Surfaced (Hidden Trilogy #2)

Chapter Nine

Saturday morning the boys made breakfast with a variety of meats and pancakes. I was in heaven. They were experts on cooking over a campfire and make everything to perfection. Amber had a few pop tarts along and she even offered to share with me. I had to smile but didn’t take any since I was so full from everything else.

Afterwards, Jason and Clint took off for the riverbank to fish. Patrik said he was going to do some hiking and exploring. That left Ian, Amber and me to entertain ourselves.

“I’m going to go find a place to lay in the sun,” Amber said while standing up and looking toward the river.

“Make sure it’s not too exposed.” Ian cautioned softly. “You don’t know who might be wandering around.” I was confused at first, because I didn’t think her being seen sunbathing was all that big of a deal. Then I realized she was going to be in panther form.

“Yeah, I know. Wouldn’t want the media sensationalizing a story about a wild panther roaming the mountains around here.”

I smiled and watched her wander toward the river, thinking that sunning herself was such a cat thing to do. I turned back toward Ian who was watching me.

“What?” I asked, a little defensive.

“Nothing.” He glanced down at the fire and poked the embers around, no longer looking at me.

“You had to be thinking something.” I urged. He waited a few beats before he sighed and looked back up at me.

“I just can’t figure out why we can talk in our heads when I’m in tiger form.”

“Yeah, me neither.” I shrugged, no idea why that would be the case. I hesitantly asked, “does it bother you?”

“No, not really. But it doesn’t make sense that you and I can hear each other, but you can’t hear anyone else.”

“Well, like Jason said, I’m just special.” I gave a hard laugh.

“You are special.” Ian mumbled, but didn’t meet my eyes when I looked at him.

“So, tell me more about living with Luke.” I asked, desperate to change the subject. “Was he easy to get along with?”

“Luke? Why do you want to know about him?” Ian was poking the fire, moving the hot coals around in the fire pit again.

“Amber mentioned he raised you. And I’d like to know more about the guy that’s supposed to teach me how to shift.”

“Luke’s a good guy. Fairly reclusive but means well.” He looked me over before adding, “He’ll like you.”

“Why’s that?”I asked curious.

“He’ll figure it out fairly quickly that you’re not in this to instigate a civil war. Unlike what Clint and his family would like to think your presence means.”

“He doesn’t want things to change?” My eyes traveled toward Clint and Jason, who were downstream setting up their fishing spot. They were probably far enough away it would be hard to hear our conversation.

“I didn’t say that. He would prefer it be peaceful. But knowing shifter history, any time there’s been change, it’s been a bloody battle.”

“I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” I replied sadly. Or to be the cause of so much pain.

“I know. And Luke will figure that out as well. He may be gruff with you to begin with, but he’ll mellow out once he gets to know you.”

“How was it growing up with him?” I asked hesitantly. Ian looked off into the distance before answering.

“I was four when I went to live with Luke. There was a fight, and Mom told me to go with Luke. She never came back for me. Luke was clueless as to what to do with a four-year-old cub. I was confused, angry, and a bit of a handful for a while. I wanted my parents. But they were gone.”

“What happened to them?” I questioned, already knowing the answer but I was hoping he would share with me.

“Murdered. Probably for being a mixed species couple.” He looked sideways at me before adding, “Mom was a wolf, Dad was a tiger.”

“Oh.” I paused before adding, “I’m sorry. I don’t understand the way this world works. You shouldn’t have had to lose them.”

“No. But it happens often enough.” And his defeated attitude just made me want to kick the High Council’s asses even more. Families should be allowed to stay together, not divided just because you don’t agree with their family dynamic. It’s another thing if someone was being hurt, but from Ian’s longing, I didn’t think his parents were like that.

“Which is wrong. The way the High Council runs everything is wrong.” I stated firmly.

“You going to change it, little wolf?” Ian asked, adopting Clint’s nickname for me. My shoulders slumped.

“Probably not. I’m not one to draw attention.”

“I’ve seen you stand up to others though. You have it in you.”

“But I don’t think I could live with myself if there was a war and people died.” Thinking of the prophecy and everything that went with that, I shuddered.

“People die all the time,” Ian pointed out seriously. “Only they decide what is worth dying for. You, sooner or later, will have to make the same choice.”

“You really think it will come to that?” I asked, worried.

“If you really are the fabled white wolf, change is inevitable. This inequality has been brewing for decades. The non-wolf shifters are ready. The question is, are you?” Ian watched, waiting for my response. Problem was, I didn’t know if I was ready.

“Jesus, Ian, scare the crap out of her, why don’t you.” Clint yelled from the river. “We’d like her to stick around for a while, you know?” Jason punched Clint and they laughed about something.

The serious moment with Ian was broken. He stood abruptly and started walking off into the woods. “I’ll be back later. I’m going for a run.” With that, he disappeared into the brush. I, on the other hand, was left alone with my thoughts and they weren’t sunshine and roses.

I understood where Ian was coming from. To have your family ripped away from you at such a young age, left a lasting impression on anyone. I at least, didn’t have any memories of my family since I was so young. I didn’t truly know what I was missing beyond watching other young families as I grew up. It is different seeing than living it. At least he had Luke to bond with and care for him. They were the same, being tigers, and at least Luke could help Ian learn how to manage his shifter side and adapt to the world.

It made me think about my own abandonment issues. A note and a necklace were all I had of my Mom. What would life had been like if she was still around? And my Dad? Where did he fit into the picture? Lately I’d wondered if one or both of my parents were shifters. I mean, they would have to be for me to be one, right? Sighing, I reached over for my sketch pad in my bag. I guess that was something I’d have to ask Elder Nicolas about sometime. He seemed to have a better understanding of wolf genetics.

I froze at the thought as I was reaching in my bag. Amber was studying genetics. Maybe she would know.

I stood and slung my bag over my shoulder and went in search of Amber. A few minutes later, I finally found her, still in human form, tucked around the river bend. She found a rock outcropping that was protected on at least three sides while still allowing enough sunlight to cover the flat rock. She looked up as I approached.

“Would you mind if I joined you?” I asked, standing off to the side.

“Sure, but I’ll eventually switch to my panther, so I won’t be much for conversation.”

“That’s okay. I figured you’d soak up the sun and nap anyways.”

“Are you comparing me to a house cat?” Amber asked, with a raised brow.

“Well, I…” I hesitated and Amber broke out laughing.

“I’m just messing with you. You’d be surprised how much we have in common with those little creatures.” She smiled as she laid back against the rock with her eyes closed. I suppose in her eyes house cats would be small potatoes compared to her panther. I settled down next to her and pulled out my sketch pad.

“Hey, Amber, I was thinking about something earlier and wondered if you could help me out.”

“What’s that?” She asked, without opening her eyes.

Well, you mentioned you were studying genetics, and…”

“You wondered about your heritage?”

“Yeah.”I nodded.“Any thoughts?”

She took a deep breath and let it out before answering. “Yes and no. I have theories but remember I’m not that far into studying genetics, there’s a lot of information there.”

“Sure, sure.” I answered, trying to be encouraging.

“For you to be a wolf, I’d say one of your parents, at least, would have had to have been a wolf. It is a strong gene, so I don’t think it was a recessive trait handed down from your predecessors.” She eyed me sideways from her angle before adding, “However, you being a latent, throws another wrench into the mix.”

“How so?”

“Latent wolves are inherently rare, and I don’t think it’s just because of the High Council’s interference. As much as I hate to say it, wolves usually do have strong traits and shift early. I’m not saying they are superior by any means.” She eyed me, making sure I understood her point.

“Of course not.” I smiled, choosing not to comment on that statement at all. Not if I wanted answers.

“But their genetics do lend for some handy traits in shifters. You being a latent is rare, and only achievable in certain situations.”

“Meaning?”

“One of your parents had to have latents in their family tree, in order to make the right recipe.” She looked over at me and grinned, “You.”

“You make it sound like a magical brew,” I laughed.

“Genetics basically are. You get certain traits if the genes are matched this way, then a flip of a coin you could get something totally different if they match up a different way.” She shrugged. “It’s why I find it so fascinating.”

“So basically, you’re telling me at least one of my parents was a wolf, and one of them had to have latents in their family tree in order to make me what I am?”

“Essentially, yes.”

I sat back on my hands, balancing my sketch pad on my legs as I considered that. If latent wolves really were rare, that would mean one parent was wolf, and the other was possibly another kind of shifter with latents in their family. Meaning, I had one wolf parent, and one non-wolf parent.

“Is there any way to test my blood and see what kind of shifters my parents were?” I asked. Amber considered my question before answering.

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of anyone doing it before, but I guess the genetic markers would be there, and you could do it. If you had the right lab equipment.”

“Could you?”I asked curiously.

“No, I don’t know enough about it yet to even try.” She looked over at me and grimaced. “Sorry.”

“No, that’s okay. I was just getting ahead of myself.”

“Why would you want to know, anyways?” I looked over at her sharply and she cringed. “Okay, that didn’t come out right. I mean, if your parents left you, do you really want to know them?”

I could understand where she was coming from with her question, but she had both of her parents. She didn’t know what it was like to be left wondering who you were. Where your parents were. Were they even still alive? What had happened to make them decide to give me up?

“Yes, even if they didn’t want me, or couldn’t care for me anymore, I would want to know who they are. I think it would give me some sense of peace about a lot of things.”

“Okay,” Amber nodded in understanding. “I’ll do some checking when we get back to school and ask my professors. They might be able to lead me in the right direction.”

“What are you going to tell them? Obviously, you can’t say you’re checking for a cross between a wolf and panther,” I laughed.

“No, that would be weird in their eyes.” She laughed. “I’ll just ask about differentiating between breeds of dogs or cats or something.” She shrugged. “I’ll come up with something believable.”

“Thanks Amber. If you can find anything out, that would help a lot.”

“That’s what friends are for.” She smiled and nodded. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to switch over to panther and soak up some of these glorious rays.” I could almost hear her cat purring.

“Sure. I’ll just work on a few projects while we’re here.” While she stood and shed her clothes, I focused my attention forward, to give her privacy. Once she shifted, she rubbed along my back before circling once to find a good spot and sprawled out in the sun. I could have sworn she had a smile on her panther face.

Grinning, I turned my attention back to the river and beauty in front of me. My professor wanted me to focus more on drawing people, and not so much animals. So, if I turned just right, I could see Clint and Jason fishing a short distance away. Opening to a fresh page, I started to draw.

I tried to focus my attention on them and the river, thinking that would be a good start. I found the more I concentrated, the more it looked like a five-year-old’s drawing. Annoyed, I ripped the paper out of the book and wadded it up. Amber glanced my way but her being in panther form meant she couldn’t ask me any questions. But I could tell she was curious.

“Couldn’t get it right.” I mumbled as a reason. She nodded and closed her eyes again. I took a deep breath and started on another page. This time, I focused on the sound of the running water, the muffled voices of Clint and Jason as they spoke softly beside the river. The sounds helped focus me as I drew the bank, river, and their forms fishing from the bank. An hour later, I had a decent likeness to the scene before me. Satisfied that I would have something to show my professor, I turned the page and let my mind wander as I drew.

My thoughts took me to Steve and Nicole. They would be leaving next week on their big adventure. They had booked one of those 21-day cruises somewhere in the Mediterranean. Neither one had been there before, and I could tell they were excited about the prospect. They were worried about leaving me for that long, but I reminded them I had Liam and Mica too, who they had met around graduation time. That seemed to ease some of their concern that at least another adult would be available should I need something. Of course, they didn’t know the details of me being a member of their pack, but those were better left unsaid.

When I returned my attention back to the drawing and was surprised to see how dark it was, nothing like the picturesque landscape around me. It showed an alley, late at night with the full moon shinning overhead. If this was accurate, then that meant this drawing had happened just a few nights ago, or I guess, could happen in another month. There really was no way of knowing for sure unless the subject in the picture could identify the time and place. The buildings towered menacingly over the alley where Cade in human form, seemed to be squaring off with a lion in a dead-end alley. The lion had a mane, so I assumed it was a male if they followed their wild counterparts. He stood with his feet braced apart and mouth opened to showcase all the sharp teeth. That was one lion I wouldn’t want to meet up with. I could only see the back of Cade, but I knew in my heart it was him. He was braced for an attack, ready for the lion to pounce.

Of course, that’s as much as my drawing could tell me and I was left wondering what exactly happened that night. Was Cade okay? Injured? Why was he facing off with a lion? What had the lion done? Where was he? All questions that I didn’t have the answers to. Worried, I reached for my phone and realized I hadn’t really paid attention to it since we left the store last night. I pulled it out and realized why. No reception. I scoffed. Of course. I powered down my phone since there was no reason wasting the battery. Cassie was going to kill me when I got back. I hadn’t told them what I was doing this weekend, thinking I’d send some pictures of the outing after I got here. Well, now I was going to have an irate alpha’s daughter on my back when I did get back to civilization.

Annoyed, worried, and frustrated there was nothing I could do to find out more about Cade at the moment, I flipped to another page, hoping the next drawing would be happier. A few minutes later, I realized my special “gift” was on a theme. This drawing was in the middle of what appeared to be a training yard. Blurry images surrounded the two wolves in the middle, who were circling each other in the mud. The rain was pouring down, making it hard to understand exactly where it was taking place, beyond the ring of blurry people. The two wolves were snarling at each other, both braced to jump the other at any moment. Again, one was Cade, in wolf form this time. The other took me a moment to recognize since I’d only seen him once before in wolf form, and then I caught my breath. The other wolf was Dusty Rhunes.

The one time I’d seen Dusty in his wolf form was that fateful afternoon when we thought his pack had left our lands after their failed attempt to broker some form of partnership. I was with Cade and the others near our waterfall, they were all in wolf form while I was just enjoying their company after being separated for days. Dusty and two of his friends appeared through the trees and found me, as a human, with the wolves. A small fight broke out, Cade handed Dusty his ass whooping, and they fled. Shortly after that we were summoned to the High Council and everything snowballed from there.

Glancing back at the drawing, I realized it must be a training exercise or something for Cade and Dusty to be facing off like that. I hoped Cade kicked his ass. I shut my book, deciding I’d had enough precognition for a while. I quietly left Amber sunning herself and found Jason and Clint who were sitting on the bank watching their fishing poles.

“Catch anything yet?” I asked as I joined them on the bank.

“A few but might have to go upstream farther and see if we have better luck.”

“I see.” I nodded, looking at the bucket with four or five fish in it.

“Do you want to try?” Clint asked, nodding at the fishing pole.

“Uh, no, thanks. I’m good.” I shook my head.

“What?” Clint laughed, “don’t want to touch a slimy fish?”

“I’ll eat them, but I don’t care for the process leading up to that.”

“Are you sure you’re a wolf?” Jason joked. “I would think you’d be more blood thirsty than that.”

I had a shuddering thought. “Wait, do you guys hunt in shifter form?” I asked.

“Your wolf pack never told you?” Clint grinned, obviously amused by my distaste.

“I’ve never seen them do it or talk about it, so I guess it never crossed my mind.”

“Well, you better start thinking about it. Once your wolf comes out, she’s going hunting.” Clint pointed out.

“Amber said we are one and the same. Shouldn’t I be able to make those decisions?”

“You are and will. But your instincts will kick in, especially if you’re in a group. Hunting as a pack for wolves is second nature.”

“What about you guys? Do you hunt in packs?”

“Normally no.” Jason answered. “Panthers and cougars are solitary hunters. We might pair up occasionally but it’s not in our nature to pack hunt.”

“Oh.”I nodded.

“Did you give up on Amber?” Clint asked.

“Ah no, she’s just sunning so I thought I’d come over here and bug you two.” I grinned.

“I’m surprised Patrik isn’t back yet.” Jason said, looking around. “He was just going to scout a few areas out then be back.”

“Should we be worried?” I asked, feeling some concern for Patrik.

“No, not yet.” Clint shook his head. “If he doesn’t show up by lunch then we can send the search party out.”

“What about Ian?” I asked, noticing Ian hadn’t returned to the campsite either.

“Oh, he’ll be fine.” Jason shrugged. “Ian will probably come back mid-afternoon or so. Don’t worry, he can take care of himself.”

“Okay,” I nodded, trying to ease my fears. It was odd they held more concern for Patrik than Ian, but I guess Ian being a tiger he could probably take care of himself. Patrik seemed less of a fighter than Ian anyways. I tried to push my fears aside. I wasn’t used to pack members going off on their own. We stuck together and moved together. This was a whole new ballgame to me.

The rest of the morning passed quickly, I helped Jason and Clint move their supplies upstream to a new site where they had better luck fishing. They eventually talked me into attempting to teach me to fish, but I was horrible at it. After a few attempts, I held my hands up and gave the pole back to them and was just content to keep them company. Patrik returned a few minutes before we packed everything up to move it back to the campsite. Jason and Clint didn’t ask what he found, so I decided it wasn’t my business to ask questions either.

Later that evening, everyone returned for a fish fry meal. It was really good and thankfully we had enough for everyone to stuff themselves full. My sketch pad had been sitting beside me on top of my book bag and I accidently bumped it, knocking it off onto the ground. It flopped open and before I could reach down and retrieve it, Clint had snatched it up into his lap.

“Hey, these are awesome!” Clint exclaimed, which made everyone, even Ian, crowd around him to look over his shoulder at my drawings. He had started in the front, so most of those were of my pack, before I moved to college. Soon, the drawings shifted to include them, and Clint stopped on the one of the fights, between the tiger and grizzly bear.

“How did you find inspiration to draw this one?” He asked quizzically.

“The content just comes to me, I guess. It’s not things that really happen,” I shrugged. They didn’t know my drawings showed the past, present, and future.

“Liar.” Ian growled. I looked over at him sharply. He was glaring in my direction. “Who told you about the fight?”

“What fight?” I asked confused. I glanced down at the drawing and said, “That fight? I told you, I didn’t see or hear anything. It was just something that popped into my head.”

“That image is exactly what happened last weekend.” Ian ground out. “It was a fight between me and Damien.”

“That was the cause of your bruises last weekend?” I gasped. My mind spinning, I remembered what Enforcer Carver said. “Wait, you’re in that underground fighting ring?”

“What do you know about it?” Clint asked, losing interest in the sketch book while focusing his attention on me.

“I had a chance encounter with someone last week. They told me they were looking into underground fighting that was going on in the area.”

“Who was that?” Clint asked, determined to get his answer.

“Enforcer Carver,” I said softly, knowing the response I would get. I wasn’t disappointed. Clint snapped my book shut and shoved it at Patrik before standing up and pacing. He glared in my direction.

“You are in direct communication with a High Council Enforcer?” He asked incredulously.

“It’s not like that,” I protested, but knew it would fall on deaf ears.

“Oh, it’s exactly like that.” Amber folded her arms and glared at me. “What did he offer you in exchange for information? Safety from the council? Money? Land? Come on, what was it?”

“No, you have it all wrong,” I objected, but Clint wasn’t listening to me.

“Don’t treat us as fools, Kendra,” Clint scoffed. “The Enforcers one job is to keep the iron control of the High Council in place. This Enforcer you know, how much does he know about you?”

“You don’t understand,” I protested, frustrated he wasn’t even listening to me.

“I knew this was a mistake.” Clint growled. “We never should have trusted you. Now the High Council is going to kill off my family just for the small part we played in helping you.”

“Everyone needs to calm down.” Patrik said in a hard, demanding voice. With tears in my eyes, I looked over at him. Clint continued to pace like a cage animal but didn’t say anything else.

“Kendra,” Patrik called my attention softly, “I think you need to tell us everything. From the beginning.” Looking around at the mistrust on the faces surrounding me, I nodded. They deserved to know everything.

So, I told them about the meeting with Elder Nicolas and Enforcer Carver. Emphasizing that both could be trusted and have helped me understand the latent prophecy. I included that Elder Nicolas is positive I am the latent white wolf, which grabbed all their attention.

“He’s sure? How can he be sure?” Amber whispered, disbelieving. A glimmer of hope sparked in her eyes.

“He says he is.” I shook my head. “And there are other things that support his claim.” I told them about the drawings, how they show the past, present, and future. How I don’t always know when they happened, until someone recognizes the image, like Ian in the fight. My senses were getting stronger, my speed had increased, and the visions were becoming more common.

“I’m worried,” I confessed. “I’m worried that I’ll shift, and everything will change. I’ll put people in danger. People I care about. People I don’t want to see hurt.” I felt tears building in my eyes and tried to blink them away.

Ian crouched down in front of me and took my hands. It was such an un-Ian like thing to do that it surprised me.

“Things are set in motion that you cannot stop. They have been in play for decades, you coming along is just the catalyst to everything that has been mounting for years. You will learn to shift, and it will be a joyous event.” I went to open my mouth to object, but Ian shook his head. “Don’t let everything else overshadow that feeling of finally being one with your wolf.” I nodded, sort of understanding what he was getting at. “Everything after that, we will tackle together. I promise.” Ian reached forward and pulled me into a solid hug. I was so surprised that my emotions overflowed, and I cried into his shoulder. Ian being gentle was new, and my emotions were getting the best of me. After a few moments, I got myself back under control and leaned back.

“Thank you.” I smiled weakly. Ian nodded and took the seat beside me and looped an arm around my back in support.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Amber asked softly.

“I didn’t know how to or want to worry any of you,” I sniffed. “You all have so much riding on the prophecy coming true that I didn’t want to give you hope in case Elder Nicolas was wrong.”

“Slim chance of that, I think.” Patrik commented. I nodded sadly. “So, these other drawings?” He had opened my book and looked at the ones after the fight scene.

“Some are just drawings. Some I think are part of the gift.” I shrugged.

“This is something we should mention to Luke.” Clint said quietly. “He should know.” Jason nodded.

“Yeah, I think we should plan to go home next weekend, or at least some of us. The sooner Kendra learns to shift, the better we can prepare for what is to come.” Jason replied.

“So, you think we can trust this Elder and Enforcer?” Amber asked. “I admit, our history with the wolves makes it hard to trust anyone.”

“I would trust them with my life.” I stated. Firm in my belief that Elder Nicolas was a great asset. Enforcer Carver was too, even though he did get on my nerves from time to time.

“Well, I suppose we’ve had enough excitement for the night.” Patrik stood and handed my book back to me. “I’m going to run for a while before I turn in. Anyone want to join?” Amber, Jason and Clint agreed to go, Ian said he would stay with me after I shook my head. Everyone dispersed except for Clint, who stood awkwardly to one side, shifting his weight from foot to foot. I didn’t look up at him as I tucked my book back into my bag.

“Kendra,” Clint sighed before continuing, “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.” He ran his hand over his head before adding, “Sometimes my temper gets the best of me.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I stood and slung my bag over my shoulder without looking at him.

“Will you look at me?” He asked, stepping into my path as I tried to go around him.

“Clint, I’m tired. Just let me go.” I sighed softly. He paused a moment longer before slowly stepping to the side. Right before I disappeared into my tent, I heard him say softly, “I’m sorry,” before I closed the flap after me.

****

Sunday the drive home was a little more subdued. I wasn’t talking to Clint and my mind was on the ramifications of telling all my secrets. Was that a good idea? Bad? Would it come back to bite me in the ass? I had no idea and just wanted to get back to the house as soon as possible to gain some distance from everyone.

As soon as we left the mountains, my phone started blowing up with messages. Calls and texts from my pack, wondering where I went. The last ones were rather dire from Cassie, threatening a full-scale search party if I didn’t respond by noon on Sunday. I quickly shot off a text letting her know I was fine and would call in an hour or so, after we got back to the house. Cassie’s return text wasn’t so patient or nice.

I sighed and looked out the window. We were only a few minutes out of town so we’d be back to unloading soon and then I could go back to the house and hole up in my room for a bit.

“Kendra, you up to going to Luke’s this weekend?” Amber asked.

I turned slightly to her and nodded. “Yeah sure. Is this day trip or how long are we staying?”

“Probably just a day trip this first time.” Jason suggested. “Luke isn’t big on strangers.”

“Great. Can’t wait.” I mumbled and turned back to the scenery. The conversation flowed around me. They talked about work this week, Amber’s classes, and an upcoming fight that Ian would be involved in that weekend. I turned to Ian.

“Why do you fight?” I asked without any lead in. The entire vehicle fell silent as Ian turned toward me with a scowl.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Ian shot back, clearly taking on a defensive note.

I shrugged. My fight was all gone for the moment. “It’s just with the High Council and Enforcers knowing about the fighting, why would you risk it? What do you gain?”

“Some of us need the money.” Ian muttered, looking forward again.

“Don’t you have a job?” I always thought he did, but I guess no one really mentioned it.

“I like fighting. I’m good at it. And it’s a place to spend my extra energy that can’t be used running in the forest.” He didn’t really answer the question, but his answer lead to other questions.

“So, if you could run, would you stop?”

He considered his words before shaking his head. “No. The fights are an adrenaline rush. I like training. It’s just like humans and their professional fighters. Why should shifters be any different?”

He had a point, to an extent. “But you’re not human. I have pretty good evidence that the fights are not done in human form,” thinking of my drawing. “What would happen if humans happened upon the fight? You can’t hide what shifters are.”

“You’re siding with the High Council?” Clint growled, clearly not entirely sorry for his accusations last night.

“No,” I stated quietly. I wasn’t looking for a fight, but surely they had to see the issues with shifters fighting. “All I’m pointing out is that when shifters fight in animal form, they risk exposing themselves. I can tell you from a human standpoint that things would not end well if our secret got out.”

“Experiments, testing, government control,” Patrik nodded in agreement.

“Exactly. You think it’s bad now, but what if humans found out?”

“So, you want us to continue as we are and be subjected to the High Council’s whims?” Clint asked incredulously.

“No, but there’s got to be a happy medium. If fighting was legal for shifters, then it needs to be done in a contained way, to ensure the secret is kept.” I looked over at Ian. “Although, I’m not convinced fighting is the best form of entertainment. I’m not a fan of watching someone being beat to a pulp.”

“It’s more about technique and stamina than two people just beating each other up.” Ian protested.

“Sure. Okay.” I agreed, not wanting to draw out an argument on the matter.

“Come to the fight this weekend. You’ll see what I mean.” Ian invited.

“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” Jason hedged.

“Why not?” Ian asked, turning toward him.

“She’s a wolf. Faint, but definitely stronger than the scent used to be. That crowd will not appreciate her being there.”

“No wolves go?” I asked.

“Rarely. And they have to be vouched for by someone.” Ian said, then added, “If I vouch for her, she’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know man,” Clint sighed, still watching the road as he drove. “It could get dicey.”

“And there’s Luke to consider.” Amber added.

“The fight is Friday night. We can go out to Luke’s on Saturday.” Ian reasoned.

“I’m game.” I decided. I’d like to see what it’s all about before making any assumptions.

“Great.” Ian gave a rare grin. The others just groaned or sighed, probably not happy about having to babysit me at the fight. We’d worry about that when the time came.

I helped unload the van quickly, putting items away before escaping to my car and driving back to the house. I couldn’t call it home, just because it didn’t feel like it. My home was back in Cave Junction with my pack. Speaking of which, as I parked, I pulled out my phone and called Cassie. She answered on the first ring.

“Don’t you EVER run off like that again,” Cassie growled.

“Okay.” Agreeing at this point was the only option.

“Where WERE you?” She asked, slightly less growly.

“Camping trip. We hung out along the river. Hiked through the forest and went fishing.”

“You went fishing?” She seemed as surprised as I was to try it in the first place.

“Yeah.”

“I doubt it.” Hunter’s voice drifted though the phone.

“Okay fine, I mostly watched them fish.” I admitted.

“That sounds like you.” Bree laughed. “Was it fun?”

“Yeah. I missed being in the forest.” I admitted.

“Any new developments we should know about?” Cassie asked offhandedly. I thought about my increased speed and improved vision at night. Telling everyone my secret of being the latent white wolf, foretelling the past, present, and future. Possibly going to Ian’s fight the next weekend.

“Nope.” I answered. “It was a quiet weekend, until I got back into civilization and my phone started blowing up.” I teased, trying to direct the conversation another direction.

“Yeah, that was all Cassie.” Bree laughed. “Although, maybe a heads-up next time you’re going off the grid?”

“I didn’t even know we wouldn’t have reception there,” I defended. “I mean, every place should have a little signal in this day in age.”

Laughing, Bree stated, “Yeah, there are still plenty of remote places, or valleys that are just deep enough to not have signal.”

“Yep, got that now.” I laughed.

“Next time check in?” Cassie pleaded, seeming to have lost most of her anger.

“Yeah, I will. Don’t worry.” I smiled. “What did you guys do this weekend?” They went into a long-winded story about Bree healing and over-exerting herself. Which then sent Hunter into a full-blown panic attack, apparently he wasn’t present when said event happened. I laughed, just imagining Hunter losing his shit over Bree. I updated them on my classes, although there wasn’t much there, considering it was only the first week. After a while we said goodnight and ended the call.

I laid back on my bed, thinking. When did I start keeping so many secrets? I should have told my pack about my new skills, but then I’d be admitting that things were progressing, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to admit that yet. I was still holding onto the thought that I could have a normal freshman year at college. Although that wish was fading into the distance with each passing day.

Sighing, I grabbed a light lunch from the kitchen, avoiding both Amber and Clint in the process and retreated to my room. I spent the afternoon in my room listening to music and finishing assignments. That at least, was a normal college thing to do.