“Dad?”Rory whispered.
“I told you she was something else.”Kyllian laughed as Nikita helped Sutton with their bags, goggles firmly in place.
Nikita bounded up the steps, stopping in front of Kyllian.“Now all I need is a bomber hat, and I’ll be set.”
“Don’t you think you might need a heavy jacket and boots?I know you have your own fur, but you’d look funny riding a motorcycle as a wolf.”
“There you go being cute again.Gram said she’d take me shopping for whatever I need.”Nikita went from bubbly to serious from one second to the next.“Are those things I really need?I don’t want to ask for too much.”
“Let me tell you something,” Rory interrupted.“We have eighteen years to make up for, so nothing is too much where you’re concerned.Besides, if you’re going to ride, you need good protective gear.You and your mom both.I was thinking we could visit today and let everyone just chill.You’ve all had an exciting few days, and Kyllian looks dead on his feet.Tomorrow, we’ll head to the mall unless that’s too soon.If you don’t want to step foot in another mall, we’ll go to specialty stores, or heck, we can get everything online and have it delivered.”
Kyllian could kiss his mother for being in tune with not only Nikita, but him as well.So he did.He pressed his lips to her temple.“You’re not wrong.How about you and Pop visit with Trenton and Trouble while Quinn and I take a nap?”
Nikita snorted, and Kyllian shoved her playfully.“Behave.”
With eyes shining behind the goggles, Nikita saluted.“Aye, aye, Captain.”
Sutton clapped Kyllian on the shoulder on his way past.Everyone filed into the house, and with Nikita safely with her grandparents, Kyllian led Quinn upstairs.He bypassed the room he stayed in when he first arrived and led her to her bedroom.Closing the door, he leaned against it.“As much as I want to toss you on the bed and do wicked things to you, I do need to sleep.”
“Then let’s sleep.”Quinn turned the bed down, stripped to her underwear, and climbed on, scooting to the far side.
“Not helping, Pretty Lady.”Kyllian removed his clothes as well, leaving on his briefs, and lay down beside his mate.He pulled her to him, and Quinn snuggled against his back.“No wiggling,” he commanded, and Quinn held still.It didn’t matter.Having her against him was temptation enough, but Kyllian willed his dick to stand down.He slid his arm around her, resting his hand on her chest between her breasts and neck.With the steady beats of her heart beneath his fingertips and the scent of her skin in his nose, Kyllian fell right to sleep.
When he woke several hours later, he was in the same position, but he was alone.Kyllian didn’t like it.He had planned on spending time with Quinn’s bare skin, mapping it with his fingers and tongue.Rolling to his back, he reached out with his senses.The house was quiet, but voices sounded outside the window.Kyllian stood and stretched, then walked over to look out over the backyard.Sutton and Trenton stood off to the side talking, their attention focused on the woods.They didn’t appear to be on guard, just alert.Wondering where the females were, Kyllian dressed, ready to get downstairs and join them.
“Good nap, Son?”Sutton asked.
“I would have been better if I didn’t wake alone,” he groused.
“I understand that, but you’ll have to get used to sharing your mate.”
“Speaking of...”
Sutton inclined his head toward the woods.“Nikita wanted to see Rory’s Lion, and Rory wanted to see the girls’ Wolves, so they all took to their fur.”
“We should join them,” he suggested.Toeing off his boots, he said, “Shall we?”
“We shall, but don’t you want to strip in the house?”Sutton asked.
Kyllian engaged his Eagle’s eyes, searching the trees.“Nope.They aren’t anywhere close.Come on.If you hurry, you both can shift before they see us.”
Sutton shrugged and began removing his clothes too.When Trenton did move to join them, Kyllian urged the male, “You too, Trenton.This is family playtime.”
Trenton appeared stunned, and Sutton prodded his friend.“He’s right.You need this too.Come on, old friend.”That was all the encouragement he needed.The three of them were naked and shifted in record time.Kyllian didn’t wait for them.He turned his Lion loose and bounded for the familiar path.It didn’t take him long to find his two dire wolves.Nikita was chasing after her mother, but Rory was nowhere in sight.Quinn skidded to a stop, but Nikita kept running toward him.Kyllian braced for the hit, and when it came, he rolled with the smaller wolf.Nikita yipped, and Kyllian huffed against her muzzle.He shook out his mane, hitting her in the face, and she yipped again, then nipped at his front leg before darting off.Kyllian chased after her.She was quick, but she was no match for his larger size.Just when she was within his reach, a golden body dropped from somewhere blocking his path.Rory’s Lion met him head-on, keeping her body between him and Nikita.He growled playfully, and Nikita trotted up beside Rory, leaning into her.
Sutton, on silent feet, snuck up behind Nikita and swiped at her bushy tail with a large paw.Nikita jumped, spinning around, and seeing who tagged her, lunged.Kyllian rarely got to enjoy the playful side of his parents, but they were putting on a show for their new granddaughter.Trenton got in on the action.While Nikita was focused on wrestling with Sutton, he bumped against her, sending her rolling.She shifted within seconds, laughing hard.
When she caught her breath, she called out, “Mom, help.They’re ganging up on me.”And just as quickly, she was back in her fur.Quinn’s mighty animal stalked toward the grandfathers.At the last second, she turned and jumped on Kyllian.He let her roll him.She was strong, but not strong enough to take him down.Within seconds, the smaller dire wolf was nipping at his tail.Kyllian let out a displeased rumble that didn’t deter either of his girls.The six of them spent another hour playing and running until Nikita shifted and declared she was starving.
“Since you all can’t shift without losing your clothes, why don’t you all go get dressed?Mom and I will wait ‘til the coast is clear.Wait.Let’s think about this.Papa T, you go first.Then you go look out the front window so Gram and Pops can get dressed.Dad can go next.I know we’re all shifters and nudity shouldn’t be a thing, but yeah...Can’t say I wanna see y’all in the buff.”When nobody moved, she rolled her eyes.“Papa T?I’m wasting away over here.”Trenton’s smaller wolf charged Nikita, sliding to a stop, inches from her legs.She jumped back, laughing.He licked her hand, then took off through the woods.As instructed, they took turns heading back to change.Once inside, Nikita went to the fridge and began pulling items out.
Quinn took Kyllian by the hand, leaving the others to sort out dinner.She led him to her office where she sat down behind the computer.“I had an alert come in earlier, but I didn’t have the heart to work when she was so excited about playing.”
Kyllian sat in the chair opposite the desk and admired his mate as she worked.While she was focused on her laptop, he pulled out his phone and shot a text to Lucy, asking how things were going with the Stone Clan.Not expecting an immediate answer, he went back to staring at Quinn.What a difference a couple weeks made.The last time he sat in that spot, she was stoic and aloof.Never smiling.Sadness rolling off her in waves.Now?She was relaxed while typing away.When she glanced up, she grinned.“What?”
“Just happy.”And that was the truth.Before meeting Quinn, Kyllian was content if a little lonely.He had wondered what it would be like having a mate, but he never dreamed how complete he would be.
After dinner, Sutton pulled Kyllian to the side and handed him an envelope.He opened it and pulled out two documents and two cards.The papers were Nikita’s new birth certificates.One with the last name Shepherd and the other stating she was a Lazlo.Kyllian knew which one he hoped she chose, but it was her decision.Being shifters, he and Quinn didn’t have to get married.They had the mate bond securing their future.But he would be lying to himself and anyone he told if he said he didn’t care if she remained a Shepherd.He wanted the three of them to be a true family.With the birth certificate and Social Security cards, he wouldn’t need to adopt Nikita.They could skip the formalities and legal hassle.