This is my fave installment in the series. Sasha and Stefan are--without question--attached. Stefan has sent for a Council elder to verify Sasha's superior magical rank, and to have a Mage come to train her. For some reason, Sasha's magic doesn't seem to work the way Stefan's people are accustomed. 
 Every time she tries to cast a spell, it ends in a fiery disaster. Hopefully Toa, the White Mage, can help her sort out the trouble because Sasha is being sent as Stefan's emissary to the nearby shifter population to help secure an alliance against their mortal enemy, Trek, and his minions. If Sasha is successful she will elevated to the rank of full Mage and will be considered a worthy match for a clan leader--namely Stefan--so she is determined to work hard toward this goal. 
 Sasha is accompanied by her stalwart--and horny--protector Charles, and Jonas--a good friend of Stefan but someone who had sworn to get revenge against Sasha in the first book. Neither Sasha, nor Charles are certain where Jonas' loyalty lies, however, and they both have serious reason to believe he will not protect Sashs should Trek turn up in the shifter camp. 
 And, of course, Sasha's confidence is shattered when her rival for Stefan's affection, Darla, arrives as "back up". Sasha is sure this is a "No Confidence" vote on Stefan's part and begins to doubt that she will complete her mission--to gain the shifter alliance--which will mean that she and Stefan cannot be linked. 
 As it happens, Trek hits the shifter camp hot and hard. A supposed protector is truly a traitor and Sasha must choose between leaving the shifter camp in full battle to protect herself, or turning back to help her new friends. As this is an adventure/erotic romance you can guess the choice she makes. 
 It's a satisfying end, with an epic battle that proves Sasha's true worth as both a human and a Mage. The resolution hints at further installments, but the series is fairly well-wrapped. Had a great time with Charles--Sasha always seems to get the better of him, Watch Captain or no. I think the best part of the book was the uncertainty surrounding Jonas and Darla. Both had good reason to want Sasha in harms way, but one did the right thing and proved his/herself the supreme protector. 
 It's a fun spicy adventure, but there was far less spice and far more adventure which seemed to be the right mix for me this go-round. Again, not recommending this for young readers. Whole lotta lovin' goin' down...