The kindness was almost too much to bear, and it was wholly unexpected given what she had done. Or rather what she had failed to do at the time.

It wasn’t the fall that would kill her, she suspected, but rather the Ministry hearing when she landed. Becoming a werewolf was not a crime – much as she suspected some would prefer it was – but lying about it? Oh, she was going to pay for that and it would not be kind. Still, it had needed doing and no one else was as well-placed, so the risk had seemed worth it.

Apart from the friendship of a few wonderful people she had nothing left to lose really and, as it turned out, she may not have lost that either.

“Behind you,” she nodded towards the glass vase that contained some wilted begonias and watched fondly as Gemma set to work. Afterwards, with a table set between them as though nothing was at all untoward, Morwenna finally choked out a sob.

“Gemma, you really should not be here. I…Mason would never forgive me if I ruined you too.”

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MJ knows my soul rings to the rune of this iconic hat