“Well, that’s only if she can work some literal magic and reverse what she’s done.” I give Esme a look of desperation. “So, can you? Can you help me? Help us?” I correct myself.
“There’s only one thing I can think of, and if it doesn’t work, I don’t know what else we can do.” Esme shakes her head. “I’ll reach out to the other high priestesses across the country and see what they say.”
“Thank you,” I sigh, feeling the tightness in my chest relax. “Sorry. That was…that wasn’t me.”
“It’s quite alright. You’ve certainly been through an ordeal lately.” Esme pats my shoulder as she passes me. “In the past, when your wolf has surfaced like that, has it been during emotionally charged moments like this?”
“Well,” Ryker starts, “the first time we felt her power was after I kissed someone in front of her.” Ryker holds his hands up in defense when Esme’s dark gaze narrows at him. “Whoa, hey! Don’t look at me like that. She didn’t believe me when I said she wouldn’t be okay with me being with someone else. So to get the point across, I kissed Avery…”
“He didn’t just kiss her either,” I mutter under my breath before I can stop myself. I wince and look up at him. “Sorry,” I tell him quickly before looking back at Esme. “It happened yesterday, too, when I had a minor confrontation with Avery. It resulted in her falling in the pool,” I say, refusing to look at Ryker when I feel his gaze on me. I thought Avery would have told him by now, but it would seem not.
“Other than your eyes and your power surfacing, are there any other wolf characteristics you’ve experienced?” Esme asks, not commenting on the whole Avery situation.
“She ran faster than anyone I’ve ever seen the other day,” Ryker offers.
“I moved pretty fast yesterday too when Avery drew her claws on me,” I elaborate with a shrug.
“Avery tried to hurt you?” Ryker demands, grabbing my shoulders, so I’m now facing him.
“Not now.” I shake my head at him, not wanting to rehash the events with him. “We need to deal with this problem right now. Those other things can wait.”
“I’m not done talking about this,” he growls before letting go of my arm.
Esme flips through a very old, very large leather-bound book while nodding her head. “So, like I said, emotionally charmed events bring your wolf to the surface.”
“Is that a spellbook?” I can’t help but ask when I step closer to her.
“No, my dear, these are notes of past and current coven members have written down about wolf shifters. We have a book similar to this on each species.” She smiles at me over the page she’s reading. “Okay, here is the plan…”
“I still don’t understand why we have to go to this thing tonight.” I step over yet another tree branch that blocks the makeshift trail. “Don’t you think we have other pressing matters for us to attend to?”
“Esme said we don’t have to do it right at sunset. She said as long as the moon is in the sky, the ritual would still work.” Ryker holds out his hand to help me over a larger fallen tree. “The pack run starts at sunset and Dad thinks now will be the best time to tell them about you, since a majority of the pack will be there.”
“I don’t understand why we have to tell them now. Can’t we wait another month or so?”
“He doesn’t want the pack to think we’re keeping secrets from them.”
“Okay, but correct me if I’m wrong; isn’t my existence supposed to be kept a secret, so Nicolai doesn’t know I’m here?” I don’t understand how telling all those people I’m alive is keeping it on the down-low.
“The pack is family,” Ryker stops walking and looks down at me. “These people mourned the death of your family, just like I did. They would protect you with their lives, like they would have all those years ago if they had been given the chance.”
“Okay, if you trust them…”
“One day, you will too. They’re your pack too.” Ryker reaches for my hair and gives it a slight tug. “Your mom used to put your hair into braids like this when you were a kid.”
“Really? I didn’t know.” It’s always been my go-to hairstyle, mainly because it was the only one I knew how to do. I had thrown it into a quick messy side braid tonight before we left the house.
“I used to pull on them because I knew it would make you mad.” He chuckles.
“So, you were literally the kid pulling little girls' hair because you had a crush on them.” I roll my eyes at him, but can’t help grinning at the thought of a young Ryker chasing me around and pulling my pigtails.
“No, I was just desperate for your attention. I didn’t care if it was bad or good attention, just that I had it from you.”
“Well, you’ve got it now.” I reach for his hand. “Now come on, your Dad is waiting.”
We walk side by side in silence for a little bit longer. I’m sure this path is an easy one for real shifters to take, but I’ve needed Ryker’s help climbing over boulders and large trees along the way. I’m not sure how long we’ve been walking or how far away from the house we are now, but it feels like miles.
As we enter a large clearing, and I see what’s waiting for us, I wish we hadn’t come. At least forty people turn and look at us when we walk through the treeline. Some are still clothed, but the majority are naked.
How am I ever going to get used to this?
Elias and Margot are the first to walk over to us, thankfully they both still have their clothes on.
“Thank you for joining us.” Elias nods his
