Page 106 of Wanted
“What is it?”I ask her through our bond.
A small, almost invisible smile touches her lips. I’ve noticed she makes this expression whenever I mind speak with her. Like it pleases her that we have this secret way of communicating that no one can penetrate.
Perhaps it’s just hope, on my part. Because that’s exactly how I feel about our mate bond abilities.
“Ashley’s asleep again. I wanted to talk to her to let her know that we’ll be in New York soon.”
“You’ll speak with her once you see her in person.”
She nods in agreement.
“I’ll have to explain to my parents too.”
“No.”
My response is immediate. This is the third time this conversation has come up in the three days since the Supermoon Ceremony. Emery obviously needs to speak with Ashley to tell her what they really are. That is, if Ashley doesn’t already know.
Which is highly doubtful since Ashley’s investigation into this world is what precipitated all of this.
However, their adoptive parents seemingly had no idea about any of this. As such, they’re human and therefore not invited to know anything about this world.
“They have to know,”Emery argues.“They’re our parents.”
“Adoptive parents,”I remind her. I barely keep myself from telling Emery what I actually think of the people who raised her.Who up until this point raised you as human.
Because they had no other reason to believe that’s what we were.
I nod slowly, not responding directly.
Which means they’re human. We don’t allow most humans into our world.
You allowed me in even before we were certain I was a shifter.She retorts.
With a shake of my head, I reveal to her,I always knew who you were. You were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you in that bar.
She blinks before her gaze drifts to the side before she meets my eyes again.Reese is a human and she’s the Alpha Queen of the pack.
Reese is an exception that Mother Moon made.
And my parents aren’t? she asks.
No.
She pushes away from me in frustration. I hate the physical distance between us, but I allow her to pull away.
You have to tell your sister because she will need us when she makes her first transition. If she hasn’t already.
Emery abruptly turns to me, alerting me that she picked up on the warning in my tone on the last sentence.
Do you think she has? Is that why she’s resting so much? Maybe something went wrong during her first shift. Before you said…
Don’t think about what-ifs,I tell her.We’ll be in New York in a few days’ time. Then, and only then, will you be able to speak with your sister face-to-face and know for sure what she does and doesn’t know.
Emery’s face takes on a resigned expression. She nods in a way of someone accepting a reality they’re not happy with.
Will she be happy here? With us?
I push the question away, and ignore the plaguing thoughts that remind me that Emery is used to a different kind of lifestyle. Though our pack is one of the wealthiest wolf packs in the country, we aren’t the flashy type. We prefer growing most of our own foods, building sustainable homes and living off the land as much as possible.