It wasn't a secret. They just never asked.
I let out a grunt of frustration, burying my forehead deeper into my knees. Sometimes I wished I could think and act like them. Maybe then I'd feel normal.
The sound of rustling grass drew my attention. I lifted my head, frowning when I saw my sister running towards me in wolf form.
I didn't really want to talk to her right now. I didn't want to talk to anyone. Lupa was usually good at figuring out how I felt, but she was also incredibly stubborn. If she wanted to talk, I couldn't get out of it without completely shutting down and ignoring her until she went away.
I was upset, but notthatupset. Yet.
When Lupa reached me, she shifted to human form. "Hey, Lev. One to ten?"
That was our shorthand for how rough my mood was, and how badly I wanted to be left alone. I appreciated the fact she bothered asking. That alone took me down a notch or two.
"Seven," I said.
She grimaced. "That bad, huh?"
I nodded.
"Can I sit?" she asked.
I thought about it for a second, then gave her a curt nod.
She slowly sat next to me, careful not to brush my arm by accident. When I was in a bad mood, I generally didn't like being touched.
Surprisingly, she was quiet. I realized she was giving me space to talk.
"I'm not like Starry," I said.
"I know," Lupa said.
"That's not what you said before."
"That's because I didn't know before. I knownow."
Even though she hadn’t said anything particularly inflammatory, I was still annoyed. I tried to utilize the skills Len taught me about telling people specifically what upset me.
"I don't like that you made assumptions about me," I mumbled.
"I know, Lev. Sorry."
I turned to her. "Why did you think I don't want a mate?"
My sister shuffled uncomfortably. "You never brought it up."
She had a point. It wasn't something I made a habit of talking about. My dad, Hugo, always reminded me that other people couldn't read my mind. If I didn't say something out loud, nobody would know how I felt.
"You're right." I looked right into her eyes so she got the message. "Lupa, I want a fated mate."
She grinned. "Okay, okay, I get it. Stop staring at me like that, you're freaking me out."
I stopped staring at her.
"Do you think I'm too different to have one?" I asked.
Her eyes widened. "Too different to have a fated mate? No way."
I plucked a clover from the ground and fiddled with it. "How do you know?"