Book 4 of the Cross-Shifter Series. Can be read as a stand-alone but might be confusing at the beginning for a bit.) Being captive for years has soured Palace's outlook on just about everything. He sat in a rusty hauling container for weeks at a time, missing his big brother terribly, the only person he'd ever had in the world for so long, only to be sold to disgusting people who wanted him for illogical reasons. Over that time, he became a killer. He didn't like it at first, but soon it became second nature. Besides, in his new world, where his original master only viewed him as another giant check, and those he sold him to saw him as their next horrible fetish until he ripped their throats out, he found little reason to behave favorably. So, when a lion shifter crosses his path right before he is likely to be sold again, and actually treats him like he wasn't just a piece of meat to try and use, Palace isn't quite sure how to handle him.

Keegan is a boy who loves affection. He's usually quite peppy and excitable, but everything in life has turned against him. He ends up locking away his emotions and making himself distant from the world, trying to avoid further suffering. He's left a shell of his former self, struggling to get through life. He decides to take time away from his abusive life by going on a week long school trip to collect his thoughts. He is placed in situations he couldn't have imagined. Theo is a laid back jock. He can come off as aggressive and bossy, usually around his friends, though he has a heart and can be quite kind. His life is hectic and full of annoying people. His parents are inconsiderate, his friends are clingy and loud, and the rest of the school sucks up to him, which he doesn't received well. He just wants to be left alone. After deceiving his clingy friends he snuck away on the school trip, hoping he could finally get some peace and quiet. This trip would hold some surprises for him, and maybe even change his life. What future will await these two? Are they destined for greatness, or despair?

Sarcastic Theo is just trying to get through his senior year of high school with his sister Thalia and his best friend Oliver. But Theo’s life gets flipped upside-down when the overly flamboyant Dimitri Ivanov is thrust into his life. Dimitri is cocky, flashy, and makes a hobby out of annoying Theo. But Theo begins to question whether Dimitri’s constant flirting is all in fun, or if it’s becoming serious. And why is straight Theo getting such strong feelings for Dimitri?