Page 99 of Campfires & Canines
She looks up at me, frowning. "Sounds like a lot of people outside. Is something going on?" she whispers.
I freeze. Sure, I can hear several familiar voices in the meadow. It's the kind of quiet noise I tune out most of the time. But Hazel shouldn't be able to hear them at all.
"Hi, Hazel, Slate." Heath smiles at her, loosening his shoulders in a visible attempt to appear non-threatening. He hasn't missed my possessive hold.
"Alpha," I answer.
Hazel looks between us. "What's going on?"
Sable gently takes her wrist and removes the brace. She examines the skin, now free of bruising. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"Fine. Tired," Hazel answers with a small laugh.
Sable bends her wrist inwards slowly. “Does this hurt at all?” Hazel shakes her head. "Well, your wrist is healed. Normally it takes humans about four to five weeks to heal simple broken bones."
Hazel stares at her. "Um, maybe it wasn't broken, just sprained?" Sable purses her lips.
"Your eyes turned gold when you were feeling strong emotions, correct?" Heath says.
“I guess.”
Heath drops his voice. "Hazel, I'm sorry you have to face something else after what you just went through."
"What?" Her chest rises with quick and shallow breaths, and I hold tighter to stabilize her.
"We believe latent genes from your father are now manifesting," Sable explains. "Most likely triggered by joining our pack paired with being under significant stress."
The meaning slowly sinks in. Hazel hasn't moved. "I'm sorry, what?" She blurts.
"You are a wolf shifter," Heath confirms.
"Are you sure?" I ask. Sable nods.
"That's not..." She pauses, her face scrunching into a confused frown. It's quiet for a moment. Heath and Sable are patient.
"Hazel, you could hear everyone outside the building, right?" I ask gently.
"So?" She blinks at me. "They're loud today."
"A human wouldn't be able to hear them. They're pretty quiet right now, actually," I say.
"Oh." Hazel leans heavily into me.
"We need to prepare for your first shift," Heath says.
"Are you serious?" Hazel asks. "I'm going to turn into a freaking wolf?" She looks between us as if waiting for someone to yellSurprise!
"We're sure," Heath answers.
"We looked into it, and there is some record of this happening, but it's rare." Sable soothes her.
"Did you know this could happen?" Her voice rises two octaves.
"No. I had no idea it was possible," Heath answers.
Hazel is pressing into me as if trying to escape the situation by burrowing into my chest.
"How are you doing?" I ask her, running my hands down her arms.
