Page 12 of Blood, Shadow & Claw

Mazie shook her head. "Keisha passed away about six years ago. She always said how proud she was of me for making money on the Internet. Then she would get real serious and make me swear that I wasn't taking naked pictures or worse. Keisha was the closest thing to family that I'd ever known."

"I bet she adored you,"I said honestly.

Mazie looked up at me with a yearning so plain and honest in her expression that it caused my heart to squeeze painfully. "Do you think so?"

I nodded. "God's truth, Mazie. I know so."

"You know what you said earlier?"she began hesitantly. "When you were talking about the Umbra shifters."

"Yeah,"I replied. "What would you like to know?"

"Is it possible for two regular people to have a umbra baby?"

I shook my head. "No, Mazie. You have to have at least one Umbra parent to have an Umbra baby, and that's not even guaranteed. Usually, it takes two Umbra parents to create an umbra baby."

She swallowed, nodding slightly. "Right, I see."

I knew she was trying to make sense of this wild new world. I couldn't imagine how strange this had to be to her. It made the most sense to me to remain quiet and answer the questions as they came up for her.

"You said that most Umbra’s shift before they can walk?"

I nodded once again. "That is usually how it works, but I've seen someone as late as fourteen."

"But not twenty-seven?"she confirmed.

"No, not that late, no. But umbra parents raise most umbrae cubs, so it's a natural part of life. You didn't have any of those privileges. It's a completely different scenario."

She nodded, trying to pretend like she understood. But I could see that something was holding her back.

"What is it, Baby?"I asked. "Tell your Daddy what's troubling you?"

She dipped her head down, and momentarily, I feared I had pushed her too far. But after a short while, she spoke, "You know how you explained that we can hear our umbra's thoughts inside our minds? Mine said something to me when I looked at you."

My heart kicked inside my chest as I lifted her chin so our eyes could meet again. Her dark eyes illuminated as her lips parted, and we spoke simultaneously.

"Mate."

5

MAZIE

The first hint of dawn filtered through the gauzy curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. Ajax's bed surrounded me, his scent enveloping me even in his absence. My hand reached out, almost of its own volition, and I pressed his pillow to my face, inhaling deeply. The mix of pine, earth, and something uniquely him made my heart race—a cocktail of emotions churning.

"Get a grip, Mazie," I whispered, cheeks burning with embarrassment and longing. We hadn't taken that final leap into intimacy, but the desire was a living thing between us, an umbra pacing restlessly in its cage.

I heard the shuffle of footsteps and sat up, clutching the sheet to my chest as Ajax walked in. He carried an aura of command, yet when he looked at me, his blue eyes softened as if I were both the storm he had braved and the calm harbor where he had sought refuge.

"Morning," his voice was a deep rumble, soothing yet stirring up a storm within me. "Hope you slept well."

"Like a rock,"I managed, though sleep was the last thing on my mind now.

He pulled up a chair beside the bed, a patient teacherready to unravel the mysteries of a world so alien to mine. "There's a lot to understand about being part of an umbral pack—the customs, the hierarchy, the unspoken rules that bind us."

"Tell me everything,"I said, eager for his words to fill the gaps in my understanding, to weave me tighter into the fabric of this new, wild existence.

"First, know that our pack is everything. It's not just about strength; it's about family, about belonging."Ajax's presence grounded me as he spoke, tethering me to this reality slowly becoming mine. "And as alpha, it's my role to protect and guide, to keep us united and strong."

"Sounds like a heavy burden to carry."I couldn't help but admire the weight he shouldered, the silent struggles behind his steadfast gaze.

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