Be proud of your battle scars, because no matter what hurt you, you survived, and it made you stronger... Anita Blake, vampire hunter and US Marshal, will be the first to show you her scars in this sweet and steamy story of celebration and togetherness from the author #1 New York Times bestselling novel by Laurel K. Hamilton. At her close friend's wedding, Anita discovers that even on the happiest days, there are wounds that need healing. She and the wereleopards Mika and Nathaniel are asked to talk to the bride's thirteen-year-old brother, Thomas, who is having a hard time recovering from a recent bullet wound. Depressed and discouraged, Thomas is not doing physical therapy and risks spending the rest of his life in a wheelchair... How can Anita, Mika and Nathaniel convince Thomas that he can get better when he has already given up? They will tell him about their scars and how they managed to return to life after being wounded. Anita realizes how lucky they are not only to have survived their past, but also to be able to officially form an alliance with each other... and with her beloved vampire...