Social Media Links:
Website and Blog https://lyndialexander.wordpress.com/
Amazon Author Page
Smashwords | Lyndi Alexander https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/lyndialexander