Maxime pointed to a tall, lean man with poofy, periwinkle hair and glacial blue eyes. “You don’t need to worry. Kieran has made this private. No one can see or hear what happens within this circle. Youcantrust us,Bowen. We may not have understood why you were here initially, but Kieran has explained your bond to us. You are Rudolph’s mate. This is not something we take lightly. Rudolph is part of our family, which means you are now, too.”
Warmth settled in my chest. A family. It had been a long time since that word meant anything more than obligation or disappointment. Knowing how much they cared for Rudy and the idea that I would get even a fraction of that filled me with hope. Rudy squeezed my hand, and I felt his love pour through me. I was a part ofhisfamily. Just like that.
“Thank you. That means more to me than you could know.”
The one who wore sunglasses so dark I couldn’t see past them leaned forward, and I could swear his coiled hair moved. “Believe me, sugar, we understand.”
“First things first, are you okay?” Maxime asked in a gentle tone.
I let out a heavy breath. Aside from my wrists being sore from having been tied behind my back, the shadow person didn’tharmme. But the shadows, the darkness, what they wanted me to do to Bryan… that wasn’t just going to go away. “I am. Well… physically, at least. Mentally… it might take some time, but I will be. With Rudy at my side, I will be.”
Maxime gave me a sad smile as Rudy pulled me against him and threw an arm over my shoulder. The heat that radiated from the contact instantly soothedme. “Good. Second question. Is there a chance that what took you might return?”
I shook my head. “No. Rudy made sure of that. The shadow person is gone.”
“That’s good, very good. Well done, Rudolph.”
A shimmer of pride that wasn’t mine hummed in my chest, and I had to stifle a smile. My mate sure loved praise. Though I imagined it wasn’t something he heard a lot growing up, not with the challenges he had with his wolf. Feeling him react to it from his friend was a good reminder to tuck away for later.
“Can you tell us what happened? Why were you taken?”
With the encouragement and support I felt both externally and internally from Rudy, I shared about my abilities, everything Aurelia told me. I continued on to tell them about the mine and the minotaur, hesitating when it came to the part I played in it. It wasn’t something I wanted to admit to anyone, let alone the people who had just welcomed me in. What would they think of me? Would they change their minds? When I was done, I braced myself for their reactions, tucking in closer to Rudy to take cover in the protection he provided.
The disdain or judgment I expected didn’t come. They sat in silence, taking it in, with expressions that were hard to read. It was Zee who broke the silence that followed.
“Holy shit, so you can just walk into my mind and take a memory?” He sounded more intrigued than appalled, but the idea made me wince anyway.
“It’s not something I plan to do, not without permission.” That was something I’d gotten out of all this: boundaries and consent were crucial when it came to an ability like mine. It was why this gift was given to those who were loyal and strong, as Aurelia had told me. I now understood just how careful I needed to be.
Zee tsked. “It’s too bad. My spank bank has some doozies in it. Plenty there if you need any inspiration.”
I huffed out a laugh, grateful for his well-timed obnoxiousness.
“Dick,” Rudy muttered.
The griffin gave my mate a wink. It was a simple action, but it eased the tension that was building in my body and seemed to lighten the mood around the group.
Maxime folded his hands in front of him. “What I’m hearing is that you are an interpreter, as with the minotaur at the dock.”
“Yeah, that’s the short version, I suppose.”
“That could be very useful. I’ve lived long enough to pick up basic dialogue in many human languages, though Bryan’s was an ancient tongue I’d never heard. And there are beings who visit Creature Comforts that are more comfortable speaking in their own dialect in a space where they don’t have to force themselves to fit into the human world. Having an interpreter onhand would be great. It’s my hope that word continues to spread and more beings find their way here. What do you think? Are you up for the job?”
My eyes rounded as what he said hit me. “Wait! Are you serious?”
Maxime dipped his head in confirmation. “I am.”
I turned to face Rudy, who wore a wide grin, and I could feel his adoration and awe through our bond. “I mean… yeah, as it turns out, I found myself recently relocated and out of a job. Shit, I would be honored to get to do that. Yeah. Thank you.”
Maxime gave me a smile that flashed a fang. Nope. Still didn’t do anything for me. Not like the fangs of my beastie that turned me to goo. “Very good. Welcome aboard, Bowen Thomas.”
The irony of my having a job that was centered around talking to people after spending most of my timeavoidingtalking to people was like some kind of cosmic gotcha. But it felt different this time. Now, I would be able to use my gift to help others. Talking with purpose and not just shallow surface talk. Besides, who knew what kind of beings I might meet? Maybe more cheetahs like Chervin, or dragons like Aurelia, or griffins, or vampires. I really didn’t know what was out there, but damn, I was excited to find out.
My future suddenly had a shape to it. It had purpose and meaning after years of trying to figure out what I was supposed to do with my life or with my abilityto talk to animals. It had love and acceptance after thinking I would never be able to have those things for myself. My future was here with my incredible mate and with a family that welcomed me in and gave me a role.
A month ago, I wouldn’t have been able to imagine having even one piece of this future, and now here it all was, a complete puzzle. There was no way to know if I would have ended up here if I hadn’t been chased by shadows, and while I certainly hope to never relive the mine experience again, at least, I could be glad it brought me here. It brought me to my family, to the man I love, and to a future of worth.
I am Bowen Thomas, descendant of Gwrhyr, interpreter of languages, keeper of secrets, mate to a werewolf, and the fucking luckiest man in the whole damn world.
