Chapter 8
THE MOMENT HAD come and Phoenix wasn’t ready.
Travis deserved to know the truth though.
She shook her head.
“You’ve never shifted.”
“No.”
“Are you latent then?”
“What’s latent?”
“It’s shifters who have an animal inside, but for whatever reason, the animal can’t get out.”
Phoenix sighed. She really didn’t want to have to tell him this. “I’m not latent, Travis.”
He looked confused.
“I’m human.”
Travis laughed. “No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. Look. I know it’s hard to accept, but I’m not a shifter. I’ve never had an animal, I’m just me.”
“That’s not possible. I can smell your animal, Phoenix. What makes you think you’re not a shifter? What happened to your pack or clan or whatever?”
“I don’t have one. I grew up in foster care.”
“Hold up. Do you mean human foster care?”
Phoenix nodded.
“How the hell’d that happen?”
“I was found at the scene of a car accident in Phoenix – the city, not the pack – when I was a toddler. That’s where my name came from. My parents were killed in the accident and they couldn’t find any relatives. So I went into the system.”
“Which meant what exactly?”
Phoenix shrugged. “I was moved around a lot, from one foster family to the next. They were all given money to take care of me and when they didn’t want me anymore, they’d send me back.”
“Back where?”
“To the state. And then I’d get sent to the next family.”
“So you were raised by humans.”
“Exactly.”
“I don’t understand how this happened,” he growled. “Where was your clan, your pack? How could they just abandon you?”
“Travis.” Though he was starting to understand, he still refused to see. “I don’t have one. I’m human.”
“Okay. I understand why you think that, Phoenix, and now I understand why your animal’s been hiding. She’s never been around shifters before, not for any length of time anyway. If she had, she probably would have shifted by now.”
“Travis–”
“I know you don’t believe me, Phoenix, but I promise you.” He cupped her face in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. “You are a shifter.”
“But what if I’m not?” The look on his face made her add hastily, “Or what if I’m latent? What if I never shift, Travis?”
“Then you never shift.” He sounded matter-of-fact, but she could tell the thought of it worried him. “It doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
She relaxed a little, sensing his sincerity. Yes, he was worried, but if it truly wouldn’t change his feelings for her, then she wasn’t going to worry about it.
“Wait a minute.” He jerked upright, a stunned look on his face. “Does this mean when everyone shifted in the bar…” his voice trailed away.
She smiled at him and waited.
“Was that the first time you ever saw anyone shift?”
“Yep. It was also when I found out that shifters exist.”
“You didn’t even know–of course, you didn’t. You thought you were just human, right? All this time. You never even knew you had an animal inside.”
“I’m still not convinced.”
“I know, sweetheart. Don’t worry though. I promise we’ll figure this out. Besides, once the cougars and wolves hear about this–”
“Wait. You’re going to tell them?”
“Of course. They might be able to help.”
Phoenix was horrified. This was exactly what she’d been trying to avoid. “They don’t like humans!”
“What makes you say that?”
“Glory said you wouldn’t rent the apartment to a human and the–”
“Because a human would discover we exist, not because we hate them.”
“But what if I’m right and I am human? What will they do to me?”
“Nothing, sweetheart. It’s rare, but we have had the occasional human-shifter mating and there are a few trustworthy humans who know the truth about us. I promise, Phoenix, even if you were human, which you’re not, I would protect you, and so would they.”
She sighed. He looked so sincere. “Fine,” she muttered, not at all convinced, but willing to trust him for now.
“Besides, the wolves and cougars might be able to help us coax out your animal.”
Phoenix couldn’t imagine anything would make that happen, but she didn’t have the heart to burst Travis’ bubble.