Page 4 of Kiki

“Then I must share a father with you too.”

Ava began to laugh then covered her mouth with her hand. “I’m sorry, but is anyone else thinking that our dad was a straight-up player? I mean…think about it.”

We laughed together, and my wolf settled into this position among them. She accepted Ava and Minx as her sisters and our pack. Wasn’t that a new feeling…good, but I’d learned not to trust “good.” Still, I craved that belonging with every cell of my body. Of both my bodies.

“She’s not wrong.” Minx shrugged. “I know this is weird, but Ava and I have become best friends along the way. And you’re our sister, too, so we can help you get settled here.”

“Hey, let me see your schedule.” Ava held out her hand. “Where is your dorm?”

“Oh.” How easily they had accepted me into their fold. I’d imagined having to prove myself or earn their trust, but I was relieved I didn’t. “I had to leave all my things in the front office so I could get lunch. I think the secretary was eager to get to her lunch as well.”

“Let’s go, then,” Minx said.

I blurted out. “Are those your mates?”

Ava’s eyes widened. “Minx! Where are our manners?”

Minx snorted. “I have manners. I thought it would be a bit overwhelming for her. Two sisters and six brothers-in-law all in one sitting?”

“I don’t mind.”

Ava led me over and introduced all of their mates, telling me which ones were hers and which ones belonged to Minx. “Let’s go get that schedule. I want to see if we have classes together.”

It might take me a minute to remember who was who and which sister they belonged with. But their mates were also pack, my wolf informed me. My wariness and edge were not shared by the wolf who had been waiting for this her whole existence.

Chapter Four

The three of us stopped by the office to get my things. Minx and Ava had afternoon study hall, but they were ditching that effort in favor of helping me settle in.

“Did you always know you were a shifter?” Minx asked as we got into the elevator.

“Well, I was in a group home until I was eight. I spontaneously shifted on a group field trip to the forest when I was six. After that, they tried to only put me in shifter foster homes but sometimes, there were humans. But the humans never wanted me for long, and I never quite fit in with other shifters. No one ever adopted me.”

“No way!” Ava laughed. “I mean, not about the adoption. About the spontaneous shift. That was an early shift.”

“Yeah. That’s what they said. I was living in a foster house once, and the people were really mean, so I went for a walk one night, and a tornado plowed right though the house. They didn’t die, but I was moved to another house.”

I left out the part where I was certain that some power inside me created said tornado.

I had pummeled them with enough information as it was.

“Here we are,” Minx said, checking my room assignment again. She opened the door and inside was a typical dorm room setup. Single bed. Desk. Lamp and chair. A tiny closet. At least there was a private bath. The other side of the room was decorated with all black blankets, pillows, and a pair of black boots sat underneath the bed.

Someone liked things void of color.

“Do you have a comforter?” Minx asked, putting my box on the bed. She’d insisted on carrying it for me.

“No, I don’t. Maybe I can go out and get one?” I asked.

“I have my stuff from my room when I first moved it. I can get it for you. Wait here.”

I plopped onto the bed while Ava leaned her butt against the desk, studying my schedule. “The only class we have together is Shifter Mythology. I hate that class.”

I snorted. “That actually sounds interesting to me. Why do you hate it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I should be interested. There’s some suspicion that our father was an original shifter. We’ve been looking for texts or something to tell us more but we haven’t found anything. You don’t…have any powers or anything do you, Kiki?”

Her question stumped me. “Do you? Does Minx?”

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