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“I’ll tell you when it’s just us.” June and I ate for a while in silence, while the others returned to their conversations. We had started in on our apple crumble when Blaze, Casimir, and Adan came in together. For once, none of them had been watching over us. Goddess, those men knew how to make an entrance without a bead of sweat or trying at all.
“That’s why you’re in trouble.” June giggled.
“What?”
“You know what, or whom. They’ve been in this room a total of seven seconds, and six of those they have been looking at you. Every girl in this place wants them.”
“Shouldn’t they be waiting for their mates?” Those females didn’t realize how lucky they were. They had a mate or mates out there, yearning for them. I didn’t have that. Shifters like me didn’t have mates.
“Aren’t you?” she asked. “Maybe they are your…”
“Please don’t finish that sentence. I don’t get mates.” The words tumbled from my mouth, though I wanted them to stay thoughts in my head. “Never mind.”
“You know you can trust me, right?” I heard June’s words but my gaze was trained on their movements—the men in question. Blaze and the others sat down, but it was him who paused to meet my stare. He winked at me and I swore my thighs went up in flames.
I let her words settle in. Neither Night nor Sol felt any dishonesty in them. She was right. I could trust her.
The truth was, I needed someone to bare my soul to. My secrets were bitty creatures chomping away at the good parts of me—always starving for more. “Can we go talk in our room?” I asked.
“Yeah. Let me grab two coffees. I feel like it’s going to be a long night.”
My insides shook as I waited for her come back from her coffee run. I waited right outside the dining hall. Adan rose from his seat, taking in the scene and, as we walked back to the dorms, I knew he was following. They were always around—making sure we were okay, with the exception of our nighttime excursions.
Once we got to our room, my core twisted. I wanted to run to Adan. My skin ached with the need for some touch. Shifters craved the touch of others, but I had been denied that graceso often that it was rare the need arose. Still, when those three males were around, I wanted to be held more than ever.
“I can’t have a mate,” I blurted, needing the sharpness of it out of my brain. It was always cutting me, reopening the wound.
“You…what? Who told you that? All shifters have a fated mate, don’t we?” June handed me one of the coffees and sat down on her bed.
“There’s a reason.” I shook with fear. Telling her who and what I was put her in danger. Only if she told someone, but my instinct knew she wouldn’t. “I–I’m not like other shifters. I… Shit. This is hard.”
June moved to sit next to me. She gave me a side hug. Goddess, I bet she didn’t know how long it had been since someone gave me affection. “You can tell me anything. I won’t judge you. I know you, Karelis. Whatever it is, I’ll still be here.”
I nearly cried as the sincerity of her words funneled into me. “I have two wolves.”
Her eyes widened. “Two? That’s so cool. I’ve never heard of that. Wait, no, I have. A dual-shifter. I think it’s in one of the books. A blessing from the moon goddess.”
“Mine isn’t a blessing. I wasn’t born with one of them.”
The shock on her face was expected, but the smile was not. “Pause. Rewind. Tell me everything.”
“Wait,” I said, holding my hand up. “Why aren’t you running, screaming, and demanding a new roommate?”
“Because being normal is overrated. Like I said, tell me everything.”
My heart’s burdens lightened by half that night. I told her everything from where I came from to the night I didn’t remember, the horrid nightmare that left me with no parents and a second wolf named Night.
“Are you ever going to let me see them? Your wolves?” June asked as we wound down the night close to midnight. Wewere tucked into our beds but still wide awake. A sliver of fear remained that she would wake up the next morning and wonder if she should still be friends with me, but I was glad to have taken the chance.
Friendships meant you took the chance of trusting another. At least, that’s what I thought. I hadn’t really had troves of friends at my disposal over my lifetime.
“Let’s sleep on it,” I replied, yawning.
She is pack. She is friend. I will not kill her.
“Hey, Karelis,” she said, her words slurring together. We really did need to get to sleep.
“What?” I asked with a laugh.
