“Jesus.”

The horrified whisper of the woman, Karen, who is gathering the uniform I am meant to wear while employed at this large shopping center doesn’t faze me.

At one point, many years ago when I was still a youngling, having someone look at me and feel compelled to call upon their personal deity may have bothered me, but I long lost any sense of caring.

At least when it comes to how I look.

And I know what I look like.

Not only am I keenly aware of every jagged etch and groove in my skin. I can remember, like it was only a turn ago, how they were made with claws and teeth, sometimes broken metal and stone.

The blunt points were the worst, poking and prodding until they finally breached the flesh.

But the memory of that pain is nothing compared to the rage I feel at my lehti, Ivy, the one responsible for my suffering.

It's a rage I doubt she knows exists.

But she will soon.

I'm one of the few who didn't jump for joy when I found out we weren't alone in the Universe. I know from experience that flying under the radar is beneficial. Since, once you're under a spotlight, everyone can see you. Our invaders may have come in peace, but everyone else who can see us now has not.

When I'm snatched from my home, thrown in a cell, and trapped by a wild, violent band of marauding aliens, I see no path to freedom.

That is until one our invaders shows up to be my hero.

I come from a race of mercenaries and assassins. Albeit, ones who only act in the interest of neutral good with the goal of Universal peace. The fact is, there's evil in the Universe, so when the dirty business of war needs to be done, they send me.

Now that we've formed an alliance when the humans, they don't trust us to handle the problem of human women being trafficked by less honorable "aliens," so they insist on one of their military personal joining our fight.

Captain Malika Dayo is not at all what I'm expecting, everything I want, and nothing I need in my life, ever. Still, the draw to her is undeniable, and as we find ourselves deep in enemy territory, the game we have to play to stay alive becomes a reality I can't live without.