I had run for a while, chasing some small prey, taking out mine and Aspen’s frustration on the small animals we found in the forest. But I struggled to focus and wasn’t doing brilliantly. My mind and Aspen’s kept focusing back on Esme, on our apparent mate, the mate that didn’t want us, the mate that had run from us.

Knox and Lilah had mind linked us numerous times, Aspen howling when he shifted must have disturbed them, so they knew something was wrong as they had seen me shift and go for a run. So, they knew I wasn’t in my house making sweet love to my new fucking...