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the big cats would find a way to get into the houses. Instead, the cats each wandered to a house and lay down on the doorstep, quietly cleaning their bodies and bothering no one.
    “No one came into the streets, not being sure what the cat would do. Then one by one, the cats turned back into the young sons of the women who’d been raped. As they entered their homes, once again human, they found their families terrified of them and afraid to let them live with the women and children.
    “The boys went to the church, the largest structure in the town, to decide what to do. They knew their lives were changed forever by what had happened to them, and they had to gain control or they’d be run off like wild animals. They appointed a leader and built their own residence. All the boys lived together and visited their families for meals and fellowship. They took care of the town and protected the women from attackers and marauders.”
    Fraser paused, looking intently at Hunter. After a few silent moments, he spoke, “Are you with me so far, Hunter?”
    Hunter couldn’t stop his grin. He sure didn’t know what the point of this story was, but his grandfather has always appreciated honesty. So he said, “Frankly, Grandda, this sounds like a fairy tale or a video game. It’s a nice story for a dark, stormy night.”
    Fraser took a deep breath. When he spoke, his voice was quiet but firm. “Listen to what I’m saying with an open mind. That’s all I ask.”
    Though a disrespectful retort rose to his lips, Hunter took heed of the older man’s serious tone. He didn’t have any idea why he had been ripped from his life in the city to walk through the woods and sit in a cabin listening to his grandfather’s Scottish lore. But he had a feeling the man wouldn’t tolerate any further interruptions. He nodded.
    “When the boys became old enough to want mates,” Fraser continued,
    “they fought the urges, not wanting to inflict on anyone else what had been inflicted on them. Still, the need to mate and procreate would not be dismissed so easily.”
    Hunter noticed his grandfather’s accent became more pronounced as he told the story. He wondered how his grandfather could feel so connected to such a fanciful tale.
    “They eventually began to marry and start their own families. With the birth of each girl, there was much rejoicing, but the birth of boys was always shadowed with sadness.”
    “Did Thomas still marry Deidre?” Hunter asked suddenly.
    “Yes,” Fraser said. “They were married for more than thirty years and had six children. Two of them were boys.”
    “Did they—” Hunter stopped, not sure how to go on.
    “Their sons were both shapeshifters, just as their uncle had been. When they turned sixteen, Thomas and Deidre took them away and stayed with them until the change had passed. They kept the secret, never letting anyone outside the family know what happened. When the boys married, they waited to see whether they had boys or girls before telling their wives. It occasionally meant they raised a boy on their own, without benefit of a wife,” Fraser said. “The birth of a boy didn’t always mean he would be a shifter, but it was more likely.” He stood and motioned for Hunter to join him. “Let’s walk outside for a while.”
    The woods around the cabin were dark. Though the rain had stopped, it was a cloudy, dismal day, the air heavy with moisture that dampened their clothes. They walked in silence for a few moments, and then Fraser turned to Hunter and placed a hand on the teenager’s shoulder.
    “Do you understand what I’ve been telling you, Hunter?”
    “Our family has some real skeletons in the closet?” Hunter said with a chuckle.
    When his grandfather’s face didn’t lose its serious expression, Hunter felt a nagging fear begin to grow.
    “Our family was forever altered when Thomas and Deidre met,” Fraser said. “It wasn’t just her genes. It was also what happened when Thomas killed