That’s the human in you speaking,Wolf sighs, the sound dripping with exaggerated disappointment.Just remember that part of your life was a lie.
Maybe technically, but it was a beautiful life. One that I’m grateful to have lived with my mom for as long as I had. At first, I thought I’d be upset that she kept all this from me, but there isn’t a single part of me that can find a reason to be. I might not understand the why of her decisions, but I can still appreciate them because I have no doubt that each one was made in love and selflessness.
If I know nothing else, I know that my mother loved me.
I expect a retort from my wolf, or Wolf as I’ve begun calling her since she apparently doesn’t have a name, but she remains quiet as I swing my legs out of bed.
The mattress dips when I get up—the personalizedcomfort in this room is beyond addictive, even if it doesn’t guarantee sleep—and Archie stirs on the pillow. His following yawn sounds like a tiny chainsaw, and I think he’s waking up, but he rolls back into sleep. Lucky little fuzzball.
Quickly, I move through the motions of getting ready for the day—a hot shower with the scent of eucalyptus providing a refreshing start to my day. Thanks to my magically customized clothes, it’s easy to pick out an outfit for training. Comfort over trendy. Something tells me leggings will serve me better than jeans in the coming days as Cade puts me through whatever training-from-hell he has planned. Especially since he said I mighthate himby the time he’s done. Wonderful pep talker that one.
I make it downstairs, the energy of the house adding to the pep in my step. Though I’m not particularly hungry, Wolf rumbles in the back of my mind.You’ll want to give me bacon, or I might bite someone later.
Right. Bacon diplomacy.
The small dining hall is quiet when I enter. Too quiet. Well, except for Iris, who hums one of her bizarre little tunes like she’s auditioning for a haunted opera. But the rest of them? Tension so thick it feels like I’m chewing it.
Cade’s at the table, jaw tight, his energy filling the room like we’re back to day one. Elias sits nearby, posture relaxed, but his eyes are sharp. Stephanie—the female shifter I barely met yesterday and thought had left—leans back in her chair, spoon dangling from her lips as she grins at me over her cereal. Or glares. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference.
Liz sips from a tall smoothie glass, and I squint at the liquid inside. Purple-red, thick, and suspicious. Blood smoothie? Beet juice? Some sort of murder-chic kombucha? After last night’s chat with Cade, I’ve realized that I need to start asking more questions—like,does my new vampire friend normally drink from a person, a bag, or a jug marked “do not open”?
“Well, good morning, Rowan.” Iris bustles forward, floral dress billowing, and thrusts a plate toward me. “I’m glad you could join us for breakfast.”
Is bacon really worth this?I ask Wolf.
Absolutely,she growls.Whatever their problem is, it has nothing to do with us.
Pretty sure it has everything to do with us, but I don’t argue. I take my seat and let the magical food do its job. There are already floating plates of bacon, so I load up on that while also making a silent request for scrambled eggs and a biscuit with extra butter. Survival fuel.
Nobody speaks to me as I sit down, careful to avoid the cursed chair and Stephanie. By the time I’m settled, my plate is loaded, and I quietly begin to eat.
Except the silence prickles at my skin, making me look up again. Stephanie’s stare is too sharp, and Cade leans forward like a blade drawn, his attention cutting between us. It’s protective, I realize, but also terrifying. If she makes one wrong move, he’ll end her.
And while I don’t exactly want bloodshed across the table, it’s nice to know I’m not the easiest target in the room thanks to my bodyguard.
I take another bite, determined to ignore the static of tension when thunder cracks inside the manor.
“Oh, that ferret better not scratch my floors!” Iris squawks, hiking up her skirt like she’s about to run a relay.
Ferret? As in Archie?
I rise from my seat just in time to see Great Dane-sized Archie standing off with Iris as he demands, “Is she okay?”
“Yes, furball. Now, zap yourself back to size and put those claws away.” Iris waggles a finger in his snout. “We’re just eating.”
“Not likely.” Archie’s sharp teeth flash as he sidesteps her, gaze locking onto me.
I give him a pathetic little wave, half “please don’t maul me,” half “sorry my grandma is nuts.” Though, I’m more concerned with why he thought I wasn’t okay…
When he sees me safe, he finally shrinks back to normal, shaking out his fur as if turning into a monster-sized version of himself is no bigger deal than stretching after a nap.
I’m never going to get used to seeing that happen.
Everyone around the table watches as he scurries over toward me, settling into my lap. I pay them no attention as I hand-feed him a piece of egg. “Good morning.”
“Next time, maybewake me,” he grumbles between bites.
His voice is low and gravelly, still thick with sleep, and I swear it sounds more feral than usual. Great. Even my bestie is cranky today. Apparently, everyone woke up on the wrong side of the apocalypse today except me andIris. Something tells me that being paired with her isn’t a good thing.
