Book excerpt: “Maidens are being murdered,” her friend warned. If only she had listened…. When Anya has her fortune read by a soothsayer, she is excited to hear about her future with her betrothed, a handsome knight. But when the soothsayer tricks her into releasing a murderer onto the land, she instead finds herself friendless and exiled. Elric is a man with a terrible secret. He stalks the Heartlands with his wolf in search of a killer, hoping to right the wrongs of the past. When he is captured and accused of murder, it is Anya who comes to his aid, ultimately leading to her banishment. Determined to put an end to the killings but unwilling to let an innocent woman be sent to her death, Elric agrees to rescue Anya with the help of some unlikely allies. Now Anya and Elric are forced to catch a killer to clear their names, but he is arrogant, and she is heartbroken. As they draw closer to the truth, they can’t help but feel drawn to each other, and when Anya is forced to choose between an idyllic life with her handsome knight or a man of mystery and darkness, she finds the choice was never hers to make. Will she become the next victim of a horrible predator stalking the land? Or will Elric be able to save the only woman he’s ever loved from his dark secret?