“Mm-hmm.” But she poured without comment, slid the mug across the counter. “Your boy's already here. Grabbed the booth by the window about ten minutes ago.”
I followed her gesture and found Nate sprawled in the corner booth with his camera beside him and that expression he got when he was trying very hard not to laugh. His rust-colored hair caught the light streaming through the window, and for a second he looked so much like Anna it made my chest tight.
“Thanks, Martha.”
“Anytime, honey.” She patted my hand with maternal affection.
I carried my coffee across the café, slid into the booth across from Nate, and immediately knew I was in trouble. His eyes were too bright, mouth twitching with suppressed amusement, and he was definitely sniffing the air in that way wolves did when they were cataloguing scents.
“Don't,” I said.
“Don't what?” All innocence, but his grin was pure evil.
“Whatever you're about to say. Just don't.”
“I wasn't going to say anything.” He picked up his own coffee, took a deliberate sip. “Just making an observation about how thoroughly you smell like Daniel right now. Like, aggressively like him. Like you either rolled around in his laundry or?—”
“Nate.”
“—spent the morning doing very athletic things that I absolutely do not want details about because you're my dad and that's disturbing on multiple levels.” His grin widened. “But good for you. Seriously. Evan mentioned Daniel's been walking around looking less like he's about to murder someone, so whatever you're doing, keep doing it.”
Heat flooded my face. “Can we please talk about literally anything else?”
“We could talk about how you're moving into the pack house.” Nate's expression shifted, went softer. “Evan told me. Said Daniel asked you to move in and you said yes.”
“Yeah. He did. I did.” I wrapped both hands around my coffee mug, needing something to hold. “Is that weird? Too fast?”
“Dad. You've been circling each other for months like you're both terrified to actually reach for what you want. Moving in together isn't too fast. If anything, it's overdue.” Nate leaned forward, and I saw Anna in the tilt of his head, the way he lookedat me like he could see straight through every wall I'd built. “You deserve to be happy. Mom would want you to be happy.”
“I know.” My throat went tight. “
“Gideon told Evan about the bloodline thing. About the Harringtons being descended from nature-warlocks.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“Honestly? It makes so much sense it's almost embarrassing I didn't figure it out sooner.” Nate's fingers traced patterns on the table, unconscious geometry that looked suspiciously like ward marks. “I always felt different, you know? Like there was something underneath my skin trying to get out. And then I died and the forest woke it up and suddenly everything clicked into place.”
“You're not scared?”
“Terrified. But also relieved? Like I finally understand why I never quite fit anywhere except here.” His eyes met mine, storm-gray like his mother's. Then something shifted in his expression. Hardened. “What I don't understand is why I had to hear about your awakening from Evan instead of you.”
My stomach dropped. “Nate?—”
“You nearly died, Dad. You fought eight corrupted wolves and triggered a ward burst that almost killed you, and you didn't think I needed to know?” His voice cracked. “I had to find out from my boyfriend that my father was bleeding out in Gideon's garage while I was sitting at home thinking everything was fine.”
“I asked Daniel not to tell you.”
“That's not your choice to make.”
“You're my son. Protecting you is always my choice.”
“I'm not a child anymore.” Nate's jaw tightened, and for a moment he looked so much like Anna that my chest ached. “I've died and come back. I've got magic running through my blood that I'm still learning to control. I've watched people I love get hurt and I've fought beside wolves and I've survived things thatshould have broken me.” His voice went rough. “I'm not the kid you need to shelter from hard truths. Not anymore.”
“I know,” I said quietly. “I know you're not. But Nate, when I was lying on that garage floor with corruption spreading through my blood, all I could think about was your face. Your mother's face. The look you had at her funeral when you were trying so hard to be strong for me.” I swallowed around the tightness in my throat. “I couldn't do that to you again. Couldn't make you watch me fall apart when you'd just started putting yourself back together.”
“So instead you let me find out secondhand. Let me spend three days not knowing my father almost died.” Nate's eyes were wet now. “Do you know what that felt like? Evan trying to tell me gently, like he was breaking bad news, and me just standing there realizing everyone knew except me?”
“I'm sorry. I was wrong. I thought I was protecting you, but I was just... I was scared. Scared of being weak in front of you. Scared of being another thing you had to worry about.”
