Page 87 of Fate Awakened

They didn’t want Hudson. He wasn’t part of the deal.

“I’m so sorry, Brielle.”

“No, NO! You said you’re hard to kill. You said you heal faster, and you can shift! Why didn’t he shift?” I’m yelling at him when I finish, and Dante, to his credit, lets me.

“He didn’t have a chance. Big Tony was pointing the gun at you. He made a choice. Hudson saved you. He jumped in front of a silver bullet to protect you. It pierced his heart. He didn’t have a chance,” Dante’s voice breaks, and for a few minutes we sit not talking. Him letting me cry while he fights to maintain his composure.

“Do his parents know? Did you tell them?” My voice is strained, the hours of crying, talking, and emotional exhaustion adding up.

“They arrived this morning and spent the day grieving. We scheduled a funeral pyre for Saturday night.”

“Can I go?” I ask, hoping it isn’t exclusive to the pack. Hudson saved my life. I wanted to honor him.

“Of course,” he says, his voice full of kindness that’s reflected on his face.

It’s a while before I speak again. The heaviness of the conversation made anything else lose its importance.

“Do I have to be Awakened?”

“Yes,” he responds.

“Why?”

“Many reasons have recently changed to force this decision on you. The first is that Deacon Marlo knows about you. It isn’t safe for you to stay Unawakened. Without Pack protection, any pack could claim you as property. Since we don’t know your lineage, you don’t have an origin pack. You’d be vulnerable to being kidnapped, again, and not all packs have modern rules when it comes to females.” There’s a darkness to his tone with the last statement.

I’m a shifter. I’m going to be Awakened.

“When?”

“Soon.”

I roll all the information around in my head, trying to figure out how I feel. There is a whole world I didn’t know about and that I have to join.

“I’m not allowed to tell anyone am I?”

Liv…Keith…

They’re the people I care most about in this world, and I’ll have to lie to them. My heart sinks. I can never have a regular relationship, can’t talk to my coworkers or friends…

Oh my God, my future kids.

Bile creeps up my throat, and I feel like I’m going to be sick.

I’ve lost everything. My friends, my career, my future.

“I know that all of this is a lot. Your world is changing, but know that my pack is here for you if you choose. If you prefer another pack, I can recommend those allied with us, who I know will treat you well. You still have a life. Your life. Just different,” he finishes with a sad smile.

Full of warring shifters, kidnapping, and murder.

I sigh, not wanting to fall back down the rabbit hole of emotion I just dug myself out of.

“Thank you for answering my questions. I have a lot to think about. When am I allowed to leave?” I ask, needing space to process all of this information.

“Doctor Radolf can clear you later this morning, but I can’t let you leave without security. I wasn’t trying to be overprotective when I said you aren’t safe,” he finishes, dropping his gaze as if he’s ashamed of the predicament I find myself in.

I think for a moment.

“Could Ghost be my security? I trust him,” I say, believing it now that I could process everything he said to me.

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