I thought I'd finally outrun my past. But when my mate is on the line, I'll sacrifice everything to keep her safe. Here in the City of a Thousand Pleasures, my life is good. My dark past is far behind me, and there might be a sweet future with Serra, the prettiest little human I've ever seen. But when the troubles of her past come crashing into our lives, I have no choice but to intervene. I publicly claim her as my starbound mate. No one has to know that we're just friends. There's just one problem. I've wanted to be more than friends for a long time. And when the ghosts of her past threaten to tear her away from me, they're going to learn exactly what happens to someone who stands between a Zathari and his mate.