In a swirl of Shifter magic, my father morphed into his beautiful tiger.I hadn’t seen him in years.His dark eyes were duller than I remembered, but he was still magnificent.Dark stripes marked his orange-and-white coat, the unique patterns around his eyes giving him an expressive appearance.
I crouched in front of him and stroked his neck while he licked me with his rough tongue.“Take care of each other.”
After stroking his nose and memorizing his face with my hands, I forced myself to finally let go and give him the goodbye that he needed.He could always change his mind and wander back, but for him, this was more honorable than dying in a bed, imprisoned by walls.My father could remember his entire shift, so he would be in the sunshine or moonlight, surrounded by Mother Nature.I wasn’t sure if he would die in animal or human form, but at least for now, his tiger would take on the suffering.
As he swung his head and glanced at the pack, he ambled alongside the pasture fence at a slow gait until he disappeared through the distant trees.Every step he took felt like a permanent footprint on my heart, but in those final moments, I reflected on our life together.The laughter, the love, the stories and the trips.He’d truly lived a blessed life.Not a perfect one, but he did the very best he could and lived longer than most could ever dream.
The pack stood alongside the fence and watched.Others came over and gave me long hugs with comforting words.
Catcher loped behind my father at a safe distance, and I knew he would keep an eye on him.
“My people have a similar custom,” Tak remarked.“Mostly it’s the old ones who like to go that way.We may resist leaving this world, but our animals know when it’s time.He’ll walk with his ancestors until they shepherd him to the next life.”
Lucian put his arm around me.“I think your tiger should go out tonight and find him.She needs closure too, doesn’t she?”
That made me feel miles better.My cat hadn’t seen his in a long time, and that might’ve contributed to my difficulty in letting go.
She wanted out—she wanted to say goodbye to her father.
“You must,” Tak agreed.“When your tiger finds peace with it, so will you.Tomorrow morning will feel different than it does now.Hurt less.”
Hope joined us and handed the baby to Tak.“I think you should go to him now.Let them roam together one last night.”
I nodded, grateful for their understanding and support.My father’s ways were deeply rooted in his tribal customs, which were often vastly different from how young Shifters lived.But when I put myself in his shoes, I could see why he’d chosen this ending.I kept thinking that one more day or week or month or year with me wouldn’t hurt, but maybe it did.
With haste, I shifted into my animal and roared—a call that sought out my father like a beacon.In the distance, a weaker roar sounded as my father summoned me to join him.
Chapter30
Three days had passed since my father left.My tiger walked with him on the first night, and Tak was right.The next morning, I woke up with peace in my heart.
The first day without him was incredibly hard.I stayed indoors, surrounded by my pack, who rearranged their schedules to be home.Bear made me comfort food, Mercy cuddled with me on the sofa while I stared vacantly at theLord of the Ringstrilogy playing on the TV.Between Virgil and Montana, I always had someone’s wolf at my side.Even Krys, who wasn’t a conversationalist, handled a few small work errands on my behalf.
I’d known this pack was strong, but it wasn’t until my father left that I realized how blessed I was.They were more than family—they were my friends.When I was down, they lavished me with love and support.They didn’t leave the consoling to Lucian alone.
Although I wanted to search for my father in the nights that followed, my tiger refused to come out.She had said her goodbyes and understood the importance of letting go.
Lucian and I were the last ones remaining at the dinner table.We opened a bottle of red wine and were sitting beside each other, talking about life and what came next.
“How long is Cleo going to stay in her room?”I asked.“It’s not healthy.I went up there this afternoon and painted her nails, but she needs to come out and be a part of this house.”
“She’snota part of this house,” Lucian said matter-of-factly.He turned sideways in his chair to face me.“She belongs to another family and doesn’t want to get attached.She’s also traumatized and a little scared of us.Well, some more than others.I can scent what she won’t tell everyone.They’re still searching for her family, so she’s in a state of limbo.It might be easier for her not to get attached to us.It’ll just make it harder when she leaves.”
“She should at least come down for meals.”
“This isn’t her pack.Wolves consider eating a sacred space for bonding, and she knows that.It’s not because we’re being dicks, but we’re not going to drag her down against her will.”
There were deep-seated customs beyond my understanding for each animal type.There was much to learn from a wolf pack.
I finished my wine and set the empty glass on the table.“Maybe it’s time to make some tough decisions about what to do with her.The longer she stays up there… Well, I can’t imagine that’s good for anyone’s mental health.She could live with a family.”
“For adoption?”He scoffed.“Couples want babies.You hardly ever see anyone taking in teens.That’s why they still have Breed orphanages, and that’s no place for young.”
“Maybe I can help speed up the search.”
Lucian abruptly put his arms around me and gave me a soulful hug.
Talking about everyone else’s problems diverted attention away from my own, but I hadn’t felt right all day.This morning was the first time we didn’t hear my father’s tiger roar, and you can hear a tiger up to two miles away.I thought maybe we’d missed it, but when dusk greeted us with silence, Tak sent a search party.
