“My clan leader is mated with a vampire from a powerful vampire clan,” Luke explained. “None of that matters because he looks at the heart, not what kind of creature one is.”She didn’t trust that, but she didn’t contradict it. He rested his elbows on his knees, leaning forward.“So, Maya…it’s your choice. Do you want to be free or do you want to come with me? If you go, you have to leave completely and find a new spot—somewhere far away from all the trouble happening here. There aren’t many of them around with all the clans flourishing, and they are all wary of lone creatures like you. The second option is that you can come with me. My clan’s main territory.” He paused, letting all of that sink in. Then he went for the kill. “We have shelter and protection. We have food. You will never have to go hungry again, and you won’t have to steal.”Her cheeks went violently red at the latter, unable to deny it. He glimpsed her internal battle happening under a relatively calm façade, and ther

But the words trailed off when he realized that his brother was looking, and he noted something that hadn’t been there before: a darkening expression and a rush of something familiar. Eric stood up and approached them, wrestling with a scowl until only that same stoic expression remained.“You should get inside. It’s cold here.”Tina ignored him.“Tina,” Eric growled.Tina glowered at him and opened her mouth. But Luke was faster, wrapping an arm around her waist and drawing her closer.“I’m here to warm her up if it’s needed.”She squeaked in bewilderment but managed to keep most of the sound subtle. She sank into his embrace and nodded. “Yes. That’s right. Luke’s here.”A muscle ticked on Eric’s jaw. More muscles bunched. As much as he enjoyed the discovery and wondered how deep it ran, he knew he was playing with fire and wasn’t in the mood to deal with it when it came out. So, he shrugged.“But the mansion’s a much better option, I suppose. Or one of the tents. Come on, Tina.”Tin

“Playtime’s over. Sam is here and will start the lessons soon.” There were more groans. “Iz will join your lessons, too.”Whoever this Iz was seemed to have a positive effect on them as they rallied cheers around Luke before racing off. A boy lingered for a bit, looking up solemnly until Luke glanced at him.“Hey, you. What is it?”“I didn’t have my breakfast yet.”Luke’s lips quivered while he leveled the boy with a look. “Really? Well, now, we can’t have that when you are about to embark on a long day of lessons. What did you have in mind?”“Bananas. Fresh.”The boy held out his hands expectantly, orbs twinkling in excitement. Luke didn’t hesitate to pick him up and hitch him over one hip, and the two ventured away from the group of kids. She trailed after them, fascinated with the interaction as Luke led the boy through paths that didn’t have markers, where the trees and lushness seemed to go on forever. They stopped in a clearing set up as a garden, where root crops grew along wit

“It’s me,” he called out softly.Silence. Then a shadow moved forward, closer to the area he scraped and stayed there, waiting expectantly. The lack of hesitation had him softening, his chest puffing out in triumph. He cleared his throat.“You were very busy today. It was nice to see. I guess you are in good condition now and…adjusting to us.”She tapped the tent in agreement. He pondered, memories resurfacing, then vanishing.“I’m also guessing that it means that incident has happened to you before; otherwise, you won’t bounce back easily.”Another tap, another confirmation. She was ready. That much he knew, but the extent was still to be determined. Quietly, Luke sifted through the multitude of questions swirling in his head.“Wolf shifter, right?”Another tap.“But something went wrong and you can’t turn now. And it’s hurting you every time the full moon comes out.”The silence made him assume she wasn’t going to answer anymore. But he was taken aback when a voice, soft and low, ca

Her head snapped up. Her eyes grew dark, and her mouth opened in a wordless cry, but the teeth sharpening before his gaze and the fur sprouting from her caught his attention the most. It wasn’t just patches but the whole of her this time, growing so thick that she was coated in a sheen of silky dark gray. Bones creaked as the rest of her tried to catch up to the momentum, but there was no bursting into her beast form even when she visibly tried to get it out with all her might. She pushed, then pushed again. His hands squeezed her shoulders to stop the next.“Know your limits,” he said. “Don’t push to the point that there’s nothing left of you.”Her eyes flared. She nodded as her fingers clutched the pole tighter, effectively pressing closer to him. Maya pushed once more, a grunt flying off her lips at the effort it took. Her muscles quivered and her breath sharpened. Her fur grew even thicker as she buried her head in his neck, where he felt her mouth transform into a snout before re