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I wasn’t serious when I offered to cut his hair, but then he gave me that look as if he could not quite believe I had the ability, so that riled me up. I didn’t expect him to say yes. Why would he trust me, more or less a stranger, to come near him with a pair of scissors?

But here we are. He’s sitting on the floor with his back to me, his soft silver hair right in front of my face.

As we were getting set up, I saw a small scar on his right cheek. It looks old and faded. I didn’t notice it before, but it gives him a mysterious edge. Leanna told me that the scars on her back would never heal because of how nearly fatal those injuries were. I’m curious about the story of Griffin’s scar. It does nothing to take away from his attractiveness.

I swallow.

I probably should not have offered to do this. Leanna always told me that my mouth would get me in trouble one day. It seems that day has arrived.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask weakly. “I mean, I said I give a good haircut, but Finn’s a child. What does he know?”

A low, husky chuckle from Griffin makes my lower abdomen tighten. “I will not complain.”

“What if it’s a disaster?”

“I will like whatever you do to my hair. You don’t have to worry.”

I purse my lips. “Very well. I did warn you.”

His shirt is spread out beneath him. I didn’t want to mess up the witch’s wooden floor, so he took off his shirt. I’m going to flush the hair down the toilet once I’m done, and then he can have the shirt back.

Griffin is thin, incredibly so. It’s obvious that he’s deeply malnourished, and it upsets me. This doesn’t seem like months but rather years of neglect.

“How long were you in there for?” I ask quietly, trying not to be affected.

“I don’t remember.”

I study the length of his hair, wondering how much I should cut. “I guess you don’t know what they wanted from you, either?”

When he remains silent, I pat the center of his back.

“Don’t worry. It doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is that you are safe now. Where do you plan to go after this? I mean, once we get out of this cabin?”

He looks over his shoulder at me. “I haven’t decided yet. What about you? You have mentioned your mother a few times. Where is she?”

My heart tightens. “Last I knew, she was at the palace. King Erik gave us one of the cottages on the grounds. I was staying with my mother there.”

“If you were working for the king and living on the palace grounds, how were you able to maintain contact with the human society?”

His precise question makes me blink. “Well, I didn’t. Healer Jerry, the one who recruited me, was able to help my mom with his healing abilities. That was one of the biggest reasons why I decided to completely cut ties with the human world. You can’t work alongside shifters if you don’t do that, you know.”

Those amber eyes settle on me, vivid intelligence in them. “You are young. Why would you cut ties with the human world when you should have known that the wolf society would not accept you with open arms? You would not belong anywhere.”

I laugh awkwardly. “Well, Leanna did explain this to me, but I wanted my mother back. I’ve always protected her. She has always been fragile. If I knew of a way to get her to feel better, how could I pass that up?”

“No matter the cost to you?”

I open my mouth and then snap it shut. My voice is quiet now, low. “I never really considered the cost to myself when it was my mom’s health on the line. And if you think I will regret that decision, you’re wrong. However much time she has, I’m selfish enough to want it for myself. I want her to be comfortable. I don’t like her tears when she doesn’t remember me, the panic in her eyes when she looks at me like I’m a stranger. I can’t stand her sobs when she gains awareness and realizes that she didn’t recognize me just a few hours ago.”

Griffin is silent, as if contemplating my words. “She doesn’t recognize you? What is her illness?”

I sigh as I gaze at the silver hair before me, my eyes unseeing. “I forgot. Your kind probably doesn’t have this kind of disease.She has dementia, early onset. I’ve been looking after her since I was sixteen.”

“That is a young age to assume such a responsibility.”

I shrug. “Maybe. But once I get out of here, she’s the first person I’m going to go see. I want to make sure she’s okay. But—” My voice trails off as I lift the drenched towel and run it over Griffin’s hair.

“But?” he asks after a moment.