"They were," Derek says quietly. It's hard to talk about his family, but he's proud of where he came from. "My whole family was, aside from my aunt and two cousins."

He wouldn't have told Thomas the truth if he wasn't prepared for questions. He's heard them all, in some way or another, and Thomas hasn't done anything yet that has offended Derek. He reacted about as well as could be expected. Better, even. Derek feels himself relaxing slightly, watching Thomas as the sun warms his bare shoulders. "Wolves are born, or they're made with a bite from an alpha."