“Oh God, it’s true,” she whispered before opening her eyes again and meeting his gaze.
Liam frowned. “I’m sorry, what?”
If there had been any doubt in her mind before, Liam had just got rid of it. The big black cat, his hand as a claw? It was obvious now. The nightmare had to be his mind’s way of telling him that he was running away from something—the other part of himself, his shifter half.
“Liam, there’s something we need to talk about.”
He eyed her warily. “Okay.”
“Have you ever considered that perhaps you haven’t got a mental illness?”
“But, of course I have. How many people do you know who hear voices in their mind?”
“Quite a lot, actually.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Has the voice ever asked you to let it out?”
Liam frowned. “Frequently. One of the doctors said that sounded like another personality trying to come through.”
Eve sighed. This was even harder than she’d anticipated. He’d had years of people convincing him he was something that he wasn’t. How was she supposed to tell him the truth, without him thinkingshewas the crazy one?
“Liam, I don’t think you have schizophrenia,” she said. “Or multiple personality disorder.”
He was flat out scowling now. “Yeah, and what do you think is wrong with me with all your extensive medical knowledge?”
“I suppose that’s fair. I don’t have any. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m talking about.”
“Let’s hear your theory, then.”
“I think you’re a shifter.”
“A what?”
“A shapeshifter. Someone who changes from a human into an animal. I think the voice in your mind comes from the other part of yourself. Your animal side.”
Liam threw back the covers and slid out of bed. He started to pace the room. That answered one question Eve had. Naked as the day he was born. She tried to keep her attention on his face. He stopped pacing, stood in the middle of the room then folded his arms and glared at her.
“Get out.”
Eve sighed and got to her feet. “Liam, please—”
“I saidget out! You really are some piece of work, you know that? I mean, you’ve looked at me like I’m a piece of shit since you got here. I know you hate the Vipers, I know you hate me, but is this how you get your kicks? Really? Making fun of someone with a mental illness? And to think that I actually liked you. I respected you. I even thought you were better than me, but you’re not. You’re worse. Far worse. Because I would never do that!”
“No, Liam, you don’t understand, I’m not making fun of you, I’m—”
Liam’s entire body started to shake, and Eve knew exactly what that meant. If he didn’t calm down, and soon, he was going to trigger a shift into his animal form. But Liam clearly didn’t understand the implications because he resumed his pacing routine.
“Just once in my goddamn life, I want to meet someone who doesn’t treat me like a freak!”
“I would never. Please, just calm down. Come and sit down and I’ll explain, I’ll—”
But it was too late.
Hair began sprouting from Liam’s arms and his shaking worsened. The air around him shimmered, and his breathing burst out in ragged gasps. He was struggling to breathe, clearly in the midst of another panic attack. He turned to her, his eyes wide with fear and when he blinked, they shifted into his animal form.
“I feel—”
