Crashing on an alien planet wasn’t part of my plan. Now, survival is my only focus—until I meet him.

Varek. Tall, powerful, and infuriatingly commanding, he’s everything I never expected to find here. He claims I’m his fated mate, and when he kidnaps me to prove it, I make him an offer: keep the other crash survivors a secret, and I’ll play along with the whole mates charade.

But pretending comes with a price. Varek is the Highseer of his people, a leader who’s risking everything—his position, his honor, and his future—to protect me and the others. The more I play the role of his mate, the harder it is to remember it’s all an act. I can’t deny the primal heat between us, the way my heart races when he’s near. I can feel the bond pulling us closer, and pretending becomes impossible when every touch feels so real.

Now, I’m tangled in a web of lies and longing. Varek’s body burns with a need he can’t control, and soon, resisting him won’t be an option. Our connection is only growing stronger, and the truth could destroy everything—his people’s trust, our fragile arrangement, and the love I never expected to find.

Can I protect those I came here with and still keep Varek, or will our forbidden love cost us everything?