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But these are his best friends. They have been since Seth and Ocran were pups and Ezra was a hatchling, back when they ran the forests of Wintermoon together. They’re my pack cousins, my family.

Ezra cools off after a while. His arm stays around me while the scorched edge eases out of his scent. Soon he’s actually in the conversation instead of shooting death glares at them.

“How’s things at the Academy?” I ask Ocran.

He throws his head back and groans. “Annoying.”

I lean past Seth and nudge Ocran’s knee. “That bad?”

“I’m ready to finish these university courses so I can get back to building my cabin with the pack.” He stretches out on the roof beside Seth, his green eyes on the stars. “I want to start preparing a home for my future mate. When she shows up, I want to be ready.”

Ezra squeezes me tighter at that. I lean into him, breathing in cedar and smoke until my wolf gives a happy little grumble.

I turn to Seth. “What about you? How are things going?”

He shrugs and looks off toward the trees. “While Ocran’s excited to get back to the pack, I’ve been avoiding it.”

I know the tone. “Things still tense with your mother?”

Seth takes his time answering. “I get it, you know?” he admits. “Aaron’s left the pack permanently. That hurt her. And then my sisters are planning their own lives. She’s empty nesting. And then my decision to have the Blackwood magic siphoned out of me…” He rubs the back of his neck. “My mom thinks I want nothing to do with her bloodline. But that was never the case.” He hunches forward. “You all will never understand what it feels like to battle two bloodlines.” He glances around at us. “My wolf was fighting with the warlock in me. And the truth I had to face…” He stops. “I loved my wolf more than I loved my magic.”

My wolf paces at the hurt rolling off him. Beside me, Ezra dips his chin, and his scent darkens with recognition. What does my mate know about fighting his own blood?

I want to press him on it, but it can wait. Tonight my cousin needs a listening ear more than I need answers. I bump Seth’s shoulder with mine. “I understand, Seth.”

He tips his face up and gives me his first real smile of the night. “You always do, cousin.”

He’s back to staring at the stars. “I’m sorry for intruding. It’s just that…” He picks at a loose shingle. “You’ve been the heart of our pack generation. You’re the oldest. Well, on a technical level.” He turns to me. “And you’re sweet to everyone in the pack.”

My face locks up on me, and Seth narrows his eyes. Of course he caught it.

“Well, except for my dad,” he says. I know what’s coming. “Why do you hate him so much anyway?”

My wolf freezes. I curl my fingers into the blanket with every shifter on the roof waiting on me. We’ve never actually had this conversation. It’s always been a given. Jacob and I have been at each other for as long as I can remember. The pack has never made me explain it.

I don’t know what to say. A familiar scent saves me from answering.

Ocran sits up and sniffs the air. “Uncle Jo?”

He’s right. It’s Josiah on the wind, and he’s not alone.

Ezra frowns toward the tree line. “Well, everything’s cleared up,” he says. “So why is he here?”

Josiah strolls into the clearing with his fated mate, Layla, at his side. She’s carrying a stack of papers.

Ezra pushes to his feet. “Well, let’s go see what he wants.”

He helps me up. Ocran and Seth leap down first and drop onto the grass in front of the cabin. Ezra reaches for my waist, probably planning to fly me down, but I slip out of his hands and step off the edge. The night air rushes up and whips my dress around my thighs. I bend my knees and hit the ground in a crouch. I giggle when Ezra huffs from the roof. He touches down at my side without a sound and tucks his wings in with smoke still curling from his nostrils.

Josiah is waiting on us in his deputy suit, all fangs and good cheer. Most people back away from him, though he’s never bothered me.

He spreads his arms wide. “Ah, young love and family dynamics. I must say, it is an envy.”

Layla brightens when he turns to her. She’s out in the woods at night in a black gown that hugs every curve. She could pass for a supermodel without even trying. It’s rude, honestly.

“Hey, Uncle Jo,” Ezra says.

Ezra and the boys bow their heads to her. She glances at Josiah for help. She’s all fang and fury at the spa. Give her a little respect from some young shifters and she doesn’t know what to do with herself.