When he was twelve, he witnessed the man he knew as his father, Strickland, strike the blow that would kill his mother. Knowing she is dying, his mother tells Branan the truth of his heritage. Branan is the son of a Scottish Laird, Raulf MacTavish. Strickland murdered Branan's true sire and forced his mother into marriage. With the help of a foster family, Branan flees Inglewood and finds safety with his father's clan in Scotland. But Strickland's abuse has created a black shadow in Branan's soul, a rage so feral he cannot control it. He must walk a fine line, with one foot in the mists of darkness, and the other in reality with only the illusion of control. Twelve years later, Branan returns, now a skilled warrior and the day of reckoning shadows his steps. He is determined to seize his destiny and forever banish the black rage within him. But upon his return, he discovers his foster parents murdered, and the woman he loves, Catriona, betrothed to another man.