Chapter Thirteen
Dominic braced himself against the counter and stared at the freshly painted green backsplash behind the coffee maker.
He knew he should have minded his own business.
He shouldn’t have looked at her screen, and he certainly shouldn’t have opened that picture.
How could he have been so careless? Even Hank had told him that he was standing too close to the mouth of the alley when they scolded Brady, a member of Wyatt’s pack, for harassing one of the human teachers at the festival.
The damage was done. She took the picture and allowed Wyatt’s recklessness to affect her.
Wyatt would have sensed the mating bond in her and was likely probing to see how much more she knew.
Well, he had his answer if she didn’t play along with his little scheme.
Now she knew about shifters, or at least thought she knew.
If he allowed her to go on believing those articles that talked about monsters and bloodthirsty beasts of myth and legend, he would have done his race a disservice.
Then again, if he told her everything about Tolstone and his pack, would that be just as dangerous as not telling her?
Dominic took a breath. “It’s true.”
He half expected her to scream, to run out of the house, or faint.
Erica did none of those things. Her silence alarmed him enough to finally turn and see the thoughtful, curious expression that gave him hope.
Her face didn’t pale, and her heartbeat rose a little in tempo, but that was to be expected.
At first, he thought she was way too calm.
If it had been anyone else, his instincts would have screamed at him to throw up his guard and question whether she was associated with hunters.
Anyone who’d just heard that werewolves and other shapeshifters were real wouldn’t have been so placid.
But Dominic knew her. Erica wasn’t the person to fly into hysterics, and whatever emotions she concealed, she kept them to herself.
He did, however, want her to say something. Anything. Even if it was a question or an insult. Anything was better than this deafening silence, while a storm raged outside.
“Is it just you?”
That was logical to ask, and Dominic shook his head.
“How many more? In general, I mean.”
Dominic wished he could have given her a solid number, an exact figure, but that was totally unknown, even to him. He knew there were thousands in the United States alone, but in the world, it was impossible to estimate. “Way too many to ever count.”
He saw her throat work out the new question. “In Tolstone?”
That, he knew. It was his job to know. “Twenty-three. Within a week or so, we’ll have ten more.”
At this, Erica squeaked, “Thirty-three?”
“By next week or so. I don’t know how their alpha is doing on the transfer.” And just like that, he realized he was getting ahead of himself. “It’s way less complicated than it sounds.”
Erica’s mouth gaped for a moment, and then soon found the words. “Do you want to uncomplicate it for me?”
If he thought she was calm enough to approach, he would have taken the seat across from her. Instead, he stood firm by the coffee maker, open and exposed for her to study, now that she knew. Perhaps that distance between them would make her more at ease.
“Wolf shifters … werewolves … often stay together in packs. Each pack has an alpha and a beta, just like in a wild wolf pack. The alpha protects the pack while the beta’s job is to enforce the rules laid down by the alpha.”
“And you’re a beta?”
Oh, he could have busted out laughing. “No, I’m not. I’m … a little outside of the pack structure, but still important.”
“An omega?”
She seemed to know some things, which encouraged him.
He shook his head. “No, I’m not that either.
The larger packs have omegas, but the packs here in Tolstone don’t.
You see …” He searched for the right words that would succinctly explain their unique situation while not confusing her.
“Tolstone is different. Most towns or counties only have one pack. We have anywhere from three to six at a time. Since the town was founded, we’ve been a kind of sanctuary for shifters.
Packs who have been pushed out of their territory or have been threatened in some way come here to …
rehabilitate, I guess. Some packs lose their leadership and have to select a new alpha.
Others need a chance to recover from some disaster and find a new home.
They come here because this is a safe place to do what they need to do without risk of exposure or danger. ”
“Switzerland,” Erica stated with a nod.
Dominic could have kissed her for being so intelligent. “Exactly.”
“And your family …”
“My ancestors were the ones who set down the rules for shifters who came to Tolstone. The first alpha of my family, Louis Beaumont, became the Prime Alpha. He was alpha over his pack, as well as all the refugee packs in Tolstone. Ever since, it’s always been the firstborn son who inherits the title and dominance of Prime Alpha.
It’s their job to keep the packs from fighting and keep them safe while they’re here. ”
Understanding dawned in her pretty hazel eyes. “And you’re the Prime Alpha. That’s why you’re always on call and why everyone knows you.”
“Yes.” He felt the balloon in his chest finally deflate.
Never in his wildest dreams did Dominic think it would be so easy to explain everything to her.
Maybe it was the bond they shared, or maybe it was something she read in those articles, but it didn’t matter.
He’d never had to tell a human what he was or how Tolstone operated.
Everyone who met him was either kept in the dark, or they knew because they were part of the packs he vetted before they moved here.
Putting this all into words for anyone to understand was difficult enough, but Erica had received the news beautifully … so far.
Erica’s gaze lowered to the linoleum floor, once more pensive. Dominic didn’t dare disturb the stillness, not while she processed everything he had just said. His wolf wanted him to whine, to beg her to speak again.
“Is Gwen …”
“No,” he replied quickly. “No, she’s not. But … Jaime is.”
Erica slowly closed her eyes. “And Madison?”
Dominic understood where her mind went. “It’s not uncommon that a mixed pair would produce a shifter child. Madison turned for the first time the night before you arrived in town.”
A sardonic smile twitched on her lips. “That explains so much. She seemed so nervous at the festival.”
He wished that Gwen hadn’t dragged her to Erica’s booth, no matter how much she wanted her daughter to meet the photographer. “Madison is going through a big transition right now. She’s not even going to school until she can learn how to block out the sensory overload.”
At this, Erica looked up. “So, you can hear and smell things really well?”
Dominic felt more and more at ease the longer they talked about it. “Yes. And we have incredible strength and speed. I’m sure most of the articles mentioned that.” He gestured to her laptop, which was still open on the table. “But you shouldn’t believe everything on there.”
“What’s true then? Do you kill people?”
He fiercely denied it. “We never kill unless in self-defense. That’s one of the most important laws of the shifters.
All those stories about eating children were from a time when we didn’t have the kind of system we have now.
Rogue shifters are dealt with and punished or completely taken out if they step out of line.
We don’t tolerate violence toward humans or other shifters. ”
At the word human, Erica cringed a little, and he realized his blunder.
“That’s going to take a little getting used to,” she said. “This whole thing is. Like, how many people have I met who were actually shifters and I never knew it?”
The truth would have been too startling.
Shifters were everywhere, and if she had gone to visit the businesses in Tolstone, she would have met a few.
Dominic wouldn’t tell her that. She had to be fed a little at a time, like a child, but he didn’t want to treat her like a child.
She was a strong, capable woman who could handle the truth.
Still, he would determine his pace by her alone.
“I know this is a lot to take in,” Dominic said. “And I know you’ll never look at me the same way again, or any of the people here in Tolstone.”
Erica opened her mouth, and her brows pinched together, as if confused by the words that she was about to say.
“Actually … I think I’m okay. It’s totally weird, don’t get me wrong, but …
it explains so much and there’s this … something in me that is making me okay with all of this.
” She looked up, eyes full of acceptance.
“So, the reason you left last night was because someone needed you as … Prime Alpha?”
Dominic nodded solemnly.
“And when that guy came up to the booth at the festival?”
“That was Hank. He’s my personal beta for my pack.”
Erica pursed her lips. “That makes sense, too, I guess. The dude looked like he could wrestle a bull and win.”
He cracked a smile. “I think he used to, actually.” That might not have been the best thing to tell her, but her perceptiveness had put him at such ease that he was ready to tell her anything if it helped to perfect this image of what shifters could and could not be.
“And when you left the store earlier today?”
“I had to break up a fight at Howling Bones Bar.”
Her brows arched. “Is the bartender—”
“Yes. Along with wolf shifters, there are other types of shifters … Alex Rivers is a bear shifter.”
Erica held up a hand for him to stop. “Okay, one shifter race at a time, please … Although the guy does resemble a bear … Even you, when I look hard enough, I mean, you kind of do look wolfish in the face … Especially your eyes.”