I’d spent my early childhood hopping from village to village. Briesia was the shifter territory in Kalista, but unlike the other supernatural territories, the shifter species didn’t enjoy intermingling with other shifters. That’s why Briesia was divided into smaller villages to separate each shifter species.
Being an arctic fox shifter in a village full of arctic wolf shifters was nothing short of awful, but even so... I was grateful I had a stable living environment.
“What if you get a mark? Would you go away to Fate Hollow Academy? Leave the pack?”
I blinked, and my throat tightened. “I wouldn’t get a mark. It’s too late.”
“That’s not true. Today is the day before the Autumnal Equinox when students are to report to the academy. The witch at the academy marks students up to midnight the night before, and you know only supernaturals over twenty are marked.”
Shrugging, I let out a sigh. My breath was visible in the cold air. “Maybe so, but what could I offer that academy? Fate Hollow is for supernaturals with unique abilities outside of their species’ general powers. I can only do what others of my kind can. Shift into an arctic fox. Even other fox shifters are bigger in their fox form.”
He pressed his index finger in between my eyebrows. “Stop pouting. Your fox form is as adorable and petite as you are.”
I gasped, reeling back and slapping his hand away. “I am not pouting! And if my fox form is adorable, that’s more of a reason Fate Hollow would never call on me. They train supernaturals for war against humans.”
The amusement on his face vanished as he pushed a hand through his hair. “That’s true, but…”
I tilted my head as I studied his tense posture and serious expression. “What is it?”
Shaking his head, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled up. Pale skin was bared to me, and I whirled around with a yelp.
A solemn sigh escaped him, and I glanced back, keeping my gaze on his face.
“So innocent,” he muttered under his breath. “Look at my rib cage, Kit.”
Biting my lower lip, I dropped my gaze. Thorn had little to no fat on his body, and his abdominal muscles were toned. An icy blue script snagged my gaze, and it knocked the breath out of my lungs.
I turned back around and stepped closer, reaching out and trailing a finger over the mark that said, ‘Mind your thoughts.’
“You’ve been marked.” The words came out barely above a whisper, and tears filled my eyes.
Thorn’s marked, which means he’s leaving...
I didn’t know how I’d handle that. If he was leaving for Fate Hollow, I wouldn’t be able to meet with him every day. Meeting with him was the one thing I could look forward to living in the village, but now...
No. I mentally batted away the selfish thought. I was happy for him. Fate Hollow was a fantastic opportunity for any supernatural.
I forced a smile and flatted my palm against the cold mark. “That’s great. Mind your thoughts. Does that have to do with the new power?”
His hand wrapped around my wrist, and he pulled my hand to his cheek. The fabric of his shirt fell back into place. “The power manifested last year. I haven’t had the chance to tell you, because I know how much you overthink everything.”
“Tell me,” I rasped, soaking in the comfort his presence gave me.
“I can read thoughts.”
My muscles tensed, and I went to pull away, but his hold on my wrist was firm. “Oh, Fates,” I breathed. “You can read my mind?”
I couldn’t remember all the embarrassing thoughts I must’ve had in the past year. I barely had a filter with my mouth, but my thoughts were completely uncensored.
His lips quirked up in a grin that he tried to contain as he nodded. “Your mind is an interesting place, Wren.”
“Don’t judge me for my thoughts,” I grumbled, jerking my head to the side so I wasn’t looking at him. My pouting was cut short by the curiosity bubbling up inside me. “So, how does it work? Do you hear everyone’s thoughts at once?”
He shook his head with that amused smirk playing on his lips. “No, Kit. I have to be within a certain distance to read thoughts, and I have to concentrate on brain waves to be able to hear the thoughts unless the thought is screaming at me.”
“Wow,” I breathed, my breath swirling up and away. “Are there limits? Can you only hear one person’s thoughts at a time?”
“Only one person at a time.” He tapped his temple with his index finger. “If I read thoughts too frequently, I tend to get migraines.”
