by Anna Hackett
After they’d said their farewells, Lore led Madeline out onto the balcony. They leaned against the railing, staring out at the view of the setting suns. A warm wind ruffled her hair and Lore studied the look of contentment on her face.
“Happy?”
“So happy.” She turned to him. “Lore, I’m not sure what I did to deserve you—”
“Just being you is enough. That’s all you have to do. I have something else for you.” He reached out, brushing the shell of her ear. He held out his hand.
It was a ring. It was made of a shiny, silver metal with a large, sparkling, blue stone in the center.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“Rory tells me it’s called an engagement ring.”
Madeline froze and her gaze flicked up to him.
“Breathe, dushla.”
“You want to get married? Do you even get married here?”
“Joining, a show of commitment to the one you love. Yes, people do it here, and I want to, with you.” He pulled out her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger. “I want to share my passion and fire with you. I want to love and protect you to my last breath.”
“I want to love and protect you, too,” she answered, smiling.
He smiled back at the woman from the other side of the galaxy who had captured his heart. “No illusions, no charm, just me and everything I have to offer you. If you’ll take it.”
Happy tears shimmered in her eyes. “Then it looks like we have a deal.”
---
I hope you enjoyed Lore and Madeline’s story!
Galactic Gladiators continues with CHAMPION, starring human space marine Blaine Strong and tough, female gladiator Saff, and will be out late March 2017. Read on for a sneak peek of Champion.
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Sneak Peek: Champion
(Please note: unedited sneak peek of Champion. Final version may change a little.)
With a wild shout, he brought his sword down, slashing through the training dummy.
The emotions inside Blaine Strong were boiling and molten. He spun and saw another training dummy pop-up through an opening in the sand of the training arena. He slashed it across the belly before spinning again, sword raised above his head.
Two more dummies appeared and using all his strength, Blaine thrust his sword through the dummy’s stomach and chopped the arm off the second.
As the final dummy appeared, he leaped into the air and decapitated it with one wild slash. He landed, skidding through the sand, then attacked the damaged dummy again with violent hits and thrusts of his sword, completely destroying it.
No more dummies sprung out of the ground. He stood there, chest heaving. The anger inside him was like a beast—wild and hungry, and out of control.
In that moment, even though sunshine from the two large suns in the sky warmed his skin and a brisk breeze ruffled his too-long dark hair, he was back in the bowels of the underground fight ring that had been his life for several months.
Images peppered his head like a movie on fast forward. All of them were the faces of the people he’d killed.
Blaine sucked in a deep breath, bringing himself back to reality. Even though he was free, the ghosts didn’t seem to stop haunting him.
He looked around and reminded himself that he was standing in the House of Galen training arena. He stared at the new gladiator recruits training on the sand not far away, and then over the training arena to the walls of the main Kor Magna Arena adjacent. It was made of a warm, cream stone and was a mecca for spectators coming to watch the alien gladiators fight. But unlike the hell of the underground fight rings, no one battled to the death.
He flicked his gaze to the right and saw the tips of the spires of the glitzy buildings in the District. It made him think of a long-ago trip to Las Vegas when he’d been younger. The desert planet of Carthago and the city of Kor Magna offered all kinds of spectacles and entertainment.
Blaine shook his head. He was a long way from Earth and his life before. His previous job had been as a space marine turned security specialist for the Fortuna Space Station orbiting Jupiter. But that was all long gone.
He’d been abducted by Thraxian slavers and after months of captivity, sold into the fight rings run by the Srinar aliens. Forced to fight and kill.
He pulled in a shuddering breath, unable to rid himself of the drowning sensation dragging at him.
Then he heard a laugh—full-throated and feminine.
He looked up, his gaze zeroing in on the long, tall form of Saff Essikani.
The female gladiator was walking into the training arena, her back straight, and her muscled, athletic body clad in dark leather. Her leather top hugged her slim torso lovingly and left her muscular arms bare. Her long black hair was in tiny braids that she’d caught back at the base of her neck. Her skin was dark and glossy.
Blaine heard his heart beat like a drum in his ears. It was clear she was strong and an experienced fighter, but he also spotted the small touches of femininity. The elegant tilt of her dark eyes, her long eyelashes, and her long, slender neck.
It took him a second to realize she wasn’t alone. Harper Adams strode beside her. Harper had been Blaine’s fellow security specialist on the space station. She’d been the first to be rescued and taken in by the gladiators of the House of Galen. She’d in turn helped to rescue several other human women who’d also been abducted. He wondered if there were any others they didn’t know about out there somewhere, suffering.
Anger threatened, nipping at the edges of his consciousness. To fight it back, he focused on Saff.
Galactic Gladiators
Gladiator
Warrior
Hero
Protector
In the aftermath of a deadly alien invasion, a band of survivors fights on…
In a world gone to hell, Elle Milton—once the darling of the Sydney social scene—has carved a role for herself as the communications officer for the toughest commando team fighting for humanity’s survival—Hell Squad. It’s her chance to make a difference and make up for horrible past mistakes…despite the fact that its battle-hardened commander never wanted her on his team.
When Hell Squad is tasked with destroying a strategic alien facility, Elle knows they need her skills in the field. But first she must go head to head with Marcus Steele and convince him she won’t be a liability.
Marcus Steele is a warrior through and through. He fights to protect the innocent and give the human race a chance to survive. And that includes the beautiful, gutsy Elle who twists him up inside with a single look. The last thing he wants is to take her into a warzone, but soon they are thrown together battling both the alien invaders and their overwhelming attraction. And Marcus will learn just how much he’ll sacrifice to keep her safe.
Hell Squad
Marcus
Cruz
Gabe
Reed
Roth
Noah
Shaw
Holmes
Niko
Finn
Devlin
Also by Anna Hackett
Treasure Hunter Security
Undiscovered
Uncharted
Unexplored
Unfathomed
Galactic Gladiators
Gladiator
Warrior
Hero
Protector
Hell Squad
Marcus
Cruz
Gabe
Reed
Roth
Noah
Shaw
Holmes
Niko
Finn
Devlin
The Anomaly Series
Time Thief
Mind Raider
Soul Stealer<
br />
Salvation
Anomaly Series Box Set
The Phoenix Adventures
Among Galactic Ruins
At Star’s End
In the Devil’s Nebula
On a Rogue Planet
Beneath a Trojan Moon
Beyond Galaxy’s Edge
On a Cyborg Planet
Return to Dark Earth
On a Barbarian World
Lost in Barbarian Space
Through Uncharted Space
Perma Series
Winter Fusion
The WindKeepers Series
Wind Kissed, Fire Bound
Taken by the South Wind
Tempting the West Wind
Defying the North Wind
Claiming the East Wind
Standalone Titles
Savage Dragon
Hunter’s Surrender
One Night with the Wolf
Anthologies
A Galactic Holiday
Moonlight (UK only)
Vampire Hunter (UK only)
Awakening the Dragon (UK Only)
For more information visit AnnaHackettBooks.com
About the Author
I’m a USA Today bestselling author and I’m passionate about action romance. I love stories that combine the thrill of falling in love with the excitement of action, danger and adventure. I’m a sucker for that moment when the team is walking in slow motion, shoulder-to-shoulder heading off into battle. I write about people overcoming unbeatable odds and achieving seemingly impossible goals. I like to believe it’s possible for all of us to do the same.
My books are mixture of action, adventure and sexy romance and they’re recommended for anyone who enjoys fast-paced stories where the boy wins the girl at the end (or sometimes the girl wins the boy!)
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