IN HER WORLD, SHE WAS A PROTECTOR Mara Kincaide knows what it is like to live in chaos. For six years, she has operated a shelter for women, bearing witness to the dark side of mankind as well as the great potential for good in humanity. But when a cilent whom she deeply cared for disappears, a concerned Mara follows her friend's trail--and ends up falling victim to the same ominous fate. IN HIS WORLD, HE WOULD PROTECT HER Powerful, lithe, and cunning, Connor Rihyad is a force not to be trifled with, even among the other Gargoyles who, with him, have watched over humanity for centuries. But when Mara is "given" to Connor, she senses something about the brooding guardian that separates him from his ageless brethren--an untamed desire that yearns to be unleashed. Now, as betrayal and savage violence threaten to explode around them, Mara must decide if she has truly found the man of her dreams--or the embodiment of her nightmares.