Scarlett I hurried out of David’s office, my heart racing in my chest. The mate bond pulsed with intensity, sensing Finn’s presence in the council chamber. My wolf, Ray, whimpered and clawed at my insides, desperate to turn around, to go back. “Mate,” she pleaded. “We need him.” “We need nothing,” I snarled internally, though my hand betrayed me by clutching at my chest where the bond pulsed strongest. I hadn’t come to discuss hospital bills. I’d come because I’d overheard the maids discussing the meeting, and I had asked one to take me there since I didn’t know anything about his pack. I was curious— curious about how he led his pack, how he spoke during important meetings. I had let my curiosity get the better of me. But seeing Finn had scattered my thoughts. Five years hadn’t prepa

