She was trained to survive violence. She never expected to consent to it.
Detective Serafina Montecristo does not believe in safety. A former Marine turned LAPD detective, she knows how quickly protection collapses and how often survival becomes personal.
When her younger sister’s future comes at a cost Serafina cannot pay, an impossible option is offered: a discreet program, informed consent, and permanent departure from Earth.
She accepts—on conditions of her own.
What awaits her is not captivity, but ritual. On a hostile world ruled by predation and restraint, Serafina is chosen by a species whose mating bond is forged through pursuit.
She is not expected to submit. She is expected to resist.
She will be armed. She will be hunted. She is required to fight back.
The male she faces remains masked, unnamed, and bound by laws as rigid as her own. He will not harm her, and he will not yield unless she forces him to.
What begins as a transaction fractures into something far more dangerous: a rule-bound exchange where pain carries meaning, fear is permitted, and being chosen demands a cost beyond survival.
Serafina believes she is expendable. The Hunt does not.
