Standalone prequel to the Shifting Bonds series. After finding out her boyfriend is married, veterinarian Jayda Kynslan decides to give up men. She has every intention of planting her feet firmly on the path of celibacy - right after one more night of shameless sex with a stranger. A vacation in Montana would certainly ease the pain of betrayal and offer her anonymity. Police chief and wolf shifter council leader Cole Takoda, needs a break from investigating the murders of shifters plaguing his town. When a beautiful stranger seduces him at the local tavern, it's more than a tryst...it's uncontrollable desire. And Cole can't stand it. To top it off, their quickie becomes a revelation of shifter secrets and unfulfilled prophecies. The discovery of a dead man in the forest behind Jayda's rented cabin thrusts her into a foreign world of animal shifters and murder, and the man she thought was only a casual diversion seems to be the only one willing to hear her side of the story. Jayda's just not sure if Cole's going to take her to jail - or his bed. Publisher's Note: This story was previously published elsewhere and has been revised for Ellora's Cave. ***** Shifting Bonds Series: Bonded Souls Bonded by Need Mating Bonds (short story) Shifting Bonds (Complete Print anthology)