LOGINDesmond’s POVCold fear seizes me instantly.But then I catch a glimpse of chestnut hair from the corner of my eye, and see she’s on the balcony.Nothing happened to her. She didn’t somehow escape or run away. She’s still here. I approach silently, seeing that she’s bent over something. Her phone? The breeze is carrying her scent to me, but not mine to hers. She doesn’t notice me even though I’m just two steps away now. I move quietly against the backdrop of noises that disguise my approach: the scurry of a coyote in the underbrush, autumn leaves rustling in the wind, an owl hooting from the branches of a redwood. I’m not above sneaking around right now. What if she’s texting her ex? Good thing I had a tap put on her phone. If she’s texting him, I’ll know. But her long hair ripples in the breeze, and I see what she’s holding for the first time. In her hands, she has a circle with some fabric stretched over it, and she’s pulling a needle and threadthrough the canvas. Flowers.
Desmond’s POVAfter getting Wendy situated back at Dom Volka—and checked out by Cornelia—I force myself back to my duties. The faster I can deal with the other shit in my life, the faster I can get back to Wendy. As soon as Wendy is out of earshot, I pull Otaktay aside. “You’ve still got eyes on Maurice Harp?”Otaktay nods. “He pretty much just goes to work, home, and back again.”“And his research? Is he wiping away the evidence?”“We still have a tap on his phone from when he was here, but we don’t have access to his personal devices at home.” He gives me a significant look. “We could send someone down there. Hurry the process along.”“No. No need to be heavy-handed unless we have a reason to.”Otaktay accepts my reasoning without question. Which is a good thing, considering it’s not the real reason I have no desire to hurry Maurice along.If Wendy finds out from her dad that he’s held up his end of the bargain, she’ll demand I hold up my end too—meaning, release her.All the progr
Wendy’s POVDesmond insists on staying in the water with me, catching, or trying to catch, in my case, set after set, until my muscles are aching and I'm exhausted. I crash out every time. I fail, over and over. Every time, Desmond tells me I did well. That I was brave. That each time was better than the last. Maybe it’s just another form of manipulation, but it’s working. I feel myself becoming braver as he says I am. More willing to fail, even though it’s embarrassing and frustrating, because I really do get a little better every time.When there’s a break between sets, I take it all in. The morning sun limns the water in pale gold. From my vantage point I have a view of the forest as it tumbles all the way to the cliff's edge. In the foreground, slicing through the mist, are a dozen wolf shifters and their families. Bound to the tides, bound to the moon, just like the water we’re floating in. Not barbarians. Not savages. They're men. Extraordinary men.Ones who love their wive
Wendy’s POVThrough the blur of churning water, a shadow moves toward me. Strong arms pierce through the current, wrapping tight around my ribs and hauling me against a hard chest.Desmond.Even underwater, I know the feel of him, the sheer power in the way he holds me, the unyielding force dragging me upward. His kick is relentless, each stroke cutting through the crushing dark until my lungs are about to burst.He cages me to him, his body shielding mine from the weight of the ocean, and then we’re surging toward the surface together. I try not to panic as a powerful wave churns us onto the shore. I come up for air gasping and sputtering, the board still strapped to my ankle.As I kneel on my hands and knees on shore, Desmond is already there, dropping down beside me. His hands skim over my arms, shoulders, waist, checking for injuries.There’s an urgency to him I’ve never seen before.“Shit, baby. Shit. What hurts? Did you hit your head?”“No.” I cough, salt burning my throat. “Ev
Wendy’s POVThrough the blur of churning water, a shadow moves toward me. Strong arms pierce through the current, wrapping tight around my ribs and hauling me against a hard chest.Desmond.Even underwater, I know the feel of him, the sheer power in the way he holds me, the unyielding force dragging me upward. His kick is relentless, each stroke cutting through the crushing dark until my lungs are about to burst.He cages me to him, his body shielding mine from the weight of the ocean, and then we’re surging toward the surface together. I try not to panic as a powerful wave churns us onto the shore. I come up for air gasping and sputtering, the board still strapped to my ankle.As I kneel on my hands and knees on shore, Desmond is already there, dropping down beside me. His hands skim over my arms, shoulders, waist, checking for injuries.There’s an urgency to him I’ve never seen before.“Shit, baby. Shit. What hurts? Did you hit your head?”“No.” I cough, salt burning my throat. “Ev
Wendy’s POVMinutes later, Desmond parks the truck by the coast. He grabs two surfboards out of the truck bed. We walk to the beach as pale light filters across the horizon. The wind carries the scent of pine forest from the cliffs to the beach. Out in the water, Desmond's packmates, along with a few wives and even a couple of older kids, are already riding the swells, their laughter carrying above the pounding waves. For a few moments, I'm overwhelmed by greetings. There are still so many names I don't remember, and yet everyone seems to know mine as they welcome me with smiles. Some of the women venture to give me hugs, and the kids swarm me once again before running off with glee.The guys all do that back-slapping hug thing or give fist bumps to Desmond. It's surprisingly informal for a hierarchal society, but something about being by the ocean seems to strip away all formality. Surfboards in tow, Desmond leads me to the shallows, water foaming around our ankles. It’s freezing.
Wendy’s POVWhen I wake in the morning, I’m not surprised to find myself alone. I should be happy Desmond left me alone. That’s what I wanted, after all. I turn over and stare at my pillow barricade. In the cold light of day, it seems so petulant. Just plain silly. It wasn’t that I was afraid he’
Desmond’s POVShe turns off the light beside her bed and flops down on the pillow, facing away from me. I hear her grumpy huff, and it almost makes me grin.If someone asked me a week ago what I would do with a defiant little spitfire for a mate, I would have bristled at the notion of allowing such
Desmond’s POVJealousy is real. So is honesty.“Here’s another piece of wolf shifter intel for you,” I tell her.“Unbonded pack alphas are strongly encouraged to stay celibate until they find their mate."“You clearly missed that memo.”I meet her eyes, let her see how serious I am. “Since I took t
Desmond’s POVThe sound of water running begins. With my heightened senses, I hear the rustle of fabric as she slips off her clothes. My brain supplies the imagery of her naked body to go along with what I’m hearing. As water sloshes against the side of the tub, I imagine it lapping at her tits.







