But no humans.
But it was good that other non-wolf shifters had joined. Because Everleigh had paved the way, Kyra’s interest would not be seen as totally shocking.
Would anyone notice that she was half human?
The vampires could tell – they said her blood was slightly different than a human’s and slightly different than a shifter’s. Victor had mentioned it when she was still a child, but Derek had never mentioned it, and she wasn't ready to ask him. He seemed so open, surely he would have blurted out if there was a noticeable difference. She couldn't risk asking him right then.
Not when she was so very close to gaining complete access to the pack. Why open up even more questions?
“Why don't you come over to my cabin tonight and you can meet Everleigh and Eliza and the new baby?” he asked. “You've already met Roman. And don't be nervous. They will love you.”
She wasn't sure if he understood that meeting the Alpha’s mate could be scarier for her than meeting the Alpha. The Alpha had been distracted and happy for her help while looking for Jesse, but this meeting would be focused on her, without a task to distract them.
"What should I bring?” she asked.
"Nothing. You’re our guest. We’ll stay human so we can talk, and I will grill some meat.”
She had to admit it was really nice to be around others who wanted to eat. With the vampires, she never got to sit down for a meal. One time for her birthday, a few of the females had humored her by buying a cake and then sitting down with her to drink blood from a glass. But that was one time when she was twelve. She'd loved it at the time, but they'd never offered again, no matter how many times she thanked them and expressed her appreciation.
“Thank you,” she said to Derek. “For having me.”
He kissed her forehead. “You're going to love them, I promise. And don't feel self-conscious. Everleigh will understand. She remembers what it’s like to be new in the pack.”
Kyra arrived early, of course. The vampires had no tolerance for lateness. But she’d learned that not everyone felt the same way.
The shifter community seemed to take a more fluid outlook on time, but she could not break the lifelong habit the vampires had ingrained in her.
Everleigh was waiting for her. On the doorstep, standing right beside her was Eliza.
Eliza jumped up and down so quickly she almost made herself into a blur. “Hello, come to our backyard! This is my baby brother and that's my mom and that's my dad.”
Then Eliza stopped moving for a second. Her nose scrunched up. She tilted her head. “You smell like my friend Marcy.”
And then she ran away.
Kyra laughed nervously. “I hope Marcy smells good.”
Everleigh looked at her funny. “Marcy's a human.”
Oh shit.
Oh fuck.
She tried to center herself.
This didn't have to be the end of the world. She had no good explanation. Everleigh might not know the pack’s complete history, but Roman and Derek would know that a human would never have been allowed in their pack.
Her bloodline could still be explained away potentially, but they would want to know why she was hiding it from them. She waited frozen near their front door.
Everleigh studied her for a second and then shrugged. “Sorry about the interrogation. She's quite fond of humans. She's grown up with them and she probably smells them on you.”
So did that mean Everleigh did not detect that she was half human? Was her bloodline not so obvious? She could tell quite clearly that Everleigh was not a wolf. She would've known it from 100 yards away. And Eliza was different as well. Her hybrid blood was quite noticeable.
“She also doesn't have any boundaries. Because we've always taught her that there's nothing wrong with having a bloodline with two kinds of shifters, she would never think there was anything wrong with pointing out that someone smelled like a human."
Kyra's nerves roared to life again; she had no idea what Everleigh knew and what she didn't. So she figured the best course of action was just to stay silent about herself and turn the conversation back on Everleigh. “How has it been to live in a pack of wolves?”
“Oh, it's been mostly fun. After the initial adjustment I don't think anyone thinks about it anymore.”