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I imagined holding my hands up in defense and admitting who I really was. Surely, they wouldn’t eat me, but for God’s sake, what if they did? My short, insignificant life flashed before my eyes as I envisioned everyone shifting into wolf form, surrounding me as they growled in disgust at the intruder who’d pretended to be one of them.

Patty stepped up beside me and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “Latent wolves are still wolves, Aunt Karen, even if they don’t have an animal form.”

The world stopped.

Karen looked at Patty.

Hudson looked at me.

I looked straight ahead and tried to figure out what the hell it meant to be a latent wolf.

Patty’s grip on me tightened.

Karen crossed her arms. “She never said she was latent.”

“Maybe she didn’t want it discussed in front of forty people,” Patty said.

Karen’s lips flattened into a thin line.

Patty continued before she could respond. “Just for the record, being a latent shifter doesn’t mean they aren’t shifters. It doesn’t mean they aren’t pack. And it definitely doesn’t mean you get to question them in front of everyone.”

My pulse hammered.

Hudson turned toward me. “You’re latent?” His surprise held no disgust. Only confusion.

I nodded. Too eagerly. “Yup.”

Patty’s fingernails pressed lightly through my shirt.

I tried again. “Sure am.”

Excellent. Completely natural response to a painful, deeply personal supernatural identity that I still didn’t understand.

Hudson stared at me. “I didn’t know.”

I shrugged. “I don’t really talk about it.”

That, at least, fit the role I had been playing.

His face softened. “You could have told me.”

Karen looked between us. Her suspicion hadn’t disappeared, but Patty’s defense made it so she couldn’t openly challenge the revelation without appearing cruel.

Hilary called Karen’s name from the path. She gave me one last look before walking away.

I released a breath.

Hudson remained beside me. “It’s all right. I can stay home from the run with you.”

My head turned toward him. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.” The answer warmed me and made the guilt worse.

“No,” Patty said.

Hudson looked at her. “No?”

“You’re going. I can stay with Sloane. She has me.” Patty squeezed my shoulder.