Page 43

The idea made me queasy. Would humanity really revert to that? Lashing out at people who were different from them for no reason?

The answer was a resounding yes. Of course they would. Nate and the other shifters might know us better than we knew ourselves.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” I said. “If packs aren’t difficult to live in and they provide so much, why aren’t you in one?”

“Personal reasons.”

From his tone, I knew it would be useless to pursue it further. One of the first things I’d learned as a reporter was not to pry too hard when looking for answers.

We sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the warm breeze. Through the trees, we saw a family walking by—a man and woman, and a boy and girl. The kids were skipping down the path. That prompted another question.

“Will I need to leave my family? Mom and Gael?” The thought made me want to vomit.

“No,” Nate said quickly. “You won’t need to. Shifters with human families are remarkably common.”

“ Really ? There are people walking around with no idea their spouse is?—”

“A shifter? Basically. It’s not a big deal.

Like I said, the fear of exposure runs deep.

We won’t reveal it even to the people we love the most. Mostly because we know they’d be in danger, too.

You’ll be fine. The Toronto-Ottawa pack will take you in, which means you won’t have to move or anything. ”

“So, I’d have to hide the truth from them?”

I didn’t like the thought of keeping such a huge, life-altering secret. It felt a bit like betrayal, like how Rick had kept his true nature hidden from me. I couldn’t imagine doing the same to someone else.

Yet, if it was something ingrained in shifters from early on in life, maybe Rick didn’t think of it as a betrayal. Who was I to judge the wholly different society these shifters had?

“For their safety, you’ll have to.” Nate gave me a pointed look. “Remember, as long as they don’t know, they’ll be safe. Keep that in mind, and it’ll be easier.”

“I suppose you’re right,” I admitted.

But I didn’t feel any better about Rick keeping such a big secret from me.

I was used to keeping secrets; I’d done it my whole life.

Lying to Mom about how many extra shifts I worked at side jobs to help her pay the bills, how late I stayed up to study after working extra shifts—a dozen other little secrets and lies here and there.

All to make sure Mom and Gael never knew how bad things really were.

If I could do that for their peace of mind, I was sure I could keep an even bigger secret to keep them safe.

As long as I could remain myself otherwise, it would be fairly easy.

At least, I hoped it would be. Rick had done a fine job hiding it from me.

“Oh, shit,” I said, realizing something with that last thought.

“What’s wrong?”

I looked at Nate, worry and horror coursing through me. I didn’t know how things would go, but it sounded like, no matter what, I’d be forced to confront it head-on.

“Is Rick in the Toronto-Ottawa pack?”

Nate grimaced. “Yeah. He is. You’ll be pack mates. Apparently, the Masters family are high up in the ranks. I’m told that Rick’s father has been trying to find a way for him or his son to become leader of the pack.”

“So, Rick’s father is a shifter, too? What about his mother?” I remembered the pissy way she’d ignored me at the gala and ground my teeth in irritated frustration.

“No. She’s human. Like I said, it’s fairly routine for shifters to take human mates sometimes.”

“You’re saying Rick’s dad is a shifter? That means Rick wasn’t bitten like me, right? He was born this way?”

Nate sighed heavily and sat back on his elbows, leaves crinkling under him.

“You are a very rare case. Shifters almost never bite humans. When it does happen, they only turn to shifters if someone in their direct male lineage was a shifter. That means your father, grandfather, great-grandfather, et cetera, was a shifter down the line somewhere.” He looked at me intently.

“Honestly, it’s incredibly uncommon. You’re more likely to win the lottery than to have it happen.

Sorry you’re a wolf instead of a millionaire,” he added with a smirk.

“So, this is all because of my father’s bloodline?” I asked, the revelation making me uncomfortable.

“Yeah. The gene is dormant in the female line.”

I’d never known my father. I was a baby when he disappeared. Knowing that this new and bizarre part of my life was somehow brought about by a man I’d never met was hard to fathom.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Nate said, lifting his hand to my collarbone, “what’s the story with this?” He fingered the small silver medallion on my neck. “I thought it was silver at first, but it doesn’t burn my skin or smell bad,” he said.

“Wait,” I said, frowning at him. “Silver will burn our skin?”

He winced. “Yeah. It’s probably where the whole silver bullet myth came from for werewolves. There’s a lot you’ll need to learn about.”

“Geez,” I muttered.

“That can wait for later. Tell me about it,” he said, nodding to the necklace.

“It’s the Virgin Mary,” I said, touching it. “I think it’s stainless steel. Silver would have been too expensive. Back in Zamora, we were even poorer than we are now.”

“Big religious family?”

I shrugged. “Not really. My grandmother gave it to me the last time I saw her, which was years and years ago. The family still in Mexico are devout, but…”I sighed and shook my head. “Hard to go to church when you’re busy trying to make money for rent and getting your brother fed and clothed.”

“No rings or bracelets, just the necklace?”

“I’m not big on jewelry.”

He narrowed his eyes and gave me a lopsided grin. “I hear multiple levels of bitterness in that response. Care to share with the class?”

“It’s my mom,” I said, gazing off into the woods. In the distance, I could hear the steady hum of traffic in the city and the faint hiss of the nearby river. I could almost believe we were somewhere other than Toronto. Maybe it would be good to be somewhere else.

“She’s big on jewelry,” I continued. “Every ex-boyfriend or ex-fiancé gave her stuff. She still wears almost all of it, usually a bracelet on each arm and several rings. I hate when she wears it. It all reminds me of the people who’ve left her high and dry.

The only reason I wear this is to remember my family back home. ”

“I can respect that,” Nate said, lowering his head. “I never knew my family. If I did, and they were worth a damn, I’m sure I’d want to have something that reminded me of them.”

“Is that why you aren’t in a pack? Because you’re an orphan?”

“Sort of,” he said. “The bigger issue is that I never felt the call to a pack. I’ve been on my own so long, it’s hard for me to really trust other people.

Being a lone wolf is difficult. In the shifter world, you’re sort of an outcast. Like I said, most lone wolves eventually end up feral.

Other shifters have a hard time looking past the stigma.

We aren’t welcome in regular shifter society.

They’ll hire someone like me who has the skills they need, but once the job’s over, they pay me and tell me to hit the road. ”

The way he said it made me think something deeper was going on in his mind. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but one thing didn’t make sense, so I voiced it.

“If you’re a lone wolf, and you don’t trust people, and you don’t want to get involved, then why are you sitting in the forest with me right now? Why are you helping me?”

“I was brought in to find a feral shifter. The Toronto-Ottawa pack wants this guy off the streets—fast. I’ve been trying to track him, but he doesn’t seem to have a base of operations, and he’s staying within the city.

It makes it incredibly difficult to do more than just follow along behind the chaos he leaves in his wake. ”

He caught my eye again, and I felt a strange little tickle deep inside my chest. Something that might turn into more if I let it.

“Since I met you,” he said, “it seems like keeping close is the best way to find him. He’s got his eye on you for some reason. If I stay close, he’s bound to show up again.”

“Oh.” I laughed and shoved him playfully. “So, I’m bait on a hook?” I knew that wasn’t true, but I was trying to keep the moment light. Anything to get my mind off the actual danger I was in.

He didn’t smile. Instead, he seemed to look even deeper into my eyes, almost like he was searching my soul.

“The main reason I’m sticking close to you is to catch the feral. That’s not the only reason, though.”

“Yeah?” I licked my lips, but my tongue was too dry. “What’s the other reason?”

“I think you could figure it out.” His voice was barely above a whisper, his gaze darting from my lips to my eyes. “Right?”

The tension drew tight between us, like a steel wire pulled and stretched to its breaking point.

My fingers tingled as my breathing increased, my mind fighting to keep me from doing something dumb.

The analytical part of my brain barely held the excitement at bay.

I knew what would happen if I succumbed to this desire.

“The real reason I’m near you,” Nate said, his whisper softer than ever, “is to learn some cheat codes off your brother for those games we both like.”

I snorted, but the humor didn’t break the tension. If anything, it made it seem more natural, like it might be okay if I let go and threw caution to the wind.

“Really?” I said. “Video game codes? That’s it?”

“Well, that and to improve my vocabulary. I figured with you being a reporter, I might pick up some big words. But so far”—he shook his head sadly—“I haven’t been impressed.”

“How dare you?” I gasped. “I have a huge vocabulary.”

“Is that what you call it? I don’t know. If I’m still around at Christmas, I’ll get you a dictionary,” he said with a grin.

“Jerk.” I poked him in the ribs.

“Hey. No need to get handsy. I have to get you back.”

He reached out to poke me, but I moved at the last second. His knuckles slid across my lower back, nudging beneath my shirt and gliding over my skin.

An electric shock burst through me. Nate must have sensed it because he froze and stared into my eyes, the smile on his lips fading. He leaned closer, his eyes never leaving mine.

I couldn’t do this. Couldn’t fall for a man who’d leave me just like all the men left my mother. What about the future I’d planned for myself? All those thoughts uncoiled in my mind like springs unwinding from a broken clock.

But then, it all vanished. I could smell Nate. A dark scent of pine needles, wood bark, a faint hint of gasoline, and something else I couldn’t quite place. That last bit sent a thundering heat through my entire body.

“Last chance,” Nate whispered, his lips almost brushing mine.

“Fuck it.” I pressed my lips to his.

Nate’s tongue slipped into my mouth. He tasted minty, salty, and warm. So fucking good that my head spun. He gripped my thighs, pulling me across the moss and leaves littering the ground around us.

I allowed him to take the lead, but the longer our kiss lasted, the more I wanted. I slid my hands up his cheek, tangling my fingers into his hair. Before I could stop myself, I’d slung a leg over and straddled him. Nate’s hands slid down my back and clutched my ass, drawing a moan from me.