Buck’s eyebrows were in danger of ascending past his hairline. Honey cleared her throat, abruptly self-conscious.
“Look, I just really like wolves, okay?” she said, a touch defensively. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve always loved animals. That’s one of the things that attracted me to this camp. When Zephyr talked about helping kids get in touch with their inner animals, I thought he just meant getting them to express their true selves without fear. It never crossed my mind that this might be a camp foractual shapeshifters!”
As she said the words, the reality of it finally sank in. Wonder filled her, displacing shock.
Dragons were real. Shapeshifters were real. She’d seen it with her own eyes. The man standing before her right now could transform into a majestic, beautiful creature straight out of her wildest fantasies. All the things that she’d secretly yearned for—they were all real.
“Actual shapeshifters,” she repeated, more softly. She could feel the broad, amazed smile spreading across her face. “They really exist. This is a camp for real live shapeshifters.”
“Yes, it is,” Buck said grimly. “And you are not supposed to be here.”
Her warm, glowing awe popped like a soap bubble. She didn’t belong here. She wasn’t even supposed to know about this wonderful hidden world, let alone step into it. She was an imposter.
Honey swallowed hard, wondering just how much of a disaster this might be for her personally. “I swear I won’t tell anyone about any of this. Not even my own family.”
“That’s not the problem.” Buck started to pace, at least as much as the limited space allowed. The coiled tension in his body reminded her of the winged wolf; that same sense of taut, crackling energy barely held in check. “No need to look so worried, woman. If you went to Zephyr now and explained everything, he wouldn’t lock you in a cabin or swallow you whole. He’d have to kick you out, mind, because regular folk aren’t allowed here. But he’d trust you to keep your mouth shut.”
Honey’s heart sank. Of course she would have to leave. Go back to her bleak, empty apartment. Try to find some other way to fill the long, lonely weeks of summer vacation. Tell her kids they’d been right after all; that she’d been foolish to want an adventure.
At least now I know that magic is real,she told herself, trying to find comfort in that.Even if I can never see it again, I’ll always know there’s wonder in the world. Just not for me.
She set the half-drunk bottle down on the bedside table, getting up. “I understand. It’s okay. I’ll go pack my things.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Buck barred her way, jaw set in a tight line. “You can’t leave.”
“But you just told me that Zephyr would understand. That he wouldn’t try to imprison me out of fear that I might blab about the camp.”
“No, I said that he’d have to kick you out.” Buck spread his arms, as though ready to tackle her if she made a break for freedom. “That’s the whole problem. He can’t have a human camp counselor. But he also can’t afford tolosea counselor. He had to drag me in at the last minute, remember? If he sends you home, he won’t have enough counselors. Estelle, Beth, Rufus, Finley—they’d all have to go too.”
In all the excitement, she’d forgotten about that. Now she remembered their earlier conversation, and how Buck had practically begged her to promise that she wouldn’t walk out.
“But this is different,” she said. “An emergency. Surely he won’t disappoint the children by sending them away. Can’t he bend the rules a little?”
“Absolutely not,” Buck said with utter certainty. “I know my nephew. Zeph won’t do anything that puts either kids or the camp at risk. If he has to send some campers home, he will. Even though it’ll break his heart.”
“But the poor kids!” Guilt stabbed through her. “It isn’t fair, they shouldn’t be punished for my mistake. Oh, this is all my fault. I should never have applied in the first place. Buck, there has to be something I can do to fix this mess!”
“Yes,” Buck said, unexpectedly. He had the expression of a man who signing his own death warrant. “Actually, there is.”
CHAPTER9
“Zephyr’s not here.” Conleth didn’t so much as glance up from his computer as Buck walked into the office. “And before you ask, no, he’s not in my range right now, so I have no idea where he might be. Go find him yourself.”
“Actually, I wanted to talk to you.” Buck shut the office door behind him—though not before double-checking that there were no eavesdroppers this time. “We have a problem.”
“I currently have fifty-seven problems.” Conleth continued typing at his customary unnerving speed. “Ranging from an IRS query on our quarterly business expenses down to a literal tiger mom who will not stop texting me about her precious cub’s nut allergy. You’re going to have to be more specific.”
Buck dropped into a chair opposite Conleth’s desk. “What happens if one of the counselors has to quit without warning?”
Conleth’s fingers paused. “Is this a hypothetical question, or do I now have fifty-eight problems?”
“Let’s just say that I’m exploring options.”
“Oh, well, in that case, it would be an utter disaster.” Conleth went back to his spreadsheet, keyboard clicking cheerfully. “Small children weeping as they’re bodily dragged away. Big, teary eyes turned on you with expressions of tragic betrayal. Zephyr might even look disappointed. I trust that stiffens your resolve. Goodbye. Close the door on your way out.”
Buck stayed put. “And how much of that stays true if it isn’t me going?”
Conleth did look up at that. He even took his hands off his keyboard. Clearly, shit had just got real.
