Rescue’s arrest of a shapeshifter leads a once-feared Hunter of Thrane back to the home planet he fled long ago. There he discovers that not only is the rebel leader innocent, but the organization he serves may be conspiring with Thrane’s Ruling Houses to control the riches that belong to her people. Though none of that explains why he feels the first stirrings of the Forging Fire—the mating bond—every time he looks at her.