When Alexei seeks the help of a ghost to deal with a swaggering bully, he gets the strength and confidence he hopes for. If in the process, he hurt his best friend Sol, well, he can make it up to the wolf later. Things get worse when the ghost, an old Siberian soldier, demands that Alexei give up his gay life, which Alexei fled his home country for. The young fox is resolved to send the ghost away--until his sister, left behind with their abusive parents, falls into mortal danger from which only the ghost can save her. Now Alexei must choose between living the life he risked everything to have and rescuing his beloved Caterina from death...or worse. Kyell Gold is best known for his gay fiction using animal people to represent human archetypes. He has won the Annual Anthropomorphic Literature & Arts (Ursa Major) Award twelve times for his novels and short stories, and the Rainbow Award twice (2009, Best Gay Novel and Best Fantasy Novel, for Out of Position). He has also been nominated for a WSFA Small Press Award (Race to the Moon, 2009). His various online presences are linked from www.kyellgold.com. He lives in California with his husband, but can often be found at conventions around the country and internationally.