Bubble Babes

Opal is trying her best in the Midwest after the sudden death of her parents. Everything comes to a crashing halt as she's abducted by aliens and forced to work as a human dancer for extraterrestrial enjoyment. A chance encounter with an alien prince while stuck in a traffic jam might just change the trajectory of Opal's new life in space. Contains mature themes.

JESSY For the past few years, my life has kind of blown. On Earth, I dedicated my entire existence to science, even if my peers dismissed me as a pretty face. When I got abducted by aliens, I was forced to dance in a bubble for extra-terrestrial enjoyment. When I escaped by crashing my alien captor's bus, Gra'eth saved me from drowning and even offered me a place to stay. He keeps telling people I'm his mate, even though I keep telling him the human word for what we are is roommates, but he refuses to say it that way. Sometimes I can't tell if he's being sarcastic or serious-and for my very literal neurodivergent brain, that's a big problem. GRA'ETH I never expected to have to save Jessy, and I certainly never expected for this strange human to be my mate. I've convinced her to stay in my apartment as what she calls a roommate. The mating bond won't let me let her leave, but humans can't even feel it. I don't know how to keep things friendly when just the smell of her hair is enough to send me into a mating frenzy. I don't want to make her uncomfortable, but I can't keep fighting the pull of this bond. This little speckled human will be the death of me. Contains mature themes.

Stowing away on an alien pirate ship wasn't on my bucket list . . . but then again, neither was heartbreak. KAMARI My alien crush just found his fated mate-and surprise, it's not me. Add a broken heart to being ripped from my cozy Seattle bookstore and dumped on a weird planet with zero novels, and you get . . . me, stowing away on a rogue pirate ship in a desperate bid to write my own adventure. I don't expect to tumble out of a vent and land-literally-into the lap of the dangerously handsome pirate captain, Fer'oon. But hey, at least life in space has a sense of humor. FER'OON I didn't sign up for this. My second mate bails for his earthling girlfriend, and suddenly there's a stowaway on my ship-and she's human. The last thing I need is distractions, but she somehow wins over my crew mate Gashna, who insists the only safe way to travel with her is . . . pretending we're mates. Easy, I tell myself. Fate's nonsense anyway. Until I have to stop relying on my usual marauder tricks and . . . well, feelings sneak in. Suddenly, training this soft, stubborn human might just mean rewriting the rules I've lived by. Contains mature themes.

MARTA: The reality of being a mob boss' daughter is anything but glamorous, despite what one might think. In the absence of true freedom, my only companion was my loyal dog, Bruno. When he passed, I felt like my life had hit rock bottom. But when aliens abducted me from my pity party in a local wine bar, I realized how wrong I was. As if things couldn't get any worse, I woke up in an alien duke's closet, forced to rely on a giant alien pleasure toy as my only means of defense. All I know is that the gaudy duke can't stand me . . . and the feeling is mutual. RAF'ERE: Throughout my dukedom, I have dedicated myself to restoring the fi'len species to their natural aquatic habitats. How in the goddess's name am I supposed to do that when this human is my mate? Despite her mouthiness, the tiny human cannot swim. Did that stop me from stealing her cryopod from a crashed ship and locking it in my closet? Absolutely not. I also didn't expect her to wake up and demand answers, either. But I can't expect my people to look at me to lead if a human stands beside me, despite how much my body burns for hers. The dilemma arises: should I prioritize the goddess's wishes or grant her the freedom she deserves, joining the other human refugees? Contains mature themes.