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

Since there was leeway in Cal’s terms—a week and home before Christmas—they had no clue when he’d get the actual summons.


They tried their best to stick to their routines,but this time they socialized more.Cal and Derek left their den a couple of times to go to the other farm,just to have something else to think about.


One of those evenings,they were gathered in Mikael’s house,hanging out with everyone in the living room.


They’d had dinner and then Mikael had gone to his office to check his emails like he did every night.Suddenly he rushed back into the room,his eyes shining with excitement.


“The girls are coming back next week!”he exclaimed,and everyone who knew what he was talking about whooped and then it was smiles all around until Mikael,Maxim,Noah,Dallas,and Anton realized Derek,Cal,and Kit had very little clue about what was going on.


Chapter 24