“He must have believed us,” Beth said, sounding like she was trying to convince herself. “Why else would he still be here?”
Rufus stared at the distant form of Shan.
“What do you mean, good question?” Finley asked his friend.
Rufus twitched. He shook his head, dropping his gaze.
“Well, heishere,”Estelle said. “For now, anyway. But we don’t know how long.”
“Yeah, we can’t assume he’ll stick around all summer,” said Archie. “I mean, it’s not like there’s actually anything for him to find in the woods.”
“Right.” Estelle clapped her hands together. “Which means it’s time for phase two.”
CHAPTER 9
Ihave made a terrible mistake.
Shan stood with his hands folded behind his back as Leonie gave the assembled counselors one final pep talk before the campers arrived. It seemed he wasn’t the only person having second thoughts about the summer. With the campers due to arrive at any moment, some of the other new counselors looked like they too were regretting all their life choices.
“I know many of you are feeling nervous right now,” Leonie told the group. She gave them all a rueful smile. “Believe me, I’m nervous too, and I’ve been doing this for years. Being responsible for the happiness and wellbeing of a bunch of kids all summeristerrifying. But it’s also the most rewarding job in the world. No matter how you feel now, I’m certain that by the end of this summer, you’ll be signing up for next year, too.”
They were not empty platitudes. Her sincerity melted in his mouth like candied rose petals.
It made him want more. More of her honesty, her open compassion. More ofher.
Control.He breathed out, trying to ignore the tantalizing sweetness. Every word she spoke only deepened his resolve.
Leonie was kind, and caring, and good. If she discovered that they were mates, he had no doubt she would accept him with open arms, convinced that love could tame even a qiongqi. At best, she would be dooming herself to a life of isolation and heartbreak, watching in pain as he lost all outward appearance of humanity.
At worst…
We are monsters, my son.Even after all these years, he could still taste the words, sweet enough to burn.Never forget that.
He swallowed, banishing the old memory. The past would not repeat itself. He had failed once, when he had been young and naïve. Now he understood his nature.
Leonie did not believe in monsters. He would not teach her otherwise.
“And most importantly, remember to have fun,” Leonie said, coming to the end of her speech. “Our job is to make sure every camper has a great summer, but I want you all to enjoy yourselves as well. Take this opportunity to get back in touch with your own inner animal. Goof around with the kids, and let yourself be a little silly. Camp Thunderbird is a place where everyone can relax and be themselves. That goes for you, too.”
Was it his imagination, or did her gaze linger on him? He hoped not. It might be good advice for the other counselors, but he had to stay on his guard.
“Does everyone know their pack number and muster station?” Leonie asked the group. At the mass answering nods, she consulted her watch. “The buses should be arriving in a few minutes. Off you go then, and prepare to greet your campers. And don’t worry! They won’t bite. Not in human form, at least.”
That earned her a general chuckle, though a few of thenewer staff members still looked rather apprehensive. The group broke up, each pair of co-counselors heading to their assigned meeting spot.
“Pack lists distributed, weekly schedule posted, cabins checked…” Leonie muttered, ticking items off a list. She tucked her clipboard under her arm. “Looks like we’re running right on time for once. You ready for this?”
Shan had never felt less ready for anything in his entire life. “As much as possible.”
“Hey.” She touched his arm, just above his glove. “I know working with kids is way out of your comfort zone, but it’s going to be okay. Trust me, the campers will love you.”
There was no way to explain that his current state of mind had very little to do with the prospect of posing as a counselor, and much more with the light press of her fingertips on his bare skin. He was used to living with hunger, but this felt like being eviscerated from the inside. He gave her a curt nod, not trusting himself to speak.
“And anyway, I’ll be with you the whole time,” Leonie continued, blithely unaware that this was, in fact, the entire problem. “I’ll do all the work of managing the kids. You just need to listen out for any hints they might drop about what’s going on. Don’t worry, I’m not expecting you to supervise the campers on your own.”
“Leonie!” A counselor dashed up to them, out-of-breath and wild-eyed. “We’re unloading the buses, but eight campers can’t find their backpacks, five have gotten stuck in their shift forms, three are having meltdowns about missing their families already, and one kid is refusing to even get off the bus.”
Leonie just chuckled, as though this catalogue of disaster was entirely normal. “At least all the buses got here this time. Last summer, one of them broke down halfway because a kid shifted into an elephant in the back seat. It’s all right, I’llcome help sort everything out.” Then she hesitated, shooting him a worried glance. “Oh. Except?—”
