Page 102 of Feral

“She doesn’t work with Weres. And even if she did, she would have never seen ‘em during moon time.”

“Are ya still wanting me to drug ya, because my answer is still a very emphatic ‘no.’ I think it’s a shite idea personally. Ya need to be honest with her.”

“I’ve tried! She won’t listen! She thinks that I won’t hurt her.”

“She trusts ya.”

“Aye. The more fool her.”

Liam let out a long breath and crossed his arms.

“Ya have let what happened with Silvia rule ya for far too long. She was one Mundane lass. Does Daphne strike ya as like her at all?”

“Ya mean besides her terrible taste in Weres?”

Liam’s hand snapped out and he smacked me on my head.

“Ow!”

“That’s for being an eejit. You are one of the best Weres I’ve ever known. And I’m not just sayin’ that because yer my older brother. You are honorable, brave and true. Ya stood by me after I was injured and pushed me to try when no one else did. You were brave enough to forge a peace agreement with the Campbells and to go to the Archive, after everythin’ they’d done to us, to try and get help when it was all goin’ to shite. You are worth it all, Fraser. Daphne sees it. It’s time ya did, too.”

I wanted to let his words in, by the goddess I did.

It was everything I wanted to believe about myself and had been denying since Silvia. And for a few precious hours last night, I’d opened that door to those beliefs again, to the possibility of happiness, of a real life with Daphne.

But I can’t be foolish. I have to put her first and protect her from me. Starting with today.

“Could ya do me a favor, Liam?” I asked.

“Depends. If it’s helpin’ you push her away, then naw.”

“It’s not that. Daphne believes that Ruben will be at the cottage and needs to investigate. I promised her I’d go with her, but you know how I am at the full moon.”

“Aye, ya wanna fight anythin’ that looks at ya sideways.”

“And I shouldn’t be alone with Daphne like that. Could ya go with us, please? Pull me back if I start to frenzy or…or anythin’ close to it?”

Liam’s eyebrows raised and his arms dropped to his side.

“Ya want me to go?”

“Aye, why not?”

Liam opened his mouth and then closed it.

“Are ya sure?”

I knew why he was asking. It was day time, and the strength he received from the full moon wouldn’t be present. He wasn’t as fast as he once was, pain kept him in check far more than he used to be. And he’d be walking with his cane. But there wasn’t a thing wrong with his mind. And Liam tended to hide weapons in his canes these days so if anything, Daphne would be very well protected, even if Liam wasn’t as quick as before.

“There’s no one I would trust more,” I said.

Liam’s throat worked, trying to swallow back his rising emotions.

“Thank ya, brother.”

“Aye. Now, what are you doin’ up so early?”

“It’s the only time of the day I can do my therapy exercises. Lowell is always poking around the sparrin’ yard like a bloody mother hen. And today, there’s gonna be so many people about, I wanted some privacy.”

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