Chapter Sixty–Five
DRAVEN
Surprisingly enough, Emily took the news better than I thought she would. 1 expected her to faint, or scream, or run from me, but she did none of the things Instead, she simply nodded, the quirkiest of smiles on her face and a look of near disbelief in her eyes.
“Emily,” I prompt. “Do you understand what I just told you? Koda is a wolf”
“Yeah–no–yeah, I get it. I mean, I understand what you do Lionesses eat?”
at you said of
coure Id“:
Surma around, putting her back to me. “What should I make for lunch? 1 mean = |
I glare at her rigid backside, wondering if maybe she’s in shock couldn’t say. Maybe we should ask them.”
“We eat what you guys eat,” Gayle
she enters from the backdoor and steps past the pantry. At least we do when we’re human.”
My eyes find hers and I grin. Im guessing your hearing is more exceptional
She nods. That’s an understatement. However, wolves have the trophy on
in that one as far as shifters go.
Wrong! Tardira disagrees, entering from the front
- house.”“”“You’re forgetting about Astonoo! Wir met him last year when he flew in on vacation.”
“Oh yea,” deyle chirps. That man was hot. Never thought bats were sexy until him.” Rie Laces me and nods. His hearing is second to none.”
I rap at the same time I’mily spins around
ever told as a child. “Are you telling mir that
taway I start thinking about Dracula and vampires and all the scary stories
Tardora chuckles. I mean · I guess you could call
“The also mjoys draining Hood
ing blood fro
Wh what? Emily ch
“But not for food,” Gayle winks. “Just for pleasure”
“Measure?” | Manch
“That man was bach for pleasure, Taedora sight.
“Omigod,” Emily whimpers
yone wanted to. Antonius is a shiter that changes from but to man, and he does in fact have
“Jesus Christ,” This
“He’s fine as hell,” Gayle chuckles. Too bad Gryffran him off. He and I had a blast together.
“Hal” Tardora snaps. “You’re crazy. That man was way more into me than he wi
One of these day The, youre going to have to accept the truth. He wanted me. H
- me. He even tried to mark me as hist
My cars perk up. My head is on a swivel at I look back and forth between the two lionesses. “Mark you as his? What exactly does that mean?
-Tardora begins to laugh, her eyes falling toward my throat. “Oh that’s right, I almost forgot,” she clicks her tongue. “Dum did you dirty as hell. Biting into you and
not telling you shit about what was going on.” Her eyes find the faint crescent at the line of my throat and her eyes sparkle, “but I assume he had his reasons.” Her eves Butter graciously. “You are his mate aber all,”
To my complete and utter surprise. Emily is the one who answers me. “With shapeshifters, a mate is one’s other half. A perfect match gifted by some higher power,
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Chapter Sixty–Five
she whispers. The one and poly
I starehe, tiling my head in obedouin skepticism, “You know this because-
person is often called a soodsate/
She grims, “My grandma had a ton of werewolf books in her house. I used to read them all the time.
For some massey, İ really thought you’d be more disturbed by this, You called Drenoide a monster‘
She glowers. He tried to eat mej
“Some of what she says is amate, Gayle cuts in. “Some is not,” the sighs, neslding levand Tandura. “For linn shifters, the mate bond in different. The miles been known to posess more than one mate, be it mule nt female. But for wolves, then it only one.” She shrugs, “Actually, not difters are like that. But for some reason, lion shifters are not. We can have multiple connection. Which is why it is so loved that Gryffin
“-hasn’t found his mate yet!” Tardona interrupts, sending her female companion an obonus look of disapproval. “Were you aware that because you are mate – you never have to worry about him getting another gil pregsamt?!
1 snort. “What
Her eyes sparkle. “Shifters can only reproduce with their mates. Sure, they can mark anyone they want to, but the mate bood is special. It is that way for a reason. And, as I said before, some lion’s can have more than one mate. Which can cause at of problems in a pride.”
“Right,” Gayle coas “For instance, Gryff’s dad had two mates. Gloria had him and my mother, Dana, had mr. We’re half siblings
| nodded. ‘I thought so.”
lips. “Our mamas hated each other. Still do.”
“Yup.” Gayle pops her lips.
“So there’s never been a wolf shifter with two mates? Not ever?” I inquire, not completely sure how much of this information might be true. I mean – I’m su know what they’re taking about – but I would just feel better if Demonic was the one telling me these things. I definitely would be more inclined to believe it if that were the case. As is it these girls could be wrong. They’re lion Shifters, not wolf shifters. If I am Domonics mate like they say, wouldn’t he have wanted to keep me
bere from the start?
“Not that we know of, Gayle says with a frown. “But I guess anything is possible.
over the ocean.
“I wonder if Koda has a mate, Emily whispers, turning away from us to stare out the rain ov
“No, he doesn’t,” Taedora says. These dudes are weird about mates. The Red Wolf Pack is the only pack of Wolf shifters left in the Northwest and they run things way differently than most packs do.”
“How so?” I ast
Gayle sighs, sending Tandora a warning glance and a shake of her head. “You really ought to ask Dumonic about that. It’s one thing for us to tell you about our rules and the basic rules of shifters in general, but it’s something else entirely for either of to speak on the inner workings of a wolf pack.”
Tedo met my eyes for a long moment. There’s a lot of history in the hills of Port Orchard, Gayle’s right. We don’t want to upset anybody. I mean – this is the first time in five years that we’ve been allies. I don’t want to mess it up now. Not with what Gryffin’s going through with his lon“,
“Tar,” Gayle hisses.
“Right, sorry.” Taedora groans. “Enough about shifters. Who wants a drink?”
Th–uliah I complain. “You never finished explaining about vampires!”
Tardora giggles as the rest of us fullow her into the living room and she heads straight for the bar.
“Oh Antonio, my sweet Antonio. Her eyes twinkle. “Not vampires. Hat shifters. But, you think about it. That’s probably where some of those human horror stories probably come from:
“Bat shifters are natives of Transylvania. It’s the only place beautiful enough for thou winged beasts. Gaple ways taking a pint of tequila from behind the bar and taking a drep drink directly from the bottle. “There are stories that claim all shiters toginated from there, but I don’t believe L
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Chapter Sixty–Five
“Did you ever see him in his bat form?” I ask
The ladies ned in unison.
“Scariest thing I ever saw,” Toedora squeaks. I mean, yikes. They re huge and virtually impossible to catch” She looks around. “Not that I ever tried or anything”
“Hat That’s all you tried!” Gayle snipes.
I frown. “But you said Gryffin chased Antonio, away? Why – if you both like
A strange quiet seems to fall over both girls, “That’s a story for another time.
“What?” Emily squawks “No way! You won’t tell us the wolf pack secrets, an you have to give us this.”
Gayle growls, “Fine! You win. Ell give you one wolf secret, because I refuse to tell you out any more about that.” Gayle proceeds to down half the bottle of tequila and she doesn’t so much as cough. There. Now nothing I say can be held aglit me Because I’m drunk”
“Pretty sure it doesn’t work that way,” Tredora chuckles.
“Today it does,” Gayle sighs. The reason why the Red Wolf Pack is closed off, is because five years ago, more than half of them deserted,
My eyes arrow at her. Deserted?”
“Cayle…” Taedora wams.
Gayle ignores her. “When their old packhouse burned down.”
“Gayle!” Taedora snaps, her eyes flashing. “Don’t!”
“It burned down?” I ask, worry trembling through me as I realize, maybe I don’t want to hear the rest of this tale. At least, not from her.
“It was on the night of a full moon,” Gayle sighs. “Just like tonight. But their packhouse wasn’t the only thing that was lost that night. Her face falls heavy and she attempts to take another swig of the bottle but Tandora snatches it out of her hands
That–is–o
she grinds out through clenched teeth. “Either you shut the fuck up or I shut you the fuck up,”
Gayle nods, tears filling her eyes. “You’re right. I’ll stop.”
Tedora meets my gaze. “Is there somewhere she can lay down for a while?”
I nod, “Yeah. Third floor, last door.”
“Full moons suck,” 1 hear Gayle whimper as Tandora leads her away.
Watching the two of them climb the steps my heart is full. I sense a deep loss in Cay’s heart. One that seems somehow tied to the fire she mentioned Tied to the wolves history.
