“I don’t know the details and didn’t dare ask.” Kat wanted to reassure the adorable teen, but he had no facts to back up what he suspected was true. The rumors were wild enough. Kat didn’t know if he wanted the truth. “I’ll give him a call while you shower. I have some clothes that should fit you and some salve to put on your burns.”
Kat went to his room and found a T-shirt and a pair of sweats that should fit the lanky teen. Kat was about the same height as Rance. “Sorry it took so long. I just moved in. I haven’t found everything yet. These should work until we get you some clothes. I don’t have any underwear. I don’t wear any.”
“Never?”
Kat laughed at the teen’s appalled expression. “We can pick some up for you at the store when we leave the house.” He wasn’t going to discuss why he didn’t wear boxers or briefs with an underage teen.
“Thank you.” Rance blushed bright red as he took the clothes.
It was adorable. He wanted to squish the stuffing out of the kid. He should investigate adopting someone younger. Teenagers generally don’t appreciate hugs.
Rance fingered a necklace Kat hadn’t noticed before. “I have some clothes in my treebutdon’t want to unshrink it yet. I’ve never brought it back from being shrunk, and I need Mother to walk me through it.”
“That’s your tree?” Kat leaned over to get a better look, but Rance covered it with his hand. “Sorry. Felines are notoriously curious.” He offered another smile but only received a distrustful stare in response. “You can borrow my things until we find your mother if you’d like.”
“Thank you.” Rance paused in the bedroom doorway. “I thought Anthony was part of a wolf pack. I heard Mother saying he mated with the Alpha.”
Kat nodded, understanding the unspoken question. “Silver is a werewolf, but the Moon Pack has many other types of shifters. Not a lot of packs accept gay shifters. Since the Moon Pack’s Alpha couple is gay, they allow other types of shifters to join them. Sort of like a sanctuary pack.” At least, that appeared to be the case. Kat hadn’t been there long enough to understand the pack dynamic thoroughly. Everyone he’d met so far had been welcoming.
“What kind of shifter are you?”
“Mountain lion.”
“Can you show me sometime? I’ve never actually seen a shifter in their animal form.”
“Sure, kid.”
He received a whispered,“Thank you.”
Kat pointed to the cheery yellow door down the hall. “The bathroom is through there, along with towels and washcloths. Call out if you need anything.”
“Other than underwear,” Rance teased before leaving the room.
Kat laughed. Despite his trauma, the kid still had some spark left. He hoped they found Rance’s mother soon, hopefully alive. Pulling out his cell phone, he called Anthony to let him know Rance was awake.
By the timeRance entered the kitchen, Anthony, Silver, and Hallea had arrived.
“Doing better?” Kat asked.
Rance’s shoulders ascended to his ears when he entered the room filled with strangers. Dryads probably didn’t encounter new people often.
“Yes, thank you.” He didn’t say anything more as he shifted from foot to foot.
“Come, sit down. I made some sandwiches. Eat, then you can tell us what happened to make you end up at Anthony’s hotel.” Kat waved a hand toward the empty chair beside him.
Rance took the seat but continued to watch the others instead of eating.
“Oh, sorry, where are my manners? This is Anthony Carrow, his mate and Alpha, Silver Moon, and his mother, Hallea.”
Hallea wiggled her fingers at him. “Hello, dear, I’m a friend of your mother.”
The teen relaxed slightly. “I remember seeing a picture of you with my mom in her tree. You’re not a dryad.” He frowned. “Mother never said what you were.”
Her bright smile almost blinded Kat. “I’m a forest witch. My magic is mostly focused on nature and healing. I bought your mother’s old tree for Anthony’s hotel. I would’ve visited more often, but the other dryads don’t encourage outsiders to drop by.”
“Yeah, they’re like that.” Rance snagged a sandwich and took an obscenely large bite. No one reprimanded him. You can’t scold a hungry and worried teen over his table manners.
“Lemonade?” Kat lifted a pitcher and tilted it toward Rance’s cup, who nodded. He filled it to the rim. With his smoke exposure, Rance must be parched. “When you’re ready, we want you to tell us what happened in as much detail as possible. I know it isn’t easy, but we want to help. The more details we have, the quicker we can find your mother.”
