Nia is a trauma surgeon on a deep-space medical station working on saving the lives of the Defenders when she finds herself saving a Tellusian the enemy of the CORE. He was dressed like a Defender until she cut off his shift and saw his blue tattoo. He immediately grabbed her and took her as a hostage. He managed to get a ship and get off the station before it exploded killing everyone.
Now she is a captive of a Tellusian known to keep slaves and for their brutality. Mace is a warrior and going against his instincts he took the woman with him knowing that if he left her there, she would die. Now she is his captive, and he is willing to share his room with her and protect her from anyone who would do her harm.
All the equipment Nia had on her that could point to where she is located was taken except for a locket her mother had made that would not appear a danger and which she could activate. When Mace left her alone, she activated it and waited to be rescued. Mace used everything available to him to protect Nia from being discovered as one of the ruling classes of CORE.
Nia did everything she could to get Mace to let her go to no avail, so she destroyed his room. Mace kept questioning his decision to take her with him, but he knew he couldn’t leave her to die. Nia was assigned to work as a doctor in family medicine something she hated because she was not fond of children, but as a captive she had no choice. Before long she began to like it and enjoyed the children who came to her sick and in need of care.
Mace made sure she was taken to and from the medical unit, made sure that no one hurt her and began to see her as more than just a captive. Every time there was a warning that ships were approaching Orion the space station, she was on she prayed it was her rescue, but it turned out not to be.
Nia began to change her opinion of the Tellurian’s, especially Mace. CORE citizens do not like to be touched, and Tellurian’s are the total opposite something she has come to enjoy. Mace finds himself staying away from her as much as possible because of his attraction to her something she resents.
This book was filled with suspense, suspense that kept me at the edge of my seat and at times breathless. Violence, secrets and betrayal were part of the story, but the constant suspense is what kept the story moving. I can’t wait to find out what happens next and hopefully it won’t be a long wait.
Star-Crossed Captive 
