Free HeartbeatofSilence by Viola Grace

of all she surveyed, and she currently had nine Citadel members on assignments with the Sector Guard, three off on recruitment and the remainder were here at home. Her family was coming to visit, and the Citadel had every spare midwife and midwifery student posted at Balen with the fifteen pregnant women preparing to bring their new ones into the world.
    It was going to be the first Citadel with a crèche. Zenina-Balen was delighted. New citizens brought life and created a stable base for the resurfaced world. Balen liked babies, he was trying to convince his Avatar to give in and have one. Rolland-Saru was on Balen’s side and with a crèche at the Citadel, she would have unlimited childcare if she needed it.
    Balen was alive and hopping. Shuttles came and went. Station 13 continued to send experiments to the base that required a natural atmosphere.
    Veera reached out and touched Stanik’s mind with hers, amazed that after so much time craving silence, she found herself revelling in everything but.
    He touched her thoughts and drew a bubble around them. They sat in the privacy of their link with dozens of folk around them. He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to the interior of her wrist. The images he sent to her mind revolved around her wide desk, and she shivered lightly as the images got very detailed.
    Saga snorted and said, “I will bring Fixit and the little ones up later. You look like you could use a…nap.”
    Veera got to her feet and grabbed Stanik as he shifted to his beast form and ran up the steps to her office. She had work on her agenda for the afternoon, but it could wait for an hour…maybe two.
    She was just hoping that this time they didn’t turn on the com again.
     
     
     
     

Author’s Note
     
     
    Veera and Stanik appeared in Mauled by Destiny . The Lyrans are an interesting species, and eventually, we are going to see them in their home location.
    I am not sure when. I am never sure when. Each book calls out for a new environment, and if my cover artist would stop making interesting covers for me, I am sure that I would settle down into a nice, repetitive location.
    For those who are curious, Gift of Wyora , was the first example of Wyoran links. Wyt and Wild was the first sighting of Relay and Effin.
     
    Well, Ice Runner is next up, and it speaks to me personally. It has been a long, cold winter, and I am more than ready to spend some time someplace warm.
     
    Thanks for reading. (And I do mean that, even if you hate the book. Neener.)
     
    Viola Grace
     
    http://www.violagrace.com
    [email protected]
     
     
     

About the Author
     
     
    Viola Grace was born in Manitoba, Canada where she still resides today. She really likes it there.
    She has no pets and can barely keep sea monkeys alive for a reasonable amount of time.
    In keeping with busy hands are happy hands, her hobbies have included cross-stitch, needlepoint, quilting, costuming, cake decorating, baking, cooking, metal work, beading, sculpting, painting, doll making, henna tattoos, chain mail, and a few others that have been forgotten. It is quite often that these hobbies make their way into her tales.
    Viola’s fetishes include boots and corsetry, her greatest weakness and strength is her evil sense of humour.
    Her writing actively pursues the Happily Ever
    After that so rarely occurs in nature. It is an admirable thing and something that we should all strive for. To find one that we truly like, as well as love.