All Rhiannon Reid wants is to return home to her old life, even though nothing will ever be the same again.

On a fateful camping trip, fiery Oregon beauty Rhiannon is kidnapped and turned into a Between—a magical shape-shifting beast. The Between are as reviled as they are coveted in human society, and no one should have this monstrous magic forced onto them. Rescued by the Between royal guard, she's whisked away to the mysterious island nation ruled by their golden king, lion-shifter Elan Delacourt.

The last thing Elan wants is for Rhiannon to tell anyone that she was turned against her will. It would put every Between across the planet at risk if she fanned humans' fears and prejudice about the Between. The man who hurt her is dead, and one bad Between shouldn't put the rest of them in harm's way.

Elan will do anything to convince Rhiannon, including using their blistering chemistry to seduce her over to his way of thinking. But Rhiannon isn't so easily swayed and, as the two test each other's strength and character, they lose themselves in the hot-blooded battle...

Note: This story was previously published as part of the Sexy Beast 9 anthology.