“Thanks for going the distance. Believe it not, that’s their best behavior, so it would’ve been worse if you weren’t there.”
“No problem.” Belatedly she realized she hadn’t shared the result of her trip to the admin office, so on the way home, she told him about the recon mission tomorrow night.
Dom paused in entering the pin. Already he remembered without hesitation—3105—and that gave her an odd, happy flutter. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Please don’t tell me you want to lock me up for my own protection, now that I can finally shift.” That would spark a bigger fight than the one they had earlier.
“No. I’m just… worried. Not about your ability, just the timing. If that Noxblade finds you or the Golgoth snatch you—”
“Is this because we’re recently mated, because I was Latent until a few days ago, or some combination of the two?” Pru studied his face as they went into the apartment.
Whatever Dom might have said, he didn’t complete the thought. Instead, they found her father drinking at the table. A tall man with silver hair and deep-set eyes, he was thinner than he had been the last time she’d seen him, an echo of the way Dom mourned for Dalena. Blearily he glanced between the two of them and raised his brows.
“It’s late for visiting,” he pointed out.
But Dom stepped up, saving Pru the worry. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask your permission first, sir. The truth is, I’m not a guest since Pru and I have agreed to share our lives. She’s shifting now, not sure if you heard.” Dom wrapped an arm around her shoulders, adding, “Prettiest ocelot I’ve ever seen.”
That startled her dad so much he tipped over the tumbler of amber liquid. With shaking hands, he righted the glass and then lurched toward her. “Just like your mother… Is it true?”
“It is. Do you want to see?”
“If you’re not too tired.”
As she stripped, her father averted his eyes. It was weird since most Animari started changing much earlier in life, so she shouldn’t be doing this for the first time at her age, which made it a little awkward. But his reaction when she went cat made the minor discomfort worthwhile. His bloodshot eyes teared up as he knelt to pat her back.
“You do look like her. I’m so glad you’re not a mangy lynx like me.”
Bending down, Dom scooped up her clothes. “Do you mind if we get some rest? We have another long day tomorrow.”
“Not at all.” Her dad was smiling, happier than she’d seen him in six months.
Pru followed her mate into the bedroom and shifted back with an audible groan. “I shouldn’t have done that. Feel like passing out.”
“You were right about his reaction. I think you could’ve brought a Golgoth home and he’d have only seen an ocelot.”
“Told you. I know people and I pay attention.”
Muscles sore, head fuzzy, she brushed her teeth and crawled into bed, not waiting for Dom to finish his routine. By the time he joined her, Pru was already half-asleep. It surprised her when he spooned up behind her; he’d done it on the mountain, but this time he was awake and presumably knew what he was doing.
“This okay?” he whispered.
“Mhm. But… can you sleep?”
He hesitated before replying, “It’s the only way I can. When I’m touching you, I don’t dream, or at least, I don’t remember any nightmares.”
Nobody had ever said anything like that to her before. The flutter she’d felt earlier twisted into a shimmering bluefish, and it felt like it was leaping against a line tied directly to her heart. Pru put her hand over his where it rested on her stomach, quietly delighted by the heat of his skin. He answered the touch by kissing her temple, not the sex signal, thankfully, because with her dad in the next room crying into his liquor, she wanted to sleep more than fuck.
“Night, Dom.”
“Sweet dreams.”
In the morning, she got up early enough to fix a good breakfast. Her dad hadn’t passed out
“No problem.” Belatedly she realized she hadn’t shared the result of her trip to the admin office, so on the way home, she told him about the recon mission tomorrow night.
Dom paused in entering the pin. Already he remembered without hesitation—3105—and that gave her an odd, happy flutter. “Are you sure you’re ready?”
“Please don’t tell me you want to lock me up for my own protection, now that I can finally shift.” That would spark a bigger fight than the one they had earlier.
“No. I’m just… worried. Not about your ability, just the timing. If that Noxblade finds you or the Golgoth snatch you—”
“Is this because we’re recently mated, because I was Latent until a few days ago, or some combination of the two?” Pru studied his face as they went into the apartment.
Whatever Dom might have said, he didn’t complete the thought. Instead, they found her father drinking at the table. A tall man with silver hair and deep-set eyes, he was thinner than he had been the last time she’d seen him, an echo of the way Dom mourned for Dalena. Blearily he glanced between the two of them and raised his brows.
“It’s late for visiting,” he pointed out.
But Dom stepped up, saving Pru the worry. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask your permission first, sir. The truth is, I’m not a guest since Pru and I have agreed to share our lives. She’s shifting now, not sure if you heard.” Dom wrapped an arm around her shoulders, adding, “Prettiest ocelot I’ve ever seen.”
That startled her dad so much he tipped over the tumbler of amber liquid. With shaking hands, he righted the glass and then lurched toward her. “Just like your mother… Is it true?”
“It is. Do you want to see?”
“If you’re not too tired.”
As she stripped, her father averted his eyes. It was weird since most Animari started changing much earlier in life, so she shouldn’t be doing this for the first time at her age, which made it a little awkward. But his reaction when she went cat made the minor discomfort worthwhile. His bloodshot eyes teared up as he knelt to pat her back.
“You do look like her. I’m so glad you’re not a mangy lynx like me.”
Bending down, Dom scooped up her clothes. “Do you mind if we get some rest? We have another long day tomorrow.”
“Not at all.” Her dad was smiling, happier than she’d seen him in six months.
Pru followed her mate into the bedroom and shifted back with an audible groan. “I shouldn’t have done that. Feel like passing out.”
“You were right about his reaction. I think you could’ve brought a Golgoth home and he’d have only seen an ocelot.”
“Told you. I know people and I pay attention.”
Muscles sore, head fuzzy, she brushed her teeth and crawled into bed, not waiting for Dom to finish his routine. By the time he joined her, Pru was already half-asleep. It surprised her when he spooned up behind her; he’d done it on the mountain, but this time he was awake and presumably knew what he was doing.
“This okay?” he whispered.
“Mhm. But… can you sleep?”
He hesitated before replying, “It’s the only way I can. When I’m touching you, I don’t dream, or at least, I don’t remember any nightmares.”
Nobody had ever said anything like that to her before. The flutter she’d felt earlier twisted into a shimmering bluefish, and it felt like it was leaping against a line tied directly to her heart. Pru put her hand over his where it rested on her stomach, quietly delighted by the heat of his skin. He answered the touch by kissing her temple, not the sex signal, thankfully, because with her dad in the next room crying into his liquor, she wanted to sleep more than fuck.
“Night, Dom.”
“Sweet dreams.”
In the morning, she got up early enough to fix a good breakfast. Her dad hadn’t passed out
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