I followed the voice up to a branch in a nearby oak.Virgil was lying naked on a large bough, one foot propped against the trunk and the other in an adjacent branch.
Tak put his hands on his hips.“I have lots of jokes.Plenty to tell at your funeral.Your wolf was out of control.Her tiger could’ve eaten you for lunch.”
He laced his fingers over his stomach.“Virgil Nightingale is always in control.I was just mellowing out the scene.Everyone was getting hysterical.”
Tak gave me a curt nod.“It went well.Our animals feed off our own instincts.If you trust us, so will she.But when the child came running in, everyone went batshit crazy.You can’t do that in front of an animal when they’re going through introductions.I warned her to stay inside.”
“She’s a kid.”I gave an imperceptible smile.“Pretty brave to run up to a tiger like that.Well, I’m relieved nobody was hurt.Was I able to meet Cici’s mare?That was my biggest concern.Horses are so easily spooked.”
“We’ll do that another day.We’ve lost the light.”Tak glanced over his shoulder at the barn.“You also need to meet my horse.She was raised around wolves, so I’m not sure how she’ll warm up to a tiger—especially one your size.”
“We can arrange it so they won’t interact if that makes you feel better.My animal prefers being out at night anyhow.Besides, my cat would never hurt her.She actually likes horses.Not for dinner, of course.”
He dipped his chin.“What does she hunt?”
I laughed softly.“If I eat before a shift, she doesn’t hunt at all.If she does, it’s small prey like rabbits or squirrels.She knows the difference between Shifters and natural animals—same as you, I guess.We don’t eat our own kind.”
“Speaking of eating,” Lucian began, “I’ve got chocolate in the house.I’ll feed you.”
I put my arms around his waist.“Thank you, baby.”
Tak stepped back.“Well, I’ll leave you two alone.Don’t get too loud out here,” he said with a chuckle.Striding back to the house, Tak waved.“See you in the morning!”
Lucian briefly admired the way my curly hair was always in perfect form after a shift.“Are you sure you don’t want me to help?”
“This is the last night in my house, so it’s kind of sad and special.My father’s already nervous enough about staying here.He’s only met you and Tak.”
“Trust me, he’ll fit in.”
I let go and stepped back to search for my clothes, which someone had neatly folded on the patio steps.We crossed the lawn so I could get dressed.
After zipping up my skirt, I gathered my heels in my hands.“It’ll be nice to have one more night to ourselves.Is his room ready?”
Lucian had moved everything out of his old bedroom and set it up for my father.Along with an adjustable bed and comfy chair, he mounted a large TV in there.Although Tak preferred everyone watching television together, he made exceptions for my father since he was elderly.I painted it a cheery yellow and hung pictures of our family and a few paintings from the house to make it feel like home.Lucian and I had chosen a room upstairs.
Lucian shepherded me around the side of the house toward the garage.“Everything’s set up.Mel even put a snack station in there.”
I snorted.“That’s the last thing he needs.”
“Healthy snacks.Stuff he can chew.Does he have teeth?I never noticed.”
I elbowed him in the ribs.“You are messy.I only have a few things left to pack up in the car, including his medicine, walker, and the rest of our clothes.After I bring him over in the morning, I’ll go back and do a final walk-through.Connor said I could leave behind the bed and anything I didn’t want, so that makes it easy.”
“I’ll come with you and help.Let me grab my clothes.”
“I think my dad would rather us have this last night alone.It’s the end of a chapter.You can come back with me in the morning if you want, but I’d rather you be there to help my dad settle in.”
Seeing my empty home had brought unexpected sadness.Though excited for my new life, I was crestfallen too.I’d purchased that house with so many hopes and dreams.Memories of laughter echoed in the hollow spaces where my father and I once sat and shared memories or a game of checkers.
After moving my father out of the basement, he’d been sleeping in the second bedroom.Because Lucian and Krys collected my bed yesterday, that meant I would be sharing a bed with my father tonight.But I had an urge to let my cat shift on the property one last time, just to let her know that it would no longer be our territory anymore.
Lucian hooked his arms around me from behind and rested his head on my shoulder.“I can’t promise I’ll stay in bed all night.”
I turned around.“What?”
He shrugged.“I have insomnia.You make me feel calm, but there might be nights I have to get out of bed and walk around.”
A smile touched my lips.“And I wake up to let my tiger roam.”
