Sixty years in a secret organization, Etienne de la Fontaine returns to the valley home of the Fire Moon clan after a disastrous mission left him recovering. Forced to rebuild, he recoils from nightmares, panic attacks, and a broken body. His family home is dusty and neglected. When he requests to return, he's rejected and confronts an old lover in the darkness. One of the poisoned jaguars, Isaac Deforrest returns to security patrol. He searches the home of a lover who disappeared when they were young. He finds the same lover, returning without a word and ragged around the edges. The connection between them remains powerful. Searching for her kidnapped sister, Ekaterina Lilyana Brankovich of the Sand Moon clan remains under her father's restrictions. Her inner sand jaguar responds to the two guardians assign to her protection. With their support, she finds her inner power to rebel against her father and search for the truth.