Athen doesn’t want a mate. He is determined not to be the sixth brother to leave behind a widow in the war to rid the evil Suhlik from the universe. When his warriors requested a mail order bride behind his back, there is no denying his instant attraction to Odette, the Terran female. She is everything he could wish for but he is determined not to claim her for her own protection. To Odette, a simple Earth botanist, the match to an alien is a chance for a fresh start to get away from a cheating fiancé and an overbearing mother. Can she strip down Athen’s defenses and win his heart before he sends her away forever?