I’m on stage at the Auction House, barely dressed, ready to give up my virginity to the highest bidder. No matter if he’s human, shifter or…alien. A whole new life of safety and security, with an assumed name, is now ahead of me. And if this mysterious buyer wants to marry me and take me to his remote mansion in the hinterland, all the better.

I just hope the guy with the winning bid is sweet, kind and maybe a little beta. A quiet billionaire who reads a lot? Because the last thing I need is another cruel alpha, like my stepfather, in my life.

The lights go up and a roar echoes in the audience. A heavily armed, tattooed, red-eyed male pounds his fists against his hairy chest and strides straight for me. What the heck? My jaw drops when I see this “man” who won me. He’s…he’s an alien warrior with tusks?

A squeak of dismay escapes my lips. Oh dear, this guy is entirely the opposite of what I imagined.

“Mine,” the alien snarls, scoops me into his arms and races off into the night.