I gasped as Noah changed right in front of my eyes. One moment, I was holding a human baby - the next, a small, chubby dragon. His hair disappeared, replaced by shiny black scales and tiny nubs where his horns would grow in. His hands became clawed, although right now they were soft and dull. A short tail sprouted out from his bum, and it thrashed as Noah fussed inmygrip.
“Okay, okay,” I mumbled. “You want down,Iknow.”
“Look at that!” Anton cried excitedly. “He’s alreadyshifting!”
“His colors are just beautiful,” Rubyadded.
She was right. His head was dark, iridescent black like Dante’s scales. Down his shoulders, there was a gradient that faded from black to a dark green, like holly leaves, then a warm, spring-time green, like the fresh buds of spring. He was the most gorgeous thing I’deverseen.
“He’s standing!” Lorenzoexclaimed.
True, I was holding onto his clawed little hands so he wouldn’t fall, but Noah stood on his own hind legs. I guessed dragon babies really didgrowfast.
Suddenly, Noah yanked his hands out of my grip so fast I didn’t have time to react. I gasped - he fell forward. Dante and I both lunged for him at thesametime.
But when Noah’s front feet hit the floor, they were paws. He landed cleanly on allfourpaws.
Wolfpaws.
I nearly passed out. I groaned in exasperation. “Gods, this boy is gonna send me to an earlygrave!”
“Would you look at that,” Anton murmured happily. “Twoinone!”
“That’s my boy!” Dante cried. He shifted into his wolf and nuzzled his son, who yipped happily at him. Noah had the same dark fur as his dad, but his eyes were fierce amberlikemine.
“What’s next,” I asked with a sigh. “Is he gonna start spewing fire like you, too,Dante?”
Dante chuffed. “Let’s hope not. At least not until he’s old enough to control himself. As much as I want him to be skilled in magic, I don’t want my house setonfire.”
“That reminds me, Gabriel,” Ryu said. “How’s the barrier at Stoneheart packholdingup?”
“It’s great, actually,” I told him. “After the whole thing went down and the dust cleared, we decided to send a few scouts went back to see how they wereholdingup.”
“They gave them a bunch of cell phones and taught them how to use ‘em,” Danteadded.
“Yes. My friend Otis calls me regularly, bless him,” I said. “He says the pack is doing better than ever, and the barrier hasn’tfalteredonce.”
Anton looked pleased. “So the humans don’t bother themanymore?”
“Nope, they haven’t shown their faces since a bunch of their raiders turned to dust,” I said. “Actually, as morbid as it sounds, I think some of Stoneheart’s alphas put a couple of the statues outside the barrier as a warning. I don’t think they’ll be attacking anytime soon, ifatall.”
“Serves them right,” Dantemuttered.
“I should let Scar know,” Ryu said. “Even though he doesn’t want to return, I think he would be gladtoknow.”
I nodded, thinking about all Scar - Loni - had gone through versus the life he built for himself here. “I thinkso,too.”
Ryu sighed. “I wish I could have seen it! Still, it makes me proud as your teacher to know you accomplished such a feat. You’re amazing,Gabriel.”
“Well, Dante and Lorenzo helped,” I said,blushing.
“Yes, but the final touch was yours,” Lorenzoadded.
I couldn’t argue with that. The effects of the earth magic were mine alone. I puffed up my chest inpride.
“Making barriers, doing magic, creating beautiful kids,” Dante said. Back in human form, he put his arm around me and kissed my cheek. “Is there anything youcan’tdo?”
I smirked and kissed him back. “I guess you’ll have to spend the rest of your life with me andfindout.”
He laughed. “That’stheplan.”
