Later that night, when the house is quiet, Red pokes his head into our room. Tobias is asleep, curled into a ball, hugging a stuffed animal he’d found in my closet. I don’t even remember where I got it.
Red tips his head for me to follow him. I expect him to lead me downstairs for a pack update. Instead, he leads me into his and Sage’s bedroom. Sage is asleep in the recliner by the window, feet kicked up and snoring.
Red folds his arms across his chest, studying me. My stomach sinks. I know that look—it’s the one he uses when he’s trying to decide how much to tell me.
“Say it,” I tell him.
“Forest isn’t happy right now. You should know that.”
“What do you mean?”
“We all knew this was coming, but fuck, this soon? He’s thinking of locking Tobias up in the cellar.”
I jerk back.“What?”
“Sage talked him down, but you have to know how serious this is. That Rip is controlling him.”
“Of course I do!”
Red hums low in his throat. “Then think of it like he is. Doing what he needs to, to protect his pack.”
“He can’t—”
“What happens when Rip decides to use Tobias to hurt one of us?” Red says.
“So what? We keep watch every minute of every hour? We basically already are.”
“Exactly. And look how tired we all are,” he presses, glancing at his mate.
“I won’t do it, Red. I won’t put him in there. It’s not—”
“I know. I don’t want to either.” He touches my arm, sending soothing power into me. “Calm down, or you’ll wake Tobias.”
I take a deep breath. “How am I supposed to protect him from something inside his own damn head?”
Red doesn’t answer right away. “We can’t,” he says quietly. “But that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Something you said earlier… The way you talked to Toby.” He sighs. “I think ultimately it’s going to come down to him protecting himself. But that means he needs tochoosehimself.”
“What do you mean?”
Red holds a folder out to me. “I’ve already shown Toby this. He knows.”
I peer inside, skimming the police report of a woman I don’t know. My jaw drops. “His mother killed two people?”
Red nods. “In animal form.”
I reread the paragraphs describing the brutal incident, but it doesn’t mention what type of animal. “Do you know what she was?”
“No, believe me, I’ve looked.”
I pause, thinking about everything Taren said about the Eclipse Seal and Rip’s control. If Tobias’ father was a shifter…
“Wait…” My stomach tightens. “Toby mentioned his dad—why didn’t you tell me Tobias’ father was a shifter? That seems like something I should’ve known.”
Red’s eyes flicker with guilt and understanding. “Because knowing that wouldn’t have helped him—or you—at the time. You had enough to worry about. And before you ask, no, I don’t know what he was either.”
I struggle to wrap my head around this. “Could that be the key, though? Could his animal be strong enough to kill Rip?”
Red shrugs. “Or crazy enough. Half-bloods aren’t in control, you know that. I think if Toby wants to fight this, he needs to lean in to that side of him even more than he is now.”
