Something is wrong with Talia, something that frightens her to her core. She can't risk sharing her secret with anyone-not even Galen. But the longer she holds back, the more questions arise, and the greater the wedge between her and the future Long Claw Alpha grows... Ever since Talia was attacked by a demon under Max's roof, she's changed. Whenever she shifts, her eyes glow a demonic red. The new complication brings the words of the Northwood pack's Alpha flooding back to haunt her... there's a darkness inside her. And she's afraid of what it could mean for her, for her flourishing relationship with Galen, and for the future of the pack. She has no choice but to keep her strange physical change a secret until she can figure out what exactly what it means. But the only way to do that is to refuse to shift and the longer she puts it off and continues with her excuses, the more suspicious Galen becomes. In an effort to find a resolution to the demon scourge, the acting Long Claw Alpha is summoned to a conference hosted by the Shifter Council. He insists Talia join him and things go from bad to worse. Talia learns too late that she will be forced to shift to declare her loyalty to the Council... To make matters even worse, Maddox, the Northwood pack Heir who rejected her is in attendance-and he's keen to finally stake his claim.