The Heartwood I know that I ended it,

Truthfully, Katmai couldn't imagine it, either. He'd hardly begun to imagine one mate, and Kinusi was plenty to fantasize about, for the moment. He gave a placid little nod, ready to begin searching again, but then found himself lost in thought once more.

"I wish that I had, too," he told her, pausing to look Leonore fully in the face for a moment. He blinked at her, and then said, "Perhaps the most special thing I could bring Kinusi is a new friend," he suggest with a wag of his tail. "Would you like to meet her?"