Suddenly, the little things that niggled me formed a list in my head. First it was people calling him “Alpha Apparent.” The second was the strange books in the library, along with the wolf ornaments and his heated body, even in freezing temperatures.
A knock made me jump.
“Indigo. Please open the door. Let me explain.”
“Explain what?” My voice came out at shriek level ten. “That you're some kind of… I don’t know. An animal?”
“Please, let me in so we can talk.”
“I don't think so.” I backed away from the door. “I don't know what you are, but you’re not human.”
“I'm still the Riven you lo… you care for.” There was a thump on the door as though he’d bashed his head on it.
“The Riven I knew was… human.” How had I shared a cabin, had sex with, and fallen for someone that wasn’t human?
“I'm a shifter,” he explained. “My kind can change forms between human and wolf. It’s not a curse or whatever you're thinking.”
The jigsaw pieces fell into place. “And everyone here? At the lodge?”
“The same. We're a pack.” He paused. “And they’re my family.”
I sank onto the couch, my legs like jelly. “Why didn't you tell me?” The betrayal cut deeper than the shock. “All this time... why keep lying?”
“I was going to tell you.” The door separated us, but I imagined him running a hand through his hair as he often did. “Tonight. I had it all planned.”
“How convenient.” I couldn’t keep the bitterness out of my voice.
“It wasn't like that. This isn't something you just drop on someone. I needed to be sure you'd?—”
“That I'd what? Not run screaming? Too late for that.” My voice was so brittle I expected it to snap.
“There's more to this than just me being a shifter. There's something special about our connection.”
“Our connection,” I spat out. “Was any of it real? Or was I just a toy for your amusement?”
“Of course it was real.” The hurt in his voice mighthave moved me if I weren't so overwhelmed with fear and pain.
“I need... I need space.” I made a decision. “I want to move to another cabin. Now.”
There was a pause and eventually he said, “I’ll have Antonia arrange it.”
I grabbed my things, stuffing them into the suitcase while my tears dripped on fabric, leather, and plastic. He was standing on the porch when I opened the door, no longer naked.
“You don't have to go. I can stay elsewhere.”
“No.” I crossed my arms, needing to protect myself from him. “I can’t be here anymore.”
He spoke into the phone and said someone was coming to escort me to another cabin.
“Fine,” I replied in a monotone.
“Indigo.” He took a step toward me, but stopped when I flinched. “I never meant to hurt you.”
“Save it.” I couldn't deal with lies.
His face crumpled. “As you wish.”
The Christmas tree we'd decorated reflected in the cabin window, and I wanted to smash the twinkling lights that were mocking me. There was no Christmas magic that could fix us.
