Chained to the Stryxian by Ella Blake

Arus Bor-vak understands machines better than people. He likes them better, too, so when human women begin to populate the Stryxian settlements, he finds it best to give them a wide berth. They’re beautiful, soft, and utterly incomprehensible, and none captures his attention like Keira, the strong ex-lieutenant who causes him to lose his tongue in her presence.
Keira Becker finds the brilliant Stryxian engineer very attractive, but his aloof demeanor makes it clear that he’s not interested in getting to know her—or anyone—better. He may be the only male she’s remotely attracted to, but his shell is too thick to crack until they are sent on a mission together to investigate a strange explosion in an uninhabited part of Stryxia.
When their transport is destroyed and the others disappear, Arus and Keira awaken to find themselves shackled together in a forest that shouldn’t exist in this desert. Something hunts them as they navigate poisonous creatures, carnivorous plants, and their own undeniable desires. Their skills and hearts are tested, but nothing can prepare them for what happens when the chains come off and they face the creator of the mysterious forest.