Her Desert Alien

People wouldn't call Hazel Clarke a particularly impressive woman. She isn't a brilliant scientist, a skilled fighter, or a silver-tongued legislator. Still, she's a hard worker, and she's determined to help her father's new colony succeed. It's a task that's become particularly difficult since discovering that the planet they settled already hosts a large population of cavern-dwelling aliens. As tensions grow between their people and Hazel attempts to broker some kind of peace, she'll find herself facing a different kind of tension altogether - the desire between a man and a woman on opposite sides of a conflict. The Aeci left their home centuries ago to escape persecution, and Drakkein is proud of the life his ancestors created below the surface of this desert planet. He's decided to look out for their well-being by becoming a member of the leadership council, an especially important role now that a group of 'humans' have invaded their world and appear ready to force the Aeci out. When he encounters a lovely woman from the surface, she claims she wants to establish a truce. But is her offer - and her apparent desire for him - too good to be true? As the dispute between their people escalates, Drakkein finds himself putting his life in the hands of the humans so he can obtain peace, and hopefully, the human who's caught his eye, but that might be easier said than done.Can be read as a standalone No cliffhangers, no cheating, HEA guaranteed