“We all fit,” Beatrix said. “This is great.”
“When do we get to move in?” Titan asked, gazing around with absolute joy.
“I’ve hired movers to pack up your things and move them from my home to here while we’re out this evening,” Arthurexplained. “They’ll start when I text them. I didn’t want to move anything before both of you approved of our new home.”
“I approve!” Titan said. “You might never get me out of this shower.”
“It’s perfect,” Beatrix agreed. “This place feels like home already.”
“Does that mean you’ll give up your apartment now?” Arthur asked, trying hard not to let his anxiety bleed through their bonds.
She turned to face him and reached up to cup his cheek. “Yes, I’m ready to break my lease.”
Relief made him feel dizzy for half a second. He knew Beatrix loved him and Titan, but he couldn't help but see her determination to keep her old apartment as proof that she wasn’t ready to trust them yet.
“It wasn’t you,” she whispered. “I only needed a little extra time. I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” he assured her.
Titan was going to say something, but Beatrix’s phone chimed rapidly, indicating a flurry of text messages. Then his phone started ringing.
“The outside world pulls at us,” he grumbled, pulling out his phone as Beatrix did the same.
He saw the call was from Maddy. At the moment, that was the only person outside his flock that he’d talk to. When he answered, she spoke quickly. He agreed with her choices, and they hung up.
“We need to get going,” Beatrix said, tapping rapidly on her phone. “Everyone’s waiting for us.”
“Book club isn’t usually so pushy,” Titan commented, reluctantly stepping out of the shower stall. “Could we skip it this time and stay here?”
Beatrix linked her arm in his. “Not this time. But I promise we can play in the shower when we get back, okay?”
“Deal!”
They all walked out of the building, chatting about how wonderful their new home was. They were happier with it than Arthur had dared to hope.
Once outside, Beatrix stopped them before they could get into the car.
“Can we fly to the Dapper Dog?” she asked. “Please!”
Arthur debated for a moment. The bar was within her flight range, but only barely. He hesitated, ready to say no, but then Titan spoke up.
“I’ll be in the car. I can pick both of you up if she gets tired,” he said. “Please, Arthur, she loves to fly.”
Arthur couldn’t refuse his flock. “Fine, but you can’t push yourself like last time. If you start to fatigue, then land immediately, don’t try to tough it out.”
Beatrix held up her hand as if taking an oath. “I’ll stop, I promise.”
Eager to fly, she pulled off her shirt to reveal a special racerback tank top that they’d bought from a pixie clothing company. If any random human saw her back, they’d think she had exquisitely done dragonfly wing tattoos running down her back. In reality, they were her pixie wings hidden in her body until she needed them.
It had taken several days for her to learn to pull them out or put them back. Even now, it required a lot of concentration to set her wings free.
After a few minutes of effort, her beautiful wings popped free of her back, glistening in the bright security lights of the building.
“That will never get old,” Titan said, admiring her delicate-looking appendages.
“Never,” she agreed, moving them slowly to warm them up before taking flight. Like many flying creatures, Beatrix had a natural glamour that hid her from human eyes. Hers was so powerful that even when she landed, no one could see her wings. To them, she would suddenly “appear.” They’d found that if Arthur landed close, her glamour would keep anyone from seeing him go from his bird shape to human.
Izzy, a member of the Lobo Gris pack despite being a pixie, had been an invaluable source of information for Beatrix, including what to eat, what to avoid, and how to properly care for her wings.
