Stormwolf Summer (Shifter Cub Camp Book 1) by Zoe Chant

Author:Zoe Chant [Chant, Zoe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

Later in the afternoon—after a lengthy, mostly one-sided conversation with the rest of the pack, in which Honey had let them know in no uncertain terms what she thought of their behavior—Honey slipped into the boys’ dorm. She hesitated outside Ignatius’s door, then knocked.

“Ignatius?” she called. “It’s Honey. May I come in?”

No answer.

Well, that wasn’t a ‘no.’ Deciding that was all the invitation she was likely to get, Honey went in.

She hadn’t seen Ignatius’s room before. In general layout, it was almost identical to her own—which made sense, since it was intended to be a counselor’s room. Unlike her, he hadn’t decorated, unless you counted scattered piles of musty clothes as ‘decorated.’ Campers were supposed to keep their living space neat, but Ignatius was clearly used to having other people tidy up after him.

Ignatius himself sat on his bed, knees drawn up to his chin. As she walked in, he thrust something under the bedsheets. She got the briefest glimpse of worn red fur and a button eye before the stuffed toy disappeared. The boy scowled at her, as though daring her to comment.

“If you’re here to tell me you’re very disappointed in me, you can save your breath,” he muttered. “Believe me, I’ve heard it all before.”

“That’s not why I’m here.” Leaving the door open behind her, Honey perched on the end of the bed. “I thought you might need to talk.”

Ignatius drew his feet further away from her. “What good would that do?”

“I don’t know. Maybe nothing. But not talking isn’t working, is it? You tried to keep a big secret, and it came out anyway.”

Ignatius picked at his sheet, not looking at her.

“You don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. But I think you should talk to someone.”

No answer.

The room wasn’t quite devoid of personal possessions. There was a single framed picture on the nightstand; a blonde woman, her arms wrapped tight around a boy. Honey almost didn’t recognize Ignatius, even though it had to be a recent picture. She’d never seen him smile.

“Is that your mom?” she asked. She’d never heard Ignatius mention anyone other than his uncle. “You look very happy together.”

One-shouldered shrug.

“Do you miss her?”

“She’s not dead,” he muttered at the sheet. “If that’s what you’re really asking.”

“Would you like to talk to her? You are allowed to call home, you know.”

“She’s away.” Ignatius knocked the picture frame over, hiding the photo. “She has to go away a lot. Important clan business. For my uncle.”

“That must be lonely for you.”

Another shrug. He still hadn’t looked at her.

“You guessed before this, didn’t you?” he said abruptly.

“I had my suspicions,” she admitted. “I noticed you avoided shifting with the other kids. But I wasn’t certain. Does your uncle know?”

Ignatius’s mouth twisted bitterly. “Why do you think he made me come to this stupid camp? To learn how to make campfires and idiotic friendship bracelets?”

“I can understand his reasons for sending you here,” Honey said gently. “And I can understand why you didn’t want any of the other campers to know.

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