‘Today, I found out the difference between a Jelvia and a human.’
Macy Shaw is a Human—at odds with the world since her mother was murdered and burns with injustice at the world she sees around her. She’s a celebrity journalist and is tired of listening to shallow stories of the rich and famous. She wants a juicier story.
Narcifer is a Jelvia—a venomous warrior whose species see themselves as a slayer of Human criminals, but those Human criminals receive no jury or court case. They are just killed. Narcifer only knows that if he doesn’t kill criminals, he’ll kill innocents. The killing is a need. A want.
While the rest of the world sees the Jelvias as dangerous and in need of controlling, Macy sees them as heroes and decides to try and interview one for an article she wants to write.
She meets Narcifer.
Unfortunately, her boss and Narcifer’s boss have history.
And in a world which is against them, these star-crossed lovers find themselves unsure on who to trust.
Contains mature themes.
Jeliva: Not Human #1
HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO
Excerpt from chapter one
Macy stared at the unmoving, crouching shadow on the roof, and felt it stare back at her. The moonlight caught its reflective eyes and the gaze pierced right through her. The Jelvia rose until he was standing. The wind tugged at his coat, making him appear even more outlandish.
He turned, superhumanly fast, and jumped from the roof of the shop to land on the roof of the next building. He made no sound. And then he was gone from sight. Macy was freaked out. It was dark, her friend had been attacked, and someone had died. She scrambled inside her car. She closed the door and dug in her pocket for the keys, but her car shuddered, and Macy’s head snapped up in alarm. The Jelvia was standing in front of her car, hands on the bonnet as if to prevent it from moving. He leaned in to peer through the windscreen.
Macy began another frantic search of her pockets for the car keys as he took one hand off the bonnet and beckoned her out of her car.
Macy shook her head.
The Jelvia cocked his head at her as if regarding her. The black eyes, already shadowed by the night, appeared to be empty black orbs in the Jelvia’s skull.
He dangled her car keys in front of her.
Macy stared into eyes that were nothing but complete darkness and felt a shiver trickle down her spine. She’d never been this close to a Jelvia before and could finally appreciate the words of those who encountered them: It wasn’t only their eyes that were black, their whole being was as well.
As she looked into those eyes, it really did feel as if his soul was enveloped in darkness. She waited for the feeling of intense terror that people were said to feel, but none came. Logic told her his venom could pierce through the windscreen and kill her where she sat, and she should be scared, yet scared wasn’t an adjective she could use.
She felt… electrified.
Maybe it was fear playing with her senses.
The Jelvia was big and wore the typical Jelvian dress of a knee-length, bulletproof, black coat. Given his size, he didn’t look like he should be able to move as quickly as he had done on the shop roof. But she knew from her research of the Jelvian species that they were incredibly light on their feet, had amazingly sharp reflexes and coordination. They were superhuman.
He continued to dangle the keys from his fingers, and Macy opened the door and exited slowly. She stood before him with her hand outstretched to receive the car keys she must have dropped rushing after the man walking the dog.
‘Please, can I…?’ she asked.
The Jelvia stepped towards her. As he moved, his face came out of the shadow, and she was able to see him clearly. She was transfixed not only by his beauty, but because she’d seen that face so many times in the newspaper recently, due to her own research of Mardle and Becks murders, and she was sure that this was the Jelvia who had killed both men.
The police van behind her started up, and the Jelvia looked over her head towards the vehicle. Macy turned to watch as it moved off in the opposite direction. When she looked back, his eyes were on her, and his gaze was all-consuming as if he were drinking her in.
Everything had happened in an instant, and she still had her hand out for the keys. He placed them in her upturned hand gently and closed her fingers around them. His big hand lingered over hers.
The instant he touched her, her nerves became electrified, and the way he became still told her he’d felt the sensation as well.
Macy wanted nothing more than to step into those big arms. Her brain was yelling caution, but everything else was submitting to this man—this Jelvia.
She looked down at their hands. He had begun to trace an imaginary circle at the base of her wrist with his thumb, and the touch sent tingles through her body.
Then he leaned in until his breath stroked her face. Macy held her breath, certain he was about to kiss her.
And certain that she wanted him to.
A large hand cupped her cheek, and she opened her eyes, embarrassed that she’d had them closed. She stared up at him, then his other hand rose until her face was held in his hands.
He frowned, and she could see in his expression that she’d surprised him. Most humans would have been terrified.
His eyes dropped to her mouth. His face was so close she could see the pupils in his all-black eyes. Then he lowered further and touched his lips against hers—and all embarrassment vanished. The taste of his lips was more than she had bargained for and, beyond her comprehension, her body melded to his with a sigh.
As if under a spell, Macy raised her hands to hold his in place around her face, and parted her lips. She could hear the sound of her own shallow breath, could hear his as he plundered her mouth.
His hands left her face, and one cupped the back of her head, while the other pulled her closer still. She felt his hard body against hers, felt his arousal and wanted to touch it. His hot mouth moved over hers; his tongue thrust inside her mouth, and she knew, now that she’d had a taste of him, she’d never have enough.
Macy’s fingers twined in his hair. Desire licked through her, ripening her body.
She felt the cold exterior of her car behind her as she was shoved up against it. A hand pressed against her breast and her nipples hardened against his touch. She was beginning to think that he was going to take her there and then, and was almost certain that she wanted him to.
Her hand moved down his body, towards the erection pressing at the fabric of his trousers. It filled her hand.
He stepped away from her. She was breathing rapidly, stupefied as she looked up at him.
His hand reached out, and his fingers trailed a hot path down her throat. The hand splayed, the smallest finger disappearing into the neck of her tee-shirt, touching the swell of her breast. She felt herself pressing into his hand, but he didn’t move further, and then she realised he was feeling the vibration of her erratic heartbeat.
Feeling his gaze on her, she raised her eyes. He took his hand away, then he did something she’d not expected him to do. He grinned. A cock-sure grin, complete with dimples.
Macy found herself grinning back.
Then he bent and opened her car door. And reluctantly, she slipped inside, and he closed the door on her. Only when she was safely inside did the Jelvia turn and walk away.
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