Page 137 of Caelum

“I’m not even sure how you managed to make the bear come out, Eve,” he rasped, his brow furrowing as he stared at her, seeking answers, but from the look on Eve’s face, she’d given us about as much help as she could.

Fuck. This was messed up.

“The reason for this class was because Eve is Were today,” Frazer mused. “Can you do something, maybe similar to whatever happened before?” he asked, stepping toward her and cupping her arms. When she didn’t pull back, I could sense his relief.

Eve had been edgy around her Chosen since yesterday when, in the attic, everyone, save Nestor, had learned the freaky as shit truth about her and the several mates she had. She was going out of her way not to touch any of them, even going so far as to stay sequestered in the sickbay with Nestor to avoid us and the conversations we needed to have. It was amazing how much ‘avoiding’ someone could do in a day.

I hated ‘avoiders.’ Seriously, they pissed me off. But with Eve, I could empathize. A lot had happened during her time at Caelum, and I had an inkling—because I was smart like that—there was a shit ton more Eve would have to face before her time was up.

These random things were happening for a reason. Thus far, that reason had yet to assert itself.

“Maybe if I reverse what I did?” she suggested hesitantly, her big eyes staring up into Frazer’s like he had all the answers. But he didn’t. None of us did. We were working blind, and had been since the day she’d crossed through the portal.

“Do you know what you did?” Eren replied, his tone knowing.

Eve flushed. “Not really.”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Okay. How about this? My Lorelei could try guiding you? Or at least, relax you enough so you can make an attempt?”

She gulped. “What if it doesn’t work?”

“Dre will have to figure out how to shift on his own, but we’ll have to hide him somewhere,” I commented, twisting my mouth. “No bears on Caelum. More’s the pity.” Then, because I was kind of amused—sue me for having a whacked sense of humor—I mumbled, “Couldn’t have turned into a chameleon or a rattler, could you?”

“Like either of those are native here anyway,” Reed retorted, but his eyes sparkled with humor.

Eve glowered at us both. “This isn’t funny.” It was. “How would you like it if you were trapped in your other half?”

I shrugged. “I’d be quite happy. I don’t think Dre is unhappy, save for the fact that being weird at Caelum is a death sentence.” It was the little things…

Blowing out a breath, she murmured, “Okay, I’m never going to be able to do this with you all breathing down my neck. Eren and I will try to get him back; you go and leave us to it.”

Deferring to Frazer in this, because he was my leader but also because she was his mate, I saw him tense, uneasy at the prospect of leaving her alone. I saw Eren look to Stefan for similar confirmation, and when the two leaders nodded, Reed and I backed off, Frazer and Stefan too.

“Did any of you know this was what he grew in here?” I asked, curious at the sight of all the cacti in this patch of yard Dre had evidently claimed for himself. “Save for you, Stefan, I mean.”

My brothers shrugged. “Dre always was a weirdo,” Reed retorted.

Stefan snorted. “He has a chip on his shoulder. That’s all. Just like the rest of us.”

“I don’t,” I countered instantly, but I wasn’t pissed at the assumption. Everyone heredidhave a chip on their shoulder, but unlike the others, my parents had loved me, and I had no reason to begrudge them anything.

“Well, you’re alone in that,” Stefan retorted. “Look, Dre’s an ass. I fucking hate how he’s been treating Eve of late, but…” He ran a hand through his floppy, perfect blond hair—the guy was like Frazer, too handsome for his own good. “You know how it is with Pack.”

We did. So we didn’t judge him, and that was why Frazer and Reed weren’t beating the shit out of Dre for it.

With new Pack members, if they didn’t find their own way, didn’t build up their own reserves, they were statistically unlikely to adapt and would never feel accepted—to the point where it would damage loyalties and create fissures in the Pack that could cause dissension among everyone else. That was the last thing anyone needed when battle conditions came around.

Behind us, the eerie voice of the Lorelei sent waves of sensation down our spines. We all turned at Eren’s song, our bodies edging toward the epicenter of this clusterfuck.

“She asked us to stay out of it,” Frazer gritted out, his words sounding like they physically pained him as he reminded us not to get close.

Stefan blew out a breath. “Dre, though he’s a dick, won’t hurt her. In this form or the other.”

I tugged at the collar of my polo shirt as the most bizarre sensation filled me—the need to feed. I’d already fed this morning, thanksto Reed, but the hunger surged through me again. When I looked to my Pack, I saw that Reed’s eyes were fucking glowing, Frazer’s muscles had bunched so hard his veins were throbbing, and a weird haze surrounded Stefan—one that told me any chicks in the vicinity would have been begging him to fuck them.

Our creatures were out to play.

What the fuck were Eren and Eve doing?

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