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If our father found out, he’d have a conniption. I was sure of it. The fit he’d have if he ever had to thank a shifter for saving his only son. Well, he would never thank Audrey, but the irony wasn’t lost on me.
Then there was Lola. Sweet, innocent Lola, who now not only knew my secret, but the existence of shifters because in my panic over Kyle, I’d shifted right in front of her. At this point, she only knew about me, but it wouldn’t take much for her to put two and two together.
God, what a mess I’d made of things. I needed to tell Ridge. We needed to go and speak to her. I’d forgotten to before he’d left, having been too overwhelmed with everything that was going on. I contemplated phoning him, but if he was talking to the newcomers and trying to figure out the lodging logistics, the last thing he needed was me adding to his workload.
I hoped Lola was okay and not thinking she’d hallucinated and considering admitting herself to a psych ward. It must have been a traumatizing experience for her. I understood what she was going through. After my mom died, my father revealed they were hunters who went after shifters, and that shifters hadkilled her in retribution. He’d pulled us out of public school and thrown us into an intense training program.
But I’d neverseenan actual shifter until my boyfriend had gotten a little handsy, and I was the one doing the shifting.
“Are you all right?” Kyle’s words, thick with sleep, cut through my internal turmoil. I looked up to find him watching me, his face creased with concern.
“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” I shot back with no actual heat.
In answer, Kyle smiled and tipped his head.
“I had no idea they’d send people to come after you so quickly,” I said. It scared me how fast the hunters had reacted and made me wonder how deep their reach went.
“Yeah, their entry was way too targeted. Too smooth,” Kyle said with a shrug, trying to appear nonchalant despite the gravity of the situation. “I hate that I don’t know everyone in Dad’s pocket. He’s a paranoid fucker, and he’s always been adamant about keeping his sources close to his chest. If anything happens to him, the faction would be screwed. But it does mean if any hunter aborts a mission and defects, his secrets are safe. I just hate that I might not know if someone in town is in his pocket and feeding him info.”
His words sent a chill down my spine. The thought of another traitor lurking in the shadows was unsettling. There wasn’t much we could do about it but stay vigilant and hope our allies outnumbered our enemies.
I didn’t particularly like the idea of the hunters coming after us again. Since I knew my brother so well, it didn’t surprise me that he seemed completely unfazed.
Kyle shrugged again. “It can’t be helped, Tor. I don’t regret my decision to leave the hunters and switch sides. I’ll deal with it like I do everything else.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. He’d put himself in so much danger, and I couldn’t help feeling overprotective of him. Although I was thrilled about our reunion, guilt roiled within me. Kyle was too loyal to me. Maybe it was time for him to start a new chapter and build a life of his own. He wasn’t a shifter like me, which meant he could disappear, live an ordinary life, and never have to deal with this world again. As tempted as I was to make the offer, I was too selfish. Losing him again wasn’t an option.
It also helped to know my big brother would never go for that offer. He’d be offended and enraged if I even suggested it, especially after all we’d been through to find each other again. That knowledge helped ease my conscience.
“Positive,” he said, determination flaring in his eyes. “What’s done is done. We have to move forward and focus on the bigger picture.”
Kyle had always been the type to keep a stiff upper lip, but from firsthand experience, having your father hunt you down wasn’t pleasant. We both carried the heavy weight of our family’s legacy, and it was difficult not to let it define us.
“I wish our family didn’t come from such a long line of hunters,” I said.
“Me too.” Kyle softened for a moment as the weight of our situation settled on him. He shook his head as if banishing any lingering doubts. “But we can’t change the past, Tori. All we can do is make the best of the hand we’ve been dealt.”
Despite my inclination to argue, he was right. The coulda, woulda, shouldas in life only brought about agony and false hope. The path we were on now might be treacherous and uncertain, but there was no turning back. We’d made our choices, and now we had to live with them, no matter how difficult they were.
“All I want is a life where I don’t have to watch my back all the time. I just want this to be over,” I murmured, more to myself than to Kyle.
Kyle’s hand enveloped mine, his grip firm and reassuring. “It will be. It won’t be easy, but we’re fighting for a better future—for ourselves and the shifters.” Kyle froze for a second, and I could imagine his surprise that those words had just come out of his mouth. I smiled as he continued. “Even for the humans who don’t understand what’s going on, that’s worth any risk. Being free from Dad’s control and not being under his thumb alone is worth taking a chance.”
Taking a deep breath, I drew strength from his words. He was right. We were fighting for something bigger than ourselves, which gave our struggle meaning. I held onto that thought as if it were a lifeline, even when it seemed like everything was falling apart around us.
“Thank you,” I said, hoping those two words conveyed my appreciation of his support and understanding.
“Anytime, sis,” he said with a warm smile, and he meant it. Despite everything, we had each other’s backs, and that was enough to keep me going.
The sound of voices in the quiet hallway caught my attention. I glanced at Kyle, then made my way out of the room, curious to see what the commotion was. I stepped out of the room to find Zander Elkins up and about, questioning doctors and nurses about what had happened.
“Hey, Zander,” I called out hesitantly, approaching him. He noticed me, and as our eyes met, he rushed over with a concerned expression on his face.
“Did I miss something?” he asked, clearly worried. “I heard there was some fuss earlier.”
It was strange, knowing Zander was now unaware of the world of shifters after losing his memory and, scarily, his wolf.Not wanting to disrupt his fragile mental state, I chose my words carefully. “It was nothing, just a minor accident at the festival. Everything’s fine now.”
Zander did not look entirely convinced. “Lola Kipling mentioned she’d be at the festival.” His brow furrowed with worry. “Is she okay? Do you know? I’d like to speak with her.”
