Page 168 of Shadow City: Silver Wolf

“I…I don’t know their names.” Julius frowned and tugged at his ear. “I called them Grace and Topper, but I’ve only seen him a handful of times, and I haven’t seen either of them in years. I only get calls now, but Topper promised that we were righting the wrongs done to me.”

“Well, clearly they weresotrustworthy,” Killian deadpanned, his irises turning dark chocolate. “Didn’t them not accepting you as part of their pack tell you something?”

His words made the question pop into my brain. “Whydidn’tthey make you pack?” I asked Julius.

He chewed on his cheek and averted his gaze. “They were going to after my first shift, but...” He trailed off.

“But what?” Griffin growled with impatience.

“He never shifted.” Bart chewed on his finger, then dropped his hand.

Griffin blew out his cheeks and released his breath. “How is that possible? His wolf would eventually take over.”

I hadn’t even considered that. No wonder Julius was so angry—he wasn’t in sync with his wolf. He had to be at internal war most of the time. “Because the alpha blesses each wolf cub, and they shift with the pack.”

“When they realized I couldn’t shift, that’s when Topper stopped visiting and resorted to phone calls.” Julius's mouth pinched. “And then, a few years ago, they realized that I wasn’t the true alpha. Thatyouwere.” He nodded toward me. “So to pay for my keep, he put me in charge of training their guards, since he used so many resources on having me trained from the time I was small.”

“That’s why all the men hunting us have been fighting with guns more than their animals.” Killian spoke slowly. “You couldn’t train their animals.”

“Yeah. Over the years, I've tried to prove my worth and specialized in weapons. I learned quickly and easily.”

Silver wolves were like angels in easily learning the craft of battle.

My blood ran cold.

The angel statue in the room had to explain part of that, and I wasn’t quite sure I wanted to know what it was. Or who.

“Well, as soon as we get out of here, we’ll get you to shift before we go home,” I said. That would most likely be why he was so volatile. His wolf must feel confused, and to make matters worse, trapped. Wolves weren’t meant to be contained inside the human form.

“You’d do that for me?” His lips parted as he flinched. “After everything?”

The answer was simple. “Of course. You’re family.”

Something unreadable crossed his features, but I didn’t want to stare at him and make him feel even more uncomfortable.

As much as I hate to ruin this touching moment, we do need to get back soon.Griffin nodded at the leather-bound journal.Do you want to grab that and head home?

No.I had a feeling that I’d need Bart to answer questions.I need to read it here.But Griffin was right. I needed to stop wasting time.

I sucked in a hasty breath and placed the letter back on the table. I picked up the journal and rubbed my hand over the front. The leather was soft and worn. Gathering my courage, I opened the book, which revealed yellowed pages. I’d expected another of my father’s journals, but this wasn’t his handwriting. In fact, the first entry was dated 1125.

My eyes scanned the page…and the world seemed to shift. I read the first paragraph over and over again. There was no way I understood the words correctly.

Griffin’s anxiety oozed from every pore.What’s wrong?

The question was simple, but the answer was anything but. The first paragraph had changed everything I’d ever known, andthat alone made me afraid to continue. What other truths would be revealed that I’d rather remain oblivious to? By the end of the book, I might not ever understand who we truly were.

You’re scaring me.Griffin's body coiled like he was about to fight whatever was bothering me.

But the truth was just that. Truth. Nothing could change it. I’d read it, and I could never undo it. When Bart had said that the life that I knew would change, he hadn’t been kidding.

This changedeverything.

I cleared my throat. I didn’t want to have to repeat the information multiple times, so I might as well get the words out so everyone could hear.

My uncle gave me a sad smile, nodding his head in encouragement.

Now I understood what Dad had wanted, and I was so damn glad Griffin and Killian were here with me. In reality, I was glad Julius was here, too, both of us about to process this new information together. “There is a reason the silver wolves are tied to the moon and stronger than other wolves.”

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