Maxim Krempenski wants to get through his thesis defense to earn his political science PhD. He must, in order to help his dragon shifter family survive the new Russia. The Elder Gods have other plans and force him to take a break at The Hotel Paranormal, where he learns fellow student Yuliya Orlov may be even more trouble than he imagined. Yuliya takes her career advancement in the KGB seriously, so she's happy to follow orders to track and eventually detain Max on her superiors' orders. Then she discovers the ideological rot at the core of her assignment. Can they set aside their differences to ensure the dragons have a prosperous future?