Having lost his lover and his family, lion shifter Antinious only wants to be left alone to wallow in his anger. The acclaim of being the best gladiator in the Roman Empire ensures there is never a shortage of people in his bed. He just didn't expect to be confronted by a stubborn slave with more than pleasure on his mind. The house slave, Angelus, knows the legend of the Animal of the Gauls and finds Antinious' feral attitude absolutely alluring. He wants to be among the slaves the man takes into his bed, but he doesn't want only one night. Angelus wants to know the man underneath the rage. A bid for freedom and a game of seduction bring the two together, but secrets from their past threaten to tear them apart. Can the pair overcome years of learned habits? Or will their inherent selfishness drive them apart?