Enigma

Chapter 6

For the first time since they met, Lillian shifted her gaze away from Noah's.

"Um...what?" she said on the cusp of an awkward laugh.

Noah narrowed his eyes. He had been paying close attention to Lillian, as much as he'd like to deny it. When she appeared at dinner with the pup in her arms, he thought she'd mistaken him for a shapeshifter pup. But she'd known he wasn't.

Just like she'd known Karina wasn't a wolf. Noah knew how to pick up the smallest details, how to read others through the faintest clues. And he'd paid attention to Lillian's reactions. For a human who didn't know much about their world, she adapted rather quickly.

Maybe she'd met someone on the way to the pack house who told her about Rick. But every instinct of Noah screamed otherwise; there was something intriguing about this human.

"How did you know Rick wasn't a shapeshifter pup?" he repeated.

"Well..." Lillian shifted in her seat. "He's smaller than the other pups..."

Noah just quirked a brow and waited in silence until she looked his way again. Her cheeks flamed red, then she groaned and slumped back in the chair.

"Okay, fine." She rubbed a hand down her face. "I can just tell. I can differentiate between races."

"How?"

Lillian shrugged. "I just know someone is different. When I was a child I thought everyone could do it, but as I grew older I realized that it wasn't the case."

Noah tapped a finger on his desk. "So you knew Karina was a witch."

"Not instantly." Lillian cocked her head. "I mean, I knew she wasn't a wolf, but since I had never met a witch before, I didn't know what she was. Then she started using magic and I guessed."

Humans shouldn't be able to pick up such things. Noah's wolf stirred, looking through his eyes at the interesting human. The moment that thought registered in Noah's mind, he knew he was in trouble. His wolf had never shown such interest in anything or anyone before. Except maybe Elle, a few months ago.

Then this human showed up...

"Can I ask you something?" she said after a long moment of silence. Noah looked expectantly. Again, she didn't wait for his response before speaking. "Eva told me that all the wolves, no matter their rank, go through daily training. So I was wondering if I could join in?"

Shocked, Noah shook his head. "I think you should at least watch a session in progress before making that decision."

Lillian looked like she was about to argue. But for once, she actually kept quiet. "Alright."

"For the twins' integration into the pack, we'll give them a few more days to get used to things before performing the ceremony."

"There's a ceremony?" Lillian sat up straight at the mention of her pups.

"Mainly blood exchange."

Lillian wrinkled her nose. "You're all about blood. Is it safe? Will it hurt them?"

"No."

The pups would actually feel better afterwards. Their wolves needed the structure of a pack as much as they did.

After discussing the twins' classes and her work, Noah walked Lillian to her cabin. Her steps were slow and awkward, her feet swimming in his shoes.

He walked her back because she didn't know the way around the pack village yet, and not because his wolf continued to crave the fire and spring in her scent.