Some love stories are born in a galaxy far away. Others are forged in dragon fire. Turi is destined to be given to a bondmate she's never met. Life in Settlement 112-1 is hard enough without forced matings, but when an abduction goes awry, she's brought to live in the fortress of the overseer who rules her settlement. There, she discovers that he's not only capable of kindness, but he's as much a prisoner as she is. As Turi falls for the powerful zaruxian male, she uncovers dark secrets about her people's past and the true nature of the Axis--the entity that controls their world. But can she convince her people that everything they believe is a lie? Ellion has been the overseer of the terian settlements for centuries, but he remembers nothing before taking the role. When he saves a compassionate female from raiders, his carefully structured world begins to crack. As his feelings for her grow and forgotten memories surface, he realizes he has a choice to make: continue serving the Axis as their puppet, or fight for the female he loves. But would choosing love mean losing his mind to the Axis once again? Contains mature themes.