AS THE PACK CHANGED gears and began ironing out the logistics of meeting with my father, I drew Dale aside to take care of one of the loose threads in my plan. I expected my brother-in-law to refuse to talk to me—after all, I’d lied by omission and was ultimately responsible for his son’s k********g. But instead, he simply enfolded me into another one of his world-class hugs. I could feel tears prickling behind my eyes, and was surprised to notice my wolf adding her sensations to my own. I might be shiftless, but it felt good for a wolf to join me under my human skin.
“I’m so sorry, Dale,” I told him as soon as my brother-in-law released me, seeing tears in his eyes to match my own. “I should have told you, but I didn’t think I could....” My voice trailed off, the words seeming lame even
