The older man clasped him on the shoulder. “You know I’ll always come for you, son. Always. No matter what.”

And with that I knew this man, no matter who he was, had my trust, one hundred percent.

We entered the house through the backdoor, which opened up into the kitchen. More specifically, the kitchen where a curvy Latino woman with greying hair was making cookies that smelled like warm-baked heaven. “Liam!” she squealed in a way more suited for a fourteen year old girl than someone old enough to be the mother of a fourteen year old girl.

Liam wrapped his arms around the lady, his face filled with pure joy. She squeezed him back with as much zeal as you would expect from an adult who squeals.

“And who is this you have with you, Bombon?” She asked once she pulled back.

“This is Scout. She’s a Shifter.”

I’m pretty sure neither of the adults would have looked more shocked if he told them I was an alien.

“Hi,” I said, bouncing awkwardly from one foot to the other. I lifted a hand, thinking I would shake theirs in that whole nice-to-meet-you thing done in polite society, but then decided that would just make things more weird, so I stopped with it kinda stuck out, but not really out far enough to be seen as an invitation. As an attempt to make things, me in particular, seem less awkward, it failed miserably.

“Forgive Liam’s manners,” the lady said, recovering much more quickly than I did. “I tried to teach the boys, really I did, but this one was a lost cause.” There was no real venom in her admonishment, just the same exasperation my mother had in her voice when she spoke about Jase. “I am Miriam, dear. And this is my husband, Hank.” As she came forward I offered out my hand nice and proper, but she ignored it to wrap me in a hug almost as bone-crushing as the one she gave Liam. “We are so, so very happy to have you here, Princesita.”

Over Miriam’s shoulder I could see Liam. I had already figured it out, but if I hadn’t, his complete embarrassment over her enthusiasm would have clued me in on their relationship. If I had to venture a guess, I would say these were the people who took in Liam after his parents died.

“Oh, you’re a beautiful one,” Miriam said pulling back. I decided she was either really blind or really kind, because not only did I look wrinkled, rumpled, and generally icky, I smelled it, too. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen another arctic wolf, and certainly not one such a pure, silvery white. And your eyes, it’s like God carved out two perfect pieces of a glacier and put them in your head.” She patted my cheek. “Honestly, I don’t know if beautiful is a strong enough word. You, my dear, precious child, are magnificent.”

“Ummm…. Thank you?” I blinked my eyes a couple of times to make sure that my contacts were still in place. “So, you… what? See a Shifter’s animal form?”

“No, dear. I see a person’s true form.”

My true form? I was in my true form. Okay, minus the contacts and wig I was in my true form.

“Speaking of true forms,” Miriam continued, “where is my little imp? Did you leave him to carry in all the luggage again, Liam?”

There are a whole host of things I firmly believe I will never see in my life, like the University of Kentucky winning the Rose Bowl, Paris Hilton taking home an Oscar, or world peace. Up until that moment, seeing Liam Cole, who spoke of the murder of his parents and sister with complete stoicism, cry was at the very top of that list.

“How long ago?” Hank asked when Liam just stared at the floor instead of answering the question. Miriam moaned, a truly heartbreaking sound. When Liam looked up, a single tear traveled from the inside corner of his eye, down his nose, and gave up just shy of his mouth. One tear, and it ripped me apart more than any of Talley’s sob sessions had ever done.

“April.” I didn’t even realize I was crying too until I spoke. “Alex died in April.”

“How?” It was Miriam who asked. “Did they find--?”

“It was an accident. He fell.” Liam cleared his throat. “The Change couldn’t fix it because there was a lot of debris, and--”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence because Hank had grabbed him up in a fierce kind of hug. A second later, Miriam joined in. As I stood there and watched the people who had loved Alex mourn his death, I couldn’t help but think he was finally getting the memorial he deserved.

Chapter 15

Miriam called it the guest room, but I knew better. A tattered copy of Ender’s Game and an old PSP resided in the top drawer of the bedside cabinet. Framed pictures of famous Parisian landmarks hung on the walls, but a Halle Berry poster hid on the inside of the closet. And, most telling of all, the pillows inside the shams sported Spider-Man pillowcases.

I expected to dream of Alex that night since I was surrounded by his things, but I woke up disappointed. I considered hiding out in the room until someone came and forcefully removed me, but the smell of pancakes proved too great a temptation. I found Miriam alone in the kitchen, her hips swinging in time to Cee Lo as she spooned more batter onto the grill.

“Butter and syrup, fruit, or chocolate chips?” she asked without turning around.

I pulled myself up onto a barstool. “Chocolate chips, please ma’am.”

Miriam’s laugh was just as warm as the rest of her. “A southern arctic wolf. Doesn’t that just beat all?”

It didn’t seem like the sort of question that required a response, so I didn’t give one. I liked Miriam and all, but I’ve never enjoyed interacting with strangers. I never know what to say or how to act. If it wasn’t for the promise of a carb and sugar ladened breakfast, I would be taking my introverted self elsewhere. Miriam seemed to understand, focusing on her chef duties instead of interrogating me or trying to make idle chit-chat the way some people might. I snagged a left-over cookie from the Snoopy cookie jar and watched her work while my mind floated off to unhealthy places, like trying to imagine Alex and Liam sitting in this kitchen waiting for their breakfast before school. What were they like then? She had called Alex an imp. Did he pull pranks? Use his charm to get out of trouble? And what about Liam? What kind of teenager would he have been when there were adults around to take some of the responsibility off his shoulders? Did he smile? Laugh?

“You’re thinking awfully hard for someone who just woke up,” Miriam said, sitting a large plate of pancakes and sausage in front of me. “Just a warning, dear, the sausage is turkey. Hank has some heart issues, and I’m trying to make him eat a bit healthier.”