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“No. We’re just told to only shift outdoors.” I shrugged. There had been zero training about shifting. The same way I’ve heard stories of people throwing children into water and letting them figure out how to swim on their own. “You’re sure about this?”
She nodded. “I’m sorry. I will look into a potion to see if we can prevent you from going into heat, though. I get why you do it. I do. But you have to shift.”
I was surprised she’d offer that help and found myself nodding. “Thank you.”
“Do you like to garden?” she asked.
I glanced over at the plot of dirt. “I’ve never tried.”
“Why don’t you help me harvest for a while? Sometimes it helps to get your hands covered in dirt.” She stood and led me to the plot of earth.
We spent the next several hours in the sunshine digging up carrots and potatoes. There were other members of the pack there, but they gave us a wide berth. “I don’t think they like me much.”
“It’s not you,” she said. “I bet if you were here alone, they’d ask all sorts of inappropriate questions. It’s me they’re terrified of.”
“Nobody’s really talked to me all week,” I admitted. “So maybe it’s both of us.”
“Have you talked to them?” she asked.
“No.”
“Maybe you could try it.” She stood and brushed dirt from her hands. “You really aren’t a prisoner here. And if your intentions are malicious, you’ll get more information by getting to know the pack.”
I laughed. “Aren’t you supposed to dissuade me from that?”
She shrugged. “I couldn’t find anything in your head and your friend Jasmine didn’t seem to be a threat, despite the mark on her wrist.”
I winced. I’d forgotten about that when I sent Zoe to check on her. How could I be so stupid? It could have gotten Jasmine killed. “She’s not dangerous at all.”
“Oh, she’s plenty dangerous.” Zoe cocked her head to the side. “Did you know she has mind magic?”
“What?”
“Mind magic. Like me. She has all the magical signatures of someone with those skills,” she said.
I recalled the way Owen had gripped his head when she’d used magic against him. “Huh.”
“Our magic is rare and misunderstood. Often hunted by our own kind,” she explained.
“You think that’s why she ran from her coven?” I asked.
“Maybe. It likely explains the mark. It’s often used to tag us, to prevent us from using our gifts,” she said.
“Jasmine would never hurt anyone unless provoked,” I said. “Even then, I’ve only seen her use magic once to defend me.”
“She’s untrained, but powerful. She knows you didn’t run, and she’s looking for more information before she makes a move,” Zoe said.
“How do you know all that?” I asked.
“I stopped by again last night. Took a peek in her head. Had to make sure she really isn’t a threat,” she admitted.
“Did you say anything to her?” I asked.
“No, but I had a thought, and I wanted to run it by you,” she said.
I waited, my pulse racing in anticipation.
“With some training, she could be very powerful. I could help her if you think she’d be willing to join us here.”
