"What are you doing downstairs?"

Max folded his arms over his chest. "I felt your pain and was wondering what caused it."

His concern touched her deeply. It was true, watching the family around her made her ache for the one thing she wanted most.

Fang Kattalakis. A wolf who'd been half dead, he'd been brought here by his brother, and Aimee had nursed him back to health the same way she had Max. But unlike with Max, she'd fallen in love with Fang even though she knew there was no chance of there ever being anything between them.

If only she could convince her heart of that.

She offered Max a smile she knew was fake. "I'm okay."

"You're not okay, Aimee. You haven't been okay since the night Fang left."

She glanced about nervously. "Please keep your voice down…"

"Is this better?"

She could only hear his voice in her head. Nodding, she patted his arm. "I'll be fine, Max. Thank you for your concern, but you know me."

"I do know you, Aimee. And I know that solitude is a dungeon of spikes that pierces every layer of armor you try to build for it." He held his hand up so that she could see the tattoo he'd placed there in remembrance of his family. "I lost what meant most to me. Don't make the same mistake."

"But Fang and I aren't mates. There are no marks…"

"Neither were there marks for us. And still my heart is broken. Don't let the Fates rule your life. Sometimes we have to take responsibility for it ourselves."