Needless to say when I showed up with Eden to my house for lunch, Ridge was already waiting and when we all walked in and my dad and Wade were not having it. They both growled at the Beta the moment he walked through the door.

The alpha in Ridge didn’t take kindly to their aggressive greeting and grit his teeth to growl back. I could tell, though, that Ridge was trying to pull himself and his wolf back from what they felt was a challenge by the two older males in my home.

Mom helped calm the situation, giving my dad a look and reminded him that if I was OK with Ridge being here then both my parents would have to accept that. Mom explained that Ridge and I were working things out but it wasn’t any easier with my dad and brother piling on to the stressful situation.

When I thought everything had settled down, Mom instructed for all of us to sit down. She welcomed Ridge despite the cold welcome he got from my dad and brother. Ridge nodded, thanking her and he sat down in the chair Mom offered him. Eden waved at everyone and then seated herself.

It was when I moved past Mom and Wade who would be seated closest to me that my brother’s head whipped around, even Mom’s. Mom’s eyes went wide, gasping, “Oh, Gianna!” and my brother’s teeth bared.

Wade snarled, eyes turning gold and shifted his gaze to Ridge. I saw the way my brother’s nostrils flared and Mom placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Wade…” Mom warned, glancing at Dad who was now paying attention once he was heading toward the kitchen. He stopped, looking over at us.

I frowned, unsure of what set off my brother until I caught a whiff of myself and looked down at my appearance. To make matters worse, the buttons on my dress had not been buttoned correctly and looking over where Cody was talking to Ridge about something, I noticed Ridge had my claw marks peering from under his collar and some even on his bicep.

My eyes widened, immediately looking to Dad whose brown eyes disappeared behind the gold of his wolf. A low growl emitted from the Head Warrior and the Beta picked up on this. Ridge’s shoulders tensed, peering over his shoulder at my dad and then glanced sideways at Wade who was still being warned by Mom.

I winced, not thinking things through with how giddy I was with Ridge in the forest. I wasn’t really thinking about the aftermath of lovemaking so my idiot self didn’t pay attention to my scent mixing with Ridge’s. I could smell it clearly now and I was so damn embarrassed, biting my lip and squeezing my legs together to keep from giving off what I’d done. But my entire family, especially with Wade and Dad well aware now. Which is why they were both in protective mode, growling at Ridge who swallowed hard as he stood up slowly.

“Angus…” Mom frowned, dragging out her tone. “They are mates. They are working on their relationship and how they do that is no concern of ours.”

“As long as she’s in my house,” Dad growled, his gaze still locked on Ridge. “Everything she does is my concern!”

Wade now stood up, claws out and I knew this couldn’t go on. I went over, touching my dad’s arm but retracted it when I looked wide-eyed at Ridge.

The Beta’s teeth bared, his golden narrowed stare on the space between my dad and me. Ridge was getting territorial because of our consummation in the forest. And with it only being a short time from what we’d done earlier, Ridge felt like the other male wolves in the room were seeking out his female. It didn’t matter if the male wolves were my brother and dad; males were males. That was all the wolf in Ridge understood.

I held up a hand to plead with Ridge that I wouldn’t touch my dad. The Beta growled behind his lips, narrowing his eyes at the man standing next to me. Feeling that Ridge wouldn’t do anything as long as there was no touching involved, I looked at my dad and directed to him and Wade that they both needed to calm down. I understood that they were upset; whether it was with Ridge, me or both but with a wolf of Alpha Blood in the room, it was not the best idea to work that side of Ridge up.

Looking at Dad, I pleaded with him to ease himself. That if he didn’t, Wade wouldn’t. Dad growled at me—not intentionally, he was just frustrated—but that didn’t mean Ridge approved. The Beta gnashed his teeth, growling at my dad who flicked his gaze to the Beta again.

With Dad being more of mature age and his blood rank, he knew how to read situations. He knew how to assess them and dilute them. Which was why Dad forced himself to hone in the protective side of him. He kept an eye on Ridge still watching him as Dad directed to Wade calmly, “Sit down, Wade. There will be no bloodshed here.”

Wade growled at my dad and in turn Ridge turned on Wade. Ridge snarled, watching my brother curl his fists. Dad curtly spoke my brother’s name, waiting until Wade broke eye contact with Ridge long enough to glare at Dad.

“Sit. Down.” Dad’s golden gaze lingered on Wade.

My brother’s jaw clenched, frowning and with a silent look again from our dad, Wade finally relented. He slowly sat down, giving Ridge a softer glare as Wade could now sense the territorial fumes coming off the Beta. Everyone felt it and so no one tried to make sudden moves.

Ridge growled a little at Wade then shifted to Dad when he heard, “Gigi… I suggest you go and wash up. I think that would settle matters a little.”

With his gaze on me, Ridge lowered his chin, watching as I slowly backed out of the dining area. I offered a small smile to the Beta and noticed his shoulders eased up a bit. Keeping the smile in place, I nodded and mouthed, “It’s OK.” before letting myself disappear upstairs.

It was a quick shower that I took, not wanting to leave a wound up Ridge alone with my dad and Wade. When I returned downstairs, freshly clean, the air in the dining area seemed to dissipate from the tension earlier.

Seating arrangements changed, Mom explained, which was why she was pointing out my seat was beside Ridge and Cody took Wade’s place across from the Beta. My older brother was now seated by Dad at the far end of the table.

I nodded, seating myself and then looked at Ridge. I hesitated before placing my hand on top of his. He looked at me, green eyes back to normal.

“You OK?” I asked, tilting my head.

Ridge sighed, shutting his eyes and nodded that he was better. He forced himself to look at Mom and Dad at the end of the table. He apologized for that side of him that dominated over everyone. He said he hadn’t meant for that to happen but it felt like a switch went off when I was too close for comfort to my dad. Ridge winced, mentioning he knew that was uncalled for and weird.

“Not at all,” Dad cautiously spoke up.

Dad reassured Ridge that what happened was expected between mates and had it been the other way around, I would have been the one to be settled. Dad explained this was something that unlocks when mates consummate. Apparently, it is an instinctual part of a wolf and only pertains to their mates—or chosen mates once said chosen is fully claimed.

“As you can see…” Dad’s brow rose. “It’s quite more powerful with a true mate.”

Ridge stared, still feeling guilty from how his brows quirked up. He looked at me and I softly smiled at him, shrugging.

“I’m still sorry,” Ridge mumbled, looking at Dad.

My dad softened, not entirely, but enough that there was understanding of the situation between them. Dad gave a short nod, urging Ridge to enjoy his lunch—it’s what ended the discussion and required a topic change.

Cody piped up that he wanted to have an advance in his allowance because he and his friends were planning to purchase some fireworks from town. He beamed, seeming to be excited about this and I smiled while he bounced in his seat like a puppy.

“That’s out of the question,” Dad mumbled, biting into the lasagna he was handed by Mom.

Mom grinned when Cody questioned which part; the allowance advancement or the fireworks. Dad said both.

Cody whined that that wasn’t fair. He looked at our scowling older brother and complained that Wade used to buy fireworks all the time.

Wade’s eyes widened, growling when he snapped his attention to Cody. He narrowed his eyes and warned, “That was supposed to be a secret!”

“Oh, yeah…” Cody shied in his seat.

This created some cheerful chatter among the table. The awkwardness from earlier slowly fading as we were enjoying lunch.

The chatter stopped, however, when the alarm tower went off. We looked from the door to my dad who frowned as he stood up and went to open it. The blaring loud chime of the bell from the tower amplified with the door now open. From where I could see, there were pack members walking past outside, and heading up the hill towards the meeting hall.

One of the men passing by turned when he saw my dad in the doorway and the man pointed as he called over, “Alpha Beaumont is calling a meeting! Says there is a dire announcement to be made!”

Dad nodded, giving a short wave in thanks and then looked at us. He nodded, “Let’s go. We’ll finish lunch after the meeting.”

We stood up, leaving our meals behind and heading out of the house. Ridge looked at me when I furrowed my brows, asking if he knew what his father wanted to announce. He shrugged, shaking his head that nothing had been mentioned to him at all today.

I could hear Dad talking to Mom, something about maybe the alphas had come to a finality in their negotiation of the treaty between our packs. That made sense, I guess. But I still felt my heart racing as I walked alongside Ridge and then looked to Eden beside me.

Eden took hold of my hand as we were heading to follow the crowd ahead of us. She leaned towards me on our way up the road and whispered if I was nervous. I nodded, feeling her squeeze my hand in efforts to calm me as she said that she felt nervous too. It made me feel a little better.

Reaching the doors of the meeting hall, those directing the pack members inside would hold out their hand to halt the rest of us so that they can peer their heads into the hall to check how much more room there was. They looked back at us, nodding at my dad who returned the greeting as we were waved to enter.

Eden and I looked behind us where they permanently stopped the rest of the pack members from entering the hall after about four more people. We looked at one another with a smile of relief then faced forward. I could hear my dad scolding Cody to stop bouncing around so much.

My younger brother whined that he couldn’t see anything and so he was jumping up and down. Wade, grinning at our brother, mentioned that the meeting hadn’t even started yet. Cody snarled at him, growling low that had Wade laugh and ruffle his hair.

I turned to Ridge who was easily looking over the heads of those in front of us. His brows furrowed, muttering to me that his dad was on the stage platform. Ridge narrowed his eyes, mumbling something about how serious his dad looked.

Ridge looked at me this time. “I should go see if everything’s OK,” he suggested.

I nodded, giving a small smile and squeezed his hand before Ridge turned to my family to nod respectfully. Surprisingly, Dad nodded back though Wade did not. That wasn’t surprising.

Ridge took his leave through the crowd, disappearing from my sight and I rose onto my toes to see what I could see of the front. Considering that Cody was my height exactly, it was no use doing so. Instead, I pulled Eden to the side of the hall where I could see a little better.

My friend whispered if I could see Ridge and I shook my head, “No, not yet.”

I scanned the front pew, brows furrowed in concentration, until I caught sight of my mate near the back part of the stage. He was with his parents and talking quite sternly with his hands moving around. His mom looked concerned, her arms crossed and looking at her husband whose face had that ‘business mode’ to it. Clearly, the alpha was not going to be swayed by anything Ridge was telling him because Alpha Beaumont leaned closer to Ridge and pointed at the side pew; a way of telling Ridge to seat himself.

Ridge frowned, looking at his mom who inaudibly said something while touching her son’s arm. Ridge’s shoulders relaxed, nodding and followed his mom to the side pew to sit.

When Ridge’s green eyes scanned the back of the crowd until looking further to where I was standing. His gaze met mine and he gave me a small grin. It made me blush as I smiled back at him. This seemed to relax him just as Alpha Beaumont approached the podium. That stern look on his face had deepened to a frown.

The alpha held up his hand to silence us in the hall and the murmurs started to fade out. I looked at Eden who returned the look of worry all of a sudden. She whispered, “Something’s up. I don’t like the feeling I’m getting.”

Neither did I.

There was a knot in the pit of my stomach telling me this meeting wasn’t going to be a cheerful one. At least not for me. I don’t know how I knew that, but I was feeling really antsy all of a sudden. Worry was squished into the mixture.

After the hall quieted, the alpha lowered his hand and scanned the crowd. He spoke monotone, telling us that he knew it was unusual to call a meeting out of nowhere without a few days notice but today’s meeting was an exception. The alpha felt this was an important announcement to make after the vital news he discovered.

The crowd glanced at one another, their nerves rattled as the alpha’s stern tone hadn’t changed. He was looking at the crowd again, searching around until he spotted me in the far back. At first I didn’t think he was actually looking at me but then I noticed how Alpha Beaumont’s expression tightened, that gleam in his eyes returning. He lowered his gaze to the podium, his lips in a tight line now.

Alpha Beaumont spoke again, this time softer.

“This announcement involves the future Alpha Female…”

The crowd began to murmur and I glanced at my family who frowned. They seemed to be feeling as I was, which was confused because the alpha knew Molly wasn’t Ridge’s mate and yet the alpha addressed her as so. I thought it had to do with the pseudo engagement and maybe the alpha felt bad that I’d have to hear him address Molly as Ridge’s mate. That had to be it.

My gaze traveled the room, doing a double-take when I spotted Molly near the front of the crowd and standing off to the side with her parents. She stood in her prissy manner; her chin stuck out and the stoic look on her face.

Those blue eyes of hers narrowed a little while the alpha continued to address us and then her gaze shifted from Alpha Beaumont to the crowd. Perhaps she felt me staring because her attention focused on me at that moment. The longer she stared, that small grin etched onto her lips, I felt sick to my stomach and I couldn’t understand why. I just knew Molly might be up to something.

Alpha Beaumont drew my attention back to what he was saying as he held onto the podium and explained to us all that this news is one that should be held in celebration. It is something that will benefit the Carmel pack in the years to come. His focus settled on me again, like he was indirectly speaking to me.

Our gazes locked as the alpha warned, “Any disrespectful behavior towards the Beta Female is ill-advised. I will not stand for anything of the sort in my pack and going against my orders will be punishable as I see fit.”

I frowned, squinting as I turned my chin a little then glanced at Eden who frowned back at me. She was just as confused as I was. What the hell was going on?

Alpha Beaumont cleared his throat after pausing a moment. He took a deep breath, looking to the side where his wife and son sat. Though his mom looked worried, Ridge was confused. He kept glancing between his dad and Molly standing in her prideful stance off to the side.

Alpha Beaumont looked at his son, mouthing, “For the good of the pack…” before he faced the rest of us and announced, “It is my honorable privilege to announce my son and his mate are expecting!”

The meeting hall burst into a cheer. People surrounding me threw up their hands, clapped, and hooted. They even took opportunity to hug one another and whistle while I remained where I was.

My feet rooted to the floor. Every part of me began to numb. I shifted my gaze from the alpha standing at the podium, his attention my way, to the happily giggling Molly who was already being congratulated.

And then there was Ridge…

Ridge had gotten to his feet, eyes wide as he stared off in front of him. He paled and wouldn’t move a muscle even when his mom stood up and tried to say something to him. Her worried face still in place as she touched a hand to his cheek. I could see the way his chest rose and fell in heavy panic and with the crowd distracted, Alpha Beaumont rushed over to where his son was.

I could hear Eden beside me, tugging on my arm. Her voice sounded so far away as she urged, “Oh, God… Gigi! Gigi, let’s go!”

But I couldn’t move. I wasn’t sure if I was breathing as my heart pounded loudly in my ears. I was still staring at the stage where the alpha family was standing. Finally, after the alpha shook his son and spoke sternly, Ridge finally looked at his dad. Ridge’s brows furrowed, jaw clenched before his eyes widened, like he remembered something, and snapped his head in my direction.

It’s impossible to understand how quickly it arose. How sudden it came zipping through my veins and up to my chest where this dark smoke of emotion filled my chest cavity. Anger wasn’t a word to describe it. It felt more like a furious fire within me that burned its way up my torso; spreading through my limbs.

My jaw clenched, hands curling into fists at my side. I could feel my eyes darken to match the emotion inside me. I slowly shook my head as Ridge’s eyes widened again, moving away from his dad and shouted, “Gianna!”

His father had gotten hold of him, pulling his struggling son back and leaned in close; probably warning Ridge most likely to not make a scene.

It allowed me to turn on my heels, pushing past Eden and the pack members.

I had to get out of here! I couldn’t breathe! My head was starting to hurt and I needed it to stop! It felt like it was going to fucking explode! One thing after another! It wasn’t fair!

I made my way out of the crowd, uncaring of my shoving to get enough space between me and them. I was heading back the familiar pathway leading to my home, stomping as I went.

When was this unfairness going to end?! When was I going to get the moment to live happily like everyone else?!

“Gianna! Gianna, please!” Ridge’s voice pleaded. He grabbed my arm, but I yanked it out of his grasp.

I was too angry to be surprised at how quickly he caught up with me. Not even my family had gotten here just yet.

“Don’t touch me!” I growled, marching off. I couldn’t even look at him right now I was so furious.

I stormed down the hill, towards my house and Ridge was running along side me with a desperate plea to listen to him.

I think I’ve listened to him a time too many. Listening and trusting him only bit me in the ass because I was so stupid to believe we were finally going to be happy together. But not anymore.

Molly was pregnant. She had a small being growing inside her! A small being that was going to be the spitting image of Ridge and her, and there was nothing I could do about it! This just meant one thing: I’d officially have to break the ties with Ridge. And for real this time. There was no way for us to come back from this. Ever.

“Gianna! Gianna, I swear I didn’t know! I’m sorry!”

“Sorry?” I kept stomping towards my house, not even looking at him.

Ridge kept badgering me with his apologies but I wasn’t having it.

I stormed up the porch steps and threw open the door. My eyes first caught sight of the dining table where the cold food was still sitting on our plates. Only earlier today were we all sitting there, laughing and talking. Ridge had been beside me, grinning at me while I foolishly adored on him.

The fire within me was raging, and it was like a switch I hadn’t ever felt before that made me march over and grab the edges of the table and hurled it upward with an angry cry. The table flipped onto its side, the plates of food crashing down onto the floor. My hands grabbed onto the chair closest to me and hurled it in a different direction, watching it smash into the wall, breaking off a leg.

I spun around, my eyes narrowed on Ridge whose wide-eyed look turned from the lopsided room to me. My teeth were grinding together; my attempt to keep my short temper under control was waning. I could feel it.

With my glare on Ridge, I growled through grit teeth, “Get. Out.”

Ridge stood there, frowning and shook his head that he wasn’t going anywhere. That he loved me even with this news and that wasn’t going to change anything.

“Doesn’t it though?!” I shouted, curling my fists at my sides. “And how the hell am I so sure you didn’t know about this? Were you fucking her again, Ridge, with the excuse that Daddy made you do that too?”

“No!” Ridge’s eyes widened. “Gianna, I haven’t—”

From what I could see—since I was so damn focused on my asshole mate—my family and Eden were running in. They crowded the doorway as I breathed out, with a finger pointed at Ridge and declared, “You… are a liar! And I’m a dumbass for believing that this time would be different! That I was what you wanted!”

I spun around, grabbing another chair and hurled it at Ridge. He was able to jump out of the way, as did my family. They dispersed to the sides as the chair flung in the clearing they made just in time before it hit the door and snapped in half. There was a sudden worry in my dad’s eyes I couldn’t focus on at that moment. I needed Ridge to get out of my house! I needed him to get out of my life. Forever.

“Gianna, please stop! Calm down!” Ridge yelled, holding up a hand at me as he tried to approach.

My brows rose, craning my neck forward. “Did you just tell me to calm down…?”

The corner of my lips tugged upward, scoffing a chuckle.

“You—you want me to remain calm, Ridge? To be okaaaaay with the public announcement that you got the woman who isn’t your mate pregnant?!”

With my breath escalating into a heavy heave, I could feel my wolf wanting full control. She has never wanted full control before but oh, how tempting it was. I had never given my wolf side full control before and that wasn’t something I was willing to do at this moment—though again, it was fucking tempting.

I lashed out at Ridge to get the fuck out of my house! To stay away from me!

Ridge growled back that he wasn’t going to leave me again.

“I already told you, Gianna! You matter more to me than anyone! I’m not going to just walk out on you—”

“You’ve done it before!” I interrupted, shouting over him. My eyes blazed the longer I stared at his panicked face. It only infuriated me more. “This shouldn’t stop you now! For fuck’s sake, Ridge, she’s pregnant! What don’t you comprehend of that? It just made the decision for us that we will now never… be together!”

Closing my eyes, I covered my face with my hands and groaned out in frustration. Turning my back, I took a deep breath hearing Ridge moving towards me and I whipped around to hold out my hand to stop him.

“Stay back. Don’t touch me, Ridge.”

The hurt in his eyes and face was none of my concern any longer. Not after hearing how he was going to be a father now. He needed to focus on being with Molly and taking care of her before they were to raise their child together.

Ridge had to reap what he sowed, and unfortunately that was his problem now. The hurt I would deal with of this new turn of events was going to heal eventually. Down the line I’d be able to forget.

But Ridge…? He was going to have to live the rest of his life seeing the reminder of what could have been with us in his child with Molly.

I shut my eyes, already picturing the future Carmel Heir running around the pack with its golden hair and green eyes. But none of this was the baby’s fault. I was no longer going to play a part in this Goddamn fate the Spirit World bestowed on me. They were really trying to test my patience. And my patience had run out.

“You are going to be a dad, Ridge…” I reminded him, my tone low.

The Beta winced, forcing his gaze down to the floor. He swallowed hard, shaking his head.

I swallowed, tears welling up in my eyes as my voice hoarsely spoke with so much defeat. “I… I can’t do this anymore! I can’t keep holding on to ‘us’ because now there is no ‘us’.”

Ridge looked up, his eyes wide and watering. He shook his head, taking a step forward as he pleaded, “No… No, Gianna, please don’t!”

“I have to, Ridge. I can’t—I can’t think of anything else to do!” I whimpered.

A sob escaped and I stepped away from Ridge who was already breaking down; dropping to his knees and pulled me to him. His arms banded behind my waist, sobbing into my stomach. He claimed that he loved me and only me. That nothing was going to change that. Ridge wanted me, he sobbed, he’d always wanted me.

My jaw locked as I stared ahead. My entire being completely numb. There was no hurt, no anger… just… Just emptiness.

My family and Eden stared at me worriedly. I felt them.

Looking down at the top of Ridge’s head as he wept I pulled my hands up to push away his hands and stepped back from him. Ridge doubled forward, crying into his arms on the floor as he whimpered for me to not stop loving him.

“I can’t do that, Ridge.” I took a deep breath, looking down at him. My brows furrowed as I stared at him. “Like your father said… I have to think of this pack first and foremost. What kind of person does that make me if I act so selfishly?”

Ridge looked up at me, his green eyes the color of green apple’s from his tears.

I remained firm on standing where I was. Shaking my head, I told Ridge he needed to go. That Molly needed him now more than ever, and that I wanted for him to go and be happy with her.

“You—you don’t mean that!” He frowned.

“I do… I really do.”

I frowned off to the side, shaking my head. Hearing how hurt he was I knew my heart couldn’t take it. This was just too much to handle and I needed to get away from Ridge as far as possible.

Shaking my head again, I shut my eyes and whispered to my family, “Get him out of here.” before turning away and heading out the front door.

My feet carried me out to the clearing, they were rushed steps I was taking before they turned into a full on sprint into the forest. I ran past the trees, the leaves crunching under my feet until reaching the creek. I slowed down, panting out small breaths from both the run and the heavy crying.

I walked to the ledge of the creek, staring over and down to the water. My reflection stared back at me, emotionless, and I thought over the past month.

A month. So much had happened and yet I still felt like more was to come. Like something bigger was going to be happening. I could feel it in bones. Even the animal side to me could feel it. She was starting to make me feel… different. And I didn’t know if I should have been scared of this feeling… Or welcomed it.

I turned away from the water, stripping out of my clothes and piling them by the ledge before shifting. I opened my eyes; feeling the natural blue eye color of my wolf take over. Everything in my surroundings was more defined, and I could smell things a lot better. After taking one long scan around, I sprinted down the familiar path Eden and I would run through.

I spent maybe an hour running around, sniffing things like they were brand new to me. This newfound emptiness was like being reborn. There was something powerful lurking inside me that I was curious to tap into. Only I didn’t know how.

Trotting back to the creek, I slowed when I saw Dad standing there. His back was turned, his hands in his jacket pockets and looking into the water.

My ears folded back as I approached, lowering my head and slowly forced the gold coating over my irises. Dad didn’t turn when I was now beside him. He still stared at the water, a blank look on his face before he mumbled that Ridge was no longer at the house. And that Dad requested for the alpha to keep Ridge from our home moving forward.

“Darren showed up after the meeting. I made it perfectly clear that what my family needed was time to deal with your heartache. I told Darren that he owed my family that much—to leave you be—and that if he wanted to speak with me that he can call ahead of time.”

Dad said that even though the alpha tried to tell my family that this news of the baby was not its fault, the alpha was felt it was better that everything turned out like this. The alpha had thought it over and he didn’t see any other way around letting Ridge be together with me when there was an unborn child now involved. It was asking for things to get messier than they are.

I glanced up to see Dad’s brows furrow deeply. He looked so disappointed as he sighed through his nose. He shook his head, clearly upset with our alpha when Dad relayed to me, “Apparently… Darren claims this news of Molly and her pregnancy gives the pack a future. And unfortunately, according to Darren, that no longer involves you with his son.”

Dad turned to look at me, his eyes solemn. “The alpha assured we no longer have to worry about Ridge anymore. Not in any way other than him being alpha one day.”

I lowered my head, spotting a dandelion poking out of the ground. My nose sniffed the bent weed, its petals inhaled too deeply, and I sneezed. When I glanced up at Dad again, he wasn’t looking at me. He faced the water again, standing with his arms crossed over his chest.

It was decided that I needed to shift. We were about to have a discussion and I couldn’t have said discussion in wolf form. When the shift from wolf to human was complete, I rolled my shoulders back to ease out the tightness in my muscles. I bent to scoop up my clothes and walked a little behind Dad so I can put my clothes back on.

Once dressed, I stood beside him again. He finally turned to me, his brown eyes looking over my face. I could see an emotion in his eyes that wasn’t familiar for me. It was an emotion I rarely saw on him, except for maybe once that time when I was thirteen and the first time my eyes had been blue instead of the normal gold. It was fear.

Dad frowned, his voice almost a whisper and he shook his head. “Something’s happening to you, Gigi.”

I blinked, lowering a brow.

“Something’s…” Dad shook his head again, staring at the water. “Something’s off. I can feel it! I can see it! What happened back there… I— I maybe think that was the last straw for the Quail Wolf in you.”

“What do you mean…?” My brows furrowed, tensing up. Now I was the one in fear.

Dad sighed, looking out at the forest across the creek. He explained to me that there was so much about the Quail Wolf that average Werewolves didn’t know about. But from the hushed kept recordings on them throughout the centuries, there was a path that Quail Wolves had a choice to take.

“There are two paths, as you know,” he glanced at me. “A good… and a bad.”

I nodded, acknowledging that I knew this.

Dad continued. “Well…” He sighed, frowning at the ground. “There comes a time in each Quail Wolf’s lifetime that they reach a breaking point. The situations they find themselves in and those around them, start to take effect on them. They become overwhelmed with what is at stake for them.”

“What would that be?” I asked, tilting my head.

Dad’s brows furrowed into worry, his jaw tight and taking a moment before answering me. “Their humanity.”

My brows lifted, and Dad faced me. He leaned forward a little, brows furrowing as his voice held a harshness in them—not really directed at me but at the topic we discussed.

“There’s a reason Quail Wolves are not common, Gigi. They are very powerful when it comes to the art of war. Not because they have magical abilities, but because they are stronger than the average werewolf. Imagine having that kind of power on the battlefield and giving the opposing side a run for their money.”

Dad raised a brow, stressing, “The bottom line: Quail Wolves are dangerous. To others and to themselves if they choose the wrong path. Their hearts start off pure, selfless… beautiful.” He brushed back my hair, a soft smile on his lips. It faded before he spoke again. “But the moment—the very moment—that the Quail Wolf gets touched by some form of evil, it starts to take over. It’s hard to come back from that side, Gigi.”

I swallowed, looking down at the ground as my dad’s words were sinking into my brain. He kept going, trying to warn me as we stood there in the middle of the forest.

Pursing my mouth to the side, I raised a brow as I looked up at my dad.

“With everything that’s been happening—With Molly and Ridge— You’re scared if my wolf side is turning dark,” I pointed out.

“Not so much ‘if’, Button.” Dad turned to me, the worrisome in his tearful eyes growing. He swallowed hard, his voice hoarse as he whispered, “I’m scared that it already has.”