Grayson snarls, and suddenly he's inches from my face, cinnamon scent hot against my skin. My insides clench, and not from fear. His green eyes bare into mine.
"What they did was criminal. A fucking egregious oath-breakingcriminaloffense. They didn't just hurt you—they nearly killed you. That is not this. Don't confuse that with what we're doing to protect you. Yes, this course is rough. We're wolves, and we play hard. Yes, you're a young omega, not some ancient alpha, but they won't coddle you because of that. They'll treat you as you are—a wolf of this clan who needs help. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Is that how you'll treat me too?"
"No. It would be impossible for me to hurt you for any reason. That's why I'm here, and Orion's at the end. We won't interfere with the enforcers. I trust them with your safety, but also to push you while on the course."
His green eyes flash. Every muscle in his body coils tight, like he's straining to keep his feet planted, and I realize—he wants to do this course for me, and he's holding himself back.
Nervous energy prickles in my chest, but I'm strangely flattered that this is bothering him. I look out at the field again. I suppose I can't stall much longer.
Until I realize… "Grayson," I hiss, horrified.
"Yeah?"
"I'm wearing sweats."
"Yeah?"
"I… to shift, I have to take them off."
"Yeah?"
"Grayson!" I snap.
He chuckles. And it's good. It's helpful. Like the tension has reset. Beep is pacing and ready for this challenge.
"You're still thinking like a human, Mona."
"I'm half-human, asshole."
"No. You're not. You're not half-human, Mona. You are one-hundred percent shifter. You just said you feel your wolf with you all the time, even though you don't always talk. And Orion told me yesterday you felt like Beep intervened when Andrea cornered you. She isalwayswith you. She has your fucking back all day, every day. Trust her. You are not human, Mona. You never were."
That isn't the first time I've heard those words.
But it's the first time I might actuallyhearthem. They slam into me like a sledgehammer to my chest.
Because holy shit. He's right.
I'm not human, not even right now. I can see better, scent better than I ever could before Silas bit me. Beep is with me always.
Always, she echoes.
I'm sorry, I think to her.
I am too. Perhaps I should have spent more time discussing this disconnect. But you never seemed ready or receptive. But it's time.
We're going to be amazing, I tell her, thinking of the course ahead of us.
No, we won't. In rare form, I feel her chuckle.But we will be eventually.
I grimace, realizing she's probably right. But it still doesn't solve the no-clothes problem. Grayson watches me patiently, a curious look on his face. He's getting used to me and Beep,and I'm feeling more comfortable having conversations with her while other people are around.
"So, uhhh… I'm not really used to the whole nudity thing, like you guys are."
He frowns, then looks out at the field. Two enforcers stand nearby, ready to inflict whatever torment their boss instructs upon me.
"Shift," he says in a firm tone. And even though they're at least a hundred feet away, they hear him. They strip down and shift into wolf form. Movement across the field catches my attention. All the wolves are shifting.
