For Marianne Woolsey, linguist and tutor, being empathically bonded to the leader of the Tolari turns out to be a bed of roses – complete with thorns. Especially thorns. With diplomatic relations severed and humans barred from Tolari space, the Earth Fleet ship Alexander is gone, for now, but Earth Central Command hasn't given up trying to get Marianne back. As she struggles with nightmares, loneliness, and a bond-partner who can't be tamed, she just wants to figure out where she fits in a society that isn't quite human.

Laura Howard, the Admiral's widow, only desires to be left in peace to gather the fragments of a broken heart, but Central Command has plans for her, too.

Meanwhile, the Sural's apothecary is a serene and gifted healer who knows what – and who – she wants. Circumstances have conspired to deny her the man she's always loved, but in the pursuit of his heart, she has an unexpected ally in the depths of Tolar's oceans.