Magic, leader of the Ouachita clan of big cats, has had his fair share of missteps when it comes to females. One that ultimately cost him his mate, leaving him wounded inside and unable to heal. Now he’s determined to keep his clan from making the same mistakes. No mating is the rule they agreed on, but one-by-one they want to break it. None of them know the risks like he does, and he won’t watch his clan go down that road without a fight.

Fun loving city girl and longtime friend of the clan, Josie, is always down for a good time. She can’t understand a man as hard and buttoned up as Magic, and she’s determined to find a way to help him live up to his name. When she comes to the lodge to help her best girlfriend work through some private problems, she finds herself wanting more from the big, snarly cat who never takes her seriously. But a secret ten years in the making throws Josie into a world of harsh realities, where she is somehow mated to the one panther shifter hell-bent on staying single.

Torn by the past and an undeniable connection to a female he doesn’t want to lose, this is Magic’s last chance to get it right. But can he let go of history long enough to see how wonderful the future for the Ouachitas could be?