“What’s it like?” I asked, my curiosity piqued. “Living with a pack, that is.”

His gazed shifted. “It’s like… home. No matter where I go or what shit I’m in, I know I’ve got my pack by my side. I don’t have that feeling of being alone anymore. It’s hard to get used to the idea new people will come in, because I don’t know how they’ll fit in with me or anyone else in the family. It’s not just about me; I’d be pissed as hell if someone came in and bullied someone in my pack. I feel protective of them.”

A strange feeling overcame me, one I’d felt before in the presence of the Weston pack. Envy. A longing to know what it was like to feel love and loyalty from people who truly cared and didn’t just want something from me. Everything in my life had become nothing more than an exchange of needs. Men objectified me, and that’s why I’d raised my standards on who was good enough to take me to bed. So many men had wooed me for months in hopes of having something unattainable on their arm—a trophy other men could admire. Maybe that’s why I’d bonded with Lexi from the beginning; she loved my company and valued our friendship. Most of the girls at the club were catty—always suspicious you were out to steal their act or regular customers. Lexi’s was the first true friendship I’d ever known.

Pack dynamic fascinated me, and at the same time labeled me an outcast. Especially now that my secret was out.

“What’s wrong?” Trevor asked. “Something I said?”

“No.” I looked down and realized I’d misaligned the buttons on my white blouse, leaving an extra one at the bottom.

A knock sounded at the open door. “Sorry, didn’t know you had company,” William said.

I liked William. I’d once told Lexi he reminded me of a naughty pirate with those loose curls of short hair that sometimes obscured his eyes.

Trevor’s chair squeaked when he sat up straight. “What’s up?”

William leaned on his left shoulder, his gaze drifting about the room. “Say, a little bird told me your birthday was last week.”

Trevor’s eyes narrowed and he folded his arms. “April needs to learn to keep her beak shut. I didn’t want to make it a thing. It never was before, so I don’t see a point now.”

Shifters weren’t big on celebrating birthdays. When you live for hundreds of years, what’s the point of keeping count?

“Well, you buy April gifts,” William pointed out.

“She’s my girl. Of course I get her gifts. April’s human and she likes her presents, but yeah… no big deal.”

“Indeed,” William murmured. “Shame.”

Trevor played with the string on his sweats. “What’s a shame?”

“Well, I got you this gift, and now I’ll have to take it back.”

The back of Trevor’s neck turned a deep shade of red. “You got me a gift? Quit bullshitting.” He relaxed a little and spun in his chair.