“It does?”
“Meeting your mate is a world-shaking event,” Kerenza said. “It jars things loose. Inhibitions. Emotions. Curses. Anyway, to get the curse reversed, come to the Defenders holiday party. With your mate.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“But why—”
“Sonny,The Young and the Restlessis starting. Bring your mate to the party, or it’ll be fish surprise from now on.” Kerenza hung up.
Norris looked up to see an array of grinning faces. Apparently all the Defenders had been listening in. A chorus of congratulations broke out.
“So you recognized your mate at first sight?” Roland asked. The Defenders boss spoke wistfully. He was the only one of the team who had no mate.
Norris nodded. “I’d thought I wouldn’t be able to, because none of you could. But I did. I took one look into her eyes—they’re the most gorgeous shade of hazel—and I just knew.”
I knew,corrected his inner Dunkleosteus.And then I proceeded to inform you.
“Our ability to recognize our mates was deliberately blocked when we were made into shifters,” said Ransom. “I expect that wasn’t done to you because you became a shifter in exchange for a term of service. You were there voluntarily, so they didn’t expect that you finding your mate would make any difference.”
“Well, it would have,” said Norris. “I can already feel Annabeth inspiring me to become a better person.”
“Annabeth?” Natalie asked. “You said you were at a coffee shop. Is that Annabeth the barista? The tall one?”
“Tall and glorious,” Norris said dreamily. “You know her?”
“She threw a watermelon frappucino in my face once,” Merlin remarked.
“What did you do to her?” Norris demanded.
“Nothing!” Merlin said. “She mistook me for someone else. It’s a long story. You see...”
Pete interrupted, “We retrieved a stolen sofa for her once. So she’s already invited to the holiday party—the one for people who don’t know about shifters. We sent invitations to all our clients.”
Norris was immensely relieved. All his problems had melted away like a thin sheet of ice on a lake in spring. “I’ll ask her right now.”
“Hey!” Carter snapped his fingers at Norris. “Don’t suddenly turn into a Dunkleosteus on the first date.”
“My curse is back,” Norris pointed out. “I may not be able to avoid it. Hmm. I’d better stay close to a body of water until the holiday party. I think I’ll ask her if she’d like to eat on the pier.”
Carter flung up his arms and looked up, as if for Heavenly guidance. Since he was in the office rather than outside, what was above him was a ceiling and three flying kittens circling like hawks. “I mean, don’t do your usual thing of turning into a Dunkleosteus at the slightest excuse. No one wants to have their romantic dinner interrupted by an armored fish the size of a truck.”
“I wouldn’t mind,” Norris pointed out.
“That’s you,” said Fen kindly. “But Annabeth isn’t a shifter, right? It’s a big surprise to learn that shifters exist. And no one wants big surprises on a first date.”
Pete nodded. “Get to know each other a bit before you spring your big fish on her.”
“But not too long,” said Tirzah, wagging a finger at him. “You don’t want to keep major secrets from her.”
“It’s all in the timing,” advised Roland. “The party’s in a week. Get to know each other in the runup to the party, then bring her to the party to break the curse. By then you should be comfortable enough with each other that you can tell her you’re a shifter.”
“Tell her before you show her,” said Dali. “And make sure you explain to her what a Dunkleosteus is and how big it is first. Merlin turned into a giant velociraptor in front of me, and I nearly threw myself through the wall.”
“She’s your mate, Norris!” Carter warned him. “Don’t mess this up!”
“I’ll be careful,” Norris promised. “I got some warning before I was forced to shift, so I can avoid doing it in front of her by accident. And I promise you all, I won’t do it on purpose until after the party.”
