Playing You (Omega's Luck #3) - Claire Cullen Page 0,34

were worse in our animal forms, so they used threats to keep us under control. Shifting was classified as an act of violence and punished accordingly. In the foster homes, it was different. Sometimes they’d be fine with it, other times they’d do everything they could to discourage you.” Riley shivered and shoved the memories to the back of his mind. “The group homes were zero tolerance. But at least we knew where we stood. It’s always easier if you know the consequences ahead of time.”

“But you’ve been out of the system a while now. Surely, since then…” Brendan said uncertainly.

“Most hostels also have a zero-tolerance approach. You shift, you’re out. When it’s your only hope of keeping a roof over your head, you’re not going to jeopardize that.”

He was surprised when Brendan pulled over, bringing the car to a stop on the side of the road. The alpha said nothing at first, his hands resting on the steering wheel as he stared straight ahead. At length, he turned to Riley, his expression sorrowful.

“I really don’t know what to say. There aren’t words to express how sorry I am that you were treated that way. Being a shifter is part of who you are, especially when you’re a child. To be forced to bury that, to hide it… it isn’t right. What makes it worse is that being in the foster system, your identity is the only thing you have that’s yours. And they took even that from you.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Riley tried to say, but the words caught in his throat. There’d been so many nights where his shifter animal had cried out to surface, and he forced it down as deep as he could, covering his ears in a futile attempt to drown out its lonely calls.

“I wish that were true,” Brendan said, reaching out toward him. His fingers brushed Riley’s face, coming away wet, and only then did Riley realize he’d been crying.

“I—” He flushed, embarrassed by his weakness.

“It’s okay.” The alpha’s smile was sad. “You’re very welcome to join in our family celebrations, as a shifter or a human. But I would like to make you an offer.”

“What kind of offer?”

“I’d like to help you become more comfortable with your shifter side. What better time or place than this weekend?”

It was so unexpected that he didn’t quite know how to respond. Brendan was quick to reassure him.

“It’s okay if you’re not interested. I’m sure it sounds intimidating to be faced with a whole family of shifters when you haven’t let your own shifter side out to play for a long time.”

“It’s not that,” Riley told him. “It’s just… I’m not even sure if I still can. Change, that is. I can’t remember the last time I even felt my shifter animal, let alone welcomed him out.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s not still in there somewhere. I have a friend who, like you, was discouraged from shifting as a young teenager. Years later, he embraced it again, for his son’s sake. It wasn’t easy those first few times—I think there were some hard feelings. But it all worked out in the end.”

Even if he’d wanted to, Riley hadn’t had the opportunity to embrace his shifter side until recent months. And as far as he’d been aware, no one else who lived at Mrs. O’Brien’s was a shifter. He hadn’t wanted to attempt shifting and potentially risk his place there if he was found out. Until Brendan’s offer, he’d had no idea how strongly he wanted that, how much he longed to embrace that part of him once more. Having the freedom and space to try was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. But…

“You don’t want your weekend taken up looking after me. It’s a special occasion for your family.”

Brendan grinned. “Believe me, I’ll be glad of the distraction. Besides, it’s not like we’ll be shut away like hermits. Even if we were, they’d just assume that we were… entertaining ourselves.”

Riley blushed and glanced out the window. “If you’re sure,” he hedged.

“It would be my pleasure. And yours too, I hope.”

Brendan got them back on the road, and Riley just couldn’t stop smiling. The weekend had gone from something he’d have to struggle through to something he was looking forward to. He was nervous and excited for what lay ahead.

Chapter Nineteen

They reached the homestead right before lunch. As they drove up the winding driveway, Brendan could see kids running around the grounds and hear their shouts as they