“I meant every word and more. I admire you so much, Titan. I only volunteered at the shelter one day a week, and that was the hardest work I’d ever done. You’ve built this up from nothing. You’ve done more good in this world than anyone else I know.”
He looked both embarrassed and pleased by her praise. She put a hand over his mouth before he could start arguing with her.
“I’m so proud to be part of Big and Small Animal Rescue. You don’t just save animals but people too. Your youth program gives kids the chance to bond with animals when they can’t have them in their apartments. I noticed that Igor, the three-legged pittie-mix, was taken off the available list yesterday. The only reason I can think of is that it would break Yasmin’s heart if he was adopted. She spends all her time with that dog. He’s the only thing motivating her to keep her grades up. I can’t think of a single rescue that would ever do that!”
He pulled his face away from her hand. “Because it’s irresponsible. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Of course you should’ve!” she objected, grabbing his shirt and giving him a little shake. Predictably, he didn’t move because he was so damn massive, but her actions did make him grin.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“Yeah,” she said, mimicking his deep voice, making him laugh. “We have plenty of room and the funds to keep Igor forever, or until Yasmin can adopt him someday. Those two are importantto each other. You saw that, and I love you for it. You care about everyone.”
She reached up and pressed her palms against his cheeks. “I can see your aura so I can tell you with full confidence that you have a beautiful soul. Gorgeous. Stunning.”
He batted his eyelashes at her. “I’m gorgeous and stunning?”
She relaxed, happy that she could feel Titan’s cautious belief in her words. He wanted to be worthy, but too many years of being told he wasn’t enough by his parents had taken a toll on him.
She was determined to undo the damage as best she could every day for the rest of their lives.
“You’re gorgeous and stunning in every way,” she said, then nodded to a nearby building. “That storage room is still empty. We could use it so I could show you how much I love you.”
He chucked and shook his head. “I’ve got too much to do before Arthur gets here. Remember, he has a surprise and then there’s the book club later. I need to make sure everything is done so I don’t worry all evening.”
Beatrix gave him a mock glare. “I can’t believe you’re turning me down for work.”
Titan laughed. “Well, maybe we could have a little fun.”
She pointedly looked down at his crotch. “There’s no ‘little’ anywhere on you.”
They disappeared into the empty room and spent a very pleasant time making Arthur jealous through their link.
Beatrix couldn’t wait for his retribution later that night!
Chapter 10
Arthur
The moment he could, Arthur took his peregrine falcon shape and winged his way to Titan and Beatrix. He could feel their excitement as they sensed his approach. By the time he circled the rescue facility, they were both outside looking up into the dark sky.
He landed with a flourish, shifting to his human shape as he touched ground, his coat flaring out behind him. He’d never be as good as a true shifter, but he did practice a few things to show off.
Through his bond, he could feel how impressed his flock was at his showmanship. It filled him with pleasure that he could still impress them.
“I wish my landings were half that smooth,” Beatrix said, running to him the moment he stopped. She jumped up, and he automatically caught her.
“You will be,” he promised. “I’ve been practicing for over a hundred years. Give it a little time and you’ll be better than me.”
“I’m not good at patience,” she grumbled, then kissed him.
As they kissed, Titan moved to stand behind him and wrapped them both in his big arms. Arthur ended the kiss with Beatrix so he could turn his head and get a kiss from his wolf before talking.
“I missed you both very much,” he said. “I wished neither of you would leave me during the day. Can’t we run the shelter at night when I can be with you?”
Beatrix made a scoffing sound. “You know that’s not going to work. Besides, we stayed with you every day for two weeks. Then we promised a full week every year on your birthday. That’s all you're getting.”
Over the last four months, Arthur had been working hard to create an environment that would make all three of them happy. Now, it was finally time to reveal it.
