He set the plate on the bed and wiped his hands along his jeans. “Do you remember our conversation last night?”
I thought about it through the hazy fog and shook my head. “A little bit, but… was Beckett here?”
His jaw tightened enough that it sharpened the angled line of his jaw. Austin always had strong features and maybe that’s why I was attracted to him. There was nothing soft or feminine about his face… except when he smiled. Then his pale eyes sparkled so brightly that it became difficult to remember what the hell he was even laughing about.
“We’re going to talk about that later. You’re a Shifter, Lexi. Do you remember our conversation?”
“Oh, hell,” I grumbled, falling onto my back and throwing my right arm over my face. “I was really hoping that was part of the dream. Why did you come back here, Austin? To show me how crazy you’ve become? I don’t have room for crazy in my life right now.”
The sound of him chewing filled the quiet room. When he spoke, he was calm, as if we weren’t about to begin an argument. “You’re a wolf.
“Then why don’t I remember anything?”
“Few do,” he said. “The majority of Shifters either remember nothing at all, or just the first few minutes after the shift. A few outliers can remember more, if not all. Our animal prefers to be in control and there would be too much internal conflict, so they block us out. Let her out every so often or she’ll get restless and try to take over. You’re going to have to learn to be in tune with her needs, because you’re two halves that make a whole.”
He took another bite of something and sucked on his fingers.
“Are you going to eat all my breakfast?” I managed.
He set the plate on my stomach. “There’s more in the kitchen. Trust me, you’re going to want at least three helpings before it’s all said and done,” he added with a smile in his voice. “The first time is always like that. Tell me what you’re craving and I’ll have it ready for you the next time you shift.”
My chin touched my chest as I looked down and picked up a few scrambled eggs with my fingers. My appetite was waning; this was too much to accept.
“Did Beckett bruise up your face?” I cringed at the thought. Beckett was the kind of guy who held grudges against any man that showed him up, which wasn’t often.
“No.
I blinked in surprise and Austin stood up and stretched out his toned arms. His dirty blue T-shirt was thin, faded, threadbare, and way too sexy for me to be ogling while naked in bed. It looked like one of his favorites— washed a million times. We all have a favorite shirt that the love’s been worn into.
“You can’t trust your animal until you bond with her. Introductions to someone new are usually supervised because there’s a potential for them to attack. I swear, Lexi,” he said laughing. “I seriously thought you were going to be a panther or some shit. The way we fought like cats and dogs sometimes, and hell… the way you
Just then, scarlet bled into his face and he spun around, staring at a picture of sailboats in a harbor.
When I looked down at my plate, I noticed something else. Hairs on the bed. I pinched one between my fingers and it was silver.
“You can’t be serious,” I said, beginning to feel my own doubt.
“What I don’t understand is why you attacked me,” he said to himself. “I’m an alpha and you should have submitted. Most will, except for other alphas or wolves who are no good for pack life. I’ve heard about women who have alpha personalities, just never thought it was true. I’ve never met a female with as much bite as you.” He peered over his shoulder and his dark brow slanted in a way that made my toes involuntarily curl. “No pun intended.”
I stared at the hair again, rolling it between my fingers. “You’re serious? Then why don’t I remember? Seems like I’d remember turning into a dog.”
“Wolf,” he corrected with intolerant eyes. “We’re not
He scolded me with his tone and turned around, stuffing his hands in his deep pockets. “Don’t ever talk down about your animal, especially not around me. I won’t tolerate it. I’ve always considered your family my pack.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s common for an alpha to find his own pack outside the family, although usually it’s just a bunch of friends. That’s why I hung out at your house a lot. My brothers sure as hell weren’t going to let a nine-year-old kid try to boss them around. My parents were careful not to… damn, what’s the word? Reprimand me too much, I guess. It would be a detriment to the leader I’d one day become. I needed another family unit. I was born to lead, and having older brothers trying to put me in my place went against every shred of instinct I had. Now that I’m grown, it’s cool. Everyone knows their rank.”
“And your brothers are wolves?” I couldn’t believe I was getting sucked into his delusions.
“Yeah. In fact, that’s why I’m back in town. I’m ready to settle and they’re ready to be led.”
A mockingbird sang outside my window and a smile wound up my face.
“You don’t believe me, Lexi. But you will. I’m going to take you to meet my brothers and I’ll introduce you to one of them in their wolf form.”
“Why not you?” I scraped my fingers through my matted hair and frowned when I snagged a tangle. Damn, I must have looked like a nightmare.
He pulled his hands from his pockets and folded his arms, pacing to the door. “My wolf is dangerous.” He paused, dropping his eyes to the floor. “He’s aggressive, and I don’t completely trust him around someone new. I can’t risk hurting you.”
“How is it my mom didn’t notice I was changing into a wolf?”
“Because it’s kind of like puberty. Your body goes through the change when it’s mature, and we’re all different. It’s not triggered by anything except your own hormones or genetics. You wouldn’t want a bunch of little kids who were mad at their parents to shift into a wolf and attack them or run away. Their animal would be volatile and hard to control.”
“Austin, you do realize you’re dropping a bomb on me, don’t you? You’re not just telling me I’m a Shifter, but that I’m not even related to my family. I don’t believe this.”
He turned on his heel and leaned against the door. “Family isn’t blood—it’s who has your back.”
I chewed on my lip. The only way to know the truth was to talk to my mom. I’d know it if she was lying to me—she was a horrible liar and had a habit of doing dishes or cleaning if I asked her a question and she was untruthful. It’s how I knew that the separation between her and my dad wasn’t amicable. He’d left her, and that infuriated me almost as much as the fact he’d left his daughters behind.
“I’m going to take a shower and go to my mom’s house. Then we’ll see what’s what.”
“You need help?”
“Austin, I’ve been taking showers for twenty-seven years now. I think I got it.”
A full-bodied laugh filled the room as he struggled to contain it. “I meant to talk to your mom.”
When I clenched my teeth, he took that as a no. My mom was going to be giving me a straightjacket for Christmas after this convo. A sinking feeling settled at the possibility they might not be my real family. I loved Maizy and my mom with all the fire in me. I’d die to protect them. When my dad left, I was around as much as possible to make sure my mom didn’t succumb to depression. We joined art classes, went shopping, and I spent a lot of time watching Maizy so she didn’t overwhelm my mom, who wasn’t exactly in her prime for motherhood.
I was the glue in my family.
I’d been stalling the conversation ever since arriving at my mom’s house. She sensed a serious talk coming and plopped Maizy in front of the TV with one of her favorite fairy princess movies. That was one little girl who had her heart set on marrying a prince.
