“Oh no, that’s for you. Presents make people happy. The Simi wants you to be happy.”
And still he looked a bit confused by her present. “Thank you, Simi.”
“No need to thank me. See that’s what families do. They take care of each other.”
His eyes darkened with sadness. “I no longer have a family. I had to give them up.”
Simi tsked at his untrue words. “Of course you have a family, Gallagher. Everyone has family. I’m your family. Akri your family. Even that smelly old goddess is your family. She’s that creepy old aunt who comes around but nobody likes her, so they make fun of her when she’s gone.”
He laughed again. “Does Artemis know you say that about her?”
“Of course. The Simi say it to her face all the time. That’s why akri told me to come play while he’s with her. He don’t like it when we fight.” She took his hand into hers. “Now listen and I’ll tell you what akri once told me. We have three kinds of family. Those we are born to. Those who are born to us and those we let into our hearts. I have let you into my heart, so the Simi is your family, and she won’t give you up. If you are sad right now, then I’m thinking your family is still in your heart, too, and they are taking up so much room that you have no room for anyone else.”
His lips trembled. “I can’t give them up.”
“And you shouldn’t. Ever. No one should ever forget those they love. But it’s like with QVC—whenever the Simi fill up my room with too much stuff, akri builds me another room. Somehow there’s always space for more. Your heart can always expand to take in as many people as you need it to. The people who live there, they don’t go away. You just make room for one more person and then another and another and another. See how easy?”
With her arm in his, Simi walked him down the street. “Don’t you want Simi to be your family?”
He paused as if he was thinking.
Simi leaned forward and whispered loudly, “This is the part where you say, ‘Yes, Simi, I would like to be your family.’ ’Cause if you don’t then I’ll have to take my mitt back and barbecue you. Akri is still upset about the last Dark-Hunter I barbecued and that was… oh, a thousand or so years ago. He part elephant when it comes to remembering things. So tell me, do you want Simi to be your family?”
Nodding, he smiled. “Yes, Simi, I would like to be your family.”
She beamed. “Good. You’re such a smart Dark-Hunter.”
Without another word, Simi led him to Sanctuary.
She opened the swinging door and stood back, waiting for him to enter. Loud music thumped as they entered the bar and grill. There were four hawks lined up on one curtain rod, dancing in time to the rocking Christmas carols the Howlers—all in human form—were singing while Dev Peltier played the piano. A white tiger was lying on its back on the sofa while Marvin the monkey jumped up and down on its belly.
Aimee Peltier, who was in her large bear body, was feeding two baby cubs peanut butter sandwiches. Tabitha Devereaux, a red-headed woman with a scar on her face came up to them and grabbed Simi into a hug. “Hey little demon, where’s boss man?”
Simi shrugged. “He off attending to Lord Queen Pain-In-My-Butt. How are you, Tabitha? Is your sister and Kyrian coming?”
“No, they’ll be here tomorrow. Morning sickness hit Amanda as they were leaving, but Talon said he’d be here just as soon as he could.”
Tabitha pulled her away from the Dark-Hunter so that they could do what Tabby called “girl chat.”
Simi looked back to see Gallagher watching the revelry. There were all kinds of Were-Hunters, Dark-Hunters, demons, humans and even a Daimon.
All enemies and yet, for this one special night, they were all being friendly and nice. Because they were bound by something other than blood.
They were bound together by their hearts.
And Simi smiled as Colt, another bear Were-Hunter, went up to Gallagher. Unlike the other bears, he wasn’t family per se. Rather the Peltiers had taken him in after his mother had been murdered.
He’d been here ever since.
With a cocky grin, Colt pulled a pineapple mitt out of his back pocket. “Man, Gallagher, you must really rate. You got one of the good fish. All I got was a lousy pineapple.”
Simi laughed.
Gallagher scowled at his words. “Does she give one to everyone she meets?”
“Nope. Only family.”
That was right. Simi only gave them to her family.
