Ruled by instinct—bonded by blood. A simple task—all Gideon had to do was find the guardian possessing the talisman he’d been sired to protect and keep them both safe until the first rays of dawn neutralized the power hidden within the pendant. Coupled with the fact he’s one of an elite band of vampires—enforcers, chosen for their superior fighting skills and unyielding fortitude—the mission should have been Gideon’s finest achievement. Except for the part where he’s been searching for five hundred years and the only thing he’s found is a loss of faith. He didn’t count on stumbling upon the girl in the midst of a full moon. Or that the bond between them would be more than just a necklace—a sense of honor. Driven by desire, the only thing that burns hotter than their need to touch, and taste, and claim, is their mutual inability to mark each other as mates. A simple task that’s quickly falling through his grasp. For how can a vampire truly bond with his mate if her very blood is poison?