Castor's pelt bristled in anger. He was furious. "I can't believe he used that term to deceive you. I'm so sorry, River. You didn't deserve that. You know that, right?"
I nodded, but Castor knew it was half-hearted. He forced my gaze and shot me a stern look.
"Youwillunderstand this, my love," Castor said, his dark eyes blazing. "You did not deserve any abuse you experienced. Not from Jim, and not from these poachers. Do I make myself clear?"
My heart skipped like a stone across water. I heard those subtle melodic notes again, distant and just barely there, but I heard them.
"Yes," I breathed. I wasn't just saying it this time. When he spoke in that authoritative tone, it lit a fire in me. I really did believe him.
Castor smiled kindly. "All right. Good. Thank you, by the way, for trusting me enough to tell me all that."
I blushed. Nobody else knew except Castor. It felt like a secret bond between us.
"You know, for a beaver omega, you're not what I expected," I said.
"What did you expect?"
"I don't know. Someone frumpy and meek."
Castor raised a brow and laughed. "Frumpy?"
"Yeah, y'know. Frumpy. But you're so..."
I blushed, realizing I didn't want to finish that sentence because the word that popped into the front of my mind wassexy.
"Never mind."
A strange sensation fluttered in my chest like a loose butterfly. I couldnotbe crushing on Castor, could I?I knew he said we were fated mates, but I hadn't even seen his human form yet, for gods' sake...
"Wait," I said. "Castor?"
"Yes?"
"You can shift, right?"
He sounded amused. "Of course I can."
I glanced over my shoulder. I hadn't heard the humans in a while. They must've been busy doing whatever they were up to, but they clearly intended to dump us in this room, lock it, and leave us alone for a while.
I turned back to Castor and asked, "Can... I see your human form?"
10
Castor
After River's meltdown,I understood him on a deeper level. He was frightened, and had less self-confidence than I first assumed he did. It pained my heart to see. He was a young, handsome alpha. Common wisdom would think of him as an arrogant hot-shot who thought he knew better about everything than anyone.
But River almost seemed timid now. He shrank away from people because he'd been hurt, and I didn't blame him for not wanting to get burned again.
Just thinking about his ex—Jim—made my blood boil. It was despicable to lie about being fated, but it sickened me even more when it wasmyfated mate he'd lied to. River was mine and I would do anything to protect him.
His hesitancy made sense now. It was true we'd only just met. How could River trust me after his trust was slapped away once before?
But we weren't starting at square one. River opened up enough to tell me about his past, which explained so much about his behavior, and now he was curious about my human form. We were making progress. That was the only thing I could ask for while we were trapped in the poachers' den.
I smiled upon hearing River's request. Just that simple question filled me with so much happiness. He was taking the first step.
Now when I glanced at River's beauty, I felt a twinge of self-consciousness. I rarely took my human form because I didn't need to. I was a wild beaver shifter. I spent my days swimming and chewing through trees and pining for my fated mate. Since beavers lived solitary lives except for their partners, I had nobody to show my human form to. I knew what I looked like, of course. The reflection in the water gave me a good view. But I didn't see anything special. I was just me.
