Giancarlo De Luca is chef and owner of the Ristorante De Luca, a bustling eatery in the heart of Manhattan that has served as neutral ground for supernatural creatures for over a hundred years. He's busy creating beautiful recipes and has no time to deal with rude customers, the drama of old rivalries, or the gorgeous vampire trying to court him. Joseph has pursued Giancarlo for years with no success, but in an attempt to bring the vampire factions together under his leadership, he claims the human chef as mate and the Ristorante De Luca as vampire territory, and the fragile truce between werewolves, witches, and vampires shatters. Before Joseph can apologize, and before Giancarlo can admit to being secretly pleased by the vampire's romantic intents, war breaks out and Giancarlo finds himself at the center of the mess. Joseph springs into action to save his would-be mate, but Giancarlo has a secret of his own that could change the tide of the war and prove he is better suited to be Joseph's mate than anyone suspected. When the dust settles, is Giancarlo willing to face the danger and responsibility that comes with being a vampire's mate? Or will the stubborn chef go back to cooking alone?