“Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Paige asked Conleth. Shifters were tough, but he had just taken a grizzly to the chest. “Maybe we should take you to the infirmary.”
“No need.” Conleth tugged at his jacket, which now had long rips down the front where Archie’s claws had caught in it. “I really am fine. Not sure I can say the same for this suit, though. That might need last rites and a decent funeral.”
“I am so, so sorry.” She brushed at the fur plastered across his shirt, as though that was going to help. “I’ll pay for the damage, of course.”
Though she had no idea how. Could you take out a mortgage on a suit?
“Paige.” Conleth’s hand covered hers, flattening her palm against his chest. Her heart stuttered again, though for a very different reason. “It’s all right. Don’t worry about the suit. But we need to talk. In private.”
Archie growled.
The sound broke her paralysis. Paige yanked her hand out from under Conleth’s, turning to her brother.
“I don’t want to hear one word out of you.” She folded her arms, glaring at him. “Go to your cabin. We’ll talk about this later.”
Archie’s ears flattened, but he knew better than to argue when she usedthattone. The bear slunk off reluctantly. Paige watched long enough to make sure he was really gone, then hurried after Conleth.
I am so, so fired.
She’d been worried that Archie’s lack of control over his bear would cause problems over the summer. But even in her darkest nightmares, she’d never imagined he might get himself kicked out before camp even started.
‘Mauling the manager’ would probably do it.
Conleth led the way back to the building where they’d first met, which turned out to be the camp office. The interior was plain but functional, outfitted with two desks and shelves of color-coded files. He shut the door behind them.
“Sit down before you faint.” Conleth seated himself behind the larger desk, gesturing at a chair on the other side. “You look likeyou’re the one who just got run over by a bear.”
Paige sat, locking her hands together on her lap to stop them from shaking. “I really am sorry about Archie. And I take full responsibility for his actions. I know he’s broken about a million camp rules, but please don’t expel him. He’s really, really needs this summer.”
“Paige, it’s all right,” Conleth said gently. He leaned his arms on the desk, nothing but understanding in those green eyes. “I didn’t call you in here to kick you both out of camp. I have brothers myself. One very much like yours, in fact. I know what it’s like.”
Paige let out a shaky breath. “Thanks. You’re a saint.”
“I’m really not.” He drummed his fingers against his desk. “We do, however, have a problem.”
“It won’t happen again,” she said quickly. “I’ll make sure Archie understands his behavior was completely unacceptable.”
Conleth shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. Archie seems to think there’s something going on between us.”
Oh God, she wanted to sink through the floor. “I’m so sorry. He’s somehow got this crazy idea that shifters can literally fall in love at first sight. I think some of the other campers must have been having some fun at his expense last year. He’ll believe anything, especially if it comes from an older boy.”
She’d expected Conleth to laugh at Archie’s gullibility, or at least raise his eyebrows. Instead, his expression went absolutely neutral. He regarded her in silence for a long moment, fingers tapping out a rapid, staccato rhythm.
All he said was: “Hmm.”
“I tried to tell him it was nonsense, but he didn’t believe me. As far as Archie is concerned, I’m just his boring big sister whodoesn’t know anything.” Paige sighed. “To be fair, when it comes to shifters, he’s not wrong.”
Conleth leaned back in his chair, gaze resting on her thoughtfully. “I take it Archie is the only shifter in your family?”
“Until he transformed for the first time, I didn’t even know shifters existed. It was a shock to our mom, too.”
“Ah.” Conleth shifted position. “My apologies if this is a sensitive subject, but I take it Archie’s father is not in the picture.”
“No,” Paige said shortly, not wanting to get intothatmess. “She hasn’t exactly had much luck in men.”
“Evidently,” Conleth said, eyebrows drawing down. “He didn’t tell her he was a shifter? Or try to get in contact later?”
“Not as far as I know.”
