“And who’s a good girl, hm? Yes. Good girl!” She held out the treat, and Daisy’s black nose twitched as she sniffed it. She delicately took it in her front teeth, rose, and trotted down the dock with it to eat in private.
I rolled my eyes and glanced after her, whining quietly. Since when do you need privacy? The world is your toilet—you’re practically an exhibitionist.
She glanced back and glared at me, growling around the treat. Says the woman in her underwear.
I clicked my tongue. She had me there.
Bon jerked his head. “Get her out of here.”
Two cops escorted the drenched Pearl away, and Chief McCray winked at us. “Nice work, you two. Well, three with Daisy.” She clapped Peter hard on the shoulder. “Keep it up, Flint.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “You doing something different with that?” She stroked her own chin.
Peter’s cheeks reddened under his scruff.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess some women find that attractive.” She shrugged and strutted over to Bon, leaving Peter and me alone, a little aside from the other officers who bustled about the dock and examined the contents of the sack Pearl had been dragging behind her. A lady officer drew out a handful of gleaming gold merkles. Guess they found the missing life insurance payout.
I hugged the blanket tight around me, water trickling down my back and pooling under my bare feet. We stood in silence for a few moments, watching Daisy chomp on her treat, a gray dawn gradually lightening around us. With the tide out, only puddles of water remained in the marshy stretch of land between the human village and Bijou Mer.
I took a sip of the still too hot coffee and burned my tongue. Peter glanced over. Without a word, the tip of his wand emerged from his blanket, and a chilly breeze blew over the top of my coffee.
He looked back ahead. “Should be cool enough to drink now.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “Thanks.”
He kept his eyes on the distant land ahead of us. “You should have told me, you know.” His throat bobbed. “You lied to me. That’s what I’m most upset about.”
I glanced back and found all the cops busy and out of earshot. I faced forward with him and sighed. “Did I lie?” I shrugged, and he shot me a surprised look. “I just mean—I’m cursed. I haven’t been able to shift in years. Sometimes I wonder if I still am one.”
He shook his head. “If it didn’t matter, why’d you keep it from me?”
I scoffed. “I think you know exactly why. Most people hate shifters.”
He sighed through his nose. “I want to trust you, but how can I? Why didn’t you tell me when you told me about your curse? You trickled the truth in. Now I can’t help but wonder what else you’re keeping from me.”
My stomach tightened as I thought of Ludolf and the secret shifter underground. He was right, really. Even if I couldn’t shift anymore, I was still part of the shifter community, whether I liked it or not.
And that came with certain rules and expectations—though I’d broken shifter code to help solve the last case we’d worked together. But I couldn’t tell Peter about the underground community without endangering him, and without knowing about Ludolf, he had no idea what I’d risked to be honest with him and solve that case.
I shrugged. “You know—you didn’t care when I told you I’d been cursed and lost my powers. I’d been ‘lying’ to you about that.” I glanced up at him. “And we’re still getting to know each other—I told you as soon as I felt comfortable enough to.”
I lowered my voice. “It’s not like that’s easy stuff to talk about. You, Heidi, and Will are the only ones who know.” I bit the inside of my cheek. “You might not want to admit it, but you’re more upset about me being a shifter because, like most people, you’re at least a little prejudiced toward us.”
He shook his head and shifted on his feet. “How can I not be? Every single shifter I’ve ever met covers for the others.” He raised his brows at me. “How can I trust you enough to bring you in on cases when you might do the same?”
Anger flared in my chest, but I willed myself to breathe. I really didn’t want to fight with him just then. “Have you ever asked why?” I flashed my eyes at him. “Do you have any idea what it’s like being a shifter?”
His nostrils flared. “I had a tough time growing up too, but you don’t see me asking for special treatment.”
I clenched my hands into fists and grew very still. “It’s totally different, Peter. Hatred against shifters is systemic! Even when you don’t want to get embroiled with—” I stopped myself. I didn’t want to say too much, and I could feel my heart beating fast and hard in my chest.
Peter narrowed his eyes. “Embroiled? With who, or what?”
I looked away. “I’m sorry. I can’t—for your own sake.”
He scoffed. “Oh, that’s some sea salt.”
I spun to face him, chin jutted out. “When a system of justice, your system, abandons a whole group of people, something else moves in to fill that space.”
He turned to face me, eyes blazing. “What does?”
I gritted my teeth and he shook his head. “What does that mean?” He threw a hand at me. “See? This is what I’m talking about. Shifter code, or whatever. You all say you ‘can’t’ give each other up, but if you want it to be different, how do you expect that to happen when you toe the line?”
I opened my mouth but thought of
