Crossed knuckles

Welcome to the world of Patricia Briggs, where witches, vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters live side by side with ordinary people. Only a very unusual woman can feel at home in it - and Mercy Thompson is truly unique. By day, Mercy works as an auto mechanic in the sprawling Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington. He exercises his supernatural powers at night.

As a shapeshifter with a very unique talent, he often has to maintain a precarious balance between humans and non-humans. But this time it might be too much for her. Marsilia, the local vampire queen, has discovered that Mercy has killed a member of her clan - and now she's out for her blood. But because Mercy is protected from direct attack by the werewolf pack (and her close relationship with the sexy alpha), Marsilia decides not to go after her directly, but after the blood of her friends.