AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My grandfather mated a descendant of the Jean-Yves line, and then my mother mated into the Vernice family, who are descendants of the Willowbrooks. So I’m roughly a quarter full-blooded Harridan, with the rest being too mixed to really count.”
“So there’s Harridan, Jean-Yves, Willowbrook, and what’s the last main line?”
“Baker, that’s my family,” Jared answers. “I’m roughly a third Baker.”
“I’m a little over a quarter Jean-Yves,” Landon supplies. “When the fractions get too small and muddy, you just stop counting them, and stick to the purest family line.”
“If I’m following—that means that there are families in town named Jean-Yves, Willowbrook, and Baker? And they represent the supposedly ‘pure’ lines?”
“Pretty much,” Milo answers. “You’d be shocked to see the family trees people like Amber have. She’s a Jean-Yves, like that’s actually her name. They remarry into the family every two generations to keep the bloodline clear. Fortunately, the fated mates seem to help, but the vast majority of the people in town are just a muddy amalgam of all four bloodlines.”
“And that’s why you three are my fated,” I nod slowly, following along. “Because you’re all distinctly, traceably, from one line in particular.”
“Yep,” Jared answers. “The Westley twins are Willowbrook descendants, but less than an eighth. I bet Amber found that offensive. It’s hardly enough to get on the family tree. Jeremy, the one that’s fated to her, will drop off if they go through with the pairing. Then it’ll only be her line that matters. She’s a full half Jean-Yves, as both her parents were a quarter.”
My brows furrow. “Is that actually how that works? That doesn’t add up to me.”
Milo shrugs. “I’m not sure I really understand it. It’s the seers who track it all, but the trackable lines are all that matter to them. So they claim if she gets a quarter from each side, that totals a half. Honestly, the only ones who really care all that much anymore are the original four families, and it’s a non-issue since you’re here now. Amber may have thought she stood a chance of waiting out Dom and taking his place, but there’s a full-blooded Harridan female in Smoky Falls now.” He grins at me with amusement. “She’d better just mate Jeremy and start working on her puppy talk.”
“I dunno guys. I have no idea how to handle any of this. Roxanne said I don’t have my alpha voice, and she thinks I won’t get it until the alpha ceremony during the eclipse. I don’t know how to fight as a wolf. If they attack me all together again Roxanne can stop it, but she already told me it’s a legit fight if it’s just one-on-one and she won’t be able to intervene. How am I going to keep her from killing me and taking my place before the eclipse?”
“Easy,” Jared grins. “We’re gonna teach you.”
ChapterTwenty-Three
Layla
* * *
The next few weeks are pretty bizarre.
During the day, I attend classes with my fated mates. Now that I’ve shifted, and the wolf is out of the bag, the dividing social lines are even more obvious. No one will do anything overtly threatening, but they mean mug me in the halls, deliberately bumping into me or other kinds of dramatic high school tv show crap. Milo, Jared, and Landon have taken to forming the ‘flying V’ position, as I call it, with one on either side of me and one behind, typically Landon because he’s the tallest. Even though we’re just friends, for now I often hold hands with one or more of them for support. Landon will throw an arm around my shoulders while we talk, and I just end up spending a lot of time in physical contact with one or more of them. It’s all very non-sexual, more comforting in the way it felt to be surrounded by them as wolves.
At night, however, we take advantage of the one hour to run as wolves, and the guys try to train me at wolf fighting.
Since Jared’s done more scrapping—apparently he has a lot of brothers—he remains in human form and tries to instruct me verbally while I face down Milo or Landon. He’s a skilled teacher, very patient and instructive.
But I’m a terrible fighter.
Repeatedly, the guys find purchase on the back of my neck, or they flip me on my furry back, and bite gently at my throat. No matter how slowly we run the same scenarios, I always end up losing.
After three weeks, it’s beginning to feel hopeless.
“I’m not getting any better,” I grumble to my tray in the cafeteria. “I might as well just give up now.”
“That’s not true, you’re loads better than you were three weeks ago,” Jared disagrees. “It’s difficult, and you’re still learning your new body. You’re getting better every day.”
“Yeah, but I will not be good enough to defeat Amber in a week,” I grouse. “There’s just no way I can get good enough to take down someone who’s been doing this their whole life.”
“Who’s been doing what their whole life?” Savannah plunks down her tray beside me.
“Amber, fighting as a wolf. She’s going to challenge me at the next full moon and I’m nowhere near close enough to fight her.”
Savannah raises a brown eyebrow. “Who’s training you?”
I gesture listlessly to the guys. “The experts, apparently.”
I jump when she throws back her head and laughs, so heartily I swear tears are coming out of her eyes. It’s not until she looks around and realizes no one else is laughing that she pauses. “Wait, you’re serious?”
