“Where do you want to go for your birthday, sweet pea?” April asked Maizy from their gliding chairs next to the front door.

Maizy had her legs drawn up in the chair and was preoccupied with braiding a strand of her blond hair. It was May, and that meant eleven candles on her birthday cake. Time had flown by so fast, and she’d gone from princess movies and pink outfits to riding a bike and reading books. Most Shifters homeschooled their children, so she hadn’t been influenced by human culture outside of a little television. Reno thought she’d learn more from the world watching his action movies than some of the other drivel she enjoyed about fairy tales.

Maizy peeled up the corner of the Band-Aid on her knee, exposing a cut she’d gotten while speeding down the driveway on her bike and hitting the brakes too hard. She’d been alone at the time and hadn’t asked permission to ride. After Reno had heard what happened, he bought Maizy a helmet, something she’d not had since none of them thought she’d need one out in the country. Lynn had grounded her from riding the bike for a week, but Maizy took her punishments without complaint.

Wheeler scooted to the left and leaned against the banister, watching with amusement as the two humans conversed without looking at each other. April had her nose buried in a novel, and a yellow butterfly briefly caught Maizy’s attention as it fluttered by.

“Eleven is a big day,” April continued in a singsong voice. “That means we have to have something very special for the birthday girl.”

A smile wound up Maizy’s face and pressed dimples into her cheeks. She had reached an awkward stage where she was suddenly self-conscious about how she looked. She was taller and leaner now and had quit pulling her hair up into a ponytail with clips. It seemed like she didn’t really know how to wear it anymore, so it had grown long and wavy. Her top second incisor was slightly crooked from an accident she had on the swing years ago, and while Lynn had suggested braces, the men had talked Maizy out of it. Shifters didn’t have to deal with those kinds of imperfections, but they’d learned a thing or two while living with humans. Maizy was beautiful just the way she was, and they didn’t like the idea of metal wires in her mouth that would make her think she was less than perfect.

“I don’t really care,” Maizy said. “It’s no big deal.”

Wheeler cracked his knuckles and felt a hot coal sitting in his stomach. Maybe Shifters didn’t make a big deal out of birthdays, but some of the men were looking forward to her party. The reason behind Maizy’s sulking was that she had no friends her age to invite. Sometimes the Shifters from neighboring packs let their kids play with her, but most didn’t mingle with humans because they perceived them as inferior.