She wished she wasn’t so terrified.
Tyana and Eli stood at one corner of the pool table watching as Jonah leaned over to take his shot. Tyana leaned on one crutch while Eli supported her by wrapping his arm around her waist. Mad Dog stood back, cue in hand, and made a jeering noise when Jonah’s shot went wide. Ian and Braden leaned against the bar. Braden’s hands were shoved into his pockets, and he nodded at something Ian said.
Then he looked up and saw her. He straightened immediately, concern flashing on his face. Did she look as fragile as she felt?
He shoved off of the bar and crossed the room. He came to a stop just in front of her and reached for her hands.
“Hey,” he said softly. “You okay?”
She offered a faint smile and nodded.
“Come here.”
He tugged her against his chest, tucked her head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her. For a moment she relaxed into his hold, absorbing his strength and the comfort he offered. Then she carefully pulled away. She trembled as he smoothed his fingers down her arms and then captured her hands again.
“I finished the journal,” she said. “There are things that everyone should know. And other things…”
Braden studied her intently then tugged her forward. “Come over here where you’ll be comfortable.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her toward the couch in front of the bar where Ian still stood.
The others stopped to look at her. Jonah’s gaze followed her, and when she met his eyes, his expression softened.
“I’d rather stand,” she said when Braden started to sit her down on the couch.
She slipped her fingers from his and took a few steps back. Ian’s hands clasped her shoulders, and his mouth brushed close to her ear.
“Are you okay?” he asked quietly. “Are you feeling well?”
She nodded and turned to face the others. She’d start with Esteban. Maybe by the time she’d explained all she’d read, the part where she divulged that she might turn into an unpredictable shifter might actually seem normal.
Tyana, Eli, Mad Dog and Jonah all stared at her expectantly. She wiped her palms down her jeans and took a deep breath.
“Esteban was a shifter. A wolf, to be more exact. Not a werewolf like the movies or legends. A real wolf.”
Shocked silence ensued.
Jonah stepped forward. “You want to run that by us again?”
“I saw him,” she said. “When he died. When he took his last breath, he shifted.” She glanced at Braden. “Do you remember?”
“I thought that part was a delusion,” Braden muttered. “So much of that time was so scattered. It all happened so fast, and when I look back it’s with such a sense of detachment, like I’m seeing something that happened through someone else’s eyes. Honestly I thought I was a little nuts.”
“According to his journal, he’s a natural shifter.”
Eli surged to attention, and Tyana put her hand on his arm.
“A what?” Mad Dog demanded. “What the hell is a natural shifter?”
“He was born that way,” Katie said softly. “Unfortunately, he had no control over when and how he shifted. He spent most of his life in seclusion. He began experimenting with a chemical that altered human DNA in early adulthood. I say he, but he only funded the research. He had no scientific background.”
She glanced at Eli and then Ian and Braden. “You were his first successful experiment. But only Eli and Gabe achieved the results he was interested in. Stability. He couldn’t accept that his genetic make-up couldn’t be changed, that there was no cure for his instability.”
“Christ,” Tyana muttered. “We’ve all been searching for the same thing. The bastard created his own problem in D and the others.”
Katie nodded. “Except, for whatever reason, Gabe and Eli gained full control of their abilities. Esteban became obsessed with reproducing that result. Which is why he came after me. I shared Gabe’s DNA. Eli had no family. He wanted my…”
She swallowed, and Ian’s hands tightened around her shoulders.
“What did he want?” Jonah asked.
She looked down as tears threatened. This part terrified her—admitting it—out loud. It made it real, and now she’d face a very uncertain future. What if…
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Braden asked, concern evident in his voice.
“He exposed me to the same chemical agent that you were exposed to,” she said in a low voice.
“What?”
The demand exploded across the room from at least three different places. Ian spun her around, his eyes wide with horror.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she shook in his arms. “I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Dear God, that’s why…” He broke off and dug a hand into his hair. “Jesus, that’s why you were in such pain, why you’re still so weak.”
“Son of a bitch,” Braden swore.
She found herself between the two men, their hands shaking as they stroked her arms and her back. They touched her face, her hair, held her close.
“I’m terrified of what will happen,” she choked out. “What am I going to do?”
She leaned her forehead against Ian’s chest, and he pressed his lips to the top of her head. His entire body shook against hers.
“Come sit down,” he said. “We’ll figure this out, okay? I don’t want you to worry.”
She smiled wanly at his attempt to infuse her with hope. But she allowed him to lead her to the couch. The others all gathered in the small sitting area. Tyana and Eli sat on the opposite couch while Mad Dog parked it on the arm of the chair that Jonah sat in. Ian and Braden flanked her on the couch, Ian holding her hand while Braden clasped her leg above her knee.
Jonah leaned forward, his expression serious. “You won’t be alone, Katie. Falcon will help you in any way we can.”
“She’ll have us,” Braden said softly.
Jonah nodded, his expression easing.
“I think everyone is missing a very important question here,” Mad Dog said. “Was Esteban really a natural shifter or was he bat-shit crazy? Is it even possible? Does that change anything for Eli, D, Ian and Braden or is all hope for a cure gone?”
Eli propped his elbows on his knees and scrubbed at his face.
“Eli, don’t,” Tyana pleaded. “You don’t have to do this.”
He grimaced and then reached over to squeeze her hand. “Yeah, sugar, I do.”
He focused his weary gaze on Ian and Braden, regret brimming in his dark eyes.
“I’ve been lying to you guys for a long time.”
Katie glanced anxiously at Ian and Braden as confusion darkened their faces.
“What?” Braden asked.
“The chemical that turned you into cats…it didn’t affect me.”
“Of course it did,” Ian said. “Hell, I’ve seen you shift.”
“I was born a shifter,” Eli said quietly. “It’s a secret I’ve carried since I was ten years old. It just became easier to disguise after what happened in Adharji. I no longer had to hide my ability from you because suddenly I was provided an explanation. Gabe was stable so it didn’t stretch probability that I was too.”
“Holy fuck,” Mad Dog breathed. “Has the entire world gone crazy? That shit just doesn’t happen.”
“So Gabe was the only one who truly turned out the way Esteban envisioned?” Katie asked painfully.
“Apparently so,” Ian muttered.
Braden held up his hand. “Whether or not Esteban was a natural shifter is irrelevant. The fucker is dead. What we need to be worried about is the fact that the son of a bitch gassed Katie.”
Ian nodded and then he turned to her again. “Does Marcus know?”
She nodded slowly.
“What did he suggest?”