“So now you’ve met Molly.” Duncan sat across from Colin at their favorite neighborhood pub in the late afternoon as the after-work crowd began to drift in.

Duncan’s dark hair was a typical tousled mess because they’d driven back to the small town of Glenbarra with the top down on his MG. But his grey eyes were more thoughtful than usual. “What did you think of her?”

“I liked her.” As Colin sipped his whiskey, he pictured the petite brunette who’d met them for lunch a few hours ago at a trendy spot in the heart of Glasgow. “I wanted to find something wrong with her, but I couldn’t. She’s all you said she was.”

“Yeah, Molly is terrific.” Duncan picked up his glass as if to take a drink, and then put it down again. “But as we were sitting there having a nice lunch, I started to ask myself if mating with her is what I really want.”

Colin stared at him. “Pardon?”

“I know, I know. It’s a total reversal for me, and usually I dig my heels in when I get an idea.”

“Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

Duncan rolled his eyes. “As if you didn’t inherit the MacDowell stubborn streak, too.”

“I suppose I did.” And he’d begun to question what that stubbornness was costing him. “But what’s changed your mind about Molly?”

“Something you said on the phone keeps running through my mind. Remember that bit about finding someone you can’t imagine living without?”

“I do.” Colin took a swallow of his whiskey. He hoped the liquor would blunt his longing for a certain lass he was having great difficulty living without.

“Well…” Duncan hesitated. “This is hard for me to admit, but as you said, this could be the most important decision I ever make. I love the idea of mating with Molly. I love it a lot. And I love her. But maybe not enough to take this big step.”

Colin said nothing. He’d spouted off on the phone, but what did he know about such matters? He was a fine one to advise his brother, when he couldn’t figure out how he wanted to live his own life.

“The thing is,” Duncan continued, “I can imagine living without her. And I’m damned sure she can imagine living without me. She’s heading off without me next week, as a matter of fact.”

“Are you upset that she’s going on holiday without you?”

Duncan shook his head. “Not at all, which proves my point. We have a good time when we’re together, but there’s no compulsion to be with each other. Do you know what I mean?”

Colin sighed. “Aye. But a compulsion to be with someone isn’t much of a test, either. We can be compelled to be with the wrong person.” He took another gulp of his whiskey.

Duncan studied him for several seconds. “All right, big brother, who is she?”

“Who is who?”

“This wrong person you’re compelled to spend time with.”

Colin scowled at his brother. “I didn’t say—”

“Don’t even try denying it. This is me you’re talking to. You’ve been edgy and distracted ever since I picked you up at the airport, and I blamed it on jet lag and the whole Molly problem. But it’s not about me, is it? Who did you meet in America? A sexy human?”

Colin gazed into his nearly empty glass. Then he polished it off and signaled for another. By the time he’d finished his second whiskey, he’d told Duncan everything except the extremely personal bits. He’d even included the tragic story of Sophie and Byron.

“Bloody hell.” Duncan stared at Colin. “What are you going to do?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea. Stick it out here and hope the feeling goes away, I guess.”

“Doesn’t sound like much fun to me.”

“So far it hasn’t been, but I just got back, and I mean to give myself time to accept the situation as it is.”

Duncan shook his head, as if he didn’t believe a word of that. “You really are a stubborn fool.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you.”

Draining his glass, Duncan set it on the table. “There’s one part of the story I don’t understand, though. Sophie and Byron must have been truly mated if Sophie got pregnant. That compulsion you keep talking about had to be at work, there, right?”

“I assume so.”

“So you’re telling me that Sophie, who was compelled to be with Byron and pregnant with his child, ran away? Why would she do that?”

Colin shrugged. “She told Luna she didn’t belong there. When Luna realized her father had been Were, she interpreted that to mean her mother hadn’t wanted to live with Weres for the rest of her life, so she left.”

“I don’t buy it. If she was pregnant, that meant she and Byron had a true mating. There’s nothing accidental or casual about that. They went through the mating ritual, and she knew if she got pregnant, her kid might be born Were. Byron obviously wanted her to stay, and she continued to love him until the day she died. That’s not the mark of a quitter.”

“So what happened, then?”

“It’s hard to say exactly.” Duncan rolled his empty glass between his palms. “Apparently the rest of the pack didn’t know Byron had revealed himself to Sophie, or they’d have tracked her to New Orleans and brought her back to Seattle for security purposes.”

“Right. I thought of that.”

“But let’s say one pack member somehow discovered that Sophie was in the know. If that Were objected to a human joining the pack they might have quietly convinced her that Byron’s life would be miserable with a human female as his mate.”

Colin allowed the idea to settle. “That’s possible.” Sad to say, it was the sort of interference he once would have understood, although he liked to think he would have met the problem head-on instead of taking a manipulative approach.

He still wasn’t convinced that Weres and humans should mate, but a deep and abiding love…nothing and no one should be allowed to sabotage that. “So you think she left for his sake?”

“That’s more logical than thinking she abandoned her mate because she couldn’t deal with the lifestyle. She doesn’t come across as that shallow. But if someone told her that the Were she loved so desperately would be an outcast if she stayed…”

“She very well might leave, especially if she hadn’t yet discovered she was pregnant.” Reaching for his drink, Colin settled back in his chair. “That makes her decision noble instead of cowardly. Luna deserves to hear that theory and maybe check it out.”

Duncan nodded. “But if I were in her shoes, once I suspected that, I’d want to move heaven and Earth to uncover the bloody Were who ruined so many lives.”

“I think she would, but it could be her grandmother. I don’t want to suspect her, but she might have thought she was doing the right thing for her son.”

Duncan gazed at him across the battered table. “In that case, you may decide to leave well enough alone.”

“That’s not fair to Luna, who thinks her mother abandoned her father after making a commitment for life. If she investigates and discovers differently, she shouldn’t have to deal with the fallout by herself.”

“I sense a trip in your future.”

“Aye.” Colin’s smile was rueful. “I hate to wreck your love life and run off, but I’m flying back to Whittier House. I want to tell her about this in person, so I can help if she needs me.” He dug in his pocket for cash to pay the bill.

“I’ve got it.” Duncan tossed money on the table.

Colin looked up in surprise. “Thanks, Dunc. I appreciate it.” He couldn’t remember the last time Duncan had picked up the tab. Maybe his brother was ready to accept more responsibility, which could mean lightening Colin’s load at Glenbarra.

“You’re welcome. And while you’re at it, you might as well thank me for giving you an excuse to go back to Washington.”

Colin’s denial evaporated when he realized that his brother was right. Viewed dispassionately, Duncan’s theory might not warrant a trip across the ocean. It could be explained during a phone call. Luna was a strong female with a good support system. She might not need him as she investigated the possibility that her mother had been coerced into leaving.

But he couldn’t view anything concerning Luna dispassionately. He might as well admit that he needed her, and that was why he was taking the next available flight to Seattle. He could hardly wait to surprise her with an unexpected visit.

“You’re compelled, old chap,” Duncan said. “If I were you, I’d pay attention to that.”

“I will.” Colin met his brother’s gaze and realized that within the past hour they’d traded roles. It was a humbling thought, one of many he’d had recently. “I definitely will.”

Luna had hoped Knox would come in with George, but she heard the helicopter take off again before Hector ushered George into the entryway.

Once again, George looked like an Eddie Bauer commercial in an open-necked denim shirt and khaki slacks. He stepped forward, his expression almost fatherly. “Luna. So good to see you again.”

Luna drew strength from having Hector standing in the doorway. “George.” She extended her hand to him but didn’t echo his sentiments. “I’m sorry Knox couldn’t join us.”

George gave her hand a squeeze and released it. “I sent him to Friday Harbor on business. I’ll call him when we’ve wrapped up here.” He sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”

“Our chef just baked cookies, and the coffee’s made, if you’d both like to follow me.” She started toward the hallway that led to Geraldine’s sitting room.

“Both?” George sounded surprised.

Luna turned. “I thought you’d enjoy reminiscing with Hector about old times, so I invited him to join us.”

George glanced at the groundskeeper. “What old times?”

“When you worked for me.” Hector’s tone was deceptively casual.

“Good God, are we talking about the summer after my senior year in high school? I’m sorry, Hector, but I wouldn’t be a good companion for a walk down memory lane. I vaguely remember spending a couple of weeks on this island, but I don’t remember you at all.”

Hector seemed unfazed. “In that case, I’ll just tag along for the sake of the cookies.”

“I can’t blame you, there, but it would be better if you enjoyed them in the kitchen with the rest of the staff. What I have to discuss with Luna is private.”

Anger fizzed through Luna’s veins as she faced George. “I realize that y’all are used to being the one in charge, but with all due respect, I’m in charge at Whittier House.” She glanced at Hector. “You’re welcome to have coffee with us.”

“The truth is, I have some information about your mother,” George said.

“My mother?” Her resistance faltered.

“That’s right. It’s of an intimate nature.” He shrugged. “I’m only considering your feelings.”

Luna had suspected George knew more about her parents than he’d let on. She was hungry for any insight into the past, but if George was about to reveal something embarrassing or humiliating, she’d need time to process it before sharing it with her friends. After being a lone wolf for so many years, she instinctively protected her secrets.

She exchanged a look with Hector, who excused himself, but told her he wouldn’t be far away if she needed him.

Moments after they were settled in easy chairs in Geraldine’s sitting room, Janet appeared bearing a silver tray with the coffee, cups, and a basket of fragrant cookies. Janet left the tray and gave Luna’s shoulder a squeeze before she exited the room.

Luna imagined everyone gathered in the kitchen debating what George had to say that required a private discussion. She was pretty damned curious about that, herself. After serving the coffee, she set the basket of cookies within reach of George’s chair. She’d always loved those cookies, but this afternoon they might as well be hockey pucks, because she’d lost her appetite.

“Great atmosphere.” George drank some coffee and picked up a cookie. “I can see why MacDowell went for your plan.”

Luna set her untouched coffee back on the antique table beside her chair. She’d chosen Geraldine’s favorite chair in hopes it would give her strength. “What did you want to tell me about my mother?”

“First of all, you look so much like her that it’s startling.” He bit into the cookie.

“So you knew exactly who I was from the time I walked into your office, didn’t you?”

He nodded as he chewed his bite of cookie. Then he swallowed. “But you didn’t seem to want to acknowledge it, so I didn’t push. Maybe if you’d changed your last name and disguised your looks, you might have gotten away with this.”

She forced herself to take a deep breath before answering. “I’m not trying to get away with anything.”

“Aren’t you?” He skewered her with a glance, but then looked away again. “So, I could be wrong. Just because your mother was a gold-digger doesn’t mean you are, I suppose.”

Her blood ran cold. “She was not a gold-digger.”

“I didn’t say she was an effective gold-digger. When she realized that Byron could be disinherited because he was involved with her, she decided to cut and run, so she lost out on the gold, after all. That doesn’t change her original intent, however.”

Luna’s nails bit into her palms. “My mother was not after the Reynaud money. I don’t know why you’re making up lies about her, but—”

“I was there, Luna. I was Byron’s cousin and closest friend. I can testify that’s the way it was.” He chose another cookie. “And here you come along, attach yourself to a wealthy old woman who conveniently dies, and now you’re getting cozy with her heir. Like mother, like daughter.”

Anger flowed through her like lava. “How dare you! I’m not after anyone’s money!”

“Maybe not. But now that you’ve identified yourself as Sophie’s daughter, that’s the story that will circulate. Once it’s out there, the Were community won’t come within miles of this place. If you truly want to help Colin, you’ll go back where you came from. You’re nothing but an anchor around his neck.”

Her chest was so tight she could barely breathe. “I know very well how that story will circulate. You’re trying to get rid of me.”

“Bright girl.”

“Why?” She gripped the arms of the chair. “I’m not the one standing in the way of acquiring an interest in this place. Colin has all the control.”

“Yes, but you’re the driving force behind the project, and I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Once you’re gone, he’ll lose interest and decide to sell.”

“No, he won’t. He loves Whittier House.” But the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that George was right. Colin had gone along with the inn project mostly because of her. A few years down the road, if the inn became a huge success, keeping it might be a logical business decision, but right now he was motivated primarily by his emotional ties, of which she was one.

Without her, he might chose to sell, but she couldn’t let that happen. Her determination had very little to do with herself anymore. Now she would fight for the sake of Janet, Dulcie, Sybil, Hector, and even Geraldine, who would have hated the thought of this filthy, rotten Were getting his paws on her beloved house. And she would fight for Colin, too, who needed a connection with Whittier House whether he fully realized that or not.

The vibration of helicopter blades overhead made them both glance up.

George sighed. “Kids these days. Can’t follow a simple set of instructions. Well, seeing as how Knox is here already, we might as well cut this chat short. I’ve said what I came to say. I’m sure you’ll do the right thing.”

She stood, her back straight, her gaze locked with his. “You’ve put me in a tight spot, but I’ve been in tight spots before. You can’t force me to leave. I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you never own Whittier House.”

“Stay if you must, but you’ll create huge problems for Colin if you do.” He stood and reached in his shirt pocket. “I’m betting you don’t really want to make his life tougher than it already is.” He held out an airline ticket envelope. “I’ve added a little cash for the journey.”

Trembling with rage, she smacked the envelope from his hand. It sailed to the floor, spilling hundred-dollar bills.

He shrugged. “I agree that cold, hard cash is a bit insulting, but I’m only trying to smooth your transition. I’ll just leave all that there, in case you change your mind.”

“I would rather die than accept anything from y’all!”

His eyebrows rose. “Seriously? You’re that stupid? You have no other options, Luna. If you don’t leave of your own free will, I’ll crush you like a bug, and your precious laird with you.”

“Guess again, Trevelyan.”

Luna’s heart slammed into her ribs and she spun toward the doorway, certain she was hallucinating. Colin couldn’t be here. He was in Scotland, thousands of miles away.

And yet, there he stood, his furious blue gaze fastened on George Trevelyan. For the first time since she’d met the Seattle pack alpha, she felt a little sorry for him. But not much.