Chapter 200 

Iris 

The salty breeze whips through my hair as Arthur carries Miles on his shoulders down the boardwalk. Miles squeals with delight, one of his little hands gripping Arthur’s hair while the other points at anything and everything—seagulls, pretty clouds, someone walking by with cotton candy. 

The guilt gnaws at me even more now that I see them together. 

I want to tell Arthur everything. About being a Willford. About being a werewolf. About this impossible reality I’ve found myself in, the reality that I still can’t quite believe myself. It still feels like a dream, like I’ll wake up at any moment and discover that none of it was real. 

I want to tell him all of it. 

But I made a promise to Caleb to keep our secret for just a little while longer, and I just can’t bring myself to betray the brother I’ve only just found. I’m caught between two worlds, two loyalties, and I hate it. It’s putting a damper on what should be joyous news. 

I can’t help but wonder why Caleb feels so adamant about keeping the truth from Arthur. Is it that he doesn’t trust him after what happened with Selina? Or did Caleb not truth Arthur from the start? The two of them certainly don’t seem to have the best feelings toward each other. 

“Look, Mommy! The ocean!” Miles points excitedly toward the waves crashing against the 

shore. 

I force a smile. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Miles grins and kicks his feet, giggling excitedly. I know the one thing he misses the most about Bo’Arrocan is the beach. We lived right next to it when we were there, and we would go every day. I miss it, too; Ordan is beautiful, but has considerably fewer ocean views. 

Arthur glances back at me, and there’s something in his eyes—a distance that wasn’t there before. He’s still upset about finding Caleb in my apartment, even if he’s trying to hide it for Miles‘ sake. This time, I can’t even blame him. If I were in his position, seeing my mate with another, I’d be upset, too. 

I wonder, for a moment, if I’ll soon feel the same level of jealousy he feels–once my wolf comes out. If it ever comes out. 

The thought is still absurd to me. I have a wolf. I want to pinch myself again, but my arm is sore from doing it so much lately, so I restrain myself. 

We make our way down to the beach, Arthur lowering Miles carefully to the sand. Our son immediately runs toward the water’s edge, then stops just short of the waves, laughing as 

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Chapter 200 

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they chase his feet. 

“Don’t go too far,” I call out as I spread a blanket on the sand. 

Arthur stands beside me for a moment, hands in his pockets, watching Miles. He’s smiling, but I can practically feel his tension radiating off him like heat. 

“Want to look for seashells?” I ask, hoping to lighten the mood. 

He nods, and we walk along the shoreline together hand–in–hand, keeping Miles in sight. Arthur’s palm is warm and comforting against mine, and I rub my thumb across his knuckles, hoping that the simple gesture will help soothe some of his tension. 

Spotting something, I bend down to pick up a small conch shell, brushing sand from its pink interior. 

“Pretty,” Arthur murmurs as I hold it up, but I can tell he’s not really looking at the shell. 

My throat bobs. “Arthur, about Caleb—” 

“You don’t have to explain,” he cuts me off, but there’s an edge to his words. 

“I want to.” I stop walking and turn to face him. “He’s just… he took pity on me after what happened at the gala. He wants to help.” 

Arthur’s jaw clenches. “And you trust this man you hardly know?”