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The door scraped as it swung shut, but Dru didn’t leave. “Are you awake?”
I debated pretending to still be unconscious but if I’d learned anything in my twenty eight years it was that when someone asked, they already knew. I sat up, wincing as my body protested the movement. “I’m awake,” I answered with a groan. “Did you have to bruise the face?” I gingerly prodded my cheek. “All I have are my good looks.”
She snorted, a smile fighting to break through and I wanted to pump my arm in victory, except I didn’t think my ribs would appreciate it. “If all you had were your good looks, then you’re welcome,” she teased, her expression lightening.
I grabbed my chest. “Ow, shot right to the heart.”
“Your pride, you mean.” I scooted back, resting against the wall as she leaned on the bars. “Go ahead,” she sighed. “I know you must have heard something.”
“More like everything,” I admitted and her eyes closed briefly. “We really need to work on your kick.” An unwilling chuckle escaped her as her eyes met mine, and once again I was caught by her clear gaze. Her eyes intrigued me. They were a glimpse into the two halves of her soul. I recognized the wolf who stared boldly back at me, but it was the shadows hiding in the cool blue that kept me searching for answers.
“No questions?” She spoke lightly, but her lashes lowered, breaking the connection as our eyes held a beat longer than comfortable.
“Where are the other wolves?” It wasn’t the question I meant to ask, and based on her face she wished I hadn’t. She pressed her lips together so tightly their soft pink faded to white and I pushed myself up until I was standing. “I haven’t seen any, there’s no scent but yours, and I haven’t heard a single howl.”
Her chin tilted up. “Then it sounds like you already know the answer.”
“Tell me,” I commanded, needing to be sure. “Tell me the truth.”
A brittle smile formed as she rocked against the bars. “The truth?” She shook her head. “Wouldn’t that be nice?”
“Dru,” I said softly and she nodded faintly.
“The truth is I’m the lone wolf here.”
I’d suspected something like that but hearing her say the words was a punch to the gut. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words didn’t come. I cleared my throat. “How long?” The only lone wolf I’d met was Trent and even he’d had Dom. What Dru was telling me seemed impossible, but it explained so much.
“How long?” She repeated, shrugging lightly. “What do you mean?”
“There were other wolves…right?” I asked, glancing around the cage I was in. “Clearly, there were other wolves. This was built to contain a wolf. What happened to them?”
She gazed at the reinforced steel bars, but her thoughts appeared far away. “They died.”
“All of them?” I questioned sharply, moving closer as her emotions pulsed through our link, guilt being the predominant feeling. “Dru,” I barked, and her gaze snapped to mine. “I need you to explain. What happened to your father?”
“He was killed by hunters.”
My forehead wrinkled, perplexed at how hunters would have gotten the jump on a shifter. “Was there a Pack here then?”
“We had always been a small Pack,” Dre replied, her voice faraway. “Gran’s husband was the Alpha, my great grandfather.”
“Whoa, wait a damn minute,” I burst out. “You’re telling me your grandmother,” I paused, correcting myself, “Great grandmother. The one who is crazy powerful and hates shifters was married to a wolf shifter?”
Dru nodded, watching me warily. I shook my head in disbelief, but motioned for her to continue.
“None of his children or grandchildren could shift.” She cast her eyes down. “They all had blue eyes.” I nodded but didn’t interrupt. “He saw it as a weakness. He blamed Gran.” Her gaze lifted to mine, the blue eye glowing faintly. “He tried to cast her aside.”
“I take it that didn’t go well.”
She shook her head lightly. “She took his position.”
“I didn’t think that was even possible,” I muttered incredulously.
“You’ve felt her power.” Dru raised her eyebrow. “Do you doubt her?”
I exhaled. “No.”
“The Pack was small but strong under her leadership. We kept to ourselves, but guarded our borders fiercely.” The words sounded as if they’d been recited many times when her tone changed. “It wasn’t until,” she paused, taking a deep breath. “Until I was born that things changed.” My hands curled around hers over the bars that separated us. “There had never been one like me.”
“Unique, distinctive, one of a kind,” I offered, resting my head next to hers. She turned her head so I could only see her amber eye.
“An omen,” she said softly. “Harbinger.” She swallowed, licking her lips. “My father sensed the wolf inside me, but it was my mother’s blood that cursed me,” she continued bitterly. I squeezed her fingers gently, wishing I could do more to ease the pain she carried inside. “Some called for my death. They claimed I was unnatural. An abomination.” She fell silent, staring at our linked hands. “They may have been right.”
