Princess Allorie was the black sheep of her family; the only half Siren half Fae, the only one to push against the Malaran traditions, and the only one who wanted to be able to choose who she loved rather than some mystical Bond dictating who her lifelong Mate should be. She didn't feel like she belonged anywhere, let alone in her own kingdom. Life was mundane. Life was a prison. Life was set in stone for her. Until the day she was saved from the jaws of an ancient beast by a dark-haired, fiery, rugged stranger named Maxus. Life from that moment on...changes. Maxus is all Allorie can seem to think about; focus on; fantasise about. However, there was one big problem: Maxus was from the warring territory past the Gate-the forbidden lands of Nestrique. When a visit to the Gate goes awry and Allorie attempts to save Maxus from danger, she is suddenly swept into Nestrique and dragged to their kingdom as a prisoner, forced to hide her identity to survive. As Allorie wonders if she will ever see her home again, she begins to doubt if the place she has called home all her life is really where she belongs... or if it's within Maxus's iron heart.