The Gladius Syndicate Series by Emma James

On the planet Astriq, Lyra was one of the lost. The forgotten. The abandoned... Each day on Astriq was a struggle - for life, for food, for existence. Lyra had long been abandoned by her family out of fear of the terrible power that lay within. Now, that power was her greatest secret. She dare not let the authorities on Astriq know, lest she be killed on the spot. What she did not know was that she was being watched and hunted for the dark secret that she possessed.. moreOn the planet Astriq, Lyra was one of the lost. The forgotten. The abandoned... Each day on Astriq was a struggle - for life, for food, for existence. Lyra had long been abandoned by her family out of fear of the terrible power that lay within. Now, that power was her greatest secret. She dare not let the authorities on Astriq know, lest she be killed on the spot. What she did not know was that she was being watched and hunted for the dark secret that she possessed... Dariux was a smuggler for as long as he could remember. Each day was spent on the edge of the law, skirting prison, or worse, gruesome death. All in the name of survival. After a mysterious illness strikes his mother, Dariux is forced to take on his most dangerous contract to date with a criminal group known as The Gladius Syndicate - a galactic slave ring. He knew the nefarious nature of their work, but it was easy to ignore the morality in the name of saving those he loved... Dariux certainly didn't expect to find love on this mission, let alone such an explosive one. Now he is faced with endangering his own life to save yet another. Will Dariux and Lyra find a way to escape The Gladius Syndicate? Or will they be sold into slavery to fight for their lives? **This book contains mature themes intended for those 18+** **This book contains bonus material as a thank you to those who buy the first edition!** less

Kianna is in a race against time... Stuck on a remote base on the fringes of one star system, USF soldiers Elix and Kianna found a love powerful enough that they defied the rules and risked everything to have it. Their love is strong and enduring. Until one day when Elix turns up missing. He's gone without a trace. Desperate to find him, Kianna launches a crusade. With help from some unlikely sources, she uncovers dark, disturbing information that could explain Elix's whereabouts... moreKianna is in a race against time... Stuck on a remote base on the fringes of one star system, USF soldiers Elix and Kianna found a love powerful enough that they defied the rules and risked everything to have it. Their love is strong and enduring. Until one day when Elix turns up missing. He's gone without a trace. Desperate to find him, Kianna launches a crusade. With help from some unlikely sources, she uncovers dark, disturbing information that could explain Elix's whereabouts. She hears tales of shadowy groups like the Syndicate. She hears rumors of gladiator-style fights. She hears enough that it shakes her to her core. After she's threatened for asking too many questions, Kianna has no choice but to go on the run. She has no choice but to carry her crusade to the very doorstep of the Syndicate to reclaim Elix as her own. But, will she get to Elix in time? Or will the trials he's enduring in the fighting pits change him forever? 
It's a race against time to save not just the life, but the very soul of the man Kianna loves. This is book two in the Gladius Syndicate series from Best Selling author Emma James! Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, no prior reading required. As a bonus, the complete Zhekan Mates series has been included as a thank you for purchasing! This book contains mature themes and is considered 18+ less