Captive and Crown (The Heartweaver series) by Yashira Ponce

A psychically empathic soldier trapped in the bowels of an enemy kingdom. A telepathic prince with motives as unreadable as his mind. Two rivals bound by a fragile, shifting alliance. Corporal Kaia Velaverde has led her empathic strike squad through impossible missions before, bending emotions to protect her nation of Allende. To save her homeland, Kaia must steal a rare volatile mineral from the Kadarons—Allende’s merciless northern oppressors and the people she’s sworn to hate. But when the heist unravels, Kaia is captured and thrown into the palace dungeons. Summoned unexpectedly to the quarters of Prince Leander, a powerful telepath feared for his cold, lethal cunning, Kaia must decide whether this handsome royal is a trap to avoid or the key to returning home. Suspicious but pragmatic, she accepts his calculated hospitality while secretly crafting an escape plan. Yet the more time she spends with Leander, the harder it becomes to reconcile the myth of the villainous Kadaron prince with the man who listens to and—perhaps—understands her. As Kaia uncovers the true reason behind his interest in her, she finds herself caught in a conflict greater than she imagined—one that could decide her fate and the future of her nation. Read more