Rafe comes from a long line of shifters. His father is a werewolf, and his mother is a weretiger. As he reaches puberty, he eagerly awaits his First Shift and finding out just what is his animal form. What powerful animal will complete him?

Much to his disappointment, after going through the agony of his First Shift, Rafe discovers that he is not a wolf, tiger, or bear. He is not even a coyote or raptor, forms considered perhaps less prestigious in the tribe, but still acceptable. No, Rafe is a wererat, the only wererat in anyone's memory.

Events work out to drive Rafe away from the tribe, to live out in the world at large. When he finally comes back for a visit, the tribe comes under attack from a group dedicated to eradicate all shifters from the face of the earth. The question is whether there is anything Rafe can do to help his tribe survive. Does he have value in a tribe of powerful shifters, or is exile the proper place for a genetic regression such as him?