him?”
His eyes flared wide at the ease in which I uttered that question. I felt no fear, no worry over asking such a thing. I’d seen bareknuckle fights in the past, where grown men had killed each other with nothing more than their fists. Sure, it would be harder watching two animals tear each other apart, but at least they were supposed to be wild.
I’d never understood the men who fought in my father’s illegal boxing matches. Money wasn’t everything. It was why I’d never fit in with my family. They thought that, but I didn’t.
“No, it won’t be to the death. He has a pup.”
And Ethan had morals.
I tilted my head to the side. “That means he might be fighting to the death—your death.”
He shrugged. “He has no honor.”
Eli grumbled, “He has some, and I doubt he’ll—”
“You doubt it?” Austin snorted, but he sank back into the rickety chair like he was born for it, and mimicking Eli’s posture, he crossed his legs so that his ankle rested on his other knee. What was it about that pose that got to me like lady porn? “You don’t know how hated we are.”
“I don’t get it. Why are you so hated? Are you—” I shook my head. “No, you can’t be. They can’t dislike you because you’re horrible. Ethan has a sharp tongue and an attitude problem, and you’re a joker, but that’s nothing to hate about you.”
Austin laughed. “Attitude problem. Understatement.”
Ethan flipped him the bird. “You grow up around here long enough, stay around these people, you’ll get a stick up your ass too.”
“I wasn’t criticizing,” I countered genuinely. “I was just stating a fact.”
“A fact that you’re an asshole,” Austin hooted, and I glowered at him.
“Enough,” Eli rumbled, and though Austin stopped snickering, his amusement was clear.
“They don’t like us because we’re twins.”
Ethan’s dour tone had me frowning. “Huh?”
I had to have misunderstood that, right? He couldn’t have said what I thought he said. Surely?
“You heard him right,” Austin said drolly. “They don’t like us because we came from a multiple litter.”
My eyes flashed at that phrasing, and I shot Eli a look. “Your babies are born as dogs?”
He winced. “We’re not dogs. But no, they’re not born as pups. We don’t shift until we’re around thirteen or fourteen usually.”
“So, what’s the problem with multiple litters?”
“They’re considered bad luck.”
“Why?” I demanded, even more bewildered by Ethan’s abrupt retort.
“Just are.” Austin shrugged. “They’re incredibly rare.”
“Well, they are in humans too.”
Eli shook his head. “If we get one a generation, that’s a large amount. We haven’t had twins in our pack since…” He whistled. “1854.”
My eyes widened. “How come?”
“We keep small numbers so we don’t come to the humans’ awareness. It’s said that the Mother blesses us with small litters for that reason.”
“So a multiple litter birth is considered, what? Mother unblessed?”
Austin pulled a face. “That’s one way of thinking of it.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Lots of things don’t,” Eli admitted. “But sometimes, it’s not whether or not it makes sense, but if enough people believe it.”
His words resonated with me on a base level. “I understand,” I murmured. “It’s like, people think the Roma are dirty. But we’re not. It’s a part of our culture to be clean. Ridiculously clean. We have so many rules about cleanliness that it takes up a large part of the day just cleaning.” I shrugged. “People believe it, so it must be true, even if it isn’t.”
“Do you abide by those rules?” Eli inquired, and I sensed his curiosity.
“No. The day I left my family behind, I changed my lifestyle to fit in with normal people. It was no hardship. I hated my culture by that point. Hated what it meant for me and my family.” I bit my lip. “So you’re disliked because you’re twins, will that make it harder for you to take on leadership roles?”
“I won’t be leading anything,” Austin rumbled.
Eli snorted. “Yes, you will. You’ll have more responsibility once you can’t share the burden with Ethan.”
“You’re certain he’ll win the challenge?” I asked.
Ethan bared his teeth. “I’m a thousand times stronger than Brandon. He’s beta in rank and character too. Me? I’m alpha.”
Eli nodded. “He’s right.”
“What’s the difference between you two then?” I pondered.
“You can be alpha by nature, by spirit, but not by rank,” Ethan explained.
Eli agreed, “Sometimes it’s down to personality too. Ethan would kill someone if he had to rule the pack.”
Ethan surprised the hell out of me by laughing. “Damn straight.”
“He isn’t a people person, that’s