The first light of morning did nothing to soothe the storm in Val’s mind. He was in his suite, but the place now felt cold and empty. He had barely slept a wink.

All night, he had paced the length of his room. The heavy silence was a constant reminder of his mistake. It wasn't about the human. No, he told himself that over and over. It was about Thorne. Thorne always had a way of getting on his nerves. Why on earth did Thorne need the collar? Then, at almost that instant, his mind reminded ...