Rowena Haywood is an orphaned alchemist who is struggling to make ends meet in the werewolf nation of Grayton. She and her brother Andrew harbor a secret: although they were bitten, they cannot transform.

When Rowena is summoned to the mage school by Prince Laurence Grayton himself, she becomes a werefox, and hunted by the wolves, who believe her to be a threat.

Arrogant Prince Laurence seeks to break the werewolf curse upon his people. When Rowena becomes a creature he has never seen, he takes responsibility for her protection. Despite his scorn for women, he is attracted to Rowena's quick wit and intelligence—and she to him.

Now Rowena and Laurence must use all their cunning to outwit the crown prince Henry, who plots to use the werefox to start a war. Can a fox outsmart a wolf—and perhaps learn to love one?