Rogue Bonds

Growing up on Rendol 4, Aiden Hill only ever wanted to help better his planet. Now a lieutenant in the Alliance Military, he is doing just that, defending the population from space pirates, slave traders and a rogue species fighting them for colonisation rights of the planet. But during a mission gone awry, Aiden stumbles upon Kade, a brainwashed slave who immediately imprints on him and declares Aiden to be his master. But slavery in the Alliance is strictly forbidden, leaving Aiden attempting to rehabilitate his unexpected charge, despite Kades obvious reluctance to cooperate. Kade has waited for years to meet his master, the man he can devote himself to for the rest of his life. But when they finally meet, his master seems oddly reluctant to make use of Kades many skills including his skills in the bedroom! Instead of giving him orders, his master insists that Kade should make his own decisions and express opinions that conflict with his masters desires. A slave without a master is like a boat without a sail; directionless and destined to be swept up by the storms of life. But for Aiden to treat Kade as the slave he insists he is would be a moral travesty, defying both Alliance law and his own conscience. So how can the two of them ever find a middle ground, when the life Kade so ardently wants is one that Aiden finds so abhorrent? Caution: Contains frequent military-style violence.

Zeke's childhood dream of being a pilot in the Alliance Military has been shattered. A hellish mission to an alien planet left him injured, traumatised, and with the majority of his crew dead. So now, he spends his days drowning his sorrows in alcohol, and wondering what the hell he's supposed to do with the brainwashed slave who accidentally imprinted on him at the tail end of that doomed assignment. Dax knows he's not good at obeying his master. He's always struggled to follow instructions, seeing better ways to complete a task, or wanting to point out the pitfalls to an unwise course of action. But how is he supposed to please his master, if the man's only desire is to drown himself in a bottle? After far too long spent wallowing in doubt and self-pity, Zeke and Dax's lives are interrupted by the arrival of Aiden Hill, a Lieutenant in the Alliance Military who claims to have cracked the code as to how a human master and a Vangravian slave can live peacefully together. But for each of them, the chance at a brighter future comes with a terrifying cost. For Zeke, it means confronting his demons and dealing with the trauma from his failed mission. And for Dax? It means turning his entire world upside down, so that he is no longer the follower in this most unconventional of relationships, but the leader. Warning: This novel contains representations of PTSD, alcoholism and alcoholism recovery, suicide ideation, depression, one scene with explicit horror, and themes of slavery. Dax: Gratefully Bonded can be read either as a standalone or as part of the series.