Page 24

Eira pressed on, emboldened. "She is the reason Mother is dead!"

"Who told you that?" he demanded.

Eira flinched, backing up just slightly. "Everyone knows."

"No," Blaidd said, stepping closer now. "Who."

Silence followed as she seemed to examine her feet with great interest.

Eira's face flushed as she repeated, close to tears now. "She isn't our mother."

"No, she is not," Blaidd agreed. "An ungrateful brat like you doesn't deserve a mother like her."

His voice dropped, dangerous in its restraint. "You bite the hand that fed you. The hand that bathed you, protected you when you woke screaming from nightmares. She stood between you and the worst of it when I wasn't there."

Eira's chin lifted, defiant. "Rowena is better than her."

Blaidd looked at them both—at Bowen's wary eyes, at Eira's tearful anger—and seemed about to say something before turning away.

"If you like Rowena so much, you can have her. I will find Fae and bring her back," he said as if she hadn't spoken. " I don't want to see either of you until then."

Finally cowed by a new tone in their father’s voice that they had never heard before, neither Eira nor Bowen uttered a word before they walked out. Maxen exhaled slowly, rubbing a hand over his face. "This," he said grimly, "is a fucking mess."

They both watched the door they fled through.

Blaidd opened his mouth.

If you only knew—

The words died before they could be born.

He turned away instead.

"They need to move into the packhouse," Blaidd said, the words flat and final.

Maxen looked from Blaidd to the door where they could sense Eira and Bowen still lingering on the other side, stunned and uncertain. "You're telling them to leave?"

"I'm not speaking to them," Blaidd replied. "They're moving out."

Then Maxen said quietly, "Just so you know, Fae already threw them out."

Blaidd only nodded. The children still lingered, as if waiting for him to change his mind before finally leaving.

The quiet stretched between the two men.

Maxen exhaled slowly. "Sion's gone to tell his parents."

Blaidd sighed tiredly. "I thought he might."

"You should expect another battle," Maxen added. "He hits harder than Lisna."

"I deserve it," Blaidd said.

Maxen studied him then; saw the strain around his eyes and felt the way his wolf prowled close to the surface.

"Tell me what's going on," Maxen urged.

Blaidd shook his head. "Not yet."