Experienced at feeling unwanted, Clarissa Rue Hawthorne lives her life alone with those few friends who know little of her secrets. She is a Halfling--half drakon, known in mythology as a dragon; and a half human. Anyone of mixed breeding should not have had the ability, but the elders were wrong. When she matured into womanhood, she discovered that like the males of her species, she can change into a drakon. She is the first female of their kind after four generations that can change from appearing human to smoke to dragon and back again. Charissa fakes her own death and escapes from their small community to live amongst mankind in London.

Christoff, Marques of Langford, or Kit, is alpha leader of the tribe of drakon. He is used to having his way and always winning. There is no alternative. To lose could mean revealing that dragons still exist and their extinction.

Kit uses the Langford Diamond's display at London to catch what can only be an escaped drakon. He's in for more than one surprise. The press dubbed "Smoke Thief" is Clarissa. How could he have forgotten the compelling child perched in the trees and spying on him? When she dissolves into fog, his plans for the runner's death drastically changes. Her jail will no longer be a tiny cell within their prison, but on his arm as his wife. Holding only her clothes to remind him of her extraordinary beauty, the Langford Diamond is stolen.

Kit's goal is not just the death of the fugitives. He must find the diamond and make Clarrissa his bride. She has no intention of letting that happen. She won't let a silly childhood crush keep her bound to a man who doesn't love her or bound to people who taunted and punished her as a child.

When Kit is successful in capturing Clarrissa on his terms, she makes a bargain. For retrieving the diamond and turning in the fugitive, in exchange, they would grant her freedom. He accepts her conditions. Of course, he's lying.

This is a wonderful book. Kit is definitely your alpha male. When I read that Kit had no qualms about not keeping his word to Clarrissa, I was so caught up in the story that I got angry. I had to find out how Clarrissa would get away and stay away.