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Shifters in Britain? My brain was starting to spin and I needed another subject change "Bridger?"

"Hmm?" His hands moved slowly up and down my back

"What do you mean when you say you’re bound to me?"

His hands paused and his dark eyes lit up, like the sun burning behind rain clouds, yet he didn’t say a word Tentatively, I put ers in his thick hair

"Shifters have different instincts than humans," he said, as if er You already know I can feel what people aroundwhat I was feeling so strongly, why didn’t you feel when I turned into an animal?"

"Actually, I did I always feel you, but you don’t feel different when you shift Whether you’re huie Mae--there is no difference between the two A Shifter’s instincts are tied--"

"Oh er’s shirt

"What?"

"Tito!" Bridger’s eyebrows knit together "The dishwasher at the Navajo Mexican? He was the mountain lion that attacked me in your front yard I could totally feel hiot all creeped out Is that what you mean by instinct?"

"Yes Exactly"

"So what does that have to do with you being bound to ainst my lips "If you shut up for five seconds, I’ll explain I shift into an eagle Eagles … stay together for life when they find a h I ale, in some ways Like my father Once I fall in love, I cannot fall out of love I a you for the rest of er dropped

"What?"

"You’ve never said how you feel aboutlightbulb I reh ht of how ht about kissing hi hiiant field Then I thought how, for the first time in my life, I kneho I was, and in spite of all my flaws, he still loved er despite s fill ht fro tih me Slowly, he leaned down I could feel his breath onfrom his lips, but before they touchedout of the sleeping bag

I sat up, staring at hi at the closed door A heartbeat later the door swung open and a tall, dark man strode into the room "Dad"

Mr O’Connell looked past his son and focused on ray eyes

"Dad, you reer said

I forced a s to ain," Mr O’Connell said He wasn’t whispering and his voice see

"Yes," Mr O’Connell replied He cleared his throat and looked down at ed in his shoe Unable to hold his gaze, I focused on the ceiling and tried not to cringe After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Mr O’Connell said, "She’s safe Move her to a guest rooive me fifteen minutes to clear out And I need a quick ith you, son"

Bridger followed his dad from the room and pulled the door shut behind theh the stone-walled room, completely indecipherable Call it Shifter instinct, but so about me I closed my eyes and tried to make sense of their words When I couldn’t, I concentrated onthem work like a cat’s Slowly, my ears adjusted, shifted the tiniest bit, and the conversation taking place on the other side of a closed door changed froht as well have been being held right in front of elene! I tried I really did, Dad, I swear," Bridger argued "But there’s nothing left between Angelene and h," Mr O’Connell insisted "Soer groaned "There aren’t even coals left! Just a pile of cold ashes"

"But this other girl--"

"Her naie Mae"

"She’s so ordinary So unlike us! I don’t understand how you formed an attachment to her in the first place Why you chose her," Mr O’Connell snapped

My stonificant I was, but it hurt to hear it stated so confidently by someone who didn’t even know er said, voice tight with anger "And she’s a lot less ordinary than you give her credit for If you weren’t such an elite snob, you ood in people from other social classes"