“Yes,” she said sadly, having clearly remembered as well. “And while I would have willingly volunteered to meet my death to absolve myself of my sins and save Ireland, any child in my womb would be afforded no such thing.”
“Nay,” Tréan said. “My only hope of survival and finding my way back to ye was to become yer familiar.”
Shannon squeezed her eyes shut to that. To something Liam knew she loathed. Felt horrible about. She had turned their only child into something not quite human.
“There was no other way,mo leath eile.” Liam tilted her chin until she had no choice but to open her eyes to him. “If ye had not hidden our son inside the form of a wolf once he was born, your coven, most especially Siobhán, would have seen him dead. Instead, you selflessly ensured Adlin got him back to me and met your death nobly. Met it thanks to time travel without them ever being able to prove you were pregnant to begin with because my Scottish brother hid the knowledge via magic.”
“And you lived on as what exactly?” Her heart was in her eyes when she looked at Tréan.
“Ye already figured that part out...mostly.” Tréan’s eyes flashed gold, giving them a glimpse of his own magic. “Da didn't descend from the Werewolves of Ossary but was father to the first Werewolf of Ossary. I was protected by the animals of the forest for the first few years of my life before I learned how to shift and return to the form in which I was born.” His fond regard went to Liam, and he nodded. “But all the while, when not amongst my own in the forest, I was by da’s side. A ferocious companion indeed.”
“Without a doubt, you were.” Shannon looked at him with as much pride as Liam. “You don’t sound bitter about it, but....” She cocked her head. “Proud...maybe even happy?”
“I was,” he replied easily enough, still scanning the forest as though he didn’t trust what was out there. What lurked beyond. “I was not feared or hunted as a young man but protected because of who ye were, ma. The animals saw to me well.” He gave her a knowing look. “In turn, ‘tis why I believe ye saw to them so well in this life. ‘Twas a way of thanking them, even if they were not the same animals.”
Her jaw dropped then snapped shut when he went on, as comfortable in his human form as he ever was as a wolf. Powerful in the way he held himself. A true warrior if Liam ever saw one.
“Da was there when I shifted to this form for the first time as a young laddie.” Tréan nodded at Liam with admiration. “He stayed by my side through the whole transition.”
“Was it painful?” Shannon bit her lower lip and shook her head. “Any werewolf movie I’ve ever seen depicts it as being horrible.”
“’Twas not painful in the physical sense,” Tréan assured. “But difficult emotionally.” Liam recalled it clearly as Tréan spoke of it. “’Tis hard to adjust one’s perception of themselves so drastically. To become something so...awkward and cumbersome compared to what ye were.”
“I can just imagine.” Shannon’s brows drew together. “That must have been...strange.”
Liam could tell she was just as taken by their son. Impressed with him all the way around. Yet still sad.
“So you lived on with your father,” she continued, understanding what he hadn’t said yet. “Aged normally once you embraced your inner human the first time.” Her gaze returnedto Liam. “Because my coven wouldn’t take your life as swiftly as they did mine, right, Liam?”
“Nay.” Liam recalled the rage, pain, and confusion he’d felt when an old man delivered him a wolf cub and told him what had happened. That his beloved had gone to meet her death by fire. That she would see him and their son again someday. That she loved them both so very much.
“All I wanted to do was follow ye into the afterlife right then and there,” he said, his anger and pain as fresh now as it had been then as he gazed at Shannon. As he realized just how far they had come. “But I could not because of my people, and your coven knew that. Knew my absence would be too sorely missed. That I was needed to lead my kingdom for several years to come.”
“Yet yer timedidcome,” Tréan ground out. “And none too peacefully at that. Siobhán made sure of it. She had been fond of ma before she broke the rules and fell in love with ye, da. Before ye took her away from her as far as she was concerned.”
Shannon tensed in his arms when she clearly felt the water slamming them against the wall at King’s End once more.
“Yet I wasn’t there,” she managed, heartbroken at the bone-crushing pain Liam's former self had suffered when the water rushed in. When he drowned so swiftly. “So why did we feel that together? Both have that memory?”
“My guess is because ye were still so connected betwixt life and death.” The sorrow in Tréan’s voice was unmistakable. “’Twas a great love ye two shared. One da never forgot. That he spoke of until the very end.” He shook his head. “There was no doubt ye remained the great love of his life, ma. A love he was willing to die for even years later. Eager to die for had it not been for me.”
Tréan didn’t need to elaborate. It was clear Liam was with other women after her. Had to have been for his kingdom. His lineage.
“So you had time to grow and live and love yourself?” Shannon eyed their son curiously. “Perhaps even had children of your own?”
“I did,” he replied softly, the look in his eyes telling. “’Twas a good life and gave rise to the Wolves of Ossary, which I can assure ye, are not myth but very real.”
Shannon put a hand to her heart, and her eyes welled again. “So your people, or pack, lives on today? Nearly a thousand years later? Nearly two thousand years from when you were reborn as a wolf?”
“They do.” He said little more about it, but neither Liam nor Shannon missed the flicker of sadness in his eyes. “I know nothing of them nowadays, though. Where they ended up.”
“That’s incredible.” Shannon got off Liam’s lap and went to Tréan. Took his hand and looked at him with a mixture of emotions. “You’re incredible, and I’m thankful for you. Thankful to you for standing by your father when I couldn’t.” She pressed his hand to her cheek and closed her eyes. “Most of all, though, I’m grateful to finally meet you.Knowyou.” She shook her head and looked at him. “And I’m already so proud.”
“As am I.” Liam joined them and clasped Tréan’s shoulder. “Ye are...” He paused and blinked when touching his son helped him see even more. “Ye were the creator of the face carved in the stone at King’s End.” He shook his head in awe. “Ye also carved the other symbols except for the ones Riona put there. And also the symbols on the bridge.”
“I did.” Tréan clenched his jaw and blinked back emotion before it got the better of him. “’Twas not easy losing ye, da.” He shook his head and looked at Shannon. “No easier than ‘twas losing ye even though I never got to know ye.” He pressed afist to his chest over his heart. “The wolf in me felt ye from the beginning. Felt ye like ye had always been part of me.”
“Because I was,” she whispered, her voice wobbly. “Right up until the fire took me. Right up until....”
