*Saoirse*

The air was thick with tension and the scent of fury as we all drew ragged breaths. My father's nostrils flared, his eyes blazing. His anger was on full display as he turned his attention from me to his people. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides as he paced back and forth. The floorboards of the porch creaked beneath his weight.

Shifters could be volatile, and it was clear that my father was trying not to shift as his anger overtook ...