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The “poison” the entire rest of the shifter community had failed to destroy for the last sixteen years? Yeah, no pressurethere.
The next group, a gaggle of lady voles, squealed over me and asked me to do a little shift for them to see. I brought my talons out of my fingers, and they cheered. I was feeling more welcome after they moved on—at least until a sharp-faced bear shifter ambledover.
“I hear one of our kin is in a prison cell right now,” she said, glancing from me to Nate and back again, as if she figured the offense had to be my fault. “What’s that about? We’re locking each other awaynow?”
Nate cleared his throat. His voice came out low and firm. “We’ve always used the holding rooms under the estate to deal with kin who break our laws, Mildred. You knowthat.”
She sniffed. “And what law has this onebroken?”
Nate glowered at her. “That’s not a matter for publicdiscussion.”
“It seems like a lot has changed since we had a dragon back intown.”
My back stiffened as she flounced away from us. “Ignore her,” Nate muttered. “She’s always been a difficultone.”
It was true that most of his kin were friendly to me. I spent another hour, at the table and then circulating through the crowd, smiling and laughing at jokes and telling a few of the less traumatic stories from my life among humans. But even when the shifters were smiling back, I wasn’t sure how much to believe in their warmth. Did they really trust me, or were they just better at hiding their uneasiness than some of theothers?
Alice came up beside me. “Time for anotherbreather?”
“Yeah,” I said with relief. “What did you have inmind?”
“It seems to me there’s no reason we shouldn’t help restock the wine table,” she said with agrin.
We meandered into the estate house and down to the wine cellar. And a massive wine cellar it was. I didn’t think I’d seen so many bottles in my life, even in a liquor store. I stopped and stared atthem.
“I don’t know where tostart.”
“Ah, we can always just hang out here for a bit and then let the attendants pick. That’s their job anyway.” She propped herself against a crate and cocked her head at me. “I’m guessing the life you had before my brother and the other alphas found you was pretty different from this,huh?”
“Uh, yeah, that would be the understatement of theyear.”
“Tell me about it. I’ve always wondered what it’s like on the human side ofthings.”
I let out my breath. Where to start? “Well, I’m not sure my ‘human’ life was all that normal. When my mom was still around, we always lived pretty simply. Her first concern was making sure we didn’t draw attention to ourselves. And then after she left... I ended up having to leave the apartment and live on the streets. I didn’t have a real home for more than five years. Let alone a home like this.” I waved to indicate the entireestate.
“That must have been rough,” Alice said, her tone going serious. “You don’t let it show, when you’re out there talking to thekin.”
I shrugged. “That’s not the side of me they want to see, right? The side that’s human.Weak.”
Alice grimaced. “I wouldn’t call surviving the lowest rungs of the human world with no support and no powersweak, not by a long shot. You know, I can’t say I’ve had to experience anything like that, but I have needed to spend a lot of time keeping up a strong front. It wears you out. The more you can be your real self, the easier it’ll be on you in the longrun.”
“I guess that makes sense.” I looked down at my hands. “It’s just hard to know what anyone expects. There’s still so much I have to get usedto.”
“This place is a bit of a change from the avian estate, isn’t it? The different kin-groups have their own attitudes. Or attitude problems.” She gave me half a smile. “We avians usually get along best with the canine crew. We both believe in strong bonds and keeping a united front. The felines and the disparate community, it’s a bit more of a free-for-all. Everyone forthemselves.”
Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that Nate’s kin resented me for the attack. Maybe this was just the way they always were. That possibility was weirdlyreassuring.
“Everyone wants so many different things,” I said. “It’s kind of... overwhelming. I don’t know how I’m going to make them allhappy.”
Alice knuckled my arm. “Probably you won’t. But I guess the best you can do is listen to everyone, and your alphas, and don’t forget what’s in here too.” She tapped her head. “And you find whatever balance seems to be the best fit. See, simple! I have all theanswers.”
I had to laugh. “Right. I guess I’m all setthen.”
Her gaze drifted toward the door, and I abruptly realized that the flexing of her muscles wasn’t just her usual bodyguard-like readiness. She was feeling edgy too. I didn’t need any special senses to figure outwhy.
“You’re worried about Aaron,” Isaid.
She rubbed her mouth. “He’s a big boy. He can take care of himself. As he likes to remind me on the regular. But... I thought from what he said that he’d be back bynow.”
