Page 107 of Roaring Flames

Lightning zips through my veins as time stands still. Everything seems frozen in this superficial tranquility. But I can feel the tension pulsating.

My mind drifts back to that night—to the pain ripping me apart from the inside out. I swore all of my bones broke and was moderately surprised when I discovered I didn’t even have a concussion.

Is that because of…Ansel?

I open and close my mouth repeatedly, feeling like a gaping fish plucked out of the water.

Ansel keeps his head in his hands, not meeting my searching gaze. “I didn’t know there was a name for what I was, what Icould do. I’m…different. Always have been. I can do things that don’t seem possible.”

Understanding dawns on Ethan’s face. “You were adopted, weren’t you?”

At Ansel’s nod, Ethan and Emery exchange an indecipherable glance.

Emery slides his gaze towards me before refocusing on the road. “I’ve heard cases of this before. Of supernatural children finding themselves in the system and being taken in by human families.”

Automatically, I think of Jake.

Me.

Even Lissa and Seth, though I have no idea what they are.

“You had no idea what you were?” Ethan asks softly, his brows creased.

When Ansel shakes his head, I feel my heart crack into thousands of pieces.

God, what must it feel like to live your life with these unexplainable powers and have no idea why you have them? Ansel must’ve felt so alone. So scared.

I don’t blame him for not telling me. We’ve gotten close over the last few weeks, but that type of secret… It’s life-changing. Damning, if word got out. Ansel didn’t know I already knew about the supernatural world. He was under no obligation to tell me.

Unlike the furry shit brains in the car with us.

“None of you seem surprised with…this.” Ansel slowly lifts his head and pierces us with a glance.

His gaze lingers on me a second longer before he drops it back to his lap.

I make a decision quickly. “We’re not.”

“Izzy…” Ethan warns, his voice a rumble.

“Oh, shush.” I glare at him.

I won’t tell Ansel what the twins are—that’s not my secret to share—but I will tell him the truth about me. I can see how adrift he feels, how lost and scared, and I want him to know that he’s not alone. That he has someone like him, someone who was oblivious to the supernatural world until only a short while ago.

“I didn’t know about the paranormal until I arrived here,” I confess, running a hand through my hair. It feels strange to say this out loud. “I only just found out. Apparently, my mom was a witch, and my dads were wolf shifters.”

Ansel’s head snaps up so quickly I’m afraid he hurt himself. His face drains of color, and his eyes bulge. “Wolf shifters?”

“Yeah. Multiple.” I shrug. “It’s a thing, apparently.”

Wolf shifters who apparently want to meet me…

Unease skitters across my skin, and I run a hand down my arm as if I can rid it of that uncomfortable sensation.

Shock turns into awe as Ansel stares at me. “You’re like…me?”

“I guess?” I once again shrug. “I can’t really do any magic, but apparently I am like you.”

I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that my parents weren’t…human.

---