As a citadel guardswoman, Uma wears the scars of her past—both those born from her duty that she is proud of and those she would rather forget, including the deepest scars of heartache that haunt her. While a broken heart can hide behind the icy reserve of her duty, beneath her scarred face lies a tender heart that somehow a triad of Ragoru has worked their way into. Convicted of a crime they say they didn't intend, Uma suddenly finds herself saddled with the trio pain in the asses. Initially, it's not how she wants to spend Mother's Night, but when she is stuck with them on the road following the worse of their Withering Nights, she is tempted to enjoy what little comfort she can and all that they offer. Laro, Vrin, and Kam are a triad of Ragoru down on their luck. The Great Forest is a hard place to find a mate even after the citadels opened to their kind. Nor are those any friendlier to three dull gray males, the lead of which wears physical scars as well as wounds from a lifetime of disappointment. Convicted of poisoning another triad, their luck seems to have sunk even worse when they are put under the charge of a hardened citadel guardswoman. She is infuriating with her claw-sharp tongue and bitter-poison attitude, yet the longer they are with her, the more they become enchanted with the glimpses of the warm female dwelling beneath the surface. One that they determined to claim... if only they can convince each other.