Eland and Jeanne

Jeanne Narren is awakened one night by a pounding on her door—a huge, gorgeous man called Eland falls onto her, begging for water. Moved by compassion, Jeanne lets him in. She does not know he is Shareem, a level three, fleeing the closure of DNAmo, and hunted through the streets. Eland is grateful for the help, but knows he can't endanger Jeanne by staying. But Jeanne has treated him like a human being, not a lab experiment, and he can't quite forget her. Eland strives to stay alive and search the city for the Shareem called Rees, who might be able to help him off planet. At the same time Jeanne hunts for Eland, intrigued by this man with blue eyes who makes her feel beautiful. She meets other Shareem, and Judith, a bar owner who harbors them. When Eland finds Jeanne again, she is ready for the experience only Shareem can provide. But the danger is real, and Eland must flee or pay with his life. Eland and Jeanne, a prequel to the Shareem series, takes place chronologically twenty years before Rees (Book 1). The story was originally published as a short (4500-word) story called Eland—now revised and expanded into a 36,000-word, fifteen chapter novella.