Raven’s Instinct (A Day Care for Shifters #6)

14. Kendra

14

KENDRA

K endra was glad for the distraction of Amy. She wanted to get her emotions in order. She’d known that there was something off about Alan being at the day care from the moment they met, something beyond her attraction to him, something that wasn’t just gender expectations. He was too...competent. She’d worried that she was projecting tired stereotypes, but it somehow didn’t surprise her to find out that he was undercover for a secret agency to protect the day care. It didn’t even bother her that he had followed her to the gravel pit.

It did bother her that she didn’t consider him a threat.

She ought to.

He’d lied about why he was really at Tiny Paws, and he knew enough about her to dismantle her entire life.

And Kendra, against all reason, still trusted him and wasn’t sure why. Instinct? She prodded her owl, hoping for answers, but only got a cluck of exasperation. Who cares why?

“Hey, baby girl,” she said soothingly, unbuckling Amy and pulling her out of the car seat. “Let’s have a little dinner and sleep in a more comfortable bed.”

“Nah tied!” Amy protested, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes and yawning. She’d been asleep for just enough time to mean it could be complicated to get her back down. Kendra crossed her fingers that she’d get lucky this time.

Kendra had only had a protein bar from her glovebox emergency stash since before lunch, busy first at Swiftwater Ranch, then helping not-Ferdinand with his stylish dangle bracelets. She’d given Amy a squeeze yogurt at the laundromat, but her stomach was growling to remind her that she hadn’t had any dinner of her own yet.

“Want a sandwich?” she asked Amy, as they stepped up into the living area of the van.

“No,” Amy said flatly.

“Crackers?”

“No!”

“Yogurt?”

“No!”

“Pickles?”

“No!”

“Deer poop?”

Amy giggled, then declared, “No!”

“What do you want?”

“Sammich!”

Of course.

Kendra made two simple cheese sandwiches on bread that wasn’t quite stale. She gave one to Amy, who promptly pulled it into parts, threw the lettuce on the floor, and licked the mayonnaise off the bread.

“Want to watch a cartoon?”

Kendra didn’t particularly love relying on screen time, but she, the bull, and the secret agent still had business to hash out. She took her tablet just out of reach, set up a cartoon that would last for a while, and left Amy to squash her cheese into her tray.

She was not surprised that Alan had not obeyed her command to stay where he was; he rose from the folded chair she’d put out earlier as he tucked his phone into his pocket. She waved him back down and got another chair from the side storage compartment. Probably, she ought to offer him a sandwich, but Kendra wasn’t feeling very charitable.

Ferdinand loomed in the shadows, his tail swishing.

“How’s the leg?” Kendra asked, around a bite of her sandwich. “Probably feels good to have that weight off.”

The bull bobbed his head, looking as grateful as a bovine could get.

“Have you been a vet very long?” Alan asked.

“We could have a nice chat and make small talk about career paths,” Kendra said wearily, “or you could just fill me in on what’s going on.”

Alan pulled his phone out again and it lit up his face as he turned it on. “I’ve been looking up the previous case we had with a shifter stuck in their animal form. It was nearby, and you’ll be glad to know that we were able to facilitate a cure.”

The bull gave an eager low.

“How?” Kendra asked, licking her fingers. She should have made herself two sandwiches. But she’d probably have half of Amy’s to finish when she went back inside; she’d gotten over her early motherhood ick about eating child-mangled leftovers and they now comprised a large part of her diet.

“Well, there’s the rub,” Alan said apologetically. “It’s classified.”

“Screw that,” Kendra said, at the same time that the bull made a similar snort.

“I would tell you if I knew,” Alan assured them. “I’ve requested the appropriate clearance, but it might take some time to get approval. I can arrange for…ah…protective custody if you need it? I could probably find a safehouse with a fenced backyard if you need a place to stay.”

Ferdinand’s snorted reply was a clear explanation of how he felt about staying in a backyard.

“Good, because the homeowner’s association might complain about livestock in that neighborhood. Tell you what, I will come back here the night after next and give you an update. We can make it a standing appointment, every other night. It’s not that far out of Nickel City, and I’ll keep the pressure on my team to get me that information.”

Ferdinand bowed his head like his horns were suddenly very heavy, then he nodded gravely.

“And what about the reason you’ve decided to grace Tiny Paws with your presence? I deserve to know what the risk to my child is.” On cue, Amy gave a shriek of laughter from inside the van and pounded on her tray.

Kendra could see Alan’s frown, and he glanced at the bull. “I agree with that, and there’s more I can tell you , but we don’t even have a real name for this guy. No offense, Ferdinand, but you’ll have to leave.”

Ferdinand’s ears went back in irritation, but he nodded once.

“We could find out his name,” Kendra said. “I have a whiteboard with letters that I thought you could use.” She realized as she spoke that getting just his name wasn’t going to put Ferdinand on the trusted list.

The bull shuffled up to her and lowered his nose. Kendra automatically reached up to pat it, then he twitched his tail and lumbered away into the dark. His footsteps crunched away in the direction of the field past the gravel pit. Amy laughed from inside the van again, and the music of her cartoon was a low hum.

“So tell me,” Kendra said sternly to Alan, trying not to betray her worries. “Why are you at Tiny Paws now ?”

“There are a couple of things going on all at once,” Alan said frankly. “I’ve been told not to reveal any of it, but—but!” He cut Kendra off before she could protest. “I’m ignoring those orders and risking a demotion. You deserve to know, so you can make the best choices for you and Amy.”