Taking a bite of her chip, she shakes her head. “All of what?”
“The family legacy, responsibilities, and magic wielding.”
Her lips turn down. “Magic is who we are, not what we do.”
“And if your magic betrayed you, would you continue to believe so blindly? If it led you so far away from the path of light, you could never fully return from the darkness?”
“Did you do dark magic?”
“No, and yet, the darkness was everywhere I looked in my visions of Cypress.” My throat swells. “Every possible scenario was unacceptable. The things I saw …” I shake my head, unwilling to go into detail.
“You removed yourself to ensure they didn’t come true.”
“It greatly factored into my leaving. I couldn’t risk it. I was too emotional to extract fact from fear, and gauge how much my emotional state was interfering with my magic. I was young and still learning.”
“Why not ask for help, or at least tell me? Haven’t I always been by your side?” The wounded look in her eyes slays me.
“You have, but it wasn’t about you. I wanted to hold on to the tattered remains of my pride. God, the embarrassment and shame that came with the thought of admitting I was wrong after I ignored everyone’s warning felt like a noose around my neck.”
“Jesus, Lou.”
I glance down, focusing at a groove in the wood. “I know.”
“And now, what?”
“I’m trying to find my balance.”
“And Cris?”
“Will always be a part of me.”
Her brow furrows. “A part of you— Oh. My. God.” She covers her mouth. “Are you two …”
I give a curt nod. The news will come out soon enough.
“Whoa.”
“Understatement.”
She chuckles. “Man, when you screw the pooch, you go big.”
“I appreciate your sympathy.” I roll my eyes.
She grins, revealing the tiny gap between her front teeth. “Just keeping it real. So, how sorry are you anyway?”
“Very?” I say, unsure where she’s going with the question.
“I need backup for a job, and you’d be incredibly helpful.”
“Are you dealing with vamps?”
“Nah, Weres of the lupine variety, henceforth a woman being way less opposing in their alpha environment.”
“I get it, but I’m shocked your family isn’t sending one of the boys.”
“Yeah, about them … I’ve been branching out solo recently.”
My jaw drops. She’s the Morel princess. Despite her skill and strength, they’ve always taken precautions with her. “Do they know you’re doing this?”