“If youʼre referring to Charlie, then yes, I had already guessed that he was a Shifter. But he isnʼt my boyfriend.”

“Are you sure Charlie knows that?”

After the intel I got from Jase and Charlieʼs earlier conversation I found I didnʼt really know how to answer. I kept opening my mouth, but nothing came out. Luckily, Alex was too immersed in dismantling the tree to see my fish out of water routine. Finally, I managed to get out, “Charlie has a girlfriend. I mean, heʼs dating a girl who isnʼt me.”

“That didnʼt stop him from getting you that for Christmas,” Alex said, jerking his chin towards the hippo that peeked out from the top of my coat.

“How do you know itʼs from Charlie?”

Alex, who had been leaning on his elbows towards me, pulled back, and shifted his knees shifted away from mine. “I can smell him on it. Either he gave it to you, or heʼs been wearing your jewelry.”

“You can smell him on it?”

“Did you know that a wolfʼs sense of smell is one hundred times greater than a humanʼs?”

“Actually, yes. I did.” I didnʼt mention that was because I had read everything I could find on wolves over the last month. “I just didnʼt expect that you would be able to do that when you were, you know, a biped.”

“Not always. I can only do it now because we just had a full moon a couple of days ago.

The closer we are to a full moon, the more wolf-like we are. As the moon waxes, our hearing, sense of smell, physical strength and all that wolfy stuff gets stronger, more sensitive. When the moon begins to wan, the extra-sensitive senses go with it, until weʼre almost wholly human during the new moon.”

Interesting. “So, the day of the full moon...?”

“I can hear every heart beating in a classroom and smell a pizza from a mile away.” And impressive. “Itʼs like you have super-powers.”

“You mean other than being able to turn into a wolf?”

“Oh, like that makes you special,” I said with mock ease. “Everyone I know can change into a dog of some sort.”

A growl emitted from Alexʼs throat. “Dog?” he snarled. I caught a glimpse of predatory eyes as he lunged for me. My heart and breath both abandoned me as I prepared for the impact of teeth and claws. I managed to grab him as his body slammed into mine, using the force to flip us over as we fell back so I landed on top. I quickly leapt to my feet.

The body on the ground shook all over. I might have been able to best Alex in human form, but there was no way I could take on a wolf. I contemplated whether or not I could run fast enough to make it to the house before the transformation was complete.

“That will teach me to attack a ninja,” Alex said between gasps.

Laughing. He wasnʼt changing into a wolf, he was laughing.

“You jerk!” I roared. “I thought you were going to turn into a wolf and eat me!” I gave into temptation and planted my foot in his ribs.

“Ouch. Hasnʼt anyone ever taught you not to kick a man when heʼs down?”

“Hasnʼt anyone ever taught you not to scare a girl to death for no good reason?”

“I thought ninjas eschewed fear.” Alex sat up, brushing twigs and grass from his hair. “And, for the record, I canʼt Change unless the moon is full. Iʼm not a Dominate.”

“A Dominate?” My curiosity overpowered my agitation.

“Shifters, like natural wolves, have a hierarchy based on strength. The stronger the wolf, the higher their social standing. But with Shifters, itʼs based on more than the ability to smack down all the other wolves. You have to have control over your animal. Every Shifter has to Change during a full moon. Whether they want to or not, theyʼre on four legs from dusk to dawn. Dominates, though, can change other nights.”

Alex sat on the ground, a la criss-cross-applesauce, and I paced in front of him. “You say that like itʼs an enviable quality. Why would someone want to Change?”

“Besides the dominance issue?” I shook my head. “Itʼs hard to explain. Being the wolf is...

Itʼs amazing. Itʼs more than the strength or the super-powers. Running through the woods, being part of nature in some primitive way humans canʼt manage, itʼs liberating. Intoxicating.” His entire body became animated. “And the chase. You wouldnʼt believe how thrilling the chase is. The moment you finally close the distance between yourself and your prey is the single most satisfying thing you could imagine.”

I could see delight written all over his face. The mere memory of it seemed to make him giddy.

I felt nauseous.

“You enjoy killing,” I managed to choke out. “It doesnʼt bother you that youʼre taking away someoneʼs child or brother or mother...” My voice broke over the last word.

“You think I kill people? ”

Instead of answering, I decided to gnaw a hole in my bottom lip.

“How can you think that about me?” He bounded off the ground in one graceful move and began pacing along the forest floor. “What about Jase? Do you think heʼs a killer too?” He stopped directly in front of me. I shifted my body, ready to fend off an attack. “And what the hell do you think youʼre doing out here with me if you think Iʼm a murderer?” I gritted my teeth and forced myself to meet his steely gaze instead of cowering, like I really, really wanted to. “Are you a murderer?”

“That depends, are you one of those animal activist that believes meat is murder?”

“No.” I was born and raised in the rural south. Hunting is practically a religion.

“Then, no, Iʼm not a murderer.”

“So, when you were talking about the chase and your prey...”

“Rabbits mostly. Occasionally Liam and I can take down a deer together.”

“Rabbits and deer?”

“Rabbits and the occasional deer.”

“Never a person?”

“Iʼm not a monster, Scout.”

“What about homeless meth heads?”

“What about them?” He started to move away, but I grabbed onto his shirt. It smelled like Waffle House, that unique blend of smoke and grease.

“Did you kill him, Alex?”

He brushed my hands away. I watched him walk back over to our original spot and sag back onto the trunk of the fallen tree. “Does it matter?” I thought about how it felt to trapped on the ground, the body of my attacker on top of mine.