{"canonical":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons","locale":"en","author":"Anna Zaires","type":"work","modified":"2026-11-05T23:59:42.368445+00:00","data":{"title":"Close Liaisons","author":"Anna Zaires","authorUrl":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/authors/anna-zaires","year":2012,"heat":5,"isbn":null,"seriesTitle":"The Krinar Chronicles","seriesOrder":1,"seriesUrl":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/series/anna-zaires/krinar-chronicles","tropes":["Alien Romance","Alpha Hero","bonded-mates","captor-and-captive-romance","Enemies to Lovers","Fated Mates","forbidden-interspecies-love","Forced Proximity","human-alien-romance","immortal-and-mortal-romance","morally-gray-alpha-hero","possessive-alien-hero","power-imbalance","resistance-against-alien-occupation","Science fiction romance"],"summary":"In the near future, the Krinar rule the Earth. An advanced race from another galaxy, they are still a mystery to us – and we are completely at their mercy.\n\nShy and innocent, Mia Stalis is a college student in New York City who has led a very normal life. Like most people, she’s never had any interactions with the invaders – until one fateful day in the park changes everything. Having caught Korum’s eye, she must now contend with a powerful, dangerously seductive Krinar who wants to possess her and will stop at nothing to make her his own.\n\nHow far would you go to regain your freedom? How much would you sacrifice to help your people? What choice will you make when you begin to fall for your enemy?","pitch":"Close Liaisons by Anna Zaires is a 2012 romance. Tropes: Alien Romance, Alpha Hero, bonded-mates, captor-and-captive-romance, Enemies to Lovers, Fated Mates, forbidden-interspecies-love, Forced Proximity, human-alien-romance, immortal-and-mortal-romance, morally-gray-alpha-hero, possessive-alien-hero, power-imbalance, resistance-against-alien-occupation, Science fiction romance. Heat 5/5. Book 1 of The Krinar Chronicles.","publisher":"Mozaika Publications","ownRecap":true,"englishUrl":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons","chapters":[{"n":2,"title":null,"summary":"Five years before the main narrative, the President of the United States confronts a national security crisis when NASA detects a massive, unidentified object suddenly occupying Earth’s orbit—no launch detected, no astronomical match. While briefing his advisors in the Situation Room, the impossible escalates: a tall, olive-skinned man materializes before the screens, utterly unharmed by the Secret Service’s gunfire. Introducing himself as Arus, he speaks flawless English and delivers a chilling ultimatum: his species has chosen this moment to make contact. The chapter shifts from bureaucratic anxiety to bone-deep terror as the President realizes that human defenses are meaningless against this visitor, closing on the unresolved threat of what Arus’s people intend for Earth.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-2"},{"n":3,"title":null,"summary":"Mia Stalis, a twenty-one-year-old sociology student, seeks solitude in Central Park to write a paper, only to freeze when a stunning stranger with golden skin and predatory golden eyes approaches her bench. The creature—Korum, a Krinar—paralyzes her with his gaze before engaging in unsettling conversation, toying with her fears while debunking human myths about his kind. When he invades her personal space to take her laptop, his touch sends an electric thrill through her hand, transforming her terror into a charged, dangerous attraction. She flees into the crowd, but his promise to see her later hangs in the spring air, leaving the encounter unresolved and electric with possibility.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-3"},{"n":4,"title":null,"summary":"When Mia is caught in a sudden downpour near NYU, Korum—the mysterious Krinar who approached her in the park—ambushes her and forces her into his limo, claiming he’s rescuing her. Despite her terror and the lingering rumors that the Ks are vampiric predators, Mia finds herself unable to resist his commanding presence. Inside the car, Korum treats her scrapes with unsettling gentleness, cradling her on his lap as her fear melts into a dangerous, electric attraction. As they arrive at his place, Mia is left suspended between dread and desire, the chapter ending on the charged intimacy of his touch and the unresolved question of what the alien wants with her.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-4"},{"n":5,"title":null,"summary":"Mia arrives at Korum's TriBeCa penthouse, where he heals her scraped palms with a silvery light-emitting device and provides a luxurious shower and meal. As they share salad and roasted vegetable sandwiches in the sleek kitchen, their banter shifts from cultural curiosity to charged tension. Korum confesses he is an engineer who helped design the faster-than-light ships that brought the Krinar to Earth, revealing that his people seeded life here millennia ago and inspired ancient gods. The conversation turns dangerously intimate when he openly declares his sexual desire for her, describing how he wants to claim her virginity while insisting he will wait for her consent. Despite his predatory intensity, Mia feels an undeniable pull toward him, leaving her trapped between fear and attraction as he drives her toward the library with his patience wearing thin.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-5"},{"n":6,"title":null,"summary":"After a jarring encounter in a limo, college student Mia retreats to her NYU apartment to recover, only to be ambushed by a floral delivery and a cryptic note from her enigmatic alien captor, Korum, demanding she meet him at seven. Desperate to deter him, Mia sabotages her appearance with garlic, sweat, and shabby clothes, but Korum sees through the ruse and whisks her to Percival, an exclusive Meatpacking District restaurant. Over champagne and haute cuisine, he reveals staggering lore: the Krinar seeded life on Earth six hundred million years ago, once drank primate blood for survival, and now find human blood intoxicating. Despite her revulsion, Mia feels a dangerous shift from fear to arousal. When they return to her apartment, the tension erupts in a breathless hallway embrace witnessed by her roommate Jessie, leaving Mia humiliated and trembling as Korum departs with a chilling promise to return tomorrow and claim what is his.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-6"},{"n":7,"title":null,"summary":"Mia returns home shaken after a disturbing encounter with Korum, the alien predator who kissed her in the hallway. Convinced she was drugged by his saliva, she rages against his manipulation, but her resolve to flee crumbles when she realizes she cannot escape a hunter who can track her anywhere. Instead, she marches to his TriBeCa penthouse to seize control, demanding sobriety and no kissing. Though Korum claims his chemical only works through blood, their volatile chemistry ignites into a raw, painful, and ultimately transcendent consummation that leaves Mia devastated yet strangely claimed. After he tenderly tends to her injuries and refuses to let her go, he issues an ultimatum: return tonight with her belongings or he will come for her, insisting their rare connection is worth fighting for despite her hatred.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-7"},{"n":8,"title":null,"summary":"Mia leaves Korum’s apartment raw and furious after their encounter, only to find her roommate Jessie hosting Resistance operatives Jason and John. John reveals the terrifying truth: Mia has been “shined”—implanted with tracking nanomachines—and Korum is a powerful Krinar who keeps humans as “charl” slaves. Trapped by her own body’s betrayal and the threat of becoming a captive, Mia reluctantly agrees to feed the Resistance intelligence if she finds any. Later, she arrives at Korum’s TriBeCa apartment for a candlelit dinner that blurs the line between captor and lover. Despite promising no intercourse, Korum leads her through an intense night of sensual foreplay, shared showers, and reluctant intimacy that leaves Mia questioning where desire ends and coercion begins, finally falling asleep in the arms of the alien who may be her prison.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-8"},{"n":9,"title":null,"summary":"Mia wakes naked in Korum's opulent Hudson River-view bedroom, grappling with the morning-after reality of their intimacy. When she overhears Korum speaking Krinar with his colleagues Leeta and Rezav, she catches the word \"charl\"—confirming her dread that she is regarded as his human pet rather than a partner. The revelation shatters her hope that she might be special to him. Their tense kitchen confrontation escalates into a jealous outburst from Mia, who questions his fidelity, only to learn Leeta is a distant cousin. Despite her devastation, Korum's possessive advances prevail, leading to an intense intimate encounter. The chapter closes with Mia suspended between resentment and desire as Korum dictates their evening plans, reserving dinner at Le Bernardin and sending new clothes to her apartment.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-9"},{"n":10,"title":null,"summary":"Mia returns to her apartment shaken after an intimate encounter with Korum, debating how much to reveal to her roommate Jessie while protecting her from danger. She video-calls her parents in Florida, marveling at their renewed health from the K-mandated diet, then learns her sister Marisa is pregnant. When Jessie arrives home, Mia fabricates a story about Korum being a passing fancy, hiding her espionage work and the true nature of their bond. Personal shoppers deliver a stunning blue dress Korum sent, dressing her for a dinner at Le Bernardin. There, they clash over humanity's environmental destruction versus Krinar morality, with Korum revealing his people came to Earth because Krina's sun will die and humans are consuming their planet. The night ends at his penthouse with a chemically-enhanced bite and hours of intense intimacy, leaving Mia questioning her role as his captive lover.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-10"},{"n":11,"title":null,"summary":"Mia settles into a gilded routine with Korum, trading her apartment for his penthouse and her old wardrobe for designer luxuries. While her roommate Jessie frets over Mia's disappearance into the relationship, Mia hides the truth: she is an undercover spy racing to extract intel from the powerful Krinar prince before his interest fades. Their connection is volatile and consuming, blending intense intimacy with an addictive edge that leaves Mia emotionally raw. When Korum is unexpectedly called away, Mia seizes the chance to search his office, discovering a hidden device embedded in his sweater. Activated by his DNA, the chip unlocks a holographic display, marking her first real breakthrough—but also raising the stakes as she realizes how easily she could be caught.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-11"},{"n":12,"title":null,"summary":"Mia discovers Korum's immersive virtual reality map of Manhattan and accidentally transports herself into a three-dimensional simulation of the city. After escaping via a hidden device on his sweater, she dons the garment—finding comfort in its familiar scent—and infiltrates a glowing Brooklyn location, witnessing a secret Resistance meeting undetected. Recognizing a man named John, she realizes Korum is surveilling the freedom fighters and may be preparing an imminent ambush on their planned gathering. Fleeing to warn them, Mia sends a coded email through her friend Jessie and waits anxiously until John and a skeptical fighter named Leslie arrive at her apartment. She reveals the virtual reality breach, leading to a tense discussion about the KETHs—rogue aliens who secretly supply the Resistance with scanning technology. John confirms Mia is their protected \"secret weapon,\" never mentioned to anyone else, and thanks her for potentially saving thirty lives. The chapter closes on the unresolved threat of Korum's impending strike.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-12"},{"n":13,"title":null,"summary":"Mia escapes the tension of her Resistance meetings for a night out with her roommate Jessie, trading her usual studious routine for a provocative dress and the Meatpacking District's hottest club. Between vodka shots and dancing, she connects with Peter, a charming stunt double with Polish roots, sharing an almost-kiss that reminds her how ordinary attraction pales next to the intensity she feels for Korum. But when she pushes Peter away after their accidental brush of lips, she freezes—Korum is watching from the edge of the dance floor, his amber eyes burning with a cold, terrifying rage that promises consequences for her brief moment of rebellion. The chapter closes on this unresolved threat, leaving Mia trapped between the carefree fun she craves and the possessive power looming over her.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-13"},{"n":14,"title":null,"summary":"Mia is terrified when Korum finds her at the club, believing he knows her secret Resistance work. He violently confronts her companion Peter, choking him nearly to death before claiming Mia as his own and dragging her to his penthouse. Trapped and traumatized, Mia expects torture or death, only to discover his rage stems from jealousy over her dancing with Peter. The revelation shifts her terror to fragile relief as she realizes her secret remains safe, though the power imbalance between them remains dangerous. The chapter ends with an unresolved tension: Korum demands she shower and prepare to talk, leaving their confrontation hanging.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-14"},{"n":15,"title":null,"summary":"Mia wakes after a terrifying night, mortified but alive, as Korum reassures her he won't harm her despite his possessive fury. He lays down the law—she is his alone, and he forbids her from seeing anyone else, particularly after she danced with another man and drank to excess. Though his threats simmer with danger, he also tenders care, offering her a restorative drink and gentle attention that contrasts with his earlier violence. Their conversation shifts to intimacy, where Korum turns her fear into arousal through slow, dominant teasing, denying her release until she begs and ultimately climaxes under his control. The chapter ends with them exhausted in bed, his arms cradling her possessively, leaving Mia safe for now but trapped by his jealous ownership and her own hidden allegiance to the Resistance.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-15"},{"n":16,"title":null,"summary":"Mia wakes refreshed thanks to Korum's healing potion, alone in the bedroom, uncertain whether to face him after last night's violent display of jealousy. She realizes his possessiveness stems from Krina territorial instincts, not affection, leaving her feeling like a disposable possession rather than a partner. A call to her anxious roommate Jessie reveals the extent of Peter's injuries and forces Mia to confront that her alien lover operates outside human law and morality, yet she defends their relationship due to the chemistry and fun they share. As she settles in to study for her statistics final, the looming summer trip to Florida and Korum's refusal to let her go hang over her like a threat she isn't ready to name.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-16"},{"n":17,"title":null,"summary":"Mia basks in post-exam triumph until John ambushes her in the park with dire news: the Keiths have uncovered nano-surveillance devices planted throughout their safe house, and Korum's proprietary technology remains impenetrable. With the resistance cornered, John proposes a desperate gambit—Mia must wear a silver ring that scans data and hold it to Korum's palm-embedded computer during an intimate moment to steal the classified blueprints that could disable the K Centers' shields. Though repulsed by the idea of espionage through seduction and terrified of Korum's genius, Mia reluctantly accepts the device, now holding the future of humanity—and her own safety—in her trembling hand.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-17"},{"n":18,"title":null,"summary":"Mia prepares to tell Korum she is leaving for Florida, but the dinner conversation turns volatile when he reveals he has no intention of letting her go. He threatens to place her on a no-fly list and declares their bond possessive and absolute, shattering her illusion of a normal relationship. Enraged by his god-complex claim that the Krinar created humanity, Mia vows to help the Resistance destroy his kind. To survive the night, she pivots from defiance to seduction, offering herself on her own terms to manipulate him while hiding her true allegiance. The chapter closes with them moving toward the bedroom, the power dynamic shifting as Mia weaponizes intimacy against her captor.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-18"},{"n":19,"title":null,"summary":"Mia initiates a dangerous game of dominance with her Krinar lover Korum, stripping him and teasing him until he snaps and they engage in rough, intense intimacy that leaves her bruised but triumphant—at least until morning. Waking up sore and marked, she finds Korum guilt-ridden and eager to heal her using advanced red-light technology and internal medical devices. While he tends to her injuries, Mia's true focus remains on the ring on her finger, which has secretly recorded crucial blueprints during their encounter; she must now deliver it to her handler John without arousing Korum's suspicion. As he leaves for the day promising a late dinner, Mia is left alone with her mission intact but the emotional weight of their toxic bond still pressing down on her.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-19"},{"n":20,"title":null,"summary":"Mia struggles with the emotional weight of betraying Korum, her Krinar lover, as she hands John a ring containing stolen blueprints that could liberate Earth. She extracts a promise that Korum will be safely deported rather than harmed, despite her lingering attachment to him. John reveals the Resistance's plan to use nanotechnology to breach K Center shields within days, wielding a weapon capable of destroying Krinar while sparing humans. The prospect of bloodshed and mass casualties fills Mia with dread, yet she feels bound to the mission. Later, Peter visits to express concern about her relationship with Korum, calling the Krinar monsters and questioning if Mia is being forced, but she firmly defends her choice. The chapter closes with Mia acknowledging Peter's interest came at the wrong time, leaving her trapped between duty and desire as the attack looms.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-20"},{"n":21,"title":null,"summary":"Mia navigates a precarious double life as her roommate Jessie deduces she is spying on her alien boyfriend Korum for the human Resistance. Their tense confrontation forces Mia to conceal the full extent of her dangerous mission while juggling academic pressure. When Korum returns home, his effortless superhuman intelligence—photographic memory and instant calculation—deepens Mia's guilt and inadequacy, making his kindness feel like a burden rather than comfort. Caught between loyalty to Earth and her growing feelings for the invader, Mia retreats into her studies, tormented by the possibility that her actions could cost thousands of lives, including Korum's. The chapter closes on her unresolved internal conflict, as domestic intimacy collides with the weight of impending betrayal.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-21"},{"n":22,"title":null,"summary":"Mia and Korum share a tender night after his previous roughness, the alien lover determined to make amends with gentle, deliberate intimacy. As they come together, Mia is consumed by the knowledge that this may be one of their last encounters; she is spying on him and believes his affection will curdle into violence once he uncovers her betrayal. Her tears surface as she confesses her longing for her family and fears that a human-alien bond is unnatural, but Korum reassures her with promises of devotion, financial security, and a future visit home. He hints cryptically that they could be together as a real couple, leaving Mia stunned. Afterward, he soothes her with a K healing drink and reassures her of his fidelity since they met, and they fall asleep entwined, though Mia's guilt and the ticking clock on her espionage remain unresolved.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-22"},{"n":23,"title":null,"summary":"Mia wakes with dread as she prepares to sever ties with her family, lying to her mother about missing their weekend dinner by fabricating a volunteer program at NYU. The deception weighs heavily—she’s leaving them behind for good if her involvement with the alien Korum and the endangered K colonies is discovered. After successfully placating her mom with promises of grad school recommendations, she confides a sanitized version to her pregnant sister Marisa, painting Korum as a wealthy Dubai executive rather than revealing he’s a blood-drinking extraterrestrial. Between Skype calls, Mia finishes her final paper at the library, clinging to the illusion of normalcy. The chapter closes with her having completed the day’s tasks but facing the irreversible choice of disappearing from her parents' lives to protect secrets that could kill her.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-23"},{"n":24,"title":null,"summary":"Mia spends a solitary day in Central Park after submitting her final papers, reflecting on how her life transformed since meeting Korum. When Resistance fighter Leslie confronts her with a nanomachine weapon intended for killing Korum, Mia refuses to use it despite urgent warnings that the assault on the K Centers begins tomorrow and will trigger lethal retaliation against civilians. That evening, Korum returns to find Mia dressed to impress, and they share a passionate, desperate encounter before dining at a French restaurant. As they talk, Mia confronts the agonizing realization that she has fallen in love with her enemy, knowing that tomorrow she must flee and may lose him—and her life—forever.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-24"},{"n":25,"title":null,"summary":"Mia wakes in Korum’s apartment, torn between relief at his absence and grief at their impending separation after a night of intense intimacy. Unable to resist one last look, she discovers a holographic map of a hidden Krinar settlement and, donning Korum’s sweater as a key, steps into a virtual recording of the Lenkarda K Center in Costa Rica. She follows a Keith into an underground bunker where the alien faction coordinates “Operation Liberty” with a human General—an assault set to begin in minutes. Mia witnesses in horror as thousands of Resistance soldiers storm the shielded perimeter, only to be massacred by the Krinar’s red-light nano-weapon. The Keiths are captured, and Korum finally appears, his expression cold, leaving Mia devastated that her actions have doomed the human resistance.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-25"},{"n":26,"title":null,"summary":"Mia's covert betrayal is exposed when Korum reveals he knew all along, having orchestrated the trap that decimated the Resistance. After interrogating the captured traitors in their virtual realm, he confronts Mia in his office, admitting he planted false designs to ensure the rebels' destruction. Despite her fury and attempt to threaten him with a weapon, their confrontation ignites a volatile reunion that leaves her shattered but physically claimed. Korum insists she must leave New York for her own safety, relocating her to Lenkarda, the Krinar settlement in Costa Rica. There, he reveals the truth about \"charl\"—a bonded mate, not a slave—and promises visits to her family in Florida. As they depart Earth in a nanomachine-fabricated pod, Mia's new life under Krinar control begins, suspended between captivity and desire.","url":"https://books.mozaikallc.com/en/works/anna-zaires/close-liaisons#chapter-26"}]}}