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underneath.  “I would love to relax and gab with you for hours, learn everything there is to know about Rachel, but if you don’t pick up what I teach you fast, I doubt you will live. I love Bastien. Something big is brewing between you two and I won’t let his loss be on my hands. We need to get to work.”  Madalaina slides back into the effervescent girl in a blink.  “You’re about to get a crash course in all things shape shifter. To my knowledge no human has ever been told so much without already having a Therian mate. You’re unique.”
    Madalaina talks for the next three hours. Therians descend from Cain, as in biblical Cain and Abel. Therianthropy is a curse inflicted upon Cain for killing Abel. Act like an animal become an animal. The local shape shifter community consists of wolves, vipers, grizzlies, and one lion. Taka, the dragon I met in the tank, is a whole different creature Madalaina says. A handful of dragons remain in the city as foreign dignitaries. Dragos, the proper name for the dragons, were cursed as well, but by the Fae. Madalaina wouldn’t say much more about the Fae other than they’re not friendly. She tells me if I want to know more about the Fae, I can ask Winter the bartender I met at Lune Rouge.
    After the history lesson, she broke down the hierarchy. At the very top is the Alpha Prime. He rules over each shape shifter without exception. The alpha of all alphas. Usually that sort of strength runs in families, but it is not unheard of for someone outside the bloodline to challenge. Claude was the current Prime. He had expected Athan to lead after him, but with his disappearance it was unclear who would succeed him. Madalaina said Bastien is far too laid back to be Prime. I think she’s wrong. The Bastien I met is pretty intense.
    Beyond the Prime, is the Elite. The warriors. They’re the strongest and fastest. Betas follow, a class of average citizens. Children, elderly, injured, or impaired individuals are considered Omegas. They’re protected and taken care of. Human mates occasionally happen, though it is discouraged. They fall in the omega class as impaired.
    Turning a person into a shifter is outlawed and punishable by death unless you have permission from the Prime. Humans live as long as their spouse in a mated pair, so most couples didn’t bother. The problem with turning a human is they cannot control their shift during the full moon.
    According to the law, fighting is allowed only in front of the Prime or council. Unsanctioned fights required enough eyewitnesses to convince the council it was unavoidable or face retribution. An injured party could request the council issue a Weregild or man price, paid in possessions and flesh. Weregilds are a severe consequence as they’re capable of bankrupting or even being a death sentence.
    Madalaina guides me to her bedroom upstairs to find sufficient clothes. She’s quite a few inches taller and slimmer than me, so pants are out. She draws out a white dress with sparkly little crystals on the front from her closet. The dress belongs in a club, not a courtroom. I glance at Madalaina askance.
    “Try it,” she responds.  “I know it’s not ideal, but white will help you seem innocent, everything else I own is a bad idea. I buy my clothing to drive Adele crazy.”  She insouciantly falls on her stomach across the bed.
    “Who is Adele?”
    “Mother dearest. Athan disappeared when I was fifteen. She stopped being a devoted mother and decided her remaining children were not as important as the golden boy. Mother and I aren’t on speaking terms, at least civilly, most of the year.”
    I did the math in my head; if she were fifteen when Athan disappeared that would make her at minimum twenty years old now.
    I study myself in the mirror, the dress does look nice on me. I don’t have much as much to work with as Madalaina in the chest department. The straps are about an inch wide, and the hem hits mid-thigh. Blessed with a