Page 24 of His Undercover Wolf

“We are looked after at a hospital owned by our pack where staff are from various packs. Of course it is accessible to the public, but it is where we are protected from discovery…or were.”

“How many are in your pack?”

“Around two hundred and at the moment the hierarchy are all young. There is only one, our Beta male, who is a few years older than me. Our oldest pack member is fifty-five.”

“Where have the older members gone?”

“They usually retire when they reach their early sixties, and the pack goes through periods where everyone is relatively young.”

“You mentioned there are other packs in the area?”

Otsana nodded. “About twenty-five in this area.” She paused before continuing. “I thought you’d be on the phone to a friend in some government department by now and screaming at me for being a freak.”

I placed a hand on Otsana’s arm. “I was as annoyed as hell, maybe even angry that you’d deceived my by not saying something, but now I’m beginning to understand your fears. I give you my word, no one, and I meanno one, including Cillian will hear about your secret from me. I would never put you in danger, but sweetheart, you need to be much more careful about where you…what is it called when you turn into a wolf, or from one?”

“Shifting.”

“Yes, you need to be more careful because anyone could have seen you.”

“I know. It was a stupid thing to do and is something I’ve never done before. I was thinking about you, and it wasn’t until I shifted back to human form that I realized where I was and what I’d done. When I saw you, I knew I needed to warn the pack immediately. That’s why I wanted to go home.”

“There’s no need for that, I promise you’re safe. Do you mind if I ask some questions?”

Otsana shrugged. “Go ahead, you know my biggest secret so what could it hurt?”

“Do people like you usually have sex or relationships with people like me?”

“We are known as hybrids, two in ones, I suppose you’d call us, and no one…oh, wait…there is one who has had sexual encounters with humans, but never the same one twice, and they don’t know who she really is.”

She…I suspected Otsana was speaking of Zarina, but I wouldn’t ask her to confirm my suspicion.

“What about other packs, do their members have relationships with humans?”

“Yes, some are married to humans or have them as partners. It’s frowned upon in our pack and over the generations, the elders have always been adamant we do not become intimate with those who aren’t our kind. I think some of our younger members are beginning to resist the directive. I only hope they are careful.”

“Does it have to be a full moon or near full moon for you to shift?”

Otsana laughed and I was relieved she appeared to trust me enough to relax. “You’ve watched too many sci-fi movies. Although a full, or close to full moon brings about a quicker shift, we are able to do so at will.”

“What about children, do you birth pups?”

Otsana laughed again and shook her head. “No, we have human babies who learn how to shift when they are older. While they are young, the adults are careful not to change in their sight because they can’t be trusted not to say something. At around eleven years old, they begin puberty, and that’s when they develop the ability to shift. They undergo extensive education during this time so they fully understand how they are different and the dangers of being discovered.”

“Have you been with a human before?”

“No, you’re my first.”

“Was Nick a wolf?”

“Yes and the woman he betrayed me with was a she-wolf from another pack who I’d considered a friend. I still laugh at how they struggled to get apart when I walked in on them. They were knotted together, and by the time Nick managed to wrench his dick free, it was red raw and had spots of blood where the skin had been torn away.”

Otsana laughed and I chuckled at the funny story. “Serves him right.”

“It did.”

“Is he still with her?”

“No, they only lasted a couple of weeks and she dumped him. He wanted to come back to me, but I told him in no uncertain terms to fuck off.”

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