Out of the Cage: Moving on can be painful, especially when it's what you need, but don't want. Vampire Nikolai Kuznetsov enjoys his life of blood drinking and torture. The first he must do to continue living, and the second he does for the safety of his family. He loves his blades, wielding them with elegant precision. At his brothers' urging, Nikolai attends a poker night...just to do something that they deem as normal. Finding himself drawn to the blood of a mild-mannered, somewhat reclusive wolf shifter is the last thing Nikolai expects. Except, Parker Jones walks away without giving the slightest indication the he feels the same pull...other than his aroused scent, of course. Nikolai studies Parker, trying to figure out why the shifter would ignore the pull between them. He discovers the wolf shifter is still mourning his long deceased human lover. Tenderness and understanding aren't in Nikolai's nature. Can Nikolai find another way to connect with his beloved?