Noah Reed has his life planned out. There was that one glitch, years ago, but he's back on track now and determined to reach his goal of becoming a veterinarian and building his own practice.

Shane Black's hard life has taught him there's no point in looking forward and even less in looking back. He takes life as it comes, and his only real need is medical care for his young pup, Dodger.

When Shane stumbles into the clinic where Noah volunteers, Noah’s instincts tell him to run away from the dangerous, unpredictable ruffian. But the puppy needs help, and maybe Shane does, too.

The young men soon discover that Dodger was poisoned, and so were several street people Shane knows. As they search for the source of the poison, Noah learns about the dark underside of the city where he’s spent his whole life, and Shane learns that there is light in the world, even when he’s stuck in the shadows.

But when their relationship begins to grow from a partnership to a romance, new challenges appear. Their worlds are so different—can they ever make sense together? Is there any room in Noah’s carefully planned life for someone as unpredictable as Shane?