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I stared out the window of the Jeep as the scenery rushed by, blurs of different shades of green and brown mashed in with the pavement gray of the highway. “You killed your pack brother.” The words came out slow, my brain somehow thinking if I said them at a snail’s pace it might comprehend what had happened. “I thought...”
Robert turned in the seat and stared at me. “I know,” he repeated. “He was going to kill you.”
“I thought you were going to kill me.”
My brother, who I didn’t know even existed, shifted around in his seat, crossed his arms over his chest and nodded at Michael, my boyfriend. “She always this sluggish?”
Michael shrugged. “Been a bit of a crazy day.”
I tapped my pointer finger against my knee, trying to remember everything Robert had told me since he’d shot his pack brother. “You killed your pack brother to protect me?”
Robert shrugged. “He’s my brother—was my brother. You’re my blood.” He mouthed to Michael, “What’s wrong with her?”
“Robert, you said you were the sixth. I’m the seventh. I don’t know what that means.”
Robert sighed. “I’m the sixth kid, you’re the seventh. And my name’s Rob. Only my mom called me Robert.”
Rebekah was my mother too, I wanted to add but held back. She’d abandoned me. I was the seventh kid of Bentos, the marked child – the unwanted one. I leaned forward in the seat. “I’m a Grollic then? Are you sure Bentos is our father?”
Michael nearly swerved the Jeep off the road. “What the heck’s going on with you, Rouge?”
Robert—Rob didn’t even flinch. “Yeah. You’re number seven, remember?”
I glanced at Michael, terrified he might dump both Rob and I off on the side of the road.
“You’re not a Grollic, Rouge.”
“No, shit!” Rob scoffed. “Neither am I, anymore.” He straightened his arms and twisted in the seat again. “Can you try fixing this again? I’ve got nothing if I can’t shift.”
Michael snorted, “You should consider yourself now blessed.”
The two of them looked ready to fight, and there was no way the inside of the Jeep would be enough room.
“Chill out, you two.” I tried keeping my voice neutral. “Michael, since Robert—Rob can’t shift, he needs protection. You said you owed him that for saving me. And—” I stared directly at Rob as I raised my voice. “If you don’t want to feel like a prisoner, I suggest you stop acting like one. No one is forcing you to stay. I’ll figure out how to get you to shift again if you want.”
“You’re going to have to,” Rob said.
“She doesn’t have to do anything,” Michael growled, sounding more like the wolf than the Grollic beside him.
“She does. I have to be able to shift.” Rob sighed. “She’s going to need a whole army of Grollics when Bentos finds her.”
