Such an awesome series with some fantastic characters and intriguing mystery! I loved Karsyn/Alexei from the first books. He seemed so uninterested, but his personality was charming in a gruff kind of way. He was rather endearing, even though he didn't want to be. I knew Claude would give him a run for his money, and boy did he. He also was the rock that Alexei didn't think he needed. It was nice to see Alexei let his guard down just a little, even though he tried to make it look like he didn't. Hearing about his past was awful, and to have him reliving some of those moments was heart breaking. I'm so glad he finally has some peace, friendship, and love in his life. He definitely deserves it. Claude was an awesome partner for him. ( )