Page 47 of Campfires & Canines
"Am I part wolf shifter too?" The term feels foreign to my tongue.
"No, you aren't. But that's why I visited so often when you were about seven to ten. To be there if you were a shifter."
A sense of loss washes over me for something I never had. "Oh, okay."
"Any other questions?" Heath asks.
My brain has run out of bandwidth. I open my mouth and close it again.
"She needs rest," Slate insists, his brows drawn tight in concern.
"Good idea. We can talk about it tomorrow." Heath stands, offering me his hand. Tentatively, I take it and allow myself to be pulled up. Slate shadows me.
"Hazel, I need to handle some things. We need to find those rogue wolves. Someone will stay with you, just in case."
I nod, numbly plodding to my room, the blanket trailing behind me.
Slate
I peer in, seeing Hazel curled up on the bed. Her curvy body looks suddenly small. I want to hold her and whisper promises until her fears fade away. Instead, I latch the door closed to give her privacy.
Heath jerks his head, directing me to follow. Fisher is standing to the side on guard duty.
"Alpha, I would prefer to stay." My voice is quiet, but he knows it isn't a request. I rarely ask for anything.
Heath's jaw ticks. He isn't happy with me, but he knows better than to push me at this moment. He is a skilled leader, always knowing his people's limits. I'm grateful to him, even as I want to snarl at both of them and defend Hazel's room from everyone.
He nods and Fisher follows him out without a word. Fisher trained me, he knows my signals and how to read me. I'm gratefulfor my packmates, especially tonight. I can't bear to think what could have happened without them.
I rest my forehead against Hazel's door for a moment, grounding myself. Her addictive scent wraps around me. Her breath is uneven, she isn't asleep yet. Maybe she's hungry.
I make her a PB&J. I lightly knock on her door and hear a soft, "Yeah." I carefully step into her space, holding the plate like an offering.
"Oh, thanks." She grabs the plate, relief softening her features. She picks up the sandwich, but then eyes me. "Are you just going to watch me eat?"
I shrug. Sure, I'd watch her eat. But I should have some food too. I slap together another sandwich and sit on the bed across from her. She gives me a half-smile and then resumes her chewing.
"I still can't even comprehend this," she murmurs. I don't know what to say. "No one was going to tell me?"
"No," I say.
"That sucks." She sounds more sad than petulant.
"Humans who find out about us either stay, like if we find a human partner. Or they are killed."
She jerks up, eyes wide. "Seriously?"
"We can't risk the world knowing. We'd never be safe again," I try to explain. I shouldn't have told her, it's too much. Heath omitted these details for a reason.
"So does that mean I'm stuck here and I can't leave?"
"No, of course not."
"I hope you guys aren't planning on killing me then." She laughs weakly.
My lip curls into a snarl. "I'd kill anyone who tried."
"Woah, but thank you." She tucks her hair behind her ears.
