I stared at the tissue in my hand. “After that, clubs wouldn’t book me. I tried covering it with scarves and hats, but that wasn’t the Marilyn people wanted to see. But I still received offers forprivate performances. I had always turned those down in the past, but when the jobs dried up, those offers looked mighty tempting. So that’s what I did.” My face flushed as the memory overwhelmed me. “During one of those private bookings, the client scared me, and I shifted. When he collared my animal, I knew.”
Hope’s thick eyebrows drew together. “Knew what?”
“That it was a trap. Someone I once trusted betrayed me.” I took a calming breath. Revisiting my past wasn’t something I did, and saying it aloud proved harder than I first thought.
“Take your time,” Hope said softly.
After clearing my throat, I studied my pastel-pink nail polish. “Since my first change, something unexpected filled my family with fear.”
“Are you not a wolf?”
“I’m most definitely a wolf,” I said with a nervous chuckle. “In fact, I’m two.”
She gasped. “Two?”
“I have two wolf spirits living inside me, and when I shift, one of them comes out. Sometimes I know which one wants out the most, but they also shift back and forth between each other. They’re feisty.”
Hope sat back. “How much of your shift do you remember?”
“It’s never the same. I think the most I’ve ever stayed conscious is a couple of minutes. Usually I’m out right away.”
“Two wolves?” She laughed in disbelief. “I’m sorry to keep repeating myself, but I’ve never heard of such a thing. How is that possible?”
“I guess the same way it’s possible that we have one. My mother wondered if maybe she had been pregnant with twins and lost one of them early on, and I think that changed how she saw me—like I was a monster who had stolen the spirit animal of another child.”
“What a terrible thing to say. You know she’s wrong, don’t you?”
I shrugged.
“You said a client collared your wolf. What happened?”
“The client was a Vampire. I’d never dealt with Vampires before, but I should’ve known better. He took me to a secret lab. I don’t remember anything until Salem freed me. He’s the one who told me I’d been in captivity for five months.”
Hope touched one of her beaded bracelets while regarding me with sympathetic eyes. Would others view me the same, or would their gaze be darker, like the one my mother had given me?
“I didn’t know Salem,” I continued. “When I shifted, I woke up in the back of his car with two other girls. They knew what was happening, but I was going out of my mind. One minute I’m in a hotel, and the next I’m naked in a stranger’s car. Once we got to a safe location, he calmly explained everything. You know how Salem is. He worked for the lab but not directly with patients.”
“You meanhostages. I knew places like that existed, but hearing about it makes my stomach turn. Some of them want to create superbreeds; others want to turn all humans immortal. A former packmate of mine even suggested that those labs are the ones who concoct viruses and ways to kill off humans so Breed can take over the world. They’re evil.”
I couldn’t argue with that.
Wringing my hands, I continued. “I’m not sure if they kept me in wolf form on purpose or if my wolves had taken over to protect me. You can imagine my shock when Salem told me where I’d been and that I was with child. I didn’t believe him until I saw the medical records he’d stolen.”
“I’m so sorry for what you’ve gone through. You and your wolves were violated.” Hope clasped my hands in hers. “Iunderstand that you’re afraid of telling the pack, but who else can you depend on if not us?”
“I’m afraid…”
“Yes?”
“I’m afraid they’ll treat me the way my mother did—like an outcast. You and Tak guide them, but you can’t control their opinions. If they seemeas a monster, what if I keep the baby? Will they treat it differently? I couldn’t bear the thought.”
“Why would they treat an innocent child differently?”
“Because whether it’s born with normal traits or not, they won’t see it as natural.”
Hope scoffed. “Natural? Humans and even Breed do in vitro fertilization all the time. Or consult Relics for special treatment and medications.” She placed her hand on my stomach. “Your baby is not lesser than mine. But since you were violated, it’s your decision whether to tell the pack the truth about the labs. Tak will support me on this. They don’t ever have to know if you don’t want them to.”
When the door suddenly opened, I jumped in my seat.
