At the beginning of the book, Rachel was tagging along with David as he investigated an insurance claim for a witch. They soon find that it was a fake claim and a trap set up by Cincinnati's alpha Weres, in order to challenge Rachel for dominance in David's pack. After David is locked out of the room the ambush took place in, Rachel is forced to fight a female Were in wolf form, while Rachel only had her human form. Rachel discovers that all of the alphas have pooled together their will in "a round" in order to make their challenger harder to hurt or beat. After some intervention involving David busting into the room, the city's alphas begrudgingly declare Rachel the winner of the challenge for dominance.
When Rachel returns home, sore, chewed on and scared, Rachel and Ivy receive a visit from Matalina, learning that Nick has taken Jax with him on a trip to Michigan and that Nick was captured whereas Jax got away. She tells them that Jenks is planning to go to Michigan to find and save Jax before he dies due to the cold temperatures. It takes Rachel following him around and begging, but Rachel finally convinces Jenks to let her come with him. While preparing for the trip, Rachel and Ceri decide make a demon curse that will allow Rachel to change into a wolf, should the possibility that she ever needed to fight another Were arise. While spelling, they decide that the easiest way to keep Jenks from succumbing possible death due to exposure to cold and pressure changes is to twist a curse that will make Jenks the size of a human. Though scared at first, Jenks eventually drinks the curse and becomes a very attractive muscular blonde man that looks eighteen.
Borrowing Kisten's van, Rachel and Jenks travel to Mackinaw, Michigan and finally find Jax in a butterfly garden/museum and learn Nick is on a nearby island ran by militant Weres, that Nick had stolen a statue and the Were group on the island want it. Jax also explains that he stayed alive by taking shelter in the butterfly garden and ate pollen and stayed warm with the help of a female kitten who he had named Rex. Though horrified at first, Jenks eventually caves in and allows Jax to keep Rex. After retiring to their motel room for the night, Jenks has a talk with Jax about needing to learn how to read and also how to carry out a mission responsibly. Rachel and Jenks then plan how to get Nick off the island, finally deciding on going on a diving tour and straying from the group. The next day, Jenks and Rachel, or Mr. and Mrs. Morgan find a diving tour company ran by a witch named Marshal, and learn to scuba dive in a pool. The next day, they go out into the water, where Rachel finally convinces Marshal to loan her the scuba gear and warmth amulets she and Jenks used as well as extra scuba gear and a warmth amulet for one.
After successfully reaching the island, the set out to search for Nick, only to find actual wolves, one who is a female named Aretha surrounding them, and eventually having to be saved by the militant Weres on the island. They take Rachel and Jenks, who is still big, to meet their alpha Mr. Vincent, who assumes Rachel works for Trent and becomes dispondant. To avoid being killed, Rachel challenges the female alpha for dominance. She then learns there is not one pack of Weres on the island, but three and they are all working under Mr. Vincent's will. Just like before, the Weres form a round and Rachel uses her curse to change into wolf form. As the fight starts, Jenks leaves to start looking for Nick. Just as Rachel was starting to think she was going to be beaten and possibly killed, when Aretha shows up and attacks Rachel's opponent when the opponent ran. In the confusion, Rachel departs to find Jenks.
When Jenks finds Nick and Rachel catches up, still in wolf form, he is worse for wear, having obviously been tortured and reeking of infection. Slowly, they make their way to their scuba gear, but as if by grace, a rivaling pack of Weres swarm the island, leaving boats near the scuba gear. After Jenks knocks them into unconsciousness and submission with a large stick, Rachel, Jenks, and Nick make their escape. Nick realizes that the wolf he has been petting is Rachel and is shocked to see her, since he believed her dead from the boat explosion she and Trent were in in the previous book.
Upon entering the docks after their getaway, they notice Ivy on the shore and are surprised because she was supposed to stay in Cincinnati to carry out Piscary's political actions. After Rachel shifts back to human form, Ivy tells them that Kisten can handle it and decides to stay until they are done in Michigan. However, the Weres have blocked off the briges and road out of Mackinaw, so they are forced to stay for a while. After Ivy quickly modifies the van with illegal flash paint so they won't be recognized, Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks set about planning how to get out unharmed with Nick and the statue he stole.
Nick reveals the statue is called "the focus" and is a Were artifact that, when in possession of an alpha, binds all Were packs nearby together, making them a threat to vampire society who is comfortably at the top of the food chain, which could potentially start a war. Rachel forces Nick to give her the statue and she goes about trying to transfer the focus to another statue.
To be continued...