Arus Bor'vak understands machines better than people. He likes them better, too, so when human women begin to populate the Stryxian settlements, he finds it best to give them a wide berth.

They’re beautiful, soft, and utterly incomprehensible, and none captures his attention like Keira Becker, the strong ex-lieutenant who makes him lose his tongue in her presence.

Keira Becker finds the brilliant Stryxian engineer very attractive, but his aloof demeanor makes it clear that he’s not looking to get to know her—or anyone—better. He may be the only male she’s remotely interested in, but his shell is too thick to crack…until they are sent on a mission together to investigate a strange explosion in an uninhabited part of Stryxia.

When their transport is destroyed and the group is scattered, Arus and Keira awaken to find themselves shackled together in a forest that shouldn’t exist in a barren stretch of Stryxia. Something hunts them as they navigate poisonous creatures, carnivorous plants, and their own undeniable desires. Their skills and hearts are tested, but nothing can prepare them for what happens when the chains come off and they face the creator of the mysterious forest.

This is book five of the Stryxian Alien Warrior series but it can be listened to as a standalone with no cliffhangers and no cheating. The author writes what she loves to read, so there is always consent and always a happy ending.