My palms broke out in a sweat. What was with my two sweet boys going all ragey-alpha on me?
Noble nodded to his brother before facing me. His fierce expression softened, barely. “This is an official investigation, Nai, so tell the truth. Do you haveanyidea who did this?”
Official investigation.
My heart pounded, climbing up into my throat. I really didn’t know. Not a hundred percent. I couldn’t implicate someone and ruin their life over a hunch. Even if it was my asshat cousin Nolan. I sighed and then said, “No. I tried to scent him, but he covered it with pine smoke.”
“Why didn’t you shift?” Honor asked. “Your wolf is better suited for a fight like that.”
I frowned, hesitant to share my secret, and Noble patted my good arm.
“Whatever it is, you can tell us. We want to help.”
After sucking in a deep breath, I blurted, “Stress makes it hard to shift. Always has. I … can’t control my wolf.”
Every wolf I’d ever known had no problem shifting when in danger. In fact, it was easier when in mortal peril.Not me.
“What?” Noble stared at me like I’d just grown another head. “That makes no sense.”
Honor snarled at Noble, more animal than human, maybe because he didn’t like his brother pointing out my weakness when he had one of his own. But when he spoke, Honor’s words were clear and full of pity. “How? The wolf instinct makes it impossiblenottoshift.”
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling, “Well, somehow my wolf never got the memo on rules of instinct.”
I had no idea why she hesitated. After years of trying to force her, my father decided extra lessons in hand-to-hand combat were the best backup plan for my wolf, who locked up in life or death situations.
“Does your entire pack know your weakness?” Honor asked, his hand going to massage that spot on his right leg that must be causing him pain.
Calling it a weakness hurt, but he was right.
I knew where this conversation was headed. “Yes, but I doubt the wolf who attacked me was Nolan.” Moving my position slightly, I winced when the movement sent a sharp zing deep into my bone. I knew Nolan’s wolf’s markings and smell, but there was magic to cover that up, so I wasn’t sure.
“Damn,” Honor said as if he wanted it to be Nolan.
Noble shared a look with Honor, and the latter nodded.
“You need lessons,” Honor said, fur rippling down his arms. “That’s a weakness no shifter can afford.”
“Sure,” I said. “Where do you propose I squeeze that in? Saturdays might work, assuming I’m not cramming for fire or water classes. Or the alpha studies in the gym. Not to mention serving meals in the dining hall.” I shook my head at the absurdity of their proposal. “I don’t have time for one more thing.”
Noble sucked in a breath. “Nai—”
“You can’t afford tonottake time for this,” Honor snapped. “How can you expect your pack to follow you if you can’t shift when there’s danger?”
I glared at him, forcing myself to keep my eyes off his injured leg; it was rich coming from him. “It hasn’t affected me … so far.”
Honor crouched and stared at me eye-to-eye. “It just did, Nai. That’s why you’re in here.” He gestured to the healing ward I lay in and straightened. “Lessons start Saturday night, 8 p.m. sharp.”
Then he turned and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
“What the mageis his problem?” I grumbled, picking at the edge of my blanket. Lessons? Honor was going to teach my wolf to shift in danger? Hah. Good luck. My father had been trying for years.
Noble shook his head, making it clear he wasn’t pleased either.
“You almost died, Nai. Everyone is really wound up about this attack.” Noble pursed his lips. “No one knows if you were the specific target or just the best opportunity to strike at the heirs. Think of what it could mean if our own kind was uniting with the selkies and betraying us. It could put others at risk, not just you, and there’s the tension with the other shifters too…”
Wolf shifters uniting with the other shifter races to pick off heirs? I shivered at the thought. I’d never asked anymore about the selkie incident, and the boys didn’t offer anything up.
“But the attack on me was an isolated incident, right?” I argued, my voice still sounding raspy. “Or have there been others?”
