JAKE:

I had just returned from my early morning run, feeling a new surge of strength as I got into the palace. River, my wolf, had become more active these days and I attributed his change in countenance to the unconventional arrival of his second mate. He was always hyperactive every time we discovered a mate and I would always kill the enthusiasm by rejecting the mate.

Fortunately, it never made him less powerful or dormant. I was going to reject this one too, it was only a matter of time.

I showered after every run. As I stepped out of the bathroom, the sound of a knock on my...