“You saved my life, man. I’d like to thank you and talk to you about how you control your shifts so easily. You popped into human form faster than I did, and I really wanted to get out of my tasty falcon body.”
“Oh, in that case, fine.”
“What did you think I wanted to talk about?”
“Oh, I don’t know… eviction?”
Jason chuckled. “Not hardly. I owe you my life.”
Nathan’s lip rose in a half smile. “I guess you do. But don’t expect us to become best buddies or anything, no offense. I’m just not into that ‘bromance’ stuff.”
Jason pulled a shirt off the hanger. “That’s good, because neither am I. Still, it’s weird to find another shifter in the same neighborhood, nevermind the same building.”
Nathan smirked. “You’ve never heard, ‘Birds of a feather flock together’?”
“Well, yeah, but what does that have to do withcoincidence?”
“Paranormals tend to attract other paranormals. Why do you think you were attracted to this building?”
Jason straightened. “Because of you?”
Nathan nodded. “Maybe. And maybe I’m not the only one.”
Shocked, Jason braced himself against the closet door. “Are you saying there are other shifters in this building besides the three of us?”
“Three? Oh, then you know about Konrad.”
Confused, Jason asked, “Wait a minute… Konrad’s a shifter too?”
“Oops. I thought he was the third one you were referring to. Whodidyoumean?”
“You, me, and my uncle.”
“Ah, Ralph is your uncle. He’s a falcon at times, too? I wondered why you hired the pair of them. He’s next to useless, and she’s a complete liability.”
“Yeah, well, they’re family. But whatever you do, don’t tell Dottie. I don’t think she knows, and I’m sure she’d freak.”
Nathan laughed. “Damn. That would be so much fun.”
“I’m serious.”
“Yeah, okay. What are you going to tell her just happened?”
Jason slapped a hand over his eyes and slumped against the door. “I have no idea.”
“Have you tried the ‘You must be hallucinating,’ routine?”
He nodded. “Unfortunately. She caught my falcon form in the elevator stuck in my sweater. I hate to make her think she’s going nuts.”
Nathan snorted. “Stuck in your… Oh, that’s priceless.”
“Yeah, well that’s one reason I’d like to talk to you. It seems there are some things I need to learn that you can teach me.”
Chuckling, he said, “I guess so. New to this, are you?”
“No, but I’m only half-shifter. It’s harder to controlsometimes when new circumstances add stress. It’s happened a few times recently. I’ve been able to keep stress to a manageable minimum before this, but now…”
Nathan nodded. “It’s been harder since you acquired a girlfriend, right?”
