“When you say he, this isn’t some grown ass man sitting on my lap, right?”
“Language,” he said gently. “Trent’s only ten.”
A bark of reproach.
“You aren’t eleven until next month, and you won’t be that if you keep scampering off without your keepers.”
“Oh, c’mon. Like you never ran away from your parents to explore?” Colby taking his side had Trent preening.
“Of course I did, I was also not as…” He didn’t finish the sentence. Trent and Colby tipped their heads to the side at nearly the same moment. The comical echo in their behavior curved his lips. He’d not been invaluable to the pack when he was a kid. His Alpha grandfather and healer grandfather had each been in fine health. No one expected anything of Brett other than to be a child. Trent was the only wolf with healer potential they knew in Hudson River.
“I think he forgot we were here,” Colby said, sotto voce to Trent. The boy let out another barking laugh, and hopped off her lap. He took a couple of steps away and began his shift. The crunch of bone and slipping fur and muscle shattered Colby’s amusement.
“Oh my God,” she reached forward, but Brett captured her hands lightning fast and tugged her away.
“No touching. He’s fine.”
“But he—” Another bone cracked as his legs realigned and she winced. “He has to be in pain.”
“It does hurt, but it’s nowhere near as excruciating as you are thinking. Touching someone mid-shift can distract them, particularly children and, even if it didn’t—the contact on raw skin and muscle…”
With a last pop, the boy knelt in front of them, naked as the day he’d been born and he grinned. Lean and small, he’d grown over an inch in height since winter, if he took after his older brother, he’d be on the smallish side for another year or two, then shoot up like a weed.
Gaping at Trent, she relaxed against Brett’s grip and leaned into him.
“Hi,” Trent said, standing and thrusting his hand out to her. “I heard you found out about us and I wanted to say hi.”
Loosening his grip, Brett waited. She’d been tossed a number of curveballs throughout the day, but she’d borne up to each and every one. Or she had, it seemed, until seeing Trent change.
“You’re a wolf,” her whisper was three parts awe and one part utter disbelief. Maybe she’d simply played along with their discussion though he’d scented zero dishonesty. Her absolute refusal to believe she was a wolf, however, was not one he could let go. Not when it endangered her.
“Yes, ma’am.” Trent didn’t withdraw his hand, demonstrating a remarkable show of patience for one so young.
With caution, Colby straightened and extended her hand, only to hesitate and glance at Brett. “It’s okay to touch now?”
The knot in his gut loosened. Seeing a shift could be impossibly hard on those not ready to acknowledge its reality. More so, if it had been he who had been changing and no one had been there to stop her from trying to help him. “It’s fine.”
Accepting Trent’s hand, she shook it slowly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You already met me, just not officially.” The reminder of the barbecue had Colby sitting abruptly.
“That’s right. Was everyone at the picnic…?”
“All wolves.” Trent beamed. “You smell great by the way and yes, Brett, I know I’m not supposed to say that to people, but Colby’s not a people. She’s like us.”
A sickly look passed over her expression. “Why do you say that?” Suspicion and doubt echoed in the question. Brett remained standing even as Trent perched on the edge of the loveseat next to her.
“Because you smell like a wolf. Not exactly,” he explained, then tapped the side of his nose. “To me you definitely do. I noticed it right away at the party.”
Glancing sharply at the young healer’s earnest expression, Brett scowled. “Why didn’t you say anything then?”
“I thought you knew.” A shrug. As simple and unremarkable a reason as any. “You’re a wolf, though you are different from most of them. I can feel your wolf, too.” The last remark earned another frown from Brett. How could he feel her…?
“I—” She leaned against the cushions. “I can’t see how this is possible.”
“Trent,” Brett took a seat on the table in front of them, studying the boy intently. “What do you mean you can feel her wolf?”
“It’s hard to ‘splain. Gillian says we can hear the wolves inside people.” His face scrunched. “Not hear them, but…”