A Viking vampire must face his tortuous past to save the woman who holds the key to his future. Eric Wulfgar escapes from twisted dreams, only to find they have followed him into reality. Feeling like a shell of the man he once was, his king's orders to help a New Orleans vampire clan might require more than he can give. But he has no choice to leave the shadows and return to the living. Cat Bienville is frantic. Something strange is stalking the vampires of New Orleans. When the missing turn up dead with no explanation and her sire goes missing, she runs out of options. Left in charge of her coven, her duty is to keep her people safe. Only, she's not prepared for help to come in the form of a chauvinistic male with a tattered soul. When friends may be foes, Cat and Eric must find balance with one another in order to unveil the evil in their midst, even as a bigger threat darkens the horizon. Yet, Cat's past may fracture their growing love. For how can she give Eric her heart, when her deepest secret may be more than he can ever accept?