Chapter Fifteen
“How many pancakes can you eat?” Sobek asked, whisking batter in a large bowl. Rose perched on the counter despite Sobek’s repeated instructions to sit at the table. Jack had chocolate chips smeared on his cheek. Timothy stood pressed against Sobek’s leg, watching everything closely.
“A hundred,” Rose declared.
“Three,” Jack said, more realistically.
Timothy held up two fingers.
Rudy leaned against the doorframe, coffee mug in hand, looking rumpled but completely relaxed. “Rose can eat six if they’re small. Jack usually manages four. Timothy eats two and then picks off everyone else’s plates.”
Timothy ducked his head, but Sobek just ruffled his hair. “There’s nothing wrong with checking out your siblings’ food. It means you get the best bits.”
Through the bond, Sobek felt Rudy’s amusement. He was still adjusting to the certainty of their connection. Every emotion Rudy felt echoed faintly in Sobek’s chest, and his crocodile side couldn’t stop rumbling with satisfaction.
Sobek poured batter onto the griddle, flipping pancakes easily.
The Paulie app had provided detailed instructions when asked - something Sobek had done while Rudy was in the bathroom - and it looked like the recipe would be a success.
Paulie also congratulated Sobek on his mating, and while Sobek didn’t want to know how an app would know about what he’d gotten up to the night before, he decided it was easier not to ask. He had children and a mate to feed.
Rose kicked her heels against the cabinet. “Can we have a try at shifting later?”
Sobek’s hand stilled on the spatula. “What?”
“Like last night. When Tim turned into a crocodile.” Rose’s eyes shone with excitement. “Can we all try doing it this time, like, on purpose?”
Rudy straightened, his mug halfway to his mouth. “Is that safe?”
Sobek glanced over his shoulder, meeting his mate’s worried gaze.
“It’s perfectly safe. In fact, it would be a good idea for all three children to learn how to do it now, so that they can control the process.
There’s less risk of that happening in public if they work with their animal spirits, instead of trying to suppress them. ”
“I’m just worried about it hurting them,” Rudy said quietly, and Sobek could tell all three children were watching the interaction carefully. “You did say most shifter children don’t fully shift until they’re teenagers.”
“We have special and wonderful children who can do it sooner than others, that’s all.
Timothy’s first shift happened because his body forced it.
He was fighting the transformation, which made him sick.
” Sobek flipped two pancakes onto a plate.
“If they learn to shift deliberately, it won’t hurt.
And they’ll understand their own bodies better. ”
Jack bounced on his toes. “Are you sure it won’t hurt?”
“Not if you listen to me. You’ll be fine.” Sobek slid pancakes onto plates and set them on the table. “You need to eat first. Shifting takes a lot of energy, and I imagine our young Tim is absolutely starving this morning after his shift last night.”
Rose groaned but hopped down from the counter. All three children attacked their breakfast, drowning everything in syrup. Sobek made another batch, piling pancakes onto a plate for Rudy, who accepted it with a soft smile that made Sobek’s chest tighten.
“You didn’t make any for yourself,” Rudy pointed out.
“I’ll eat later.”
“No, that’s not right.” Rudy pushed the plate toward him. “We share.”
Sobek stared at the plate, then at his mate. Through the bond, he could feel how important it was for Rudy - not just sharing the food, but sharing space…sharing everything. Picking up a fork, Sobek nodded. “Thanks.”
They ate together, standing at the counter while the children chattered at the table.
Timothy kept glancing over his shoulder, as if reassuring himself that Sobek was still there.
Each time, Sobek caught his eye and nodded.
The hatchling was still a bundle of nerves, and it was going to take a while for that to change.
Sobek knew all he could do was be a consistent presence until Tim trusted it. I’m not going anywhere, little one.
When the plates were empty, and the children were sticky with syrup, Sobek herded everyone into the living room. “Clean hands first. Shifting with syrup on your fingers could be very messy.”
Rose giggled, and Jack wiped his hands on his shirt, earning a long-suffering look from Rudy.
“Bathroom,” Rudy ordered. “All three of you, and make sure you wash properly - hands and faces.”
They scrambled off, leaving Sobek and Rudy alone. Rudy moved closer, his hand finding Sobek’s.
“You’re really going to teach them?”
“They need to know. Shifters who can’t control their forms could end up hurt or worse.” Sobek squeezed Rudy’s fingers. “I won’t let that happen to them.”
Rudy blinked quickly as he nodded. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I’m human, so I can’t shift at all. I don’t know how I can help them…”
“You love them. I promise that’s enough.” Sobek pulled Rudy against his chest, wrapping his arms around him. “They trust you more than anyone, and that matters, too, especially after what they’ve been through.”
Rudy exhaled shakily, his face pressed to Sobek’s shoulder. The bond allowed Sobek to feel the fear underneath - the worry that he wasn’t enough, that the children needed someone who understood their nature.
“You are enough,” Sobek murmured. “You’ve always been enough.”
The children thundered back into the room, hands damp and faces eager. Timothy carried an armful of towels, which he dumped on the couch.
“I thought we’d need these,” he said quietly.
Sobek’s crocodile side rumbled with pride. “That’s really good thinking.”
Timothy beamed.
Rudy stepped back, wiping his eyes quickly. “Okay. So how does this work?”
Sobek gestured for the children to sit on the floor. “Shifting is about intention. You think about your other form - what it feels like, what it looks like - and your body responds.”
“That’s all there is to it?” Jack frowned. “We just have to think about it?”
“Mostly. For young shifters, emotions like fear, anger, or excitement can trigger shifts, but that’s not always a good idea, depending on where you are.
You really don’t want anyone to see you do it…
outside of your family. If you practice, you learn to control it.
” Sobek crouched in front of them. “The first few times might feel strange. Your clothes won’t shift with you, so you’ll need to take them off first.”
Rose wrinkled her nose. “We’ll be naked?”
“No more naked than when you’re in the bath. That’s why we have towels.”
Jack crossed his arms. “Naked in the bathroom is what everyone does. I don’t want to be naked in the living room.”
“That’s fine. You don’t have to get undressed.
But imagine how your proud wolf pup side will feel when he comes through, and goes to prance around the room on four legs, and trips over your pants?
I’ve even seen some wolves get stuck in their shirts to the point where they can’t see anything because it’s caught on their heads.
But it’s your choice,” Sobek said bluntly.
“Being naked anywhere should always be your choice.”
Rudy coughed, hiding a smile. “I think you’ll be fine in the house, Jack. If it’s easier, we could go into the bathroom, but there’s more room down here.”
Jack scowled but started tugging off his shirt. Rose followed, wiggling out of her pajamas without hesitation. Timothy stripped quickly, folding his clothes into a neat pile.
Sobek grabbed towels, draping them over each child. “Better?”
They nodded, clutching the fabric.
“All right. Rose, I think we’ll go with you first.”
Rose’s eyes widened. “Me?”
“You’re the most excited about this, and it’s likely your panther will try to come through if one of the others shifts first anyway.
Panthers are excellent shifters, known for being fast, graceful, and strong.
” Sobek settled cross-legged in front of her.
“I want you to close your eyes and think about your panther. What does she look like?”
Rose squeezed her eyes shut. “She’s big and black and has really shiny fur and super sharp claws.”
“Nice. Now, what does she feel like to you?”
“Ooh, she’s fast and super, super quiet, like she could sneak up on anyone.”
“Perfect.” Sobek’s voice dropped, keeping his tone calm and even.
“Now I want you to imagine you are her. Not just thinking about her, but imagining what it feels like to be her. Imagine your muscles changing, and your bones shifting, remembering it absolutely doesn’t hurt.
This is all perfectly natural for the panther that you are. ”
Rose’s face scrunched with concentration. For a moment, nothing happened. Then her hands rippled, claws extending briefly before retracting.
“You’re fighting it,” Sobek said, making sure to stay calm. It was so tempting to help her, and Sobek wanted to, but he knew Rose would be better off if she could do it herself. “Just let it happen and trust your body.”
Rose’s breath hitched, and then her towel slipped as her shoulders hunched, her spine arching. Black fur rippled across her skin, spreading from her hands up her arms. Her face elongated, nose flattening, and her ears shifted upward.
Jack gasped and clapped quietly while Timothy leaned forward as if silently urging her on.
And then Rose wasn’t a little girl anymore. She was a panther cub, small and sleek, with enormous green eyes and fur so black it seemed to absorb light.
Rudy made a choked sound. “Oh, my goodness. You’re so darn cute.”
The cub - Rose - turned her head, staring at Rudy. Then she chirped, a high-pitched sound that was distinctly pleased.
“She’s still Rose,” Sobek said quickly. “She’s fully aware of who you and her brothers are. She won’t hurt anyone.”
The cub padded toward Rudy on oversized paws, butting her head against his leg. Rudy dropped to his knees, hands hovering uncertainly.
“Can I touch her?”