Where The Ice Gives Way novel Chapter 76

Where The Ice Gives Way

Chapter 76 He Knew

Charlotte

Gareth shut

how much

stubbl

Gar

him with a quiet click, then turns and looks at my father as if he is measuring every inch of him before decid t let into his house. Dad doesn’t look away. He stands there with winter still clinging to his coat, jaw rough wit and far too sober for this to be a mistake. There is no sway in him, no slur to soften the edges of what he is.

e sitting room. “Come through.” Dad’s gaze drags once more over the house, over the walls, the windows, the peop ow them to the lounge room. Gareth stands near the fireplace. John by the archway. Mara is close to the couch. The sat my side, and Charlie is half a step ahead of me. Dad remains standing in the centre of it all. “You came looking for

ays. “I did.”

left.”

Well, you found them.”

that,” Dad replies emotionlessly. Charlie exhales sharply, pushing off the tension already coiling in him. “You tracked us here just to obvious?” Dad’s eyes flick to him. “I tracked you here because you disappeared for days.”

You vanished.”

Same thing.”

remains in a stare down with our father until Dad’s eyes flick to me. My stomach flips “Charlie,” Mara says softly. He doesn’t look at her. H and my heart races. Gareth must notice my distress because he brings the attention back to himself. “So,” he says evenly, “perhaps you’d like to explain why you’re clearly a human with knowledge about wolves.” Dad’s mouth flattens, and silence stretches in the room before John steps forward, voice low and unyielding. “You know what we are.” Dad’s gaze moves to him without hesitation. “I know exactly what you are. “Charlie lets out a short, humourless laugh. “You’ve got some nerve,” he says. “All this time, we thought we were insane. You knew?”

“I did what I thought was necessary,” Dad says, crossing his arms. “Necessary?” Charlie’s voice rises. “You let us grow up with no idea what the hell was wrong with us. You shut down every conversation that mattered and drank every time we asked about Mum, and now you walk in here like you get to have an opinion on where we are?” Dad takes it without flinching, but dark settles behind his eyes. “You think I don’t know

what I did?”

Charlie opens his mouth again, but Gareth lifts a hand, and the room obeys it before any of us think to question it. Dad sees that. Sees the way we respect Gareth, and it makes his jaw tighten. Gareth’s voice stays level when he says, “You know what we are. You know what this town is. You know what these children are.” His gaze holds our fathers with no room for argument. “You can stop circling the point now.” Dad exhales slowly. For a second, he looks tired. It makes him seem older than I remember. “I was a hunter”

A what?”

Dad repeats. “We tracked rogues. Wolves that were hurting humans and packs that had gone bad. Our job

whole life in that sentence I never knew existed. “I was on a job years ago,” he says. “Following a

en apart by a pack. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. His voice sultens.

trained to do.” His eyes drop briefly. “I didn’t. I killed the bogues, he continues. “Touk her

t, broken edge touches his mouth. She didn’t want to run. She was tot of tung

was taught. Against every instinct I had. His gaze ink to be “You have her aves.

Are teer. This man in front of me right now, I dan’s hands hund rks and

realised what she could do what her hord count de

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Shapter 76 He Knew

Gareth’s voice is low “The children’s muger could pull rogues back?” Dad nods once. “It made my kept moving Stayed hidden. We live

part that I remember The after

into my palms My nails digg

kept boxed neatly in my

her. “And after that,” h

through it “So you

e just for us.” His eyes close briefly. “Then we stayed in one place too long.” This

y found us. They came for her,” Dad says. “For what she was. For wha

kin while I fight back the burn in my throat that wasn’t to food my eyes

because I failed to keep her safe.” One single tear slips free, and I wipe it aw quickly. Ore te eter now, “I hoped neither of you carried enough wolf in you for the world to notice.” Charlier

are.”

“I had hope w

things recen

I still kee

slowly

says. “There was always a chance that you would be normal. His gaze fixes on m

“But I have bea

hite wolf. In this town.” My stomach drops. “Roques are flooding in this direction because of it. I know ber now I’ve known where to move us. When to move us, just in case.” Dad’s eyes move between Charlie and fore he asks, wice flat, “So which one of you is cursed

blow, and Shanti rises inside me in a flash of heat. She bristles at the insult, and a growl crawls up my throat. Charlie iately, “You don’t get to call her that.”

name.”

ave to.” My father steps forward, clearly not liking Charlie’s newfound confidence to stand up to him. Gareth moves then, sta en Dad and Charlie as he looks down at our father. “You will not speak about either child that way in my house.” Dad looks up at for the first time in my life, I see he is afraid, but it’s not of Gareth or the pack. He’s afraid of me. Of what I am and what it cost ce already, He’s afraid of loving me, and what that would do to him if he lost me, too.

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R Visitor

smh bastard!

7 days ago

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Where The Ice Gives Way