Holden has watched as many of the gargoyles in his clutch have found their mates. His hope that his own mate will turn up begins to wane when years pass, and no new mates are found by the remaining single members of the Falias clutch. He begins to despair that Fate has moved her gift of mates to another clutch. When a fellow gargoyle's mother becomes gravely ill, the chieftain of another clutch—Chieftain Kinsey, who is also her son—comes to pay his respects. Holden is pleasantly shocked to find, amidst all the grief, there's a ray of happiness. One of the men in Chieftain Kinsey's entourage is his mate. He learns the man's name is Lathe, and he's a vampire. Except, Holden discovers that scenting Lathe and wooing him are two very different things. Lathe only came because Chieftain Kinsey wanted his people to review Maelgwn's security measures while he was there. Holden realizes that Lathe's reclusive and wary nature has something to do with the scarring he sports on his left side. Can Holden figure out a way to earn Lathe's trust before the one who left Lathe so scarred comes to finish what he started?