Chapter Eleven
Sobek stared at the ceiling of his rental cabin, willing sleep to come.
As a god, technically, he didn’t have to sleep like other people did, but sleeping helped pass the time before he could legitimately go back and visit Rudy and his family again.
Unfortunately, it seemed troubled gods had the same issue sleeping as mortals did.
His crocodile side had been restless all evening, pacing beneath his skin like it wanted to break free.
The bond with Rudy - still new, fragile, and definitely more a suggestion than a promise - thrummed through his chest. He could feel Rudy’s presence like a warm glow from half a mile away, and every time he closed his eyes, he could see the glow from the Fates, lighting Rudy up like a beacon for him to find.
I found him, but I don’t know what I’m meant to do.
He doesn’t know about us. He doesn’t even know about his paranormal children.
The children registered with him, too - a surprise but not an unwelcome one. In his mind’s eye, they formed three smaller lights clustered around Rudy’s brightness, all slightly dulled because they were asleep.
Except...Sobek sat up, frowning. Timothy’s light started going haywire. It flickered, then dimmed, and then flared with distress. As Sobek tried to “see,” he felt Tim’s pain and worse, the hatchling was terrified.
Sobek was moving before conscious thought kicked in. One moment he was in bed, the next, he was standing in Rudy’s living room, having translocated there directly.
“…not waking up, I don’t know what to do, please just…”
Rudy’s voice came from upstairs, and he was understandably panicked.
Sobek took the stairs three at a time. Timothy’s bedroom door stood open.
Rudy knelt beside the small bed, phone pressed to his ear, hand on Timothy’s forehead.
The hatchling lay unconscious, skin flushed deep red, sweat soaking through his pajamas.
Scales flickered across his arms and legs, appearing and disappearing in waves.
“Yes, I need an ambulance,” Rudy said into the phone. “My son, he’s four, he won’t wake up and he’s burning up, I think he’s having some kind of seizure…”
“No hospitals.”
Rudy’s head whipped around. Relief and fear warred across his face. “Sobek? What are you…” His gaze dropped to Sobek’s bare feet, then traveled up his body. Sobek had translocated wearing only sleep pants. “How did you get in?”
“That’s not important. The doctors can’t help him.” Sobek crossed the room in two strides, dropping to his knees beside the bed. “I can.”
“What?” Rudy clutched the phone tighter. “What do you mean they can’t help? Look at him. He needs a doctor.”
Sobek pressed his palm to Timothy’s forehead.
The hatchling’s temperature was dangerously high, but he wasn’t sick.
Tim didn’t have an illness - his body was trying to force his first full shift.
For whatever reason his animal side wanted out, but Timothy was fighting it, likely because he didn’t know what was going on and also because he was terrified of scaring the man who was clutching his phone like a lifeline.
“Sir? Sir, are you still there?” The dispatcher’s voice crackled from the phone’s speaker.
“Rudy.” Sobek met his mate’s terrified blue eyes. “Please. Trust me. Let me take care of this.”
“How can you possibly…”
“Trust me, please.”
They stared at each other. Rudy’s chest was heaving and his curls were plastered to his forehead with sweat. His fingers trembled around the phone.
Then he pressed it back to his ear. “I’m sorry. False alarm. He’s waking up now. Yes, yes, I will take him to my regular doctor in the morning. Thank you.”
He ended the call before the dispatcher could respond and dropped the phone on the bed. “Don’t let this be a mistake, or I swear not only will I never speak to you again, but I’ll curse you from here to hell every day for eternity. If you can fix him, then do it. Quickly. Please.”
Placing both hands on Timothy’s chest, Sobek tuned into the frightened child - far easier to do with contact.
The hatchling’s heartbeat raced beneath his palms, far too fast and totally irregular.
It was fear and need all rolled into one, and yet the animal side of the young boy knew what needed to be done.
He was just fighting with Tim, who didn’t want Rudy getting upset.
Easy, little one. I’ve got you. Sobek let his power flow.
He’d always been a powerful god, known for the creation of the Nile and later worshipped as the protector of armies and pharaohs.
But the other side of him - the crocodile side - had always been the protector of the innocent, and it was his nature to care for hatchlings, even shifter ones.
Timothy’s back arched, and scales erupted across his skin, spreading from his arms to his torso. His jaw elongated, his mouth filling with needle-sharp teeth.
“What’s happening?” Rudy’s voice cracked. “Sobek, what’s…”
“He’s shifting. His animal side is trying to come through.” Sobek kept his voice calm, steady, even as he poured more power into the hatchling. “He’s been suppressing it, I imagine, because he didn’t want to frighten you.”
“Frighten me? I don’t…” Rudy made a choked sound. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Watch.”
Timothy’s body rippled. Bones reformed, limbs shortened. His brown hair receded into scaled skin. Within seconds, a small crocodile lay on the bed where the boy had been. He was about three feet long, with dark green scales and bright amber eyes that blinked up at them.
Rudy fell backward onto his ass. “Holy fuck.”
The curse was so unexpected coming from Rudy that Sobek nearly smiled.
But Timothy chirped - a baby crocodile’s distress call - and Sobek focused on soothing him through the bond.
There you are. Good job. You’re safe now, and you’ll see, your Daddy will still love you.
Rest for a while, and then I’ll help you shift back.
Timothy’s breathing steadied, his heart rate slowing to normal. He yawned, showing rows of tiny teeth, then settled his head on the pillow and closed his eyes even as footsteps pounded in the hallway.
“Daddy?” Jack’s voice, followed by Rose’s higher-pitched, “What’s wrong with Timothy?” Both children burst through the doorway and froze.
Sobek felt the surge of his power wash over them, and mentally winced.
Rudy was about to learn that what he’d said the first time he’d retrieved Tim from his pond, that they were all shifter children, was true.
He didn’t think that Jack or Rose were ready for a full shift just yet, but Jack’s arms sprouted thick brown fur, and his ears elongated into wolf points, and Sobek could see his wolf form behind Jack’s eyes.
Rose’s fingernails extended into full panther claws, her pupils turning to vertical slits.
They stared at Timothy’s crocodile form. Then at Sobek. Then at Rudy, who was still kneeling on the floor, his mouth hanging open.
“Daddy?” Jack’s voice came out with a slight growl. “Why is Timothy a lizard?”
“He’s a crocodile, dummy,” Rose said. Her voice had a feline rasp. She padded forward on silent feet, claws clicking against the hardwood. “Can I pet him?”
“No, not this time.” Sobek caught her before she could climb onto the bed. “He’s sleeping. Shifting fully for the first time is really tiring, so you don’t want to wake him.”
Rose twisted in his grip to look up at him. Her eyes were entirely golden now, cat-pupils wide. “You fixed him.”
“I helped him.”
“Good.” She nodded firmly. Then her gaze traveled to Jack. “Your face is fuzzy.”
Jack’s hands flew to his cheeks, finding the fur that covered his jawline. “So is yours.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Yeah-huh. Look.” Jack pointed.
Rose examined her arms, discovering her claws and fur. “Oh. Cool. I guess that sort of thing’s allowed now.”
They both turned to Rudy, whose face had gone pale beneath his freckles.
“Daddy?” Jack’s ears drooped. “Are you mad?”
“I...” Rudy’s gaze swept from Jack’s wolf features to Rose’s panther traits to Timothy’s full crocodile form. His chest rose and fell rapidly. “I’m not mad.”
“You look scared,” Rose said.
“I’m not scared of you.” Rudy’s voice strengthened. “I could never be scared of you three. Not ever.”
Jack’s ears perked up slightly. Rose’s tail - tail? when had that appeared? - twitched.
“But you’re confused,” Sobek said quietly.
“That’s putting it mildly.” Rudy pushed himself to his feet.
His legs trembled, but he stayed upright.
He looked at Jack’s wolf ears, Rose’s claws, and then Timothy’s sleeping crocodile form.
Then his gaze locked on Sobek. “However, you seem to think all this is perfectly normal, so you need to explain. Right now.”
Sobek stood slowly, Rose still cradled in his arms. Her claws pricked through his bare skin, but didn’t break it. Jack pressed against his leg, seeking comfort.
All three children were watching Rudy with wide, worried eyes, even Timothy, who’d cracked one amber eyelid open.
“You deserve the truth,” Sobek said. “All of it.”
“That would be nice.” Rudy’s voice came out thin. “Because right now I’m wondering if I’ve been hallucinating for three years or if I’ve lost my mind or if…” He broke off, pressing his hands to his face. “Just tell me. Please.”
Sobek shifted Rose’s weight. “Perhaps we should go downstairs.”
“Perhaps you should start talking.”
“Daddy’s using his scary voice,” Rose whispered.
“Shh,” Jack hissed.
Rudy dropped his hands. “I’m not scary. I’m just...” His gaze found each child in turn. “I love you three. You know that, right? Nothing changes that. Nothing on this Earth or beyond will ever change that.”
“Even if Jack is a wolf?” Rose asked.
“Even if Rose is a kitty?” Jack added.
“Even if Timothy is a crocodile?” Rose finished.
“Especially because of all that.” Rudy’s voice cracked. “You’re my kids. Mine. I don’t care if you’re wolves or kitties or crocodiles or tiny purple dinosaurs. You’re mine.”
Jack burst into tears, and Sobek could feel his relief.
He wondered how long the young boy had been terrified of being found out…
been scared because of what he was. Clearly, Tim’s shift had cleared the air in that respect.
Jack launched himself at Rudy, wrapping his arms - still covered in fur - around Rudy’s waist.
Rose squirmed in Sobek’s grip. “I want a Daddy hug, too.”
Sobek set her down, and she scampered to Rudy, latching onto his leg and purred. Timothy chirped from the bed, struggling to crawl to the edge.
Sobek retrieved the hatchling before he could fall and carried him to Rudy. Timothy nuzzled against Rudy’s shoulder, making soft chirpy sounds of contentment.
“Okay.” Rudy held all three children, tears streaming down his face. “Okay. We’re okay. Everyone’s okay.”
“Rudy.” Sobek kept his voice gentle. “You need answers.”
“I need a drink, I think.” But Rudy managed a watery smile. “And maybe to sit down before I fall down.”
“Downstairs?”
“Yeah.” Rudy pressed a kiss to Jack’s furry head, then Rose’s curls, then Timothy’s scaled snout. “Downstairs. Where I apparently need to hear about how my children are shapeshifters, and you’re...” He looked at Sobek. “What exactly are you?”
The question hung in the air.
Sobek met his mate’s eyes. “I’ll tell you everything.”
“Good.” Rudy straightened his shoulders, as if he were ready to march into battle. “Because I have a lot of questions.”
They moved toward the stairs as a unit - Rudy carrying Timothy’s crocodile form, Jack and Rose flanking him with their shifter traits still visible, and Sobek bringing up the rear.
He knows the hardest bit now, Sobek reasoned as he wondered what on earth he was going to say.
It’s not like he’d ever had to explain himself to anyone before.
But maybe…just maybe…Sobek could be one step closer to claiming his mate.
All thanks to Tim and these two other amazing kids.