Her hair was the colour of sunshine, with tips of gold. It had been all pulled back into a harsh style at the hospital, but was now tumbling down around her face.
“Ah… um. So, you can all do that?” she asked, her face pale.
I nodded. “Yes, everyone in the pack can.”
Claire swallowed hard, her throat and face pulling and working with her stress.
“Um… everyone? Even the kids? The women?”
I glanced at Taylor. How were we going to answer that? Honesty was probably the best answer.
“Um…”
Taylor stepped up. “Our mothers and aunts… yes, they can shift, though they don’t much, anymore. They’re getting a bit past it.”
Claire glanced from me to Taylor. “What about your sisters? Girlfriends?”
I cleared my throat. We had to tell her the truth. “Our pack hasn’t had a female shifter born in over fifty years.”
Claire stared at me like I’d grown two heads. “Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
She fell back against the couch and exhaled. “Whoa. That’s crazy.”
I nodded because I totally agreed with her. “So, we have a whole town full of three-man packs, and no women. No children.”
Her eyes that had been glazed over and unfocused, snapped into place. “Hang on a second. Do you think that I… please tell me you didn’t grab me so that I could fill the gap for you? I do not want some wolfie… woodsman. I don’t want any man!”
I heard Taylor’s chuckle and Dexter’s growl and jumped to my feet.
“We understand, Claire. But in our community, we all have a true mate. Soul mates, in a way. Fate destined.”
“Yeah, so?” Claire said, flicking her hair back out of her eyes.
I swallowed hard. Was I the one who should tell her?
Dexter got to his feet and walked over to the back of the couch, staring down at our beautiful woman. “So, you’re our mate Claire. Not mine, or Taylor’s, or Jay’s. All of ours. You’re designed for us, and we’re destined for you.”
Claire jumped to her feet and pushed both her hands out in front of her like she could stop our words and everything she was hearing.
“Stop right there.”
She took several breaths, her cheeks flushing with blood, making her look even more desirable.
And aroused.
“I am NOT a mate, to anyone. Let alone three men who can turn into wolves.”
She was shaking her head, like she had no idea how this had all happened.
Taylor stepped forward, his heart on his sleeve. “Claire, you have no idea how lucky we are to have found you.”
“No. NO!” She was yelling now and I kind of wished Dexter would make her pass out again.
Her hysteria was making my stomach tie up in knots.
“Stop, please. No one is going to hurt you.”