THE UNDERTOW OF CLAW regaining his humanity sucked me under, but I fought for freedom. Big brothers had a tendency to get violent after catching their sister in deshabille. And was he only a big brother? The kiss he and Val had shared haunted me. The knowledge that my wolf would soon become Val’s alter-ego put into question our own romantic spark.... Only, Claw apparently shared none of my confusion. By the time I opened my eyes, pebbles biting into my n***d knees, he was laughing. I could barely understand his words between the chortles, but they gradually resolved into: “This explains a lot.” Val and Harry were standing now, their clothes in disarray but their faces glowing. “See, I told you so,” Val said, smacking Harry across his n***d pectorals. “He’s not mad.” “You’re both adults

