“Irvine, open up!”

Willow? I glanced up from the kitchen, where I was busy preparing a meal. Richard sat in the chair in front of my tiny stove, moving the logs around with the poker but not doing anything to actually make the fire burn better. I glared at him and gestured to the bed. He dived under the mattress, dragging his thick legs in after him.

How is she here? Why would she possibly come back? Does she want to forgive me? Could we really have a fresh start? A real future?

My heart surged. I pulled the door open and threw my arms wide. “You dinnae ken how much I prayed for this—”

Instead of falling to my arms, Willow shoved past me and slammed her purse down on the table. “Did you plan the grand reveal of shifters on Alex’s wedding day?”

“How do you ken about that?”

Willow’s eyes blazed. A vein in the side of her neck throbbed. I’d never seen her so angry before, not even earlier today, when she was tearing out my heart. She was usually so timid. Those fierce eyes were actually kind of hot. “Alex told me. I just came from Raynard Hall where she’s crying her eyes out because you bastards have ruined her wedding.”

“We haven’t ruined it at all. Ryan said it was fine. He said he’s talked to Alex and she’s happy with it.”

Willow’s eyes flashed. “I don’t care what Ryan said. He clearly doesn’t know his wife very well, if he thought she’d be happy having her wedding day turned into some kind of shifter political rally.”

I took the pasta off the stove. “It’s Ryan’s wedding, too.”

That was the wrong thing to say. Willow let out a strangled cry. “I can’t believe you support this, that you spearheaded this.”

“You can, too. You ken what I had to do to keep the shifter secret from the world. You want to ken why I am capable of murdering someone? You want to ken how I can even begin to live with the guilt of the terrible thing I’ve done? It’s because I had nae choice. If I didnae kill that guy, he would've told our secret, and maybe he wouldnae be believed, but what if he was? I had to protect my pack, protect my family …” I balled my hands into fists. “I should have killed the boy, too, but I couldnae do it. He was so young, barely a teenager, and I thought if I spared him, no one would believe him. This is what the secrecy reduces us to – it makes murderers and criminals of men who only want to protect their families.”

“Irvine—” Willow’s voice cut in, but I pressed on.

“If I can save another generation of shifters from carrying this guilt, then I’m going to do whatever it takes to make that happen. I hate that doing it causes you pain, I hate it so much, but I cannae put one person before my entire race, even if I care more about that person than anyone else in the world.”

“But you—”

“Ryan believes the same thing, and he ken we needed a big event with lots of reporters, so he volunteered the wedding. It makes perfect sense. Ryan’s a beloved public figure, which means when he reveals what he is, people will trust him.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this, to me.”

“I donnae see why you’re so upset. Dinnae think these are your friends that you speak of. You betrayed us all by keeping your own secrets, Carol. We havenae ruined anything. They’ll have their beautiful ceremony, and the reception with the speeches and first dance and everything. We’ve let them have all that guff—”

“Guff is it? You’ve let them have it, have you? God forbid a person might want to actually enjoy their wedding day without a bunch of wolves stampeding everywhere, causing mass panic and injuring their guests—”

I held up my hands. “Whoa. Hold on a minute there, lass. No one’s getting injured. All we’re doing is transforming into our animals, and then transforming back. Yes, we expect a bit of panic, but Ryan’s made arrangements to deal with that, and—”

“What do you call this if not an injury!” Willow yelled, kicked out her prosthesis. Her leg sailed across the room and slammed into the wall. She planted both her hands on the table to keep herself upright. Tears streamed down her red, blotchy face. “Don’t you dare tell me you care about me, and then take away everything good in my life. Don’t try to tell me you can control yourself, because I know better than that. If my father can hurt his own daughter, then what are you lot going to do at a party full of strangers?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Carol.”

Shit. Richard, no, no.

Willow froze. I turned around slowly, kenning exactly what I would see and dreading it. Richard had poked his head out from beneath the bed.

“Irvine … there’s a man under your bed.” Willow’s voice was breathy.

“Um … yes, there is.” I bent down and dragged Richard out. “Willow, I didn’t want it to be like this, but this is your father, Richard.”

Willow’s face paled. Her hand started to slip over the edge of the table. “What are you talking about?”

“Maybe you should sit down.” I pulled out the chair next to her, but she didn’t move. Her eyes remained glued on Richard. I wondered if she was noticing the familiarity of his features.

“I know this is a big shock,” Richard said, taking a step across the tiny room. “I’ve been living under the sewers of London. Many shifters live there with me, who have committed crimes that go unpunished. We punish ourselves instead. Irvine brought me here because he thought I might be able to help you understand—”

“I understand that you’re a monster!” Willow lifted her right hip, waving the stump of her residual limb at his face. “What kind of a person does this to their own daughter?”

Richard’s entire face crumpled, his whole body slumping. “I … I … am so sorry,” he said.

“I can’t—” Willow was shaking uncontrollably. Her hands slid forward, grasping in the air for something to steady herself. “I have to—”

I rushed forward to grab her, as her whole body crumpled, and the light in her eyes went dim. “Stay inside,” I growled at Richard, as I hefted Willow’s body into my arms and carried her limp body out of the cabin.