At my home, three tiny speckled eggs nestled inside a handful of grass on the highest step. A sweeping sense of déjà vu rocked me back on my heels. They were partridge eggs. I recognized them, because Lori and I had found a nest in the grass one summer while on vacation. Dad had given us a book to help us identify the species, which I did after Lori had given up on skimming. As a treat, he took two of the delicate eggs, thanked the nest for providing for us, and boiled them to go with our dinner.

This was the third item to show up on my steps that directly linked to me, to my family, to my past and my memories.

Cold rage ignited in my gut. There was only one reasonable explanation for it, and it made me sick. Bessemer had sifted through Graeson’s memories. The alpha knew secrets I had only ever told Graeson. But what if a side effect of joining the bond was leaving mental residue behind? I had never told Graeson about the eggs or the scrunchie or the shampoo, but had Bessemer gleaned those from the bond some other way? And what about the rabbit? Had he known Lori and I kept one as a pet? Or had Aisha truly used it as a lure?

Half afraid that if I stopped now I might not get moving again, I stepped over the nest and into my home. No, I realized. That wasn’t entirely true. I was just afraid I might spin on my heel and hunt down the alpha to bend his ear for a while, something neither Graeson nor I were fit to do at the moment. Grilling the alpha would have to wait, preferably for when I could stand with the beta at my back.

The wolf followed me without complaint, which I took as a good sign. I dropped the bag on the kitchenette table and limped into the bathroom, where my attempt to shut out the wolf for privacy was met with a rolling bass rumble of threat.

Heaving a sigh, I left the door open and handled business. While I was sitting, I untied my boots and kicked them into the corner. My pants were already halfway off, so I peeled those down my legs gingerly. This interested Graeson enough that he entered the bathroom with me, cramping the small room with his size while he inspected my leg. When he retreated, I tried to shut the door so I could strip for a shower. He was having none of it, hackles rising when I cut off his eye contact with me.