One Moment of Change: The Drath Series, #9

By Meyari McFarland

Alex shuffled his feet as he waited in line. His back ached. Stupid how much his back ached.

Fleeing Melin to escape Yong's abuse was desperate. But what choice did he have?

It was Yong and rape or leave everything he knew behind.

Better to change everything. At least going to the far side of human space gave him a chance freedom.

No matter how slim the chance, it was worth trying to escape.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Meyari McFarland
• Release date: Jan 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386147961

Meyari McFarland

Meyari McFarland has been telling stories since she was a small child. Her stories range from SF and Fantasy adventures to Romances but they always feature strong characters who do what they think is right no matter what gets in their way. Her series range from Space Opera Romance in the Drath series to Epic Fantasy in the Mages of Tindiere world. Other series include Matriarchies of Muirin, the Clockwork Rift Steampunk mysteries, and the Tales of Unification urban fantasy stories, plus many more. You can find all of her work on MDR Publishing's website at www.MDR-Publishing.com.

Book preview

One Moment of Change

One Moment of Change

A Drath Romance Short Story

Meyari McFarland

MDR Publishing

Contents

One Moment of Change

Other Romance Books by Meyari McFarland:

Author's Note: Stranded With You

1. Comms Down

2. Stolen Room

Afterword

Author Bio

Other Romance Books by Meyari McFarland:

Matriarchies of Muirin:

Coming Together

Fitting In

Following the Beacon

The Solace of Her Clan

The Manor Verse:

A New Path

Following the Trail

Crafting Home

Finding a Way

Go Between

Like Arrows of Fate

The Drath Verse

Clash of Lines

Joining of Lines

Consort of the Crystal Palace

Fragments of a Chain

Stranded With You

Reunited Hearts

You can find these and many other books at www.MDR_Publishing.com. Sign up for our newsletter there and get updates on the latest releases plus a free book!

Copyright ©2016 by Mary Raichle

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Cover image

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This book is also available in TPB format from all major retailers.

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This story is dedicated to my husband for all his love and support, always my savior.

One Moment of Change

Alex shuffled his feet as he waited in line. His back ached. Stupid how much his back ached. No, stupid that he'd allowed himself to be bruised that way. He should have known that Yong wouldn't take no for an answer. Yong had never taken no from anyone from the time they were toddlers. The great Yong Tesar, genius artist and musician, most certainly didn't take no from someone so insignificant as Alex Novak, mere clerk, even if they had known each other forever .

Which, of course, was why Alex was waiting in line to get on a Ceelen space liner so that he could move to an entirely different solar system. One on the exact opposite side of the human sphere from home. Melin. Hexal City. He'd spent his entire life in the suburbs of Hexal City, looking out at the golden sand dunes and rocky cliffs of the gorge. Everything that he was, everything that he'd ever learned, was tied into this place. These people.

And now he was leaving them behind.

It felt good, if only his back didn't hurt quite so much. The many bruises he'd seen in the mirror this morning had told him that he couldn't delay. He'd given his apartment to his sister, twice as big as he was and a bodyguard so she'd be able to deal with Yong's dramatics. Taken his clothes, his little collection of sand-glass figurines bought at a lifetime's worth of corner markets, and gone straight to the spaceport.

At least he had the money to do this. For a while there the banks had locked people out, prevented runs on their money, after the interstellar comms fell. Alex hadn't gone in to try to get his money. He'd waited and taken his pay in cash since his employer, a big manufacturer of food tablets, could get money from the banks unlike ordinary people. Now, six months later, the Drath comm system was up and,