I dutifully repeated them like a student chanting times tables. He nodded approvingly. “Good. There are also pancakes staying warm in the oven. And coffee. I wasn't able to use the best possible ingredients given we’re a bit limited to what’s in stock here, but I know you’re probably ravenous.”
“What's happened since I fell asleep? What are the new updates from your friends?” What else do I call them? Shifters, wolves, packmates, coworkers? I considered asking about my father, but didn’t. I needed a bit of distance.
“Not much that would mean anything to you, but some interesting things for me. Still happy to bore you with the reports if you’d like, though. It also reminds me that I'm going to need to know everything that you know about that necklace. It was stolen out of police evidence before we could get our hands on it. If that thing was shielding you from being detected by shifters, it could be used by our enemies.”
“What enemies? I thought that things were better?”
“The usual suspects. Just because we have fewer enemies, sadly doesn’t mean they’ve all been neutralized. To be clear, things are tenfold better. But you'll always have warring shifter packs. You'll always have rouge shifters causing trouble. Any human who finds out about shifters needs to be taken care of one way or another, or they inevitably cause trouble as well. We're really not that different from violent humans, and in many ways, I like to think that we’re better. But the one main group that you're going to hear about sooner rather than later, are wizards.”
That…was not what I was expecting. I carefully slid out of bed, took a few tentative steps. My muscles still felt wobbly, but my whole body had that delicious-feeling soreness that came several days after tough workout, where the good easily outweighed the bad. I felt refreshed, I felt strong, and I felt ready to take on whatever was next.
Whatever the hell that was.
“When you say wizards, I assume they aren’t from a wizarding school or a kids’ show.”
He let out a humorless laugh. “They sound fun, but not when there’s a fucking fireball coming at you almost faster than you can dodge it. Shifters and wizards have been at war for as far back as we can remember, but after a particularly brutal, secret battle a century ago, we all but wiped them out. They've been slowly growing again, building strength on the sly. Something’s up and we need to figure out what it is.”
“What does the necklace have to do this?”
“I highly doubt that that necklace was passed down from your mother.” He saw whatever crestfallen look I had my face and sighed. “I'm sorry Cara, but I truly do think this is one of those lies your father told you in an effort to protect you, no matter how misguided that I think it was. It essentially hid us from recognizing you as a shifter. I don't know if it also stopped you from shifting, but either way, it’s a massive security concern.”
“I can see why that would freak you guys out. But my father didn’t wear one.”
“Did he have a ring? Maybe with similar stones as whatever was in your necklace?”
“His wedding ring…” I said, shocked.
“Shifters don’t wear jewelry for obvious reasons. Certainly not weddings rings. Chances are the ring he wore was inlaid with the same stones and spells your necklace was. Now, where did he get it? Did he bribe or blackmail a wizard into it? Or find a rogue wizard with a kind heart? How many other wizards can do this, and how many charmed things are there in the world? It couldn’t have been cheap. Your father would have given up everything he had to protect you.”
“Are you sure about that?” I said bitterly.
“Yes.” His voice sounded so sure, so confident that he was speaking nothing but the pure truth. “No matter how much I might want to have some, let's just say, tough words with him, and as much as I disagree about how he handled everything, his wife was murdered that night in a situation that we should have protected your family from. He did the best that a grieving, furious, heartbroken shifter could do to protect his daughter. You are the only family on this entire planet that he has left. Given that a shifter could let the world burn to save their mate, and knowing just how precious cubs are to us, he did something nothing short of miraculous.”
“I keep picturing a baby wolf wearing an oversized necklace when you say the word cub,” I grumbled.
He smiled. “There are few things cuter than cubs.”
“So, you want cubs, then?” I asked doubtfully.
“I love cubs,” he said sincerely. “I'm not going to lie. I’ve always wanted them. Shifter society is very supportive of maximum procreation. But that is ultimately up to you.”
I winced. I've known this guy for less than forty-eight hours and I just asked him if he wants to have kids with me. Time to get my shit together again. I flipped on the bedroom lights, and then headed to the bathroom. I left the door wide open, not caring if he saw me freshen up. “I want to learn how to shift.”
He prowled over to the door, bracing himself on either side to that he took up the entire space. It was scary how much I loved watching him move, all that raw power so carefully controlled. “It would be my pleasure to teach you, but I don't know if this necklace impacted your ability to shift at all. I'm sure you'll be able to one day, but it could take either hours or it could take years.”
“What's it like?” I dragged a brush though my hair.
“Do you want me to shift and fully connect my mind with yours? That actually might be the best way to show you what it feels like.”
“Yes.” I give myself a critical look in the mirror after splashing cold water on my face. It was about as good as it'll get anytime soon outside of a spa day. “But I want my damn pancakes first.”
“And coffee. Don’t forget the coffee.” He held his hand out to me, and after a moment's hesitation, I slid mine into his. I was braced for another shockwave of emotions and feelings, but all I felt was a low, pleasurable hum. A mix of warmth and safety, pleasure and excitement. “Do you feel that when you touch me?”
“I feel everything when you touch me,” he said quietly.
I melted a bit inside. Damn him. “This is putting a lot of pressure on me.”
He exhaled heavily. “I know. That's why I'm really trying to take it slow. But you need to understand, I've been looking for you for over twenty years. And now that you’re with me, I want to teach you everything. I want to show you everything in my life.”
“First, pancakes,” I said firmly, trying to not show just how deeply I felt those words. No one had ever made me feel as much as him. “Then, shifting.”
“And after shifting lessons?”
“I guess we’ll see,” I said noncommittally. He pulled at my hand, tugging me behind him as we went through the living room toward the kitchen. Sure enough, he had shoved the sofa against the wall yesterday, protecting me while not invading my privacy.
It's a big bed. You should invite him in.
Bad idea. Bad, bad, bad.
Yet so good…
I squinted at his back. “Can you hear my thoughts right now?”
“I can’t hear your thoughts as much as get a sense of what you’re feeling, although some couples can communicate with startling accuracy after a while. I've tried to block them off to give you privacy. But I'm going to remain tuned into strong ones because if you're ever in danger, I need to know as soon as possible.”
“Then shouldn't I have access to your strong emotions in case you’re ever in danger?” I expected him to laugh, to tell me that his job was to defend me and not the other way around. He did smile, but it wasn't condescending. It was pleased. “I'm picturing you with that gun right now, taking out someone who's trying to attack me.”
“Such violent fantasies you have,” I teased. Wyatt opened the oven door and the smell of pancakes poured out. Backlit by the oven lights was a plate with a huge stack of pancakes, already precariously tipping to one side “Oh, holy shit. That is amazing.”