Retribution (The New Age Series Book 9)

A Return to the Compound Comes at a Cost

Two years after choosing exile over execution, Hokura has built a quiet life far from the compound, sharing a secluded cabin with Dorian and learning to live with the past she left behind. The wounds have not fully healed, but they’ve settled into something she can carry.

That fragile peace is shattered when Cyrus arrives with urgent news: Meridiana is dying. A mysterious and deadly virus has spread through the compound, and the only hope for a cure may lie in the very place Hokura swore never to return to. Drawn back by desperation and loyalty, she and Dorian are forced to confront not just the outbreak—but the truth behind it.

As secrets unravel, it becomes clear the virus is no accident. What began as a calculated plan has spiraled far beyond control, threatening everything and everyone Hokura still holds dear. Inside the walls, memories resurface, old loyalties blur, and the man she once called her husband becomes an unavoidable part of her present.

Caught between the life she built and the one she abandoned, Hokura must decide where she truly belongs—and what she’s willing to sacrifice to save those she loves.

Step back into a world of hidden agendas, emotional reckoning, and high-stakes survival.

Excerpt from the book

Hokura opened her eyes to the sound of birds singing in the distance as she pushed herself closer to the warm body beside her. A heavy arm came up, wrapping around her and snuggling her into his broad chest. She let out a soft moan. “We have a busy day today.”

“Only if you say we do,” Dorian stated as he nuzzled his face into her hair and breathed her in deeply, relishing the moment.

She smiled serenely. “We need to make sure the filters are clean.”

“That doesn’t take much time,” he replied, not wanting to move as he held her close.

“What about foraging for more berries?”

He shrugged. “We can do that whenever. Why are you in such a hurry to get out of bed this morning? We have absolutely no responsibilities. Can’t we just enjoy ourselves?”

Hokura let out a small laugh. “If it were up to you, that’s all we’d ever do.”

He kissed her neck tenderly. “Maybe because after all this time, I’ve come to think I deserve a break from responsibilities,” he continued, leaving small kisses on her shoulder. “Are you really telling me you want to get up just this second?” His voice was husky.

She groaned as his hands slowly traced over her body, tantalizing her as he always did. “Not if you keep doing that.”

He teasingly licked the lobe of her ear. “It’s a good thing for you that I’m not a stickler for working anymore. We have all the time in the world.” He pushed himself against her as her body melded into his.

She rolled over in his arms and kissed him passionately as her fingers gently traced over his jaw. It had taken a bit of time for her to accept things between them. For the first six months, the lines had been drawn. He never pushed and never faltered when she spent her nights mourning the life she had left behind. He had held her as she cried, had been patient with her when she hadn’t been ready to engage him physically, and yet when that day finally came, it was with a storm of emotions and passion that lasted all day and all night.

His lips came from hers. “You look like your thoughts were elsewhere… if you don’t want to…”

“No.” Hokura’s brows arched. “It’s not that.” Her lips were back on his. If there was one thing that Dorian excelled at, it was being an amazing lover and making her mindless when he was physical with her, and that was exactly what she needed to push those thoughts from her mind. “Take me, Dorian.”

And he did, just as she pleaded. Just as he knew, she needed to keep her mind from tearing her apart that morning. He would give her exactly what she needed. He would give her everything.