Iriduan Test Subjects Series by Susan Trombley

This is a full-length, science-fiction, alien abduction romance that was previously released as part of a two-book collection introducing the first books in two series. Each book is now being released separately. This revised edition of The Scorpion's Mate has some small changes from the original. Claire has never really fit in with everyone around her, but she's carved out a life for herself using her own unique style and artistic ability to support herself on the Internet... moreThis is a full-length, science-fiction, alien abduction romance that was previously released as part of a two-book collection introducing the first books in two series. Each book is now being released separately. This revised edition of The Scorpion's Mate has some small changes from the original. Claire has never really fit in with everyone around her, but she's carved out a life for herself using her own unique style and artistic ability to support herself on the Internet. The last thing she expects is to be abducted by aliens and dropped into a research facility, where a genetically-engineered alien soldier chooses her as his life-mate. Thrax’s pheromones are compelling, and his status as a fellow unwilling test subject makes them allies, but Claire isn't certain she can trust someone who is convinced she belongs to him, when all she wants to do is find a way to return home to Earth - a place that her devoted alien can never follow, because there’s no way the scorpion-like alien would ever be able to pass for human. Still, she’ll accept help where she can find it, so she doesn't hesitate to escape with Thrax from the facility, though their time running from their pursuers in the warrens beneath the research facility will forever change Claire, and could make it impossible for her to return to Earth. But will there be anywhere else in the galaxy they can go where their love will be accepted? Author's Note: 18+ only, this book contains scenes of graphic intimacy and violence that are not intended for younger readers. Also, please note that the hero in this book is not human-looking and possesses an appearance and attributes that may not be comfortable for some readers to read about. less

The sequel to The Scorpion's Mate... A desperate escape from a prison cell inside an alien research facility leaves Joanie in the clutches of an alien with a handsome face, a great body, and tentacles that could have come out of a horror movie. Her life back on Earth is a mess, but nowhere near as complicated as her new situation becomes when the alien test subject named Nemon decides that she's his mate... moreThe sequel to The Scorpion's Mate... A desperate escape from a prison cell inside an alien research facility leaves Joanie in the clutches of an alien with a handsome face, a great body, and tentacles that could have come out of a horror movie. Her life back on Earth is a mess, but nowhere near as complicated as her new situation becomes when the alien test subject named Nemon decides that she's his mate. Nemon knows that Joanie is the mate he's hoping for as soon as Thrax hands her to him, but he can also see that she's frightened and traumatized. He must win a battle against his own body - which has a mind of its own--to maintain control, so he can win her trust and avoid frightening her further. His newfound friends warn him that Joanie will need time to accept him, and Nemon is willing to wait, but they all may have underestimated Joanie. They have escaped their fate as Iriduan test subjects, but Nemon and Joanie can't escape the legacy left behind by their captors. A legacy that brings them together - a legacy that also threatens to tear them apart. Author's Note: 18+ This book contains explicit scenes unsuitable for younger readers. less

When Cass is abducted by aliens and sold to an alien pirate queen who collects female slaves to harvest their pheromones, her first experience with extra-terrestrials quickly turns from surreal into a nightmare, which only grows more terrifying when an alien with a snake-like lower body and a surprisingly handsome face comes to her rescue. But Cass isn't sure she's actually safe with him, because he looks at her with hunger in his eyes... moreWhen Cass is abducted by aliens and sold to an alien pirate queen who collects female slaves to harvest their pheromones, her first experience with extra-terrestrials quickly turns from surreal into a nightmare, which only grows more terrifying when an alien with a snake-like lower body and a surprisingly handsome face comes to her rescue. But Cass isn't sure she's actually safe with him, because he looks at her with hunger in his eyes. Nahash has always been a loyal, honourable Iriduan soldier. After distinguishing himself above his peers, the genetically-enhanced warrior volunteered for an experimental program to create a hybrid with powerful psionic abilities, using DNA taken from a giant serpent that decimated one of their outer colonies. Though his body changed into a form beyond the scientists' expectations, his mind became a weapon that could alter the very course of Iriduan civilization, perhaps even saving it from its inevitable ruin. After such drastic alterations to his biology, scientists told him he was free from the affliction that caused Iriduan males to imprint on a single female, bonding him to her for life. The last thing he expects is to bond instantly to a human female he rescues during a raid on a pirate colony. Now, he's stuck with her, because if he isn't exposed to his mate's scent on a regular basis, he will die. The fact that his body craves her as much as it needs her fills him with resentment, but when he realizes that the Iriduan Empire will do anything to keep her under their control because of what she means to him, he doesn't hesitate to protect his mate - even if it means betraying his people. The rogue test subject and the abducted human make a desperate escape from the Iriduan Empire, but the galaxy proves to be a dangerous place and there are worse things than the Iriduans waiting in the darkness of space. With no one to rely on except for each other, Nahash and Cass might not live long enough to find a home where they can settle down and explore the love that grows between them - love that takes them beyond their physical bond. Author's Note: 18+ Contains steamy scenes between a human heroine and a very alien hero. less

Five years ago, I was abducted by aliens…. After a harrowing escape from an alien research facility, I found myself in the care and protection of an alien species called the Akrellians, but I didn't trust my instantaneous attraction to the commander of the ship. After all, I had no idea what the evil Iriduans had done to me, so I didn't know if my feelings were even my own or something they had caused. He was reptilian and had deadly quills... moreFive years ago, I was abducted by aliens…. After a harrowing escape from an alien research facility, I found myself in the care and protection of an alien species called the Akrellians, but I didn't trust my instantaneous attraction to the commander of the ship. After all, I had no idea what the evil Iriduans had done to me, so I didn't know if my feelings were even my own or something they had caused. He was reptilian and had deadly quills. How could a human possibly fall so fast for such an alien male? When I offered Prime Commander Tirel a temporary sexual liaison, hoping it would ease the need I felt for him, he rejected it and asked for something more permanent. I panicked! I couldn't escape him fast enough. Not because I feared him, but because of the temptation he offered - one that would require me to sacrifice everything I've ever known to stay with him. Now, after years apart, the strange bond that had formed between us upon our first meeting demands I return to him, and I realize that I can't continue to live my life without him. The only problem - I'm stuck on Earth, and I don't know how to find him again. Until an unexpected visitor brings me the solution - and the terrifying news that I may have waited too long. Author's Note: 18 + Contains language and graphic scenes of intimacy and violence. less

Still haunted by nightmares about Hunter’s sacrifice to save the lives of her and her friends, the last alien Tarin expects to see on Akrellia is the Menops bounty hunter himself. She’s drawn to the dangerous male, despite his insectoid appearance, but chalks it up to their experiences together, unable to accept it might mean more—even as she decides never to let him out of her sight again.Hunter has spent his life searching for one thing and one thing only—a cure for imprinting... moreStill haunted by nightmares about Hunter’s sacrifice to save the lives of her and her friends, the last alien Tarin expects to see on Akrellia is the Menops bounty hunter himself. She’s drawn to the dangerous male, despite his insectoid appearance, but chalks it up to their experiences together, unable to accept it might mean more—even as she decides never to let him out of her sight again.Hunter has spent his life searching for one thing and one thing only—a cure for imprinting. To that end, he joined the traitorous Iriduan, Halian, in a devil’s bargain that has him deceiving Tarin and her friends, and he’s not comfortable with that deception—or with his growing concerns about Halian’s plans. When the execution of part of Halian’s plan isolates Hunter and Tarin on an unknown alien world, far from help, Hunter’s problems grow even more complicated. An unanticipated metamorphosis leaves his body completely changed—in a way that makes it impossible to ignore his growing feelings for Tarin. But secrets, lies, and a past he can’t change form a seemingly insurmountable obstacle between them. Hunter must prove he’s worthy of his queen and earn her forgiveness for his past mistakes, but the consequences of those mistakes have yet to fully manifest—and when they do, no one will be safe. less

As a captive of aliens, Paisley is forced to work as an engineering assistant on an ancient wrecker starship. She knows she has to keep her head down and her behavior humble in order to survive. When the crew responds to an automated distress call from an Akrellian warship that shouldn’t be malfunctioning, she senses a threat, but she knows no one will listen to her warnings... moreAs a captive of aliens, Paisley is forced to work as an engineering assistant on an ancient wrecker starship. She knows she has to keep her head down and her behavior humble in order to survive. When the crew responds to an automated distress call from an Akrellian warship that shouldn’t be malfunctioning, she senses a threat, but she knows no one will listen to her warnings. Paisley realizes that her days of avoiding danger are over when, among the rescued passengers, trouble with a capital “T” is escorted onto her ship—in chains for bringing an apocalypse to Earth that resulted in millions of deaths. Something about the prisoner makes it impossible for her to look away from him, and it isn’t just the fact that he’s the most handsome alien she’s ever seen. Yet, when he meets her eyes, there’s a darkness in his intense gaze that makes her think his captors might be telling the truth about him, despite his claims of innocence. Caught between two greedy groups seeking wealth and power, Paisley soon discovers that far more lies behind the mystery surrounding the Iriduan prisoner they call Halian. He might be stealing her heart, but she can’t keep him in chains, because he could be the key to saving the galaxy—or destroying it. This isn't a light read, featuring a sweet-from-the-start hero. The main male character has villainous facets to him that do not immediately soften in this slower-burn romance. The journey to love will be very rough at times. If you're in the mood for a complex villain seeking redemption through love, a plucky, intelligent heroine willing to risk it all, and a story packed with action and romance that finally blows the doors off the galactic mystery that has lurked beneath the surface of the Iriduan Test Subjects series, then this book is for you. less

A former elite Iriduan soldier, Shulgi lives with many regrets...He’s determined to redeem himself by curing the mate imprinting affliction that affects Iriduan males. Unfortunately, the necessity for secrecy makes it difficult to spread the cure to those males in need of it most. He must hide his clinic in the corrupt, criminal city of Za'Kluth, a pirate and slaver hideout on a lava world clinging to the very edge of the CivilRim... moreA former elite Iriduan soldier, Shulgi lives with many regrets...He’s determined to redeem himself by curing the mate imprinting affliction that affects Iriduan males. Unfortunately, the necessity for secrecy makes it difficult to spread the cure to those males in need of it most. He must hide his clinic in the corrupt, criminal city of Za'Kluth, a pirate and slaver hideout on a lava world clinging to the very edge of the CivilRim.When cargo he’s expecting is delivered to the wrong dock, bringing him into contact with a beautiful human slave named Molly, things get even more complicated. Her delicate appearance and incomparable grace impress him, but the attraction Shulgi feels towards the “dyed flower” of a notorious gang boss stems from something much deeper.He was cured of the mating affliction, but his desire for Molly cannot be denied. Knowing that she suffers in the clutches of a monster, he must seek and destroy her foul master and free her from her bonds—even if it means risking his own important mission.****Molly has a dangerous secret—a subterfuge so bold and risky that she can’t allow anyone outside of her trusted circle to get too close to her, lest it be uncovered. When Shulgi is lured into her underworld to reclaim his property, he threatens her aloof façade. She didn’t count on her reaction to the handsome Iriduan male, nor how she would come to crave him more than her next breath.The plan was simple, the potential payoff big enough to take the risk, but her intense feelings for Shulgi cast her carefully constructed life into turmoil. Her feelings for him risk everything she has worked so hard to build, but she can’t bring herself to deny the promise of a love that would be worth any sacrifice.Shulgi is determined to free Molly from her bonds, and Molly is desperate to protect her secret, even as she loses her heart.Their love threatens to destroy them both, but neither of them can ignore it.When tragedy strikes, will they survive the fallout—and can their love possibly endure the truth? less

The Iriduans never gave up their plans for the deadly scorpion warrior, Thrax, and since they couldn’t recapture him, they did the next best thing.They cloned him.They improved upon their initial design. They made their new warrior stronger, faster, more prescient—and they cured him of the imprinting affliction.Or so they thought….***Rhonda:After my husband dumped me for a younger woman, I felt certain I’d hit rock bottom... moreThe Iriduans never gave up their plans for the deadly scorpion warrior, Thrax, and since they couldn’t recapture him, they did the next best thing.They cloned him.They improved upon their initial design. They made their new warrior stronger, faster, more prescient—and they cured him of the imprinting affliction.Or so they thought….***Rhonda:After my husband dumped me for a younger woman, I felt certain I’d hit rock bottom. A word of advice… never jump to that conclusion, because the hole can always get deeper.Especially when you can’t seem to stop digging.When an inhumanly handsome man chatted me up at the hardware store, I sensed he was too good to be true, but I was adventurous enough to agree to a date. I felt far less adventurous after I woke up in a mysterious maze to realize that I’d been abducted by evil aliens.Then I learned that I wasn’t the lab rat in that maze.I was the cheese!Fortunately, the monster hunting me wasn’t interested in making me into a meal. Even though he walks on two legs like a man, he has a sting that can kill a woman in an instant—or leave her begging for his touch. For some reason, he chose the latter and left me aching for more, feeling wild about him in a way I’d never experienced before.His reaction to me confused my alien captors and left their leader determined to unravel the mystery of his test subject’s interest in me, while I’m determined to drive the arrogant Iriduan scientist crazy, even as I vow to find a way to escape the research facility with my new scorpion man in tow.Perhaps the mysterious green Iriduan captive in the cage next to me can help me with that—even though he sometimes gets this cold, emotionless look in his eyes that makes me think he’s the biggest threat of all.I left Earth minus one human man and ended up with three alien males who might be too much for me to handle, but I’ll have a lot of fun trying—if we don’t all end up dead. less