Ouch. That one hurt. “Selfish? I ask her to wait, to give me some time, and I’m selfish?

What the hell has she been saying about me?” Anger and hurt colored his feelings on the matter and he pushed up from the chair to pace.

“When I called her this morning she told me she loved you and respected your choices and not to come over here and interfere,” his father said quietly.

“Oh.” The anger he’d been clinging to slipped away. Yearning to hear her voice, to feel

her skin against his replaced it with such depth he nearly gasped.

“When I Claimed your mother I tried for years to get her to accept what I was. She wouldn’t. Eventually I gave in because I love her and I wanted her to be happy.”

“You did it for her. Is it too much to ask?”

His father hesitated and the emotion, the regret and pain in his voice sliced at Shane.

“Yes. In retrospect, yes. I’ve lived a shadow of a life. I can count the number of times I’ve run in the last nearly forty years on two hands. I’ve raised my child without the touch of a Pack. When she punished you the first time you changed and I allowed it, when I helped you to keep it secret…I failed you. I’ve failed you and I am here because I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. You are a werewolf. You have a mate. It’s the greatest gift you’ll ever be given until you have children. Do not throw it aside for foolish pride, for your fear of being what you are. You can be a doctor and a werewolf. Be her mate, son. Don’t throw this away.”

“I can’t be what you are. I can’t simply give up my life, give it over to her because she won’t compromise at all.”

Sid stood and looked him over, a sneer on his face. “You’re the one not compromising.

Cling to your anger, Shane. I hope it keeps you warm at night. She has Adam up there you know. Her anchor. If I wasn’t around and you saw Layla every day and she was hurting, how would you handle it? You can lose her. Don’t be stupid and throw her away like this. Adam knows what a catch she is and he’s bonded to her as well. Can you live with that? Just tossing her away like she’s nothing?” His cousin stormed from the house and his father stopped before him.

“I love you, Shane. You’re a good man. A good wolf. You can move up to Seattle and it won’t be you giving up everything for her. You know that in here,” his father tapped Shane’s chest, “and in here.” He tapped Shane’s temple. “Every couple has to

compromise. Your job is portable, hers isn’t. If you truly let yourself feel what it is to be in a Pack, you’ll understand asking her to give it up is akin to asking her to cut off her arm. It’s part of her in a way you can’t begin to understand and for that I am so very sorry. But don’t let my mistakes compound yours. Go to her. Be her mate.” His father hugged him and then left him to his empty house once again.

He wandered back into his quiet living room and heaved himself onto the couch. He’d never meant to tell Layla and Sid about the first time he’d changed. It wasn’tevenhe liked to remember but now he couldn’t forget it.

When wolves reached puberty and approached their first transformation, it was harder to control. His father had been helping him quietly, trying to keep it away from his mother who had been taking the changes in Shane very hard.

He’d changed and it had felt remarkable. Joyous. She’d been waiting as he came back into the yard, pulling his shirt on. She knew and she’d pulled him into the house, weeping and railing about how dangerous it was for him to change. How he had to resist the beast within him or risk losing his humanity.

It was a refrain he’d heard many times before but her hysteria, her anger this time had hit home with him. Had settled in his gut, shame, fear of harming her or making her embarrassed for him. He be the son who got good grades, who made her proud and that son was human.

She’d made him stay around the house for an entire month, giving him long lists of chores from morning until he’d dropped into bed, exhausted well after dark. No pack had come to help him then. His father had said nothing and so Shane had simply left his wolf behind. Had only let him out when it was unavoidable.

Very few times in his life did he allow himself to celebrate that part of himself, let himself enjoy that tiny rebellion of simply being what his other half was. When he’d accepted Sid’s request to be his andLayla’s Anchor bond and then when he’d scented

and Claimed Megan.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes, not sure if he could be sorry but not knowing if he could embrace what he’d been taught to hate either.

***

“Sid did what?” Megan massaged her temples, trying not to take her shitty mood out on her sister. Layla had been leaving messages for a few days and finally just barged into Lex and Nina’s, foisting herself on Megan like a limpet. She loved her big sister but Christ on a skateboard, Layla could be an annoying little bulldog sometimes. “He called his uncle and then they both visited Shane at his place a few days ago.Igo myself but Sid said it would be better if he went with Shane’s dad.Itell you right away but you’d have tried to stop it.”

“That’s because it’s none of your business!” She stood and grabbed her bag. “I spoke to his father a few days ago. He was very nice and all, but of course no one mentioned this little planned visit. And you? You’re such a hypocrite. You remember back when you were mated to Sid? You ran! Did I run? No. I faced up to it. I asked him to give us a chance. I explained why his moving here was the best option.” She hesitated, feeling the now familiar tears but not wanting to shed one more. “I have to go. Adam is meeting me.”