She shook her head sadly. “No.”

“So maybe this time it could be different.”

Charlie came racing back. “Mom, Mom, you can see the whole earth from the front windows.”

“That sounds pretty neat, baby.”

“It is.” The excitement left his face when he saw her and Hank cozied up. He studied them for a moment, his gaze lingering on Hank before turning curious. “Are you going to be my new dad? Grandpa says you won’t want to because I’m not a wolf. Are you a wolf?”

Hank tried not to let his amusement at Charlie’s questions show. He nodded seriously. “Yes, I am a wolf. And I would love to be your new dad, if that’s okay with you.”

Charlie’s little mouth bunched up like he was thinking it over. “Why did you punch my grandpa?”

“I was mad at him for what he did to you. But I would never hurt you or your mother. And just because you can’t turn into a wolf doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with you. It just means you’re different. And that’s okay. You were born exactly the way you were supposed to be.”

Charlie frowned, hurt clear in his eyes. “Grandpa says it’s not okay. Grandpa says I’m no good.”

“Grandpa’s the one who’s no good.” Ivy put one hand on Hank’s arm and reached out to Charlie with the other. “And, baby, no one’s going to say mean things to you anymore. Your grandfather was wrong. He’s not a nice man and I’m so sorry you had to stay with him. So sorry. From the bottom of my heart. That’s never going to happen again. I promise, okay?”

Charlie nodded and climbed into her lap, turning so he could lean against her and see Hank at the same time.

Hank shifted in his seat. “You know, Charlie, the town where you’re going to live is pretty cool. We celebrate Halloween all year round. You can trick or treat every Friday night if you want to.”

Charlie’s body went taut with excitement, and he looked up at Ivy. “Really?”

She laughed and shot Hank a look before returning her attention to her son. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can eat candy all day long.”

“I know,” he replied with the kind of world-weary exasperation only a seven-year-old could manage.

Her head lifted, and she gazed at Hank. “I know we’ve got the wedding tomorrow night, but I have to get him to a doctor first thing. I need to know he’s all right.”

“There’s a walk-in clinic in town. You should be able to get in there. Then afterwards, Birdie can watch him if you need time to get ready for the wedding.”

“I don’t know.” She hated the thought of being away from Charlie again, but Birdie was a far cry from Clemens Kincard.

“Just warning you,” Hank said. “That woman will spoil him rotten. Charlie will be her first grandnephew.”

Ivy smiled. “That might be a nice change of pace for him. You sure you don’t need her at the station?”

Hank snorted. “I’ve never needed her at the station, trust me.” His gaze drifted down to Charlie. Hank smiled. “He’s asleep.”

She glanced down. Charlie’s eyes were closed, and his breathing had gone soft and even. “Poor thing. He’s exhausted.”

“He had a rough time.”

“A horrible time. He needs a shower and clean clothes and soft bed.” She bit her lip, fighting tears. “I feel like the world’s worst mother.”

“You did what you had to do in a situation where your choices were taken away, but it’s over. Put it behind you. There’s no point wasting time and energy on the past.”

“I know.”

But he also understood that was easier said than done. “Are you still worried about your father?”

She nodded. “There’s no way he won’t retaliate for you hitting him.”

“We’ll deal with him when and if he does something. Until then, we have bigger things to deal with.”

“You’re right.” She rested her chin on the top of Charlie’s head, closed her eyes and soon joined her son in sleep.

But Hank couldn’t get that relaxed. He knew Ivy was right. Clemens wasn’t about to let a physical confrontation go, not when Hank had made him look like a fool in front of his family. But if Clemens started something, he had to know Hank would bring to light his awful treatment of Charlie.

A tribunal wouldn’t care if Charlie could shift or not once they heard what Clemens had done to him.

But that would mean putting Charlie in front of the tribunal. He’d have to relive everything that had happened to him and tell his story. All while standing in the presence of the very man who’d tormented him. Hank couldn’t see putting Charlie through that.

Maybe some kind of special circumstance could be allowed for. Or maybe Ivy’s sworn testimony of her childhood would be enough to spare Charlie from having to testify.

Or maybe if Clemens attempted any kind of revenge, Hank would just deal with it off book. It wasn’t his preferred way, but then he’d never thought he’d have a kid to protect.

Ivy stared down at her son, now asleep in the guest room. She hadn’t had the heart to force him into a bath. Instead she’d stripped him down to his underwear and tucked him in. He’d been half asleep the whole time.

Hard to believe she’d gotten her wish. A new start for her and Charlie. Freedom from Clemens. A life with Hank, a man who wanted her and her son, despite the baggage they came with. She didn’t know how she’d gotten so fortunate, but she’d take it.