Freedom. Love. Duty. War. When those things collide, human Clara finds herself faced with the Revant named Renall, and choosing between love—and the life she planned.
Clara Waters is aboard a supposed brideship headed to a planet far from her home world, it’s her punishment for being a carder and carrying currency on a world ruled by an oppressive and dangerous government that often lets its poor citizens starve.
The ship is taken over by wreckers headed up by four brothers, none of whom know that there are brides aboard as the ship is listed as a mere non-life-form carrying cargo ship. When the wreckers attack to strip the ship Renall, the eldest, finds himself face to face with Clara, who is not about to go down without a fight.
Clara does not want to be attracted to Renall. He owns a gambling hall on Orbitary and he makes her an offer she can’t refuse. He will reunite her with her family and remove the chip that would prevent her from escaping the Federation’s clutches as a prisoner, but at a high price. Not to mention he is betrothed to a female of his own dying race, and not just any female, a pureblooded Revant whose father is the king of a planet next to the one Renall and his brothers are determined to buy.
Renall does not want to fall for her either. Clara, as beautiful and tough as she is, could cost him everything he has spent centuries working for. But he can’t stay away from her either.
With the Federation loosing a spy into the brother’s midst and futures hanging in the balance Clara and Renall will have to decide whether to admit their feelings and forge a life together, or flee to opposite ends of the galaxy in search of the shelter they both so desperately need.