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Category: Character Insights

Insights into characters and how they act or react.

A Stolen Heart - Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #SpaceOpera

A Stolen Heart - Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #SpaceOpera

In Luc's hoversine on the way to shop, he taught Senthys an important rule to protect him. Now that they've arrived, how well did the first-time-father get it across?

 

At the entrance, two women who were leaving both greeted the boy. One wiggled her fingers at the tyke, and each gave Luc an appreciative once over.

He'd grown used to that over the years, but this appraisal had a different impact.

More sweet than sensual.

Interesting. Women found a man attractive because he was with a child. How had he missed knowing that?

Inside, the store had a clean smell, like freshly pressed linen and well-oiled wood, with an undertone of vanilla.

Senthys drew in a lungful. "I want some cookies."

"It does smell like cookies in here, doesn't it?"

A selection of clothing displayed various sizes and colors of sportswear, casualwear, and in the back, a sign designated formalwear. Formalwear for kids? Did boys need tuxes?

Before Luc could investigate, Senthys tugged at his hand and pointed to a play area near the front of the store. "I wanna go see that."

"What was the rule?"

The boy stuck a finger into his mouth, rocking himself side to side. "Stay with you."

"That's right."

"If you go see it, I can see it." He tilted his head. "Please?"

Luc could find no fault in that logic, nor resist the appeal. "Since you asked politely. Let's go see."

Be sure to check out the other authors in this hop below.

Thieves' Guild Academy

Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #MMRomance #WriteLGBTQ

#SciFi #WriteLGBTQ #MMRomance
Read all my books for $3 total on Ream Stories

A Stolen Heart: When your king is immortal—and your ex—how do you guard your heart?

A Broken Heart: He's invisible, but he can't hide from the truth...

A Divided Heart: In a school filled with hackers and thieves, how do you trust your heart?

Thieves' Guild Academy Bundle 1 Honor above profit. Skill above chance. Family above all. #SciFi #MMRomance #WriteLGBTQ

Characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.


~ Copyright ©2024 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!


To experience art, sci-fi, romance, and space opera with unstoppable, unshakeable, unforgettable characters so real you'll swear you've met them, join me on Ream Stories!

A Broken Heart - Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #SpaceOpera

A Broken Heart - Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #SpaceOpera

In this scene, Senth has just gotten a password protected message from his father and is looking for a private place to hear it. Background - Senth is a professional thief and a student at the Thieves' Guild Academy.

Hacking the Storeroom

Folks in this town never referred to his father by name. You heard the capital letters when they called him the Man or the Harbinger. Luc Saint-Cyr was the daddy crime lord all the baby crime lords wanted to be like when they grew up.

"Ooh, big scary Man." Senth thumbed off the device. "Please let this be a job and not him finding out I hacked Planet Fun."

He crossed the street and entered the Miraj City Bakery Café. No crowd this early, though a group of professors shared drinks at one of the tables in the back. There were no undergraduate classes this week. Cloak distribution had overturned the beehive.

A clean smell of freshly brewed coffee pulled him deeper into the room.

The android on duty rolled up to him. "Welcome. How may I serve you?"

"Like to use your storeroom a minute." He flashed his father's hand sign. "Private business."

"Of course, sir." The droid offered a keycard.

"Oh, please. I've broken into that room so many times, I prolly owe you guys rent."

On the droid's nametag, a bar of yellow lights indicated confusion. "Pardon, sir?"

"It was a joke. Owing rent for--" Senth held up both hands. "Never mind. No key needed."

He followed the maze of corridors to the back. At the door, he pulled out his lockpick and adjusted the settings. When he pointed it at the lock, the device signaled a lockout error and the tiny screen flashed nonsense letters at him.

What in the worlds did probata mean?

He twisted the tip of the pick and floated the stats as a holovid. Probata Corporation. Wasn't that the system his prof in Premium Fingersmithing ranted about? Something about useless upgrades and pointless codes. What did she say about a bypass trick?

"Think, Senth. You sat there listening to the woman fume for two solid wasted hours."

Oh, no he hadn't.

No, that was the day Senth had flaked out of classes and spent a full day at Planet Fun with his mates. He'd recorded it instead. But had he transcribed it to his code book?

Of course not. And didn't that make this encounter so much more fun? He pinched the bridge of his nose, but his father always did that so Senth stopped it at once.

Why was a lock on a coffee shop's storeroom door harder than a security system at the planet's busiest amusement park? What were they storing in there? The Empress's private coffee stash?

Curiosity over the message from his far-from-patient father burned through his mental pockets. Wait. His father. Surely, he'd have the new codes.

Yes, and then he'd want to know why Senth didn't and no way was he explaining to dear old Dad how he hacked into Planet Fun for "a planetful of fun" instead of going to class.

That fortune Dad paid for Senth to attend classes at the guild academy? Yeah, wasted a full day of it to impress a few girls, which was why he was calling needing a bail out.

And no way was he going back to the droid, stand right in front of a table full of Guild professors, and do the Hey can I borrow your key thing.

Riiight.

Thieves' Guild Academy

Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #MMRomance #WriteLGBTQ

#SciFi #WriteLGBTQ #MMRomance
Read all my books for $3 total on Ream Stories

A Stolen Heart: When your king is immortal—and your ex—how do you guard your heart?

A Broken Heart: He's invisible, but he can't hide from the truth...

A Divided Heart: In a school filled with hackers and thieves, how do you trust your heart?

Thieves' Guild Academy Bundle 1 Honor above profit. Skill above chance. Family above all. #SciFi #MMRomance #WriteLGBTQ

Characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.


~ Copyright ©2024 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!


To experience art, sci-fi, romance, and space opera with unstoppable, unshakeable, unforgettable characters so real you'll swear you've met them, join me on Ream Stories!

A Broken Heart - Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #SpaceOpera

A Broken Heart - Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #SpaceOpera

The Thieves' Guild tech Senth is about to claim will make him invisible.

There's just one problem.

It can't hide him from the truth...

A Broken Heart

In this scene, Khyff is about to bolt for freedom when his client says one word that stops him cold.

As usual, Khyff's master hadn't allowed him to eat until he'd met his quota. First up: shower, clean clothes, food. Not necessarily in that order. He kept a few stale crackers hidden in his room for emergencies. He'd satisfied his last client, and was unscheduled the rest of the day. Or at least the next six hours.

Khyff bolted toward freedom.

"So you're an Antonello."

The way the client said it drew Khyff's attention. This particular client was one of the less odious. He didn't grab or cling, he was--thankfully--clean, and he tipped well. Still, the guy was paying for sex and Khyff had no choice. Being a pleasure slave meant you serviced the clients sent to you, or you suffered for it. In Khyff's case, refusing meant risking prison.

He would never go back there, no matter what they made him do here.

Khyff clenched his teeth and pasted on a smile. "Pardon?"

"Your last name." The guy continued getting dressed, seemingly in no hurry. "It's Antonello, right?"

"Why?"

"I never noticed before. It's right here on my receipt." He picked up his mobile and turned the screen toward Khyff. "I mean I've been here what... five times now?" He poked at the screen. "Whoa! Seven. Huh. I should have a free visit after three more."

Khyff choked back a retort. His master was giving away free visits with him? It would take hundreds of client visits to earn enough in his Freedom Savings Account so Khyff could buy himself. If his master was giving him away, it would take forever.

Khyff jerked open the door.

"You don't look like the other one."

Half a step into the hall, Khyff's heart stuttered. He made a slow pivot. "Other one?"

"The other Antonello. You look different."

The world went silent. Khyff came inside, shut the door and leaned against it. "So I'm sure I heard right. You know another Antonello."

"Yeah. I saw the name, and figured you had to be related. Antonello's not common. Not on Kelthia. I'm guessing you don't have much family here."

Good guess. More than three quarters of the world's population was black-skinned. Khyff had blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin.

Could this be a link to his missing mother? Did the client know her? Khyff fought the hope that rose within him. It had been how many years? No, he would not allow himself to hope. When you hoped, people could hurt you more.

Thieves' Guild Academy

Thieves' Guild Academy #SciFi #MMRomance #WriteLGBTQ

#SciFi #WriteLGBTQ #MMRomance
Read all my books for $3 total on Ream Stories

A Stolen Heart: When your king is immortal—and your ex—how do you guard your heart?

A Broken Heart: He's invisible, but he can't hide from the truth...

A Divided Heart: In a school filled with hackers and thieves, how do you trust your heart?

Thieves' Guild Academy Bundle 1 Honor above profit. Skill above chance. Family above all. #SciFi #MMRomance #WriteLGBTQ

Characters mentioned on this page might be found in multiple books in my story universe. Download a printable book list and check them off as you read.


~ Copyright ©2024 Kayelle Allen. All rights reserved ~ Kayelle Allen participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program which provides the means for sites to earn fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com. If you purchase an item listed on the site from Amazon.com, Kayelle will earn a small commission. Other sites might be affiliate links as well. These will not result in higher prices for you. Thank you for your support!


To experience art, sci-fi, romance, and space opera with unstoppable, unshakeable, unforgettable characters so real you'll swear you've met them, join me on Ream Stories!

When the World Unravels #BookHooks #scifi #romance A snippet from BroBookHooks is a blog hop where authors share only a small snippet of a story, an enticement to read more.

Today’s snippet is from Bro, the Story Behind the Antonello Brothers. Other books in the series include At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and For Women Only. Bro is free on this website. The other two are free on Kindle Unlimited.

Khyff Antonello is off work for the day and heading for a well-earned rest. When his client mentions he knows someone with the same last name as Khyff, it gets his attention. Then he hears the person is a HalfKin like the brother he thought was dead.

“No, never mind. He wouldn’t be related to you. I just remembered. He’s a HalfKin.”

Half-human, half-feline humanoid Kin.

All the air left the room. Khyff fought to drag in a breath. “What’s his name?”

“Seth, I think. No, Senth. Yeah, that’s it. Senth Antonello.”

The light grayed around the edges.

The guy took a step forward, concern on his face. “Hey, Khyff, you okay? You look a little pale.”

Hearing the name Senth Antonello catapulted Khyff back into the past. To the point in his life when his world had unraveled, torn itself apart and dumped him into hell. He hit the floor with a smack that stung his hands and knees and he crumpled.


Bro, the Story Behind the Antonello Brothers
When you can make yourself invisible, invisible truths are revealed.
Senth and Khyff, the Antonello Brothers from At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and For Women Only, did not grow up together. They were separated at Senth’s birth. Bro shows how and why, and what event reunited them.
Join the Romance Lives Forever Reader Group and get a free copy of Bro, the Story Behind the Antonello Brothers https://kayelleallen.com/bro plus three more books at the same time.

When you can make yourself invisible, invisible truths are revealed. Click To Tweet

At the Mercy of Her Pleasure
He’s a thief. She’s a soldier. Do opposites attract? Oh, mercy!
Amazon https://amzn.to/1f7FQ2h

For Women Only
His secret truth is her people’s darkest lie.
Amazon https://amzn.to/1f7Ge0P

Here are ten Luc Quotes. These “pearls of wisdom” come from the man referred to by many in the Tarthian Empire as the Harbinger. An alpha among alphas, the immortal Luc commands attention without being vain or flashy and he gains respect by his true concern for others. Cross him however, and there is no place in the universe to hide. Luc Saint-Cyr has been in all my Tarth books and is one of the heroes in my work in progress. I chose a few from each book. Other characters have stated they decided what to do after asking themselves, “What would Luc do?”

The book is listed in which the Luc quotes are found, then the occasion of the quote.

10 Memorable Luc Quotes #scifi #bookquote

Luc Quotes from At the Mercy of Her Pleasure

To Senth about NarrAy

“Listen to me, my young Deshai. Despite the romantic nonsense you’ve heard about Betters being extraordinary lovers, their kisses can poison you. If her saliva mixes with yours, she can control your mind. The touch of her hands will drive you insane. There are ancient myths about sirens, women who used their voices to lure men and then slay them. Betters aren’t mythical. They’re real. If she subjects you to her passion, you’ll be at the mercy of her pleasure forever.”

To Khyff, who had been falsely imprisoned

“Know the law?” The Harbinger stood, and then laughed, obviously enjoying himself. “Son, I’ve been breaking it for so many years, I know it better than any of those high-paid courtside braggarts. Besides, none of the lawyers I contacted had enough clout. I got you a judge who’ll be fair and impartial.”

To Khyff, who had delivered a coded message for him

“I can see why you were so popular at Stalkos’s place, Khyffen. You know when to shut up, and you don’t talk back.” The Harbinger made a wave of dismissal. “Fact is, my young Senthys is ready to take wing. He’s been scratching at the nest for months. Ever since you came into his life. The way he took on the task of seeing to your freedom…” He shook his head. “Senth has been impressed with you since the day you met. So have I.”

Luc Quotes from For Women Only

10 Memorable Luc Quotes #scifi #bookquote

To Khyff upon his refusing to accept a job

Saint-Cyr remained silent. With his all-black eyes, there was no telling where he looked. Finally, he nodded. “It won’t be easy finding another detail-oriented, by-the-book, stringent, weaned-on-pickle-juice hard-ass like you. But I’ll try.”

To Khyff about Senth

Saint-Cyr tossed himself back against the cushions of the car seat. “Do you suppose the woman who ordered him killed at birth knew she was his grandmother?”

To Khyff about two cops who refused to protect Luc’s son, Senth

“They’re ready for you.” Saint-Cyr motioned to him. While they walked, he explained the charges. “They’re holding her on two counts of murder by pheromones, violation of Better Laws, treason, harboring a criminal, and reckless endangerment of public officials. She was protecting Senth. She had to threaten to kill both cops that showed up before they’d call an ambulance for Senth, because he was a HalfKin.” He threw up his hands. “The fact that he’s my son should’ve sent them running for help.” His piercing black eyes narrowed. “They were both killed an hour ago. Line of duty, so they say.”

Luc Quotes from Wulf, Tales of the Chosen

To Wulf about an enemy Wulf tried to frighten off by being seen with Luc

“Four reasons.” He laid a hand next to the shot glass. “First, the concept of scaring off one bad guy with a bigger one rarely works. That brings us to the second, which assumes your agent will fear me. He may not. Although, unless he’s a fool, he should. Third, you didn’t simply ask for my help. Fourth, you assumed I would agree to being used.”

Luc Quotes from Alitus, Tales of the Chosen

To Empress Rheyn Destoiya about Wulf and Alitus sneaking off together

“The security tail I put on Wulf said he gave them the slip at an art gallery. He was seen walking through the place with a Better less than an hour ago. A Better who was accompanied by armed Praetorian. Unless you have Praetorian guarding anyone other than Alitus, that was him. Right now, neither of them is in sight and my goons can’t find him. What am I paying them for if they can’t keep him in sight for five minutes?”

Luc Quotes from Jawk, Tales of the Chosen

To Jawk upon his arrival at Luc’s home

“I’m pleased to finally meet you, Jawk.” The man’s voice had a deep timbre befitting his size. Tall as a Kin, taller than Jawk. Broad shoulders filled out his tux. Wulf had been elegance; Luc was power.

To Jawk who argues that Luc’s ship can’t possibly work

“Do you know what the word shibboleth means? It’s an ancient word to describe the way a culture speaks. ‘Physics laws are immutable’ is a NETway shibboleth. They are only immutable to those who lack the technology to change them.”

Want to know more about Luc, or about these books? You can read sample chapters from each one at the links below. Each opens to a page on this website.

At the Mercy of Her Pleasure
For Women Only
Wulf, Tales of the Chosen
Alitus, Tales of the Chosen
Jawk, Tales of the Chosen

There's a price for knowing his father's name #scifi #romanceIn this scene from For Women Only, Khyff has received a notereader (a tablet-type device) filled with information about his mother, who died when he was three. More info is available to him, including his father’s name, but at what price?


Khyff flung himself back in his chair. Every time he and his brother talked, they ended up arguing. He rubbed his eyes. The pleasant meal they’d started lay almost untouched and any appetite he’d had was gone.

It had taken seconds to read the all too short bio of their mother that his brother was perusing now.

Sileenya Antonello had run away from home on Trien at age ten and been arrested for theft at eleven. While still on probation, she’d disappeared at thirteen and been arrested at age fourteen for unlicensed prostitution. When her pregnancy test had come back positive, they’d placed her back on probation. She’d run away again and been fifteen when she’d given birth to Khyff.

Two years later she began living with an armada-enlisted man who transferred to Felidae, taking Sileenya and Khyff with him, but then he abandoned them. Her next boyfriend addicted her to drugs and prostituted her to newly recruited male Kin soldiers eager to spend their first pay to experience sex with a human female. When she became pregnant, he transferred off-planet, leaving them to fend for themselves.

An Elder of the Ruh clan found Sileenya huddled in an alley during a thunderstorm, holding the nearly lifeless Khyff in her arms. A scant month later, the Tzesar of the Kin ordered the halfbreed newborn destroyed, but the elder intervened and sold Senth to slavers to save his life.

Sileenya and Khyff had been cast into the streets.

Days later, she was dead by her own hand and Khyff was a slave. Senth ended up at an orphanage where he was later adopted by Luc Saint-Cyr.

Senth poked at the notereader’s buttons. “This thing is encrypted. What if the Empress knows who my father is? Don’t I have a right to know that? You have to talk to her. Find out what she wants. Maybe she’ll give you the key.”

“Destoiya’s not going to give me information without demanding a favor. I have nothing left to give that woman. She’s already taken way too much.”

“Khyff, that’s unfair. I need this. You can’t ice up and go all mental.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

His brother growled, a predatory cat sound that made the hair on Khyff’s neck stand up. He scrambled out of his chair and stepped back from the table.

“That”–Senth pointed a finger at him–“is what I mean. I do anything Kin-like and you freak. Get hold of yourself, Khyff. You’re falling apart. The brother I knew two years ago would’ve done whatever it took to find out who his father was. He would’ve helped me find mine.”

Khyff shoved his chair under the table and leaned over it. “Don’t lecture me about doing whatever it takes. If it wasn’t for me interceding with Destoiya, you’d be dead.”

“I’d be dead? I rescued you, in case you don’t remember.”

“NarrAy rescued me. You were unconscious. I carried you in my arms when we transported back aboard the ship. You had nothing to do with it.”

Senth stood. “If it hadn’t been for me, we wouldn’t have gotten in the palace and found you.”

“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have been a captive in the first place!” He stepped around the chair and set a hand on the corner of the table. “I got my freedom and the next day the Empress held me hostage to control you!”

He's a broken hero. She's a warrior. The love neither expected holds them captive in the middle #scifi #romance Click To Tweet

Fawni’s people destroyed Khyff’s family. To protect his only brother he accepts a mission that will remove her from power. After meeting the female warrior and discovering her noble heart, he begins to doubt his cause, his past and even his own memories.

There's a price for knowing his father's name #scifi #romance @kayelleallen Khyff’s secret truth could devastate her family and make her an outcast. She should shun this human, return to her own people and forget him. Yet how can she let him suffer in the darkness that binds his heart?

His secret truth is her people’s darkest lie.

For Women Only is a quick-reading sci fi romance with an edge. He’s a broken hero who hungers for revenge. She’s a warrior who thirsts for justice. The love neither expected holds them captive in the middle.

Publisher Romance Lives Forever Books https://bit.ly/bro-womenprint-kl
This book is free on Kindle Unlimited
Amazon https://amzn.to/1f7Ge0P
Print https://bit.ly/bro-womenprint-kl (print, authographed, shipping included)
The prequel for this book is At the Mercy of Her Pleasure.
Bro is a free short story set before this book opens. Get a copy here: https://kayelleallen.com/bro
Grab both At the Mercy of Her Pleasure and For Women Only plus a third book all in one boxed set.