I sigh as I look at my reflection in the lake, my limp horn hanging loose against the left side of my face like a spiral forelock. None of the other unicorns want to bump cloud puffs with me, and for good reason. Horns are a turn-on among our kind. The bigger, the sparklier, the more colorful your horn, the better. Unfortunately for me, I’m the only one I’ve ever seen with a flaccid, floppy horn. Unicorns are some of the kindest creatures you’ll ever meet, so it’s not like the others are mean to me, but the pity in their faces still hurts.
I close my eyes and wish on every holy cake pop that I could fix whatever is wrong with me. I have so much love to give, so much joy. If someone could just look past my weakness, they’d see how kind I am. I would give everything to make a mate happy, even if my horn never shows what I feel in my heart. My gratitude would outshine its dull surface. My loyalty and dedication and love would stand more strong and solid than any horn ever could. If only someone would take a chance and see me.
Another deep sigh leaves my nostrils and stirs my reflection on the surface of the lake as I lie on the shore. My eyes drift closed and I’m nearly asleep when I hear a woman’s voice in the distance, and then a man’s.
“...as good a place as any,” the woman says, and I look to where the shoreline curves around and opens to a small, crescent-shaped beach. A stunning woman appears, as beautiful as an angel, her long, blonde hair tied back, one strand falling free from behind her ear as she bends down to lay a blanket on the beach. She sets down a cooler and kneels next to it as she begins pulling food from its depths.
“Are you sure we’ll be safe here?” the male voice asks. I gasp as a striking Lizardman comes into view, his dark scales shimmering with glittering gold that catches the sun. He places a hand on the woman’s shoulder and she smiles up at him from where she kneels. His eyes scan the distant shore of the lake, his tongue flicking to taste the air, his expression growing puzzled.
My heart races. I feel something stir within me, like a vibration.
“Yeah, why? Something wrong?” the woman asks. The Lizardman takes a step toward the beach and the woman’s movement slows until she stills, her gaze following after him. “Castro?..”
“I…I’m not sure…” His tongues darts out again as his gaze falls across the lake.
Flick flick. Flick flick.
My blood heats, singeing my veins as it all seems to travel toward my forehead.
“It smells like…vanilla. Like vanilla frosting.”
Flick flick.
I draw in a breath that catches in my lungs. I don’t even realize what’s happening until the woman speaks.
“Do you hear that? It sounds like…a music box.”
Their eyes both find mine where I’m crouched on the shore as my song grows louder, flowing across the water toward them.
Oh holy swizzle sticks.
My mating call seems to catch on a sudden breeze as I rise to my feet, the tinkling music dancing between me and this pair of strangers.
My horn stirs for the first time.
Maybe unicorns wishes do come true after all…
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to read Exterminatrix! Please consider leaving a review; not only will it help this spicy little novella to reach more readers, but it will add some sunshine to my day! Unless you hate it, which is also totally fair, just please… don’t tag me haha!
Please also feel free to reach out to me on social media! I LOVE to hear from readers and am always open to questions, screamy spam, tears (yum), and voice messages! I live for that shit.
Instagram:
@brynne_weaver
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Thank you so much to you, my amazing readers who take the time to read and share your enthusiasm and joy for reading every single day. I so appreciate your love and encouragement. Special thanks to Arley, Lin, Lina, Bella, Kerrie, Sil, Shani, Alexandra, Jessica, Nessa, Emma, Toyah, Kim, Laura, Nat, Natalie, Molly, Amy, Kelsey, Lindsay, Delina, Jess, Katelin, Veronika, Leigh, Ashley, Sabine, Tara, and last but never least, Alexa.
A huge thanks to my wonderful IRL bestie friends who always encourage my madness, and Exterminatrix was certainly no exception. Sanja, Mary, Lindsey - you are ride or die bitches and I loooooove you.
To my patient, lovely husband Daniel - don’t get any ideas about chin dicks. Or maybe do, I don’t even know anymore. Things might get real weird when Gumdrop comes along so maybe let’s just play it by ear. (Huh. I wasn’t planning an ear dick until exactly this moment. How weird is that?!)
My lovely son Hayden. Don’t ever read this. It gets worse with every one. But know your mommy loves you more than all the stars in the sky. Don’t ever give up on the person you want to be.
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ALSO BY BRYNNE WEAVER
Black Sheep
The Shadow Realm Series
A Shadow In The Reaping
A Heart Of Bitter Poison
A Queen Of Broken Realms (coming 2022)
The Diviner Series
The Diviner
The Elysian (coming soon)
The Resurrectionist (planned)
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brynne is a fan of velociraptors, the Alien movies (well, most of them), red wine, and wild adventures. She can relate nearly anything you say to a line from the movie Hot Fuzz. She has been trying unsuccessfully for years to convince her husband that they should acquire a pet mink to add to their menagerie of animals (what could possibly go wrong with that plan?!). Brynne has been everything from an archaeologist to a waitress, a deep-sea core analyst to an advertising account executive. For the last several years, she has been working in the field of neuroscience clinical research.
Brynne has been writing since childhood and has published a non-fiction book under her real name, but she won’t tell you what it is unless you provide a live, fully trained velociraptor. When not busy at her day job or writing, Brynne can be found working with her husband and their son on their family farm in Nova Scotia, Canada, or enjoying her other passions which include riding horses & motorcycles, reading, and spending time with family and friends around a raclette and a bottle of wine. Exterminatrix is her fifth novel.
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