How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days (The Embraced #1)

The ship lurched suddenly to the right, causing Brigitta and Maeve to fall against the padded wall of the window seat. The oranges rolled off the sideboard and plummeted to the wooden floor. Empty goblets fell onto the floor with a series of loud clunks.

Sorcha grabbed onto the table. “What was that?”

Loud shouts and the pounding of feet sounded on the deck overhead.

“Something is amiss,” Gwennore said as she gazed up at the ceiling. “They’re running about.”

Maeve peered out the window. “I believe we made a sudden turn to the south.”

“That would put us off course,” Gwennore murmured.

The door slammed open, and they jumped in their seats.

Mother Ginessa gave them a stern look, while behind her, Sister Fallyn pressed the tips of her fingers against her thumbs, forming two small circles to represent the twin moons.

“May the goddesses protect us,” Sister Fallyn whispered.

“Stay here,” Mother Ginessa ordered, then shut the door.

“What the hell was that?” Sorcha muttered.

A pounding sound reverberated throughout the entire ship. Thump … thump … thump.

“Drums.” Gwennore rose to her feet. “The sailors beat them to set the pace. They must be using the oars.”

“Why?” Sorcha asked. “Is something wrong with the sails?”

Gwennore shrugged. “I suppose we need to go faster. Perhaps we’re trying to outrun another ship, but there’s no way to know unless we go up on deck.”

Sorcha slapped the tabletop with her hand. “Why do we have to stay here? I hate being in the dark.”

Brigitta clenched her fists, gathering handfuls of her skirt in her hands. The prediction was coming true, she knew it. Her stomach roiled again, and her heart thudded loud in her ears, keeping time with the drums.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The drums pounded faster.

Beads of sweat dotted her brow, and she rubbed her aching stomach as she rose shakily to her feet. “The fate of the Telling Stones has begun.”

“Don’t say that.” Gwennore shook her head. “Ye cannot be sure.”

“I am sure!” Brigitta cried. She’d had eight months to consider this fate. Eight months to prepare herself. “’Tis happening now. And I will not remain hidden in this room, meekly accepting a future I do not want. I’m going on deck to face this.”





Praise for Kerrelyn Sparks

“A deeply satisfying, delightfully swoon-inducing close … a rich romance full of vulnerability and tenderness.”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Sparks skillfully infuses her writing with a deliciously sharp wit.”

—Booklist

“Sparks’s writing is so stellar that there’s no dearth of great character development and excellent storytelling. Another winner for Sparks!”

—RT Book Reviews

“Kerrelyn Sparks is a master storyteller and a superior world builder.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Perfectly written and totally unique in the plot, characters, and ever-present humor.”

—Night Owl Reviews (Top Pick!) “An absolute delight!”

—Lynsay Sands, USA Today bestselling author “Mixing paranormal romance with humor, Sparks clearly has a style all her own, one that readers love.”

—USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog





About the Author

Kerrelyn Sparks apparently has issues with reality. After writing sixteen books about vampires and shifters, she has now completely gone off the deep end and wound up on another planet. But how thrilling that she can share this new world with her readers! Although she is best known (so far) for the Love at Stake series, which has hit as high as number 5 on the New York Times list and 22 on the USA Today list, she hopes her readers will love The Embraced as much as they did her merry band of vamps and shifters. To learn more about her paranormal, historical, and new out-of-this-world fantasy romances, please visit Kerrelyn on Facebook, Twitter, or her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com. Or sign up for email updates here.