Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

C onleth had started the day with a long list of goals:

Win over Archie

Figure out how to help him get better control over his bear

Discover why Paige is so worried about his shifting

Solve all her problems, win her heart, and embark on a lifelong campaign to fulfill her every desire (starting with multiple orgasms)

By evening, this had been replaced with a single item:

Finish the summer with the same number of campers

Conleth was starting to think even that might be overly ambitious. If he could make it to the end of the day without any of the children falling to their doom, murdering each other, or running away, he was going to count it as a rousing success.

“Thanks, Conleth!” Nancy hopped out of his arms, returning to solid ground once more. She brushed at the fresh smudges on her camp t-shirt. “Wow, it sure is dusty up there.”

“I’m afraid the camp cleaning rota does not currently include the dining hall rafters.” Conleth closed the stepladder. “An oversight I am clearly going to have to rectify, if you’re going to keep inspecting them quite so closely.”

“Sorry.” Nancy looked sheepish, which was quite a feat for a goat. “I couldn’t help it. That bell at the end of dinner was really loud.”

“Yes,” Conleth said. “The camp bell is loud. It also rings at least six times per day. Please, please attempt to get used to it.”

“I’ll try,” Nancy said cheerfully. “Though my goat is kinda nervous at the best of times, let alone when we’re in a strange new place. Can I go join the others at the bonfire?”

Conleth had a brief vision of Nancy, a noisy crowd, and a large pit of open flames. “As long as you promise to stay more than twenty feet away from it at all times.”

Nancy trotted out of the dining hall. Conleth contemplated the stepladder, and decided against putting it away again. Instead, he took a brief detour to his office before heading back into the central square.

What with getting Nancy down from her latest inadvertent elevation, he’d missed the opening ceremony. The whole camp had gathered around the bonfire for Zephyr’s welcoming speech and the senior staff introductions. Now the crowd was breaking apart, separating back into individual packs.

It was easy to pick out his own group. They were the only campers who weren’t smiling.

Paige wasn’t smiling either. She hovered a little way off from the campers, the worried line in her forehead deeper than ever. When he joined her, she did not appear notably relieved.

“I take it they were not inspired by Zephyr’s usual speech about friendship and teamwork,” he murmured to her.

“Hetta kept bursting into tears, Ignatius looked like he might vomit, and Beth applauded after every sentence,” she muttered back. “It was all I could do to stop Archie from going on a full-on grizzly rampage. Conleth, we have to do something. This is a disaster.”

Surveying the scene, Conleth thought that ‘disaster’ was putting it mildly. While all the other packs of kids were happily chattering away, getting to know each other and their counselors, their own campers sat in frigid silence. Then again, given what Beth and Archie looked like they wanted to say to each other, this was possibly a blessing.

“Let me talk to them,” he said. “I think I can cheer them up.”

Paige gave him a deeply skeptical look. “How?”

“I’d like to claim they’re going to be won over by my irresistible charm.” He reached into his pocket. “Alas, it would be a lie.”

He went over to the kids. “Who wants some candy?”

Nancy perked up. “I thought candy wasn’t allowed on site.”

“Perks of being senior management. Former senior management,” he corrected himself. He handed her the bag of gummy bears. “I have issues with blood sugar crashes, so I always keep a secret stash in case of emergency. And no, I’m not telling you where. Take some and pass them on.”

As he’d hoped, most of the kids brightened at the prospect of contraband treats. Archie, however, did not. When Finley offered him the bag, he just turned his head, pointedly ignoring it.

“Don’t you want any?” Nancy asked, mouth full.

Archie’s jaw set. “I’m not hungry.”

“Archie, you’re always hungry.” With a hopeful smile, Finley shook the bag at the other boy, as if attempting to entice a feral cat. “Go on. You love candy.”

Archie folded his arms. “I don’t like this candy.”

“All the more for the rest of us, then,” Estelle said, snatching the bag from Finley. “At least there’s one good thing about having Conleth as our counselor—ow! Beth!”

“Thank you for the candy, Uncle Conleth,” Beth said loudly as she pulled the bag out of Estelle’s clutches. Taking a single piece for herself, she passed the rest on to Hetta. “See? I told you we’re lucky to have him as our pack leader. None of the other counselors brought treats for their campers.”

As none of the other counselors were having to bribe their campers to get them to speak to each other, Conleth did not feel this was a ringing endorsement of his leadership. Still, at least his painfully basic tactic had thawed the icy atmosphere a few degrees.

He folded himself onto one of the log benches, prudently selecting the space furthest away from Archie. “I thought we might take this opportunity to discuss our goals for the summer.”

“We all know your goal.” Archie glowered at him. “And I’m gonna make sure you don’t get it.”

“Archie.” Paige took a seat next to her brother. “Behave.”

“What do you mean, goals?” Nancy bit into a piece of candy, chewing as she spoke. “I thought this was summer camp, not summer school. Are we gonna get graded on our shifting or something?”

Hetta froze, a gummy bear halfway to her mouth. “What happens if we fail?”

“Don’t worry.” Finley patted her shoulder. “You can’t fail summer camp.”

Conleth was not so sure about this. He certainly felt that he was in danger of failing summer camp.

Nancy was still looking confused. “Then… why do we need goals? Aren’t we just here to have fun?”

“I thought we were,” Estelle said under her breath.

“You are going to have fun,” Conleth said, despite all the evidence to the contrary. “As your counselor, it’s my job to ensure that everyone enjoys the summer. But in order to do that, I need to understand your own personal aspirations. What you hope to get out of camp.”

“Is ‘getting out of it entirely’ an option?” Ignatius muttered.

Estelle rolled her eyes. “Oh, stop pretending you hate summer camp, Ig. We all know you love it, really.”

“I did,” Ignatius retorted. “ Last year. I have severe doubts about this one.”

Beth shot him a death glare.

“Don’t give me that look.” Ignatius sat back, folding his arms. “My uncle is one of the most powerful dragon shifters in the whole country. If he can’t intimidate me, you certainly can’t. It was painful enough watching you all obsess over our counselors’ personal lives last year. I flatly refuse to get involved in any further idiotic matchmaking attempts. Whatever you’re planning, leave me out of it.”

Ignatius, Conleth decided, was definitely his favorite camper.

“You are going to have fun,” Beth insisted, in a tone that added an unspoken Or else. “All of us will. This is going to be the best summer ever.”

“Why don’t we talk about all the camp activities?” Paige suggested, clearly hoping to avoid another argument. “There’s so much on offer here.”

Conleth seized on the opening. “Excellent idea. Let’s go round the circle, with everyone giving their top three activities. That way Paige and I can make sure the schedule suits everyone. Hetta, why don’t you start?”

Hetta promptly burst into tears.

And the prize for ‘Most spectacular insertion of his foot into his own mouth’ goes to… Conleth!

“I d-don’t want to d-do anything!” Hetta got out, in between sobs. “I didn’t even w-want to c-come to c-camp! I j-just want to go h-home!”

“Oh, sweetheart.” Paige moved to the girl’s other side, putting an arm around her. “Are you missing your family?”

Hetta nodded miserably. “It’s just me and m-my dad. I’ve n-never been a-away from my him before. Not even for a sleepover.”

“We’ll help you settle in.” Finley offered Hetta an encouraging smile, though Conleth noted he took care to conceal his teeth. “I bet that by the end of the summer, you’ll be making plans to come back next year.”

“That’s right,” Beth agreed. “Everyone falls in love with Camp Thunderbird.”

“Yeah, it’s really cool here,” Archie said earnestly. At least Hetta’s meltdown had made the kids forget their other differences. “You can shift all the time! Whenever you want!”

“Oh.” Hetta looked down at her hands. “Actually, I—I can’t shift.”

A flicker of motion caught Conleth’s attention. Rufus had been sitting next to Finley in his usual quiet, self-contained way, listening to everything without taking part. Now, however, he stared directly at Hetta, golden eyes narrowing.

“Hey, that’s no big deal,” Estelle was saying, oblivious to Rufus’s sudden interest. “You aren’t the only one. I haven’t had my first shift yet, and neither has Ig.”

“Why yes, go ahead,” Ignatius said to thin air. “Please, do share my most private, personal problems with everyone you meet. How thoughtful of you to ask my permission.”

Estelle stuck her tongue out at him. “Oh, come off it, Ig. It’s not like it’s a big secret.”

“And it’s nothing to be ashamed of, either,” Paige said firmly. With a final hug, she released Hetta. “Don’t worry about not being able to shift, sweetheart. You can still have fun at camp.”

“Just look at Paige,” Beth chipped in. “She isn’t even a shifter.”

Conleth was not sure this was a compelling argument. So far, he did not think Paige’s experience of camp could honestly be described as ‘fun.’

“Well, I wanted to come to camp,” Nancy announced. “And I know exactly what I want to do this summer.”

“That’s good, Nancy,” Conleth said, relieved that at least one camper was showing some genuine enthusiasm. “Go ahead.”

Nancy beamed at him. “Mountain climbing!”

Conleth looked at Paige, and found her looking back at him. It was perhaps the closest moment of shared sentiment he had yet experienced with his mate. Under other circumstances, he might have found it encouraging.

Paige cleared her throat. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to fit mountain climbing into the schedule, Nancy. There are so many fun things to do at camp, after all.”

“Capture the Flag,” Conleth suggested. “Basketball. Athletics.”

Nancy pulled a face. “Those sound boring.”

“Water polo,” Conleth extemporized wildly. “Ultimate Frisbee. Competitive rhythm gymnastics. Many other enriching activities that happen to require a completely flat, open environment.”

Nancy wrinkled her nose. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“Estelle has something she wants to do.” Beth jabbed her friend with an elbow. “Don’t you, Estelle?”

Conleth massaged his forehead. “Does it involve sheer cliffs?”

“No,” Estelle said, which was at least somewhat reassuring. “What I’d really, really like to do is… spreadsheets.”

There was a momentary pause.

“Spreadsheets,” Conleth repeated flatly.

“I am very interested in them.” Estelle looked like every word coming out of her mouth was causing her physical pain. “Please teach me everything you know about pivot tables.”

Inexplicably, Hetta perked up. “Can I learn about pivot tables?”

Conleth threw a desperate glance at Paige. “I swear I did not put them up to this.”

The look she gave him was rather longer and more thoughtful than before. “You know, I actually believe you on that one.”

Mercifully, the camp bell rang, killing any further chance of conversation. Leonie’s whistle cut through the air a second later.

“All right, campers,” the head counselor called, waving to attract everyone’s attention. “I hate to call an end to the evening’s fun, but it’s time you all got some rest. Tomorrow’s another busy day!”

Conleth sighed, and went to fetch the ladder.

By the time he’d returned Nancy to ground level, counselors were chivvying the last few kids toward the cabins. His own campers still lingered by the dying bonfire, though it was definitely not through any desire to extend a delightful evening. Beth and Archie had gone back to pointedly ignoring each other, Hetta was sniffling again, and Ignatius appeared to be mentally composing a long letter of complaint to his uncle.

“There you all are!” A girl from another pack bounced over to this tragic group. “Hi, everyone!”

“Hello, Flora,” Finley said, smiling in return. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Same here!” Flora hugged him, then Archie. She turned to Ig.

“Do not,” Ignatius said, “even think about it.”

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Flora punched Ig on the shoulder. “Isn’t it great to be back at Camp Thunderbird?”

“Yeah,” Archie said gloomily. “Great.”

“It’s a shame we aren’t in the same pack this year.” Flora turned to Estelle and Beth. “But we’re still sharing a cabin, at least. Guess what, Claire’s back too! And she’s brought some of her snow leopard cousins. They can’t change colors like she can, but they’re still lots of fun. Tomorrow, we’re all gonna shift together and explore the woods!”

“Flora,” Moira called from the path that led to the junior girls’ cabins. “The other girls are waiting for you.”

“I gotta go,” Flora said to the other kids. “Ragvald said that if we all got ready for bed quickly, he’d teach us how to sharpen an ax. Let’s catch up later, okay? I’ve got so much to tell you!”

Estelle gazed wistfully after Flora. “ We could have been sharpening axes.”

“I think some of us already are,” Ignatius muttered.

“Go join the other girls,” Conleth told Nancy. “Paige will take you to your cabin. Please make a determined effort to stay in it. I’ve already had to replace that roof once.”

Paige had pulled Leonie aside for a low, urgent conversation, their backs to the campers. Conleth could guess the topic.

“Please, Leonie,” Paige was saying as Conleth joined the pair. “This isn’t fair to the kids.”

“I can’t change the pack assignments now,” Leonie replied. “Look, give your campers a little time. It’s only the first day.”

“Yes,” Conleth said. “Just imagine how much they’ll hate each other by the end of the week. Paige is right, Leonie. Punish me however you like, but don’t drag the children into it.”

“Why, Conleth, I haven’t even begun to punish you yet.” Leonie turned back to Paige. “You aren’t on cabin duty tonight. Come find me at the senior staff bonfire after you’ve put the kids to bed, okay? I have so many stories to tell you. Some of them involving apples.”

“I deeply regret touching your clipboard,” Conleth said to Leonie. “I am very, very sorry.”

She gave him a sweet smile. “Not as sorry as you will be.”

Paige looked between them. “What’s this about apples?”

“We do not speak of the apple story. At least, some of us don’t.” Conleth grimaced in resignation. “Let me guess. I’m on cabin duty tonight.”

“Oh, Conleth. When will you learn not to underestimate me?” Leonie raised her voice so that her words carried clearly across the square. “Of course you aren’t on cabin duty tonight. You can meet up with Paige at the romantic, adult-only bonfire. Just as soon as all your campers are in bed.”

Thanks to his pegasus senses, Conleth did not need to turn around. He did so anyway.

Archie’s expression was pure, malevolent glee.

Behind him, Leonie let out a happy sigh. “ Now you’re being punished.”

An hour later, Conleth had his arm down a toilet.

“I don’t know what happened,” Archie said from behind him. “It just started spewing water everywhere.”

Conleth stared at the ceiling, trying to pretend his right hand belonged to someone else. “How odd that such a malfunction would spontaneously occur in your presence, Archie.”

“It’s a mystery,” Archie agreed serenely.

Conleth’s fingertips brushed something soft, soggy, and revolting. With a twist of his wrist, he extracted a sock.

“That could be anyone’s,” Archie said quickly.

“Indeed.” Conleth handed him the dripping sock, as the toilet basin gurgled and began to drain at last. “Then if you happen to meet someone else who has lost a junior-sized blue sock patterned with orange paw prints, perhaps you could give this to them. Now go wash your hands. Thoroughly.”

With a parting glare, Archie slunk out of the cubicle, leaving Conleth to the unpleasant task of mopping up the puddle. Still, it could have been far worse. At least it hadn’t occurred to Archie to use the toilet first.

He flushed the toilet one last time to make sure it was working again, then went to join his campers. The boys from all the other packs had long since finished in the washroom and left for their cabins. Only Finley, Ignatius, and Rufus still remained at the long row of sinks.

Turning on the water, Conleth started soaping his right arm up to the shoulder. “Hurry up and brush your teeth, Archie. It’s meant to be lights out in five minutes.”

“I forgot my toothbrush,” Archie informed him.

Conleth sighed. “Of course you did.”

“You can have one of mine, Archie,” Finley offered. “Don’t worry, I have plenty spare. Shark shifters get through a lot of toothbrushes.”

Archie shot Finley a look that clearly said: Traitor.

“Is everyone else ready for bed?” Conleth asked the rest of the boys.

“Some of us were ready an hour ago,” Ignatius muttered. “Can I please go fall into merciful oblivion for eight hours? Or even better, the rest of the summer?”

“I wanted to have a private word with you first, Ignatius.” Conleth checked in with his pegasus to make sure none of the boys from other packs were lingering within earshot. “About Paige.”

Archie, who was now brushing his teeth with extreme resentment, stiffened.

“What about her?” Ignatius pulled a face, lip curling. “I warn you, if you’re about to beg me to play Cupid, I’m going to lie face-down in the shower and attempt to drown myself.”

“It’s nothing to do with the fact that she’s my mate.” The last thing Conleth wanted to do was discuss that with any of the children. “It’s about what else she is. Or to be more accurate, isn’t.”

“Ah.” Ignatius’s wary expression shifted into understanding. “You’re concerned about my uncle finding out that she isn’t a shifter.”

Rufus cocked his head. Like Archie, his mouth was full of toothpaste, but that was no impediment for someone who didn’t use his voice to talk.

* But non-shifters are allowed at Camp Thunderbird now.* As a fellow mythic shifter, Conleth could hear Rufus’s telepathic words as clearly as if the boy was speaking them aloud. *Your uncle agreed it was okay.*

“Only because Buck would have fried him with lighting if he hadn’t,” Ignatius replied. Even though the boy couldn’t shift yet, he was still a dragon, and thus able to pick up on Rufus’s telepathy as well. “And believe me, he’s still furious about the whole business. He only let me come back to camp this year because my mom persuaded him the other dragon clan leaders would start asking embarrassing questions if he didn’t. Everyone knows he’s put a lot of money in this place.”

“He has indeed,” Conleth said. “And, speaking as the camp’s former manager, it would be awkward if anything made Lord Golden reconsider his generosity.”

“What do you think I am, an idiot?” Ignatius rolled his eyes. “If he knew one of my counselors this year was some random human, he’d fly here to fetch me home himself. Of course I’m not going to tell him.”

Conleth let out his breath. He could have easily funded the camp with his own personal wealth—though it would have taken some creative accountancy to avoid Zephyr catching on—but the camp still needed Lord Golden’s goodwill. The dragon had an immense amount of social power in the shifter community. It would be all too easy for him to destroy the camp’s reputation.

“I hate having to ask you to keep this to yourself,” he said. “I realize it puts you in an awkward position.”

Ignatius shrugged. “Sometimes it’s better if he doesn’t know things. I haven’t told my uncle there’s a wyrm here, either. Now that really would make him go nuclear.”

“Why?” Finley asked curiously. “The wyrms have been isolated on their hidden island for centuries. I know they warred with dragons in the past, but I thought that was all ancient history.”

“It probably is ancient history.” Ignatius didn’t sound all that concerned. “If there’s one thing my family is good at, it’s holding a grudge. I expect some wyrm stole a copper coin from my great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather’s hoard, and my uncle is still fuming about it. Anyway, you don’t need to worry about him. I know how to keep a secret.”

“I appreciate your discretion.” Conleth dried his hands. He would really have liked to disinfect the entire surface of his skin with bleach, but it would have to do for now. “That’s enough brushing, Archie. Stop dawdling.”

“Why?” Archie said indistinctly. He was giving such careful attention to each individual tooth, it was a wonder he wasn’t wearing holes in his enamel. “Got somewhere to be?”

“Yes, and so do you.” In a blur of speed, Conleth plucked the toothbrush from the boy’s fingers. “You know perfectly well that you’re supposed to be in your cabin.”

Archie spat out a mouthful of toothpaste. “I need to floss.”

“Archie,” Conleth said levelly. “Before you answer my next question, may I remind you that Rufus is standing right next to you. Don’t think I won’t ask him whether you’re telling the truth. Have you ever flossed before in your entire life?”

“No.” Archie ran his tongue thoughtfully across his upper teeth. “But this seems a great time to start.”

Conleth sighed again. “Much as I applaud this sudden commitment to dental hygiene, it’s time for bed. Now come along.”

Ignoring all further protests, he forcibly herded his campers back to the cabin they shared with the boys from three other junior packs. Most of the kids were already snuggled in their bunks, eyes drifting closed despite their best efforts to stay awake and talk. By the time Conleth got Archie into his pajamas—an experience remarkably like attempting to gift-wrap an octopus—the dormitory was silent but for the occasional sleepy murmur.

“There.” With a fleeting wish that there was a roll of duct tape to hand, Conleth tucked Archie into bed. “Now, promise you’ll be nice to whichever unlucky counselor is on cabin duty tonight. Dragging innocent civilians into a conflict is against the Geneva Convention.”

Archie rolled over without responding, showing him his back.

Well, that wasn’t exactly encouraging. Still, Archie was a good kid at heart. No matter how fixated he was on making Conleth’s life a living hell, he wouldn’t take out his resentment on other people.

Switching off the light, Conleth headed down the hall to the counselors’ rooms. Leonie had, of course, thoughtfully made sure to assign him the smallest one. The tiny space was barely big enough for a narrow bed and a couple of shelves.

After an exciting day of unblocking toilets and fetching goats off roofs, his staff t-shirt was decidedly worse for wear. Pulling it over his head, he quickly changed it for a fresh one, then fixed his hair as best as he could manage with only a limited selection of his usual products. The end result was far from perfect, but it would have to do.

That took care of his physical appearance. Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he was ready to be seen in public. He’d done his best to restrict his use of his talent today, but early evening was always a dangerous time. He couldn’t risk Paige seeing him at anything less than his absolute best.

He waited, tapping his fingers with increasing agitation, until his watch finally beeped. With the ease of long practice, he dry-swallowed his meds, letting himself speed for a moment to hasten the effect.

The band of tension around his temples eased. Now he was ready.

The junior girl’s cabin wasn’t far from this one. Stretching out with his pegasus sense, he found the faint glimmer of Paige’s life-spark. To his relief, she seemed to be in her own room. There was still time to intercept her before?—

“CONLETH!”

Of course it wasn’t going to be that easy.

He went back to the boys’ dorm. “What is it, Archie?”

The boy sat up in his bunk. “I gotta go to the bathroom.”

Conleth restrained an urge to bang his head against the nearest wall. “Archie, we just got back from the bathroom.”

“Well, I need to go again,” Archie informed him. “I need to go real bad.”

“Perhaps you should have actually used the toilet,” Ignatius muttered from the bunk above.

Conleth sighed yet again. “Fine, Archie. You can go to the bathroom.”

Archie slid out of bed. “All by myself?”

“Of course,” Conleth started, and then pictured the likely result of this. “Not.”

“I can go with Archie,” Finley volunteered.

“That’s all right, Finley.” Conleth was starting to regret that the budget hadn’t stretched to full plumbing for every cabin. “Archie, put your shoes on. I’ll take you.”

Dusk had turned to full evening by now, but the moon shed more than enough light for shifter eyes. Conleth let the way back to the washroom.

He held up a hand at the door, stopping Archie from entering. “I don’t like making mistakes. I therefore strive not to make the same one twice. Give me your socks.”

Archie scowled, but handed them over. He stalked into a cubicle, slamming the door behind him.

Conleth propped himself against a sink. “I know what you’re doing, you realize.”

“I wish I was doing it on you,” Archie muttered from inside the cubicle.

At least that meant Archie was using the toilet for its intended purpose. He hoped.

“You’re trying to protect your sister. I’d do the same thing in your shoes. Or socks.” In fact, at Archie’s age, he would likely have done far worse. “You think I’m an arrogant, uptight, sarcastic jerk.”

A defiant flush. “You are a jerk.”

“I don’t blame you for disliking me. Especially not after I attempted to deceive you. I’m sorry for that, not that I expect you to accept my apology. And I understand why you think I wouldn’t be a good mate for your sister.” God knew he hadn’t provided much evidence to the contrary. “But no matter your opinion of me, we do have one thing in common. We both care about Paige.”

“ I care about her,” Archie shot back. “You only care that she’s your mate.”

“Being someone’s mate doesn’t mean wanting to possess someone. It means giving your mate what they need, even if they don’t know what that is. Being what they need. And right now, perhaps what your sister needs is an arrogant jerk. One who’ll insist on helping her with her problems, whether she likes it or not. Archie, why does Paige want you to learn to control your bear this summer?”

“What?” From Archie’s startled tone, he hadn’t expected the abrupt topic change. “What do you mean?”

“It’s something she let slip after she found out I was her mate. She’s gone to great lengths to make sure you could come to camp, and she’s clearly determined that nothing should distract you while you’re here. Why is that?”

“Because she hates my bear,” Archie said sulkily. “She’s always nagging me about my shifting. Even at home.”

“She doesn’t hate your animal.” Conleth was certain Paige loved her little brother without reservation, even when he was driving her up the wall. “But that’s not my point. Paige didn’t just tell me that you had to learn not to shift so often. She said this summer . Specifically.”

This time, the silence stretched out even longer.

Just as he was wondering if the boy would reply at all, the cubicle door opened a crack. Archie peered through the gap; mouth still set in that stubborn scowl, but a new worry lurking about his eyes.

“Paige said that?” Archie asked.

“In those exact words,” Conleth confirmed. “She’s deeply worried about something, Archie. So what happens at the end of summer?”

“I dunno.” From the way Archie’s eyebrows knotted, he really didn’t. “I mean, Paige and I go back home. And school starts, I guess.”

He shook his head. “I don’t think that can be it.”

“Why not?”

“Because that’s the reason Paige told me.” He gave Archie a considering look. “ Are you having trouble at school?”

Archie’s shoulders hunched a little. “I’m always in trouble at school.”

That was no surprise. Conleth couldn’t imagine that a typical educational establishment would be the right environment for someone as energetic and impulsive as Archie—even without the added complication of his shifting.

“A lot of shifters have trouble with school.” He nearly added I did , but he doubted Archie would appreciate the comparison. “It must be hard, trying to stop yourself from shifting for that long.”

“Yeah.” Archie went over to a sink, starting to wash his hands. “I was nearly caught a few times. But that was last year. I don’t see why Paige would still be worrying about it.”

Conleth could, though he also didn’t think it could explain all of Paige’s agitation. “How do you manage your bear at school? You don’t seem to have much control over it here at camp.”

“I don’t have to control it here,” Archie said, reasonably enough. “I don’t get why Paige is so stressed about my shifting. I’m not stupid. I’m real careful not to get caught in public. But she acts like I should stay human all the time, even at home. She doesn’t understand what it’s like.”

“I’m sure Paige tries to understand,” Conleth said. “And I’m also certain she wouldn’t be this concerned about your bear without very good reason. Is there something else going on at home? Anything at all, even if it seems unrelated to your shifting?”

He instantly knew that there was. Over the past few minutes, Archie had been relaxing little by little, as if forgetting he was talking to his worst enemy. Now, however, all his former hostility came roaring back.

“No.” Archie pushed past him, going over to dry his hands. “And it’s none of your business, anyway.”

“I’m your sister’s mate.” He finally felt that he was on the right track, though he still had no idea where it could be leading. “Any problem she has is my business. And it’s clear from your reaction that there is something wrong.”

“We’re fine,” Archie said curtly. “At least we were until you showed up.”

“I don’t think that’s true, Archie. And perhaps why fate brought us together this summer. So I can help.”

“We don’t want your help!” Archie whirled on him, fists clenching. “Paige doesn’t want you. None of us want you! So why can’t you just butt out?”

“Because I’m a jerk.” Conleth met the boy’s furious gaze, not backing down. “The sort of jerk who can’t stand back and do nothing when he discovers a problem.”

“You’re right,” Archie spat. “You are a jerk. You don’t deserve my sister, and I’m gonna make sure she sees that. You’re not taking her away. Nobody’s taking her away! Not ever!”

Archie charged blindly out of the washroom, dropping to all fours as he went. Angry paws thundered away, heading back to the cabin.

His pegasus gave him a mental nudge. He needs us. They both do.

I know , he replied silently. I just wish I understood why.

He followed Archie, scooping up the boy’s scattered clothing. One thing was clear, at least.

He was going to need a plan.