GRACE PULLED HER hair into a ponytail just as the doorbell pealed.

Max shook his head. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

“You can.”

“I don’t know if I want to do this.”

Grace smiled up at him. “I know, baby. But you’ll thank me when it’s settled.”

He frowned. “That might be a bit optimistic.”

“Come on. Let’s get this over and done with.”

She led Max out of the bedroom and answered the door.

“Hi,” Kenna said with a smile, Niall behind her.

“Hi,” Grace said, and stepped back. “Come in.”

Niall kissed her cheek and then flopped onto one of the sofas. Kenna sat beside him.

“Any issues with my family?” Grace asked.

Niall shook his head. “No. Ollie and Spencer are out for a guys’ night, and your parents are having a romantic dinner. At least, they better be. Brodie is hosting them at Slàinte.”

“Thank you for that,” she said. “Can I get anyone anything?”

“No, thanks,” Kenna said.

“A beer would be great,” Niall countered.

Max grabbed a couple cans from the refrigerator and then joined Grace on the sofa across from Kenna and Niall. Grace laid her hand on Max’s knee in an effort to get him to relax.

“Max has told me a little about the history with you two, Kenna,” Grace said. “But I feel like there’s a huge piece of the puzzle missing. I found something that might be nothing, but I think it would be a good idea for us to hash this out once and for all.”

“I agree,” Kenna said.

“First”—Grace handed Kenna the letter—”do you recognize this?”

Kenna scanned it and then nodded. “Yes, that’s a note I had one of the servants take to Moira. A very long time ago.”

“This isn’t going to get us anywhere,” Max said, and glared at Grace.

“I’m not sure I understand what the significance of it is, though,” Kenna said. “Where did you get this?”

“Moira had it the night you lured her to her death,” Max snapped.

Kenna gasped. “What?”

“Max,” Grace warned, squeezing his knee.

“Why would she have that?” Kenna said. “I didn’t write her a note the night she died. This is from a few weeks before the Christmas party. You were with her, Niall, remember?”

“Not particularly,” Niall admitted.

“We were all going riding, but I got stuck with Mum at Lady Gertrude’s home, so we met at our stables an hour later.”

“Oh, yes, right.” Niall said. “It’s ringing a bell. It was the day you and I switched Moira duty, Max, because of...,” He glanced at Grace. “Well, never mind.”

“Was it in her cloak pocket?” Kenna asked. “That’s the only reason I can imagine it would have been on her the night she died. She always wore her cloak in the winter.”

“No,” Max said. “She was holding it in her hand.”

“I don’t understand,” Kenna whispered. “We weren’t meeting that night. I was with Angus and Fiona. Moira knew that.”

Grace glanced at Max. “Max, what happened, exactly? What made you believe Kenna had sent the note?”

He swallowed and shook his head. “When I asked Abbot Martin about the note, he told me Moira said she came to meet you.”

“What?” Kenna snapped. “Abbot Martin is a lying bastard, Max. You know this. You’ve known it since we were wee.”

“You were the one who believed him to be your mate,” Max countered.

“Bloody hell, Max!” Kenna stood and jabbed a finger at him. “That was ages ago, and long before I knew exactly what he was like. He tried to convince me I was his mate well before my ár mökunar, and you know I told Moira that I hoped it wasn’t true. But even if he really had been my mate, I would have never asked her to go anywhere without one of you with her. Everyone knew how you felt about the Martin brothers, and Moira was my best friend. I would have protected her with my life...as she would have done for me.”

Max’s face went white. “You didn’t ask her to meet you?”

“No,” Kenna said. “Absolutely not.”

“Fuck me,” Max said, and dropped his face into his hands. When he finally looked up, his voice was hoarse. “Martin must have found that note in Moira’s cloak and put it in her hand, hoping to throw suspicion off himself somehow.”

Kenna sank back onto the sofa. “Is this why you’ve hated me?”

“I never hated you,” Max said.

“Okay, fine,” Kenna said with a sigh. “I’ll rephrase the question. Is this the reason you’ve been growing progressively more of an arse each year?”

Max pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know, Kenna. Perhaps our animosity is because you insist on being the never-ending pimple on my progressively growing arse.”

“Okay.” Grace rushed to intervene. “Can we maybe take it down a notch?”

“Are you saying that you thought I was responsible for Moira’s murder...or at the very least, for luring her to her death?” Kenna asked.

His silence gave her the answer.

“Oh, my God, Max. You thought I lured her to her death?” Kenna turned to Niall. “What about you? Did you think the same?”

Niall raised his hands in surrender. “This is the first I’ve heard of this,” he admitted, and glared at his brother. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Grace gripped Max’s arm. You never told your brother about the letter?

Max shook his head, his face void of expression, but she could feel his regret.

“Max,” Niall snapped. “Why didn’t you tell me about the letter?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. I suppose I didn’t want you to...I guess it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I wasn’t in the frame of mind to analyze my motives.”

“You are an idiot,” Kenna accused.

Max nodded again. “Aye. I am.”

Grace’s heart went out to Max. She knew how awful he felt. He gripped her hand like a life line as she glanced at Kenna, who started laughing... uncontrollably.

“Kenna?” Niall laid his hand on her back.

“Don’t.” Kenna shrugged his hand away and stood, her laughter now tears. She glared at Max. “I cannot believe you thought I would be part of anything that would hurt Moira. I loved her like a sister. I have always wished it was me instead of her.”

“I’m sorry, Kenna,” Max whispered.

“When did Abbot tell you about the letter?” Kenna asked.

“Excuse me?”

“When did he tell you?” she pressed.

Max stared at her for several tense moments. “The night he confessed.”

“What?” Kenna asked, horrified.

“He confessed?” Niall shouted, and shot to his feet.

“When?” Kenna asked.

“Three years ago,” Max said.

“He confessed three years ago,” Niall repeated.

Max nodded.

“Who did you tell?”

“Niall—”

“No, Max. Answer me. Who did you tell?” Niall demanded.

“Kade and Connall.”

“You told them and not me,” Niall accused.

“Nye, you don’t understand.”

Grace watched as rage covered Niall’s face. She’d never seen him angry...she’d barely seen him irritated.

Before Grace could say anything, Niall’s hands were twisted in Max’s shirt and he was yanked from the sofa. Lucky for Grace, Max released her hand before the attack or she may have been pulled with him.

“What the fuck made you think you had the right to keep that from me?” Niall ground out.

Max shook his head. “Because in your opinion, it was done! They hung a man for it, and you went on your merry way, satisfied with the verdict.”

Niall let out a guttural growl and punched Max in the face. Grace screamed and moved to help, but Kenna grabbed her. “You’ll only get hurt, lass. You have to let them fight it out.”

Grace covered her mouth with her hands, forcing herself not to scream again.

“You egotistical, pompous, selfish bastard!” Niall bellowed, and hit him again.

“I was trying to protect you!”

“From what?” Niall challenged, and hit him again.

Grace was horrified that Max just stood there and let his brother beat him.

“I knew Shamus didn’t kill her. I never believed he was the one.” Niall hit him again. “Why the fuck would you say something like that? You fucking piece of shite.”

“Stop it, please,” Grace begged with a sob.

Max took his eyes off Niall for a crucial second and it meant he wasn’t ready for Niall’s next strike. Both men went down with a crash.

The door to the apartment slammed open and Connall and Kade rushed inside, Connall heading for Max, Kade for Niall. The royals managed to separate the brothers, both bruised and bloody, but healing rapidly.

“What the hell are you two doing?” Connall demanded.

“Sorting a few things out,” Max said, and wiped his bloody lip with a handkerchief.

“Come on, lass, let’s let them talk.” Kenna guided Grace toward the door.

She glanced over her shoulder at Max, but he was glaring at Connall.

Max?

He closed his eyes for a second and then shook his head. It’s okay, love. I’ll find you when this is done.

Grace let herself be ushered from the room and down the hall, straight into the arms of Pepper. “It’s going to be okay,” Pepper promised.

Grace blinked back tears. “I thought Niall was going to kill Max. He just stood there and let him hit him over and over.”

Pepper rubbed her back while Grace tried to “listen” to Max, but he was blocking her and she couldn’t figure out how to get through the barrier. She pulled away from Pepper and paced the room.

Grace was forced to wait almost an hour before Max came to find her. His clothes were bloody, but his face had healed and was just as gorgeous as ever. Neither he nor Niall, who had come into the room with him, looked like they’d just been in a brawl.

“Kenna,” Max said. “Can you and I talk next week? Just the two of us?”

She sighed. “Aye, Max. We can. But don’t think I’m going to like you any better than before.”

He smiled and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, lass.”

Kenna grunted in response.

Max held his hand out to Grace and she took it willingly. Niall continued to scowl at his brother, but Max didn’t react. He just tugged on Grace’s hand and led her back to the apartment. Grace wasn’t sure that anything she could do would make anything better, but she couldn’t bear the devastation pouring from her mate.

Once inside the flat, Max dropped her hand and made his way to the windows. He stood in front of them, his head bowed, his hands deep in his pockets, his body sagging with sadness. She laid her hand on his back and kissed his shoulder as she slipped her arms around his waist from behind. “I’m sorry, baby.”

He shook his head. “I am the worst fucking person on earth.”

“You made a mistake.”

“An unforgivable one.”

Grace sighed. “No, Max, nothing’s unforgivable. It’s just going to take some work on your part to make it up to Kenna.”

“I’m not worried about Kenna,” he admitted. “Niall’s beyond angry.”

“Why didn’t you tell him about the note and Abbot’s confession?”

“I don’t really know. I don’t have a good excuse. Connall and I found Moira, and all I could think about was making sure Niall didn’t see her looking the way we found her. I straightened her clothes and grabbed the note. I didn’t even read it right away. Alasdair, Kade’s head of security, took it from me the next day when he was gathering evidence. It was in the pile of her personal effects that I had to return to my parents.” Max squeezed his eyes closed. “I hid the note because I wanted to protect Niall and my parents from the truth that Kenna might have been involved. Now I realize I could have avoided all of this.” He glanced at her again. “And when Abbot confessed, I suppose I didn’t want Niall to have to relive this...no, actually, I wasn’t that bloody noble. I was angry at him...and myself, really...that we didn’t fight to find out the truth sooner. I blamed him. It was stupid, but I did.”

“He’ll forgive you, Max. Just give it time.”

“I can’t believe I thought...” He shook his head. “Kenna loved Moira, but it was easier for me to hate her than it was to face the fact that I should have protected my sister.”

“Baby, holding onto your anger towards Kenna made you feel as though you were holding onto Moira. It’s human nature to jump to conclusions based on emotion.”

“I’m not human,” he corrected.

Grace moved to face him without breaking contact. “You weren’t thinking straight that night. You were looking at things exactly the way the killer wanted you to. You have to give yourself a break.”

“For being gullible or stupid?”

“I have never seen you in either category,” she countered.

He wrapped his arms around her, burying his nose in her hair. “Thank you.”

She slid her hands under his shirt and pushed it up. “Come on. Let’s get you out of these clothes and cleaned up.”

He pulled it over his head. “I can do this, love.”

“No doubt,” she said. “But I want to be sure you do it right. In the shower. With me. Then perhaps in the bed.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Do you?” she asked as she led him to the bedroom.

“I’m absolutely picking up what you’re putting down.”

“Just to be clear, we’re solving this issue with sex.”

Max laughed. “Aye, love. Crystal.”

* * *

Grace felt as though she’d just fallen asleep when her cell phone woke her in the middle of the night. Samantha’s number came up on the screen and Grace’s heart raced as she took the call. “Sam?”

“Hi, Grace. I think you should come now.”

Grace bit back tears. “Is...ah, is she...”

“She’s still alive. She’s just in a lot more pain that we anticipated. I promised I’d call you if the meds weren’t working. They’re not.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Grace hung up and forced back tears, grateful to see Max was already pulling on jeans. They moved in tandem as they rushed to dress and then Max grabbed his keys.

“You’re going to drive?” she asked.

“Not enough time to call Bruce, love.”

“Oh, right. Thank you.”

She followed Max to the garage and into the car. The drive to the hospital was less than five minutes, made even shorter in the middle of night without traffic.

Max parked and Grace followed him to the private wing set aside for Gunnach Pharmaceutical patients. Samantha was waiting as they exited the elevator.

“What’s going on?” Grace asked.

“She’s exhibiting similar symptoms to conversion,” Samantha said.

Grace gasped. “Seriously?”

Samantha nodded. “She only got so far with the synthetic drugs we created using the same antibodies in our blood, so we started her on the trial using your blood. She’s in more pain than I’m comfortable with.”

Grace stalled. “Wait. Are you trying to tell me that because she’s got my blood running through her, she’s becoming Cauld Ane?”

Samantha grimaced. “I don’t know. She doesn’t have the temperature or most of the other signs that present during conversion. Just pain that we can’t control with narcotics.”

“Where are my parents?”

“I forced them into the waiting room. Spencer’s with them.”

“Okay, I don’t want them to see me yet,” Grace said.

“No problem. This way.” Samantha led them away from the family waiting area and into Maggie’s room.

Grace bit her lip at the sound of Maggie’s crying, and rushed to the bed. “Hey, Magpie, it’s me.”

“It hurts, Grace.”

“I know, honey. Here, squeeze my hand.”

Maggie didn’t have the strength to squeeze Grace’s hand, but she was at least able to hold on. Grace laid her cheek against the back of Maggie’s hand and focused on easing her pain. Within seconds, Maggie’s body slumped against the bed.

“Her pulse is back to normal,” Samantha said just as one of the nurses walked in.

It didn’t take long for Maggie’s eyes to flutter open, and a relieved smiled appeared on her face. “The drugs are finally working.”

Grace glanced at Samantha, who nodded.

Samantha smiled at Maggie. “Right. I’m going to have Sally take some more blood and your vitals, and then your family can come back in. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

Maggie nodded. “Thanks, Dr. Gunnach.”

“I’ll be right back, Magpie,” Grace said. She followed Samantha from the room, grateful that Max had the sensitivity to wait in the hallway. Grace gladly accepted the comfort as he wrapped an arm around her waist. “So, what does this mean?” Grace asked Sam.

“The blood work will confirm what I believe I already know. She’s cancer free.”

“That quickly,” Grace whispered.

Samantha nodded. “Yes. It doesn’t take long. You did intend to heal her, right? Not ease her pain.”

“Well, I wanted to do both, but yes, I concentrated first on easing her pain and then healing her completely.”

“Then I’m pretty sure that’s what happened.”

Grace sighed. “What does that do for your research?”

“Nothing undesirable. I promise.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. It’s not like we didn’t get anything from it, Grace,” Samantha said. “I’ve gathered more data in two weeks than most doctors get in a year under traditional medical trials. I’m thrilled.”

“So it’s not ruined?”

Samantha squeezed her arm. “Not even close. I have other patients in the trial right now, and they’re progressing perfectly. We talked about using your blood being an anomaly, remember? Don’t give it a second thought. I think the information I have before, during, and after the blood transfusion will show me more.”

Grace relaxed. “Okay. I’m not sorry that I healed Maggie, but I would feel bad if you lost all that work.”

Samantha chuckled. “It’s all good. Truly.” Sally exited Maggie’s room and handed a basket of blood-filled vials to Samantha. “I’ll just run these over to the lab and then we can know where we stand,” Samantha said. “Spend time with your family and don’t worry.”

She headed to the elevator, and Sally motioned to the door. “You may go in, Mrs. MacMillan. I’ll get your family.”

“Thank you,” Grace said.

“Do you want me to wait out here?” Max asked.

Grace grasped his hand. “Not on your life. But I love you for asking.”

She led him into Maggie’s room to find her sitting up, remote control in hand, and channel surfing the television. “Okay, I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but I miss American TV, except the accents. I wish we could have the Scots do all our voiceovers and the news.”

Grace laughed. “It’s good to see you’re exhibiting the same habits here. How do you feel?”

“Honestly? I feel great. Better than I have since that first round of flu, actually. The pain in my arm is also gone. It’s so weird.” Maggie raised an eyebrow. “Do you think this trial is working?”

“I think there’s a good chance it is,” Grace said. “Dr. Gunnach said you’d feel better pretty quickly if it was, right?”

Maggie nodded.

The shuffle of feet sounded and Grace’s parents and Spencer rushed through the door. “How are you, sweetheart?” her mother asked, taking Maggie’s hand.

“I feel really good, Mom.”

“Really?” Her mother frowned. “But you were in so much pain.”

“They have really great meds,” Maggie said.

Their mother bent over her and stroked her face. “You do look much better.”

“Mom,” Maggie groaned. “I’m fine. Seriously.”

“I thought you were going to rest, Grace,” her mother said. “You’ve barely been gone four hours.”

“I did rest, Mom,” Grace said, and smiled. “Promise.”

“Is this like the time back in ninth grade when—”

“Mr. and Mrs. Wilson,” Samantha said, as she entered the room, cutting off the far-too-personal anecdote.

“Saved by the bell,” Grace said.

You’ll have to fill me in on what happened in the ninth grade, love.

Never gonna happen, buddy.

“I’m sorry we had to rush you from the room earlier,” Samantha said. “It seemed some of the medication we gave Maggie was quite intense. Which brings me to my news.”

Their mother and father took hold of Maggie’s hands and Grace reached for Spencer’s.

“Maggie will not be able to continue in the trial.”

“What?” their father snapped. “Why the hell not?”

“Dad,” Grace admonished. “Give her a chance to explain.”

“Sorry,” he said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Samantha said. “The latest blood work shows that Maggie is cancer free.”

“What?” their mother gasped. “In less than a month?”

Samantha nodded. “It’ll take me some time to determine all of the facts, but as of now, she doesn’t have Leukemia. You must have been praying.”

“I always thought doctors didn’t believe in miracles,” Spencer said.

Samantha grinned. “Well, I for one, do. Anyway, we’ll keep Maggie overnight and then she’ll be released from the hospital tomorrow before lunch.”

Grace’s mother let out a gleeful squeak and hugged Samantha. “Thank you, Dr. Gunnach. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. Now, you folks get some rest. I have a feeling Max is going to want to show y’all a good time before you head back to the States.”

“I most certainly do,” Max agreed.