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She felt freer to share with Carol Maybe that was because she was a neolf, not one who had a lot of preconceived notions about wolf packs and was intent on cli the outcast of the pack like Elizabeth was

"I’m sorry to hear that she’s dead" Carol sounded like she truly meant it

Elizabeth wondered about Carol’s own past, but she didn’t want to appear too nosy by bringing it up Carol turned a little and applied light pressure to the ice pack on Elizabeth’s back

Elizabeth shivered as the chill of the ice pack seeped into her muscles "I know someone from my father’s pack did it My father was ed to escape the same fate"

"They killed your father? And then they tried to kill you?" Carol’s voice reflected her disbelief

"Sefton, my half brother, felt my mother had taken the place of his own My father was devoted to ood to Sefton, he irl--rier He resentedabout it until he was older The stigma of the coyote mix was also an issue"

Carol shook her head "I’m sure that must have been horrible for you I’ quite like that to coainst my will"

Elizabeth was so surprised that it took her a minute to respond "I’m sorry I didn’t know" She couldn’t say it was horrible, because being one of their kind wasn’t, in Elizabeth’s opinion, but being turned against one’s will… A sickening knot formed in the pit of her stomach Had it been someone in Darien’s pack? Had Darien or another champion in the pack killed the one who did it? She was afraid to ask

"I… foresaould happen It still careat shock I know you were born a shifter, but can you i a clue what you can and can’t do any longer?" Carol asked, sitting on the bed so she could speak to Elizabeth while the ice pack on Elizabeth’s back chilled her all over

Elizabeth wanted to remove it, but she knew that it could help She let out her breath, afraid toto couy once"

"By accident?" Carol asked, sounding surprised, maybe hopeful that Elizabeth couldn’t have done that to anyone on purpose

"No We were dating I… couldn’t court wolves or coyotes I wasn’t welcouy and I really hit it off He loved to camp and I loved the woods, so we sort of suited each other I was his first girlfriend who didn’tin a lake when I heard hi A mountain lion had attacked him The only way for him to live…" Elizabeth took a deep breath

"What happened to him?"

"He…" Elizabeth let her breath out in exasperation "You knoe enetic ano a wolf I don’t have to worry about Ryan straying"

"Right Well, even with that, I couldn’t keep him"

Carol’s blue eyes were round "You’re mated?"