Morgan
“And here’s the clover.So good,” Len said, grabbing a handful of leaves from a patch on the ground. “Want some?”
“Thanks.” I accepted his offer with a smile and nibbled on the clover. He was right. Itwasgood. How the same plant managed to be tastier over here compared to my old herd’s territory I had no idea.
It might have looked silly to a predator shifter, but Len and I were quite enjoying ourselves as we sat in human form on the grove floor and snacked on clover. Even though we were able to eat meat as men, I still preferred veggies, but I’d never judge a fellow prey shifter for what he ate.
Speaking of which…
“So, Len,” I began. “I must admit, it was quite surprising to see a hare shifter living among wolves.”
He grinned. “I don’t exactly live among them. I’m part of the pack. But I know what you mean. Honestly, it was a culture shock to me as well. It took me a long time to accept it, so I understand why you think it’s strange.”
I glanced over to where the children, Lupa and Leveret, were playing together among the trees. Affirming they were out of earshot, I asked their father, “I’m sorry for the crude question, but what does the pack eat?”
Len smiled patiently. “Well, they eat whatever wolves eat, plus fruits and berries, and sometimes even plants too.” He plucked a particularly juicy clover out of the ground and tossed it in his mouth. “But I know you’re talking about meat, right?”
“Yes.”
“Theydoeat meat,” Len said, shrugging. “But ever since I joined the pack, they all stopped eating hare. Rabbit, too, since it’s a little too uncanny, y’know?”
I nodded. Privately, I was surprised. Dax told me the same thing but at the time I hadn’t believed him, thinking it was just a ploy to win my trust. But with Len’s confirmation, it seemed to be true. That meant none of the outlandish stories Dax told me were lies at all.
This keeps getting weirder by the minute…
“I’ll be honest,” Len said with a sympathetic glance. “They do eat deer.”
I nodded. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
Len’s brows raised. “Really?”
“Deer make up a big percentage of a wolf’s diet.” I shrugged. “Natural, mute deer obviously. Not shifters. I’m a man as much as I am a buck, and the wolves can’t change their biology. It doesn’t bother me.”
“Wow,” Len said, his eyes shining. “You’re so cool, Morgan.”
I blushed at the sudden compliment. “Why?”
“You’re so mature.” He laughed. “Oh, erm. I hope this isn’t offensive, but how old are you?”
I instinctively bristled but pushed the feeling back because I knew Len was simply curious. He wasn’t coming from a place of malice.
“I’m thirty-three,” I said as my gaze drifted over to the children.
“Have you ever been pregnant?” he asked softly.
Pain clenched my chest. “No. But I want to be.”
To my surprise, Len embraced me. I blinked before giving him a pat on the back in return. I wasn’t used to physical touch, platonic or not. None of the omegas in my herd were close with me, especially not to the point of hugging. The feeling was odd but I quickly found that I enjoyed it.
“Sorry, I’m a hugger,” Len said with a laugh as he pulled back. “That’s one of the things you’ll have to deal with if you stay with us.”
My gaze fell to the ground, where the long lush grass glinted in the late afternoon sun. “I… I don’t know if I should.”
“No one’s going to force you to stay,” Len said. “But this is a great place to live, and everyone in the pack is a great person.” His voice picked up a flicker of pain. “I don’t know if Dax told you, but I… I was kicked out of my old warren.”
“What? Why?” I asked, shocked.
“The fact that I was different. Specifically, my coat color. I have these white patches on my fur that no one else had.” He trailed a finger through the dirt. “I didn’t learn this until later, but it was actually a warren of rabbits. I was the only real hare. I was abandoned outside the warren as a kit and taken in, but they never truly accepted me. That explained why I was different, but it didn’t make the pain hurt any less.”
