After a lifetime of trading passion for ambition, Doctor Emily Hillard is determined to catch a killer. Instead of being awed by her technology, the morphs pair her with the most exasperating man she has ever encountered. He's barbaric, domineering, and unapologetically savage. She should be frightened, or at least repelled by his lack of sophistication. Instead, she finds him refreshing, and pictures herself crushed beneath his strong body as he skillfully peels away her civility. Cruz, a panther-shifter with pyrokinetic abilities, spent eleven years as an assassin before being allowed a reprieve. He is finally enjoying some down time when a murderous rogue chooses his territory for a hideout. Now half of Alpha Colony is searching for the rogue, and Cruz's handlers are desperate to get their hands on Emily's prototype. Ordinarily Cruz would have ignored their threats and ultimatums, but he's intrigued by the delectable doctor. So, he decides to show the hothouse flower what life in the wild is all about.