And it hit him then. Hard. God, she was right. He’d been dancing around this crap and it was right in his face.

“How can you look at him for forty-three years and think he’s a monster?” Shane turned to his father who’d moved to stand. “And you?Packless . How? Why? Don’t you miss your people? Your family?”

“I love her. I loved her then and I love her now and she was so afraid. So I got caught up in it and I thought it was best because it made her happy but now I look at it, at you, our

son and I see we both failed. You are not a monster. Neither is Megan. The mate bond ismiraculous. You’re not bound to her to your detriment, it makes you better. You are a werewolf. She is a werewolf. So strong your woman. She has a Pack who will take you in, shelter you, give you the connection you need. Take it! Don’t hide from what you are because I did you wrong. I’m sorry. I love you, Shane, and I want you to be happy. You can’t be happy if you deny what you are.”

“We’ve had a good life. I don’t know how you can pretend we didn’t.” His mother looked back and forth. “We did what was best. Your people wanted him to run and turn into an animal. She is like that. It’s what she does…” Her voice trailed off and her hands fell to her side.

“Go to her. What do you have here? A big empty house? You can be a doctor there too.

Megan is there. Don’t you want to be with her? Live in a Pack? You have no idea the amazing future you have awaiting you. If you only take the courage to grab it.” His father hugged him and comfort bloomed again.

“Thank you, Dad. I have to go.” He turned and his mother grabbed his arm.

“I did it because I love you.”

“I know you do. But I am what she is too. What Dad is and I have to find a way to make this work because I love her. I’ve been spending so much time denying what I am that I lost sight of that. I have to go. If you call her again I won’t protect you from a whole bunch of pissed-off Warden wolves.” He hugged her and jogged to his car.

What a fool he’d been.

He dialed Layla and Sid’s house and got the machine. He dialed Megan but got her damned voicemail. He called Lex and Nina’s and finally got someone to answer.

“Nina, this is Shane. Is Megan there?”

“Shane who? I don’t know any Shane.” Nina’s voice was dry but the hostility came

through loud and clear.

“Okayokay so I deserve that. But I’m trying to make things right. Can I talk to her?” He narrowly missed rear-ending a semi truck.

She’s not here. She and Adam are out at the coast for the weekend.” And she hung up.

The coast? What the hell? It didn’t matter. He had work to do and a woman to really claim. He’d deal with whatever the hell was going on when he arrived.

She needed the distraction. Megan lay in the sun, of the water soothing jangled nerves as she tried to nap. Unsuccessfully.

She’d never had trouble sleeping before but damn if she wasn’t resorting to the herbal teas her grandmother made to try and get some rest. She missed him and his calls didn’t help her resolve to let him go. Damn it.

Her muscles hurt, her head hurt and she wanted him.Shesmell him on her skin, to feel him against her body at night.Shemake him pancakes and bacon in the mornings and listen to the rumble of his voice through the wall of his chest as she sat snuggled against him.

It was unfair, that’s what it was. Unfair. Why couldn’t he love her enough? He was so incredible, so sexy and intelligent and truly caring but he just couldn’t give over enough.

Gah! Speaking of unfair, that’s what she was being. She knew it was way more complicated than him not loving her enough. In truth, her heart hurt for him because he was raised to fear and hate what he was. Where she was raised to love herself and her roots, he was raised to be ashamed. It was a wonder he was as strong and good a man as he was after the job his mother did on him. And his father too, she supposed. Her father went on runs with her once every two weeks, just to be with her. His father, from what she, had to hide his behavior as a wolf, if he ran at all. It was unimaginable to her, to be estranged from your own wolf, your identity! To not be close to your family. To not have the comfort of a Pack. She wanted that for Shane, knew it would help heal some of his

hurts but he was afraid.

She’d been with Adam the night before. He’d listened to her cry, handed her tissues and at the end, he’d told her she had to make some choices about where she planned to go.

“You can keep this up and slowly fade away. You can fight for him, force him to see what he’s missing. Or you can let go, accept he won’t ever come to you and move on.

I’m here for you no matter what, I love you. But you cannot go on this way.” He’d kissed her on the top of her head, tucked her hair behind her ear and had gone.

His words echoed in her head as she pondered her options for the millionth time but just could not truly consider letting go.

“You’re thinking about him again.”

She cracked an eye open to find Nina leaning down, holding out a glass of iced tea.

“What of it? Are you the thought patrol?”

“Don’t try to out-bitch the master.” Nina stretched out next to her on a chaise lounge.

“Just because you saved my life a few dozen times doesn’t give you the right to be snippy with me.”

Megan rolled her eyes and sipped her tea. “Living with your bitchy ass has given me a lifetime pass. I can’t believe you told him I was at the coast with Adam.”