Ethan's POV
"What?" Clara spun to face me, startled by the shift in my voice.
"The birthmark," I said, sharper now. "Behind your ear. Where is it?"
Small as a freckle, tucked somewhere you'd never notice unless you were looking.
I hadn't thought about it in years. But tonight, with my wolf riding this close to the surface, instinct had sent me searching for it—and found nothing.
"I had it removed," Clara said quickly. "I told you already. Don't you remember?"
"Why would you remove it?" My wolf paced, snarling low in my chest. "It wasn't visible. It never bothered anyone. That mark—"
I stopped myself. But the thought had already formed.
That mark was the only proof I had of the woman who'd saved my life.
The night I'd recognized Clara as that woman, years ago, t
