You wake to an eerie hum filling your apartment. At first, you think it’s the heater, but as you sit up, the sound deepens, vibrating through you. Your heart pounds as your eyes adjust to the darkness. Then you see him.

He stands in your bedroom, impossibly tall and utterly alien. His dark skin shimmers like obsidian streaked with glowing silver, and his eyes, molten gold, lock onto you. Fear roots you in place, every muscle frozen as he steps forward.

“Found you,” he says, his deep voice vibrating in your chest.

“What… who are you?” you whisper, barely able to speak.

“I am Kaelor, prince of the Zakarai,” he says. The name sends a chill through you. Zakarai. The alien species NASA claimed to have discovered. You remember the news: a specimen captured and taken to a secret facility. You’d thought it was a hoax.

“You escaped,” you manage, your voice trembling.

“They took me,” he growls, golden eyes narrowing. “A royal heir. My people are coming for me—and for Earth.”

Your pulse quickens. “Why are you here? Why me?”

His gaze softens. “Because of this.” He steps closer, and when his hand brushes your cheek, a jolt of energy courses through you. “You are my mate. Your scent called me across galaxies. I would have found you anywhere.”

“No,” you stammer, shaking your head. “I’m not—this isn’t—”

But before you can finish, everything goes black.

You wake to thick, warm air, your senses overwhelmed by a metallic tang. The ground beneath you is smooth and cold, and as you struggle to sit up, Kaelor’s voice fills your ears.

“This,” he says, his golden eyes watching you, “is your home now.”