“What?”
“Da ...he was a hard man.I respected him as my father but hated his coldness.”
His gran’s brow furrowed.“Tavish, did he hurt you?”
He glanced up and stared into her eyes.“His excuse was that he was teaching me how to be a Highland laird.To be ruthless.I have a vague recollection that I lived with you for a while.Not long.But I don’t remember Mairi at all.”
“He beat the softness out of you,” she said sadly.She rose and went to his side, pulling a chair closer to him, and taking hold of his hand.“Bonnie was my only child.Her birth was difficult and I was unable to have any more children.I knew your da was a hard man, but they were mates, so I accepted him.She loved you so much, Tavish, and I hate the thought that you had to block her out because he didn’t allow any happy memories to stay.”
“He took so much to his grave.”He shook his head.“I didn’t connect to my wolf at all, you know.Not until recently.At first, when I met Mairi in the Sheridan Pack, I wasn’t sure if it was some sort of shifter chemical, a biological wolf hormone, forcing us to procreate.”
She opened her mouth and then closed it, before shaking her head.“Biological wolf hormone?What’s in that noggin of yours?Every shifter is born with two souls.The human and the animal.The High Luna realized we may not recognize our other half when we’re learning and fighting with our dual nature, so she gave us a way to find our true mate.You were born to love her, Tavish.And she you.”
“Aye,” he whispered.“I’m realizing this.”
“Now, if only you weren’t such an imbecile.”
He rolled his eyes.“I’ll grant you that.I’m not divorcing her, Gran, but I’ve hurt her.I have a lot to make up for, but I’ll eventually bring her home.”
“That’s a good boy.Now, I expect your first daughter to be named after me.”
Pups?Hopefully, but even if they don’t have any, he would be okay with that as well.He couldn’t give her up.“What if Mairi wants our daughter to be named afterhergran?”
She smiled.“Laoise Áine does have a nice ring to it.All right.I accept the deal.”
Here he thought he was a good negotiator.His gran had one up on him.
****
Later that night, hewalked into a pub on High Street and glanced around until he saw his friend wave from the far end of the bar.Tavish wove in and around people until he sat next to Adair.The two had met in university, and shared a friendly awareness when they scented they were both wolf shifters.Although there were a few other wolves scattered on campus, he hadn’t connected with them because of the stigma of pack life.It had been all about hiding groups of wolves running together.Now, however, he knew it was time to end that exile, which was why he’d reached out to Adair.
“Good to see you again,” Adair said with a grin.
“Likewise.”Tavish held up a finger to the bartender and then pointed to his friend’s dark stout.“Thanks for meeting with me on short notice.”
“Sounded like it was urgent.”
“Nae, not urgent, but definitely something I needed to run by you.”
The bartender placed the beer in front of him and Tavish handed over a bill, indicating he could keep the rest.The man nodded his head in thanks and then moved to serve another.
“I wanted to ask about your other half.”
Adair quickly glanced around.“Other half isn’t something that should be discussed in public.”
Tavish took a drink of his beer.“I could’ve meant your wife.”
“You would have a point if I had a wife.Go on.”
“Have you heard your other half?”
“Heard?What do you mean?”
“Does he talk to you?Oh, and do you remember everything after a moon run?”
“Remember?Being a wolf?”
Tavish nodded.
