“Archie, you’ve spent the past year talking non-stop about Camp Thunderbird.” Paige nudged him with her shoulder. “Look, is this still about Conleth? Because I told you, there’s no need for you to worry. I have to work with him in my role as staff liaison, but it’s purely professional.”
It was perfectly true, yet a strange pang went through her chest as she said the words. She couldn’t stop picturing that breathless, terrifying moment when she’d thought he’d been about to tell hershewas his mate. Or imagining what might have happened if the conversation had gone another way…
Which was ridiculous. There was no point daydreaming about something that could never happen. If anything, she should be grateful she wasn’t his mate. That would have been a disaster for everyone. There was only room for one shifter in her life, and it wasn’t Conleth.
“We’re work colleagues, that’s all,” she said firmly. “And we’re lucky he is still my colleague after the stunt you pulled. We should both have gotten thrown out of camp.”
Archie fidgeted with the edge of the sheet. “My bear was only trying to protect you.”
“I understand you can’t help your animal’s instincts. But you could have really hurt Conleth.”
He was trying to look defiant, but his lower lip trembled. “I don’t mean to be bad, Paige.”
“Oh, Archie.” Paige pulled him into a hug, his small body rigid against hers. “You’re not bad. But sometimes you need to think before you act, okay?”
She felt him swallow a sob. “I try, Paige. I really do.”
“I know.” She rubbed his back in gentle circles. “Most of the time. But can you honestly tell me you were trying your very best to control your bear today?”
“N-no.” Archie pulled away, scrubbing his wrist across his nose. “I was so mad, I couldn’t help myself. But I promise I won’t do it again.”
“That’s all I ask.” She found a tissue in her pocket, handing it to him. “Why don’t you like Conleth, anyway? He seemed…”
She stalled, searching for a word. Charismatic? Understanding? How could she sum up the intense, alarmingly attractive shifter with such unnerving eyes?
“Nice,” she finished, somewhat lamely. “What’s wrong with him?”
“Everything!” Archie bristled, regaining more of his usual energy. “He’s got stupid hair.”
Paige resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. “Archie, you can’t assault a man because you don’t like his hair.”
“It’s too shiny,” Archie said stubbornly. “And it’s never messy, not even when it’s raining. I bet he dunks his whole head in a bucket of hair gel every morning. And he’s always going around in that stupid suit, like he thinks he’s so cool. He literally wears it all the time. He probably wears it inbed.”
Paige thrust down an arresting mental image of Conleth, that suit, and a bed. “He’s the camp manager, Archie. He must have a lot of important meetings. And I doubt he wears a suitallthe time.”
“He does!” Archie insisted. “I’m telling you Paige, I’ve seen him! And he’s always walking around looking at his phone, like he’s too important to say hello or smile at anyone. He never joins in any of the campfires or games or anything. Not even the big welcoming ceremony or the end-of-summer celebration, and literallyeveryonegoes to those! It’s like he doesn’t even want to be at camp. And when I had detention with him?—”
Archie froze.
“A detention?” Paige’s big-sister instincts tingled. “You mean, last summer, at camp? You didn’t mention anything about a detention.”
“Because it wasn’t a big deal,” Archie said quickly. “And it was ages ago. Not worth talking about, really.”
“Archie, what did you do?”
“Nothing!” At her glare, he reluctantly added, “Well… I kinda got pushed into the lake.”
“You got a detention because someone pushed you into the lake?”
Archie squirmed, avoiding her eyes. “I miiiiight have deserved it. But Ig was being a real jerk. And none of us knew back then that he was really worried he might not be a shifter. Though Rufus says he is, even if he can’t sense his dragon yet, so that’s okay.”
Paige tried to unravel that with her limited knowledge of Archie’s friend group, and failed.
“Leaving aside the matter of exactly what you did for now—though don’t think we’re not going to talk about it later—why would you have a detention with Conleth?” she asked. “He’s not a counselor.”
“Buck said it was the most awful punishment he could imagine,” Archie said triumphantly. “See? That proves he’s theworst.Conleth, I mean. Not Buck. Buck is cool.”
Paige was starting to wonder if Buck had some kind of grudge against the poor camp manager. “And what did Conleth do that made this detention so horrible?”
