Once a medieval Spanish knight, Don Rafael Perez has been a vampire for seven centuries, clinging to his code of honor despite years of torture. He has risen to become the leader of the largest vampire territory in North America, spanning Texas and Oklahoma. But a cruel and seductively cunning rival is challenging his rule -- fanning the flames of all-out war.

Adept at sending women into raptures of ecstasy while he feeds, Rafael has many willing lovers. But into his domain comes a woman he must deny himself: Grania O'Malley, a new veterinarian at the world-renowned Texas Hill Country Raptor Center. Rafael soon realizes he shares a bond with Grania he can't explain and doesn't trust. But neither can he stay away from her.

Grania, convinced that she can find a suitable husband through scientific research, has no explanation for why her body turns to molten fire at the mere sight of Rafael -- or why her very existence tempts him into breaking every rule of both his body and his mind just when he needs to be stronger than ever....