"Oh, right, sorry. I was thinking of taking you to a hot spring. I sort of decided halfway through this walk, but I think it will be helpful. I just wanted to get you out of there in case you wanted to tell me anything. I was alarmed to smell your wound."
Rem stopped and stared at Nia, her heart racing, compelled to reveal the truth. And yet, as Rem thought of uttering those words—which even formed in her throat—everything burned like it had been cursed all over again.
"A hot spring?" Rem asked through a cough, redirecting her mind.
"It will help. I promise," Nia said, unconvinced of Rem's dismissal.
Doinganythingto her back felt like it would only bring agony, but she was willing to give it a shot.
As they walked, Nia went over the dynamics of the pack and explained the size of their territory after Rem asked how far away Ronan was. The entire Warden Pack was vast, homes of Betas strewn throughout to ensure that authority was always close by. The Callons lived close to the Wardens.There was a total of nine Beta Clans for the Warden Pack, with the head of each clan serving as a direct Beta to the Alpha, with a male named Erik as his chosen Prime Beta. The other Clans were of lesser stock, in terms of physical prowess, although they had their own Clan heads as well.
Hierarchy was important to shifters.
Rem adjusted the cotton band of her bra as it pressed on her wound. She wanted to take it off, but she couldn't go without the support. Not with how loose the clothes were for shifters, and she was too uncomfortable to let herself be free. Gally had told her that the shifters wouldn't mind, but Rem had been raised to hide all those features of herself. It would be wrong to be indecent.
She smiled for the first time since being there, as her gran used to go without a bra or corset, claiming if shifters could, then she could, too.
I should have just left the stupid bra at the Callon's.
Rem breathed deeply, taking in the warm, gentle breeze that cooled the rays of the hot sun. She glanced around the forest as they walked on a cobblestone path. Vines with brown stems and bright green leaves wrapped around trees and covered the underbrush—witch's vine.
In some bizarre way, it comforted her. It made the world feel smaller than it was, like she was staring at a piece of home.
When the paranormals took over Earth in the early 1900s, it was those very vines that spread at unbelievable speed, heightening the magic of the creatures nearby. The vines could not be burned, and as soon as a leaf was removed, another would instantly grow. Remove too much too fast, and a poisonous vapor enveloped those around, burning through clothes and protective gear.
The witches back home liked to say it was what humanity got for banning them to the Exiles and burning those who remained at the stakes, like in Salem. Rem looked away from the witch's vine to enjoy the day; trying to find peace in her heart. If she wanted to truly save Oliver, Rem would have to maintain her sanity, and wallowing in her pain would only unravel it.
"Also, I didn't mention it, but I guess I can do it now. We are going to take you, later today, to an Elder to start your transition process," Nia said.
"I don't become a shifter today, do I?"
"No, but it takes a few weeks, sometimes months, to prepare a human. They want to start it now," Nia said, her eyes earnest.
Rem scratched her ear, pressing her lips together before knowing she had to consent. "Will it hurt?"
Nia laughed, although it was lessatRem and more at the question. "No. I saw it once when I was a youngling, and you just drink some liquid they give you. It doesn't hurt."
"You've seen itonce?"
"We rarely turn humans to shifters."
"Oh, great,” Rem said, placing her hands on her hips, giving a heavy exhale. “Why not, though?"
"Oh, don’t worry. It’s mostly because our wombs tend to make better shifters than humans turned into shifters. The previous Luna was transformed from a human into a shifter. She always struggled to conceive, and we never got an heir. Which is why Ronan took over, who was Aldric's nephew."
"She was a human?" Rem asked, perplexed. "The Luna?"
Nia nodded, scratching her nose. "She wasn't received well, though. Before coming here, she was the wife of a Crowley Hunter, but Aldric was smitten and took her to be his mate. They had a weird relationship. Some say she came willingly, tired of her husband. We honestly don't really know. He kept her quiet until she became Luna. No one trusted her by that point, because the mated bond changes wolves. It's probably what got her murdered."
"Murdered?" Rem quipped, nearly tripping on a crooked cobblestone.
"Oh yes, nasty business," Nia replied, catching and steadying Rem. "Same with Aldric, but don't worry. It’s a long history, and Aldric… He had his issues, and the way of our people is to remove weakness if we see it. Regardless, though, the pack takes issue with a Luna that’s not born as one of us. I think Ronan wants to see if you can integrate, given the circumstances of everything.”
As they walked, Rem struggled to let go of learning that the previous Luna had beenmurdered. Even if Nia seemed to think little of it, the information shook Rem.
It also made her situation feel even more dire.Maybe Jackson really would kill me. Or Oliver.
"So, how are you settling in?" Nia asked. "Aside from the obvious?"
