Destiny: The Sentinel Agency, #1

By Laurel Richards

Undercover operatives have discovered Delfina has the power of foresight, and they want to capture and use her. Accompanied by her emotional support animal, Delfina uses her ability to stay ahead of her pursuers. The one thing she doesn't foresee is Rave. The Imperian male claims she's his genetic match, but he has so many aliases that she's not sure if he's the good guy or the bad. Attraction ignites as they are thrown together by mysterious government agents, a wildlife trafficking syndicate, and a covert agency that recruits people with unique talents. Secrets, passion, and intrigue collide in this sci-fi romance.

 

Content: m/f romance, love scenes, fight scenes

• Language: English
• Publisher: Laurel Richards
• Release date: Jan 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201955564

Book preview

Table of Contents

Copyright

Title

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

About the Author

Destiny

Copyright © January 2022 by Laurel Richards

Cover design by Laurel Richards

Images used under license from Shutterstock.com. Licensed images are being used for illustrative purposes only, and any person depicted on the cover is a model.

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All rights reserved. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. This copy is intended for the original purchaser only. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, resold, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except in the case of a reviewer, who may quote brief passages embodied in critical articles or in a review. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient.

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

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Blurb

Undercover operatives have discovered Delfina has the power of foresight, and they want to capture and use her. Accompanied by her emotional support animal, Delfina uses her ability to stay ahead of her pursuers. The one thing she doesn’t foresee is Rave. The Imperian male claims she’s his genetic match, but he has so many aliases that she’s not sure if he’s the good guy or the bad. Attraction ignites as they are thrown together by mysterious government agents, a wildlife trafficking syndicate, and a covert agency that recruits people with unique talents. Secrets, passion, and intrigue collide in this sci-fi romance.

Content: m/f romance, love scenes, fight scenes

Destiny

(The Sentinel Agency Book 1)

by

Laurel Richards

Chapter 1

Delfina Perry walked along the strip of stores inside Terminus Air and Space Port. She was window-shopping—killing time before her flight off the planet—when she suddenly had a flash of foresight. She saw that an armed man and woman were going to take her into custody. The pair would have government identification, though she wasn’t sure if the IDs were real or fake. Once they detained her, there was a four in five chance they’d relocate her to an undisclosed location.

That was all Delfina knew. Although she was tempted to look deeper into the future to learn more details, she didn’t dare. Use of her ability left her temporarily nearsighted. The further ahead she foresaw, the worse her eyesight became. At the moment, going blind in this bustling spaceport would leave her far too vulnerable. These two agents must have tracked her ticket purchase, because the most probable future involved her being captured at or near her departure gate.

It looks like we won’t make our flight after all, she told Bulu.

Her furry friend squeaked from her perch atop Delfina’s shoulder. The Dunian berlalu had huge magenta eyes, tiny ears, and the flat body of a flying squirrel. Her pelt currently mimicked the ombre effect of Delfina’s brown and blonde hair. At less than a kilogram, Bulu’s weight barely registered, though her soft warmth was comforting.

I’m sorry, sweetie. I thought your new certification as a service animal meant no more sneaking around, but you’ll need a disguise. We can’t afford to stick out. Delfina pointed at the nearest shop window. How about that clutch purse over there?

Bulu grunted, clearly unimpressed by the simple black pocketbook. A moment later, she shifted the chromatophores beneath her clear fur so that she resembled the blue-and-pink embroidered handbag off to the right.

You’re such a fashionista. Delfina reached up so that Bulu could grab her hand with all four paws.

The berlalu’s flat toes almost formed suction cups, and she was used to hanging upside down and using her body like a hammock to sleep. In this position and decked out in designer camouflage, Bulu looked almost exactly like the purse in the window.

Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone you’re a knockoff. Delfina started walking, trying to look casual and blend into the crowd.

Another flash of foresight made her wince. Now that she was not going to show up at her gate, the probable future had her pursuers searching the whole spaceport for her. With their credentials, they could gain access anywhere they wanted, including the security office. She didn’t have much time.

Delfina headed for the nearest exit, with half her attention on the plans of the pair stalking her. She didn’t notice the man who stepped into her path until she collided with his hard body and bounced off. He steadied her with one hand under her elbow.

Sorry, she said. I didn’t see you.

Now that she did see him, though, she did a double take. High cheekbones, a chiseled jaw, and intense violet eyes made for a sexy package. The man’s hair was dark and thick, and he wore it in a short, no-nonsense style. They locked gazes, and his expression turned unreadable except for a slight parting of his lips. Delfina’s mind went completely blank, which almost never happened.

Then he firmed that intriguing mouth of his, along with his grip on her arm. Going somewhere, Miss Perry?

Her breath locked in her throat. Had she miscalculated? Was there a three-person team after her?

He finally let go in order to flash a badge. Ray Thorne, CPPA. You need to come with me. I have some questions.

She checked the immediate future and verified he was not with the other couple. In fact, he appeared to be working alone. That was interesting.

Questions about what?

He glanced down at Bulu. Your unusual handbag.

That’s mine, she assured him. I didn’t shoplift it or anything.

I’m not store security. The CPPA is the Coalition for the Protection and Preservation of Animals. I’m a wildlife officer. I need to talk to you about this animal.

Your cover is blown, she told Bulu.

She placed her little friend back on her shoulder, where the berlalu changed colors to tan with white spots.

Delfina focused on the man in front of her. I assure you she’s had all her checkups and has been fully vaccinated. You don’t have to worry about possible health problems or abuse.

I’m glad to hear it, he told her. However, you are not a licensed wildlife specialist. You can’t legally have possession of this animal

Yes, I can. She tried to tamp down her frustration, though it wasn’t easy. "I’ve been through this before and prefer to skip the handcuffs this time. I have all the proper paperwork to show that Bulu is my service animal. The corrected paperwork. I told that idiot who filled out the registration the first time, but the lazy man insisted on selecting a species from the drop-down menu on his screen."

Officer Thorne looked unsympathetic. Gubatan sweet gliders are highly endangered. No private person can have one, whether you call it a service animal or not.

This time she didn’t withhold a huff. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. She’s not a sweet glider. She’s also not a flying squirrel or a Skiddel lemur or whatever the hell a Terran kinkajou is. Those poor animals should be left alone in the wild, not turned into pets for human amusement. I have the DNA report to prove that Bulu is a Dunian berlalu.

Berlalu? He repeated the word uncertainly.

A Dunian berlalu, also known as a gliding cloak, she explained slowly. They’re the only flying primates that can change color. They are not to be confused with Gubatan sweet gliders or any of the Terran flying mammals. The berlalus have gotten so good at evading predators that they’ve grossly overpopulated their home forests. They are very social, but their troops are also territorial. They’re running out of room and resources, so the clever critters have decided to self-domesticate. Bulu here chose me while I was visiting Dunia—not the other way around. If anything, I’m her pet.

And they’re legal? he asked.

She scowled at him. Shouldn’t you, as a wildlife officer, know that?

I haven’t been on the job that long, he replied. This is my first encounter with the species.

Uh-huh. Although his excuse sounded plausible, she was suspicious. The berlalu is entirely legal, overabundant, and has the choice of joining humans or not. I do worry about the stress of different environments and giving her a proper diet, which is why I keep having her health checked. Frankly, I’m far more stressed about traveling than she is. That’s why I listed her as my service animal. She helps calm me down and can get my attention if I space out.

Perhaps sensing her rising stress level, Bulu pushed up on her front legs to give the officer a crackling hiss.

His lips twitched, drawing Delfina’s attention to them once again. Are you sure she’s not your guard dog?

Don’t underestimate her, she warned him. If you try to hurt me, she’ll pee on your face and scratch your corneas.

"Lucky for me, I’m not here to hurt you, amidra. I admire her ferocity...and yours."

His response surprised her, when she was so rarely surprised. Officer Thorne, if there—

Call me Ray, he interrupted.