Head of Janas Corporation and local counselor on Pallas Four, Maegan Shale is a highly respected member of the community in the paradise destination of the Grogon Asteroid Belt. But Maegan leads a secret life. Operating in a relay network in this remote corner of the Crestar System, she intercepts Taragon vessels and rescues children destined for armies being built to destroy the life she knew as a child. Alerik Mariltar had a choice—governor of an insignificant asteroid cluster, or the more prestigious position of junior counselor for the Coalition Council. Alerik wants a mate, and the Match Key has chosen for him—a highly unsuitable, rebellious female from his past who happens to live in the Grogon Asteroid Belt. And so, in defiance of the training of a lifetime and all that he has been groomed to be, Alerik chooses a woman over the best interests of his career. Grogon is not the sleepy, uneventful corner of the Crestar System it should have been. Rumors of death matches and flesh trading surface, and Maegan’s covert activities seem to be linked. Forced to incarcerate her for treason, Alerik attempts to unwind the mystery of six Taragon children and Maegan’s elusive uncle. Something has attracted a great evil to his jurisdiction, and that evil is focused on the woman he loves and those close to her. Convinced the Coalition’s Vision is flawed, Maegan isn’t about to cooperate with the man who is the quintessential servant of the Coalition. He might be her mate, but the cause for which she fights demands all her passion and her loyalty. Then what are these growing feelings she has for him, and why does she care so much how her illegal activities will affect his career? As the threat to the galaxy grows, Alerik and Maegan struggle to reconcile their beliefs to defeat a common enemy.