Carlton's an oddity within the New Canton Republic: a human raised by one of the aliens everyone calls monsters. He's used to the ways of monsters and magic, but when he meets a monster named Mathis, he doesn't expect the way his magic, or his body, responds.

Carlton fires the blood of Mathis's monster and stirs up every mating instinct Mathis has. Mathis wants Carlton, and he'll do whatever it takes to have him, even barter with another of his kind. Then he discovers just who Carlton is.

Carlton's not afraid of monsters. But maybe he should be... Because Mathis has decided, why barter for what he can steal?