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"Bain would win," Dex said. He shot the other man a lopsided smile.
Strange how he didn't seem to mind the attraction between Bain and I, but Knox bothered him. Why was that? Possibly because Bain and Dex grew up together, but I sensed there was more to it. Was Knox's loyalty to the Alpha the problem? Could it be that Dex wasn't used to being second in the city? Maybe he thought I'd run off with Knox, with the blessing of the Alpha.
If I was going to do that, I would have done it on the journey back from the Jintaro mountains. I liked Knox, but I had too many questions to run away, and far too few answers.
"Maybe we can all get along until this Alpha guy shows up," I suggested.
That earned me an arched eyebrow from Bain. They all respected the Alpha, but I couldn't respect a guy I never met.
"We could discuss the matter of you being a demigod," Bain said. "Is there anything you want to tell us?"
I would bet all the gold in the Vault he'd been itching to ask that the whole way home. No one with any sense would take that bet. It was my sixty-four thousand dollar question as well.
"What can I say?" I shrugged like I hadn't given it a moment's thought since being told what I was. "I don't know how it came about either. I'll have to ask my mother the next time I see her."
That would be a fun conversation. 'Hey, did you by any chance fuck a god?'
"According to Comus, paranormals all had magic and the ability to shift, once upon a time. I guess we're all just one big happy family." I smiled sweetly.
Dysfunctional family.
"So the archives say too." Knox looked relieved to talk about something else. "The gods decided no one needed that much power, so they divided them into two distinct groups." He paused. "Some texts suggest they aren't gods at all, just paranormals who divided the groups by their strongest skills."
I frowned. "Are you saying witches bred the ability to shift out of themselves?" That made sense. They held those with certain power in the highest esteem. Of course they would reject those who were like me.
There was nothing like some carefully planned genocide to make witches feel good about themselves.
"It's one theory." Knox looked apologetic, like he wished he had more answers for me.
I shrugged one shoulder. "It works as well as anything else for now."
It might explain why Bain and Kerina had the ability to sense and see lies and deceit.
Although, I wasn't sure if Bain's went much beyond a wolf's ability to sense fear and whatever else dogs could tell about people.
Same with Kerina's. Enhanced senses were awesome, but they weren't exactly the same power witches wielded.
"So I'm either part god or I'm some kind of throwback," I said. That didn't go very far to answering my questions.
"Or an advanced kind of paranormal," Dex said. That may explain his interest in me. Having someone with my power would enhance his family's line, if I had his babies.
Iwashoping it was because he cared. He might do that too, but he wasn't going to let me run off with Knox, or anyone else, if he wanted me to help him keep his position in the Vault.
Was it possible he'd make a bid to become Alpha if he had a kid and the Alpha didn't? It seemed like something an ambitious guy would do. Someone would have to take on the job, it might as well be Dex.
Both Knox and Bain gave me thoughtful looks, which sent chills down my spine for some reason. They might well be ambitious for themselves. Or Knox might be ambitious for the Alpha. Just because he was married didn't mean he would stay that way.
Great, now I felt like a piece of meat. Was it too late to run off and hide in the desert? Or in a dragon's hole in a cliff?
"So, um, any idea if I can shift?" I asked.
All eyes turned to me. If I felt like a piece of meat before, now I felt like an exhibit in the zoo.
Ironic, considering they were the shifters.
"The only way to know you can is if you do," Bain said.
"Have you ever felt a change in your teeth or skin? Grew fur anywhere that wasn't there a moment ago?" Dex asked. "Noticed scales on your skin?" He sounded like an ad for some kind of beauty treatment.
