“Thanks,” I said, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Um, you can come in, if you want.”
By the time I finished speaking, Alaric was already halfway across the room. He lounged in the loveseat like a relaxed house cat, crossing his legs over the edge. Taylor perched on the edge of the bed and nodded at me to join him, so I did.
I didn’t really know what to say. I hadn’t expected company tonight, and I was a poor host.
“By the way, I would’ve invited that smelly dog friend of yours, but I just couldn’t handle a headache at this hour,” Alaric said dryly. “I hope you understand.”
That got a small chuckle out of me. “You mean Muzo?” I asked.
Taylor nodded, also looking amused. “Alaric wanted this to be a covert operation. Cats only.”
“This was your idea, Alaric?” I asked, glancing at him in surprise.
Alaric clicked his tongue irritably. “I told you, that oaf ruined my evening. Barged in to yell at us without even speaking to you first. The least I could do was see ifyouwere all right.”
A small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “That’s very kind, Alaric.”
He flipped his hair, resting his elbows on the edge of the loveseat. “Enough about me. Let’s talk about you and Viol. Just us omegas.”
My mouth opened, then closed. What did he want me to say? A fresh wave of nerves washed down my back. I rubbed my forearm anxiously.
“This is all kind of sudden,” I mumbled.
Taylor shot Alaric a sharp look, then nodded at me. “We’re not here to interrogate you, Poppy. We’re only here to support you.Right,Alaric?”
Alaric waved his hand. “Yes, we’re very supporting, hugs and rainbows and all that.”
A tiger’s growl rumbled in Taylor’s throat. “Alaric.”
“What?” Alaric said, putting his hand to his chest. “I’m just saying. Couldn’t we support Poppy better if we knew the whole story?”
Taylor kept glaring at him, but I saw the tempered curiosity in his expression. Suddenly, I felt guilty. Taylor had known me for a long time. He was fiercely supportive, always ready to leap to my defence. And yet, I’d never told him the truth. He barely knew anything about my past.
“Poppy?” Taylor said softly. “Don’t push yourself. We can do something else. We can watch a movie, or play a game, or do anything you—”
“I’ll tell you,” I said.
The two felines fell silent. Taylor’s gaze widened in surprise, while Alaric’s odd eyes glinted with excitement.
“I’m serious, Poppy,” Taylor repeated. “It’s been a long day. You don’t have to stress over this.”
“Oh, please,” Alaric interjected. “Poppy’s a grown man, for gods’ sake. Stop babying him and let him talk.”
Alaric’s comment was strangely encouraging. He was right. I should’ve had the confidence and strength to stand on my own two feet. If I couldn’t even tell my closest comrades about my past after everything they’d done for me, what kind of friend was I?
I cleared my throat and began to speak.
15 years ago...
“Poppy, wait up!”
I laughed as my younger brother’s voice reached my ears. Sorrel ran to catch up to me, his big paws still clumsy after his recent growth spurt. It was already clear he’d be a much bigger wolf than me when he was mature, but for now, I enjoyed having the edge over him. I wanted him to enjoy his puphood for as long as possible.
“Come on, you can run faster,” I called back.
Sorrel’s yellow-white coat bristled as he put forth a burst of effort. His tongue lolled out of his mouth when he bolted forward, his paws crunching against the snow. Although it was still winter, all the young shifters in our clan were bursting with energy. Normally, the young omegas weren’t allowed to leave the camp, but I’d pleaded with Konrad to let us play out in the snow field. I was ecstatic when he agreed. My duty assignment wascoming up fast; once I received it, I didn’t know how much free time I’d have to spend with Sorrel, so I wanted to make the most of it.
I slowed down to encourage Sorrel to catch up—he was hot on my tail, barely a whisker away—then I swerved sideways and ran up the nearby slope. I stopped to catch my breath and enjoy the sun’s warmth on my fur.
