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“Okay,” Dylan said.

My first shift had been complicated by the fact that Seanhadn’tshifted. Not at the same time, at least. Sean was my twin brother. Although I had been born first, we should’ve shiftedaround the same time. But when I started my shifter puberty, he had yet to show any signs, and it made him miserable. He watched Dad walk me through it, and I knew he was jealous. Those few months between my shift and his had been awful. And then when he had shifted, three months after me, Dad wasn’t nearly as excited as he’d been for mine.

To Sean, it was just another way I was the favored son. He was always competing with me. I, on the other hand, only wanted my brother.

I shoved those thoughts aside. Now was not the time. It was Hawk’s fault for bringing him up, anyway.

“We’re going to start with some partial shifting,” I said. “It’s a good way to ease in.”

“Partial? What does that mean?”

“This.” I raised my hand in the space between us and extended my claws. They were long, sharp, and a deep, abyssal black. They shone like onyx in the space where my fingertips were moments before. Partial shifting was as easy as breathing to me, but it hadn’t started out that way.

“Whoa!” Dylan said. “That’s so cool!”

My dragon rumbled in delight. “You’re going to learn how to do it, too.”

“Seriously? You think I can learn today?”

“I know you can,” I said with a smile. “You were so good with your fangs, this will be a snap.” I retracted my claws, and my hands went back to normal. “First, I want you to close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. You’re going tofeelyour dragon. Really focus on him, okay?”

Dylan closed his eyes and nodded. He took a few breaths. My dragon rumbled again. We could both sense Dylan’s dragon—awake, energetic, and eager to be freed.

The sun rose higher in the sky as I walked Dylan through the mechanics of partial shifting. It wasn’t easy to explain. A lot ofshifting was instinctive and emotional. It was more like teaching a nine-year-old how to meditate. I could sense his frustration when it didn’t work, as well as his determination to get it. He and his dragon both wanted to make me proud.

Of course, he’dalreadymade me proud. But I was glad to feel his determination, anyway.

Then, after about an hour, he got it.

“Dad!” Dylan’s eyes shot open. He lifted both hands, displaying ten perfectly formed, small, sharp claws. They were the same onyx-black as mine. “I did it! Look! I did it!”

Dylan jumped around with excitement, only pausing to stare in wide-eyed awe at his claws. Then he raced toward Harley, who was still sprawled on the blanket, watching us. “Mom! Look! Look! I’ve got claws!”

Harley laughed and admired his claws while Dylan posed and bared his teeth ferociously.

I sat back on the grass, propped on one elbow, and watched them as Dylan played around. The sun was warm overhead, and the lake lapped at the bank behind us. The smoke from the grill smelled good, and soon we’d all be sitting down on the deck to have lunch together.

“Ace.”

I looked up. Hawk was standing at the railing of the back deck with Striker next to him. Striker’s arms were crossed across his broad chest, and there was a deep furrow in his brow. He’d recently cut his dark hair down to his scalp, and sweat dripped from his temples. He looked pissed. If he was showing up at my home, looking like that, then something serious had happened.

I jumped up and hurried onto the deck. I glanced down at the yard. Harley’s attention was torn between Dylan still showing off his claws and me above her with Striker.

I sighed and turned to Striker. “What is it? Is it Blakely?”

“No,” Striker said. “There’s been a problem with one of our shipments.”

I stepped away from the deck railing and moved closer to the house, out of Harley’s eyesight. “What happened?”

“We lost the whole shipment,” Striker said. “Stolen. Two of our guys got a little beat up.”

“Everyone okay?”

“Just bruised and pissed off,” Striker said. “Nothing a little retribution won’t fix.”

“You know who it was?” I asked, though I already had my suspicions.

“Sean,” Striker said without hesitation. “We know it was him.”