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“First off, there is no pack,” I stated baldly, ignoring them as they exchanged surprised glances. “There’s only Dru and she’s not….like us.” I glanced over at Gregory. “Whatever magic protects us when we shift doesn’t work for her. She feels everything.” His forehead wrinkled, but I didn’t wait. “Paige is a witch, a powerful one, but she’s tied to the land. I don’t completely understand it, but she can’t leave.”
“The one who spoke telepathically,” Monster verified and I nodded. “She’s deaf?” He questioned and I nodded again. “There’s something about her,” he admitted and I wasn’t the only one who noticed his interest. Dom closed his eyes and Jess pressed her lips together in an effort to hide a smile.
“Alright, let’s get back to it,” Dom ordered, gesturing to me.
“Gran, or Mildred is their great grandmother and she is insanely powerful,” I warned and Gregory nodded in agreement. “Dru has some ability but there’s a lot of tension because she is a shifter.” I frowned. “They consider her a mutant.” There were a few rumbles of dissent until Gregory stepped forward.
“Wolves and witches don’t mix,” he declared and a mutinous expression crossed Monster’s face. I opened my mouth to protest when Gregory lifted a finger. “Hear me out. I don’t mean they can’t be together. I mean the gifts we each possess don’t mix. I saw your Dru and she is….exceptional and rare. The existence of a witch and wolf in the same body is unheard of to be honest.”
I nodded reluctantly. “They fear her.”
“Probably with good reason.” My jaw locked and he raised his hands. “I’m just saying a creature with two powerful abilities would be feared.”
“She’s not a creature,” I gritted out between clenched teeth. “She suffers with every shift. She risks her life to feed them and they shun her.” I stopped abruptly, hearing the impassioned note in my voice. “She is more wolf than witch. Her ability can’t be compared to her sister or grandmother.”
“It doesn’t mean some won’t try,” Anna murmured astutely. “Either way, now that we know about them, what do we do?”
“We protect them,” I stated quickly, reminding them unnecessarily, “Dru is my mate.” I sucked on my lower lip thoughtfully. “I just have to figure out how to convince her that she wants to be,” I added under my breath.
“Protecting them might be difficult when they don’t want our help.” Dom glanced at me. “And I’m not inclined to help someone who killed you.”
“Killed?” Several voices echoed at once, those who weren’t part of Dom’s Pack.
“Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated,” I muttered, glaring at Dom. “And Paige saved my life, so yeah, they deserve our protection.”
“Who or what are we protecting them from exactly?” This time it was Trent who spoke and I didn’t want to admit the only person they might need protection from was their Gran.
“Dru mentioned there were hunters. They killed her father,” I told them, feeling a ripple of unease go through everyone. “I doubt they disappeared.” I leaned against the wall. “I’ve heard rumors.”
“What kind of rumors?” Hank asked, his dark eyebrows pulling down.
“Rumors of auctions. It’s not enough to just have a wolf shifter. Now they’re looking for the unique, wolves that are outside the norm,” I explained, disgusted. “Someone like Dru.”
“Or Dylan,” Monster murmured, the deep brown of his eyes turning almost black at the thought. “If there are hunters out there coming after wolves, special wolves, then we need to stop them.”
“Whoa, hold on a minute,” Dom advised, raising his voice slightly. “We don’t know that is what’s happening here. Let’s back it up a second.”
“We need to keep an eye on the situation,” Jess stated, eyeballing Monster when he grunted. “And not go off halfcocked without knowing all the facts,” she stressed when he continued to look rebellious.
“They’re right,” I added, trying to smooth the situation I’d accidentally created. “They’re only rumors.”
“You think it’s more than that,” Monster accused, twisting toward me. “We can’t ignore it. What do you think would happen to someone like Paige if they found out about her?”
My jaw worked. “The same thing that would happen to Dru.”
“It would be difficult for any hunter to hurt a witch,” Gregory said flatly. He eyed me. “You’ve seen first-hand what they can do. But we do have an obligation to protect them.”
All eyes turned to him and he sighed heavily. “Our very existence is in thanks to the first witch. Through the years our lines have multiplied while the witches have died out, partially due to persecution, and also because they were never a fertile line.” A flicker of regret crossed his face. “Mildred was once a friend and I failed her. It’s time I rectified that.”
“You have some scary friends,” Trent mumbled under his breath and someone snorted in agreement. A chuckle rippled through the room, breaking some of the tension.
