Excerpt of Ravished By Moonbeam by Cynthia Sax

Chapter One

"Officer Clark," Danielle murmured into the handset. She dimmed the headlights and slowed the police cruiser, inching the vehicle quietly along the gravel road.

"10–20, Officer Danielle?" Her friend and fellow officer asked her location.

"Moonbeam Side Road." Street address of one highly suspicious manwhore. She hunched over the steering wheel, staring into the darkness with grim determination. No more women will disappear on my watch.

"Officer Danielle..." She heard the refusal in Clark's voice.

"I know he's up to something, Officer," Danielle insisted. "As I knew your perp had a weapon," she not–so–subtly reminded him.

"10–4, Officer Danielle." Clark sighed, the radio crackling with static. "This makes us even. 10–18."

He doesn't believe me. No one does. She slammed the handset back into place. Yet all of the signs point to foul play.

A good soldier listens to her gut, her mother's voice echoed in her mind. Danielle slid her right hand over her police uniform, fingering the reassuring outline of her dog tags.

A good soldier never cries. She whacked the window controls with her fist. Fresh air poured inside the vehicle, the night breeze cool and scented with pine needles, and her melancholy retreated.

Danielle stuck her head out the window and gazed up at the stars. One star, glowing as bright as the full moon, moved farther away from her.

Moved? She frowned. How—

The cruiser shuddered and she turned her head in time to see a large black–and–green object hit the windshield. The entity cracked the supposedly uncrackable glass, a spider web of fragments spanning out from the center of impact, and it rolled over the hood, leaving a trail of dents.

"Stay still." She grabbed the first–aid kit stashed in the door pocket. "And remain calm." Her heart pounded painfully as she dashed around the hood of the car, rock fragments crunching under her sturdy police boots. "I'm a police officer. I've been trained to deal with these situations." Danielle stopped. Temporarily blinded by the headlights, she couldn't see anything.

"Lejno." The mumbled word originated from the brightness and she breathed a sigh of relief. He lives.

With a rumbling groan, the owner of the deep, sexy voice staggered to his feet. He rolled back his green–and–black shoulders, his joints popping in a barrage of rapid–fire cracks. Danielle's mouth dropped open and the first–aid kit fell with a thump onto the gravel road. Every inch of her accident victim was green or black.

He loomed over her, his huge, colorful body covered with ridges from the top of his bald skull down to the waistband of his black leather outfit. She tilted her head back to meet his swirling gaze.

"You're not human." Her fingers shook as she fumbled for her gun. "At least, not like any human I've ever seen. What are you?"

"I am Warrior Krol Nowak." He extended his hands. Long silver blades protruded from his wrist armor.

Danger. Danielle stepped back, fear twisting her stomach. "Don't move, Warrior Krol." She raised her gun and aimed it between his constantly moving eyes. "And put your arms in the air."

His forehead ridges rattled as they condensed. "Your two commands are incompatible, druzka." He stalked toward her, his form large and menacing.

Sweat trickled down Danielle's neck. Space guns were strapped to his muscular torso and daggers decorated his tight leather pants. She held a simple service revolver. "I repeat. Don't move, or I'll shoot."

Krol grinned, displaying teeth too sharp and pointed to be human. "You are a warrior, my Danielle. I am the best warrior."

She swallowed hard, her mouth dry with fear. "How do you know my—"

He sprang toward her, his movements blurring, and Danielle reacted on instinct, pulling the trigger. The bullet ricocheted off his knee ridge, the deafening sound followed by an animalistic howl. Krol twisted the gun from her hands, took three steps to the right and lobbed it with inhuman strength deep into the brush.

"I shot you." Confused, Danielle glared at his leg. Red blood trickled down it, yet he remained standing. "I shot you."

"Yes." Krol retracted his wrist blades as he strode back to her. Gravel crunched under his big boots. "I am enjoying our courting."

"Courting?" Danielle backed away from the approaching alien, discomforted by his size and anxiously aware she was woefully unarmed. A good soldier knows when to retreat.

In a flash of black and green, he captured her waist and pulled her forward, bumping her hips against his. The strength she'd always prided herself on paled next to his, his arms bulging with muscles and ridges.

"Courting," he confirmed. His hypnotizing gaze dropped to her lips and Danielle sucked in her breath, excitement coiling within her. He isn't thinking of...he's an alien. He wouldn't—

Krol covered her mouth with his, his hard lips pulverizing her soft flesh, grinding, conquering, owning. Danielle clenched her teeth, blocking his access to her mouth, and she struggled to free herself, pushing against his chest with her hands. He was hard, strong and male. Her body responded to his dominance, her nipples tightening and her pussy moistening.

Her spaceman growled, the primitive sound curling Danielle's boot–covered toes. "Open." He stroked her cheek with his calloused fingers, sending shivers of delight down her spine.

"No way. I'm not letting some alien inside me." She raised her chin defiantly, her lips plump and throbbing with his hard usage.

Their gazes met and held, and a grin slowly spread across his face. Krol bobbed his head once as though acknowledging her challenge, and Danielle readied herself, bracing for impact. He attacked, bending down to recapture her mouth, his forceful kiss driving her head back.""Chapter One

"Officer Clark," Danielle murmured into the handset. She dimmed the headlights and slowed the police cruiser, inching the vehicle quietly along the gravel road.

"10–20, Officer Danielle?" Her friend and fellow officer asked her location.

"Moonbeam Side Road." Street address of one highly suspicious manwhore. She hunched over the steering wheel, staring into the darkness with grim determination. No more women will disappear on my watch.

"Officer Danielle..." She heard the refusal in Clark's voice.

"I know he's up to something, Officer," Danielle insisted. "As I knew your perp had a weapon," she not–so–subtly reminded him.

"10–4, Officer Danielle." Clark sighed, the radio crackling with static. "This makes us even. 10–18."

He doesn't believe me. No one does. She slammed the handset back into place. Yet all of the signs point to foul play.

A good soldier listens to her gut, her mother's voice echoed in her mind. Danielle slid her right hand over her police uniform, fingering the reassuring outline of her dog tags.

A good soldier never cries. She whacked the window controls with her fist. Fresh air poured inside the vehicle, the night breeze cool and scented with pine needles, and her melancholy retreated.

Danielle stuck her head out the window and gazed up at the stars. One star, glowing as bright as the full moon, moved farther away from her.

Moved? She frowned. How—

The cruiser shuddered and she turned her head in time to see a large black–and–green object hit the windshield. The entity cracked the supposedly uncrackable glass, a spider web of fragments spanning out from the center of impact, and it rolled over the hood, leaving a trail of dents.

"Stay still." She grabbed the first–aid kit stashed in the door pocket. "And remain calm." Her heart pounded painfully as she dashed around the hood of the car, rock fragments crunching under her sturdy police boots. "I'm a police officer. I've been trained to deal with these situations." Danielle stopped. Temporarily blinded by the headlights, she couldn't see anything.

"Lejno." The mumbled word originated from the brightness and she breathed a sigh of relief. He lives.

With a rumbling groan, the owner of the deep, sexy voice staggered to his feet. He rolled back his green–and–black shoulders, his joints popping in a barrage of rapid–fire cracks. Danielle's mouth dropped open and the first–aid kit fell with a thump onto the gravel road. Every inch of her accident victim was green or black.

He loomed over her, his huge, colorful body covered with ridges from the top of his bald skull down to the waistband of his black leather outfit. She tilted her head back to meet his swirling gaze.

"You're not human." Her fingers shook as she fumbled for her gun. "At least, not like any human I've ever seen. What are you?"

"I am Warrior Krol Nowak." He extended his hands. Long silver blades protruded from his wrist armor.

Danger. Danielle stepped back, fear twisting her stomach. "Don't move, Warrior Krol." She raised her gun and aimed it between his constantly moving eyes. "And put your arms in the air."

His forehead ridges rattled as they condensed. "Your two commands are incompatible, druzka." He stalked toward her, his form large and menacing.

Sweat trickled down Danielle's neck. Space guns were strapped to his muscular torso and daggers decorated his tight leather pants. She held a simple service revolver. "I repeat. Don't move, or I'll shoot."

Krol grinned, displaying teeth too sharp and pointed to be human. "You are a warrior, my Danielle. I am the best warrior."

She swallowed hard, her mouth dry with fear. "How do you know my—"

He sprang toward her, his movements blurring, and Danielle reacted on instinct, pulling the trigger. The bullet ricocheted off his knee ridge, the deafening sound followed by an animalistic howl. Krol twisted the gun from her hands, took three steps to the right and lobbed it with inhuman strength deep into the brush.

"I shot you." Confused, Danielle glared at his leg. Red blood trickled down it, yet he remained standing. "I shot you."

"Yes." Krol retracted his wrist blades as he strode back to her. Gravel crunched under his big boots. "I am enjoying our courting."

"Courting?" Danielle backed away from the approaching alien, discomforted by his size and anxiously aware she was woefully unarmed. A good soldier knows when to retreat.

In a flash of black and green, he captured her waist and pulled her forward, bumping her hips against his. The strength she'd always prided herself on paled next to his, his arms bulging with muscles and ridges.

"Courting," he confirmed. His hypnotizing gaze dropped to her lips and Danielle sucked in her breath, excitement coiling within her. He isn't thinking of...he's an alien. He wouldn't—

Krol covered her mouth with his, his hard lips pulverizing her soft flesh, grinding, conquering, owning. Danielle clenched her teeth, blocking his access to her mouth, and she struggled to free herself, pushing against his chest with her hands. He was hard, strong and male. Her body responded to his dominance, her nipples tightening and her pussy moistening.

Her spaceman growled, the primitive sound curling Danielle's boot–covered toes. "Open." He stroked her cheek with his calloused fingers, sending shivers of delight down her spine.

"No way. I'm not letting some alien inside me." She raised her chin defiantly, her lips plump and throbbing with his hard usage.

Their gazes met and held, and a grin slowly spread across his face. Krol bobbed his head once as though acknowledging her challenge, and Danielle readied herself, bracing for impact. He attacked, bending down to recapture her mouth, his forceful kiss driving her head back.