SLADE I knew as soon as I saw her that she was MINE. It's called The Lightning Strike—the feeling a Brute gets when he finds his Fated Mate. I knew Aurora was my Fated Mate, but how could I get her? She's a Princess but worse, she's Untainted with pure human DNA—they don't want anything to do with my kind. I guess I can't blame her—I'm a criminal after all. A member of the Four Families—Clan Cruel to be exact. Sure we dabble in extortion, gun-running, gambling, and illegal cloning. But that doesn't mean I won't do anything in the universe to make the curvy little human mine and taste her until she moans my name and tugs my horns. Aurora All I knew about Slade was that he was the Enforcer from Clan Cruel who collected our Tribute every six months. Muscles strained the expensive suits he wore and his golden eyes followed me everywhere. The way he looked at me made me quiver inside so I tried to avoid him. I had no idea he had decided I was his Fated Mate. Apparently, he's been watching me for years and now he sees his opportunity—my foolish younger brother has gambled away all the tribute money. With no other way to pay, I'm forced to accept his proposition—Slade wants to marry me and make me bear his heir. For six months he gets to try to impregnate me. If I get pregnant, I have to stay. I'm not staying. I might have to marry the huge Brute, but I'll never have his child. Author's Note—Cruel Union is a forced marriage, Dark Mafia Romance—the first book in the new Brutal Universe Series. Enter The Brutal Universe Years ago everyone who could afford it left the dying Earth and traveled to the stars. There, humanity found that they were not alone—there was plenty of sentient life to connect with…if they wanted to. A core group of humans refused to have anything to do with the aliens. The Untainted, as they chose to call themselves, have pure human blood in their veins—their DNA has remained unchanged for centuries. They marry each other and do their best to ignore the outsiders—but there are some who are hard to ignore…for instance, the Brutal Crime Lords. The Brutal Crime Organization operates like the Cosa Nostra back on Dying Earth. Made up of four different Alien Crime families, they rule over whole sectors of the Imperium Galaxy and extract tribute from anyone living in their territory. The Brutes, as they are called, have inhuman lusts. Always searching for their Fated Mate, once they find her, they develop The Thirst which compels them to taste her juices. Some have tails and most have horns. All of them have special equipment that’s big enough to split a woman in two…or give her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams. When a woman enters a Permanent Binding with a Brute, she can never, ever be free of him. *Author's Note—I hope you'll enjoy this new series—I wanted to take Mafia Romance themes and tropes and put them in a sci-fi setting filled with cruel and irresistible Alien Mafia Enforcers. Expect to find Love and Betrayal, Enemies to Lovers, and growly, grumpy Morally Grey Heroes determined to find their Fated Mates at all costs. The Four Families Clan Cruel—these Alien Mafiosos carry a Darkness inside them that other Clans fear Clan Savage— Serpentine blood ensures these Alien Enforcers have fangs and a des