“Would you prefer zapdog?” Leonie asked sweetly.
“Hellhounds aren’t like most other types of shifter,” Honey continued, ignoring the banter with the ease of a woman used to carrying on a conversation with a running comedy act in the background. “They aren’t born with their animals. You become a hellhound by being bitten by one. And biting is part of the hellhound mating ritual.”
Buck looked pained. “If you’re going to go into details, I’m leaving the room now.”
“I don’t think we need to draw Paige a diagram,” Moira said, her lips quirking. “If you were worrying that mating Conleth would have unexpected side effects, Paige, you can set your mind at ease. He’s a pegasus, not a hellhound. He can’t turn you into a shifter.”
“Oh,” Paige said. “Right.”
It shouldn’t have made any difference. She couldn’t mate him anyway. There was absolutely no cause to feel disappointed.
Yet she did. Archie took such joy in his shifting. She hadn’t ever really admitted to herself just how much she envied him that freedom.
Maybe it was just as well that Conleth couldn’t turn her into a shifter. She wasn’t sure she’d have been able to say no.
And shehadto say no.
She’d told Conleth the truth. Not the whole truth, of course—she had no intention of revealing that to anyone—but enough. Archie had to get his shifting under control this summer, and she couldn’t afford for him to be distracted from his studies. There was too much at stake.
Renewed resolve straightened her spine. She had to nip this in the bud now, before things got any worse. The last thing she needed was to have the entire senior staff attempting to play matchmaker all summer.
“Look,” she said. “I appreciate you’re all Conleth’s friends?—”
“Turnip,” Buck interjected. “Lukewarm.”
“But I’ve already made it clear to him that nothing can happen between us,” she went on doggedly. “He understands the reasons, and he respects my decision. This summer is going to be hard enough with us both stuck at camp. Don’t make it worse for him.”
“But you are mates.” Ragvald looked genuinely upset; shoulders knotted, fingers twitching as though in search of a weapon. “To reject the bond is unnatural! An offense against all that is holy!”
“Ragvald.” Moira laid a warning hand on the big man’s arm. “No.”
“We’re not trying to put pressure on you, Paige,” Honey said gently. “And of course we won’t pry any further, if you’d prefer to keep your personal life to yourself. But if you ever want to talk?—”
“I don’t,” Paige said curtly. She turned to Leonie. “I should meet my co-counselor before training starts. Can you point him out?”
Leonie blew out her breath, but didn’t argue with the abrupt change of subject. “I’ll introduce you. I would have doneso earlier, but… well.” She scanned the crowd of counselors, frowning. “That’s strange. I can’t see him. He should be here.”
“Oh,” Buck said. He was staring over Paige’s shoulder, the oddest expression on his face. She couldn’t tell if he was appalled, or about to burst into hysterical laughter. “I think he is.”
Paige turned, and found herself staring at the Camp Thunderbird logo. The black staff t-shirt clung to a broad, muscled chest. Her gaze tracked upward past a strong throat and sharp jawline to meet determined green eyes.
“Hello, Paige.” Conleth’s mouth curved in a cocky smirk. “I look forward to working with you.”
CHAPTER 10
Conleth was well aware that this was one of his riskier schemes. As plans went, it ranked somewhere between ‘juggling live hand grenades’ and ‘starting a land war in Asia.’
But he’d had to keep his true intentions secret from Paige. If this was going to work, her reaction needed to be genuine. He’d been braced for her anger.
Insufficiently, as it turned out.
“Thisis your plan?” Paige hissed. “I told you we had to avoid each other!”
“And I told you that wouldn’t work,” Conleth replied. “A shifter can’t abandon his mate. Archie knows that.”
“You said you’d do anything for me!” Paige’s hands balled into fists. “I thought you were going to help!”
“I am.” He couldn’t reveal the details to her; not yet, at least. “Trust me. I have a plan.”
