“Like I said, Faye and Marina could also live with us, if that’s what you prefer. I’d love to have them around. Or at their own place, if you believe it will help them strengthen their bond.”
He pauses when I don’t answer, looking at me thoughtfully. “Everything okay?” He shows me a loop-sided smile. “It was too much at once, right? I am sorry, when my hyperfocus kicks in, I can’t stop talking. I-“
I drop the box I‘m holding and jump into his arms, before bursting into tears. If I had any doubts about all of this before, they are gone now. I still so vividly remember school, when all the girls were dreaming about meeting a heartthrob mate, while all I wanted was a good guy. I can’t believe the goddess truly granted me that wish.
Felix wraps me in his arms. “That’s a good reaction, isn’t it?” he asks, a hint of wariness in his voice.
I laugh, peppering his face with kisses. “Yes, it’s good.”
*FELIX*
“Was that the last box?” I ask before grabbing Faye’s baby-blue box with princess stickers all over it, and carefully placing it in the spot she chose before.
Mr. Dot, Tuesday and QQ are secured in their own pet boxes. Charlie went out of her way to organize something fitting. Just Tiger, the bird, and the still nameless otter were harder to place, but Dario and Gwen put together a small box with a tub inside and put it on the backseat of the car that I am going to drive. As for the bird, it’ll just flutter around.
“What’s the plan in case the police stop us?” Charlie asks.
“I will use my gift,” I mutter. “There is no way we are getting out of this any other way.”
“Your gift?” Gwen looks at me curiously. “You used it back then with the two shifters, right?”
“Yes, I can relax everyone around me. If I don’t have it under control, it can easily tip over, though, and people suddenly get… a little too ecstatic.”
“Let’s just hope no one will stop us,” Dario says. “So, how will we be driving? I guess it’s going to be Charlie and me, and Felix and Gwen.”
I glance at Gwen, wanting her to have the last word on this, especially concerning Marina and Faye. I have the makeshift otter-transportation-box in my car, so it would be a bit tight to take both of them along. Gwen gets down on her knees to be eye level with Faye. “I will be driving with Felix. Your mom will be with Dario and Charlie,” she says, much to my surprise. “Do you want to drive with them, too?”
Faye beams and nods. “I want to stay with Mom.”
I can’t believe that Gwen handed so much trust to us, to allow Dario and Charlie to take her two charges along, especially since I know how much she‘s done to protect them.
I turn to look at her, my eyes widening when I cast a look downwards. “Erm…babe,” I mutter.
“Hm?” she blinks, her eyebrows furrowing slightly when she follows the direction I am pointing at.
“There is a raccoon right behind you.”
Gwen spins around, freezing for a second before bending down to face the raccoon, who is holding an apple in its paws. “Another one of you,” she mutters.
“Man,” Charlie grins. “We are returning with a zoo.”
“Aurelia is going to have a field day with us,” Dario chuckles. “Good thing, Marius isn’t around. He would have teased us for a month at least.”
Gwen takes the raccoon into her arms, for a moment just standing there, but she doesn’t look lost or confused at all, just amused. She turns around to us. “Aurelia and Marius?”
“Aurelia is our sister. She is going to be the alpha,” I explain promptly. “Marius is one of our older brothers. He is the luna, or rather lune, of an allied pack.”
“Oh, your siblings!” she smiles while the raccoon snuggles up against her.
“I will catch you up on my whole family story during the drive,” I promise.
“We should really get going before anyone gets suspicious of the whole zoo,” Charlie points out. “I wonder where these animals are all coming from.”
“They might not even be from this area,” Dario points out. “For all we know, they could be from anywhere and just seek out Gwen’s presence.”
“But why?” Gwen asks.
“Maybe they are lost, hurt or alone,” Dario offers. “Most animals live in groups like capybaras usually do, yet Tuesday is very happy in Gwen’s presence and doesn’t seem to need a companion. Maybe they don’t have their own pack for various reasons, and to them, you are their new pack leader.”
