Tal dar Aune, a powerful shape-shifting mage, comes to Earth on a desperate quest to find a mysterious woman before his nemesis destroys her. Little does Tal know the "helpless" female he's come to save is the key to peace on his war-torn world...or that he'll long to touch her, take her, make her his.Unaware of her royal roots or alien origins, Charlotte spends her first thirty years on Earth. Then Tal bursts into her life with all the subtlety of a thunder storm. He's rude, arrogant, and easily the most desirable man she's ever encountered. With a ruthless madman hot on their heels, they can't afford to be distracted by the attraction rapidly growing between them, but the emotions are too powerful to ignore.