He conquers her, body and soul. Makarios of Kronos is a rebel, a smuggler who reports to no one, not even those on Rogue 5. But one betrayal sends him to a Coalition brig, and to a fate worse than death-capture by the Hive. He escapes but exchanges one prison for another. He now lives on the Colony, contaminated and deemed a risk. He'll do anything to regain his freedom, including agree to a bargain with a beautiful, cunning warrior with secrets of her own. Gwendolyn Fernandez volunteered to defend Earth from the Hive menace. For four years, she was a valued member of Coalition ReCon, until the Hive caught up with her, and a strange Nexus creature took special interest in her integration. Gwen escaped with super-human strength and a will to live that cannot be broken, until the governor of the Colony demands she choose a mate. A bargain with Makarios seems so simple until he conquers her in a way no other has-body and soul-yet the Hive Nexus who wanted her for himself won't take no for an answer.