Shadow by Holly S. Roberts

First came the magnetic pulses, wiping out the world’s defenses. Then came war, turning cities to wastelands. And when the dust settled, the hellhounds arrived; merciless creatures bent on erasing what little remained of humanity.

Marinah never asked to be part of the fight. Yet, against all logic, she’s been named Secretary of Defense by the new U.S. government, the Federation. She doesn’t know why they chose her, but one thing is certain, she’s the last person for the job. Tasked with negotiating with an alien force known as the Shadow Warriors, Marinah isn’t expected to last a day.

King, the ruthless leader of the Shadow Warriors, has every reason to hate humans. His people once saved them from extinction, only to be betrayed. Now, he wants nothing to do with them, except for one last chance at vengeance. He demands a single human woman as a peace envoy, believing she’ll break easily under his rule.

But Marinah isn’t what he expected. Clumsy, stubborn, and utterly unprepared, she’s the wrong woman for diplomacy and the only one who awakens something buried deep inside him.

Trust is a dangerous game in a world on the brink of destruction. And sometimes, the greatest threats aren’t the monsters outside, but the ones we can’t resist.