Ezmerelda has just suffered through two indignities. The first was her thirtieth birthday, and the second was the lineup of suitors her father brought along as guests to the party. Her friend, Krisia, offers her a chance to stop her family from fixing Ezzy up at every opportunity.
With depressing honesty her friend tells her she needs to go to the Shifter's Crossroads and find herself a mate. The transporter sends her through the magical portal to the place where shifters go as a last resort when they can't find a mate of their own: the Crossroads.