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Ethan stared at him, disbelief in his face. ‘'You’d go up against me because of two wolves who meant nothing to you?”

“They were mine,” Caleb growled.

“So, are you going to fight me?” A hint of amusement tinted Ethan’s voice, as though he didn’t believe Caleb would fight, and in truth, Caleb didn’t want this to end in combat. Something deep inside him resisted the idea, because whatever else this man was, he was also Caleb’s father. All through his childhood, Caleb had yearned for his acceptance and approval. That need was gone, banished by his father’s actions, but the memory would always linger deep beneath the hatred. Now he stared Ethan straight in the face.

“You can walk out of here,” he said. “Promise never to return, and I’ll let you go free.”

A low growl came from the surrounding wolves. According to pack law, the old leader had to die. But things changed.

“You really think I would walk away?'' Ethan asked.

Caleb strode toward him. They were of a similar height, and he looked into his father’s eyes. “Walk or die.”

Ethan shook his head. “You haven’t the balls to kill me.”

Caleb held his gaze as he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the ground. He reached up and started to unbutton his shirt, pulling it off and throwing it on top of the jacket. The cool night air felt good against his hot skin.

His father had gone instantly still as Caleb started to undress. Then he nodded and dragged his T-shirt over his head. Caleb kicked off his boots and unzipped his pants and a moment later, he stood naked.

The circling wolves fell silent, and an eerie stillness pervaded the clearing as Ethan stripped off the rest of his clothes.

Caleb turned to where Catrin stood beside him. “Move.”

She stared at him wide-eyed, her gaze flickering from him to Ethan, then she backed away. She hurried to where Regan sat, still tied to the tree, and sank to her knees beside the wolf, digging her hands into the dark-red fur.

Caleb’s eyes moved slowly around the circle. He knew there was a chance he would not survive this. He had seen his father fight before, but there was no turning back now.

He reached into his mind and released his wolf.

∞∞∞

As Caleb shifted, Regan threw back her head and howled. She rose to her paws, ignoring the pain in her ribs, and tugged at the rope that held her tethered. A hand stroked down the fur of her back, and she twisted her head around to look at the woman kneeling on the ground beside her.

“Regan.”

She turned as best she could and nudged at the hand, willing her to understand, and after a moment, she nodded, and her fingers went to the knotted rope at Regan’s neck and untied her.

She turned back to watch, just as Ethan shifted into a huge black wolf…

…and she was back in her own body, naked on the forest floor, the pain in her ribs excruciating. She whispered a healing spell and dragged herself up into a sitting position where she could watch the two circling wolves. She hadn’t wanted this, but maybe it was for the best. Perhaps this was the only way Caleb could resolve his issues with his father.

“Should we do something?” Catrin asked from beside her.

“Like what?”

“A spell. Something, to help Caleb.”

“Caleb doesn’t need any help. And he needs to do this on his own—it’s been a long time coming.”

“Will he kill him?”

Regan rubbed her sore ribs. “I hope so.”

Caleb turned to look at her out of dark-blue wolf’s eyes. He cast Ethan a glance and then padded toward her. She moved so she was kneeling and opened her arms to him. He pushed his cold nose against her and rubbed his head against her breasts. Regan stroked the silky soft fur of his neck, then laid her forehead against him and burrowed her face in his thick pelt. He smelt of Caleb.

She raised her head and framed his face with her hands, stared deep into his eyes, seeing beyond the wolf to where Caleb lurked deep in his mind. His warm breath caressed her skin.

“Do this,” she said. “Do it for Kelly and for Jason. For Sarah and for your mother.”