I smiled at her exuberance. “Me and Nishiki are grown-ups, that’s why,” I explained. “We miss each other when we’re apart, but it’s no big deal if we’re apart for a while. You love your dads, right?”
“Yeah!” Lupa cried.
“You still love them if you go to play with Red. You know they’re going to be there when you go home,” I said. “Make sense?”
Lupa nodded. “Yup. Thanks, Uncle Nero!” With that, she bounded away to go catch up with the fox and his gaggle of furry minions.
Remington turned to me. “Speaking of Nishiki, why don’t we go visit him and Dr. Pine? There’s a lot to tell them. Plus, I’m sure they’d be just as excited to hear about the baby.”
He was right. I’d been so busy relaxing in the grove that it hadn’t even crossed my mind yet. Between meeting my fated mateandmy father, plus having a baby on the way, my family was in for a huge surprise.
“Okay, but only if you come with me,” I said, licking my lips as my eyes raked over his body. “I want to show you off.”
“Are you sure it’s not that Nishiki won’t believe you if you show up single-handedly?” Remington teased.
I replied by lifting him off his feet and dipping him low to kiss him before he could run his mouth anymore.
17
Remington
A familiar mixof calm and excitement washed over me as we approached Dr. Pine’s little cavern in the canyon. In some ways it was my home away from home, a place I always felt safe, and it was all thanks to Nero’s mother. She’d taken care of me even when I was a scraggly, aggressive stray wolf all those years ago. I hoped I could repay her kindness by being her son’s fated mate.
Nero walked to the edge of the steps leading up to Dr. Pine’s house. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called out, “Yo, Nishiki! You there?”
A moment later a golden head peered out from over the top of the canyon. I couldn’t see it from my angle, but I knew Nishiki was still in the water. Dr. Pine had painstakingly dug out a pair of ponds—one freshwater and one saltwater—for her sons upon their return. She’d known they were fish shifters even before they did. Her relationship with Nautilus must have given her a scrap of magic no one else would ever comprehend.
“Nero?” Nishiki said, sounding surprised. “You’re back already?”
“You’re too far away to talk properly. Come down here,” Nero called.
Nishiki whined. “But Ijuststarted soaking. My skin’s so dry.”
Rolling his eyes, Nero said, “You can soak later. I have stuff to tell you.”
“Can’t you just come up instead?”
With an exasperated sigh, Nero glanced to me. “Nevermind. We can tell them later.”
I gave him an encouraging nudge. “Come on, they’re your family. You gotta put up with them.”
“Fine.” Nero called out to his brother, “I’ll go talk to Mom by myself.”
“Wait,” Nishiki said, squinting at me like he just noticed my presence. “Who’s that with you?”
Nero waved him off as we climbed the steps. “Not telling. Bye.”
Upon being ignored, Nishiki scrambled out of the water. “Ugh! Hang on!”
The cool, dim space of the cavern was a relief after the bright heat of the canyon. Dr. Pine kneeled by a table with her back to us. But before Nero could speak, she said, “My son, you’ve returned so soon.”
Nero sighed. “Why does it sound like you both expected me to give up?”
Dr. Pine chuckled. “I knew you wouldn’t give up. I’m only surprised to see you’ve found your fated mate earlier than I predicted.”
Her comment shocked me. I stood up straighter. “Dr. Pine, you already know?”
“What? How?” Nero asked.
