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“Hey, kid,”I said, leaning over. Tresten nudgedhim.

“Ian?Your uncle is speaking toyou.”

“Hi, Uncle Arthur,”he said, and gave me a quick hug before returning his focus to thebook.

“Sorry,”Tresten said. “We can hardly get him away from hisbooks.”

Ishook my head.“No, that’s great. He’s passionate.” I ruffled his hair, and he glanced up at me from the corner of his eye and smiled. I winked athim.

“Let’s go inside?”Tresten suggested. “I’d like to make an offering in the temple before theceremony.”

As we walkedinto the temple, Loch told me about his position at the Dawn Academy’s Fighting Arts School as an assistant master. “Can you imagine that?Me, as ateacher?”

“You’re more than qualified,”Tresten said. “Don’t sell yourselfshort.”

“Loch’s got a point,”I teased. “Would you really want a guy like him teachingstudents?”

Loch laughed.“Oh, young me probably would hate me as a teacher. I don’t cut anyone any slack. I’m strict ashell.”

“Really?Guess Dad rubbed off on you after all. You must be happy, Tresten, to have your husband working alongsideyou.”

We enteredthe main hallway of the temple, lit by rows of hundreds of candles. Ian finally emerged from his book, sticking close to Tresten’s leg, his eyes wide as they looked around the cavernous space. Tendrils of incense curled from golden wolf skulls, and the priests shuffled around paying little attention to us, murmuring prayers tothemselves.

“Actually,”Tresten said, “the reason why Loch was asked to teach is because I’m going to be taking a leave of absence.” We turned a corner towards an alcove where several shrines were held; three small trees growing out from the stone, with chains of gold hanging from their branches—the shrines for omega fertility and healthy childbirth. Tresten shifted into his wolf form, stepped up to the trees, and lowered his nose to the bark in tribute. I connected thedots.

“Hounds of Hell.Tresten, you’re pregnantagain?”

Loch grinned proudly.“We’re having anotherkid,”

“Guys,that’s fantastic! Congratulations to the both ofyou.”

“It was completely unexpected,”Tresten said. “But a welcomesurprise.”

We walked backtowards the entrance to the temple to meet the rest of the family that would be arriving at anymoment.

“Another kid,”I said to my brother. “Loch Luna, family man and Dawn Academy master. Never could’ve seen that coming ten yearsago.”

“Hey,I was always an awesome fighter. Just not the most disciplinedstudent.”

“Things change, I guess.”

He smiled.“You haven’t changed much, Arthur. From what I’ve heard, you’re still up to no good. Breaking hearts. You sure you don’t want to settledown?”

“Ah,Hounds of Hell. Not you, too. Everyone’s on my ass today about my damn lovelife.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.I’m not interested in that shit, you know that. Mom started even started suggesting omegas… No offense,Tresten.”

“What’s wrong with omegas?”heasked.

“Nothing,”Isaid.

“Nothing,”Loch said, “except he won’t date them. You had a bad experience with an omega, didn’t you? That old thing from when we were in pre-academy. You know he’s back,right?”

Ihadn’t expectedto hear those words, and my heart jumped so hard it was in danger of bursting out of my throat. I coughed. “Who told you that?” I said, trying to soundunaffected.

“His younger brotherstudies at the Academy. Overheardit.”

At that moment,the rest of the family entered the temple, and Loch, Tresten, and Ian went to go greet them. What had been just a bit of throwaway information to Loch had completely rocked me. I was stewing in my thoughts as my body ran on autopilot, moving my legs to follow the group as we moved to the room where Kota’s ceremony would take place. Everything around me seemed to be moving in blurs andechoes.

It waslike a hole had been torn into the wall I’d set up in my mind, and all the thoughts and feelings I’d blocked away were gushing out of it. My heart was pounding. I was in shock. How could those words affect me like this? I’d gotten over all of this a long time ago. I’d gotten overhima long time ago. But I’d believed that I would never see Perry again. We promised each other that we would break contact forever. He was married. He lived far away. I’d never see him again, never have to think about himagain.

But now,apparently Perry was back inWolfheart.

Of course,I was sure he came back occasionally to visit, but I’d never known about it. I’d remained in blissful ignorance for these past years, believing that I’d never have to think about him again. Now, suddenly, his presence was back in my mind, like an emberrekindled.

Istoodin the darkness of the Teller’s chambers as Christophe walked his son towards the blind old priest. A thick haze of incense and candle smoke surrounded me, and I found myself falling into my memories, drifting back in time thirteen years to the time when Perry Windhelm was still in my life, and when I was in love with anomega.