A polar owl picks up a bear at the Crossroads bar, and both follow their instincts. Esmeralda has just suffered two humiliations. The first was her thirtieth birthday, and the second was the line of suitors her father had brought as guests to the party. Her friend, Krysia, offers her a chance to stop her family's attempts to fix Ezzie at every opportunity. With sad honesty, her friend says she needs to go to Werewolf Crossing and find a mate. The transporter sends her through a magical portal to a place where werewolves go as a last resort when they can't find their own mate. To "Crossroads".