Heat Strokes (Multi Author)

Heat Strokes (Box Set)
Second Edition
The Changelings (Multi-Author)
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Copyright ©2020 The Changelings
Excerpt from Mirage (Kate Hill)

Ice.

Emilee sighed deeply. What she wouldn’t give right now for one of those long, flavored Taurothish ice sticks -- or even a damn ice cube. Anything to provide relief from this unbearable heat.

She opened her eyes and continued walking. Over the painfully hot miles, her pace slowed until she could scarcely put one foot in front of the other. Finally she reached the top of the dune and her heart skipped a beat.

It was impossible, but there it was. Dropped in the middle of the pale sand was an oasis so green, so beautiful, so --

“Not real,” she murmured through cracked lips. “But at this point I don’t give a fuck.”

She picked up speed and stumbled, rolling partway down the sand dune. Grunting, she pushed herself to her feet. The oasis was farther away than she’d thought, so far that she truly believed it was an illusion until she felt the wonderful shade from the leafy trees and the sensation of fertile ground beneath her feet.

“Thank you,” she breathed, staggering onward in search of the water that made this beautiful haven possible.

She wandered through the trees and gave a hoarse laugh at the sight of a freshwater pool. Somehow this gave her the strength to run toward it. She dropped to the ground and plunged her face into the pool, relishing the cool water on her lips. After quenching her thirst, she stripped off her clothes and waded into the water. She sank beneath the surface and swam for as long as she could hold her breath. It felt almost too wonderful for words -- so wet, cool and soothing.

Finally she broke the surface. Laughing with pure joy, she brushed soaked tendrils of hair from her face and stood waist-deep in the water. It was so unbelievable that she was uncertain if this magnificent oasis wasn’t an illusion after all.

Then she turned and saw him standing on a tall rock overlooking the water.

Blinking, she said, “He’s got to be a mirage.”

She couldn’t keep her eyes off the absolutely gorgeous human male. Shirtless and barefoot, he wore nothing but tight black shorts that left most of his incredibly long, sleekly-muscled legs bare. He was tall with broad shoulders and a lean torso, his muscles well-defined but not bulky -- exactly what she liked. His wavy reddish hair hung slightly past his ears and an even redder beard covered his strong jawline.

This had to be a dream created by her dying mind. It was too much of a coincidence that in the middle of this barren planet she would stumble upon an oasis and a man who looked like he’d stepped out of her hottest fantasy.