Ben shook his head. “That’s not how it works, Uncle Cole.” Then he turned to Madison with a grin. “You’re a human. Maybe you’ll get to be a wolf like my Mama someday.”
Okay, I’d just made it worse.
Madison’s eyebrows shot up and her jaw dropped, but she was still smiling as she replied. “Sometimes I’m a bear if I don’t get my coffee in the morning.”
Ben, oblivious to all our attempts to divert his observations, walked over to Madison and patted her knee. “You don’t shift into a bear. We’d smell it.”
Confusion lined her brow, and I got up and offered her my hand. “Can you help me in the kitchen?”
She took my hand and followed me out of the room. The boys were quickly distracted by cake. Thankfully, Gage’s little guys weren’t here today. Gage was the single dad of our pack, and his twin boys were six months younger than Bart and Ben and even more unwieldy when it came to keeping shifters secret.
When we got into the kitchen, Madison pointed back at the living room and whispered, with no clue all the shifters in the other room would have no trouble hearing her, “The boys are…imaginative.”
I nodded slowly, studying her face. “That’s true.” I reached for her hand. “I need some air. Come on.”
We headed out the French doors to the back patio. When we were outside and far enough from the others so that no one would hear, I stopped and turned to face her. “This was my first baby shower. Are they always so…”
“Exciting?”
I laughed. “Is that what it was?”
“I’ve only been to a few, but games, baby gifts, and cake are pretty on target. Little boys calling themselves wolves and me a ‘human’ are new, though.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “They’re wild animals most of the time so…” I sobered, searching her eyes. “Is everything okay? You said something scared you when I picked you up today.”
She shrugged, breaking eye contact as she stared at the Red Rock mountains in the distance. “It had to be my imagination, but I swore I saw a flash of light and heard a woman ask for help.” She snuck a peek over at me. “Maybe I had heatstroke.”
I wasn’t laughing. We had a pack member who had survived experimental procedures at the hands of the now-defunct Nero Organization that had left him with psychic abilities I still wasn’t sure of. “Maybe. Tell me about it.”
Crossing her arms, she sighed. “The voice came from the southeast. The only place I know in that direction is Serenity Farms, but it’s miles away from where I was running. There’s no way I heard something from all the way over there.”
I wanted to comfort her, or give her support, but her body language closed me out. “Maybe not physically. Did you hear the voice with your ears? Could it have been inside your mind?”
“I already told you I probably imagined it.” She let out an exasperated sigh, dropping her hands to her sides. “You don’t need to point out it that was all in my head.”
Shit.
“That’s not what I’m saying.” I waited for her to look at me before I went on. “I mean someone could have reached out to you…psychically.”
“Like telepathy?” Her eyes widened, and she laughed. Only it didn’t sound like she was amused. “Okay, that’s even more out there than me thinking I saw a light from the ranch when it was miles away.”
“Is it?” I searched her eyes. Could she really be this rigid in her beliefs? Even if I told her about werewolves, she probably wouldn’t believe it until I shifted right in front of her.
“You really believe that?” she asked.
“I can’t do it, but do I believe it’s possible?” I shrugged. “Yeah. I think it could be.”
“Wow. Okay.” She chewed on that for a few seconds.
I couldn’t help the feeling she was judging me. If she couldn’t even entertain that psychic abilities like telepathy could exist, would she ever be able to accept that I had a wolf’s instincts, heightened senses, and one night a month, I physically changed into an animal?
Finally, she broke the silence. “Even if someone was capable of mental telepathy, why me? I don’t know where they are or who they are, and I can’t reply. It’s much more likely I had heatstroke and imagined it.”
“It wasn’t hot enough for heatstroke.” I didn’t mean for the dismissive edge to creep into my voice, but it was too late now. “Think outside the box for a second. What if your instinct about it coming from the ranch is right?”
There could be more danger there than I thought.
She raised her eyebrows. “That’s pretty far outside the box.”
“Never mind.” I broke eye contact, shaking my head as I scanned the Red Rocks in the distance. The more we talked about this, the more I worried that she wouldn’t believe me about my true nature even if I told her.
And it hurt.
Her warm hand slid into mine. “What’s wrong?”
Her voice, combined with her touch, pulled on the one-sided mate bond. My wolf appreciated the comfort she offered, but here I was, growing more certain she’d never accept that same wolf.
“Something’s not right, and you’re standing here trying to talk yourself out of it.” I withdrew my hand and glanced her way. “You suspected your boss might be spying on you somehow, and now you heard someone calling for help from the direction of the ranch. We might not know how it’s possible, but I think it’s rational to recognize you could be in danger.”
Her eyes flashed with that passion I’d seen the first time we met at the ranch. “It’s a big leap from being spied on to being in danger.”
“Why would Deidra Harlow be recording us at the barn?”
She placed her hand on her hip, studying my face. “I don’t know. Maybe she doesn’t want us telling people about the breeding programs or something. Unless there’s something else I should know?” Her eyes narrowed. “You’re asking me to believe in mystical abilities and my brother has been acting weird ever since I got here. What am I missing?”
I clasped the back of my neck, wishing I could rub out the mounting dread. “I’m probably way off base, but when I hear someone call for help, I try to figure out how to give it to them, not stand back and wonder if they really need it.” I dropped my hand to my side and sighed. “When Deidra gave you the tour of the main house, did you notice anything out of place? Any people who shouldn’t have been there or weapons?”
“No.” She started to frown when the door opened behind us. Chandler and Wendy came out holding hands.
He kept his distance from me while Wendy wrapped me in a tight hug and whispered, “Chandler told me you found your mate. Congratulations.”
“Little early for that,” I murmured and stepped back. “Are you guys heading home?”
“Yeah.” She nodded with questions in her eyes, but thankfully Chandler must’ve told her Madison had no idea about being my mate. In fact, Chandler hoped she’d never find out.
I forced a smile. “Get some rest while you can.”
“Will do.” She turned to Madison and embraced her. “I’m so glad you’re here.”