folded her arms. “I know a rat when I smell one. And believe me, I have had it with weird crap. You guys can either give it to me straight, or get the hell out of my life.”
“Uh.” Birdcat retreated a step, glancing down at him. “I think we should go. No need to get the nice lady all mixed up in…um, our private business.”
“Rory, she’s already involved,” Stone Bitch said firmly before Fenrir could object for himself. “Don’t you realize who she is? Who she has to be?”
That was Stone Bitch. She always ran ahead of the rest of the pack, on a trail of her own. Unlike most two-legs, she smelled what was really there, rather than what she thought should be there.
He knew when Icehorse and Birdcat caught up with Stone Bitch by the way their expressions changed. Two-legs’ were hard to read, with their immobile ears and complete lack of tail, but there was no mistaking those looks of stunned shock.
“Is she your—” Icehorse’s blue eyes flickered to The Bitch, and he switched to the privacy of mental speech. *Is she your mate, Fenrir?*
“But from the way you ran after Lupa, we all thought she had to be—” Birdcat clamped his mouth shut, far too late.
“Lupa?” The Bitch said sharply. “The strange woman with the freaky tattoo and serious anger management issues?”
Stone Bitch’s hands fluttered in alarm. “Lupa was here?”
“Yes, she turned up looking for Fenrir.” The Bitch scowled. “Or at least, the guy who claimed to be Fenrir. He said she was his sister.”
As one, his pack mates stared at him.
He ducked his head, avoiding their eyes. *Is sister. Know should have told pack earlier, but…couldn’t. Not right time. Will explain later. Right now, need pack to be mouth, speak words. Can’t reach The Bitch’s mind, with no pack bond joining us yet. Can’t talk.*
Icehorse tilted his head. *Have you tried to shift to human form again?*
He flattened his ears, biting back a growl. *Can’t. Too much wolf, now. And losing…losing…*
He trailed off, unable even to say what it was that was slipping away. There had been…something about her hair, a strange brightness that he could no longer quite recall. She hadn’t been The Bitch, but something else, a shape of breath and tongue.
And when he’d touched her, when he’d smelled her, when she’d looked into his eyes…he’d felt…he’d felt…
He didn’t know what he’d felt. He only knew that he wanted, needed, to feel it again.
The Bitch’s eyes narrowed. “Why are you all staring off into space as though listening to something?”
“I like her,” Stone Bitch whispered into his ear. “She’s sharp.”
Despite the worry gnawing at his heart, his head lifted with pride. *Yes. Very.*
“Unfortunately,” Birdcat muttered. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Darcy, I’m not sure what to tell you. What I can tell you. Technically, I should keep my mouth shut. We could get in big trouble for this.”
“Rory.” Icehorse touched Birdcat’s arm. “I know we’re not supposed to tell mundanes except in dire need, but this is rather a unique situation. There’s always been an exception for revealing ourselves to, ah, that certain special someone, after all. Since Fenrir can’t tell her himself, I think it’s allowable for us to speak on his behalf.”
Birdcat sighed. “Yes, but like this? With no preparation? It’s going to sound crazy.”
“Try me.” The Bitch grimaced. “Believe me, it can’t be any crazier than all the other stuff that’s happened recently.”
“I would not bet on that,” Icehorse murmured.
Birdcat opened his mouth; paused, and closed it again. He muttered a curse, raking a hand through his hair. “I don’t know how to explain this. I’ve never had to explain it. With Edith, she kind of just…found out.”
“Don’t show her the same way.” Stone Bitch’s mouth curled up. “I nearly had a heart attack when you shifted in front of me that first time. Just tell her, Rory.”
“But I have no idea where to begin.” The usually confident alpha had the look of a cub who’d pounced at a rabbit and landed on a skunk. He cast a beseeching glance at Icehorse. “Wystan, you’re good with words. You want to handle this?”
Icehorse looked, if anything, even more deeply alarmed. “Not in the slightest. You’re the leader. I have full confidence in your ability to explain everything.”
“At this point, I don’t,” The Bitch snapped. “Forget explaining everything. Will someone please explain anything?”
Stone Bitch took a deep breath, raising her eyes to meet The Bitch’s suspicious gaze. It was a