what a hero! Wren Tigrian - an orphan, a Katagarian (animal that changes to human) and a tigard (tiger&leopard), tiger, leopard, & snow leopard - unique - unloved by his mother who saw him as freak (threatening to sell him to a zoo), neglected by his father when a cub (kept in a cage - only fed & cage cleaned)... but in adolescence, as he started to change forms, his father finally realized the treasure he was - where most only changed between human & one animal, Wren was powerful and could change between many & many combinations... his father attempted amends - attempted to train & help him, but Wren was feral, and he was only starting to make inroads - Wren remembered thinking maybe his father had some esteem for him... then his father is killed, he hears his mother & her lover laughing over killing him - he strikes at the lover, and is thrown against a wall unconscious - wakens when he falls through the floor - fire all around - rescued by firemen - turns into a tiger & runs to woods - a man in a car offers to take him to safety - to Sanctuary - the bar/boarding house run by Bears who offer haven to all - where laws of Kagarian & Arcadians are suspended, and all are safe. and for 25 years, Wren has lived at Sanctuary, withdrawn, lonely, defensive, innocent, leaning tables, learning to control his powers (I'm not sure who trained him), with a monkey as a friend - and 2 almost friends, Aimee (daughter Bear who loves Fang, without her family approval) & Nick.

and Marguerite, law student, Senator's daughter, not quite having her father's acceptance, though she knows he loves her - her mother, a Cajun, and not happy conforming to being a Senator's wife committed suicide, and this resulted in the Senator being evem more controlling and critical of Marguerite... Marguerite & some of her snobby friends formed a study group - that Nick was a part of... and the study group decides to honor Nick by going to Sanctuary for a drink... and at Sanctuary, Maggie becomes aware of someone watching her... Wren is pulled toward her - aware of her - confused by her - and she can feel his interest, and is not offended... her snooty friends become aware of his interest & his monkey and start to bait him... one finally throws his drink into his face & as Wren starts to strike out, 4 bouncer Bears surround him, and take him to the back... her friends leave, but she stays to apolgize to Wren...

ahhhh. Wren... confused, fascinated, frightened, pulled towards her - he feels a sense of peace with her, and wants her touch... she apologizes & leaves - he lets her... but then he can feel she is in trouble, and he flashes to her and defends her against muggers - taking a bullet in his shoulder, he escorts her home, and they share a chaste kiss... then Wren leaves, flashing home & to the doctor's quarters where he passes out...

Maggie sends lots of flowers, and goes again to visit him... bringing him a gift (his 1st gift) - a Tiger university sweatshirt... again a kiss, & she leaves him... he has her backpack (left in the bar), and the next day he tracks her at the university... her snobby friends are rude to him, one pushes him, he pushes back, all 4 jump him, he fights them off, the campus police come - he shoves one, and is arrested... Maggie gets her lawyer and goes to the jail, where they have isolated him... the bail is too high, and then in walks Professor Julian Alexander , Kyrian, & lawyer Bill... and they bail him out, listen to her version of what happened, has her snobby friend arrested for assault... and when Wren comes out and sees her, he only has eyes for her... and he leaves with her - to her home... and he tells her he must have her... He tells her the truth, without entirely telling her the truth... they make love a few times - he tells her he has never been with any other woman... but then he leaves - telling her that they cannot see one another again - he doesn't want her hurt by being with her...

But they can't stop thinking about each other... and of course, can't stay away from one another, though Wren tries... there is also an incident at the zoo - he tracks her there, she is at the tigers - he can tell they are unhappy predators - a boy falls into the enclosure, he goes in after him - keeps the tigers away, hands the boys off to the keeper at the gate, takes a tumble from a tiger, who just wants to play - but he tells him they can't... and he leaves the enclosure unscathed... and throughout the story, Wren is disappointed that the mating connection is not presented physically on his palm...

Nicollette Bear - mother Bear at Sanctuary feels threatened by Wren - and we find she never really wanted to be a Sactuary, only doing it to protect her children... and with the subversive 'talk' from Wren's cousin Zack, whose father is running Tigrian Enterprises - a wealthy computer company that Wren owns 52% stock in thanks to his dad - who tells her that Wren killed his parents (Wren never discussed it, and no one knew what caused his parent's deaths & the house fire)... so the 2 of them go to the council, to Savitar, to ask for a death sentence for Wren - though Wren has supporters, more vote for death & the death squad goes for him - he fights, is tranqed, fights some more & flashes out - and the only place he can think to go is to Maggie - he stumbles into her house, faints, and turns into a tigard - and Maggie has 4 days to reconcile that the bits told her is true, and she nurses him as best she can, and darkens the house to keep all away... he awakens to feel her hands in his fur, talking to him, wondering if as a tigran Wren can understand her, a little leary of him, but... and he changes back to man, he is wary if she can accept him - but sees acceptance in her eyes - though she assures him she'd had time to assimilate it - that he probably wouldn't have appreciated her first reactions...

then Kyrian and Julian come, and warn him that his enemies are near - tell him that he has many who support him, he just needs proof that he did not kill his parents... and they flash them to the past to get that proof -

and Wren's father finds them - it is 3 days before the incident... his father recognizes him, and discerns that his own death is imminent... they talk, they hide when his mother shows up; the father tells the mother that he has cut her out of the will, and is cutting her off from his support - even though they are mated, and he can't be with anyone else, she can and he won't pay for it anymore... they tell father the details of his death - or at least what Wren can remember... and Wren leaves to spy on his mother and his uncle... Wren & his father talk - the father explains how much he regrets allowing his mate to influence him and ignoring Wren as a cub, but how wonderous it is the he is who he is (both in multiple forms, and now as a man)... then he bites Wren, transmitting his mother's power/tiger to her - when Wren returns, he finds her as a tiger - he helps her learn how to choose human, father explains what he did (to empower his daughter-in-law), and then the hunters from their time show up - and her tiger helps to fight them off ... they return to their time, and realizing that they will always be running, he chooses to go to the council to fight his accuser... Savitar seems to be expecting them, he flashes in the council (some right out of their showers)... Nicollette testifies that Zach had lied to her (coming to Wren's defense)... Zach flashes out with Maggie to his father - Savitar tells Wren he must wait a bit... and as the father & son discuss killing Maggie, Wren's father flashes in and flashes out with the father/his brother, and Maggie, as tiger kills the son, Zach, in self defense... Wren is finally allowed to flash to her, finding her crying as her human and animal sides are trying to reconcile - and Wren helps her to see she did what needed doing... they go back to the council... it was Savitar who took young Wren to Sanctuary - at the behest of his father - his father had not died, it was his uncle - and his father needed to stay hidden to not upset the FATES... and the council votes Wren's innocence...

Wren confronts her father, telling him she is marrying Wren and wants him to be in her life but only if he can accept her - and they throw in that Wren is the Tigrian Industry heir... they buy their own house, have a wedding a month later - her father shows up late, but with open arms and her mother's & grandmother's pearls as a gift... and then Savitar flashes him with a gift from someone - he holds Wren & Maggie's hands together, and the mating seal burns into their flesh... now they can have cubs, and the FATES can't 'mate' one of them to another... and they will live happilly every after...

and Savitar returns to his beach, where Nick is waiting - he is the one who sent the mating gift... and Nick is ready tostart training as a Dark Hunter - though he is still angry at Acheron, he is starting to get 'over it'...