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I signed up for a quick paycheck. Instead, I got abducted by aliens—and stranded on a desert planet that wants me dead.

My name is Justine Parker, and I was desperate. Rent was due, my sister and I were one eviction away from living on the streets, and the job market had collapsed after the Xyma arrived. So when I saw an ad offering ten grand just for participating in “environmental adaptation research,” I didn’t read the fine print.

Big mistake.

Next thing I know, I’m waking up in a crashed transport pod on a hellscape of a planet—no water, no supplies, just endless sand and a sun that wants to cook me alive. And then he finds me.

Rok is seven feet of golden-skinned, battle-scarred alien warrior with a glare that could melt steel. He moves like a predator, speaks in growls, and—apparently—thinks I belong to him. Turns out, I’m the first female he’s ever seen. And now that he’s imprinted on me, he won’t let me out of his sight. Worse? His body adapts to me. Literally. At first, he was just a terrifying, silent guardian. Now? He’s got a very specific upgrade—one that makes my knees weak and my common sense disappear.

Every touch, every growl, every possessive glance sends heat straight to my core. But this planet isn’t done trying to kill me. Between sand serpents, rival clans, and whatever nightmare lurks in the Silent Valley where my sister is trapped, survival is anything but guaranteed. Rok says he’ll protect me. But the deeper we fall into this obsession—this need—the more I realize: If I want to survive this place, I’ll have to trust him. And if I want to keep my heart intact?

I’ll have to stop pretending I don’t want to be his.