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“Does Mom know?”

“Yes.” His father's voice was deep and filled with his own regret. “She forced the change on me.”

Oh, man.

His father was right. There was no way for Mack to understand how that would feel. However, in some ways, he did. Becoming a wolf wasn’t his choice. It was forced on him. He’d learned to accept it and quickly loved his wolf, but it still wasn’t his choice.

Then again, perhaps it wasn’t the same as being a human and becoming a new creature. Mack hadn’t stopped being a vampire, just...enhanced.

All vampires had heard the stories from former humans, and how they’d resisted being turned. Some ran toward it, excited about the powerful abilities. Most didn’t.

The reality that they’d lived among another race who was as intelligent, but more powerful than humans, freaked them the fuck out.

Understandably.

Then to fall in love with one of them and be bitten and changed...well yeah, Mack could see that being a complete mind fuck.

At least he didn’t have to do that with Ella.

Although there were a lot of assumptions in that statement. She might turn wolf. For a human to have the choice taken would be violating, and for that reason alone, Mack began to understand his perspective.

“Dad.”

“Son, it was a long time—”

“I get it. Not completely, but I can see why you’d be pissed.”

“I meant it when I said I loved your mom. I’ve forgiven her. It took a while, but I love my life and you boys.”

But?

“But you wanted me to live the life of a young and free man because you’d had that taken from you.”

His father didn’t respond immediately.

“Yes. It was wrong of me. Parents do this. They live vicariously through their kids. But it’s wrong. You aren’t us. I’m sorry that I’ve taken this time from you and Ella.”

Man.

His chest tightened with a whole range of conflicting emotions. It had taken time from them—at a time when it could be too fucking late. But he truly did understand his father’s perspective.

Mack wasn’t going to say it was okay, because it wasn’t.

But he’d always had a choice to bond with Ella at any time in the past ten years.

That was on him.

“Give Mom a hug,” Mack said, glancing behind him at the apartment door. “I have to go.”

“I love you, son.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

He slid his phone into his pocket, then tugged it out again and called Ella. She would be asleep—the time zone difference very annoying—but even if she saw he’d called, he knew that would make her smile.

Her beautiful face filled his screen—the photo he’d saved years ago of her leaning against his souped-up car. It was old, but in her denim shorts and baggy sweatshirt, she was sexy.

As he suspected, she didn’t answer.