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please, and I’m fine.” He looked to Mia, who waved a hand to indicate she too was okay. They settled themselves onto the couch. “How is Toby getting on?” he asked.
    Peter’s mom and dad exchanged a look. “He’s okay,” Robert said, though he didn’t sound convinced. “He’s spending a lot of time in his room.”
    Both parents glanced in the direction of the living room door. The muffled sound of rock music thumped down the hallway.
    “Toby!” Dana called. “We’ve got visitors. Are you going to come out and say hi?”
    The music reverberating from behind the shut bedroom door didn’t decrease in volume.
    She shot them an apologetic look and got to her feet. “He probably didn’t hear me. I won’t be a minute.” She headed out of the room, toward her son’s bedroom.
    The music blasted as she opened the door and then quieted again. Mia heard muffled voices, sounding strained. She, Peter, and Toby’s father all exchanged an awkward glance as the seconds ticked by and arguing voices filtered through to them. Finally, the music was switched off and she reappeared, her son shuffling along behind her.
    “Toby, this is Mia Henderson and Peter Haverly. They were involved in your rescue from … that place.”
    Sullenly, the boy lifted his dark eyes to observe the visitors. He stared at Mia from beneath an equally dark flop of hair which hung too long over his forehead and jerked his chin at her. “Hey.”
    “Hi, Toby. How are you doing?”
    As a reply, the boy only shrugged. His gaze flicked to where Peter sat and his eyes narrowed.  “What’s he doing here?” His voice was tinged with an acid bite.
    “Toby!” said his mother, shocked.
    “What?” He glared at her. “He was one of the men who kept me in that place .”
    Peter lifted both hands and shook his head. “No, Toby. You don’t understand. I was always on your side.”
    Robert West straightened in his seat, leaning forward, a frown on his face. Mia could feel the suspicion radiating off him, his natural instinct to protect his son.
    “I know it may not have always looked that way, Toby, but I was always trying to protect you.” Peter’s eyes widened, eyebrows lifting, trying to convey more than he was saying. “To protect us .”
    “It’s okay,” said Dana. “We know Toby is like that guy on television, the one who …” Once again, she struggled with the words. “Turned into a wolf.”
    Peter visibly relaxed, his shoulders slumping. “Okay. Well, that makes things easier.”
    “We’d always suspected something was different about him,” Robert said. “Of course, we’d never quite made the jump to that option, but it does all make sense.”
    Not for the first time, Mia wondered what type of animal Toby shifted into. Is it rude to ask? Perhaps Peter somehow already knew. Maybe they could sense these things about each other? She made a mental note to quiz him later.
    But Toby wasn’t about to let things go so easily. “I don’t know how you could do that, man,” he said with a scowl. “Watching what he did to us. It’s just wrong.”
    “Those same people locked me away and hurt me too, Toby. As soon as they found out I was trying to help shifters and not them.”
    “Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?”
    “Toby!” His mother exclaimed again. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Haverly.”
    He lifted a hand. “Don’t be. I don’t blame Toby for being bitter. I would be too.”
    “I’m not bitter,” the boy muttered. “I’m pissed.”
    “Toby,” Mia said gently. The boy turned to her, his lower lip slightly pouted, his hair falling over his eyes. “We never came here to upset you. We just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
    Peter took over, his tone soft. “Things are going on in the city right now, with shifters. You’re a teenager, I’m sure you’ve been online, seen some of the footage for and against shifters. I just wanted to make sure you know to stay well away from it all.”
    The parents exchanged