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For a brief moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes. A glimmer of doubt, maybe even remorse. But it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by a coldness that chilled me to the bone.
It was time to shatter William’s far-fetched dream of just forgetting about killing off so many innocent people. “William,” I said gently, trying to make him see reason, “it’ll be hard to go and play a happy family since I’m a shifter.”
“You don’t have to be,” he snarled. “This has been a choice of yours because you’re half human, too.” He shook his head. “You gave in to your baser desires and didn’t fight the mindless animal inside of you hard enough.”
That made me laugh out loud. “You have no idea,” I said, my words tinged with both amusement and disdain. “I fought it sohard, and now I see why that was the worst thing I could have done.”
William’s eyes narrowed, but I pressed on. “I didn’t choose to be this way, and neither did the other shifters. But I don’t see it as some horrible curse anymore. I live in harmony with my wolf now, and I’m stronger than ever because of it.”
“Stronger?” he scoffed.
“Yes, stronger.” I stood strong, unwavering. “I’m proud to be a wolf, and I’m proud of my pack. I will protect them with everything I have, whether you choose to accept that or not.”
The words hung heavy in the air between us, a tangible barrier that separated our two worlds even more. I saw his anger boiling beneath the surface, his frustration at my defiance. There was something else there, too. It looked like pain.
“Is that really what you want?” he asked menacingly. “To throw away everything you could have had just to be a monster?”
“Stop calling them monsters!” I shouted. “Shifters aren’t the monsters here, William. The real monsters are those who hunt them down and kill them without mercy, take their families and split them apart, torture young boys and hold them prisoner.”
Without another word, William reached behind his back and pulled out a revolver. He grabbed Camila’s brother and pulled him to his feet.
Kyle and I froze. Swallowing hard, I watched as William’s finger twitched on the trigger. Marcos whimpered, tears streaming down his face, and my heart ached for him. I had to do something—anything—to try and save him.
“William,” I spoke cautiously, despite the fear coursing through me, “shifters aren’t monsters. They’re people, just like you and me.”
“Shut up!” he barked, pressing the gun harder against the boy’s temple.
I snapped my mouth shut, terrified that anything else I might say would only lead to disaster.
“Dad,” Kyle said, his voice calm and measured, “lower the gun.”
“I didn’t raise you to be such a blind idiot and go soft about these creatures we’re hunting,” William snarled, but his hand wavered ever so slightly.
I tried to figure out how to save Marcos. As William continued ranting, I saw my brother’s jaw clench. I was sure he was thinking the same thing.
“You’re wrong!” Kyle suddenly shouted, silencing the room. Every eye turned to him, and William seemed genuinely taken aback at his son’s outburst. “Shifters aren’t just animals. They’re human, too, and they’re capable of human emotions. I know this for a fact because I’m in love with one, and she’s the most infuriating but humane person I’ve ever met.”
I stared at Kyle in disbelief, pride, and affection. He had just openly declared his love for Audrey, something I was certain he had never even told her directly.
The other hunters, most of whom had trained with Kyle and respected him, looked at each other in confusion and shock. Even William seemed momentarily thrown off guard.
Ridge’s voice echoed in my head, filled with concern.“What the fuck just happened? I felt a surge of…something. What’s going on?”
“Kyle just said that he loves Audrey,”I replied, trying to keep my focus on the situation unfolding before me.
“Wait, what?”Ridge sounded confused, but I didn’t have time to explain.
Kyle’s bold declaration had the desired effect. Keeping his eyes locked on Kyle, William let go of Marcos, and the boy dropped to the floor. The gun sat forgotten in William’s hand ashe stared at his son with disbelief and fury. I saw the hunters shifting uneasily around us.
“You think loving one of them makes you an expert?” William roared, spittle flying from his lips as he aimed the gun at Kyle. “You and your sister have been blinded by these creatures. They’ve been feeding you lies and turning you against your own kind.”
“William, listen to yourself.” I said, desperation clawing at my chest. “We are not against hunters. Shifters are just as human as hunters. We’re trying to protect innocent people who have been wrongly persecuted for generations.”
“Enough!” His voice cracked like a whip, cutting through my words. The gun shook in his grip, but it never wavered from Kyle’s chest. “I won’t hear any more of this nonsense. You’ve both chosen your side, and it’s not with your family.”
“Family?” I scoffed, my heart pounding wildly. “How can we ever be a family again after everything that’s happened? After all the lies and pain? Our mother’s memory is what’s driving this madness. It’s tearing us apart, William. She fell in love with a shifter, and that’s why you hate them so much. But shifters aren’t monsters. They’re people, just like us.”
For a moment, his face softened, and I dared to hope that my words had reached him. Then his features twisted into a snarl, and any chance for reconciliation was gone. William’s eyes narrowed at me. “Fine. You’ve made your choice. If you refuse to choose happiness in the future with me, then that’s on you.” His gaze flicked between Kyle and me, settling on me with a cold finality. “Just remember, you’re not my daughter.”
