Colony Ship by Mira Mindveil

Aboard a failing colony vessel, diplomat Dr. Nadine Curriman faces an unexpected encounter with the enigmatic Tharax Collective. What begins as a calculated negotiation for survival quickly transforms into an unbreakable psychic tether when she is drawn into Overseer Yarix’s living network. Bound to his devoted circle of consorts, Nadine discovers that every thought and sensation is shared across the symbiotic web. As the link deepens, her carefully guarded autonomy fractures beneath waves of collective emotion and desire. Torn between her duty to her people and the intoxicating pull of a new shared existence, she must navigate escalating tests of compatibility, ritual bonding ceremonies, and the relentless erosion of her private self. With rival factions threatening the alliance, Nadine’s growing craving for the mind-link forces her to confront how much of her identity she is willing to surrender for the promise of belonging and power within the Collective.