When Maya investigates a tip about illegal bear fights on a private island, she doesn’t expect to discover the bears are actually bear-shifters being exploited for their genetic abilities and as entertainment to build a criminal’s gambling empire. Before she can do anything with the information, she’s captured and detained. As a veterinarian-in-training, she persuades them to let her care for the fighters instead of killing her. She immediately connects with one of the shifters, slowly winning Hale’s trust. Hale and Maya face a tough fight as they battle to regain their freedom and bring down the whole operation. It’s an even tougher fight for him to move on from what he’s been forced to do as a captive, and she has to fight his misguided good intentions to keep him from pushing her away when he needs her most. This is part of the Emerald City Shifters series, but all stories may be read as standalones.