Chapter 11 #2
“Isn’t she a little young to have her first change?” Krys growled from the doorway.
Tak faced him while tying the end of his braid. “She’s no younger than most. Our animal knows when it’s time. It’s a tremendous honor to witness a Shifter being born. Our pack will have a new addition.”
Krys’s eyes slanted away, and it was obvious he was thinking about the possibility of Cleo leaving. I said nothing.
Hope walked in and looked around. “What’s going on?”
Tak half smiled at her. “Cleo’s going through her first change.”
Hope clasped her hands. “My gosh! Are you sure?”
He stood and exchanged places with her.
She held Cleo’s hand. “There’s absolutely nothing to be afraid of. I know it feels scary, especially with all these men looming around,” she said, turning a sharp eye at us. “When did the fever start?”
Cleo sighed. “A few hours ago, I think.”
“Oh good. We have plenty of time. It never happens right away. Your body’s adjusting while your animal prepares to come out. Sometimes it takes a day or two. You and I will have a private talk. After that, Tak will stay with you.”
“Why?”
“Because alphas summon our inner animal, and it’ll speed up the process if he’s in here. I’ll stay if you want. Do you feel a stronger connection to him than you did yesterday?”
She nodded.
I knew that feeling. Regardless of animal type, every Shifter felt an indescribable need to be close to an alpha during their transition.
Alpha energy was soothing to our inner animal, like a protective force field.
While not every animal type lived in groups or had leaders, they all had what we considered an alpha—a Shifter born with a stronger animal and energy.
Being around them truly did help with the transition.
Those whose transformations happened late in their twenties or thirties occasionally had a different reaction. I’d overheard stories in my former pack about one woman who developed a temporary sexual attraction to the alpha during the fever stage.
How incredibly awkward.
Cleo seemed too young to be going through her first change, but that meant more time to bond with her inner animal and form a solid relationship with her.
That reminded me of Serena Mason, the pretty young woman who almost joined our pack in the beginning.
She hadn’t gone through her first change at that time, and she was already in her twenties.
I often wondered about her and her obnoxious brother Ian.
I’d seen them around town over the years, but those two were an enigma.
Once downstairs, Tak filled everyone in on the auspicious news. First came smiles and shock, but then the residents began pacing as one did before a birth.
I sat on a square table in the dining room, my feet propped in a chair while the pack noisily chattered at the main table. “Should we take bets on her animal?”
While they discussed the possibilities playfully, Darcy sauntered up to my table and sat beside me. She had been quiet the whole time, trying her best to follow my rules dutifully.
“It’s the coolest thing ever,” she said. “If I was a Shifter when I was alive, I hope my family was as awesome as yours.”
“This is a trip,” I said quietly, making it seem as if I were talking to myself. “It’s like having a baby or something.”
“You’re going to be a father!” Darcy exclaimed.
“Hardly.”
When Atticus flicked his gaze up at me, I nonchalantly waved a piece of bacon and took a bite.
If Darcy was staying, we couldn’t speak around Atticus, since he could hear every whisper.
Confiding in him was a possibility, but what if he told Joy?
Then again, he might not if it meant freaking her out.
Until I sorted through my options, Darcy would have to remain a secret.
Outside, Catcher howled enthusiastically, prompting Robyn to get up from the table. After a minute outside, she returned to the room.
“What was that about?” Tak asked.
She sat on Montana’s lap and put her arms around his neck. “I think he knows about Cleo. He ran right upstairs.”
Tak rubbed his jaw, elbows on the table. “I want everyone home today. Mercy, I’ll tell Calvin you and Bear won’t be coming in. Do you think that’ll cause a problem?”
“He’ll live.” Mercy lifted her juice glass and finished off its contents. “Kelly’s always looking for extra hours anyhow.”
“To burn the place down?” I quipped, which garnered a few laughs.
Kelly was better known as Butterfingers. Calvin quit serving flaming drinks after she set a table on fire. He kept her only because no one else wanted to work for him.
“Cleo wants cookies,” I announced. “It’s her special day.”
Bear stroked his bushy beard. “Did she say what kind?”
“Every kind. Let’s have a cookie party.”
Cici and Quinn clapped. Who doesn’t love cookies?
Darcy swung her legs. “Oh, I wish I were alive. I’d want oatmeal cookies with walnuts.”
I wrinkled my nose at that admission. “Oatmeal?” When Atticus looked up at me again, I pretended to be considering the options. “No, she probably doesn’t like those. Peanut butter?”
Atticus sat back, his eyes fixed on me. “Everyone knows the little miss hates peanut butter.”
Tak gestured to Bear. “Then we make everything but peanut butter.”
Well, that was a disappointment, considering how much I loved peanut butter.
After scooting back his chair, Bear collected the dishes. “You bet. Does anyone know her favorite? She’s never told me.”
“Shortbread.” Krys locked his fingers behind his head, his blue eyes staring vacantly at the biscuits in front of him. “She loves shortbread cookies.”
I jumped down and drifted over to Tak’s chair. “Any song requests? We need to get this party started with some vinyl records.”
“No,” Tak said in a warning tone. “Cleo needs quiet. The last thing I want is her animal coming out to the sound of Nine Inch Nails.”
I unleashed a wild laugh. “That’s your music. We can always put on something soothing, like a little Electric Light Orchestra.”
Melody twirled her hair around her finger, and excitement danced in her eyes. “My wolf can hardly wait. It’s like we’re having another baby.”
“What if she’s a kangaroo?” I proposed before hopping across the room.
Tak eased back in his chair. “We accept her no matter what. Don’t tease her. That’s not something a child wants to hear after their first change. I’m more concerned she might be a dolphin.”
“Why?” Melody asked.
“Our tub isn’t big enough.”
With each meal, the anticipation heightened around Cleo’s transformation. I checked the shingles on the roof for damage, replaced air filters, and helped Archer clean his gym and equipment to keep myself occupied.
Tak and Hope kept her company while Salem monitored her condition. Because of her fever, Cleo only wanted water. We all remembered what it was like, and the last thing anyone had wanted was food.
After dinner, the pack waited quietly in the living room.
Since it was too hot for a fire, candles illuminated the fireplace.
Krys excused himself and went upstairs. When he didn’t return, I ventured up to check on him, but he wasn’t in his bedroom.
Curious, I went to Cleo’s room and stared in confusion.
“Hello?” I flipped on the light and looked at the unmade bed.
I whirled around when my bedroom door creaked.
Krys poked his head out. “She’s in here.”
“My room?”
He leaned against the doorjamb, his black shirt snug against his body. “It was stuffy in there, and she needed fresh air. We’re stealing yours, since you have a window.”
“No worries, but I need to put away a few things before the big reveal.”
“What things?”
I brushed past him and gave Cleo a cursory glance. She was curled up on her side while Tak stroked her head and spoke quietly.
Krys gripped my arm. “What are you doing in here?”
“I live in here. What are you doing in here? Everyone’s animal goes a little nuts when they first come out. Look, if she turns out to be a rhinoceros, I have a few collectibles I want to protect.”
Krys chuckled darkly. “I didn’t think of that.”
I cleared off shelves where I kept my prized collectibles. My large black shelf had lower cabinets, so I moved my belongings in there. When I turned my eyes about the room, I couldn’t help but notice a few pictures missing.
Tak silently communicated the answer to my burning question about why he took down the nudes. “They’re in the closet,” he finally said.
Annoyed, I moved my prized records onto the shelf to keep my paintings company.
I sat on my blue chaise in the corner and admired the nautical painting behind Tak. As much as I wanted to lighten the mood, Cleo wasn’t feeling well. The leaves rustled in the tree outside my window when a breeze aired out the room.
Tak smiled at her. “You won’t feel any pain. Shifting is like sliding down a tunnel into your mind. It feels strange at first, but you need to surrender to your animal. You might black out right away, or after a few minutes or even a few hours.”
“Maybe I’ll be lucky and remember everything,” she said.
“Don’t wish for that, kid,” Krys piped in.
“Why not?”
I gave him a thorny look. “Yeah. Why not? I remember mine.”
Krys arched his eyebrow. “And when your wolf chews on the couch arm, you get blamed too for not stopping him.”
“Point taken.”