“And he sees me as a threat to his family, to this pack?” Adalyn asked.
Mina glanced at Erin, sucking in a deep breath.
“Give him time. He will come around. I’ve known Rafe my whole life and I know for certain he’s a good guy. I also know you are going to have to prove yourself,” Erin explained.
“What do you mean by prove myself?” Adalyn asked.
“It means you are going to have to prove to him you’re not a threat to his family or this pack. That you are, in fact, a good person. Rafe isn’t prejudice against witches. The fact I’m sitting here with you is proof of that. He’s open-minded, but he’s also been hurt tremendously by your mom. She is the reason Bjorn died. I’m not sure that’s something he can forgive or forget.”
Mina nodded in agreement. “Erin’s right.”
“I get it. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t.”
That was exactly how Adalyn felt. How could she prove to her brother she meant no harm to anyone at Black Paw? Even if she somehow managed to accomplish the impossible, how could she ever expect him to see past the fact her mother had killed their father.
It was hopeless.
Mina reached over the table and patted her hand. “Please, just give him time. Let him see who you really are. Show him you not only belong here, but you want to be here and part of this pack.”
“If only it were that easy. I have no idea how to be a wolf or part of a pack.” Adalyn laughed at how pathetic she felt. Not to mention at what everyone else must have thought of her. Showing up out of the blue—part witch, part wolf, and zero idea how to make the two sides of herself work together. She wondered once more why she’d ever let her mother talk her into coming here. At least she knew what was expected from her at the coven. Here with the pack—she had no fucking clue what she was supposed to do.
“Then you figure out how to be a wolf. You learn how to be part of this pack,” Mina said.
“Are there classes for that? If so, where can I sign up?” Adalyn laughed at the thought of sitting behind a desk taking notes on how to be a wolf. Would she be expected to raise her hand or paw if she wanted to ask a question? The whole idea seemed completely absurd to her.
“No, silly girl. We’ll teach you everything you need to know. How pack hierarchy works. Who is in the upper ranks and so on,” Erin offered.
“You would do that for me?” Adalyn didn’t know what to think. She was nothing more than a stranger to these women. It didn’t matter that she was Rafe’s sister or if Erin was her cousin, they knew nothing about her. And for them to offer to help her…it was kindness beyond what she’d ever expected—or hoped for.
“Of course we would! We’re family. That’s what families do. They help each other.” Mina was the first to respond.
Adalyn never knew what it meant to be part of a real family. She may have grown up with her mom and sister, but it didn’t mean they’d ever acted like a family. There had been no love, no support system that comes with family. She’d only gotten deceit and lies from her mother and sister. That, and a metric fuckton of isolation.
“So, what do you say? Are you game?” Erin asked.
“What do I have to lose?”
