“Eve, are you all right?” She ushered me in, and Mac followed.

“I’m fine.”

“Liar.” Concern echoed in her voice. “Come sit down, and let me get you some tea. It’s good to see you again, Mac.”

“That would be amazing, thank you.” Liora’s tea was famous for its restorative properties. She always added a bit of magic that I’d never mastered, but every time I drank it, it reminded me of my first weeks here with her. I’d been devastated by the loss of my mother and the revelation that I was meant to be Lachlan’s mate. Liora and her tea were my safe port in the storm, and in a sense, this place still was.

Within minutes, we were seated in her cozy living room with the tea spread out on the table before us. Mac and I shared the little loveseat, and Liora took the squashy chair across from us. My honorary aunt had the style of an old hippie, her place full of colorful cushions and braided rugs.

I took a sip of tea, sighing at the warmth that rushed through me.

“Tell me what brings you here again so soon,” she said. “I kept looking for a cure for you, but I didn’t find one.”

That was expected. She’d known she couldn’t help me, but she’d tried anyway. I nodded my thanks and told her everything we’d learned so far, finishing with, “You knew my mother. Does any of this sound familiar?”

Liora frowned and shook her head. “Unfortunately not. As far as I knew, she was a regular werewolf. She never mentioned any of this to me.”

“And my father?”

Shadows crossed her face, and she looked like she wanted to hex him. “That good for nothing was no one special.” Her mouth twisted, as if she were holding back more curses, and then she stood. “I’ll be right back.”

She left the room, and Mac and I shared a confused glance. “What was that about?” Mac asked.

“She hates him for leaving my mother before I was born. I hate him for that, too, actually.”

“Do you know why he did?”

“No, only that it wasn’t for a good reason. It’s not like he had to go off to war or take care of my sick nan or anything. Mum always made it sound like he just up and left because he didn’t want the responsibility.”

“Bastard.”

“Exactly,” Liora said, charging back into the room. Her stride and voice were equally irritated, and she flopped into her chair. “Your mother gave me something to give to you in case you ever asked about your father.”

“What?” Confusion raced through me. “Why didn’t she give it to me herself?”

“Because she knew how you felt about him. You wouldn’t have wanted anything.”

“That’s true. But why didn’t she hold on to it herself? She died in a car crash. It’s not like she knew what was going to happen to her.”

“A seer once told her she would live a short life.” Sadness creased Liora’s features. “I’d wanted it not to be true, but in the end, it was.”

My heart twisted at the memory of learning about the accident. Tears pricked my eyes, and I felt Mac grip my hand and give me a squeeze. I clung to her and met Liora’s gaze. “What did she give you?”

She handed me a battered silver locket, and I took it. “From what I understand, he gave it to her. She made it plain that she wanted this given to you if you asked about him.”

I nodded and took it, closing my fist around the cool metal. “Do you think he’s still alive?”

“I don’t know. But his last known location was a village on the east coast of Scotland called Avereen.”

“Is it a big village?”

“Not terribly, but without his name, it might be tough to find him.”

“You never knew his name?” I hadn’t. My mother had never told me, and I hadn’t wanted to know.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t. I think she might have once said it was Tom, but I’m not certain of that.”

“Okay, we’ll look for a Tom to start.” I stood. “Thank you so much.”

“Good luck, dear.” She hugged me tightly. “Your mother would be proud of you.”

My vision grew watery, and I blinked the film away. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” She pulled back. “Be careful, now. Let me know if I can do anything.”

“Will do.”

Mac gave her a goodbye nod. “Thanks for the tea.”

“Of course.”

We made our way out onto the quiet London street, then turned to each other.

“We need more than a town and a first name,” I said, looking down at the locket in my hand.

“Does that offer any clues?”

I tried popping it open, but it wouldn’t work. “It’s stuck.”

“Stuck or locked?”

“Hard to say.”

Mac held out her hand, and I passed it over to her. As she inspected it, my mobile vibrated. I pulled it from my pocket and opened it to find a text from an unknown number. I scanned it quickly, my heart leaping. “Kenneth, Lachlan’s second, just sent me a message. He says my father was called Thomas Mackay.”

Mac stepped closer, trying to read my mobile over my shoulder. “Really? Does he say anything else?”

“Says he visited my mother once after she’d moved to Guild City and joined Lachlan’s pack. But he didn’t stay long. That’s how they got his name, though. They don’t have an address or anything for him.”

“But now we’ve got a full name and a town. That’s bound to be useful.”

“Thank fates.” I tucked the mobile away. “We’re getting somewhere now.”

Mac gripped my arm, her touch comforting. “Are you hanging in there?”

“Fine. A bit worn down, but fine. Once we get to the bottom of this, I’ll be right as rain.”

“But what about Lachlan?”

I frowned, bemused by the question. “How is he doing?”

“No, how are you doing with him?”

With a sigh, I muttered, “That’s not as fine.” I looked at the street, searching for the words. “I care for him. More and more every day. I know I shouldn’t. It’s downright dangerous. But he’s so…good inside. I don’t know how to describe it…but I like him. I trust him.”

Mac nodded. “Makes sense, given the fated mate thing and all.”

I laughed bitterly, dragging my hand through my hair. “Yeah, that. I wish it didn’t exist.”

“If wishes were horses.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me along. “Now, let’s go find your father and sort all this mess out.”

She pressed the locket back into my palm, still shut tight. I strung it around my neck, patting it down and vowing I’d figure out how to open it.

Mac and I took a transport charm to the tiny town of Avereen. It was a beautiful village of old buildings backed by rolling hills on one side and the sea on the other. As we stood in the middle of the town square, I turned in a circle, taking it all in.

“I’d expected it to be on one of the islands,” I said. “Not mainland.”

“It’s been a long time since the old wolves were around.”