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I groan, leaning back in my chair, covering my face with my hands and tilting my head back, trying to collect myself as my wolf races off into the darkness of my soul in acompletepanic.

Why?

Why didn’t I ever bother toaskif Nadia was seeing anyone?

But surely –surelyShayne would have told me –

“Cole.”

With an effort, I collect myself, lifting my head back up and slipping my hands down so I can meet General Amir’s gaze.

“She’s really putting you through your paces, isn’t she?”

I sigh, nodding, dropping my hands into my lap. “She’s just…holding me tosucha high standard, General Amir.”

He raises his eyebrow at me as my wolf comes skulking back, no less panicked but wanting to listen. “Is that what you want, Cole? For my daughter tolowerher standards so that you can continue to act as you have without any discomfort?”

I slump, seeing the trap now, a little groan slipping from my lips.

General Amir laughs a little, I think starting to be genuinely entertained by my torture.

“You’re putting me through my paces too, I think,” I murmur, glaring just a little bit. “Like father, like daughter.”

“I am,” General Amir says, nodding. “As is my right.”

I nod, conceding the point. It’s what my father would do too. There are several young Alphas who have faredverypoorly against dad’s high standards for Iris.

“Look, Cole, you’re a good man,” General Amir says, his face softening now. “And ifanyoneis aware that Nadia is a contentious young woman who lets her temper lead her into argumentative extremes…it is her mother and I. But the height of Nadia’s standards is not the problem. Where ethics are concerned, Nadia israrelywrong. Methods – yes, frequently. I’m well aware that she’s something of a loose cannon. But where her heart is aligned?” He shakes his head. “She’s agoodwoman. She tries with everything she has to fight foreveryonewhomight need her. Sometimes to the point where I worry it will break her.”

“How do you manage that?” I whisper. “As someone who cares for her, how do you protect her from – from everything? From the things in the world that would take advantage of her – from the fact that she would probably rather seeherselfhurt before anyone else?”

“I work very hard,” General Amir says softly, “to ensure that she listens to me. And to do that, I earned her trust.”

“Easy, when you’re her father,” I say, a bit bitter.

General Amir shakes his head. “Fathers are in the terrible position of having far too much power over girls who love them from the moment they first open their eyes. So, so many men don’t deserve that unconditional faith. But there comes a point when a father must earn his daughter’s trust as much as it’s freely given. He must demonstrate to his girl that he’s worthy of it. If he doesn’t, she will come to understand that it’s always been empty – and the realization will break her heart.” General Amir shrugs, a silent admission that it’s as simple as it is terrible.

Tears quite suddenly prick my eyes. I can’t put words to why.

“There are five people in the world,” General Amir says quietly, “at whom Nadianevershouts. At least not really - not the way she did at you tonight. To expect Nadia to never lose her temper again would be…foolish. But she holds back with me, her mother, her sister, Grace, and Shayne.” He counts them off on his fingers.

“Why?” My question works itself around the tightness in my throat.

“Because shetrustsus, Cole. Trusts that we listen to her, that we havefaithin her strengths and her abilities, and that we’ll hold our boundaries with her. My girl, for a reason that eludes me, was born with the least credulous soul of anyone I’ve ever met.”

I smirk a little, believing it.

“But her trust, once earned, is absolute. Work onthatbefore anything, Cole, and your road will be…possible. If not easy – never easy where Nadia is concerned.”

I drop my eyes to my hands, guilt surging through me again.

God, I used to think I was…good at this. Atdating. Understanding women, beingniceto them. But what General Amir’s saying…

I realize that I didn’t trust Nadia tonight – or maybe ever. I didn’t trust her to be able to get on that ferry or come on this mission alone. And tonight, I didn’t trust her to handle the information about the humans in the basement, or to face Rose, or to be able to make her own choices about how to respond. I took all of that from her because I wanted to protect her – but also because it would just beeasierfor me to do it all myself.

I didn’t trust her. God damn it. I didn’t.

No wonder she doesn’t trustme.