Bittersweet Obsessions

One woman, three men. When it comes to love, Crainesians believe in one perfect mate, but putting their centuries-old belief to the test could bring them everything they desire.

In a culture where it's believed each person has only one life-mate, what happens when yours is beyond your reach? Teriza feels the mating call to a man married to a Human. Unwilling to be the cause of infidelity, Teriza distances herself from her mate after an intense pheromone-charged encounter that leaves her in precarious health. She requires treatment and is sent to a clinic in Switzerland, where sexual surrogates are employed to heal such conditions.

After Paul Craddock's life-mate died, he turned to surrogacy to ease the pain of loneliness. He's surprised to feel attraction for Teriza and jealousy toward her surrogate, his good friend. He's also intrigued to discover she feels the same attraction. They experiment with the Human way of courtship, but the ultimate bond that Crainesian life-mates experience eludes them.

Teriza fears Paul cannot be content with her since he's experienced heartglow during his previous marriage. Paul worries that the existence of Teriza's life-mate makes him the consolation prize, good enough, but not her first choice.

Though they are falling in love, they're in uncharted territory without the engulfing pheromone storm of life-mates to guide them. Will they learn to trust their feelings and listen to their hearts before doubts drive them apart?