“Is Lottie here?” I asked.
The little one nodded, then turned to rush off. Caught up in his mother’s grasp, he let out a gurgling noise and froze.
The larger male barked, “Come, Lottie!” in beast speak and not two seconds later a sweet faced little cherub came dancing up to us. Again, it was obvious she was a hybrid child, less hairy than the others but still enough to keep her more warm than a human. “Yes?” she asked sweetly.
The male was not moved by that angelic face. Motioning between them, he growled, “Say him scareded cats for Kehlor?”
Lottie shook her head. “I say him scared of touching the Dancing Krampus.” Her eyes widened comically. “Him not real.”
“Is he?” Mina asked. Her eyebrows shot up and she arched them at her daughter.
Lottie turned to glance at her mother. She didn’t appear to have noticed me or Kehl yet.
Kehl let out an uncomfortable rumble, like he was worried Mina might use him to scare Lottie, and Lottie quickly turned at the sound. Large eyes blinking, Lottie’s mouth parted and she openly gaped at Kehl.
“I touch him. You scarededy,” her brother taunted.
Veck growled at him to stop but he was already done.
Lottie just stared, her gaze darting between us. And stared. And stared a bit more.
Finally, she made to step closer to us but stopped.
“He’s not going to hurt anyone. He’s just like you and me,” I said quietly.
Her hand lifted and she reached out, but it wasn’t to touch Kehl.
It was to touch me.
“No fur ‘fore,” she murmured.
“Ah, no.” No, I did not.
Her gaze darted between me and Kehl curiously. “Have furs now,” she rumbled out softly.
“I had furs- uh, hair before, when I was little, on my head, like your mama, but it all fell out,” I started to say.
Lottie gasped and her hands fell to her long braids. “It falled out?”
“She not eat veggebed-alls, like mama say,” the larger male rumbled out with a grin.
“Veck!” Mina barked.
The male just laughed and brushed one of his thick fingers over her cheek teasingly. She slapped it away with a glare, blushed, then broke and laughed too.
“Eat all vegged-ed-alls, it growed back?” the male with the bow and arrow rumbled out questioningly, mystified.
“Uh, yup,” I lied, playing along. I was not about to get into the possibilities of my sudden furriness surrounding my mating with Kehl with anyone outside of my inner circle. It was nobody’s business but ours, really.
Lottie gave a sniff and her brother followed. “No, she not,” her brother announced.
“Wants find out?” the bow and arrow toting male rumbled out.
“Tarnk!” Mina spluttered.
Tarnk grinned and tossed his wife a very awkwardly executed wink that made her laugh once more.
“Again, I am so sorry, and so are they, aren’t you?” Mina bit out as she gave her little ones a stern look.
