opened the locket, pulling out a seed. “I’m what you would call a green witch.”
And then right before her eyes, a green tendril sprouted from the seed, growing and growing until an exotic orange flower burst from the bud, blooming like something out of a movie.
Well.
Zoe’s beliefs were rooted in science, but this little experiment had proven something to her she couldn’t deny. Her own two eyes had watched something impossible and when Lily handed her the flower, she felt it too.
“I’ll show you,” Liam said quietly, reaching back to grip the collar of his shirt.
Her eyes widened when he yanked it off, revealing a chiseled chest, abs, tattoos, and muscles that formed a ‘V’ into his pants. He unbuttoned them like it was no big deal. Zoe was a nurse, she was used to seeing people naked, but it was unusual for others to be so casual about it.
She probably should have looked away, but she didn’t. Zoe watched as Liam stripped down to nothing. She ignored the flush just under her skin as she gave him a cursory once over.
It seemed like everything about him was huge.
Her eyes landed on his eyes again, not wanting to miss a single moment if this was really going to happen. Liam gave her a little smirk and suddenly his body started folding in on itself. Then it folded out until the cracking and popping of bones stopped.
In his place was a big fucking wolf that was about the size of a bear. He took up the entire room and all the air too. She blinked once, and then twice. Okay, so she’d seen this with her own eyes.
Holding out her hand palm up, she waited to see what the wolf would do. Would it bite her or attack? Would it act like a wolf, or like a human?
Fear spiked through her when he took a step closer, but she shoved it down. Liam didn’t have the same angry, predatory look in his eyes that the wolves in the forest had.
She watched in disbelief when he rested his snout in her palm like a dog, looking up with these woeful puppy dog eyes that definitely looked like Liam’s despite the change in his appearance.
Slowly she removed her hand and lifted it up to stroke the top of his head, but she hesitated. Was that some weird faux pas? Zoe decided she didn’t care if it was because if she could accept that all of this was real then her life was about to change.
Gently she ran her fingertips over the top of his head, analyzing the way his fur felt. It was a grey white that seemed at odds with his dark hair as a human. Her nails ran over his ears next, and Zoe couldn’t believe this big fucking wolf was a person.
What did that mean for her?
“Can you understand me?” she asked, tilting her head to the side as she studied him.
Liam huffed and it almost looked like he’d rolled his eyes at her.
“Then sit,” she said, pointing at the ground.
Instantly Liam sat on his haunches. He rested his massive head on her lap and Zoe stared down at him, not sure what to think let alone what to say.
“So, I was bit by a wolf shifter,” she said, still staring at Liam. “What does that mean exactly? I survived. Now what?”
“The next full moon you’ll have your first shift,” Alexander told her, his arm around Lily’s shoulders. “You’ll have increased speed and strength. Your senses will sharpen and after your first shift, you’ll be able to do it whenever you like.”
Zoe’s hand stopped stroking the soft fur of Liam’s head and she tried to process this new reality. “And why were you the best to explain this to me?”
“I was bitten too. I wasn’t born as a wolf.” Alexander cleared his throat and shrugged a shoulder. Why did this make him shy?
“And Chris?” Zoe shook her head, ignoring the million other questions she had.
“If he wakes up, he’ll be just like us,” Alexander explained.
“I want to be alone.” Zoe set the flower down and reached for the bowl of soup. She started eating it, ignoring them all.
“I’m sorry, we can’t do that,” Lily said with a sigh.
Noah grabbed his brother and yanked him off of Zoe, making the wolf growl and snap. Zoe raised an eyebrow at the twins but kept eating.
“Why not?” She just needed to eat so she could see Chris. She needed to check her phone