Half-shifter Shaya Critchley may hold a submissive role in her pack, but she's done taking orders. After her Alpha wolf mate refused to claim her-but committed to interfering in her life-she took off. Now she hides from him, posing as a human in a town full of anti-shifter extremist groups. She thinks he'll never find her again, and that suits her just fine. But she's wrong. Nick Axton can barely control his feelings for Shaya, but he could never claim her-not if he truly cares for her. The degenerative brain condition he keeps secret would ultimately leave her with a burden rather than a mate. But when Shaya runs away, Nick can't bear the thought of never seeing her again. After tracking her down, he discovers Shaya's feisty and passionate side in the process...a side he'd never seen before. Under the menacing gazes of territorial local packs and violent human extremists, Nick vows to finally claim the spirited Shaya...and despite her initial resistance, Shaya just might find his fiery determination to be the ultimate aphrodisiac.