Accused of betraying the Bloodhound Guild, Archer’s only chance of regaining the trust of his fellow hounds is to earn it—one dangerous job at a time. Crystal Springs may be the worst yet. The town has been deserted by all but the poor and the desperate, yet the vampires stalking the edges of the settlement haven’t closed in for the kill. Question is, why?

Grace Linwood, professional liar, has been hiding under the guise of a border schoolteacher for so long, she’s almost fallen for her own con. The frontier was supposed to be her one shot at a respectable life, but now the cowardly part of her wants to flee. When Archer catches her considering a run for safety, she knows it’s only a matter of time before he sees through her charade.

The beauty and the beast become reluctant allies in the quest to uncover the mysteries of Crystal Springs, but every unraveled knot ties them closer together. Before long, their simmering sexual tension explodes. They both know their pasts are too shattered to hope for a future—until their investigation uncovers a secret, one that could make betraying the Guild their only path to redemption.