Damn it—Jesse cursed herself. Why had she done that, why had she run? Well, she knew the answer. She was exhausted, she hadn’t slept a wink, and now Alec and Levi were more stable, she needed space. She had come here seeking solitude, hoping to find peace within nature’s embrace.
The grass whispered, joining in the chorus of the trees as the gentle summer breeze caressed the land. For days she had sat unmoving by his bedside. Seven times since their return had she used her bloodline’s hold upon him to force him to shift, and each time he obeyed she felt dirty.
She had simply wanted to command him to wake and, had she done so, he would have obeyed. She hated this. She hated the connection, the control, the thought of all the years her father had used him. The familiar ties let her feel al
