Enthraller — Michelle Diener

The planet Aponi sits at the outer edge of the Verdant String.

For Wren Thorakis, working as an Aponian Special Forces artifacts consultant, it means interesting assignments and unusual discoveries. Being captured and held for ransom by a strange cult while working on the moon Ytla was not something she expected, though. However, while escaping her captors, she stumbles across what could be the discovery of her career -- one that no artifact consultant could possibly ignore -- a genuine ancestral mothership.

The mothership isn't just amazing in itself, though. Wren finds herself the recipient of crazy-powerful nanotech. It helps keep her alive and one step ahead of those trying to hide the ship's existence.

When Wren starts working out who's behind keeping her discovery secret, and why, she is plunged into a bigger plot than she ever imagined.

A shadowy organization has its eye on Aponi, and isn't shy to use the Verdant String's fiercest enemies, the Caruso, to help them take it from the Coalition.

When an Aponi Special Forces soldier, Ed Zeneri, who's existence is also inconvenient to Wren's enemies, is lured into a trap with Wren and they both come under fire, Wren's nanotech does whatever it has to to keep her safe -- including enthralling Ed to protect her at all costs.

Ed knows his reaction to Wren isn't normal, or even sane, but as the compulsion to put himself in front of anything coming at her recedes, he finds he's more than inclined to do it of his own volition.

He joins forces with Wren to try to stop the takeover of their home planet, and as they race the clock to find the answers they need, he also has to convince Wren that what he feels for her is real.

As real as the enemy battleships hovering in Aponi's nearspace. As real as the deadline to bring them down.

As real as it gets.