Valerian is brother to the vicious warlord Vicktor, who destroys and dominates in every land he conquers and with every slave he captures. Valerian is made of a different stripe. While he is dominant, there is a balance to his view of the world and how he treats others. This is readily apparent when his brother offers him a rare gift, a defiant slave of surpassing beauty and a spirit begging to be reigned in. Melena Ni Coro despises her captor. She fears her brother has been killed by the man who now holds her leash, and she wants him to know she would rather die than be tamed by him. She is prepared to fight him every step of the way. Yet in spite of her hatred, Valerian begins to tear away at Melena's defiancé and anger. He teaches her there is much more to life and passion than she might think. All he asks is that she remains true to herself and honest with him. Together they will learn there is more pleasure to be found in each other than either of them realizes.