“The whole clan used to live here,” Brittany said. She enjoyed our history, while usually I could take it or leave it. “We were self-sufficient. Then industrialization began to take hold, and we realized how much we’d miss out on if we continued to isolate ourselves.”
“So out into the big, bad world we went,” I interjected.
“It’s not that bad,” Brittany said.
“Then why do we have to keep our existence a secret?” I asked.
“Because when we tried to reveal ourselves, we were tortured and burned as witches or demons,” Brittany answered.
“I know that happened a long time ago,” Kayla said. “But don’t you think people are more enlightened these days?”
“What was your gut reaction when you learned that we existed?” I asked.
She blushed so deeply that the light smattering of freckles across her cheeks disappeared. “Astounded. And I hate to admit it, but I was horrified when I discovered I was one of you. But now that I understand we’re not rabid werewolves with evil intentions, I think it’s pretty cool. That’s all I’m saying. If people were given a chance to understand what we truly are, they might accept us.”
“Or they might want to capture and study us. Like Bio-Chrome.”
“But if people knew about us, the government would protect us.”
“We protect ourselves,” Brittany said vehemently. “We always have. We always will.”
“I just think that having some help isn’t such a bad idea.”
“It’s not our decision to make,” I said as we neared the grand, sweeping staircase that would take us up to the room we were sharing. “Besides, we have way more important decisions to face—like what we’re going to wear tonight.”
TWO
Unlike Kayla, I had attended many summer solstice celebrations. They were characterized by an abundance of food and out-of-date music that our parents would dance to—and that we wouldn’t be caught dead even listening to. Those around my age would gather mostly in small groups to talk, while avoiding the older members who were prone to pinching our cheeks and reminding us how cute we used to be.
“So how do I dress for this thing?” Kayla asked as she scrounged through her small duffle bag.
“Sexy,” I said as I pulled a red spaghetti-strap tank out of my bag. The nights grow cool this far north, so I planned to wear a white denim jacket over it.
I walked into the bathroom where, at the long counter, Brittany was already straightening her black hair with a flat iron. When we were hiking through the woods, we usually wore our hair pulled back or braided—anything to minimize tangles. Tonight, though, I was going to leave my white-blond hair flowing around my shoulders.
I leaned toward the mirror and applied mascara. My skin had a healthy glow from all the time I spent outdoors. Anticipation of the evening had turned my hazel eyes a little greener.
“Do weird activities go on during this summer solstice thing? Do I need to be prepared for anything? I mean, the guys don’t all strip down and transform do they?” Kayla asked as she came into the bathroom wearing a denim skirt and a cute, lacy pink top.
“I wish,” Brittany mumbled. “I think they look best when they’re in wolf form.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah, don’t you?”
I thought about it for a moment. What she’d said seemed momentous somehow, but I couldn’t figure out why. It was as though she viewed us somehow differently than most Shifters viewed ourselves. “No, they look the same to me, in whichever form they’re in. What do you think, Kayla?”
“I don’t really prefer one over the other, I guess. Lucas is Lucas, no matter what. It’s just a shape.”
“Exactly,” I said.
“Maybe you two just don’t appreciate the wolf as much as you should,” Brittany said with a hint of tartness in her voice. “I’m outta here.”
She strode out of the room. Kayla raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged. “She’s in a strange mood.”
Kayla wrinkled her brow. “Do you ever get the sense that she’s…” Her voice trailed off.
“That’s she’s what?”
“I don’t know. Different. I feel connected to you, like there’s a natural bond between us, but I don’t feel that way with Brittany.”
It made me feel disloyal to Brittany to admit that sometimes I did get strange vibes from her. “You just haven’t known her long enough.”
“I guess so.”
When Kayla was ready, we went outside to where the festivities would take place. Beef was being cooked slowly over a large pit. Assorted vegetables and desserts were spread out on several tables. People walked around, eating and talking.
“It’s kinda like a big company picnic or something,” Kayla said.
“Family reunion, in a way, I guess. We might not be directly related through blood, but we’re related through an ancient curse.”
“You really think the first wolf was the result of a curse?”
“Maybe.”
“Lucas thinks we’ve been around since the dawn of time.”
“That’s a possibility, too, I guess. Brittany would probably know. She studies all that history stuff.”
“What stuff?” Connor asked as he and Lucas joined us. Connor closed his hand around mine. It had been forever since we’d held hands. I wondered if he’d noticed the closeness between Kayla and Lucas, too. A soft, hunter green shirt was tucked into his dark jeans. He looked great.
“Where we came from,” I said.
“The ancient text says we’ve always existed,” Lucas said as he slipped his arm around Kayla’s waist and drew her against his side.
“An ancient text that’s for our eyes only?” Kayla asked, gazing up at him with an expression of adoration. It was so obvious that they were right for each other.
“For the elders. It’s kept in a special room.” Lucas tilted his head to the side. “Come on, let’s go to the party.”
I started to follow, but Connor held me back with a slight tug on my hand.
“Think he wants to show her around,” he said. “Privately.” His tone was suggestive.
“Oh. Right.” I couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Kayla and Lucas could barely keep their hands off each other, while Connor and I just acted like old buddies.