It was easy to empathize with Fenris—after all, my own hybrid status had made me an outcast, and until Iannis had taken me under his wing, I’d lived every day under the fear that I would be found out and executed. But at least those fears no longer plagued me. I was still learning to integrate myself into mage society, but it was happening. And if my lunch with Aunt Mafiela went well, perhaps I could find my way back into shifter society as well. But Fenris wasn’t able to do either of those things.

“I know I said to you not so long ago that my place was by Iannis’s side, and by your side,” Fenris said roughly, his arms tightening around me as he returned my hug. “But after nearly exposing my true identity in front of all those mages, I was reminded that my very presence here puts you both in grave danger. If it was ever found out that the two of you were knowingly harboring me here, and that Iannis had used illegal magic to transform me into a shifter, all three of us would be executed. You are my friends, and far too important for me to allow that to happen.”

“Stop this.” My nails dug into Fenris’s upper arms as I pulled back to glare at him. “Fenris, you stop this bullshit right now. Yes, Iannis and I might be part of the Minister’s task force, but don’t think for one second that you haven’t been instrumental in everything we’ve done so far. You’re important too, Fenris, and I fucking need you. Iannis fucking needs you. The entire Federation needs you, even if they’re too blind and ignorant to know it.” My voice broke a little as anger scalded my chest, and maybe a hint of fear too, at the thought that Fenris might walk out of our lives. “I can’t stand to lose another friend right now, Fenris,” I whispered. “I just can’t.”

Remorse flashed in Fenris’s dark eyes, and his expression softened. “I understand,” he said quietly. “We’ve been through quite a lot recently, haven’t we?”

“You could say that,” I said tiredly, running a hand over my face. “I was just getting over Roanas’s death, and now I’m faced with the likelihood of losing Noria. I don’t know what I would do if I found out you were leaving too.”

“Knowing you, you would probably come up with some harebrained scheme to chase after me, and get yourself into considerable trouble that I would have to help you out of,” Fenris said dryly, a grin tugging at his lips.

I grinned back. “Well, that is what you’re around for, isn’t it?” I asked, smacking him on the shoulder.