Seventeen-year-old Maria has learned how to survive as a werewolf in the middle of New York City by hiding in plain sight. With a watchful grandmother, a protective father who works far beyond the city limits, and strict rules meant to keep her human life intact, Maria believes she understands the balance between who she is and who she pretends to be. But as the holiday season approaches and the moon begins to shift, that balance starts to crack. The legend hunt. Run is a must, but do not fear. Fear. It is already feeding. What Maria doesn’t know is that Damiano is no stranger at all. He is her father’s longtime best friend, a figure from a world she was never meant to see, one her father never imagined would return, once treated like a little brother and now hiding behind the disguise of a fast-food crew worker. Damiano is a billionaire Alpha, ancient and powerful, hiding in plain sight to investigate a growing threat within the werewolf world, one that could shatter the fragile peace between humans and shifters. New York is only the beginning. The holidays are the trigger. As Maria is pulled toward him by forces she doesn’t fully understand, romance sparks in the most dangerous place possible between secrets. What begins as quiet curiosity turns into something deeper, darker, and impossible to ignore. Can Maria learn to control what she is before the world forces her to choose sides?