squeal of the boy followed by the soft thud of his feet.
"Do it again!" the boy cried.
Esme looked over her shoulder in time to see Leah open the door, the boy zooming into view. Dana's big hands gently secured the child's waist and lower ribcage as he swept the boy up in the air and back down for a landing. Seeing both women staring at him, surprise lingering in their eyes, the boy buried his face against Dana's hip.
"It's okay, Oscar." Dana brushed a thick black curl behind the boy's ear. "These ladies are friends. You want to tell them hello?"
The boy peeked with one eye, first at Leah then at Esme, his gaze vivacious but shy. He looked up at Dana, saw the big man smiling at him as his hand moved over the boy's head in a reassuring caress. Seeing the boy's reaction, Esme knew she wouldn't need any herbs for him. Dana's dominance as a male wolf was all the child needed to steady his nerves and make him feel safe.
She only wished she could say the same. Her nerves were officially shot, and not solely from Dana's appearance. She pulled out her favorite tea and a packet of chocolate powder. Holding the packet up, she smiled at Oscar. "Would you like some cocoa, Oscar?"
The other half of his face appeared, a smile breaking broadly across his face as he answered with a vigorous nod. With a hand against Oscar's back, Dana propelled him toward the kitchen table.
"Let's get you settled then." He pointed at Leah. "I bet if you smile at that pretty lady, she'll get you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to go with the cocoa."
Oscar nodded again, his head bobbing faster.
Leah laughed and closed the front door. "One PB&J coming up!"
She joined Esme in the kitchen, already familiar with the contents of the cupboard from the few weeks she'd lived in the house before moving in with Seth. Leah's hand dropped to her stomach, her smile widening at the idea of the child growing inside her. Esme's fingers brushed her shoulder, the witch's eyes glittering with approval.
"You'll make a great mom." Esme gave a little squeeze and then walked to within a few feet of the table. She looked at the sorry state of Oscar's clothes, already sensing the answer to the question running through her mind. "No…" she hesitated, not wanting to upset the little boy with the wrong choice of words. Shifters were fierce parents. Oscar’s were probably dead. "No caretakers?"
A faint shake of Dana's head confirmed her suspicion. "Any idea?"
Another head shake from Dana, briefer than the first, and she retreated back to the stove. She stayed safely behind her kitchen island, letting Leah take the sandwich and cocoa over to Oscar while she watched Dana interact with the little boy from the corner of her eye. Dana grabbed one of the bundles of witch's grass stacked at the table's far end, his fingers busy braiding as he casually asked the little boy questions.
With the two latents that had arrived that morning resting, she and Leah had returned to weaving charms from the fresh green blades and tufts. Leah had proven particularly adept at making the charms. That she was a latent pregnant with a shifter's child magnified the charms' effectiveness, but it was already clear to Esme that her friend would make a first class witch and prove a valuable ally to the clan. All the better that Leah was madly in love with Seth and the two were natural mates. She would serve the clan gladly as family and not as an outsider like Esme.
Esme sighed, not realizing she had done so until Dana's head swiveled in her direction, his gaze slicing through any façade of indifference she might throw up. She turned her back on him, shoulders squaring with the memory of their last heated argument. She’d been unconscious when Dana and Seth had rescued her from the cabin. It wasn’t until she woke up from Camille’s spell a week later that she discovered her secret was out. Not only did Dana know she was a latent and had been hiding the fact for years, but her once greatest hope
"Do it again!" the boy cried.
Esme looked over her shoulder in time to see Leah open the door, the boy zooming into view. Dana's big hands gently secured the child's waist and lower ribcage as he swept the boy up in the air and back down for a landing. Seeing both women staring at him, surprise lingering in their eyes, the boy buried his face against Dana's hip.
"It's okay, Oscar." Dana brushed a thick black curl behind the boy's ear. "These ladies are friends. You want to tell them hello?"
The boy peeked with one eye, first at Leah then at Esme, his gaze vivacious but shy. He looked up at Dana, saw the big man smiling at him as his hand moved over the boy's head in a reassuring caress. Seeing the boy's reaction, Esme knew she wouldn't need any herbs for him. Dana's dominance as a male wolf was all the child needed to steady his nerves and make him feel safe.
She only wished she could say the same. Her nerves were officially shot, and not solely from Dana's appearance. She pulled out her favorite tea and a packet of chocolate powder. Holding the packet up, she smiled at Oscar. "Would you like some cocoa, Oscar?"
The other half of his face appeared, a smile breaking broadly across his face as he answered with a vigorous nod. With a hand against Oscar's back, Dana propelled him toward the kitchen table.
"Let's get you settled then." He pointed at Leah. "I bet if you smile at that pretty lady, she'll get you a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to go with the cocoa."
Oscar nodded again, his head bobbing faster.
Leah laughed and closed the front door. "One PB&J coming up!"
She joined Esme in the kitchen, already familiar with the contents of the cupboard from the few weeks she'd lived in the house before moving in with Seth. Leah's hand dropped to her stomach, her smile widening at the idea of the child growing inside her. Esme's fingers brushed her shoulder, the witch's eyes glittering with approval.
"You'll make a great mom." Esme gave a little squeeze and then walked to within a few feet of the table. She looked at the sorry state of Oscar's clothes, already sensing the answer to the question running through her mind. "No…" she hesitated, not wanting to upset the little boy with the wrong choice of words. Shifters were fierce parents. Oscar’s were probably dead. "No caretakers?"
A faint shake of Dana's head confirmed her suspicion. "Any idea?"
Another head shake from Dana, briefer than the first, and she retreated back to the stove. She stayed safely behind her kitchen island, letting Leah take the sandwich and cocoa over to Oscar while she watched Dana interact with the little boy from the corner of her eye. Dana grabbed one of the bundles of witch's grass stacked at the table's far end, his fingers busy braiding as he casually asked the little boy questions.
With the two latents that had arrived that morning resting, she and Leah had returned to weaving charms from the fresh green blades and tufts. Leah had proven particularly adept at making the charms. That she was a latent pregnant with a shifter's child magnified the charms' effectiveness, but it was already clear to Esme that her friend would make a first class witch and prove a valuable ally to the clan. All the better that Leah was madly in love with Seth and the two were natural mates. She would serve the clan gladly as family and not as an outsider like Esme.
Esme sighed, not realizing she had done so until Dana's head swiveled in her direction, his gaze slicing through any façade of indifference she might throw up. She turned her back on him, shoulders squaring with the memory of their last heated argument. She’d been unconscious when Dana and Seth had rescued her from the cabin. It wasn’t until she woke up from Camille’s spell a week later that she discovered her secret was out. Not only did Dana know she was a latent and had been hiding the fact for years, but her once greatest hope
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