Titan sighed and nudged Hamilton away, stepping on the foot-operated pedal. Water gushed from the faucet; Hamilton did a complicated dance to avoid its gnashing teeth.
“I’ll track Mathlin down,” Titan said, stepping out of the bakery.
Twin Buns was located just outside the city of Cartfalls, with dense woods surrounding the cluster of shops and homes nearby. Mathlin was running into the forest, away from everyone else.
But why was he running?
Not for the first time, Titan wished he could shift into his wolf shape so he could sprint through the forest. If he did it right now, his forelegs would buckle, and he would end up crashing face-first into the ground.
He sighed and jogged through the forest, listening to Hamilton in the bakery—the faucet was off, and Hamilton’s breathing had calmed down. This meant that Titan could focus entirely on Mathlin.
Mathlin, who was moving through the forest with exceptional grace.
“Jannie! Why did you do that? Now he’s going to fire us!” Mathlin’s voice carried on the wind. “Well, I haven’t signed any contract, so maybe I won’t even be hired at all.” He sighed.
“Hamilton, could you work on the contract?” Titan murmured, quietly enough that the shapeshifter could hear him, but Mathlin couldn’t. “Have it ready by the time I bring him back.”
“I want compensation for my hair,” Hamilton grumbled.
“I’m not sure what you’re hoping for me to pay you, considering I’m out of work and buns right now,” Titan replied. “Besides, you can just grow it back—”
“Oooh! I know!” Hamilton sounded entirely too cheerful. “Use some of those pickup lines I gave you. That will be my compensation.”
Titan groaned. “I don’t have any on me. But even if I did, I can’t take them out of my pockets.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll bereadily accessiblewhen you get back.”
“Why does that sound ominous?”
“They’ll be so accessible, you’ll see them even in your dreams.”
“Those would be nightmares,” Titan said dryly.
Hamilton cackled.
Titan turned his attention to Mathlin and Jannie, who was making cheerful babbling sounds. Mathlin’s footsteps had slowed down; he was panting a little.
“Okay, I think we’re safe now,” Mathlin whispered. “You’re not going to surprise us again, are you?”
“Baba wa,” Jannie said.
Mathlin sighed. “You’re so adorable, even if you make me freak out sometimes.”
His pulse was thundering. Was that from running, or... had he been nervous?
Why would he be nervous? Mathlin was safe at Twin Buns; he knew that.
Titan slowed down to listen.
“Here, look at me, sweetie,” Mathlin said. He waited a moment. “There we go.”
There came a soft purr, and a matching, lower one. From both of them? Titan’s heart skipped.
Mathlin came into view between the trees. Titan spent a moment watching them, Mathlin cradling his baby to himself. He looked so happy to be holding her.
Then it began to feel a little intrusive. Titan stepped on a crunchy leaf.
Mathlin jumped, looking over. “Oh!”
