The life of any teenage girl is difficult. Grades, makeup, jobs, cars, boys.. It's all too stressful. Harlen Andrews doesn't have most of those problems. Harlen doesn't talk to anyone outside of her house. Friends and boys make no difference to her. She's focused on her painting career and school. Her looks leave her unfazed and she doesn't mind leaving her skin to do its own thing. Harlen hasn't talked to a singular person outside of her family since she moved to Allion, California. All of her classmates assume she's mute and tease her endlessly. That is, until the day she's caught talking.

Long ago scientists discovered a way to alter genes and were able to create a mutation named X01. With the creation of this gene mutation came the creation of the Elementals. Over time the X01 gene mutated itself creating Darks, Readers, Shifters, and the Shadow Lurkers. Ashleigh Jameson is an 18 year old Elemental. Her whole life she's known to one: never get romantically involved with a dark and two: never under any circumstances pursue X01-D8. When Ashleigh finds herself too attached to Leo will she also find X01-D8? Will she be the one to put the dangerous girl under. Or will her instinct to protect and fight back ruin it all?