Enforcer Ewan “Cal” Calder hasn’t shifted into his Scottish wildcat form in two years. He should’ve gone crazy by now, because that’s how these things are supposed to work. The governing body of all shifters, the Council, has sent him and his adopted teenage son Kit to a sanctuary in Finland. It’s a last-ditch effort to wean Cal off the morphine he’s been using to keep his cat at bay. If he doesn’t shift soon, there’s no way he’s going to retain his sanity.<br><br>Two years ago, Council security officer Derek Lamont was tentatively dating and getting to know Cal, but then he lost an eye in a tragic accident. While he was recuperating in the hospital, Cal and Kit vanished from the house they’d all shared. Derek has been searching for them ever since, traveling the world and grasping at straws because of the undeniable truth: Derek knows Cal is his mate, even though humans aren’t supposed to be able to feel the mate bond.<br><br>When Derek finds Cal and Kit at a small farm in the middle of nowhere, Finland, he feels relief. But their problems are far from over. From Cal’s guilt over the accident, to stray hunting dogs, to figuring out how to deal with the Council, things keep piling up.

Off and On Again

“Nobody knows how this shifter shit works,”Derek stated.“There are too many variables and causes.Just…I don’t want you to play tough guy when you don’t have to,love.”


“Yeah.What Derek said.”Noah packed up his stuff and left again.


Kit came home in the afternoon,took one glance at Cal and Derek and vanished into his room.Five minutes later,a tiny fox jumped up on the bed,padded its way to their heads and settled between their pillows.


Derek could tell how much it relaxed Cal to have Kit there.Cal closed his eyes and tried to nap or ride out the pain again,Derek wasn’t sure.Kit began to make snuffling noises in his sleep,and Derek smiled.


“I still haven’t heard the story of how you got to be his father,”he said quietly.


Despite the tightness around his eyes and mouth,Cal’s lips twitched a little.He turned his head carefully and opened his eyes to look at Derek.


“I got an assignment to go to Morocco.There were reports of someone trying to sell Fennecs in Marrakesh.”


Chapter 17