The way they described the constant vigilance. The urge to check things repeatedly. The need to control every variable in the environment so nothing could go wrong.
Connor eventually spoke. “Connor,” he said simply. “Wolf.”
Several people greeted him by name.
“I’m still working on the control stuff,” he said. “Trying to stop assuming every problem is mine to fix.”
A few people nodded knowingly.
Connor leaned back in his chair. “Turns out hyper-responsibility makes relationships… complicated.”
That word sat in my chest.
Complicated.
My attention drifted briefly to the memory of Zoey standing in her doorway, her face calm but firm while she told me she needed space.
Mira’s gaze shifted toward me. “Would you like to introduce yourself?”
The room grew quiet.
The instinct to say nothing remained strong, but something about the calm patience in the room made it easier to breathe.
“My name is Liam,” I said finally. “Wolf.”
Several heads nodded.
“How long since you’ve been around other shifters?” Mira asked gently.
“Years.”
“Welcome.”
The simplicity of the word affected me more than I’d expected.
I shifted slightly in my chair. “I mostly live around humans now.”
“And how is that going?”
I considered the question. “It’s… efficient.”
Connor snorted, and a few people smiled.
Mira tilted her head slightly. “Efficient can mean many things.”
I rested my hands together. “I manage things carefully,” I said.
“What kinds of things?”
“Everything.”
When the room remained quiet, I continued before I could stop myself. “I check doors. Windows. Perimeters. Systems. I keep track of schedules. Supplies. Safety risks. It keeps people safe.”
Mira nodded slowly. “And when you can’t control those things?”
I hesitated. “That is… difficult.”
Connor leaned slightly closer. “You should see him at the lodge,” he said to the group. “Everything runs perfectly.”
