I took note of that. “Thank you for the advice.”
“Well, it isn't often we get a lot of humans moving here.”
I froze at her words, and she quickly caught on to them. She waved a hand. “Shit, sorry. I don't mean it like that. I mean...”
“So, you're a shifter, I gather? “
She paused for a second before she scratched at her neck. “I am…but I'm only half shifter. I can sense you’re not a shifter, but I can't shift myself.”
This surprised me a little. I was so accustomed to hearing about shifters and their ability to shift that I hadn't come across one that couldn't.
“You can't shift?”
She shook her head. “No, my mother was a human. My father was a shifter. My brother can shift, but I can't. I didn't get that gene.” She gave me a smile, and it was genuine. “It’s rare. The shifter gene is pretty prominent, but it does happen.”
“That doesn't bother you?” I asked.
She waved a hand. “It used to when I was little, but not so much now that I'm older. I have a group of friends and an amazing family. I never felt like it was a big issue.”
I couldn't hide my shock at her words. If half of the people I'd come across who were shifters weren't able to shift… well…they would probably have been kinder.
“I know I shouldn’t have asked, but it just surprised me.”
Jillian chuckled. “It's okay. It's natural to have questions.”
I relaxed a little, but the moment was short-lived as I heard my name from behind me. I looked over my shoulder, finding Frank walking towards me, and he looked pissed.
“Do you know Frank personally?” Jillian asked, looking shocked.
I chewed on my lower lip. I wasn't ready to drop the bomb that Frank was my husband, but I wasn't going to have an option. “Yeah, he's my husband.”
Before Jillian could even say anything, Frank stopped in front of us. His nostrils flared as he stared at me angrily. “What are you doing?”
I swallowed, suddenly questioning if I wasn't supposed to be here. Was there a rule against coming and using this space? I looked around, trying to find a sign, but saw nothing. There were other people around here, so that couldn't be what he was referring to.
“What am I doing?” I asked.
Frank scowled at me. “Why are you here?”
“I was getting to know the town,” I said softly, the words coming out more like a whisper than anything. I couldn't help but stare into his light green eyes. They were a shade between jade and emerald. The longer I stared, the deeper I wanted to sink into them and get lost.
Frank stepped closer, and I felt my body stiffen from his closeness. “What are you trying to do?” he growled, his breath pressing against my face. “Why are you here?”
I didn't understand. What had I done that was wrong? I was just enjoying the town and trying to get to know it. He couldn't be angry about that, could he?
“I'm just…”
“Being a problem,” he snapped. “Why are you even out here? What exactly are you planning?”
The questions threw me off, and I stammered. “I did…I don't…” I looked at Jillian, who looked at us confused.
“I was just getting to know Jillian,” I said. “I didn't think this would be a problem.”
“Jillian doesn't need to get to know you,” he snipped, and Jillian stepped back. She looked uncomfortable as she stood there.
“Frank, I was…”
Frank cut me off. “I don't know what your plan is, but I don't need you to start anything. Do you understand? We are married, but that is all. You are not a part of this pack.”
