Determined to fulfil the last command of her queen, a dangerous assassin protects the kingdomÕs legacy until a chance meeting finds them in the path of a fierce hunter who she must rely on to keep her charge safe and protect her heart against at all cost. Lila has been on the run for sixteen years with her daughter, living and working in some of the most dangerous stations in the Outer Rim. She has protected her daughter from hunters, assassins and those intent on destroying them. SheÕs fought every ruthless male sent after them, but there is one male she cannot hurt, one male from her past who has the power to ruin sixteen years of sacrifice. Serran has been looking for his target for sixteen years, and every time he gets close, they elude him. A chance meeting in a filthy corridor of one of the most notorious stations in the universe and his search is finally over. However, it will take more than just his skills as a hunter to keep the girl and the female who protects her safe. Keeping Lila this time will require showing her he isnÕt the same male he was sixteen years ago. Determined to run again, Lila finds herself trapped aboard the Fallen Star with a teenager who refuses to leave and a mate intent on claiming her. However, Serran isnÕt the only danger aboard the pirateÕs ship, and for the first time in sixteen years Lila will have to rely on others to keep her daughter safe. Will Serran be able to save them both, or will a vicious monster tear them apart again?