MOON TAMED

AUDREY GREENE

Moon Tamed

by Audrey Greene

* * *

Coraline Patten enjoys nothing more than facing new challenges, but when she’s asked to evaluate Moonriver’s ruling faction, she worries she’s bitten off more than she can chew.

Allasandro Stephans has reigned since she’d been a child, unwavering in his dedication to Moonriver. His heir, Calden, has supported him every step of the way. Together, the shapeshifting widower and his son appear to be the perfect men for the job of preserving and protecting their home.

When Moonriver’s heir asks her to free his father from the burden of leadership, Coraline is determined to do what is best for her people, even if it costs her the love of her life.

* * *

Copyright © 2022 by Audrey Greene/Pen & Page Publishing

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Design by Rebecca Frank (Bewitching Book Covers by Rebecca Frank)

Audrey Greene is a pseudonym of R.J. Blain. For more books written by R.J., please visit https://thesneakykittycritic.com

ONE

Fur would fly.

I should have called in sick. Had I pretended to suffer from some ailment, my name wouldn’t have been on the list of potential sacrificial lambs doomed to work for the Hunters of Moonriver for the next week, possibly for longer.

I enjoyed change, and I preferred it on a daily basis.

The Hunters of Moonriver would give me change for a few days, but after a week, the monotony would do me in. All factions were alike. Once someone settled into their role, that was it. They stared down an endless tunnel of the same old routine, climbing the social ladder for higher pay, slight modifications to their daily duties, and more responsibilities.

After a month of that, I would surely go mad.

As one of Moonriver’s unaffiliated, I flitted from faction to faction, filling in for those who couldn’t work for whatever reason. I preferred when I covered for one of the craft factions, but after a week of doing the same job over and over, I craved new waters, new experiences, and new people.

I loved the thrill of discovery, and none of the factions offered me the variety I needed to be satisfied with my lot in life. As a result, I remained one of the oldest unaffiliated in the city-state, working at a temp firm.

My boss understood how I ticked and made certain I tested new waters often.

Had I done something to irritate my boss? A job with a minimum duration of a week counted as my personal nightmare, although I would do the work with a smile if it was asked of me.

“I knew I should have selected a faction last quarter.” Of my co-workers, Sila tended to be the first to voice a complaint but the last to do anything about her situation. Had anyone else tried that garbage with me, I would have moved on, but Sila somehow managed to make me smile, even during dire situations. While she complained and rarely acted, if she could help someone else, she would.

My friend was a queen of contradictions.

She cleared her throat to make certain she held my attention. As she rarely put up such a fuss, I did as she wanted and met her gaze.

“I told you we should have made our selections last quarter, Coraline,” Sila whined.

Any other day, I would have told her to mind her own business or muttered about her attitude. Today, I wanted to join her and abandon my professionalism to indulge in a childish temper tantrum over the situation. If I had picked a faction last quarter, I would have avoided the entire problem, but I doubted I would have been happy with my choice. Still, she made a good point. “You might be right. How many qualified for the job?” With a little luck, all six hundred or so of the firm’s employees were eligible for selection, significantly limiting my chance of being the unlucky one.

The last thing I needed was a long-term contract with any faction, let alone the undisputed rulers of Moonriver.

“Twenty,” Sila informed me in a solemn tone. “Of which we are two of the twenty. I peeked at the list. More accurately, the boss asked me to warn you that you are on the list, and he will not believe any excuse you might concoct to dodge this. As such, you can’t avoid your dance with doom. I fear it’s probable you’re the unlucky soul stuck with the Hunters contract. Why else would he make me make you show up?”

Until it was confirmed I was stuck with the contract, I would hope someone else would win the assignment. As there were more than twenty people in the room, I assumed our boss had another reason for calling everyone together. Usually, he either dropped the contracts off at our desks or sent us an email telling us we had feet and should use them.

I longed to voice a curse, but professionalism demanded I remain silent.

“There’s a rumor that the odds aren’t equal. By request.”

I relaxed, as my general skill set meant I spent most of my time working with craft or artisan factions in a secretarial or accounting role. “The boss asked you to toy with me, didn’t he?”

“Maybe a little. He didn’t tell me who was picked, just that somebody has already been assigned the contract. He mandated that you must deal with the stress just like everyone else. But you’re no Hunter, and everybody knows it. But maybe the boss wants to add a little extra versatility to your resume? As far as I know, it’s only for a week or two.”

The wolf-dominated Hunters needed athletic, strong people with a fondness for difficult challenges. I preferred difficult mental challenges, especially when numbers were involved. While anyone could discover their animal and begin shifting at any age, those who wanted to shift actively pursued their magic—or they partnered with a shapeshifter.

I had opted against putting in the effort; I struggled enough getting through life without the additional complications associated with shapeshifting. I also dodged dating shapeshifters, as most who married a shifter developed the magic through frequent exposure.

As such, I did my best to avoid anyone associated with the Hunters of Moonriver, who ran the city and nearby towns with iron paws, common sense, and tolerable ethics.

“Well, that should eliminate me, then,” I said, allowing myself a relieved sigh. “Me, working with the Hunters? You said it yourself. I’m no Hunter.”

Fur would fly, and not in a good way.

The last thing I needed in my life was to develop magic, especially of the shapeshifting variety.

Sila snickered. “With that comment, you just guaranteed your selection. That is what normal people call testing their luck. Have you worked for the Hunters before?”

“No.” With Sila, short and to the point worked the best. If I gave her a single opening, she would talk me to death and force me to regret my decision to be her friend.

Sila meant well, however, even when she drove me mad.

My friend rubbed her hands together. “They’re pretty nice to work for. While most of them are predatory shifters, they’re respectful of time and energy. It helps they can smell fatigue and frustration. They understand a happy worker is a better worker. They stop problems before they become problems as a general rule. The male temps get the short straw, as they get into pissing contests with the Hunters. Us women? We already know how to avoid the pissing contests. We win when we don’t play the game.”

When Sila began spouting sexist nonsense, it often sourced from an unpleasant evening with her latest suitor. “Did you have a bad date last night?”

“It was horrible. Who knew a Legacy researcher could be so clueless? I educated him, but there won’t be a second date. He was so dry I thought about asking him to do my laundry.”

The few times I’d dated a Legacy member, I’d emerged better educated but lacking in the basic relationship department. Members of Legacy lived for the pursuit of old knowledge. Intellectual company appealed to me, but I also longed for the other facets of a good relationship, including physical affection, sweet nothings, and someone I could be around in safety and comfort.

Still, Legacy members could be taught, and I’d met more than a few who were kind to a fault but oblivious. “Maybe you should give him a second try, Sila. You bothered to educate him. Why not benefit from your tutoring? Is he nice?”

“He is disturbingly nice,” she complained.

Well, some problems had simple solutions. “Teach him to get a little rough with you, then.”

“I might. He texted me this morning. I replied that I was getting my work assignment. You think I should try him again?”

“He’s nice and can be taught, Sila. Find out if he cooks and cleans. If so, he might be the perfect man.”

“You make a good point.” Sila sighed, dug out her phone, and tapped at the screen. Once finished, she said, “There. I told him that, assignment allowing, I’m free most nights this week if he’d like to get together. This might be for the best. I was about to hit up someone from Moonward.”

I winced. Of Moonriver’s factions, Moonward attracted ambitious men and women with an interest in magic. Witches made up most of the membership, but they accepted all types. “Dangerous dates are not wise, Sila.”

“I’m looking for love. That is the definition of dangerous.”

No kidding. Before I could reply, our manager rang his little silver bell so he could deliver the news—and reveal who would be assisting the Hunters. “I’ll keep this as short as possible, as we have a busy day. I already drew the name for the Hunters contract while you gossips talked up a storm.”

When Almon Friarin went the route of serious efficiency, we had a significantly higher than normal number of jobs on our plate.

“Today is going to be fun,” Sila predicted.

I huffed but refrained from cursing. “Sure. It’s going to be about as fun as a lobotomy.”

Before I could make further commentary, our boss said, “Line up for your assignment. You’ll just have to accept I won’t be turning our job into a circus today. Maybe tomorrow. The Hunters of Moonriver have asked for discretion.”

“Well, this sucks,” Sila muttered. “He lured us all here so nobody would skip out on a crazy day.”

“You’re probably right.” My fellow co-workers queued up to receive their assignments, and I joined the line, dragging Sila with me. “Be grateful it’s not a parade. Or worse, a positive reinforcement day.”

“Good point. There is only so much public praise I can handle a year. A ten-minute lecture on how good I am at following basic instructions might break me today.” Sila made a show of shuddering. “Last week, one of the clients sent him a photo of my work along with praise. I almost perished.”

I needed to derail my friend before she delved deeper into the dark waters of self-inflicted stress. “Did you get a raise?”

“I received an extra ten cents an hour for accomplishing perfection.”

Well, that had backfired in a painful fashion. “I’ve never gotten a raise for perfection,” I informed her.

“I asked for it. Did you?”

The next time I got pulled into our boss’s office, I would make a point of asking. “Will the ten cents an hour actually help your budget?”

One of the distinct disadvantages of remaining unaffiliated was our compensation; the factions made a point of paying their members competitive rates for their work. We lacked a faction to go to bat for us. Migrant workers made up the majority of the unaffiliated, who had limited power to bring change to how we were paid. As a rare holdout, I accepted lower pay and less say in the governing of Moonriver in exchange for flexibility and freedom.

“Every penny counts except when it doesn’t.” Sila shrugged. “Not really, but I will hoard those extra pennies. Why didn’t you put the Hunters on your approval list?”

“What would I even do for them? I do most of my hunting at the grocery store. I have no desire to howl at the moon. The Hunters only send their best through the portals—and I’m not interested in any of the other expeditions to Earth. If you’re lucky, you’ll survive the trip. If you survive, you’re stuck there for ten years.” In truth, I hunted rabbits for free food, requested a hunting license every time enrollment opened, and I had learned to skin my rabbits to make extra cash on the side. I’d gotten good enough I sold the best fur to the artisan factions and spent my earnings on books.

I made a point of making certain nobody outside of my family and the artisan buyers learned about my rabbit hunting.

“That somewhat limits what you can do with the Hunters. As I don’t date Hunters, nor will I select their faction, I try to avoid them. I’ve had one contract with them. They’re not bad to work for, but they’re definitely intense. I’ve seen the faction leader and his son, though. Watch out for your panties. They’re hot. I put in some serious thought about selecting the Hunters after seeing that heir. Let me tell you something, Coraline. Calden Stephans is delicious. I’d melt chocolate on him and eat it off without hesitation. The best part? He doesn’t even really have abs. He could have abs if he flexed those muscles a bit more, but he’s a whole lot of smooth man. I got to see him with his shirt off. There’s not a scrap of chest hair to be seen, and you know how I feel about chest hair.”

Yes, I had unfortunate knowledge of how much she hated picking out chest hair from between her teeth. As Sila lived and breathed for her next bedroom conquest, I opted to ignore her opinion about Moonriver’s most influential men, especially Calden, the reigning eligible bachelor of Moonriver. “I’ll make sure my panties remain intact and on.”

“You are no fun.”

Thanks to our boss’s foresight plus his planning and preparation skills, he churned through the line, handing out envelopes with the contracts and assignment details. Mine ranked in on the heftier side, a common problem with Legacy assignments, although the various artisan factions also had lengthy contracts.

Sila also received one of the thicker envelopes, and hers had the crescent moon and yew symbol of the Moonward faction on it.

“Good luck with that.”

“They’re really not that bad. It’s usually playing courier or taking notes with them. They even give magic lessons on slow days. Try it again some time. I bet you’d be a great witch.”

I had learned a trick or two the last time I’d worked for Moonward, but I wouldn’t tell Sila that. “Pass. Break a leg.”

“You, too—and text me if you get something juicy, like a boyfriend.”

“Should I mystically acquire a boyfriend, I will let you know.”

Laughing, my friend headed into the maze of smaller offices and cubicles, leaving me to venture the other way. Ten years of working for the temp firm meant I had one of the better offices, which was located near the doors leading to freedom.

I tossed the packet onto my desk and began my morning routine, which consisted of following up with prior contracts. Nobody had contacted me. That worried me, much like the calm before the storm tended to put me on edge. Before I could become unnerved, I picked up my envelope and pulled out the contract.

According to the cover page, I held the dubious honor of being the lamb sacrificed to the Hunters of Moonriver. The cover page indicated the faction leader required a skilled secretary to handle a sensitive matter.

Relief flooded me. I could handle working as a secretary, even for the ruler of the city. Dealing with the same contract for longer than a week would test me, but I would endure.

How bad could it be?

Groaning, I rested my head on my desk. Within a few hours, I’d find out.

* * *

At ten sharp, I stepped into the lobby of the Hunters’ headquarters. Designed to resemble an oversized hunting lodge, it married country charm to an unchecked taxidermy obsession. Lions, tigers, and bears decorated the polished hardwood floors as rugs. Numerous species of deer hung from the walls, keeping a collection of rabbits and birds company.

Lovely. I was about to spend at least a week with a bunch of glassy-eyed, dead animals staring at me.

“Are you Coraline Patten?”

I was so focused on the entry I hadn’t noticed the man lounging on an armchair with a tiger rug at his feet. He matched what I expected of a member of the Hunters of Moonriver, fit enough to battle animals with his bare hands while somehow maintaining an almost feline grace.

His face suited any of the artisan factions; if he were to be put on display for the enjoyment of women, he’d bring in a fortune. After a moment, I realized I recognized him from television. In the flesh, Calden Stephans was somewhat tall with brown hair, darker eyes, and a confident air about him.

Sila had been right to be concerned for my poor panties. He could start fires walking into a room.

How unfair.

No matter what, I could not be caught drooling over the heir of the faction I needed to work for. A week or longer would test me, but I would survive. I would leave the building with a few pleasant memories, an unexpected perk of the contract.

I expected the man would occupy my dreams for a while.

One day at a time would get me through the assignment with my sanity intact.

As I refused to be anything other than an immaculate professional, I held my briefcase in front of me, bowed my head, and replied, “I am, Mr. Stephans. I’ve brought the signed contract from the firm. How can I be of service?”

“Tell me what you think of the lodge.”

Oh, dear. I’d plunged right into hot water within a minute of stepping through the doors. “Do you want my personal opinion or a professional response, sir?”

“Personal opinion.”

Wonderful. I expected my boss would receive yet another report regarding my general inability to lie to a client. Still, I could soften my general opinion a little without lying. As I wanted to keep my job, even if it meant coming to the same place for a while, I’d do my best. “It isn’t to my taste. I look at the tiger, and I think it’s sad such a beautiful animal now decorates the floor.”

Calden Stephans chuckled. “What if I told you this tiger had died of old age in a zoo?”

In a what? Puzzled, I tilted my head to the side. “What’s a zoo?”

The man sighed. “Conservatory menagerie.”

I made a mental note to look up where the term zoo came from and why he used it. “Oh!” I’d been to one once in Stonecreek, a city-state up in the mountains a few hours away. My parents had taken me. The menagerie had a lot of fish, birds, and small animals as well as a few wolf shifters playing at being mundane.

Stonecreek lacked the space for real wolves.

As he waited for an answer, I forced myself to relax, and replied, “I’ve only been to Stonecreek’s menagerie, sir, and with the exception of the shifters, they were in rehabilitation or could not survive in the wild. What would keep a tiger from living in the wild?”

“Loss of habitat. This one lived on Earth.” The faction’s heir pointed at a second tiger skin. “He kept her company, and their offspring still thrive on Earth. We were gifted with the skins after one of our members, a tiger shifter, went to Earth to assist with their conservation efforts. Does that change your feelings on the matter?”

I shook my head and pointed at one of the few blank sections of wall. “They’d be better off hung up with pride, perhaps with a placard explaining their importance and history rather than put underfoot.” I pointed at the lion. “And that one?”

“He was a man-eater from Earth with a taste for kids.”

Well, then. I pointed at the front doors. “More people will step on it there.”

“We have a few members who make certain he gets a few good kicks daily.” Calden rose from his seat. “Please come with me, Miss Patten.”

Either I had passed some test or he had tired of listening to me talk; he headed for the elevators and motioned for me to follow. I matched his stride but remained a step behind him.

He moved with the fluid grace of a cat despite his status as a wolf shapeshifter. Sometimes, I wondered what sort of animal I would become. On the days I hated being caged, I longed for wings. The rest of the time, a wolf’s life appealed.

Either animal would give me everything I needed to roam or experience new things all the time.

At the elevators, he pressed the up button, and we waited in silence. The doors at the end of the elevator bank chimed and opened. Once I stepped inside, he tapped the button for the seventh floor.

I would have thought a man like him would choose the top floor as his domain. Rather than question our destination, I wondered why the Hunters needed a temporary secretary for a project.

Someone familiar with their operations would do a better job.

As I always did, no matter how long I worked on a contract, I would do my best for the faction I worked for.

The seventh floor reception reminded me of the entry, but instead of a taxidermy nightmare, I stepped into a jungle. Hummingbirds flitted from flower to flower, and I longed to stay and watch them.

I’d only seen the small, iridescent birds in photographs.

“Leita is this floor’s receptionist. She’ll handle any requests for office supplies and anything else you might need.” Calden halted at the woman’s desk and murmured something. After a few moments, he said, “The birds are to be left alone unless they initiate contact. If one follows you to your office, call Leita, and she will bring you a feeder.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Follow me.”

The trees hid multiple doors, and Calden picked up four hitchhikers by the time we escaped. With the exception of transferring one from his head to his shoulder, he ignored his feathered companions.

I could almost envision myself tolerating the same old routine every day with hummingbirds for company.

Calden took me to a conference room and gestured to one of the chairs. “Please give me the signed contract. Once I have verified everything, I will explain the situation.”

I sat, retrieved the contract, and handed it over. With thirty-eight pages to review, I expected a lengthy wait. The factions took their confidentiality agreements seriously. They would check every line for alterations. While my firm maintained a good reputation, many tested their luck in an effort to gain more favorable terms.

Such firms rarely lasted long.

Assuming someone monitored my activities, I waited in silence, allowing myself to examine the room from my seat. The table and chairs bore evidence of use, with the wood suffering from an unusual number of gouges and scratches.

Did wolf shifters climb onto their conference tables? If so, why?

Sometime after boredom had set in but before madness took hold, Calden Stephans returned. He placed a tablet in front of me with a stylus. “Fill out the temporary employment form. This will allow us to pay out bonuses. The information you need to review is on the tablet. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Thank you, sir.” Since when did any of the factions offer bonuses to temps? Sometimes the firm would pay out a bonus, but we had strict rules on when we were eligible.

On average, I earned a bonus once a year, and I always spent it on some form of luxury, as I managed to make my budget work—for the most part.

The lure of a potential bonus would result in them getting my best work. I could think of a few things I wanted, ranging from a few new books to some camping gear, which I would use to escape from the city for a while. I had my eye on a vintage oil lamp styled after ancient Earth history.

Fire fascinated me.

While I could buy a glowing charm for my camping needs, I wanted the experience. With a large enough bonus, I could take my paid time off and head into wolf country, where the shapeshifters allowed the curious to pitch their tents, watch the moon rise, and listen to the wolves sing.

The first four pages of the document informed me of the faction’s rules. It boiled down to common sense and respect. I initialed every rule as I went. On the fifth page, I encountered my first form, which asked for my basic work information. The next form requested more personal information, including what I liked to eat and if I had any allergies. A handwritten note in neat script indicated the faction catered lunch once a week.

I answered and swiped to the next page, which resumed informing of the rules and confidentiality limitations with exterior faction representatives.

The final page threw me for a loop.

The form requested my clothing sizes in case of a formal event. Never in my time at the firm had anyone ever attended a faction’s formal event.

As I had no problems with anyone knowing my height, weight, bra size, the twenty different pants sizes my skinny rump could squeeze into, and the range of blouse sizes capable of containing my chest, I complied and added a note I hadn’t worn a dress since my graduation. I made no mention of skirts although I wore them from time to time.

After I finished, I turned off the screen and set the stylus aside. Calden entered the room and claimed the device. “Come with me.”

I rose, grateful I wouldn’t need to wait in the same room while they dealt with even more paperwork.

“In six months, all Moonriver factions will be participating in the conclave to put issues up for a vote, along with confirming if there will be a change of power. We need someone to do an internal review of our process, our track record, and otherwise identify anything troubling. We will be making recommendations for alternative factions that might be elevated to the rulership position without harming Moonriver.”

Well, my day had taken a turn for the worse. No matter. I could handle the project, although it would take me longer than a week.

Even a multi-month project wouldn’t be too bad. The seventh floor hummingbirds would help me cope with the feeling of being trapped. With the conclave in six months, the end of the project would happen. I would endure.

Sila ran a high risk of laughing to death when she found out. Me, work a long-term job rather than indulge my desire to try something new all the time? Beyond the heightened risk of mastering old skills, nothing about the contract would hurt me.

Having a preference for change didn’t mean I couldn’t handle monotony. Maybe if I told myself that enough times, I’d believe it. Time would tell.

I could handle six months.

“I can do an audit.” The confidence in my tone hid my trepidation over being trapped in the same workplace for so long. “Do you have a preference for where I start?”

“I would like you to evaluate our general performance in the eyes of the public. That will be the primary factor in our faction maintaining its position.”

“Does the faction wish to maintain its position?” I braced for the faction heir’s displeasure at my question.

“No.”

The blunt admission startled me into stopping. “May I ask why?”

“Moonriver would benefit from more diversity in its leadership.”

“That’s a good answer. I will make a report showcasing situations where Moonriver would have benefited from a more diverse leadership. Anything else?”

“That should be a sufficient start.” Calden led me to a door not far from the reception. “This will be your office.”

Before I had a chance to peer inside, a large gray wolf barreled out and rammed into Calden, knocking him over and sending the tablet flying.

If the device hit the floor, I’d have to redo my work. Huffing, I eyed the tablet’s trajectory, waited until it reached the zenith of its arc, and used Calden’s prone form to give me the height needed to catch it.

The wolf bounded off, leaving the faction’s heir lying on the floor. “Are you all right, sir?”

“Never better.”

His effort to preserve his dignity amused me. I placed the tablet on his chest and went into my office to discover what sort of hell waited for me.

TWO

Animals trusted in deeds alone.

Allasandro Stephans, the leader of the Hunters and the long-time ruler of Moonriver, swept into my office, perched on my desk, and asked, “What is your favorite color?”

An entire flock of emerald green hummingbirds flitted around the man’s head. Like his son, I could have mistaken him for a performing artisan, one fit enough to keep up with the Hunters.

I pointed at the birds. “That green.”

Allasandro lifted a finger, and one of the tiny birds landed. “Do you like them?”

“Before today, I’d only seen them in pictures.” It amazed me the bird trusted the man. “I like most birds.”

The bird’s trust told me more about his nature than any news article could, too. People could be swayed with pretty words.

Animals trusted in deeds alone.

“This floor is dedicated to seven species of hummingbird. They’re all imported from Earth. These guys went extinct on their home world due to habitat loss.”

“I don’t know much about Earth, but Mr. Calden mentioned the tigers from the lobby.”

“Earth is struggling to survive and won’t last much longer, but we’ve managed to rescue some species. Also, there’s no need for formality with me. Calden can handle it, although I believe his pride has been thoroughly crushed for today. What’s your favorite food?”

“Rabbit.” While classed as an Earthen invasive species, rabbits showed up in the grocery store often, cost less than most other meats, and could be hunted in limited quantities without requiring a license. I made use of the licensing rules to hide my hunting activities, delighting in how I could spend five hours on a hunt and come home with enough meat for a week.

Next year, I was guaranteed a license, and I meant to claim mine, even if it revealed my hunting ways.

“Hair color?”

Thanks to meeting Calden, I’d found a newfound appreciation for brown, a common shade compared to my pale silver with darker roots. “Brown.”

“Hobby?”

“Reading.”

“Fiction or non-fiction?”

What sort of question was that? “Both.”

“Faction?”

I shrugged, “I don’t have one. I know I have better prospects and options in a faction, but I enjoy the challenges of working at my firm.”

He nodded. “That’s part of why we requested you; my faction is the only one you haven’t contracted with before. This makes you the ideal external evaluator. Knowing my son, he’s already made commentary on the angle he wants you to take.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Ignore him.”

I recognized a no-win situation when I saw one. “I will do multiple reports from differing points of view,” I promised.

“Perfect. No matter what he says, I’m prepared to serve my city however is needed.”

Ah. I understood. As the dispute between father and son went beyond the scope of my work, I would ignore it. If either man wanted my opinion, they would ask. “I will maintain my neutrality.”

“Perfect. Your thoughts on wolves?”

“They’re beautiful.”

“We really are—and we know it,” he replied.

In a way, I wanted to strangle the man, but I could also understand why people liked him. “Were you the wolf earlier?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Good catch.”

“Thank you, sir.”

One of the hummingbirds joined the first on his finger, and to my amazement, they allowed the wolf to lightly stroke their backs. “You will have flexible work hours, and during hunt practice, we won’t expect you to be here. It can be a little intense.”

“Hunt practice?”

“Those who can shift will hunt volunteers through the building. Several floors are designated for the hunt, the prey is given a chance to familiarize themselves with the terrain and floor layouts, and then the hunt begins. Most hunts take an hour, and we host them around the clock for a week, usually on three floors. Other factions help with setting up and maintaining them. During the upcoming hunt, I believe my son is planning parental revenge. He claims the spirit of his mother would appreciate watching him crush me. If he’s pulling that card, I’ve really done something worthy of punishment. Last week, I breathed.”

“You play hide-and-seek?”

The leader of the Hunters gasped. “We’re hunting.”

“You’re playing hide-and-seek.”

“Adults of questionable seriousness might call it that.”

I stared at the man, marveling over how a relaxed individual had gained so much power. “You pay people to play hide-and-seek?”

“We do this once a month, so yes.”

Other factions held dinner parties. The Hunters played hide-and-seek? I needed time to adjust to my unexpected and new reality. During most assignments, I flowed with change. Change hadn’t involved anything other than learning new things and maintaining professionalism.

“Is it too intense for observation?”

“Only if watching someone be pounced on by a large predator bothers you.”

“You didn’t bother me.”

“Then you will handle the festivities fine. Would you like an invitation to our upcoming practice?”

“I would love one, if it isn’t a problem.”

“It’s not. If you’d like to hunt or be hunted, do let me know.”

How interesting. I’d wanted new and exciting, and the man offered two options. “Can I answer with both?”

“Of course.”

“Both, please.”

“Excellent. Your first time as a hunter will be done in a group. Your first time as the hunted, you’ll be by yourself. You’ll be monitored, and if you don’t react well, the hunt will be called off. It’s a safety issue. Once we know how you react, we’ll place you accordingly.”

“That’s very sensible.”

“Favorite flavor of ice cream?”

“Orange sorbet.”

“Tea or coffee?”

“Neither.” I allowed myself a sly smile.

“I am being tricked. You’ll take your stimulants in any format?”

“Yes.”

He laughed. “Did anyone show you the break room?”

Temps got breaks? “No, sir.”

Jumping to his feet, Allasandro Stephans headed for the door. “This must be rectified immediately.”

As his request led me to something to drink, I followed him. I emerged from my temporary office to discover a shirtless Calden walking our way while toweling off his damp hair.

“Wolf slobber doesn’t wash out. You’re tainted for life, son.”

The look of pure disgust on Calden’s face would become a favored memory, providing a lifetime of amusement. The faction’s heir stopped, and his disgust evolved. Into what, I wasn’t certain, but the play of emotions fascinated me.

Anger? Despair? Something darker? It took several snorts and a sound suspiciously like a giggle to realize Calden found his father funny.

“Where are you going, Dad?”

“She has not revealed her beverage secrets. I am trying to learn her ways through observation.”

“Maybe she prefers soda over coffee or tea.”

Interesting. Calden’s statement implied his father questioned all newcomers. “I just don’t have a preference between the two. I’ll drink either, but I don’t mind when I have neither.”

Calden chuckled. “You’ve finally met your match, Dad.”

“Nonsense. She’s agreed to join our next practice hunt—on both sides. Schedule her, and give her a good target for her hunt and a good team. Most unaffiliated flee when invited.”

“I’ll handle it. Anything else?”

“What happened to your shirt?”

“It was ruined from wolf slobber. I burned it.”

“Uh huh.”

“It’s being washed. I threw up on it. The stench of your breath did me in. I almost perished.” Calden adopted a neutral expression. “I almost died. All because of you.”

“Would you like to go home to recover from your near death experience?”

“No, but I would appreciate if you stopped slobbering on me.”

“If you dodged better, I wouldn’t be able to slobber on you.”

Calden sighed. “Come on, Dad. We’re not even on a hunt floor.”

“Excuses, excuses. Put some clothes on before you traumatize the women and annoy the men.”

Muttering curses, the kind kids used to dodge parental wrath, the faction’s heir stormed down the hall.

“Fudge cookies?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.

“He was five when he tried fudge nuggets; I made him clean a horse paddock and taught him about the vast varieties of fudge nuggets available for his enjoyment. He switched to fudge cookies, as I provided him with baked compensation when I failed as a parent.” Allasandro turned and yelled, “Fine! I’ll feed you, just stop your whining.”

“I wasn’t asking for food, old man!”

“Then why did you involve the fudge cookies? Are you trying to bereft us of fudge cookies? I didn’t have a child. I helped bring a terror upon this world.”

Down the hall, someone laughed. A flock of hummingbirds swarmed the faction’s heir.

“He’s shy, so don’t you mind him. Do you like cookies?”

“Only when the fudge is clearly identified, apparently.”

“I have some fake chocolate brownies. Let’s go test our luck.”

“What are fake chocolate brownies?”

“It’s better you don’t ask. They started their life as broccoli.”

* * *

The broccoli brownies left me questioning everything I knew about life. A traumatized Calden retreated to his office, locked himself inside, and refused to come out. Allasandro Stephans sent me home early to give me adequate time to enjoy my evening and recover from his prank.

I returned to the temp agency an hour before my shift would normally end to report to my boss. I found Almon Friarin in his office waging war with a hefty stack of papers.

“Sir,” I said to catch his attention, else he wouldn’t realize I waited for him to notice me for up to an hour.

“Why are you back?”

“After feeding me a broccoli brownie, they sent me home to recover.”

“A what?”

“A brownie made of broccoli.”

“But why?”

“I have no idea, sir. The job seems manageable, but I’m not sure how long it’ll take.”

“They have you for as long as they need. Your contract will be renewed every quarter as needed.”

I nodded. “Do you want me to report in after every shift?”

“That’s not necessary. Email me every Friday if you’re not released. I don’t need any details regarding your work. I’m receiving updates from Mr. Stephans.”

That would save me a lot of time. “I’ll send a weekly email.”

“Send me any therapy bills.”

“Therapy bills?”

My boss reached across his desk, snagged a sheet of paper, and held it out. A grid of nine photos showed me catching the tablet and placing it on Calden Stephans’s chest.

“Oh. This.”

“If you need therapy due to large predators lunging at you, send me the bill. This goes beyond our typical terms.”

“The wolf did not alarm me,” I assured him. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. The hummingbirds are more threatening. They get upset if their chosen person doesn’t have a feeder.” I smiled at the memory of the birds scolding both of the Stephans. “They take their lunch very seriously.”

“Ah, yes. That is part of why you were chosen for the project. You aren’t afraid of most animals or birds.” My boss glared at the mountain of paperwork taking over his desk. “Are you interested in trading jobs?”

“No.”

“You could have hesitated for a moment, Coraline.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “Those papers would win.”

“They really might. Don’t worry if they send you home early. The contract guarantees weekly hours and pays overtime,” he reminded me. “I know you rotate often, but you’re ideal for this job.”

“I can handle it. I think I’ll be able to learn a lot doing the work.”

“Good. Head home if you want.” Rather than head home, I would see if Sila was around. I thanked my boss and retreated. My friend’s office, not much larger than a closet, was located on the other end of the building.

Luck was with me, as I found Sila in her office. As she didn’t have room for a second chair, I sat on her desk. “I survived the first day.”

“How many days will you survive, though? Am I in your will?”

“I’m not sure. I’ll think about checking next week. How was your day?”

“Good. Better than normal good. I have a date tonight. Do you?”

I shook my head, as I’d be off the market for a while due to work obligations. When honest with myself, Calden Stephans did a good job of removing my emotional availability. Until I came to terms with his unavailability, I would do myself a favor and stay off the dating market. “The next few weeks are going to be exceptionally busy.”

“I bet. Any juicy intel on Calden Stephans?”

Under no circumstances could Sila learn I’d joined the crowd of women charmed by the faction’s heir. Unlike most, I understood I wouldn’t be anything more than a helpful secretary, blessed with a view of a friendly man worth staring at. “Not particularly, although he’s on strange terms with his father. They’re a lot closer—and more argumentative—than I expected.”

“Oh, you mean their feud. Nobody knows who started it or why, but it’s fun. Reporters love trying to catch them in the act. As they stick to low-key events, no one gets as many pictures as we want. There is a website dedicated to them. There is a city-state bachelor competition going on, and we voted for Calden.”

“Is he aware of this?”

Sila shrugged. “Who knows? Who cares? All he has to do to contribute is exist—and go places we can take pictures of him. Hey! You could take pictures of him.”

“No.”

“Come on. Please?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I have no desire to take pictures of someone who doesn’t want me taking pictures of him.”

Heaving a sigh, Sila leveled her saddest pout at me. “It’s hard to argue with that.”

“That’s the whole point. I’m to email in with updates, so feel free to use my office until I’m back. You might even get it permanently. Will I survive working at the same place for longer than a week? It looks like we’re going to find out. Give me a nice funeral should I perish.”

“If you’re going to perish, take some pictures first. It’s the least you can do.”

I laughed. “I’ll think about it.”

* * *

I could have gone home, but I decided to haunt the doorstep of my parents’ house, a row house in one of the historic parts of Moonriver. For four hundred years, someone in my father’s family had lived in the place, restoring it time and time again. Ten years ago, it had gotten a lot of love and care, preserving my childhood memories. Some of the stones were new, but the place remained mostly the same.

One day, it would become my younger brother’s, as everyone understood I often roamed.

Peter showed up first, and I greeted my brother with a wave. “How is life among the crafters?”

“Dad did my test, so I failed. Again. Of course, everyone who did Dad’s test failed, but are you surprised by this? Apparently, we were getting sloppy with the masonry, so we needed an artisan to teach us a lesson.”

At a hair over six feet, Peter towered over me. He joined me on the step and kissed my temple. “What brings you over? It’s not Saturday.”

“I have a semi-permanent assignment.”

“Well, there goes my sister’s perfect world, shattered beyond redemption. All things are ending.”

I wrinkled my nose. “I think it’ll be okay.”

My brother pressed the back of his hand to my forehead. “Are you all right?”

“It’s a challenging assignment. It’s the same old monotonous stuff I don’t like. This will just take longer than a few days to complete. There will be good variety of work to keep me engaged. It’ll be an adjustment, but I’ll be fine. I can handle this.”

“Which one of us are you trying to convince?”

“Me,” I confessed.

“In good news, I’m convinced you can handle it. Which faction are you working for?”

“The Hunters.”

My brother whistled. “You’re going to need nicer panties if you’re going to be working there.”

One way or another, my brother would die. Of my options, I savored the idea of wrapping my fingers around his throat. As there was no time better than the present, I lunged for him.

Peter fended me off with a laugh. “It’s true! You always get the cheap, practical stuff. Buy some lace. Wear a short skirt. Date! Come on. The last time you made me shop with you, they had a kitten pattern and tiny bows, and you called that adventurous.”

“I was yanking your chain.” He didn’t need to know I’d replaced most of my underwear with the kitten print. “Hold still so I can kill you.”

“No. Mom expects me to date seriously because you won’t. You go through men like your assignments—a minimum of once a week, and you don’t kiss on the first date. As such, you go home alone and cranky because you don’t have a boyfriend.” Snickering, he caught both my wrists in a single hand. “You just like struggling.”

“Oh, yes. I just love when my little brother kicks my ass with one hand.”

“Yeah. Dad crushed us using only his off hand. It was painful.”

I laughed at him. “You let an artisan beat you, a crafter, at your own craft.”

“It was a slaughter. You should be hugging me rather than trying to kill me.”

A throat cleared from the sidewalk, and when I turned my head, my poor soul fled my body, and I made a horrified squeak.

Calden Stephans stood with my parents, and he raised a brow at me. The source of the sound proved to be my father, who checked his watch.

We had precisely sixty seconds to explain ourselves, after which we would be questioned or sentenced, likely to death.

“I told her she needed to buy better panties than the cute kitten print with tiny bows she loves. This is justification for my murder, right?”

“Darling?” My father asked.

“Enslavement for a month with no chance of parole, with a new trial to be held in a month and a day. Let go of your sister, hug each other, and pretend you’re adults while on our doorstep, please. No killing Peter, Coraline. He’s no use to you dead, and slavery usually isn’t legal, so be grateful.”

Peter released my hands, and I hugged him before I lost my errand helper.

“That’s better.” My mother strolled down the walkway. “Why are there children on my doorstep?”

“You took my copy of the house key after I bought you a flock of doves and let them loose in your sunroom,” I reported. “This was on the day after I moved out, as I knew you would hate having an empty nest.”

The descendants of the doves still lived in the sunroom, and they were encouraged to come and go as they pleased.

“You’re unaffiliated because no faction wants your trickster ways,” Dad muttered. “And you, Peter?”

“Well, after the doves, I thought you’d appreciate a partridge in a pear tree.”

The partridge lived in the backyard with the pear tree, and Mom had bought the baby some friends.

“That was not why we took your key.”

I struggled to keep from laughing, as my brother had used a pair of male artisans decked out in only body paint for the delivery.

“All right, so using nude men to surprise Mom crossed a few lines.”

“Coraline, you can have him for a year,” our mother said.

My brother pouted. “Hey! A month is bad enough. Why a year?”

“One of the men you hired is my boss, you wretched little devil!”

Calden raised a hand to his mouth. Otherwise, he remained calm and collected.

“I didn’t know that! I just hired for a delivery job meant to add spice to my mother’s life.”

“Want him for life, Coraline?”

“No, but thank you. A year of running errands for me seems like punishment enough.” I grinned at my brother. “Next time, stick with birds rather than involving people.”

“I now understand how you kept a straight face while colluding with my father to make me eat that travesty, Miss Patten.”

“What travesty?” my father asked. “I was unaware you’re acquainted with Calden.”

“With her love of kitten print panties? He’s her new side gig for work. What self-respecting Hunter would go for kitten print panties?”

“Mom?” I asked.

“If you’re going to kill your brother, do it with the partridge in the pear tree. Just let me unlock the door first and try not to break the house.”

“Run, little brother, for today is the day you die.” I got to my feet and moved out of the way so our mother could let us in. “Also, there’s nothing wrong with kitten print. You’re just a hater of fun.”

“No, I’m a man who understands what other men want, and it’s not kitten print with tiny bows. Right, Dad?”

“You’re so dead, Peter. Your partridges will eat you in their pear tree,” I hissed.

“Shh, Coraline. I want Dad to confirm the truth. He knows the real path.”

My father shook his head and sighed. “To where? The couch for all eternity?”

I giggled. “Point to Dad.”

“Go ahead and educate our son. We’ve obviously failed him.” My mother waved her hand and jangled her keys at my father before unlocking the door.

“What’s the point? He’s hopeless.”

“She’s wearing kitten print panties with tiny bows, Dad.”

“And? If he only cares about her panties, then he isn’t good enough for my little girl—and if I catch wind you only care about what a woman is wearing under her clothes, you’ll wish I’d actually let your sister kill you with a partridge in a pear tree. Go set the table. We have a guest, and you’ve already embarrassed yourselves enough.”

Puzzled, Peter glanced at me. “Are you embarrassed?”

“No. Am I supposed to be embarrassed?”

“Want two children cheap, Calden?”

“Can I use the one as prey in a hunt?”

Oh. Calden had a sense of humor.

I would need far longer than six months to recover from Calden Stephans’s general existence.

“As long as it’s Peter,” my mother replied. “He might provide some sport.”

“Mom,” Peter complained.

“How old are you?”

“Not old enough to be sold to a Hunter. You already gave me to Coraline.”

“He’d be doing her a favor.”

My brother collapsed on the steps and wasted several minutes writhing in his death throes, reciting absurd poetry while he perished.

Well, there was no risk of anyone in the Stephans family taking me seriously. As long as I kept professional and calm at work, I had nothing to worry about.

If they requested someone else, I went back to my inconsistent schedule and lived happily ever after.

“Now that my brother has reminded the entire neighborhood why you threw a party after we left, want me to come back tomorrow?” I asked.

“You can stay, baby,” my mother replied, coming to me and kissing my cheeks. “I’m making a roast tonight. Calden was recruited to discuss the next hunt practice with us. Our factions are helping this time.”

“Oh! Both? Is that normal?” My mother nodded, stepped over my brother, and went inside the house. “It’s quite normal, as our factions have different specialties. We always host a dinner for the Stephans during preparations. Your father is still coming, right?”

Calden dodged my brother and headed inside, too. “He’ll be another ten minutes or so. Busy day.”

“Isn’t that always how it goes?” My father herded me into the house. “Coraline, go visit the doves and relax.”

“Hey, why does she get off from doing the chores?” Peter crawled into the house and hugged our father’s leg. “Don’t you love me anymore?”

“Her birds appreciate attention and make good stew once they die of old age. Yours are assholes who fight me for the pears. At least you got a tree that produces fruit. The love is a default, but it is time you learned a few lessons.”

I waved at my brother before heading for the sunroom. A special window enchanted with protective magic allowed the birds to come and go as they pleased. The same magic kept them out of the house.

The instant I stepped through the door, the flock swarmed me. My mother flung a bucket of seed into the feeder to spare me from an early death. “You’ve spoiled my babies.”

While a few abandoned me for supper, most fought for the right to perch on me. I began the ritual of petting them all. Once a dove received its fair share of adoration, it flew to the feeder.

My mother spared me from a lecture, although she did laugh.

Calden came and stood in the doorway, attracting several of the birds. “You’ve avoided my faction because you hopelessly love animals.”

“I cried the first time we ate one of the old doves. You could talk me into hunting something like a rabbit, though. I love rabbit. As I don’t mooch off the parents, I’m practical.” I began the process of dislodging birds so I could go take a shower and change into clean clothes.

Doves lacked regard when it came to the apparel of their preferred perches. I also rescued Calden from his collection of feathered friends before they decorated him with their droppings.

“This does explain your enthusiasm for the hummingbirds,” he stated, and he retreated from the sunroom. “If you want to be swarmed, I’ll bring one of their favorite plants to your office tomorrow.”

“Will the plant be trapped?”

Calden chuckled. “While tempting, no. I leave all traps and pranks to after hours, unlike my father. I can’t believe he tried to kill me with broccoli. To hide broccoli in chocolate and pretend this isn’t an abomination? He will pay.”

“Honestly, I was trying to figure out what you had done to deserve it. At that point, I needed to see what would happen. They were pretty bad, though. Edible, but not something I would eat again if given a choice.” I escaped the sunroom, but not without meeting the gazes of several hopeful birds wanting to come inside.

They knew a sucker when they saw one.

“No doves in the house!” my mother called from the kitchen.

“Do you have eyes in the back of your head?”

“No. I have monitoring cameras to check on the flock. No doves in the house. Make yourself presentable, and good job preserving Calden’s clothes.”

I needed to thank my mother later for providing an easy route of escape. “Please excuse me, else she might send me home without supper.”

“Of course. Thank you for rescuing me from the doves. They’re obviously dangerous fiends.”

Snickering, I nodded and bolted for upstairs. The feathered fiends would settle in for the night, as the flock had learned we would provide for them. The partridges would join the doves along with the stray songbirds smart enough to nest inside the sunroom.

The last time I’d checked, the doves had adopted a pair of tiny speckled owls with a love of worms.

Rather than shower, I rinsed off and opted to take a bath. A soak would do me a world of good. After, I’d wear my kitten print panties with pride while pulling a prank my mother might forgive me for.

I’d change into my tiger pajamas, which was a fluffy onesie, and bring my favorite wolf plushy along for the ride. At the very least, I would confuse my temporary employers. As a bonus, I’d teach them what happened when I became bored. My choice to switch temporary work often helped me to preserve my professionalism.

Not even Sila knew the truth about the vast canyon dividing my work life from my home life.

Then again, work had never followed me home before—or to my parents’ home.

In a way, I appreciated that I wouldn’t need to hide my wilder side, the side that viewed the same-old, same-old as a fate worse than any prison.

Once the bath water cooled, I drained the tub, stole my mother’s robe, and emerged to discover a party in the upstairs hallway. My brother and Calden’s father waged a vicious war of knuckle slap against each other while my father handled being the caller.

“Doves,” Dad announced.

Neither landed a hit in the allowed five seconds, which my mother counted.

Calden held a ruler, and as neither player had landed a hit, he slapped their knuckles. “That was awful. Children play better.”

“He’s slippery,” Calden’s father complained.

I viewed the entire situation as my fault. Had I been a better daughter, I would have checked in on my parents more often. Caring for my parents seemed to require more than a single visit once a week.

How had my parents survived without proper supervision?

I bypassed the insanity, retrieved my pajamas, and brought my wolf to my mother. “Sir Wolfston requires his grandmother’s love.”

She took the stuffed animal. Enlightenment struck me.

They battled for some prize, which explained why everyone had lost their minds. While no one in my family was a Hunter, we defined what it meant to be competitive. As I’d surely find out what they battled over eventually, I returned to the bathroom to change.

Dressed appropriately and armed with the bra I refused to wear in my pajamas, I rejoined the party in the hallway. Judging from the reddened state of their knuckles, the opponents would resent the Stephans family before my father declared a winner. “Hummingbirds,” my father announced.

Calden’s father whipped his hand over and whacked my brother’s knuckles. Peter wailed his dismay, fell to his knees, and bowed his head.

When faced with absurdity, adding to it seemed reasonable. I draped my bra over my brother’s head. “Please wash that along with my work clothes.”

“I battled for your honor.” Peter flung himself at me and hugged my legs. “Mom said they could take you.”

“I’m working for them on a contract, Peter. They get me for eight hours a day, five days a week. This will be my normal for a while.”

“Do you know what they’ll do to you, my sweet and innocent sister?”

“I can be sweet, but there is an entire sunroom full of doves proving my lack of innocence. As for the lack of boyfriends in my life, if they did a better job of being my friend, they’d have panty privileges. I don’t kiss on the first date, so there’s no way I’m offering panty privileges to someone I’m not willing to introduce to our mama.”

“We may have done too good of a job raising the older one,” my dad said, and he stared at me with sad eyes before heaving a sigh.

“Who brought their baby to work today?” Nothing got my dad going like someone bringing a young child to work.

“My boss’s daughter had her newborn in,” he confessed.

Good grief. “Sorry, Dad. I keep finding the impatient losers who can’t wait a day for a kiss let alone the entire buffet. Want me to bring over a new bird for your flock?”

My mother cleared her throat.

My poor father sighed.

I rescued Sir Wolfston from my mother’s clutches, put my tiger ears up, and headed for the sitting room to lounge until dinner. “Maybe next time, Dad.”

* * *

I caught a nap on the couch. My father woke me when he sat on the arm near my head. “It is time for you to get up. Dinner is almost ready. Peter has lost every game of knuckle slap he’s played.”

“Does he have hands?”

“They’re pretty bruised. He’s going to have a few rough days ahead of him. We sold you into slavery, and he tried to buy you back. Now he’s sold himself into slavery, too.”

I snickered and sat up. “How many times is he doomed to play at being hunted at a practice?”

“Twenty times over a week,” Dad reported.

“I’ll miss him if he doesn’t survive. How was I sold off?”

“You get to go on a camping trip and cook for the Stephans. It will be for a week. Your mom made the mistake of telling them you’re self-sufficient and learned how to cook on a grill. Your brother didn’t stand a chance against two wolves promised food they don’t have to make. Wolves love the hunt but enjoy when someone else handles the preparation.”

What? I blinked. “Am I being punished or rewarded?”

“Both,” my father admitted. “I told them you haven’t really gone camping before but you love animals—and that you have gone on legal hunts for rabbits.”

I belonged to a family of traitors. “You told them I’m cheap?”

“No. I told them you drool at the sight of rabbit. Oh, I also told them you’re self-sufficient.”

“So, you told them I’m cheap.”

“Never once did I use the words cheap or penny pincher.”

“Mooch?”

“You only mooch on Saturdays when you come over for our weekly dinners. We did not use any derogatory terms regarding your habits. We may have stated we wouldn’t report if you ended up at their homes rather than yours.” Dad hopped to his feet. “We exposed how you need to be kept engaged on new and interesting things. They were wondering, as we’re all affiliated except for you.”

“Great. They’re going to think I’m crazy, Dad.”

“You’re not crazy. You’re smart—too smart, really. You get bored easily, and you want to experience the world while you can. You understand life becomes a grind when you first enter a faction. One day, you’ll find the work you like enough to do daily. But right now, you can get by, and that’s fine.” Dad picked up Sir Wolfston and tucked him under his arm. “Come on.”

I stretched, rolled off the couch, and followed my father. When we reached the dining room, Calden and Peter played yet another game of knuckle slap while Calden’s father observed.

“Your mother is finishing up in the kitchen. What are you losing now, Peter?”

Calden whacked the back of my brother’s hand. “He has to take you out for camping supplies.”

Nice. “Thanks for losing, bro.”

Peter sighed. “I’m going to have every penny wrung out of my savings at this rate.”

“The first rule of betting is to never wager what you can’t afford,” I reminded him. I took my favorite chair, close to escape without earning my mother’s ire. “I’ll try to avoid bankrupting you.”

“Thanks,” Peter muttered, taking the seat across from me.

Without fail, we’d be kicking each other before we finished dinner.

“Sit next to Coraline, Calden,” my father said, taking his spot at the head of the table. “Pick your favorite spot, Allasandro.”

Calden’s father opted to take the other seat beside me, effectively cutting off my easy route of escape. “I’ll be honest, I’ve been wondering why you’ve never had your children over when we’ve been visiting.”

“The girl is perfection when working and a demoness the rest of the time. The boy? Don’t get me started.”

“Dad,” Peter complained. “I’m not that bad.”

“You are that bad.”

I grinned. “I just get bored.”

“I will make certain you are kept intellectually engaged and challenged,” Calden’s father promised. “It’s a common issue in our faction. When you have a lot of smart people who like being kept busy, trouble happens if boredom is allowed to set in.”

Calden grunted. “Like broccoli brownies.”

“I found the recipe last night. I needed to test it. Who better to test it on?” Calden’s father chuckled. “Your new temp has proven she can handle you at your worst—and when shirtless.”

“You’re evil,” Calden sighed. “You tried to kill me with that stunt. Why would you do that?”

“You need more spice in your life.”

“Broccoli is not a spice.”

“But you had a spicy reaction to the brownies.”

“Wrong kind of spice, Dad.”

Before the Stephans could argue over the brownies, my mother came in carrying a roasting pan. “Feeling better, Coraline?”

My father gave me my stuffed wolf. Taking Sir Wolfston, I set him on my lap. “Much.”

“Good.” My mother set the roasting pan on the table. “I made proper brownies for you, and I added nuts.”

“I am so glad I decided to play the sad child on the doorstep today.”

She laughed and returned to the kitchen, ferrying out dishes loaded with mashed potatoes, steamed greens, sweetroots, and gravy. As I liked my sweetroots with butter, sugar, and a little cream, she brought me a dish catering to my special needs.

“I understand the butter, but sugar and cream?” Calden asked. “Isn’t that sweetroot? It’s already sweet.”

“I turn it into creamy sweetroot candy goodness,” I informed him. “I am not normal.”

“Normal would be pouring gravy on it so it’s less sweet,” my father added. “There’s plenty more butter, sugar, and cream if you want to try it.”

My mother snickered and returned with more butter, cream, and sugar before taking her seat. “In case any of us decide to be as brave as my daughter.”

While doubtful, Calden served himself some of the sweetroots. “Think we’re going to regret this, Dad?”

“What’s a little more regret in my day?”

“This can’t be worse than the broccoli brownies.”

Mr. Stephans nodded. “Obviously.”

Calden passed the dish to me. “So, you’re going to try it, Dad?”

“Pride demands it.”

I smirked and gave myself a heaping pile of the cubed roots, which ranged in color from white, beige, and orange to vibrant reds and purples. “How about you, Peter?”

“Pass. If I wanted to eat candy, I’d eat candy.”

Grinning, I passed the dish over to Calden’s father. “Yet you’ll eat mom’s pie, which is made mostly of sugar.”

“Pie is candy. Vegetables aren’t candy.”

As nobody had gone for the roast, I pulled the pan closer. “Winter stag?” I guessed, as few other meats roasted to such a dark color without charring being involved. While I loved charred bits, no one else in the family appreciated the crunchy texture and pungent flavor.

“You can thank Allasandro; he went on a hunt earlier this week and brought down a stag. He also caught two live does.”

“They were taken to a reserve with their fawns. We also caught a young stag from a different herd,” Calden’s father said. “The hide from the one we killed is being tanned, and we’re using the bones and antlers. It was a good hunt.”

Since when was Allasandro Stephans bringing my parents part of his kills? A smart woman didn’t question having a share of good meat, and I gave myself a hearty portion before sliding the pan to Calden. “Thank you, Mr. Stephans.”

“Call me Allasandro when we aren’t at work, Coraline. I’m only stuffy in the office.” He grinned. “You’re usually here on Saturdays?”

“Normally. Mom hates having to get out of her pajamas on Sunday, so we try to stay home. Sometimes I hunt for rabbits over the weekend, but that depends on the time of year.”

One day, I might understand why our planet followed Earth standards. Korsania Minor had thirty-two hour days, and we worked for eight of them. Our year lasted five hundred and ten days. In the hundreds of years since colonization, we hadn’t broken away from many of Earth’s strange traditions, although we celebrated most of their holidays several times a year.

“Winter hunting?” Calden asked.

I nodded. “I don’t have anyone to hunt with. Peter can’t handle killing the rabbits. Mom wants to cook them immediately. Dad wants to adopt them rather than eat them.”

“That would complicate matters,” he conceded. “I can take you on a hunt, as I have no scruples about dispatching rabbits. I catch up to the limit for my freezer.”

Was there anything better than a sensible man? “I apply for the licenses yearly. I’ll get one next year; I’ve been out of luck three times in a row. I got a deep freezer preparing for my bounty.”

I wouldn’t tell him how long I’d saved to get my freezer.

“I have a license this year. I hit a dry spell, too.” Calden glared at his father.

“Just because I pulled your license once for bad behavior doesn’t mean I’m the reason for your bad luck.”

“See if I share any of my rabbits with you.”

“I get a yearly license, boy. I don’t need your rabbits.”

I recognized an old argument when I heard one. “Thank you for dinner, Mom.”

“Of course, baby. Are you going to sleep here before heading home?”

“That’s my plan. I need to get some new books, and I prefer the night stores.”

“Your father can take you.”

Nice. Dad had one of the Earth-styled SUVs, which made my library hauls all the better. “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate your contribution to my blooming career as a hermit.”

“You need to learn to drive or fly one of these days,” Dad muttered.

“Driving is for people with more disposable income than I have. Piloting is way too expensive. I don’t need a hover car. Or a plane. I definitely don’t need to portal jump or adventure into space. I’m a land-bound creature with an enjoyment of reading books. The transit system takes me where I need to go.”

“Or we do,” Dad muttered, passing the greens along. “At least you should enjoy the camping trip.”

“About that. Why was I sold off, anyway?”

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” my parents chorused.

Of course. I should have known.

THREE

That way leads to darkness.

As promised, Dad took me to the library, and he loitered for three hours while I gathered enough reading material to last me a month. The few times I had checked on him, he’d been in the graphic novel section, amusing himself with action-adventure stories featuring teenaged protagonists with magical powers. His selection amused me, but as part of my quest to be a good daughter for a change, I limited my teasing to a smirk and a raised brow.

He shrugged and continued enjoying his book while I hunted for my next read.

To get around the library’s rules on the number of books I could check out, I hit the counter with a batch from each section while the bemused librarians shook their heads and pretended I hadn’t just been there ten minutes prior. On his quest to be the best father to ever live, Dad ferried my prizes to his SUV.

Two hundred books later, I accepted defeat and thanked the librarians for putting up with me before fleeing the site of my literary crimes.

“I am getting you a digireader,” Dad announced. “During my incarceration at the book prison, one of the jailers informed me about their digital lending program. You have a net connection in your apartment. You can check out books at any time.”

I sighed at the thought of owning a digireader. The good ones boasted a black and white screen with tinting options to be easier on the eyes. The really good ones could go into the water without risk of being destroyed. In reality, if I got a digireader, no one would see me ever again, and I would be content with my new life as a hermit. Being honest with my father would put an end to the temptation—I hoped. Otherwise, I would begin my new life as a freshly minted hermit. “Digireaders are temptation. Worse, they’re a temptation I can’t afford. If I get one, I’d buy books from the comfort of home. It won’t end well. You can’t, Dad. That way leads to darkness.”

“And you will have to embrace the darkness with enthusiasm. The digireader will be your birthday present. We are celebrating having finally gotten rid of you.” Daring to smirk, he started the SUV and headed towards Moonriver’s downtown core, where we would find most of the city’s sacred bookstores. “I’ll even buy you a few books for it. You can spend the entirety of its lifespan cursing me for my tasteless choice of revenge. Like the doves, it’s a gift that keeps on giving.”

Well, I couldn’t protest his reasoning. If anything, I admired his choice of vengeance. “Well played, Dad. Will it be waterproof? I can’t take it camping if it isn’t waterproof. Do you know what the nastiest force of nature is? Me without access to books. I don’t know if those Stephans men can handle me without books.”

My dad chuckled. “Most digireaders are waterproof nowadays, but I’ll get you one meant to withstand the outdoors and everything else you might throw at it. It seems only fair; I’m sending you places your library books can’t go. Honestly, I’m rewarding you for your effective conning of those librarians. I bet they wanted to stop you, but you’d found and utilized every loophole in their checkout rules. One of them explained your general brilliance to me. Don’t be surprised if those loopholes are closed. How many did you check out?”

“Two hundred.”

“In how many genres?”

“Twenty. There’s a ten book limit per section. They’ll let you check out an entire series if there isn’t an active waitlist for it. I didn’t do that this time. I thought about it, though.”

“I’m not sure if I should be proud or concerned,” my father confessed. “And I still don’t understand why you choose to be unaffiliated. You’re brilliant at everything you decide to do.”

A few years ago, his comment would have bothered me, but I’d grown a lot since then—and I had put a great deal more thought into why I was the way I was. “Let’s say I joined Legacy. I like to read and research. I enjoy testing theories.” My jaunts to Legacy always challenged me, and I left the job energized and ready for my next challenge. But even then, I left aware of the mental exhaustion a short time doing their work created. “One of my jobs was to their headquarters. I understood I would ruin one of my joys in life. I would never be able to read another book without feeling like it’s work. That’s no good for me. I can do most crafts well enough, but I take no pride in it. I’m not driven to do it, not like you and Mom are. I’ll never be anything other than okay at the work. I haven’t done enough temp work to find my best match. I’m okay with that. I pay my bills, I like what I’m doing, and I get the variety I crave. One day, I’ll pick—maybe. Maybe I’ll meet someone in a faction and make my decision then. We’ll see.” I pointed at the SUV’s roof. “I can tell you I have no intention of leaving the planet.”

“You get that from me. Your mom went to Earth when she was twelve. I met her when she returned.”

Wait. What? I stared at my father with wide eyes. “Mom’s been to Earth? Why hadn’t you told us?”

There was something sad about my father’s smile. “She hated it, and she didn’t want to spoil your sense of adventure. You made it clear you didn’t want to go early on, as did your brother, so we dodged the subject.”

I bet it had something to do with the general ten year travel period, which served as a quarantine buffer between the planets. “Being stuck there for ten years really doesn’t appeal.”

“We’d guessed as much.”

As I’d been around too long for either of my parents to goose me, I crossed my arms to make it clear he couldn’t fool me. “All right, Dad. What are you actually after?”

He sighed and shot me a look before paying attention to the road. “Why do you think I’m after something?”

“You’re taking me to buy a digireader after indulging me for three hours at the library. You want something.” I could have bought him being nice with one of those two things, but both meant he engaged in some form of trickery.

“I feel like you have learned from us a little too well, Coraline.”

I grinned. “It helps you told us every time you caught onto our tricks. Unlike my brother, I pay attention. I don’t like getting caught.”

“I see.”

The closer we got to Moonriver’s downtown corner, the larger and more imposing the buildings became, transitioning from two to five story structures to skyscrapers. Any other trip, I would have gawked at the architecture, which borrowed from Earth more often than not in an effort to preserve the planet’s dying heritage. “Tell me what’s going on.”

“All right. It’s a plea for forgiveness that we let things get out of hand, resulting in selling you to Allasandro and his son.”

Had my parents lost their minds? If they wanted to reward me, I would not complain. “I accept your guilt, and I have a favor to request. I will need help paying for the camping supplies to go. I’ll pay it back, as I’m a willing participant.” With the ruse uncovered, I uncrossed my arms and rubbed my hands together. “I want a heritage Earth kit.”

Laughing, my father shook his head, navigated his SUV through the maze of busy streets, and found a spot a short walk from my preferred bookstore. “I should have known you’d love a new experience on my dime.”

“Yeah. I’m not even sorry I’m taking advantage of this. A week is a lot of rest time outside the city. I’m going to put together a hunting kit for rabbit.”

“You’re going with two wolves. They’ll do all the hunting for you.” Dad killed the engine and considered the block of concrete, stone, and brick buildings. “Were you aware that Moonriver was modeled after several Earth cities?”

“Yes, Dad. That’s also why the nearest spaceport is ten hours from here. We’re old fashioned.”

“Ah, but do you know which cities?”

I shook my head. “I never looked into it because I felt Moonriver would lose some of its mystery and charm.” Unbuckling my seatbelt, I got out of the SUV and waited for my father to join me on the sidewalk before saying, “I do know our planet is in a historic lock. Our tech, outside of pollution measures, doesn’t change. Those who are forward-thinking head to Earth or some other world. Full shifters always come back after their ten year stint on Earth. And Earth sends us animals we might be able to save before they go extinct.”

Our home made an excellent place for wild animals from Earth, as we had more space, numerous large, inhabitable islands with a good mix of climate types, and the tech needed to help with species preservation.

“It’s more about our magic, too.” Dad waited until I double checked I had everything before locking the SUV. He offered his arm, and I giggled at the old routine, which he’d started the instant I’d been tall enough to reliably hold onto him.

Some things I hoped would never change, and being able to hold onto my father was near the top of the list.

We headed in the direction of the bookstore, and I wondered at the buildings and what my father was trying to hint at.

Not far from the store’s entrance, he asked, “What would you change about Moonriver if the choice was yours?”

“Very little. I’m among the lowest of the low, and I get by. I put food on my table with one job—a job I have a choice in. It would be nice if I could afford more luxuries, like buying myself a digireader, but I can go to the library. I’m not really missing out on anything.”

“But if you could change any one important thing, what would it be?”

I wrinkled my nose, stepped into the store, and pulled free of my father to snag a basket. “I’m not sure. Perhaps the pressure on the unaffiliated? We serve an important role. We take over when the factions need us. We’re like glue. We make sure everything sticks together like it should. If someone becomes ill, we’re ready to take over, so they can get better without worrying about the mess their absence otherwise may cause. If a faction is short-staffed, we’re ready and able to serve. That’s important.”

“Create a faction,” my father suggested. “If it’s that important, prove it.”

“Someone can’t just make a faction, Dad.” His comment had merit, though.

Some people, like me, just wanted to help when others needed help, and Moonriver didn’t have a faction just for helpers. They relied on the unaffiliated instead.

“Why not? Your grandmother did. Why can’t you? Once you pick your jaw up off the floor, you can find me either with the digireaders or waiting for you at the cashier. Try not to take all night.”

* * *

After conferring with my bank account and confirming I’d still be able to pay my bills, I bought two new books. The first, an Earth classic written before the invention of Universal Standard, would test my grasp of British English. Neither Britain nor its variants of English existed outside of historic media, but the lost isles fascinated me.

The second book promised a high sea adventure with pirates, a runaway princess, swords, and sorcery, written by a star-faring cargo hauler with a love of the sea.

My father caught me in the act, and he raised a brow at me. “I’m buying you a digireader, and you’re here buying paper books?”

“I want these two in paper,” I informed him in my most serious tone.

“Add them to my pile.”

“I can afford these, Dad.”

“Pile,” he ordered.

A wise daughter did not argue, so I handed over my books. “Thank you.”

“Go wait at the doors without trying to buy anything else,” he ordered before heading to the cashier to pay for everything.

“You’re being excessive.”

“The doves were excessive. This is only the start of my revenge,” he promised.

Rather than teach my father the difference between seeking out revenge and offering a reward, I went to wait near the doors. Twenty minutes later, he joined me.

“Did you get waylaid by some books on the way?” Bookstores had a bad habit of setting traps for the unsuspecting book lover. Sometimes, I made it to the counter without being ambushed, but only sometimes.

“The bookmarks got me. And we now have some chocolate for the road. I need some chocolate after all that shopping.”

My poor father, tormenting himself with shopping. “Mom will kill you if you don’t save her some,” I reminded him.

“I got her two bars. Wise men always get extra chocolate.” Dad hustled to his SUV and unlocked it. “Are you going to catch another nap before you head to work?”

In some ways, I loved our long days, as I could cram in several good naps before and after work while having time to do everything else I needed to accomplish. “You better believe it. I’ll have breakfast before I go, too. I’ve learned I need to be cautious, else I might be subjected to broccoli brownies.”

We both made faces at the mere mention of broccoli and chocolate being forced to engage in an illicit relationship.

“Good call, especially now that Allasandro knows you have a sense of humor lurking under your shield of pure professionalism. You impressed him, and he doesn’t impress easily. Don’t be surprised if he renews your contract with your firm. He has a hard time finding reliable temp help. He’ll end up paying for you to be available.”

While I appreciated the warning, I worried for my future. “This sounds like a disaster in the making, Dad.”

“Well, I’ll certainly be entertained. Good luck, Coraline. Will the wolves or the woman win?”

“Nobody wins, Dad. This isn’t a game.”

“Says the woman who filled my sunroom with doves and got away with it. Life is supposed to be fun. Try having fun with those wolves. Good things might happen if you let them.”

* * *

Why would my father do something as evil as suggest I might found an entire faction? Long after he left my apartment, I pondered the idea. While I enjoyed trying new things, the scale of the potential challenges staggered me.

To complicate matters, and make them more feasible, I discovered it took little for someone to create a faction. The faction needed a name, a founding member, a mission statement, an address, and someone willing to spend fifty dollars a year to maintain its active status.

Someone could even belong to several factions if they truly wanted, although few did. Most factions required that their members work a set number of hours per week to maintain their standing.

I couldn’t imagine trying to work the equivalent of two jobs, which was what those who worked for one faction but belonged to another typically endured. If I lost sixteen to eighteen hours of my day to work, I’d lose my mind within a month.

Pondering the issue of factions cost me precious sleep. The win went to my father, as he understood I would research his suggestion and test it for merit. Operating through coffee would get me through my first real day working for the Hunters.

I hoped.

Instead of being greeted by hummingbirds, an entire flock of peacocks took over the seventh floor lobby. Some showed off their iridescent blue-green tails. Others investigated the plants in search of breakfast.

One carried a dead mouse in his beak, holding his prize aloft with pride. Upon noticing me, he came over, dropped the dead animal on my shoe, and screamed at me as though swearing he would usher in the apocalypse. While I had zero intention of stealing his mouse, he posed and fanned his feathers for me.

I’d read just enough about birds to understand he either threatened to disembowel me or wished to engage in unholy human-to-avian matrimony. With wide eyes, I stared at the receptionist. “Did a mouse-murdering peacock just ask me to marry him?”

It amazed me that she handled the swarm of feathered death gods with grace.

Leita laughed. “Basically. I’ve been proposed to six times so far this morning. The entire flock tried to woo Calden. Mr. Stephans managed to escape with only one proposal. They’re temporary guests. One of the factions had put in a request for Earth peacocks a few years ago, forgot, and got quite the surprise this morning. The hens are on another floor, and don’t ask me what sort of charms they used to keep them all from fighting. Want a peacock? The faction requested five breeding pairs. These are the extras.”

I counted peacocks, giving up after twenty. I pointed at the herald of the apocalypse, who continued to fan his feathers and posture for me. “Is he taken?”

“No, he’s not.”

“I’ll take him and his favorite hen if he has one. I know the perfect home for them.” My parents would hate me for the rest of my life, but how could I refuse such an enthusiastic proposal? I couldn’t keep him in my apartment, but my parents had plenty of space for a peacock and his hen in their yard.

“Wonderful. I’ll put a necklace on him with your details so everyone knows he has a home. When can he be delivered?”

I grinned, aware I would be earning the worst daughter award for the rest of my life. “I can take him and his hen tonight if someone can drive me.”

“Easily arranged.” Dodging peacocks and hummingbirds, who wanted the receptionist’s love to go along with their breakfast, Leita picked up her phone. “Mr. Stephans, I need papers and transportation for a pair of the peacocks for tonight. Yes, of course.” After hanging up, she said, “He will be here in a moment.”

My new peacock grabbed his mouse, strutted in a circle around me while showing off his tail, and halted in front of me, stared up at me, and once again placed his mouse on my shoe.

I would be visiting my parents a lot more often just to see the peacock, and I accepted my fate with a grin. “I love you, Doom Bird.”

The peacock decided I was his human and rubbed his head against my legs.

Allasandro Stephans entered the reception through one of the hidden doors, caught sight of me and my avian suitor, and laughed. “I see new feathered revenge is under way. You’ll deliver the birds to your parents tonight?”

“I’ve named him Doom Bird, but yes.”

“I’ll warn your mother we’re imposing tonight. One of the turkeys didn’t survive transit, and Calden is preparing it now. I’ll tell her we’re bringing an extra person along. Leita, bump up the work on the Patten contribution to the hunt practice. Coraline, if the peacock will follow you, he can stay in your office today. Call me if there are any issues.”

Long after he left, I stood still, struggling to comprehend what he meant by turkeys and questioning everything about my morning. “Turkeys?”

“Earth sent a major wildlife shipment via portal this morning. Stonecreek and Waypoint received twenty-five thousand animals each. We received thirty thousand. To say the least, it’s a mess. The entire faction was called in early to try to get the animals settled.”

My eyes widened, and I sucked in a breath. “Thirty thousand animals?”

“Fortunately for us, ten thousand of ours are songbirds ready for release. We opened those crates and let the survivors go after putting out food and water enough for all of them. We only lost a few, and honestly, we fed those to the cats.”

I stared at the mouse on my foot, wondering if it had come from Earth. Afraid of the answer, I asked, “Cats?”

“We received a few large cats for our menageries.”

What was going on? Why was Earth sending so many animals at one time? “Is this normal?”

“No, it’s not. Not really.” Leita heaved a sigh and went to work putting out fresh nectar for the hummingbirds, who followed her in a cloud of beating, iridescent wings. “It’s probably an evacuation situation.”

I winced. When disaster struck Earth, Earth’s governments attempted to evacuate at-risk wildlife in a mass exodus. As our world closely matched Earth’s conditions, they often risked portal hopping as many animals out as possible. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Taking two of the birds is already a huge help. Know anyone who wants rabbit?”

“As a pet or for the freezer?”

“Freezer.”

“Me. I want rabbit.”

Leita chuckled. “Let’s just say hunting season is open outside of the city, and there are no limits until five thousand rabbits are reported as claimed. We let loose a lot of nasty rabbits, and we need to make sure they’re culled to an acceptable number.”

How nice for me and my sling. “What breed?”

“Earth meat rabbits. They’re big, they’re mean, and they’ll make a mess of things if we don’t get enough of them eliminated. And they breed fast.”

“Even better.” I bent over, wrinkled my nose, and picked the dead mouse up by its tail, using it to lure Doom Bird to my office. The peacock, with his tail still fanned, followed me. All I could do was hope my parents would one day forgive me for the chaos I would be bringing to their home.

* * *

Once upon a time, Doom Bird must have been someone’s pet. The peacock wanted nothing more than to sit on my lap and nap, which complicated my day. On his quest to drive me insane, he issued sad cries when I left. If I failed to return within twenty minutes, he heralded in the apocalypse, alerting everyone on the floor I was the worst bird caretaker to have existed in the history of mankind. His attempts to scream the world to an early end brought Calden to my office.

I remained outside beyond the peacock’s reach, glaring at the door.

The dead mouse was still in there, as I hadn’t been able to get it away from him.

“What’s wrong with the peacock?”

“Nothing’s wrong with him. He wants attention, and I left to do errands around the floor. I mean, maybe he got tired of his dead mouse toy, which is possible.”

“Ah. You got the peacock that found and killed a mouse this morning.” Calden peeked into my office.

Doom Bird spotted him, jumped onto my desk, fanned his feathers, and continued to scream.

“I believe he’s proposing to you.” As the bird had discovered us, I opened the office, discovered he’d spread bits of dead mouse all over the floor, and heaved a sigh. “Where can I find a broom, a mop, and enough disinfectant to remove dead mouse from the floor?”

“I’ll get it for you if you can contain the beast.”

“Thanks.”

While Calden headed off to get cleaning supplies, I went into the office to discover my keyboard had come to a brutal end, its keys scattered everywhere. Somehow, the peacock had managed to crack the plastic in half, adding to the general destruction. The monitor and tower had escaped the bird’s fury at being contained, as had my purse.

I couldn’t even bring myself to get mad at him. As my chair had survived, I sat down, draped a towel over my lap to protect my clothes, patted my lap, and waited for the bird to take over. He settled, pressing against my body as close as he could and making a low crooning noise. I petted him, wondering how a bird processed the trauma of being relocated to a new world far from the people he’d known.

Calden returned a few minutes later with the supplies, spotted my keyboard, and laughed. “All right. We’ll have to crate him when you’re not with him, obviously. I’ll get a pen for him. There are a few large enough for a peacock around. I think. Poor guy. He’s having a rough day.”

“I think he used to be a pet. He’s really affectionate. He even knows to wait for me to put a towel down before he gets on my lap, and he’ll sit quietly for well over an hour without wanting to budge. It’s sad.”

Such a good bird didn’t happen by accident, and his owner must have loved him a lot.

I could only hope Doom Bird’s owner had escaped whatever had sent the bird fleeing Earth.

“It wouldn’t surprise me at all. Dad now has a herd of horses. Don’t ask me what we’re going to do with a bunch of horses. We don’t even know yet. He has a place outside of the city with the acreage required for them, so he hired someone to get them settled and build a new stable.”

“Do you think it’s an evacuation?”

“I know so. The people in the region also left by portal, but they weren’t authorized to come here. We can risk losing animals to the vaccination process, but there are those afraid we’ll just kill each other triggering some plague. That’s half the reason it’s a ten year trip to Earth. It’s a year of vaccinations and treatments on each end. The medicine and workings we use to treat the animals kills half a percent of them, which is too high for humans.”

I made a mental note to research transplanetary inoculation. “What region was hit?”

“All of them. Tomorrow, our people are returning home. We’re already setting up an emergency quarantine so we can issue vaccinations and treatments.”

My eyes widened. “What happened?”

“An old, dangerous volcano woke up. We lost some of our faction in the initial blast, but the rest are gathering as many plants and animals as they can before they reopen the portal in the morning.”

I regarded my peacock, swallowing back the growing lump in my throat. “I guess I’m going to change his name to Lucky, then.”

However accurate, I didn’t want anyone to think he’d held responsibility for something far outside anyone’s control—and he’d gotten lucky to escape the dying planet alive.

“Good name. If you want some pets, let me know. Your office has plenty of space for some, and we have people who will take care of animals when their owners aren’t in the office. We can’t release everything to the wild, so our faction is going to become a menagerie of sorts, except it’s more of a faction perk.”

I couldn’t imagine how bad it would be for the environment if huge numbers of birds and animals were released into the wild. The rabbits and songbirds would make a mess of things for a while as it was. “I guess I should get something I can take home but will be okay if I have to leave here for a few days.”

“I’ll pick something for you. Do yourself a favor and avoid the news. It’s bad, and it’s not going to be getting any better.”

FOUR

What kind of kittens are these?

I should have avoided the news.

While I had never been to Earth, watching the aftermath of the eruption would haunt me for years to come. Within ten minutes of confirming the planet died, with the surviving human populace fleeing the eruption site and waiting for portals or ships to escape, I threw myself into my work.

I comforted Lucky as much as I could, especially when he checked the door to see if someone was coming. How could I explain to a bird that his owner had ventured off to some other world, assuming his owner had survived?

At the end of the work day, Calden came to my office with a small carrier. “You’re getting a pair of kittens,” he announced.

“Kittens?”

“Dad found them in a crate of orphaned animals. Apparently, those in charge of rescuing wildlife raided animal shelters, zoos, and similar places and shoved as many as they could fit into crates without hurting them. And honestly, they overfilled most of the crates, so our estimates are way off. At current count, they crammed over forty-thousand animals into crates meant to hold thirty thousand.”

Ouch. On one hand, I worried for the animals, but on the other, I admired the rescuers who put their lives on the line to get as many of the defenseless away from Earth as possible. My brief but traumatic look at the news gave me a better idea of the staggering scale of the evacuation efforts. “That’s incredible.”

“Dad thought you might be able to handle them, especially once Lucky goes to your parents tonight.”

Wait. What? “What kind of kittens are these?” Did he think I couldn’t handle a regular house cat or two?

“They’re cheetahs. Their mom had been poached. They’re three weeks old.”

I blinked, and then my eyes widened. “Cheetahs? Big, spotted, and critically endangered?”

“Yes. Dad called around, but none of the menageries can take them. They’re overwhelmed as it is. We did manage to place most of the other big cats. I’m taking home two freaking tigers and a lion until Stonecreek can get their habitat set up. Dad will make a permanent home here for the cheetahs, but they need a place for a few weeks.”

Damn. Nobody had warned me the Hunters were all suckers for animals and failed at the hunting portion of their name. If anything, the only thing they hunted were more pets, which attacked their budget.

The hummingbirds and the lengths the Hunters went to in order to care for them made it clear the entire faction had issues when it came to animals.

“How old are your tigers and lion?”

“They’re roughly the same age as yours. Dad has eight lion cubs he’s going to be caring for. It’s chaos.” Calden braved entering my office and stroked Lucky. “I think we’ve figured out Lucky’s problem, too. The peacocks all came from a petting zoo, so they’re used to getting a ridiculous amount of attention daily.”

“A what?”

“A place where people pay to go pet interesting animals like peacocks,” he explained. “Dad is wrangling the lions, the tigers, Lucky’s peahen, and the turkey. If you carry your kittens, I’ll show you how to safely transport Lucky.”

“That sounds good.” I evicted the colorful bird from my lap and grabbed my purse before taking the carrier and peeking inside. Two fuzzy kittens slept in a furry ball. “What am I supposed to feed them?”

“We’re making it up as we go. So far, we think a blend of replacer milk with additives should work. I have a batch already prepared, which will get us through until tomorrow. We’re hoping the influx of returning faction members will have somebody who knows what we’re supposed to be giving them.”

“Is there anything else I can do to help?”

“Actually, yes. There is. How do you feel about helping to walk a hundred or so dogs in the morning?”

“Are you saying I’m going to get paid to walk dogs?”

“Yes.”

Did he really think I would say no to that? “Sign me up.”

* * *

I knocked on my parents’ door with Lucky tucked under my arm, unable to keep from grinning. Dad let me in, stepped back, and stared at his new pet with wide eyes.

Lucky took one look at my father, fanned his tail, and ushered in the apocalypse with a shrill scream.

“Is that a peacock?” he blurted.

“He arrived from Earth this morning, and as I have already agreed to care for a pair of helpless baby predators, Lucky and his hen, who you can name, now live here. Lucky is a lap peacock and enjoys being petted. He came from a place where people paid to pet weird animals.”

“Petting zoo,” my mother said, coming up behind my father, joining him in a staring at the peacock, who did his best to posture for his new owners. “What helpless predators?”

Careful not to jostle Lucky, I gestured to Calden’s SUV, which was similar to Dad’s. “Calden’s bringing them after retrieving Lucky’s peahen. Tomorrow, I’ll be working with the refugee dogs.”

Calden came up the walkway cradling the peahen. “Sorry for the lack of warning. It’s been a crazy day, and Lucky’s proposals to your daughter this morning earned him a home with you. He gave her a dead mouse while screaming and showing off his tail. He then spent most of his day helping her work.”

My mother heaved a sigh. “That’s an absurd number of words to tell me we have no choice, Calden.” As though understanding her fate, my mother took Lucky from me. “Come on, baby. Let’s get you put in the pen. You can wander around after you learn it’s your nest.”

While my father had reacted, my mother hadn’t, which led me to one conclusion: someone had stolen my surprise, and my victory, out of my hands. “You told them, didn’t you?” I accused Calden, putting my hands on my hips.

“I needed to make sure they had a pen, and I had one delivered so they had no opportunity to refuse the addition to their home.”

Damn. He’d gotten me good. Taking the peahen from him, I cooed at the bird, who rubbed her head against me. “Very well. I can’t argue with removing their ability to say no.”

Calden chuckled and headed back to his vehicle.

I followed my mother into the house, and she stopped the living room, where a wooden box surrounded with a mesh pen waited for its new residents. “You’re going to let them live in the house?”

“For the moment, yes. Petting zoo animals are often kept indoors, so they might not be able to handle going outside at first. We’re thinking about their permanent habitat. This will work for the moment.”

“His name is Lucky. He was formerly Doom Bird until I learned where he had come from and why, which was when I renamed him to Lucky. We don’t talk about where dinner came from tonight.” Once I handed off the peahen, I hurried to Calden’s SUV to retrieve my cheetahs. As he wrangled our dinner, I grabbed the carrier with his cats, too.

It would be a full house, especially if we let the babies loose to play.

My brother met me at the door and peered into the carriers. “Your current job is your heaven, isn’t it?”

Had I known the Hunters got to work with animals and not just ate them, I probably would have applied for their contracts. Without hesitation and as often as I could manage while still getting some variety in my life. “Apparently. The cheetahs are mine.”

Peter eyed the tigers and lion. “Isn’t it weird for a wolf to be caring for cats?”

Calden’s father, who’d brought his own SUV, came up the walkway behind me along with his son. Both men eyed the carries, turned their stares to Peter, and said, “Yes.”

Between the two of them, we got everything in except the pet food in one round, and my brother went to help with the supplies. I skipped into the kitchen to wash my hands before claiming the turkey and putting it in the sink so it could be cleaned properly. Once done, I returned to the living room, which rapidly ran out of space for everyone and the animals.

My mother worked to make sure both of her new pets understood she would love them forever, and Peter whispered in my ear, “Mom cried earlier.”

I nodded, unsurprised by the news, and I whispered back, “Dad had told me she’d gone to Earth.”

“Dad texted me when news spread about the eruption, telling me to expect the worst and to be patient for a few days. Good job on ruling the library and the bookstore.”

“I have the digireader in my purse, but I haven’t gone through the rest of the bag yet,” I admitted.

“You’ll like everything,” Peter promised. He eyed the collection of cat carriers and birds. “We have a pair of play pens to set up in the hall so the kittens can stretch and play. Mom bailed from work early.” In a soft tone, he added, “She used the power of her tears to go buy her grandkittens toys. She also bought bird toys.”

My mother, who had better hearing than I thought, twisted around and glared at us both. “I did not expect peacocks. I expected pigeons or something else. Something smaller. I should have known, seeing the size of the pen Calden had delivered.”

“I’m sure he’ll like whatever toys you got for him, Mom,” I replied. “Do you want us to move the birds to the sunroom?”

“We’ll move them after dinner, once we convince the other residents they need to share nicely.”

Calden eased around the carriers, stared at the bird pen, and chuckled at the situation. “If the birds are anything to go by, your kittens are going to be spoiled, as is proper for true apex predators. My cats will also be spoiled, gods and goddesses ready to take over the world.”

I nodded. “Our rescues must be joyous while also being spoiled. I’m still confused over why we have a bunch of baby predators, though.”

Calden crouched to check on his cats. “Our planet doesn’t really have many good places for these species to roam in the wild. The ratio of predators to prey would become unbalanced, and it would become a disaster. Unless we can find a large island habitat suitable for them, they’ll live out their lives in captivity. There are enough of every species to start a good breeding program with appropriate genetic diversity, though.”

“Hey, Peter? Where are the pens for the kittens?”

“I’ll get them and set them up in the hall,” my brother replied, heading off to help prepare for an evening of watching kittens be kittens while they captured our souls in their tiny paws.

My mother got up, dusted off, and said, “I’ll be in the sunroom checking in on the other birds.”

Once my mother left, my father came in, heaved a sigh, and said, “Expect tears. She’ll be fine one minute and sobbing the next.”

Poor Mom. “It’s a shock.”

I still struggled to process that an entire planet of people evacuated due to a single natural disaster, one that would choke the planet, drop the temperatures, and destroy much of the environment until nature had a chance to recover.

That the eruption had happened in a densely populated place, with the death toll expected to reach into the billions, would haunt me. “I had heard of Yellowstone and Lake Toba, but I’d never heard of Mount Paektu,” I admitted. “It was just not in any of the material they gave about Earth’s volcanic activity.”

I’d paid attention to my education, as everyone got a chance to learn about Earth and enroll in the travel program to go to the planet if desired.

My father shrugged. “I hadn’t, either. I hadn’t even realized Earth had such a dense population in one area. I knew there were a lot of people living there, but not that many people.”

“It makes us seem so small,” I confessed in a whisper. “Our planet is bigger, but our population isn’t.”

My mother returned from her adventure into the sunroom, and she carried one of the older doves with her, who’d hurt her wing and wouldn’t be able to fly again. The bird went onto my shoulder, and my mother kissed my cheek. “Marigold is allowed indoors now because she can’t fly anymore. She should live another year or two, especially if we keep her from being harassed by the other doves.”

I petted Marigold, accepted my clothes would need to be washed once the bird finished with me, and said, “Her quality of life will be good?”

“So the vet said. I wanted to change her name to Money Dump, but your father said no.”

Dad laughed. “It’s true. You can’t change her name even though it’s accurate. I had to put up with the vet calling me horrible names while paying the bill.”

Having met the vet, an older man who lived to help animals, I could imagine some of the horrible names leveled my father’s way. “Angel of Birds?” I guessed.

“Close. The Heavenly Provider of All Bird Kind. It was hard not to laugh at him. I swear, we shouldn’t have taken you to the vets to see how pet care works at an impressionable age. You learned to give pets weird names from him.”

As I couldn’t dispute his claim, I shrugged. “I can be sensible about naming my pets. I changed Lucky’s name once I realized why he was here and not on Earth.”

“It is rare for you to show such common sense,” my father teased.

I suspected the pens had been already ready to roll except for linking them together, as Peter returned and said, “I’ve been told I need to grovel for forgiveness for wagering your freedom.”

I loved my family, but they needed to be put in time out. Was he seriously implying I wanted an apology for having been sold out? “Calden, please tell my brother I want to go camping, gear is being provided, and I’m getting a whole week to hunt, read, and cook.”

Maybe he could talk sense into my family.

“I think she wants you to play me for a second week of camping, reading, and cooking with a side of hunting at her leisure.”

I engaged my brother in staring contest, pressed a finger to his chest, and ordered, “Lose.”

My parents observed with raised brows. Heaving a sigh, Peter bowed his head and held out his hand. While Calden struck with the speed of a snake, he gave my brother’s bruised knuckles a light tap. “We’ll pretend that was a fierce battle, as we wouldn’t want to annoy Coraline.”

“Annoying Coraline is never wise,” my brother agreed.

I rolled my eyes. “When don’t you annoy me?”

“When I’m sacrificing my pride so you can go camping. Dad’s going to kill me.”

Our father, who’d witnessed the whole thing, said, “There are three children in the same room, and it’s quiet. What are you doing? Coraline, you go first.”

Why was my father using the absent parent approach when he’d witnessed the entire exchange? I would never understand my parents, as my mother had joined him in shooting disapproving looks our way. But if they wanted us to play at being naughty children, I would enjoy my part more than I should. “Peter lost another game of knuckle slap against Calden. He tried to buy back my freedom, but it looks like I need to go camping for two weeks now. Calden took Peter out like a broken-legged doe.” I faked a sniff. “It was just shameful.”

“Peter?”

“It’s true. I lost horribly.”

“And what do you have to say for yourself, Calden?”

The Hunter shrugged. “I’m good at this game, she likes to hunt rabbit, and I have an unlimited license this year. Can we play again? I could use good company at home cooking rabbit with me. I hunt at least three times a week.”

As we were playing the game where the absent parents were catching children in the midst of causing trouble, I faked calling out, “Mom, Peter’s about to break his hand.”

My mother rolled her eyes. “All right. I’ll referee.”

With my future happiness secured, I handed Marigold off to my mother, pleased I’d escaped any messes, and went to handle dinner, pausing in the hallway to say, “Don’t forget to make sure all the babies are put away in their appropriate places before you play.”

With a little luck, the kittens would help distract everyone, too. The longer they remained occupied, the longer I would have alone in the kitchen.

I lacked the time to properly brine the turkey, and as I wanted to serve dinner sometime that night, I needed to use every trick I had, including one stolen from a witch. I raided my mother’s spices, stole a shameful amount of butter, and mixed everything together with some salt. Rather than shove my hands under the turkey’s skin, I’d use a hint of magic to do the work for me. Arming myself with a toothpick, I dotted the mixture onto the bird, slid the bowl closer, and braced for the ridiculousness of the incantation, which married magic and intent in culinary matrimony.

It worked, which was all that mattered.

“You shall be delicious.”

One day, someone might learn how or why magic often generated light when used, but within a golden luminescence, the bowl emptied, the mixture coated the entire bird, and a thick layer manifested between skin and meat. With the critical work accomplished without having to take the slimy, hands-on approach, I began the next phase of my preparations.

I stole from my mother’s root vegetable box, cleaned enough to feed the entire horde, and tossed as much as would fit into the bottom of the pan. The rest would roast later in a second dish. An orange and a lemon, cut into quarters, went into the turkey’s cavity along with an onion and some garlic.

The whole lot went on an adventure into the oven with an aluminum tent to cook. I set the temperature and timer before cleaning up the evidence of my mischief.

As hoped for, my family waged a knuckle slap war against the Stephans. My brother’s hand would never be the same. They’d released the kittens into their pens, but all of them slept.

“Are the kittens okay?” If anything went wrong with our feline refugees, I doubted I’d be able to handle it with professionalism or grace.

Calden’s father chuckled. “They’re fine. We took a break long enough to feed them. Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

I eyed Peter, the responsible party for both types of news. “Which do I want first?”

Wrinkling his nose, my brother shook out his hands. “Go with the bad first. I’m going to need a month to recover from this. I don’t have any idea how I’m going to work.”

“Carefully and with much whining,” our father replied.

“I’m going to go with the bad news first,” I informed Mr. Stephans.

“You need to move.”

My eyes widened. I needed to what? “As in from where I’m standing or where I live?”

“Where you live.”

“I don’t understand how this is bad news. I like moving and seeing new things and trying out new neighborhoods. I enjoy moving, but it’s hard to find places I can afford. Is the good news affordable rent?”

“Your rent is free,” Calden’s father replied with a rather crooked grin.

Some nights, I dreamed of free rent and what I’d do if only I had some extra money. All the books I wanted could be mine. I could go camping and hunting as often as I wanted.

If only I had free rent.

I got onto my knees and hugged my brother’s legs. “Thank you for sucking at knuckle slap.”

Peter sighed. “Aren’t you going to ask where you’ll be living?”

“No.” Where I lived didn’t matter, as long as I had a place to put my stuff, a bed, and the freedom to come and go as I pleased.

“You should ask,” Peter replied, glaring at me. “Let go.”

Rather than let go, I hugged him tighter. “But free rent.”

“You should care where you’re going to be living!”

Idiot brother. How could he not understand the repercussions of free rent? “Does Mom approve?”

Our mother snickered. “I instigated it.”

“Dad?”

“I’ll allow it.”

What was my brother even whining about? I released him, hopped to my feet, and brushed myself off. “Will I have easy access to food?”

“Yes,” Peter confirmed.

“Work, water, and a bed?”

My brother heaved yet another sigh. “Much to my dismay, yes.”

“The internet?”

Silence.

Well, that could be a problem. “I might survive without the internet if I have weekly library trips, but in future, you should confirm if any place I live has the internet.” I smiled at the thought of all the things I could do with the money I saved dodging rent. “I can load a lot of books on my new digireader once a week. Is there any other news I should know about? When do I move? What’s my timeline?”

My father’s grin reminded me of a hungry shark after easy prey. “You’re being transported to your new home tonight after dinner. I’ll take you to your apartment so you can grab some books and pack your suitcase. I’ve lost ten packing and moving trips so far.”

Wow. I hadn’t been in the kitchen for that long. “You’re even worse at knuckle slap than Peter. I hadn’t thought it to be possible.”

“I may have lost on purpose a few times,” he admitted.

“Am I the only member of this family who plays to win?”

“Yes,” my family replied.

That left me with the other instigators, and the two men reminded me of our feline charges after being fed, licking their lips in general satisfaction. “Which one of you am I moving in with?”

Calden’s father raised his hand. “I need help feeding the kittens.”

How tragic for me, having to work as a live-in kitten sitter. “Okay. I’m happy to help care for the kittens. Have you lost any games, Calden?”

“My father beat me five times,” he confessed.

“Of how many games?”

“Five.”

I decided if I didn’t ask for any details, my sanity would remain intact. “Is everyone happy with the current arrangement?”

“Yes,” they replied.

I’d wanted something new. They’d delivered. Would the new be good or bad? I couldn’t even guess.

“I’m going to take a nap. Wake me when the timer goes off. Try not to mangle your hands—or pick a different game.”

My brother challenged Calden for a week of my time, and I left before they infected me with their crazy ways.

* * *

My mother adored being able to show up for dinner and eat. As I wanted to devour my feast, I put everything on the table in a steady stream and claimed my seat without making any offers to fetch anything else. After a moment of consideration, I said, “The kitchen is that way if I forgot anything. This is my formal application to live where I don’t have to pay rent. I cook and clean, but that is the limit of my domestication.” As the turkey had been left untouched, I claimed a drumstick for myself and plunked it onto my plate before scooping out enough roasted roots to appease my hunger. “I don’t mind moving, but I need a month’s notice prior to eviction to find a new home.”

“You’ll have a proper lease tomorrow morning,” Calden’s father promised. “I’ll bring it to your office before lunch. It’ll make your work easier, as I live close to our headquarters. I have a lease template, as I invite faction members to stay if they’re involved with a critical project. Your work counts, especially considering the current situation.”

My work would be hectic, that much I could tell. “That’s reasonable. Thank you. Not having to go far to get to work will let me better manage my time. Is the camping trip still on?”

If my family had won back weeks, I would put a lot of thought into crying the instant I had some privacy.

He nodded. “For one week of the trip, your family won you Calden as your personal servant. He is an excellent foot warmer, and I volunteered him for this purpose. Calden became quite upset, as he would have won another week of camping. I’ve determined my son really wants to take some time off work.”

I had guessed as much from Calden’s interest in having someone else rule Moonriver. I turned my attention to my father. “Did you beat Calden at that game of knuckle slap?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank you for the present of warm, fluffy wolf, Dad.”

“I thought you’d appreciate that. We had to limit the number of weeks camping to one out of every eight weeks, else the wolves would never bring you home,” he replied with a crooked grin.

“We do like to camp,” Calden’s father confirmed.

I chuckled over the necessity of restricting how often they stole me away so we could go camping. “When is our first trip?”

Calden wrinkled his nose. “Not until after the current crisis is over and we can hire proper caretakers for the kittens. We’ll have to see, but I’m betting it’ll be a month before we can go. It depends on how many animals we receive tomorrow. If we’re lucky, it’ll be bad, because that means we’re saving a lot of lives.”

“What time does tomorrow start?”

“Six AM Earth Pacific.” Calden checked his watch. “Fourteen hours from now.”

Fourteen hours would give me plenty of time to go to my apartment, pack a bag, and get some sleep. “That’s not a large window before regular working hours. Is there anything I can do to fill in while you’re handling the animals?”

While some humans developed telepathy, I lacked the ability. That didn’t stop me from glaring at Allasandro Stephans and thinking about how they would earn my wrath if they refused my offer to help.

He sighed. “There is. I’ll make a list.”

I glanced at Calden, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Teaching Mr. Stephans the art of delegation might be the solution Calden needed, but I wouldn’t be certain until I had a chance to start my assignment in earnest.

The future intrigued me.

FIVE

My blissful life as a free, single woman had done him in.

While it took some work, the cheetahs and the start of their empire, my library books, my bounty from the bookstore, and my suitcase fit in my dad’s SUV. The animals rode on my lap, and I fought the urge to open their cage and pet them.

I wanted to pet the pint-sized predators, who would rule over us all given a week. Or the next ten minutes.

“You’re not upset with us?” my father asked.

Was my family insane? I stared at him, wondering why I might be upset with any of them. “Why would I get upset over free rent?”

I’d spent most of my adult life dreaming of free rent, and I would enjoy the moment while it lasted.

“Well, we did go behind your back about it.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “At any time during the insanity that was your knuckle slap games, I could have said no. I want to go camping, and being near work is a good thing. Having free rent, so I can spend more money on books, is great. With everything going on, having to deal with a commute might break me.”

My father’s pained sigh amused me, and I wondered which one of my decisions had gotten to him this time. “Between your work attitude, your general professionalism, and your beauty—inherited from me, of course—I don’t know how you’re not drowning in boyfriends.”

Ah. My blissful life as a free, single woman had done him in. While my mother hoped for grandchildren, she’d kept a lid on her personal desires. My father couldn’t help himself. Whenever he saw a baby anything, he wanted more babies around. “I don’t kiss on the first date,” I reminded him.

“You should still be drowning in boyfriends. Absolutely drowning in them. They should be waging war over you on your doorstep.”

“You know I can’t stand boring men, Dad.” I’d stopped reporting in whenever I’d gone on a date with someone determined to act like a peacock without possessing the charm of actual peacocks. Had a man come calling while screaming war cries and dropping a dead mouse at my feet while beating his chest, I would have considered a second date.

There was nothing boring about someone willing to do a display of utter insanity for the sake of a second date.

He heaved another sigh, casting forlorn looks my way. “I see. I’m too good of an example. I’m a rare breed, and now my daughter is doomed to forever search for perfection.”

Laughing, I shrugged. “It’s not my fault the perfect men are already taken or are emotionally unavailable.”

He chuckled. “What do you think of Allasandro?”

Ew. “Way too old.”

“Not as a boyfriend, Coraline. Get your head out of the gutter.”

Damn. My father had baited me before switching subjects, and he’d gotten me good. “Sorry, Dad. You failed to appropriately transition between subjects. He’s a lot nicer than I expected, startlingly generous, and much funnier than I thought possible. Overall, I like him.”

“Good. And Calden?”

Ouch. I’d feel that question for a while. “He definitely falls into the probably taken or otherwise emotionally unavailable category. He’s the dream of every woman in the city, and that includes a terrifying number of mothers and grandmothers. I can’t handle that sort of competition. He seems to have a good personality to go with his looks, which doesn’t help matters any.”

“It may not help much, but most of the mothers and grandmothers tend to fixate on Allasandro. It’s an issue. He’s convinced he won the last vote because of his sex appeal.”

I had news for my father, and the sex appeal of the Stephans men only accounted for maybe a quarter of the votes. As far as I could tell, Allasandro had earned his position and worked hard to keep it, and Calden busted ass doing whatever he could to help his father.

Wrinkling my nose, I said, “Ew. That is not something I want to think about, Dad. And if Mom has the hots for him, do not ever tell me.”

Dad snickered. “Your mom married perfection. Why would she have the hots for Allasandro?”

“She’s not blind or dead!”

That earned me a hearty chuckle. “Your mother is safe from Allasandro’s charms, I assure you. Allasandro is hoping Calden will settle down before he begins dating again. It took Calden a long time to accept his mother’s death. As Allasandro is a master of worrying, he doesn’t feel he should be romancing a woman while his son is obviously burdened.” Dad started the engine of his SUV. “Yes, that is as ridiculous as it sounds. Anyway, we couldn’t help but notice you did not run away screaming at the sight of a wolf, and you also survived the broccoli brownie incident. As such, Allasandro is hopeful you might help nudge Calden out of the singles market. I have been recruited, after being subjected to significant complaining over how it should be illegal for such a handsome son to still be single, to discuss this with you. If you like Calden after the camping trips, Allasandro is not above begging you to take his boy on a date.”

My father wanted me to do what? I needed a cold shower and a reality check, because not even in my own damned fantasies did I put men like Calden in the same room with someone like me. We came from two entirely different worlds. However, as I hated disappointing my father, I’d sacrifice a minor amount of my dignity and pride to make him happy. “I’ll think about it. But that’s all I’m promising. And should he ask me out on date, the rule still applies. I don’t kiss on first dates.”

In a world of instant gratification and impatience, my rule did a damned good job of keeping most suitors at bay. The ones who tested my rules ended up having the rest of the evening to themselves, and the rest? Well, there was a good reason I remained single.

I needed something that would last—and someone who handled change with grace, as I chased after the new and the exciting every other breath. Such men were few and far between, and I’d accepted that long ago.

One day, my parents would figure that out, or so I hoped.

* * *

Allasandro Stephans lived a block away from his headquarters in a townhouse a lot like the one my parents owned. The first of the reality checks came upon learning he owned the entire row. Rather than renting a room, as expected, I’d have an entire townhouse to myself.

I could fit a lot of books into an entire townhouse.

“Dad, this is excessive.” I checked to make certain Allasandro Stephans or his son couldn’t hear me. “This is crazier than you suggesting I should date Calden.”

“It’s not crazy. On all the forms, he’ll be your landlord, and he’s tying your rent to your employment with the Hunters, as he has no doubt he’ll need you for at least a year. He checked your current commute and had a fit.”

Men. Had they asked me if I minded the commute, it would have saved them a great deal of hassle and heartache. “I take public transit. I read these weird things called books. It’s an hour of premium book reading time each way. I use the time to relax, read, and generally enjoy myself.”

I could live without the other commuters, who often did a good job of driving me half mad by the time I made it to work. While some of them were smart enough to read, many others liked to talk, talk, talk—and some believed I wanted to talk with them.

There were days I wanted to smack people with my books rather than read them.

“Well, your commute is now five minutes each way. I’m sure you can figure out how to spend your extra free time.”

I worked on prepping the next load of stuff to go into the townhouse, and during one of the lulls, I pointed at the other townhouses in the row. “How many of these are empty?”

“Calden lives in the one on the end most of the time, but he has a weekend house on the outskirts of the city. It’s a two hour drive once you leave Moonriver.”

“That’s not the outskirts, Dad. That’s in the country, possibly near the border.” Shaking my head at the insanity, I checked on the cheetahs to discover they romped together in their carrier. “Uh oh. The kittens are awake.”

“That’s my cue to get their milk ready while you go inside and establish your territory. I’ll start working in the kitchen. You can figure out where you’re going to put the animals. I’ll bring their pen in next.”

The fully furnished townhouse would test me. Where would I put my furniture? I’d gotten most of it from a thrift store, something my parents had admired yet hated at the same time. Donating it, assuming I couldn’t find somewhere to stash it, might work. Alternatively, I could dump it on the curb during the next community cleaning week, as several of the pieces might not survive being moved.

That would work.

Pleased with my decision, I carried the kittens into the sitting room, selecting a corner where I could move a single empty bookcase to create their domain. The bookcase would fit along the neighboring wall, although people trying to enter the room would need to be aware of the case else run some risk of running into it. With the kittens contained, I resumed ferrying my collection of library books into the house. On my third trip out, while my father wrangled hungry kittens armed with bottles of milk, Calden’s father came up the walkway carrying a box. I peeked inside to discover paper-wrapped, frozen packages.

“Are there rabbits in that box?” If there were rabbits in the box, I would take my father’s suggestion of asking Calden out on a date seriously.

“There’s enough in here to appease even a wolf. This weekend, I’ll have movers bring your furniture over. The basement is finished but empty, so you can set it up however you like.”

Well, that eliminated the need to donate or dump anything. “Thank you, Mr. Stephans.”

He headed towards the kitchen. “You’re welcome.”

After clearing out Dad’s SUV, I headed to the kitchen to discover a baking party. Judging from the choice of pan and ingredients littering the counters, some form of brownie came to life.

Having already experienced the man’s evil ways, I worried. “Please tell me there isn’t any broccoli in these.”

Allasandro Stephans laughed at me. “They’re regular brownies. We’ll need these after the next wave comes in via portal. They’re sending back our dead—well, those who could be retrieved. We’re expecting a hundred or so more won’t make it back alive. They’re taking a direct portal. The jumping waypoints are deluged getting evacuees out.”

Something must have happened to turn a bad situation worse. “They’re allowing mass direct hops?”

“They’ve reached the point of no return. Some lost is better than all lost, and while we didn’t qualify as a mass refugee planet, we appealed, petitioned to quarantine Moonriver, and got approval to bring in evacuees that have nowhere else to go. I flung those words at the government entities, and they decided I was right. Some lost is better than all lost, and there’s nowhere else for them to go. I’ll be making a statement tomorrow. Inoculation clinics will open at nightfall. Earth is sending enough of their vaccines along with the refugees to vaccinate everyone within the city limits, and they’re sending everything they’ve got. While vaccination won’t be mandatory, I’m pulling an asshole card: those who are vaccinated won’t have any medical bills if they do get sick. Exceptions for allergies and medical reasons will be permitted, but no other excuse will be considered. I figure most will vaccinate, but they’ll add it to their list of reasons why I should retire.”

I frowned, as I couldn’t remember the last time anyone from the media or elsewhere, excepting his son, had made any serious mention of him stepping down.

What a mess. What could I say without making it clear why I’d been assigned to work for the Hunters?

The man chuckled. “Your father knows about the evaluation, so don’t feel like you need to be quiet. With your experience with most major factions and your stalwart professionalism, your report will be respected—and everyone knows you don’t lie about your work. You may be unaffiliated, but you have earned a good reputation among the faction leaders across the city. If they have something sensitive, they know to request you. What you don’t know, you learn. What you can’t learn, you seek assistance with. And if you can’t find someone to help you, you do your best to learn anyway.”

I needed to do something about my reputation, which came across as a little too good for my comfort. “Dad, remind me to run wild after my current assignment. I have become an unbalanced being.”

My father chuckled and shook his head. “Good luck with following through on that. You love your trickery, but you absolutely cannot stand disappointing or upsetting people. It’s a miracle you’re willing to prank your mother and me. My advice? Take Allasandro for all he’s worth. Turn over all those rocks and expose how utterly corrupt he is.”

Allasandro Stephans? Corrupt? A laugh burst out of me. “His status as a single father is the only real crime I have uncovered so far. We could auction off dates with him for charity to help the displaced animals and find or build homes for the refugees. We’d make a fortune.”

My father’s eyes narrowed, and he directed his attention to Moonriver’s ruler. “Allasandro?”

While it took him a few minutes, the man shrugged. “Why not? It’s for charity. I’ll toss something together for the statement. It’s a good idea, Coraline. Evil, but good. This is like unleashing the peacock on your parents but far worse.”

“Lucky is a gift that will keep on giving. Just wait until they have baby peacocks running around. Then they’ll realize the full extent of my evil. But being serious. When do you plan to sleep?” I asked.

“Tonight? For about three hours before they open the portal. Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.”

SIX

We were the last.

Once upon a time, someone had attempted to explain how magic and science blended together to open a rift allowing people to traverse space in the blink of an eye. In reality, most went through a series of ten hops to reach Earth or return to Korsania Minor. Knowing some wouldn’t survive the journey somehow worsened the tragedy and made the disaster killing Earth all the more real.

An hour ago, shortly after I’d arrived on site to help with the influx of animals, people, and supplies, the entirety of a five-block radius surrounding the portal had gone under cordon. Everyone who entered the zone would be quarantined for a month and receive vaccinations as soon as the crates carrying them were identified. Until the portal opened and the transfer began, nobody knew what to expect.

How many had survived? How many had gotten a chance to escape to our world?

In the dwindling hours, Moonriver had rounded up every vaccine available, which would help twenty thousand newcomers battle off our various illnesses. Rumor had it clinics on the outskirts of the city were scrounging up more. In hushed whispers, most hoped every dose would be needed—that we could do more than just rescue wildlife and watch the news.

The portal opened when expected, and the first of the arrivals passed through. In a breach of our general tech level, Earth had provided advanced hover freighters, ones that could pass through the portals without a living operator.

I doubted anyone cared.

The sleek machines carried our dead, serving to remind us we faced disaster. Like the volunteers accepting quarantine, the families of the deceased waited to receive their loved ones.

Between the unloading process and figuring out how to send the freighter back across to Earth for the next load of bodies and basic supplies, the procession lasted an hour.

Then the real work began.

According to the limited transmissions we’d gotten from Earth, we expected a major influx of animals. Earth delivered, but every crate came with a human. The animals who could walk did, accompanied by people holding onto leashes or lead lines. Domesticated cats came either carried in the arms of their owners or in carriers.

Some birds came in cages, and a few enterprising survivors flew through, securing their own salvation. I expected we’d have to hunt the strays down, catching them and making sure they could be released into the wild. Evidence of ash coated some of the surviving animals and people, and medical staff intercepted them for the additional care they surely needed.

Those who had been born on Korsania Minor reported in, and when they’d finished coming through, hope crashed through the crowd.

Outside a few animals no one had expected to survive, no one had died during passage.

The refugees came next, and like our people, they carried what they could over with them, most choosing to leave their physical possessions behind to carry children and animals through. Within four hours, thirty-two thousand refugees arrived in our city. Forty-two perished from the trauma of passage.

Witnessing the deaths would haunt me, as would helping to move the fallen out of the way so that we could continue to bring in who we could. Long after we thought the stream should have ended, supplies and refugees continued to pass through, and the harried state of the straggling arrivals warned us the end neared.

The doctors and veterinarians battling for the lives of everyone to go through passed through last, and the older man at the end turned, pressed his hand to the control panel, and deactivated it, moving with the speed of someone understanding every second mattered. The archway darkened, but not before ash plumed through, sending those nearest scattering. After a few more presses of a button, a bowed head, and what had to be a prayer, he did something I never thought I would witness.

He activated the portal’s self-destruct protocol, forever closing our route back to Earth.

“We were the last.”

Later, there would be time to mourn. Until then, I would do my best to keep from drowning in the torrent of grief sweeping through Moonriver.

* * *

Under normal circumstances, vaccines were paired to mitigate symptoms. Due to the flow of people to and from Earth, I’d only needed three shots. For the most part, we’d already passed around most of our diseases. Once I received my vaccinations, I dove into my work, making arrangements for the displaced and reminding Allasandro Stephans to sell himself off for charity to settle the refugees.

As planned, he made a statement. Like everyone else in his faction, I stopped working to watch the broadcast.

He wore a black suit and appeared tired and worn. “A few days ago, due to increased volcanic activity, Earth began to evacuate people and animals. Initially, Moonriver received shipments of animals. This morning, we welcomed a total of thirty-six thousand refugees. Earth, prior to the portal being shut down and destroyed, sent its remaining vaccine supply, which should be sufficient to vaccinate the entirety of Moonriver. As the sole city-state to receive refugees, we are temporarily closing our borders, which is estimated to last for a period of two months, to give us time to cope with the initial wave of illness while everyone else around the planet has a chance to vaccinate and prepare.”

He went on to detail the current cordon, where vaccination clinics were in process of opening, along with information on where to go if anyone wished to volunteer to house refugees until permanent arrangements could be made. The list of expected symptoms boiled down to a cold with a painful rash and temporary paralysis.

While treatable, the paralysis required hospitalization, which was when Moonriver’s ruler informed everyone the city-state would pay for all costs of care for the vaccinated. Vaccination remained optional, but hospitals and care facilities would charge a set amount per treatment for any diseases contracted as a result of the exodus.

Then, to soften the blow, he announced the charity drive to help the refugees settle on our world. Any donation of five dollars or more entered the contributor in a raffle to go on a date with him. Every hundred thousand earned would add another date into the pool.

I suspected he’d earn far more than a hundred thousand dollars, as the charity drive would be open to everyone on the planet.

I turned off the feed and returned to work, using my tablet to begin my evaluation of Moonriver’s ruler, beginning with his response to the evacuation and the unexpected influx of people and animals. The entry would likely become one of many illuminating how the man served without benefit to himself. While corruption inevitably existed somewhere in the system, I gave Allasandro Stephans credit.

He would make me work to find where he abused his power.

As Allasandro Stephans needed to work on his delegation skills, I made a note to create an actionable list of ways he might improve upon what he already did for Moonriver. One man couldn’t conquer that mountain of responsibilities alone.

The evacuation and ultimate demise of Earth made prioritizing my work simple. I would begin with researching every emergency to hit Moonriver since Allasandro Stephans had risen to power. After I finished researching his emergency response work, I would delve into our city-state’s economic situation, evaluate our levels of civil unrest, and treat our home and its governor like I would a thesis.

It intrigued me that I, an unaffiliated, might influence Moonriver’s future.

What was best for us?

What was best for the Stephans family?

I understood what Calden hoped for and why. He loved his father.

The weight of responsibility settled into place. I needed to uncover the truth to build and release my report, but I worried about what I would find. Earth’s evacuation told the story of a man prepared to do everything necessary to help others—not just his people, but the refugees fleeing from a dying world. I’d lived my entire life embraced in comfort and security, even as an unaffiliated lacking the same opportunities that those within factions enjoyed.

Before Allasandro Stephans had become the ruler of Moonriver, everyone had been forced into a faction, like it or not. Temporary firms like mine hadn’t existed thirty years ago. They hadn’t existed twenty years ago, as it had taken the man over a decade to legalize the changes the people had demanded of him.

Too many had protested change to how power worked in the city for too long.

I made a note to investigate the other changes he’d implemented since his rise to power.

When I wasn’t taking care of the cheetahs, I bounced between my assignment and helping with the staggering chore of arranging homes for the displaced.

Twelve hours into my eight hour shift, my father showed up with a yawning Calden, who carried his kittens in a larger, soft carrier with a shoulder strap. “I was sacrificed to warn you we’ve taken in a family of refugees, so we cleared out your old room. Your stuff is in my SUV.”

I could accept my limited things I’d left at home would be moving back in with me. “That’s great. How did you get in here?”

The Hunters did a decent job of stopping anyone from leaving the lobby when they didn’t belong or weren’t escorted.

My father pointed at Calden. “I asked him nicely since we’re here to pick our refugee family up. Allasandro then asked me to make certain all children leave. He can’t go home until all of our children have left the building.”

Home, especially the new one down the block, sounded good. I captured the cheetahs, an easy task thanks to their sleepy state, and put them in their carrier. “The litter box will only take a minute. They used it today without issue,” I reported.

Litter training the cheetahs had come in as a top priority, especially knowing they’d be indoor cheetahs for a while. I hoped they’d get a habitat that either mimicked the outdoors or let them roam, but the way I figured, being stuck indoors beat the alternative.

They could have been left to die on Earth.

To keep them from waiting long, I blitzed through cleaning, disposed of the soiled litter in the bin down the hall, packed my purse, and grabbed the carrier. “I’ll go home long enough to eat and get some sleep. As my new home has a great kitchen, I am expecting to eat better than usual.” I considered my new neighbor, wondering if inviting him over would send a wrong message. Considering how busy we’d both be, I decided to take the risk. “Calden, as there’s no difference between cooking for one or two beyond the quantity, would you like to have dinner at my place before you head home and pass out?”

Like me, he’d been swamped up to his eyebrows in work.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded, lugged the cheetahs out of my office, grabbed the bird feeder so the nectar wouldn’t rot in my office overnight, and whistled for the hummingbirds. I waited for my feathered friends to head down the hall to the reception entrance before doing a check of the room for any stray birds and closing the door. “One day, I’ll understand how those little birds understand when someone whistles and is trying to leave that it’s time for them to go to the lobby.”

Calden laughed and took the feeder from me. “Training and habit. We all do it, so they learned it’s time to go to their nests near the elevators if the person they’re hanging out with is leaving. For a while, we had to chase down stray birds, but the parents teach the babies to go back to the lobby now. It might look like magic, but it’s not. They’re smart, and they know the only place with nectar after hours is the lobby. I’ll go get this rinsed and meet you at the elevators.”

“Thanks.”

We followed the hummingbirds to the elevators, where the entire flock flitted around.

Calden joined us a few minutes later, and he sighed at the birds. “There were more hummingbirds among the evacuees. We might need some literal magic to integrate the flocks at this stage. Hummingbirds can get really territorial, so we have to convince them that they have to share. The new birds will be in quarantine, and then we’ll gradually start releasing them.”

I expected chaos, as the Hunters already had hundreds of winged co-workers making frequent messes we cleaned. All in all, they’d done an excellent job of recruiting humans to be their personal servants. “Can any of them be released into the wilds?”

Calden shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. It turns out we love having them around, so every time someone suggests we find out, we protest, because how dare they suggest we release our babies into the wild?”

I laughed. “It’s true, though. They’re just so charming.”

“Are they as charming as a peacock screaming at you while dropping a dead mouse on your foot?” my father asked in a wry tone.

“I can’t just ignore a proposal like that, Dad. Lucky was so proud of himself.”

“Perhaps you should try accepting some attention from human males. Right idea, wrong species, Coraline,” my father teased, heading for the button to summon an elevator.

I waved my fist at his back. “If you’re worried about me getting you sick, you don’t have to come over unless you want to,” I informed Calden in a hushed tone so my father wouldn’t overhear me.

“You’re fine. Dad makes me vaccinate every ten years for Earth along with a few other planets, so I’ll be fine. You’re among the most likely to get sick, though. If you have any symptoms, let me know. I’ll give you my number. I’ll also make sure Dad’s number is in your phone, too. In good news, the second group of refugees included several vets. They’ll take over the care of our cats, and you’ll be trained to handle your cheetahs. Dad found some time to talk with them about their needs. Mine will be socialized with other cats and join a pride. Your cheetahs are the safest to be trained to live among people, so they’ll be brought up accordingly.”

“The plan for the cheetahs to live here is going to go ahead?” I hoped so. Both furballs worked hard to sink their claws into my heart with disturbing success.

“That’s still the plan.”

I stared into his eyes and announced, “I’m at the stage I’ll fight you for them.”

Calden laughed. “That’s what I told my father about mine, and he suggested I get into shape and prepare to be defeated. He’s received offers for all the cats to have permanent homes after the quarantine is over except for your cheetahs. They’ll be going to a large cat breeding and conservation program. It’s a done deal since they’ll have a good habitat. I’ll have to let mine go once the quarantine lifts.”

My father cleared his throat from the elevator, and to my amusement, he hadn’t pressed the button yet. “Come on, kids. We’re leaving.” He snapped his fingers and continued to do so until we got on the move. “If you forgot something, you’ll have to come back for it after you’ve gotten some rest.”

As arguing would accomplish nothing, I pressed the button to summon the elevator and waited for it to open. “I hope you like rabbit, Calden. It seems my new home has been stocked with my favorite food.”

“I eat it from time to time without complaint.”

I grinned, as I said the same thing whenever asked. In reality, I meant whenever possible. “How do you like yours?”

“Hot and edible is all I’m willing to hope for today. If you handle the rabbit, I’ll take care of the sides. We’ll be useless if we don’t eat properly. Make sure you drink a lot of water before bed, too. It’ll help with the vaccinations and give you a better chance to fight off any illnesses.”

The only reason I’d stopped to eat lunch had been thanks to Leita swinging by my office and feeding me. “That reminds me. I need to thank Leita for bringing lunch.”

“We all need to thank her,” Calden admitted. “I don’t think anyone on our floor would have eaten a bite if she hadn’t realized we’d focused a little too much on our work. She’d tried to send us home at the end of our shift, but she gave up after the first few refused. I bet she’s why we’re leaving now. After twelve hours, things get sketchy on the legal front for work.”

“Your father was the driving force behind making sure everyone is leaving and taking a break, and he’s already issued emergency protocols,” Dad said, waiting for the elevator to release us on the ground floor before holding the door open for us. “Employers will have the option to have staff be paid overtime beyond the normal limits to make up for those who will inevitably get sick. The refugees will also be given everything they need to begin working as quickly as possible. Other city-states are working on releasing their refugee admission figures, which will be based on a mix of open housing and their local economy. Moonriver will be receiving aid from elsewhere while we deal with the initial illnesses and settling of refugees.”

Once he had us on the move, my father marched us out the doors, clearing his throat whenever Calden appeared to want to take a detour to talk with someone. “I was warned about you, Calden. If I let you join any of the lobby conversations, I will not get you home for at least an hour. Allasandro let me into your place, by the way, Coraline. I’ve stocked your kitchen, and there’s some soup in the fridge if you don’t feel well tomorrow.”

“Are any of us going to feel well tomorrow?” From what I’d read about the incoming illnesses, the most worrisome of the lot needed twenty-four to thirty-six hours to incubate, and once it hit, it lasted for one to two weeks as a general rule.

“Probably not,” my father conceded. “Your mother and I called in and took some time off work to help with the evacuation. We’ll return after the quarantine period is over. We opted to use our vacation time, so our spots will be in the queue for a long-term temp.”

My co-workers would appreciate the extra opportunities. “You’re eligible even with unpaid time off, but it’s more paperwork and less reliable for the temps. If you get ill, even with the paid time off, make sure you tell your bosses. You’ll get into the best queues that way.” I winced at the thought of so many in Moonriver taking time off at the same time. “The prioritization queues will be important in the next few weeks.”

“We’ll manage. We shut down for the holidays and the city doesn’t fall apart. The next few weeks may be hard, but we’ll get through this.”

* * *

My parents had somehow moved the entirety of my apartment into the townhouse while I’d been at work. “Explain yourself, Dad.”

“Peter helped, as did several of his friends. Your landlord is preparing your place for a refugee family. On the drive here, it looked like a lot of households were doing the same. It’s like everyone decided to up and move all at once.”

“Really?” I wondered how that would work out for everyone, especially when we needed to update our addresses in the government’s systems.

Change wasn’t supposed to come easily. I worried change would prove difficult once the majority worked their way through the shock of Earth’s final days.

My father patted my shoulder. “We’re all human, Coraline, and I prefer to believe that other worlds would do the same for us if needed. These people need our help. We can, so we do.”

He left me inside of my new home, alone with Calden, who closed the door behind him. “Before you worry, they had plenty of help getting your things moved. The whole city is scrambling, and people are volunteering whenever they spot someone needing some help. I expect Dad will lift the base occupancy rules for the next six months to accommodate the unexpected influx of people. It’ll be better once the quarantine lifts and we can send refugees to other city-states. Not everyone will stay here. Anyway, I think we’ll both feel better after we eat. Thank you for inviting me. I do appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. I like change, but this is a lot to handle all at once. I just wish I could help more.”

“We’re all there right now. Tomorrow will be easier. The night shift will make sure everything is organized, and all the factions are doing the same. Those who can work through their vaccination responses will. Those who can’t are expected to rest and work when able. The next two weeks will be the worst. Most of the illnesses they’re bringing in incubate between twenty-four to seventy-two hours. The vaccinations should help limit how long people get sick for—if they get sick. After three weeks, the vaccinations are fully effective, and things will go back to normal.”

We went into the kitchen, and in the fridge, I discovered a stockpile of ingredients along with plastic tubs filled with soup. Two rabbits, already marinating in some form of herb blend, waited for my immediate attention. I grabbed both, as I would appreciate leftovers later. “I’ll cut enough up to do some roasted vegetables. I’ll make a pot of something with whatever we don’t eat.”

“Good plan. Even if you don’t get sick, leftovers are easy, and the next few weeks are going to be hard. I won’t be ordering anything in until the worst of this is over, so I’ll be doing the same thing at home. In other news, I think Dad regrets his offer to sell himself for charity.”

Judging from Calden’s grin, he had no problems with his father’s charity efforts. “Why does he regret it?”

“The speech was broadcasted planet wide. As a result, we’ve received significant funding. He’s going to have to travel the world for months to pay out on all those dates.” Calden snickered, and he grabbed vegetables out of the fridge before checking the root box to plunder the sweetroots, onions, and other goodies hiding within. “We have all the money we need to settle everyone and care for the displaced animals. It’s just a matter of getting through the quarantine period. We’ll be okay.”

I plunked the rabbits onto my cutting board before going on a hunt for my roasting pans, which kept three new ones company in a lower cabinet. With a grin, I retrieved the entire lot of them. “This will simplify things. We shall roast everything.”

“I like it. Flavorful and easy.”

“How was the supply in the root box?”

“Good,” Calden reported. “I barely touched what’s in there.”

Knowing my father, he’d rampaged at every open store he could get to make sure I had a full root box before any sicknesses took hold. “It’s probably a good idea to make enough meals for a few days. I can freeze it in single portion servings.”

“Good idea. I have some rabbit in my fridge. I’ll go grab them along with my pans and pots. That should speed things up. I have a freezer full of rabbits, so I’ll move a few to the fridge to thaw in the meantime.”

“That sounds good.”

Calden left, and while I waited for his return, I located where my father had hidden my food storage containers, rinsed them, and set them on the dining room table. Once done, I began preparing the first of the rabbits to go into the oven.

While I expected Calden, our fathers accompanying him startled me. “Didn’t you just leave, Dad?”

He shrugged. “I ran into Allasandro outside, and then we realized we had left our children unattended with sharp objects.”

“Dad, go home,” Calden and I chorused.

Both men sulked.

I pointed at the door. “Tell Mom I love her, please. Take Mr. Stephans home with you and feed him along with your other guests, assuming they’ve arrived.”

“Your mom’s meeting them now.”

“Tell them I said hello, please.” Aware they would chatter for an hour if given a chance, I herded them to the door, tapping my foot and waiting until they left. Once I got them outside, I engaged the deadbolt to keep them at bay before returning to the kitchen. “I swear.”

Calden shook his head and went to work cutting the vegetables. “It’s like having kids, except we’re supposed to be the kids.”

“It’s tough work caring for a parent.”

“It really is.”

SEVEN

Those sound like famous last words.

Calden and I made enough food for several weeks, most of which went into my freezer. Once we’d put everything away, we sat down to eat.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the insanity of the situation.

“What’s so funny?”

“Everything, really.” I ripped off a piece of rabbit and popped it in my mouth to buy me some time to think. “We cleaned and put everything away before eating. Our entire city-state is quarantining because we’d rather run a risk of getting sick instead of seeing more people die. I’m surprised we were allowed to have any refugees, though.”

Calden nodded. “The risk of a pandemic is real, but word on the wire is that the initial verdict was overturned because Moonriver can set up a viable cordon. It’s possible for us to sustain ourselves long enough for the illnesses to die out—or everyone gets vaccinated. The vaccination formulas and necessary supplies were sent to our medical labs, so the rest of the planet will work on getting vaccinated while we take the hits. It should work out.”

His expression turned thoughtful, and he pushed his food around his plate. I recognized the habit as something I sometimes did when uncertain of what I wanted to say next—or if I worried what the person I spoke to might think about my next words.

As such, I waited.

“You might start showing symptoms as early as in the morning. With the number of people you interacted with, our limited ability to get sanitizers and masks to everybody, and how long you spent interacting with them, it’s inevitable you’ll catch something. In reality, even with the vaccinations, you’ll get ill, even if it’s a cold or influenza virus Earth has that we don’t. Our initial quarantine period when going to Earth isn’t just for illnesses; it’s to help us adapt to the cultural differences as well. We’re introduced to people who will get us sick, so we’re medically quarantined for two months afterwards. After, we begin integration, being educated on the differences between our cultural groups. The system has worked, although ten years is a long time to spend on another planet. We can come home sooner if we’re incompatible. It happens more often than you’d think. In any case, everyone from Earth is a carrier for some form of illness, and you were exposed to just about everything that part of Earth had to offer. Earth had lax vaccination policies in the general populace. Only those planning on leaving are forced to vaccinate.”

“That’s going to make some people unhappy,” I predicted, shaking my head. “We have a lot more mandatory than voluntary vaccinations here. And the voluntary ones are only for interplanetary travel.”

“Accepting a full set of our vaccines was an evacuation requirement, so they’re aware. I’m sure some will complain, but they’ll get vaccinated anyway. Dad checked the laws, and he’s covered for requiring everyone in the cordon to vaccinate.”

I worried what my future would hold, as I doubted I would be able to give Calden what he wanted unless his father carried around some deep, dark secrets nobody knew about. “Your father is incredible. I know he has staff helping him, but I don’t think I could handle the work and responsibilities he does daily. I’d die from mortification at the charity contributions alone.”

Calden snickered, and his expression eased. After a few moments, he smiled. “He’s delighted over it. He’ll have to go on dinner and lunch dates around the world. He’s just worried I’ll get upset if he meets someone he likes. I won’t. If he brings someone home, I’m set free. I’ll get to go guilt-free camping on my own. He can take his new friend out without me. I can do what I want, without worrying about him for a change.”

I raised a brow. While I hadn’t known the Stephans long, if Calden thought his father would be happy ditching his son, he was mistaken. “He’s going to expect you to go camping with your new step-mom. You’ll have to sneak out of the nest. You could try leaving children of other species as a distraction. That worked for me.” I stabbed a piece of roasted sweetroot and nibbled on it. “They might forgive me for giving them Lucky one day.”

Rather than continue to play with his food, Calden settled in to eat. I wondered at his grin, which made frequent appearances while he vanquished his dinner. I took my time with eating, spending an absurd amount of time wondering at his expression.

Something made him happy, and I wondered what held his attention.

After a few minutes, he said, “Maybe after the lions go to their new home, our fathers will forgive us for our extreme interest in animals. Yours made the mistake of offering to help when you aren’t available. He’ll take your cheetahs if needed, too. The vets will need a breather, as we have a ridiculous number of animals in need of medical care. The eruption made many of them ill. Because of the situation, we’re violating our tech levels for the sake of the furred and feathered among us. One of the nearby planets is sending a veterinarian team to quarantine with us along with their equipment. We won’t get to see the equipment or medications they’re using, and the ships will be under guard, but Dad made the arrangements, since many of these species are now classified as critically endangered.”

With their home planet destroyed, it would be a miracle if some of them lasted beyond a generation or two. The requirements for their habitats would leave our planet’s zoos struggling to accommodate every species.

“They’re actually going that far?” I asked with wide eyes.

“Our tech level just can’t handle this sort of mass animal migration and sickness. They have machines capable of helping animals recover from exposure to toxic fumes and volcanic ash. We don’t. They can also treat the refugees, as they have this level of tech on Earth but we don’t. They’ll have the machines on the ship needed to do it. It’s not a disaster we created, and it’s not a disaster we’re really equipped to handle. But doctors made a vow, and that’s to do no harm. So, this is the only way we do no harm. We segregate the ships that have the tech, and none of us go on it except the refugees—and the refugees will be checked for anything we can’t have on the planet. Their tech will be replaced with ours at no charge, and if there are those with medical conditions requiring additional tech to maintain their health, they’ll be given special exemptions.”

“And thus, we preserve our tech levels, the refugees get the help they need, and the animals are spared from suffering. That’s smart. Has your father decided how he’s going to deal with the mass evacuation of pets?”

Calden nodded. “He has. At registration, the refugees are being asked if they had any animals evacuated, what species, color, and any identifying information, and if we received the animals, they’re being reunited. All the refugees are being offered a pet from the displaced animals to help them settle. He came up with it when a refugee was reunited with her dog. She’d thought the dog had died and was pretty torn up over it. Dad decided to at least look to see if the animal had gotten evacuated. Within two hours, the woman had her dog back. It turns out Earth sent all the identifying information they had on the animals being evacuated, which is really helping to reunite pets and owners. We estimate a quarter of the animals we received will be reunited with their owners. The animals we identified as coming from a shelter are being sent off with refugees right away. Dad did confirm Lucky’s owner hadn’t survived the eruption.” Pausing, he regarded his food with a frown. “For a lot of these people, they’re stepping back to a rather archaic time. They’re going to have a difficult time adjusting to our society. Dad is hoping distributing pets is something that helps them get through the culture shock.”

I couldn’t even imagine their struggles, as we understood other places in the universe had advanced technologies we lacked. “I mean, they were essentially dumped into a grand science experiment, one where they’re expected to live in a period considered to be ancient history for them. Their ancient history.”

One of our sister worlds, preserved to mimic one of Earth’s early periods, counted as ancient history to even us. I couldn’t even guess what would happen if refugees had been dumped there, where gunpowder hadn’t been invented yet and wouldn’t be for another few hundred years. In many ways, gunpowder had driven the development of society and technology, something reinforced with the various preservation planets.

Only one thing separated the preservation planets from the past they represented: our unwillingness to sacrifice millions to plague.

When plague erupted on one of the preservation planets, people from more advanced worlds disguised themselves as holy men, wise women, or even witches and made an appearance, distributing medication or vaccinations in forms meant to hide the truth from those living there.

For the most part, it worked.

I would end up spending a great deal of time pondering the consequences of our meddling.

It also made me wonder if Earth’s wonders had been helped along by some other species wanting to preserve humans until humanity had joined the rest of the universe, equipping themselves with space travel and learning how to make use of the portals linking habitable space.

I’d never had reason to put much thought into it.

All my life, I understood I could leave if I wanted to, but that had been the one change I’d never been willing to pursue.

Calden sighed, pushing his food around his plate. “Earth had enough warning to gather as much vital records of people and animals as possible, which they transmitted through the portal. We’ve lost a lot, because there was only so much they could do with the warning they did have, but it was enough to get people through the next few months with minimal overhead. Birth records, death, marriage, and other civil records were prioritized. After consultation, it was decided that all criminal records would be last on the priority list, with the exception of sexual offenders against minors. That list came with the primary vital records. Excessively violent crimes came over, too, but anything deemed to be minor is being expunged. The survivors are mostly being given a fresh start, and the violent criminals and sex offenders will be exported as soon as the quarantine period lifts to finish serving time for their crimes.”

“They evacuated the prisons?”

“We estimate five thousand of our new residents came from a prison near the portal. Only a hundred or so of them were transferred directly back to incarceration, deemed too dangerous to be set free among our people. Dad thought the rest of them should get a second chance.”

“Wait. Only a hundred of them are truly dangerous criminals?”

“Earth had strict criminal policies, so the majority of those incarcerated were due to petty crimes. Dad is arranging for them to be put through rehabilitation and integrated into factions. The punishments didn’t fit the crimes—although the punishments ultimately resulted in their salvation.”

“They probably wouldn’t have been evacuated otherwise?”

“Correct.”

I wrinkled my nose. “That must have been terrifying.”

“They didn’t know what was going on until the prison guards transferred them to the portal,” Calden admitted. “The initial plan had been to let the prisons be buried with the inmates perishing without any idea on what was going on. Dad pushed fairly hard for receiving refugees. Earth thought they’d have another few weeks, but it didn’t work out that way.”

How horrible. “And so your dad became a hero.”

“Basically. He thought it through and made the judgement call that we would rather risk plague than let thousands die without doing anything. And in the long run, we’re not even risking much. We know about the illnesses coming through, we can vaccinate and treat them, and there will be minimal deaths. More will die from the portal crossing, than from the actual illnesses. We won’t even be challenged much. The neighboring city-states are sending supplies, and the drivers are planning on quarantining with us. They received first crack at vaccinations while their vehicles were being loaded.”

As Calden didn’t seem to mind my questions, I braced to ask the most important one of all. “Do you think everything will be okay?”

“I do. Vaccinated doctors are coming along with the supplies, and they’ll teach the healthy how to care for the ill. Your mom will handle your family, I’ll keep an eye on you, and Dad’ll oversee everything. I’ll end up operating a daycare for displaced cats while you recover from being ill, but it won’t be too bad.”

“Those sound like famous last words,” I informed him.

With a laugh, Calden shrugged. “Well, it won’t be too bad for me.”

“You win that round, Mr. Stephans.”

* * *

Within twenty minutes of waking up the next morning, the first of the symptoms struck. It began with a chill, which sent me on a mission to find a sweater. The fatigue came hot on the heels of the chills, but rather than crawl back to bed, I ventured downstairs to discover Calden in the kitchen.

“As we went from betting if you slept through your alarm to concerned when no one saw or heard from you, I volunteered to do a check-in,” he announced. “You slept through me taking your temperature. You also snoozed through a visit from your mother, who is more experienced with your behavior when ill.”

Crap. I hadn’t noticed anything amiss when I’d gotten up, although my cotton-filled brain held some responsibility for that. “Should I be asking which day it is?” I headed for the counter and slumped over it, not bothering with one of the kitchen stools.

“Not quite yet. If you don’t want to go back upstairs, find somewhere comfortable to take a load off. I’ll bring you some soup in a few minutes.” Calden made shooing motions until I dredged up the energy to get up and leave the kitchen. “If you need a blanket or pillow, I’ll fetch.”

Confused, but unwilling to argue with him, I headed into the sitting room to discover Lucky strutting across the room. He spotted me, fanned his tail feathers, and screamed to usher in yet another apocalypse.

Calden snickered.

“I see my mother arranged for revenge.” I took over the couch, debating if I wanted a blanket and pillow.

Lucky charged, hopped onto my lap, and settled onto his living throne.

Calden poked his head into the sitting room. “The hen is a lot less social than Lucky, and your mother’s the only one at her place feeling well, so Lucky came with me so he can have attention. Upon learning your initial name for him, he’s officially Lucky the Doom Bird, Herald of the Armageddon. Lucky for short. That scream is something else.”

I petted the peacock, who basked in the affection. “It’s like someone is being brutally murdered but somehow worse.”

“It really is.” Calden picked up a towel off the armchair, came over, and snagged the peacock, tucking him under an arm before spreading the towel over my lap. Once the towel was situated to Calden’s liking, he returned the peacock to my lap. “This is charmed to fully contain his messes, so as long as he’s in contact with the towel, you’re safe.”

“Well, that’s convenient. Thank you.” Lucky settled, making a coo similar to a dove’s. Assuming the sound meant he was happy, I resumed stroking him. “I am sorry for inconveniencing you.”

“You’re not an inconvenience. I’ll bring you some soup, so try to stay awake for that long.”

“I’ll do my best,” I promised.

After Calden returned to the kitchen, I amused myself playing with Lucky, who liked to poke me with his beak. Someone had trained the bird well, as he claimed his victory as a faint tap against my skin. When I won, I got to pet him.

When I thought about it, the bird won in either case.

In the ten or so minutes it took Calden to return, Lucky managed to exhaust me. Calden chuckled and placed a large, steaming mug on the coffee table before claiming the peacock and his towel off my lap.

“Thanks.” While the thought of trying to eat was enough to tire me, I made use of some hand sanitizer before I picked up the mug and took a sip. The rich, savory broth worked wonders, reviving my appetite. “Did you make this?”

“I did. I used some of the leftovers when I heard you on the move upstairs. It’s not my best, but I figured your sense of taste is skewed along with your sense of smell. That’s normal.”

“I can’t even tell,” I admitted. “This is really good. So, you cook. Do you clean?”

“I may have deep cleaned your apartment before coming here to make certain it was ready for its new residents. I’ll clean the kitchen after you’ve finished eating. To answer your question, I do cook and clean. I also get myself out of bed, do my own laundry, and spend only what I’ve earned.”

“How are you still single?” I blurted.

My face flushed, and to cover my verbal mishap, I took another sip of the soup.

He raised a brow. “I expect the woman in my life to go hunting with me. I’m overbearing and excessively manly. I’m also a wolf, and I work twelve to fifteen hours a day. It’s usually the hunting that’s the problem. The first time I gut a rabbit, they’re gone.”

“Let me see if I actually understand this. You’re single because you can’t find a woman more interested in hunting and eating rabbit than attacking your wallet?”

“Basically.”

“Is your wallet made of diamond, or something?”

He laughed. “It’s made of black leather from the first buck I hunted by myself, actually.”

Wow. “Only someone cruel would try to steal that from you.”

“I know, right? Honestly, I have a credit card, but I only use it to pay my bills, and I clear it off once a week.”

Damn. I’d found a kind man who loved animals, could cook and clean, and liked camping. According to all sources, he was available to date.

I blamed my illness for even thinking about pursuing him.

On second thought, if I offended him, I would blame the vaccines. My pride might take time to recover, but some chances were worth taking.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

With that settled, I said, “I can cook, I can clean, I’ll work twelve to fifteen hours a day if there’s a good reason for it. I really want to go camping, and I’m so good at skinning rabbits I earn a decent rate for the fur with the artisans. My wallet is made of plastic that looks like leather because I can’t afford a deer hunting license because I buy books. I’m a voracious reader. I hunt books of all kinds.”

“I have a library.”

Were there any words with more potency than those? I took another sip of soup and sighed. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I smell like a wolf after I shift. If I get wet, the smell of wet wolf can be unpleasant. Beyond that? I’m perfection. Ah. That’s right. A lot of women dislike my perfection. I really don’t understand why.”

“Do you have any idea why? At all?”

“Once, I brought an ex a live rabbit while a wolf. It takes skill to catch them alive and uninjured. She’d wanted a pet rabbit, so I caught her one. She didn’t appreciate the gesture. I see her sometimes, and she just calls me a bastard.”

Ah. I understood. Food rabbits, like the ones we hunted, were furry bastards out to destroy the world. “She probably wanted a bunny from a pet store. The fancy ones from Earth you’re not supposed to eat.”

“Huh. People actually want those? They aren’t just tamed rabbits?”

I nodded. “They’re cute, they’re cuddly, and they’re good companion pets. They’re intensive to care for properly, but they can be caged as needed when guests are over or you need to go to work. They’re social and friendly. Food rabbits are mean little bastards who deserve to be eaten.”

Calden narrowed his eyes. “Well, she should have specified, then. I spent hours catching one for her. Then she made me let it go without eating it.”

I gasped. “No!”

“She did. She even followed me until I did what she wanted, yelling at me the entire time. It took her two months after that to decide I am truly a bastard.”

“I don’t get it,” I admitted. “Why let dinner go? If she didn’t want it as a pet, they’re delicious, and you’d spent all that time catching it so it would be fresh.”

Calden sat on a nearby armchair with Lucky, careful to keep from damaging his tail. “I don’t get it.”

After a few moments of consideration, I contemplated the issue of general greed, something I rarely battled—unless it came to books. “Maybe she was holding onto the hope that money would leap out of your wallet and into hers?”

“That thought had crossed my mind. She got angry at me for having rabbit three or four times a week. Why wouldn’t I eat free food?”

“Exactly. Free food is extra tasty. I’m a goddess at skinning and cleaning rabbits. I have at least twenty recipes because I don’t want to get bored of my favorite free food. Why don’t more people take advantage of rabbit hunting? I can get fifty dollars for the better furs and ten dollars for the lower quality ones.”

Calden raised a brow. “How are you killing your rabbits that you can get fifty for skinning one?”

“I use a sling with a rock and aim for the neck. If I snap their necks, I can get the whole skin off, including the ears and most of the face. I leave the feet intact, too.”

“You hunt with a sling?”

I grinned at his incredulous tone. “I read how to make them, so I tried it. It works. Better still, I rarely damage the skin. I have to practice a lot or my aim sucks. I hate missing. If I miss, I don’t get free food.”

“You really hunt with a sling.”

I couldn’t blame him for his disbelief. I tended to present myself as a prim and proper professional most of the time, although he’d already gotten to see my playful side. “I can’t afford a gun or ammo, good bows and arrows are expensive, and my sling cost me less than thirty dollars to make. I even have favorite stones I try to retrieve. Some are better than others.”

“Would you use a bow if one was provided?”

I considered his question, struggling to think through the general brain fog brought on due to an illness brought in from Earth. “Archery looks fun.” I frowned at the reality of the situation. “But arrows are expensive.”

“Some can be recovered. I have mine enchanted to maximize their chances of survival. I make my own arrows, so I hate when they’re broken. I don’t skin my rabbits to sell the furs, though. It didn’t occur to me to do it. I take the feet, though.” Calden petted Lucky and considered me with interest. “How much of the pelt needs to be intact to earn fifty dollars?”

“Most of it, with a single cut down the belly and one cut per leg, leaving the feet intact. The idea is to leave as much good fur available for the crafters as possible. Depending on the fur texture, I may cut along the back or side. It varies by rabbit. There are several different breeds of wild rabbit, and some are softer than others. We don’t have any of the good fur breeds here, though. The fur is coarser.” I opted against informing him where the best fur could be hunted, as it involved crossing the border to a different city-state, something we wouldn’t be doing until the quarantine period ended. “If the belly and the back fur are both exceptional, things get tricky. I’ll sometimes cut those pelts into multiple pieces, which is fine, since the soft fur brings in a premium, even if you don’t have the full skin.”

To my dismay, I discovered talking drained me of energy, and I yawned. The soup soothed my irritated throat, which encouraged me to drink more of it.

“You should go back to bed. I’ll be back in a couple of hours to check on you. Do you want to go back upstairs or turn the couch into your nest?”

“I’ll go back upstairs. What about Lucky?”

The man chuckled and gave the peacock another round of petting. “He’s coming with me, so don’t worry about him. He’ll get all the attention he needs. Do you need any help getting upstairs?”

I took that as my cue to finish my soup, take the mug to the kitchen, and clean up after myself. To my amusement, he followed me, making sure I could manage the task on my own. “I’ll be all right. Thanks, Calden. I really appreciate you checking in on me.”

“It’s my pleasure. Call your mother if you need anything or give me a call. Either works.”

“I’ll call,” I promised, before making the journey back to bed. Changing back into my pajamas cinched my need for some more sleep, and I crawled under the blanket and passed out the moment my head hit the pillow.

EIGHT

I’d be paid to go camping?

According to Calden and my mother, I suffered from moderate cases of several illnesses, all of which vied for dominance within my body. Some people ‘enjoyed’ one or two days of mild illness before recovering. After two weeks of coughing, sneezing, chills, fever, and general malaise, I managed to escape bed for longer than a few minutes.

Instead of Calden or my mother, I discovered Calden’s father working in the kitchen on a new batch of soup. I eyed my current arch-nemesis warily, longing for something with a bit more substance although aware I couldn’t handle anything other than mild and gentle soups.

I did not need vomiting added to my list of symptoms again, which had been the consequence of my first and last attempt to eat real food.

I sighed, which caught the older man’s attention. “Awake, are you? How are you feeling?”

As I’d sleepwalked several times during my convalescence, I grinned at his inquiring. Sleepwalking me communicated in grunts and other animalistic noises, much to the amusement of my entire family and the Stephans. “A little better. I hope.” I grabbed a stool and sat down. “I’m not ready to test my luck yet.”

“Wise. As I’m sure you’re curious, Calden is at home sleeping. He’s been working too much. While he says caring for you isn’t work, he needed to get some rest. Your mother is enjoying some quiet time at home, as her refugee family has recovered. They are out shopping with your father and brother.”

“Thank you for coming over. I appreciate it. You must be working a lot, too.”

He laughed and shook his head. “Not nearly as much as you might think.”

“Really?”

He smiled. “Really. Things are quiet. The quarantine means we’re sequestered from a lot of the city-state politics, and after the first week, we were mostly finished with the time-sensitive work. I took yesterday and today off. Tomorrow, I’m only available for emergencies. I doubt anything will crop up. For the most part, people are staying home to recover or they’re enjoying some paid time off. The relief funds left over are going towards payouts for everyone. Everyone, no matter age or typical income level, will be receiving an equal cut of the excess. Untaxed, of course. It’s not a lot of money, but it should suffice until the worst blows over.”

“You’ve been busy. Anything I should know?”

Calden’s father nodded. “Assuming you’re well and everything remains calm, a week or two after the quarantine lifts, we’ll be going camping for a week. It’s paid time for you, as you’ll be my emergency contact and will be expected to answer calls. It should be quiet, however, as everyone knows I’m trying to spend some time with my son.”

I’d be paid to go camping? If they kept telling me things I liked, I could see myself considering permanent association with the Hunters of Moonriver. If I could go camping as part of my work? I could deal with the drag and the same old daily crap for a while. “That won’t be a problem, assuming we’re somewhere with reception.”

“I’ll have a satellite phone with me for the trip, although it’ll be only used in case of emergency. Camping is about disconnecting from the world for a while. How are you feeling?”

That question tended to get me into trouble, as I liked to play off my current state. My mother had tattled on me to Calden, and he no longer believed me when I said I was fine, as I had a tendency to say I was fine and then run for the nearest bathroom after convincing him to give me solid food.

I wanted to be fine, but in reality, I had a long way to go to get there.

“I’m doing better than before. I’m not great, but I’m definitely improving. Is everything working out with the quarantine?”

“Honestly? It’s going better than anticipated. Our visitation program with Earth helped. Most families either had someone go to Earth or they’ve hosted someone from Earth. The few with complaints are generally keeping it to themselves, especially after so many of our own came back during the evacuation. It turns out the selfish get a fierce scolding from everyone else, so they have learned to keep their mouths shut. We’re looking at a six-week disruption in total for the quarantine. If it continues for longer than that, we’ll have problems, but most everyone is vaccinated now. Those who couldn’t vaccinate are already sick. By the time the quarantine is lifted, the other city-states will have had enough time to vaccinate. They’re adopting the same rules we have. Those who refuse to vaccinate may do so, but they will be paying their cost of care and will not be prioritized for treatment. Medical exemptions apply, of course.”

I could think of at least four religious groups in Moonriver who believed vaccinations were the work of some devil. “I bet a lot of people got angry over that.”

“That’s a mild way of putting it. They have the right to refuse, however, but they have to pay the consequences for their choices and actions. It’s been a challenge producing sufficient quantity of the vaccines, but nobody is being penalized for supply issues. City-states farther afield are sending vaccines to our neighbors first, and we’re systematically vaccinating based on distance. We’ll have travel restrictions to other city-states until they’re vaccinated, but those will lift quickly. We’re expecting a planetary quarantine period of six months. Ships may land, but they’re here until the quarantine lifts or they do an orbital quarantine and pass health checks.”

“That’s rough but reasonable.” I’d read of quarantine periods lasting years on Earth, and as a general rule, everyone suffered when it happened, although technology made the most difference in quality of life during a quarantine—or a siege.

The Earth had gone through many stormy periods before the volcanoes had finished her off.

I wondered how long it would be before the planet became habitable again—or if she would become habitable again.

“That’s the general consensus, yes. We’re scheduled to receive aid from Alamathea, which should arrive within a week. If it arrives as scheduled, the shipment will consist mostly of vaccinations and medical supplies.”

Like Korsania Minor, Alamathea classified as a preservation planet set some hundred or so years into Earth’s future ahead of us, capable of mass producing products far beyond anything we could. “Are we dropping our tech restrictions?”

“Not quite. The vaccination formula used is the same, and they adapted the final products to match our tech level. They did use their technology to produce it in the quantity we needed in a short period of time, but that’s it. The ship will be launched into our orbit until they pass their health checks, and because their tech is more advanced, they’ll be able to leave quarantine after a period of four weeks in orbit.” Calden’s father brought me a bowl of soup. “Expect a week of recovery until you’re ready to go back to work. That’s the expected average for moderate cases. All rushing will do is lead to a relapse. In a day or two, you’ll be feeling well enough to get bored.”

“How is that a good thing?” I complained.

“I’ll send Calden over with something for you to do,” he promised.

* * *

As predicted, boredom kicked in after two days, but I searched for silver linings in the quarantine clouds. Rather than wallow, I read books. I tore through a chunk of my library books, determined to finish them all before I needed to return them. I enjoyed a few enough that I bought copies for my digireader.

While I had recovered enough to fend for myself, Calden showed up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My appreciation of his company led me to encouraging him to stay, by staging a fake yawn or two here and there to give him the impression I lacked the energy to handle everything life had to offer with grace.

My mother’s visit the next day put an end to the ruse, as she called me out as a trickster, earning a good laugh from Calden and a scowl from me. After ruining my fun, she left, although Calden promised he’d keep coming over to make sure I was ready to go back to work. To prevent us from discussing business, I showed him the books I’d read since his last visit. Of them, my favorites taught about the geography of Korsania Minor’s major continents, most of which were habitable. Two of the landmasses, both located near the northern pole, lacked sufficient conditions for human survival. The southern pole lacked land altogether, instead featuring a collection of icebergs, which shifted with the ocean’s currents, expanding and contracting with the seasons. In the winter, it froze together, and in the summer, they tended to break apart, turning the area into a treacherous prospect at best.

The day before I was scheduled to return to work, Calden visited with the two cheetahs in tow, which had grown worse than weeds over the past few weeks. “While we have found handlers for them, you get them until you go to work. They’re now old enough they want to play a lot. You get to play with them. I’ve brought a rope, some balls for them to chase, and some other toys. Given half a chance, they will sleep with you. My father got busted for sleeping with the lions. Lions are not nearly as safe to nap with as cheetahs. He has had his lions confiscated and put into the care of more cautious and reasonable adults.”

I detected a certain amount of irritation from our leader’s son. “But it’s okay to nap with cheetahs?”

“Apparently. I’ve been informed the cheetahs will be socialized and trained to coexist with humans. Don’t ask me. I just agreed to bring them over after listening to my father get his ass verbally handed to him by the new lion caretaker. I was complemented for my ability to care for my predatory felines, although mine were also confiscated, as my father is not to be trusted with anything cute and furry. I protested out of principle, but I handed over my collection of felines. Are you ready to go back to work tomorrow?”

Faking a sad sigh, I stared at my pile of unfinished books. “Do you think I should take one to work with me to read over lunch?”

“As we encourage people to do fun things over lunch, yes. I have some time tonight. Which library do the ones you’ve read go to? I’ll take them back.”

“Really?” I asked with wide eyes.

“Really. If you have a list and give me your card, I’ll check more out for you.”

Some women wanted chocolate and roses. Me? A man willing to go to the library for me came second only to man willing to go to the library with me. “Take me with you?”

“When was the last time you had a fever?”

“Three days ago.”

“All right. You can come, too. I expect you to sit at a table while I look for books for you. You can read while you wait for me to find you new books.”

After weeks of being stuck at my new home, excitement surged through me at the thought of escape. “Will your father watch the cheetahs while we’re out?”

“Absolutely.” Calden handed me the toys before setting the kittens loose. “The faster we tire them out, the sooner we can go to the library.”

I needed no other encouragement. If I needed to play with kittens before going to the library, so be it.

* * *

Returning a hundred and thirty-two books at one time amused the librarians. While the idea of spraying books with disinfectant bothered me, the mist they used didn’t seem to harm the covers or the pages. Due to the quarantine and the heightened demand for books, I could only check out a total of twenty physical titles. Digital titles were limited to two at a time to make certain everyone could have something to read.

“As it’s limited per card, you can come visit my books whenever you want,” Calden promised.

“Is it wise to invite a book dragon into your home? You might be conquered,” I warned.

“Having enjoyed your cooking before, I can accept the risk of being conquered,” he replied, heading in the direction of the fiction section. “If we have trouble limiting our selections to forty books, I’ll call Dad for help.”

“I have a digireader. I can survive with even one book at a time.”

“My fireplace comes with an endless supply of tea, hot chocolate, or coffee, served on request.”

I followed him, unashamed of my current status as a human-shaped puppy. “I don’t mind moving. I can transfer a box a day easily. I cook and clean in exchange for hot beverage service.”

“While I’ll accept help with the cooking and cleaning, you don’t have to.” Calden grinned at me. “If you move a box a day, how long do you think it’ll take for my father to figure out you’ve abandoned the place?”

“He’s smart, so no longer than a week. Then again, who knows? Now that I’m feeling better, will he be over that often?”

Calden grinned and shrugged. “I feel we should make a friendly wager.”

“What wager?”

“If my father figures out I’m luring you to my domain using my fireplace within two weeks, I win. You’ll have to cook and clean for me for a week. If he doesn’t figure it out within two weeks, I will cook and clean for you for a week.”

“This sounds like a reasonable wager. We should set a time limit. If he doesn’t realize I’ve fallen prey to your hot beverages and fireplace within a month, he needs to be reminded about why wise parents keep a closer eye on their children.”

“We’re adults, Coraline. Do they really need to keep a close eye on us?”

“Failure to keep a close eye on me is how you end up with doves and peacocks.”

“Good point.”

* * *

The trip to the library exhausted me to the point I failed to notice when Calden took me to his home rather than mine. Somehow, I’d ended up on a couch, and I had taken a hostage. In my sleep, I’d secured a tight hold on his arm, and judging from appearances, I had maintained my grip the entire night. Not only had I taken hold of his arm, I’d taken over his lap.

Sleeping me had excellent ideas, and I approved of her cunning.

“Awake?” he asked, raising a brow.

“I seem to have taken the dragon commentary a little too far,” I replied. “I’m sorry.”

Had I been truly sorry, I would have released him.

“You were cold,” he informed me. “Rather than turn the heat up, I accepted my new role as a portable heater. Then I passed out, as you’re warm and I was comfortable. We do need to get ready for work. Dad should already be at work, so you can go home, shower, and change clothes. We can race. Whomever loses is responsible for dinner tonight.”

“You’re on.” I launched off the couch—and his lap—and headed for the door, snagging my purse on the way. “My office is the target goal,” I informed him.

“Excellent.”

As I wasn’t about to lose out on fireplace reading time with a bonus of dinner, I ran to my place down the street, waged a brief but fierce war with the lock, and scrambled up the steps. Until making the bet with Calden, I’d made a point of taking my time with my showers. I blitzed through cleaning and washing my hair, drying it only enough so it wouldn’t drip, and tossed it into a messy bun to deal with later. A pair of black slacks, a white blouse, and a sweater would serve as professional attire. I wore flats for the trip to work, stuffing a pair of heels into my bag along with my digireader, wallet, phone, and keys.

Twenty minutes early, I strolled into the reception on the seventh floor, where an army of hummingbirds swarmed me. I laughed, went to the nearest feeder, and discovered it to be empty. Giggling over their demands for food, I took the glass contraption and went to work preparing their breakfast.

“I’m sorry,” Leita called out from the general direction of her desk, where she had an entire flock of the little birds pestering her for their breakfast. “I just got in. They’re always like this. I swear, they have at least two feeders with nectar in them still.”

“It’s no problem. I’m sure they’re just grateful we’re going to save them from the travesty of trying to share from two, and only two, feeders.” After cleaning the glass and plastic, I gathered one of the measured jars filled with white powder and the bottle of water marked for their use. If tending to the birds lost me the bet, oh well.

I would suffer through somehow.

NINE

She’s mastered the air of expectation.

Three of the hummingbirds followed me to my office, and I set up a feeder for my feathered friends. Someone had come to the conclusion my office would forever be a menagerie, having moved cat toys, scratching posts, and several potted, flowering plants in for my expected residents. Several nests suitable for hummingbirds hung from the ceiling, and as soon as the birds determined I wouldn’t be leaving, they squabbled over who would get which one before settling in for a hard-earned nap.

Thirty minutes after my arrival, Calden showed up with his father and the cheetahs in tow. I released the furred beasts, gave them their owed pettings, made sure they had water readily available, and left them to their devices, which involved playing with one of the many toys left out for their amusement.

“He waylaid me in the lobby,” he complained. “Your furballs have a vet visit in a few hours and need to start their training today. It looks like you have some company.”

One of the hummingbirds clicked at the wolves from the safety of its nest.

“I helped Leita feed them on my way in. Good morning, Mr. Stephans. Do you need anything from me?”

“Actually, yes. As soon as I make it to my office, I have a ridiculous number of digital invoices that need to be sorted and sent to the appropriate departments for payment. My helpers have made a list of contacts for you. They just don’t have time to get the invoices sorted themselves.”

I read between the lines: to give Mr. Stephans a few days off, everyone had piled on the extra work. Handling invoices fell directly within my zone of general comfort. “I’ll be waiting for everything and will get to work immediately. Perhaps Calden should escort you, so I can begin my work faster.”

Calden smirked while his father sulked. “I think we’re being evicted, Calden. Maybe she should be put in charge. She’s mastered the air of expectation.”

“I think she’s learned you’ll take all day to get to your office if you don’t have an escort,” Calden countered.

“Same difference. Part of my job is to check in with everyone. I’m just doing my job.”

“You’re doing your job in a questionable fashion.” Calden wrapped his arm around his father’s neck and dragged him out of my office. “I’ll make sure he sends everything over promptly.”

“Thank you, Calden.”

While Calden wouldn’t appreciate my work later, I made a note on my work tablet detailing his father’s general methods. I’d be giving Calden what he wanted but not in the way he wanted.

Mr. Stephans needed more help.

More help could be acquired.

My father’s commentary on founding a faction full of helpers made a great deal of sense. One problem rose above all others, however.

I didn’t want to run it.

In reality, when I took the time to think about it, I didn’t even want to be in it. I wanted to make certain it existed, but like the other factions, I could readily see how it would become yet another cage.

I enjoyed being an unaffiliated, because I had the freedom to come and go as I pleased. If I became a member of a faction, I wanted to be part of that faction because it, in all ways, melded with who I wanted to be. I loved helping, but I didn’t want my helpful tendencies to become my identification or reason for living. I liked change and pursuing new things. There were many things I wanted to do with my life.

Belonging to a faction of temporary workers held the potential to become yet another cage without an escape, dumping me into the same old monotony I worked to avoid. I wondered how involving myself with the Hunters would change my perspective.

The longer I considered the faction, the more I realized they weren’t just buff men and women who showed off their physical aptitude hunting animals and each other in war games. Through the lens of a disaster, I understood there was more to the Hunters of Moonriver than I had allowed myself to see.

I wondered how much I had missed with my tastes of the other factions. Some I’d worked for enough times to have a clear idea of what life would be like. My parents tried to be honest with me about their daily life.

I had always wanted more.

In some ways, I feared my ambitions blinded me. Calden had done a good job of making me question my stance and position. Could I make an everyday life work, if the everyday life was filled with the right people instead of the right jobs?

I needed a lot more time than I had to think the problem through.

In the meantime, I could work on a project with appeal: I could build a faction of helpers, cultivate ideas, and hand it off to someone who could do my ideas justice.

Everything revolved back to the same problem. I always wanted more. Always.

I wanted what Mr. Stephans accomplished daily, making a difference for many and offering stability for all in his care. Could I accomplish such a thing running a faction of helpers?

Doubt burdened my every thought. While I suspected I wouldn’t be able to handle the work with grace, I knew the perfect person for the job.

Sila might one day forgive me for suggesting the idea, tricking her into taking it over and running with it. She enjoyed herding cats, socializing, and making certain large-scale projects continued to operate. She enjoyed all those persnickety little tasks faction leaders ultimately needed to do daily. One thing, however, I remained certain of.

However much I loved her, she would never be a match for Allasandro Stephans.

I doubted anyone could, at least not in Moonriver.

He lived and breathed his work, existing for the sake of the people and his son.

She worked so she could live and breathe the rest of the time.

Before I could second-guess myself, I sent her a text to give me a call when she could.

In a record-breaking ten seconds, my phone rang.

“Did you even read my text before calling?” I asked in an amused tone.

“Not really. I was waiting for a chance to call, and I didn’t want to bother you when you were ill. Are you feeling better?”

“I am. Did you get sick?”

“Only for a few days, but I didn’t get full exposure like you did. You were on the news!”

Wait. What? Me, on the news?

No, no, no.

I hadn’t done anything worthy of being showcased on the news.

Sighing, I asked, “Why was I on the news?”

“Well, it started with your cheetahs. A segment covered the Hunters, and someone had gotten an adorable picture of you with the babies.” Sila giggled. “It’s no surprise there was interest after that. You’re gorgeous, especially when you’re happy. People wanted to know who you are. By then, a clip of you helping refugees went out, as well as a notice you were ill, along with most who’d helped out with the evacuation. I called your mom in accordance with our emergency protocols.”

Right. When in doubt, we contacted a parent. “I’m sorry for worrying you.”

“Don’t be. Your mom told me you moved to be closer to your temp work. How is it going? Is it true you initially named their peacock Doom Bird?”

I joined Sila in giggling. “It’s true. He’s now Lucky the Doom Bird, Herald of the Armageddon. We’re possibly terrible people.”

“Your mom invited me over after I recovered. He’s such a nice bird. Loud, though. I’m glad you’re feeling better.”

“Me, too—and I’m glad you weren’t sick long. I had a thought,” I announced.

“Now I’m worried. You, with a thought? That’s the definition of dangerous.”

“Funny, Sila. I’m being serious.”

“When aren’t you being serious?”

While I tended to act like a professional at work, I liked to believe I had a work-appropriate sense of humor. “At home. Ask my mother. When I’m not at work, I’m pure evil.”

“Oh, I know you are. I’ll limit my teasing a little, but only out of fear I’ll be your next target. What’s your idea?”

“You should found a faction for those who prefer the temp lifestyle. I’ll help you plan it and file the paperwork. You’ll run it and get all the glory. You can get a faction and the fiscal benefits you want with the bonus of being able to continue to do your temp work. We should all get better bonuses if there’s a faction dedicated to temps, even for those of us who decide to remain unaffiliated. I’ll plan the faction so it’s easy for people to come and go, and it’ll give temp workers the equivalent of a union. I’ll review the other factions and figure out which ones have the best workers’ rights, model ours after theirs, and go from there. I don’t expect much of a pay increase, as we are temp workers, but we might be able to squeeze out a few extra dollars an hour overall.”

“And for our lot, a few extra dollars may as well be the Holy Grail.”

“Precisely.” I sighed. “I haven’t had the time to do all the research into it I need to, but it doesn’t seem to be too difficult to set up. After it’s set up, you can change the rules to better align with reality.”

Sila stayed quiet for a while, and while I waited for her to think, I began sorting through my emails and prioritizing what needed to be accomplished before lunch.

“Why don’t you want to head this project?”

I considered my unusual office companions, my close proximity to work, and all the things I liked about my life. “I’m thinking about joining the Hunters after I’m released from this project. It’s not what I expected.”

“I could have told you that,” my friend chided.

“I know, I know. I’m just stubborn. Once I get an idea into my head, sometimes that stubbornness equates to stupidity. I try to work on it, but…”

“But you’re stubborn.”

“Exactly.”

Sila huffed at me. “You’re condemning me to a mountain of paperwork, and you’re planning on staying unaffiliated unless you happen to be charmed by the Hunters.”

As she’d call me out as a liar if I even skirted the truth, I said, “That sounds about right.”

“If I ever land on the news because of this, I’m calling your ass out as the mastermind of this, and I’m going to praise you so everyone knows just how marvelous you are.”

I spent several minutes debating if the ploy was worth the price I’d pay. “And that will be my cue to run away to a new city-state, never to be seen again.”

“As if your family would actually let you run off to some other city-state. They’ll grab you by your hair and drag you back, kicking and screaming. They’ll bring Lucky along for the ride so he can also scream and add to the general noise.” My friend snickered. “Word on the wire claims you have one hell of a hot neighbor right now.”

Neighbor was one way to put it. Calden could probably manage to roast a turkey without any help from an oven. “I’ll grant you that. My new living accommodations are definitely something else, that’s for sure.”

If anyone found out I’d claimed Calden in my sleep and he hadn’t minded, I wouldn’t live it down. As it was, I could only hope nobody would figure out a boring unaffiliated had managed to sneak into the home of Moonriver’s most eligible bachelor.

The Stephans men might do me in. The father would hover and chaperone me to death, and the son would finish me off just from existing. If Calden kept acting like a good guy, I’d end up with more heartache than I could handle.

No matter what I felt about the men as people outside of work, I would do my job to the best of my ability. I would pursue every hint of dirty dealings I could find, cringe if anything created a scandal, and present an honest report regarding how Allasandro Stephans managed the Hunters of Moonriver while leading the city-state.

“Are they as nice as everyone says? Everyone’s talking about the report you’ve been assigned to do.”

Someone had leaked about the audit? Sighing, I wondered what other complications would be coming my way. Oh, well. Nothing in anything I’d signed had barred me from telling Sila about the brownies or Mr. Stephans’s tendency to show up at work while a wolf. “To a frightening degree. At this point, the only dirt I have on the father is his tendency to prank his son while at work. I might be able to nail him on using petty cash to prank his son while at work. The controversy of it all might bring Moonriver to its knees.”

Sila snickered. “The broccoli brownie incident?”

My mother must have filled her in already. “He also ambushes his son while a wolf.”

“I do wish the shapeshifters weren’t as shy as they are. You actually got to see Mr. Stephans as a wolf?”

“He pounced on his son, much to his son’s dismay. Mostly, I ignored their nonsense, although I had to rescue a tablet from an early demise. Does that count as corruption in the government, do you think?”

“I highly doubt it. It has good entertainment value, so you should tell me more about that,” Sila announced. “I might even agree to your mad scheme to form a faction should you give me the juicy details.”

“There are no juicy details. Mr. Stephans wanted to test my general tolerance for the absurd, so he pounced Calden on my first day. That’s all there is to tell.”

“Well, that’s disappointing. Were either of them naked afterwards?”

I rolled my eyes at my friend’s question. “There may have been a short period where Calden was wandering around without a shirt on.”

Sila sucked in a breath. “Tell me more.”

“He probably looks even better than you imagine,” I complained, and to get my mind off the lingering mental image of him without his shirt, I began the tedious process of checking over my emails. As promised, Mr. Stephans bombarded my box with tens upon tens of documents, most of which were invoices to be addressed. Several names I didn’t recognize also sent messages. The subjects promised the lists of contacts I’d need to get the bureaucratic red tape dealt with in a timely fashion. “On that happy note, I’m going to get to work, as this morning’s paperwork-based disaster has arrived.”

“Good luck. You’re going to need it. Call me tonight.”

“I will,” I promised before hanging up.

As I doubted I could vanquish the thought of a half-naked Calden out of my head anytime soon, I did my best to focus on the one foe I could conquer: the paperwork.

* * *

I suspected Calden’s father had created an email filter to deal with the tens of thousands of documents he sent my way. Fortunately for my sanity, someone had standardized the invoices, vital records, and other important pieces of paperwork necessary to settle the refugees on our world. Most of them didn’t need any actual attention; someone had created an email address to store and organize the documents by type, and whomever had created the emails had labeled everything consistently. I created a filter for each type of document and forwarded it to the appropriate place before addressing what couldn’t be done with the help of technology.

It would take me more than a few days to deal with the thousand or so invoices requiring attention, and I worried the number would grow as the refugees settled and Moonriver began the tedious process of finding new homes for everyone.

None of the city-states could handle an influx of tens of thousands of people well without warning.

Our planet, on the whole, could.

I wondered how I would fit everything into a report regarding the general operations and rulership of Moonriver. Thus far, the report would show a man who worked hard and limited his acts of corruption to testing his son’s patience.

On second thought, I worried the report would end up becoming a showcase for why the older single women of our world might want to become involved with Allasandro Stephans.

What a mess.

After making a note of the work Mr. Stephans had delegated to me, I began with the oldest invoices. Within a few moments of opening the email, I determined why I’d been asked to handle them.

All required signatures to be processed, and the invoices also required the faction’s seal, which meant digital copies and payments wouldn’t suffice. While I couldn’t automate the payment process, I could print everything out in one fell swoop if I downloaded the attachments and queued them into the printer.

Nobody would be printing anything for the rest of the day on the machine I selected, but some prices needed to be paid.

Twenty minutes later, I ignored the protests of my beleaguered computer, initiated the print job, and got up to observe the mayhem. Would the printer survive so many processes in its queue? In any case, I’d find out. I caught the cheetahs and put them in their pen so they wouldn’t destroy my office before heading out to arm myself with coffee. With the beasts contained, I left the door open so the hummingbirds could come and go as they pleased.

They opted to follow me to the break room, where I armed myself with a cup of tea. Thus prepared, I invaded the cubby with a collection of fifteen printers and a table to discover my job had activated them all, and the devices spit page after page out. Giggling at the machines whirring away, I sipped my tea while I waited for enough pages on each tray to be worth dealing with. As nobody else was using the room, I took over the table, tossing the sheets down in random piles.

A bark of laughter behind me drew my attention to Calden, who raised a brow at my mess. “I hadn’t realized we’d been forecasted for a hurricane in the printer room.”

“I thought I’d queued in one printer, but I guess I got them all.”

“You did. There’s more in the next printer room down the hall.”

“There are more printers?” I blurted.

He laughed, nodded, and pointed in the appropriate direction. “We have thirty in total on this floor because we seem to have issues with paperwork. I’ll go fetch your other sheets. How many are you expecting to print?”

“A little over three thousand,” I admitted.

His eyes widened. “How did you get those all queued in at the same time?”

I snickered. “Select all and print all. It’s not that hard to print multiple files at once.” I’d about murdered my computer doing it, but some patience had saved me a great deal of time, especially as the email software had a button allowing me to download all attachments at one time.

I’d lose time manually sorting the invoices and delivering them to the appropriate people for signature, making a photocopy of all the signed invoices before delivery to the payments department, and otherwise enslaving myself to paperwork.

“I can’t say I’ve tried it. I tend to do one thing at a time.”

“I did not want to hit the print button that many times. Granted, if I had done that, I’d have to add several weeks to my contract here.” As I could readily imagine Calden or his father revoking my print all privileges, I said, “Please don’t take away my printing functionality.”

He chuckled. “I’ll make sure my father doesn’t catch wind of your general efficiency, else he might. He’s convinced if he must suffer through the red tape, everyone must suffer through the red tape.”

“Maybe I should be auditing the red tape,” I muttered.

“It would be the sole report on this planet that would garner the general support of all people. If the red tape could be vanquished, my father would spend a great deal less time in the office.”

Interesting. While I monitored the stream of invoices printing, loading the poor table and locating the reams of new paper I’d inevitably chew through, I considered his statement. While I doubted Calden would be satisfied with merely improving his father’s situation, I could angle the reports to showcase the inefficiencies of the system.

Something was better than nothing, and if I couldn’t find anything noteworthy about his father’s general performance, I would hope for the best while bracing for the worst.

I found it easier to get through life when ready for anything it flung my way, although Earth’s fate had taught me an important lesson.

Sometimes, there was nothing anyone could do to prepare for life’s tragedies and setbacks.

All we could do was our best.

TEN

They want hugs.

Over the course of the day, Allasandro Stephans had decided to go on an unloading spree, freeing his inbox from the weight of thousands upon thousands of contracts, invoices, and other documentation destined to test my patience and drive me to the brink of my sanity. I managed to file away a small percentage of the burden to filters, but everything else either required a signature, some special notation, or personal attention from somebody.

With so many refugees needing general assistance, I became the somebody handling the fine print so others could take care of the displaced people and animals. Sorting and prioritizing the invoices took the rest of the day, with the most important being taken to the appropriate person immediately while the others went into a pile. Tomorrow, I’d have an even larger mountain of invoices to climb, but I’d managed to sort, deliver, and otherwise tame over five hundred of the rascals before the end of the day rolled around. To simplify matters for me, I used a system of notations to help me track when the invoice had been delivered, who had accepted it, and what it was for, which went into a spreadsheet.

Anyone to follow in my path would be screwed if they tried to make sense of it, but I’d handle that problem later—a lot later.

All that mattered was making sure the appropriate people received money to make certain the refugee efforts continued without interruption.

Ten minutes after I had been scheduled to leave, Calden showed up at my office, tapping on the door before letting himself in. “My father has dictated that all children and parental units are to leave the building.”

“Units implies one or both of my parents are here.”

“Both. They want hugs and to visually confirm that you are still living.”

I rolled my eyes. “They confirmed that while I was sick. I do remember that much!”

“Ah, but they need to confirm that you were not brutally slain by work today.”

My parents enjoyed driving me a little crazier each and every day. “I like to think I conquered a rather challenging foe.”

“Having seen part of the foe, I agree with you. As you won the wager, I’ve decided to give you a choice. I can cook for you and we can eat in or we can go out. I’m warning you, if we eat in, there will be book reading by the fireplace in the schedule.”

How horrible, to be expected to read books in front of a cozy fireplace. “As restaurants tend to get cranky when people read while eating their fancy dinners, I vote we eat where reading is encouraged and rewarded.”

“Eating in it is. I’ll have to go to the grocery store for some ingredients, but I’m sure you won’t mind some reading in front of the fire while I’m out.”

“You’re confident, Mr. Stephans.”

Calden laughed. “About ten minutes ago, your father warned me we might lose you to the fireplace in your home. I don’t think he has realized he’s at higher risk of losing you to the fireplace in my home. My home has hot beverage delivery and guaranteed reading time.”

“I’ll make sure to notify my parents that I am not displeased to become a book-reading victim of a cozy fireplace. Where are they at?”

“They’re waiting in the lobby.”

I shook my head and began the evening routine of catching cats, cleaning the litter pan, and otherwise protecting my office from the various wildlife occupying the floor during the night. The cheetahs would break my back given a week, as they were putting on pounds at an alarming rate. “They’re going to claim my babies soon, aren’t they?”

“Their habitat should be ready soon, so yes. They’ll have a nice cozy place to sleep here, and anyone who wants training in how to handle them will be able to learn. On Earth, they’re given emotional support dogs, as cheetahs often don’t have sufficient company. As such, we’re getting some of the unexpected puppies scheduled to be born sooner than later. Some of our rescues came with extras.”

I bet. “Why is this faction called the Hunters, anyway? Unless you’re hunting things to pet, which I could believe. The Society of Pet Tamers might have been a better name—and it might have lured many more to your doors.”

“We’d be overrun with members if we advertised we’re not capable of restraint when it comes to the acquisition of pets. We do hunt, though.”

“Each other,” I muttered.

Calden snickered. “You’re not wrong. We do actual hunts, especially of dangerous wildlife, escaped animals, and so on. Not necessarily killing them. We do live captures as well. Most of us hunt money more than living things, but we also hunt. My father bans sport hunting in the faction as a general rule as well. If we aren’t going to use everything we realistically can, we shouldn’t kill it. The trophies in the lobby are from dangerous kills, and everything else was used as much as possible.”

“Which makes a great deal of sense.”

“The overabundance of rabbits will become an issue, though. Most people have been too sick to hunt.”

I wrinkled my nose at the thought of so many rabbits destroying the foliage outside of the city. “We’re going hunting in a few weeks though, right?”

“We’ll be going as soon as the cordon lifts and Dad’s certain things won’t go to hell in a handbasket. I’d call it a week after we’re set loose from quarantine, two at most. Don’t be surprised if my father shows up one day early in the morning and drags us out of bed by our ears because he wants to get out of the city immediately.”

That would create some complications if he kept luring me to his home. “I need to buy my camping gear.”

“Contact your servant of a brother and make an arrangement sooner than later. I want to go camping, too.”

I snickered at that, grabbed the kittens, and shoved their carrier’s strap over my shoulder. “I’ll meet you downstairs, where I’ll probably need at least thirty minutes to convince my parents I’m fine.”

“That sounds good.”

We parted ways, and I hurried to the lobby. Sure enough, my parents were chatting with several Hunters I hadn’t met before, two older men and a woman roughly my age. The woman’s expression irritated me, as she looked down her nose at my mother.

While pretty, she had a long way to go to be pretty enough for anyone to put up with that level of haughtiness, especially when my parents had excelled at their work and had reached rather lofty professional goals as artisans.

As I’d never seen the dark-haired woman before, I assumed she hadn’t reached the upper echelons of the Hunters, as those at the top tended to show up on the news while accompanying the Stephans men.

I strolled up, and before I could say a word, the woman said, “Not right now, girl. We’re busy having an important conversation.”

I raised a brow and replied, “Not anymore you’re not. Ready to go?” I asked my parents.

The woman’s mouth dropped open.

My father smirked while my mother raised a brow, and she said, “I can handle one little paper pusher without help.”

As I tended to push papers right along with their patience, I knew they could handle the woman. However, after a long day of fighting with papers on the brink of defeating me, I lacked the patience required to deal with someone without a damned good reason to be copping an attitude with me or my parents. “I’m sure you could, but you won’t, as you’re never going to be too busy with a snoot to pay attention to me.”

“Excuse me?” the woman blurted. “What did you just say?”

“You’re a snoot,” I informed her, looking the woman in the eyes. “I don’t know or care who you are, and as you couldn’t be bothered to be polite to begin with, I see no reason to be polite back. You just assumed I didn’t belong here, but as you’re talking to my parents, why don’t you just go see yourself elsewhere for a while?”

The woman spluttered.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t start fights you can’t win,” I suggested. “Calden will be down shortly. I think he’s also herding cats, but not the literal kind.”

My father chuckled. “Long day?”

“The invoices almost won, and I’m pretty sure I broke at least three printers today conquering the red tape. Mom looked like she wanted to throw up, so I thought I’d come offer rescue.”

“We were discussing the upcoming hunt, and Miss Fletcher has some complaints about the base materials we were addressing. I’m sure it’ll be fine, as Mr. Stephans approved the materials before production, and he has been given samples of everything to be used. Miss Fletcher believes the designs to be too fragile to handle a proper hunt.”

“Well, finesse and grace are learned skills, Dad. If they bumble about the playing field, of course they’re going to break things.” At the rate I kept rolling my eyes, I’d make them sore. “I’m sure she can take it up with Calden if she has a problem?”

“Who is taking what up with me?” Calden asked from behind me.

I turned. “Oh. I thought you would be upstairs longer.”

Calden twisted around and pointed in the direction of the elevators, where his father chatted with several Hunters. “He showed up right after you left, so we came down right away. What’s the problem?”

“The snoot here got mad at me for approaching when she was talking to my parents,” I informed him. “They were busy having an important conversation.”

That earned me a raised brow. “And she was only having that conversation because they were here waiting for you. Really, Sarai? First, they’re doing us a favor with a delicate bit of crafting work—work none of us can do because it’s too delicate. Second, the whole point is for the pieces to be fragile. The hunt is for skill and finesse, not for brute strength. If you can’t handle how delicate the objects are, don’t participate in that section of the hunt. They’re making the pieces expecting them to be broken. That’s the entire point. We want to showcase finesse, and recovering something delicate in a hunt is a good way to showcase it. They’re not supposed to be flawless jewels. They’re supposed to be delicate and easily broken.” As though questioning if the woman could compute what he said, he repeated, “Fragile is good in this case. But please don’t show your ass to the temp. She’s doing a huge amount of work bailing us out due to the quarantine right now, and Mr. Stephans will lose his temper if you drive her off from being insufferable. Let it go, and stop poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. Leave the artisans and crafters alone. You’re not going to get them to rig it so the challenges are easier for you. If you want to win, win fairly. You know the other Hunters will call you out if they feel you cheated. Don’t give them a reason to accuse you of cheating.”

The woman scowled, but she nodded before stalking off without another word.

Calden sighed. “Sorry. That’s the ex, and she knows I spend time with your family, so she goes out of her way to be as difficult as possible. If she keeps it up, just come to me, and I’ll have my father straighten her out.”

I marveled that the woman had the audacity to continue being trouble, especially when Calden made it clear he wouldn’t be tolerating such behavior. “I probably shouldn’t have called her a snoot right off the bat,” I admitted.

“She probably earned it, and after the day you’ve had, if she complains to my father, I’ll just tell him she was trying to interfere with the hunt again. This is her normal. I’m used to it.”

“That’s the rabbit woman?” I asked with wide eyes.

“Yep. That’s her.”

Damn. Just from the few moments I’d spent dealing with her, I marveled at Calden’s patience. “Please tell me she wasn’t like that the entire relationship.”

“She wasn’t that bad. She just stopped pretending once we stopped being a couple.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Think I’ll get fired for calling her a snoot?”

“No, because I would’ve called her something far worse,” Calden admitted. “Still, I’m sorry for her,” he said to my parents.

My father waved away Calden’s apology. “She does this every time we set foot in here. It’s expected. I’d be more worried if she wasn’t trying to be a bit of a bear. When she’s not being a beast, she wants something and thinks we can be buttered up to get what she wants. She pulled that trick once trying to get a date with your brother, Coraline.”

My poor brother. “Please tell me he escaped unscathed.”

With a soft snicker, my mother herded me in the direction of the doors. “He caught her pulling similar tricks, and he wasn’t nearly as nice as you were. He got pissed she was giving your dad a hard time. Snoot was far nicer than what he said, which is why I’m not even scolding you for it.”

“Well, if she’d been polite, I would have been polite.”

“And you’re tired and cranky enough you couldn’t do polite if you wanted at this point.”

“I can do polite! She just didn’t deserve it.”

“Sure,” my mother replied, crouching for a look into the cheetahs’ carrier. “And how are my grandkittens doing today?”

“They don’t really belong to me,” I mumbled. “But they were good. No messes, minimal destruction, and my feet and shoes emerged unscathed. They’re eating well. Calden says they’ll have a habitat in the building soon.”

“Alas, for the grandparents of the kittens, this is true,” Calden confirmed. “But I’ll make sure that the handlers and receptionists know you’re authorized to see the cheetahs and work with them. I’ll have your names added to the training roster along with Coraline. How is Lucky doing?”

My mother laughed. “Lucky has been charming the Dasslins, our refugee family, quite well. I’ve promised a pair of healthy birds for them once the chicks hatch.”

“Wait, chicks?” I blurted.

“The hen has a clutch of six eggs she’s brooding over, and we are fairly confident Lucky has done his work well, so we’re hopeful we’ll have some babies soon. I’m not sure our back yard is going to be big enough for our flock of peacocks, but we’ll see.”

I gave the best yet worst presents. “I can’t even take credit for this. It sounds like you bred them on purpose.”

“We did,” my father confirmed. “The Dasslins are quite taken with Lucky, so we’ll give them a same gender pair unless we can find someone else with hatchlings. They were too shocked to adopt anything from the initial wave, and they enjoy taking care of the birds.”

“I’ll look for a chick from a different set of parents,” Calden promised. “If the family wants peacocks, then we can get them peacocks. We’ve got plenty of birds from different lines, although we may have to do some DNA testing to confirm it. It’s a bit of a mess right now. We’ll talk about it later. I owe Coraline dinner, as I foolishly wagered against her and underestimated the competition.”

My father chuckled. “She’s sneaky like that. Don’t wager against her. You might lose your shirt and everything you own.”

Hm. I’d never considered wagering for a man’s clothes before. “Dad, since when have I ever targeted someone’s clothes?”

“You haven’t, and your mother and I feel that’s a problem. On that happy note, we’ll let you go. We just wanted to make sure Allasandro wasn’t working you to death.”

“I’m not being worked to death,” I promised. I hugged both my parents once on the street outside of the faction’s headquarters. “I’d hide from that banshee, though. She might try to scream your souls away or something.”

“That’s not quite how the legend goes, but close enough,” my mother replied, kissing my cheek. “Don’t worry about Miss Fletcher. She’s a harpy, but she’s easy enough to manage.”

“Easy for you to say,” Calden muttered, soft enough I doubted he meant for anyone to hear him.

My parents left, and I regarded Calden with interest. “That’s the woman you caught the rabbit for?”

“Unfortunately.”

Huh. In a way, I understood how he could be tricked. I became an entirely different person at work, earning my keep and doing my best to remain professional. Outside of work?

I’d met nicer wasps when irritated, and I had no scruples about dealing with annoyances like Calden’s ex. I should have waited to get outside of the building before letting her know I snarled back if pressed, however. Trouble would come calling at some point.

Women like Sarai didn’t allow insults to stand, especially not when the insult had been witnessed by someone higher up the food chain. In the Hunters of Moonriver, there was only one man higher than Calden: Calden’s father.

“Don’t worry about Sarai. She’s all talk. She likes putting herself up on display to try to interest new men during the hunts, so she wants to stack the cards in her favor. It never works, but she keeps trying. She wants prestige and fame, and she hasn’t figured out that most Hunters aren’t going to be interested in a woman who isn’t willing to fairly earn her way. She’s good at negotiations and cutting through bureaucratic red tape, but she has an inflated opinion of herself.”

I could understand how that would get on Calden’s last nerve. “Still, I’m sorry. I should have held my temper.”

“You’re not a member of the faction, so she doesn’t have any grounds against you, especially as we view our ground floor lobby as neutral territory. A lot of people take their disagreements to the ground level. There are some rules faction members have to abide by, but you’re not in the faction. She’s actually at higher risk of disciplinary action because you’re not in our faction. My father does not like when we’re given a bad name through displays of general rudeness, and if she told you off for approaching your own parents in our lobby, that counts.”

“Just wait until she finds out we both like rabbit and hunt them because we want good food to eat.”

“Wait until she finds out you’ve been sleeping at my place. She is not a shapeshifter.”

“Why isn’t she?”

“It usually takes a bond with a shifter and a non-shifter to transfer the required genetics, and those can be difficult to form, especially if people aren’t directly compatible. My mother died as a result of her first shift. Her immune system completely failed. It’s rare, but it happens. As a result, let’s just say I’m quite careful with those I form relationships with.”

Oh. “I’m so sorry.”

“I am, too. After my mother died, my father had her DNA examined to figure out what caused the problem. With the help of several factions, he discovered which gene combinations cause the immune system failure. The Hunters kept blood samples of all shifters who suffered from the syndrome. Now? We don’t allow anyone with the faulty genes into the faction because the risk of death is too high. While rare, exposure to us can be enough to waken someone’s latent shapeshifting abilities.” Calden wrinkled his nose and headed in the direction of our homes. “It took me a while to accept and understand there wasn’t anything my father could have done to prevent it. And that it wasn’t his fault. Anyone who wants to join the Hunters is now tested, and all members were tested. We have two men who have the faulty gene, but they signed waivers and opted to accept the risk associated with contracting the shapeshifting magic.”

“And the shapeshifting element is contagious?”

“Yes and no. Becoming an active shapeshifter typically takes a great deal of interaction with other shapeshifters and time. My father shapeshifted around me a lot as a child, before we realized my mother had the faulty gene. I’ve been tested, and I don’t have the gene, and the doctors don’t think it’s transmitted from mother to child. It’s more of a genetic mutation. But the babies of Hunters are being tested for the gene since we’re more likely to become shifters without having a shifting partner.”

“Still, I’m sorry. That must have been difficult for you.”

“It was. Sarai wants to be a shifter, but she doesn’t tend to form the right kind of relationship to activate her latent genetics. Most Hunters have fairly dominant shapeshifting genes to the point some spontaneously shift after being in the faction for a while.” Calden shook his head. “The problem is, I don’t think she’s really inclined to be a wolf, and she keeps trying to target wolf shifters for her general ploys. She’s more of a cat than anything else.”

“Aloof and prone to scratch you in the face?” I muttered.

“Pretty much.”

“Is your dad worried you’ll react poorly to him dating again because of what happened to your mother?”

“Yep. I’ve even told him to find some woman so he stops bothering me all the time. I don’t think he’s going to believe me until I’m safely married to someone. Maybe if my dad threw women who liked the same things I do at me, I’d think about it. Instead? I get women like Sarai. I’ve mostly given up after the incident with Sarai. I was trying. I wasn’t trying to be an ass. She asked for a rabbit. I’m a Hunter. What did she expect?”

“Your wallet to magically open up and take her to a store, so she could have a soft, fluffy bunny. But you could sneak a bunny into her office at work with all its stuff and surprise her if you did want her a little less irritated at you.”

“And make her think I’m interested in trying a relationship with her again? No thanks.”

I stared at him. “I could get her a bunny, since I know what they actually are and what they eat, and I could put an apology card saying I’m sorry I called her a snoot after a long day battling with invoices.”

“Then she will think you want to be friends with her, Coraline.”

“So? She doesn’t seem like the kind to want to hang out with the temp, so I’m in no danger of her actually bothering me.”

Halting, Calden stared at me through narrowed eyes. “And you know what these bunnies need?”

As I’d considered pranking my parents with bunnies, I’d done sufficient research to keep the animals alive and happy. I’d ultimately decided they would be too much work for my parents to care for compared to the doves, who could be released without consequence. That my parents had opted to keep the birds would amuse me for the rest of my life. “I do, yes.”

“And you’d help me acquire the things for this bunny? And you’re really sure it’s not just a rabbit someone caught and kept for a while?”

“Sure, that’s not a problem. I’m a master at acquiring things for unexpected animal acquisitions. And no, bunnies are not rabbits that someone caught and kept for a while.”

Calden dug out his phone and sent a text. “I’m asking Dad if there are any bunnies up for adoption from Earth.”

“That would make that part of it easy.”

A moment later, Calden’s phone buzzed, and he snorted. “Apparently, we have more bunnies than we know what to do with, and the meat rabbits would murder them within days of release, so we’re feeding a bazillion bunnies. Breeding bunnies. That we can’t eat because they’re not meat rabbits.”

“Ask your dad if there are a group of bonded female bunnies that would be suitable for a single home.”

After he obeyed, he said, “This is not something I normally would do.”

“Of course not. She’s your ex. Nowhere in the ex handbook is a requirement to be anything more than basically cordial. I’m the same way with my exes, unless there was something obvious I fucked up.”

“Like bringing her the wrong type of rabbit?”

“Like that, yes.”

“Have you done anything nearly as spectacular as my failure to provide the right type of rabbit?” he asked in an amused tone.

I thought about it. “There was this one guy who just wanted sex without a relationship, and I did not get the memo. It wasn’t even good sex. Like, at least give me a good relationship, so the bad sex is worth it.”

Calden grimaced. “I try to avoid casual hookups, honestly. I tend to not have much interest unless there’s a relationship.”

I blinked. “Men who don’t want hookups like that actually exist?”

That got him laughing, and he nodded his head. “When I was fresh out of school, I dated a lot, but it quickly lost all appeal. Between the health checks women wanted before even dating, the worry about picking up a psycho, and the various ways women wanted to hunt my wallet, I gave up those ways for stability.”

“I gave up because I got bored,” I confessed. “The men who liked to read had no interest in reading with someone else in the picture, and not a single one of them ever suggested a date to the library or the bookstore.”

“Honestly, I hadn’t considered suggesting a date at the bookstore or a library.”

“It seems like the perfect date spot,” I confessed. “There are tasty treats at the bookstore, and there are books. I can sip a good drink and read a book at the bookstore. The library doesn’t have the drinks, but it does have the books.”

“You’re a book addict.”

“Yes, and?”

“I was just confirming we have the same condition. Let’s go get my SUV, get all the crap needed for these bunnies, and then I will show you my library. Like my living room, it has a fireplace. Most importantly, it has books. There are even two chairs and a sofa there. I’m sure you can find something to read while I make you dinner.”

“That sounds like a plan.”

ELEVEN

They’re for petting and loving.

I guided Calden through the murky waters of bunny care, making certain he got everything his ex needed to have happy pets. The store, much to my dismay, had a bunch of the fluffy critters on display, and I pointed at the one breed I knew people bought because they were prestigious, soft, fluffy, and loving. “That is the specific type of bunny she probably wanted.”

Calden regarded the animal with open suspicion. “It doesn’t look like it would have a whole lot of meat on it.”

“Well, it is a baby. But no, they’re not for meat. They’re for petting and loving.”

The bunny in question, a brown one with white ears, nose, and tail, stared at us in expectation.

“It wants something.”

“Attention.” I pointed at the sign, which welcomed people to pet the bunnies if they sanitized their hands first. I obeyed the sign, put my arm into their enclosure, and giggled as the entire lot of them came over for some love. “These are not like the meat variety. The meat variety are evil monsters who deserve their fate. These guys just want you to love them for all eternity.”

“Obviously, we’re buying the brown one. Dad promised two friendly bunnies, so we can just make sure there’s enough supplies for three.”

As Calden had gone overboard on the selection of the hutch, which was two hutches designed to be linked together, his ex would have no problems fitting three bunnies in them comfortably. Better yet, the hutches came with two boxes each, so bunnies could get space if they wanted some alone time.

We’d have to get an extra litter box to account for the third animal, but we’d be done within ten minutes.

I caught the brown bunny, picked it up, and made eye contact with one of the store employees, who came over.

Calden stared at me, stared at the bunny, and then eyed the furry bodies waiting for more attention. “You have to keep that one. There’s another one of that breed. It’s white. She can have a white one.” Calden pointed at a tiny black bunny off on its own. “What’s wrong with that one?”

“Nothing’s wrong with her. She’s just a little shy,” the store employee said, and he picked up the white bunny Calden had mentioned. “These ones are seventy-five each. The black one is fifteen.”

“When my father laughs at me for owning bunnies I can’t eat, defend me, Coraline,” Calden stated. “She hadn’t told me these were cute.”

I recognized a lost cause when I saw one. “That was foolish of her. Had she taken you into the store like a smart woman, she would have had an army of bunnies with a single visit.” I petted the bunny I held, smiling at its tendency to nuzzle. “Is this one a boy or a girl?”

“These are all girls. We have the boys in a different enclosure.”

“Her name is Latte,” I informed Calden.

He laughed. “And the other one will be Espresso?”

“That seems like a good plan to me. We don’t have enough things now.”

“Do you have a carrier?” the employee asked.

We shook our heads, but before I could say anything, Calden said, “We’ll take two carriers if they can be transported together. The white one is a gift for a friend, and Latte and Espresso are for us. We’ll also need help loading the SUV.” He winced. “I hope it all fits, or I’m going to have to call for help. I am never going to live this down.”

“And this time I wasn’t even trying to goose someone into the ownership of animals.”

“It was a known peril. I just hadn’t expected this sort of peril tonight.”

I snuggled with the bunny. “I’m just glad I’m able to readily distinguish between animals I keep as a pet and animals that I keep as food. Latte and Espresso are not food.”

“On that, we are agreed. These fluffs are not food grade. They’re cuddle grade.” Calden introduced himself to the black bunny with some help from the store employee. After a few minutes, he ended up with the small animal cradled in his arms while the employee went to get a pair of carriers for us. “Why didn’t she just tell me what these were? Or take me to the pet store and show me?”

“I have no idea. It seems like the problem could have easily been avoided with some basic communication.”

“With her, no conversation was basic. It was more of a field full of word-based mines.”

“But were her words bigger than your words?”

“No. She just sharpened hers before use.”

“Well, view this as an elaborate sense of closure, one where you learned something new, got a pet you can’t eat, and you no longer have to worry about it. Of course, I’m going to insist on visitation rights on these bunnies. They’re wickedly cute.”

“I understand why people want them now.”

The employee came back with a pair of carriers, and we put our chosen bunnies in one and his ex’s in the other. Thirty minutes later, we escaped the store with a packed SUV.

“When I tell my father what just happened, he’s going to laugh at me.”

“Then I’ll tell him what happened, and he’ll laugh at me. You’ll be safe. You just saw the light around the same time you saw a bunny. These are not the vicious, wicked beasts we like to eat.”

“But do they taste the same?”

“Don’t know, don’t care,” I admitted. “I won’t be finding out, because unlike my parents’ doves, the bunnies will get vaccinations and other things that don’t make them suitable for eating. We don’t eat the doves we take to the vets, either. They get little funerals. Those are the true pets.”

“Ah, I see. Some aren’t pets but some are, and the actual pets don’t make their way to the dinner table.”

“That is the general rule, yes. We put bands on the doves we won’t be eating. There is a bird graveyard in the backyard somewhere, I’m sure. There’s one rule we all agree on, though.”

“What rule?”

“We always eat the turkeys.”

“That seems like a sensible rule.” Calden started the SUV, hooked his phone into the vehicle, and dialed his father.

“Wasn’t I just texting with you?” Calden’s father asked.

“You were, but Coraline has something to say.”

“Should I be concerned?”

I giggled. “Only if you don’t like cute little bunnies. I’m now responsible for the adoption of yet more animals, and my target this time was Calden. He saw the bunny I picked up and decided that was his bunny. Then he saw a cute little black baby hiding by herself, and she had to come home with him, too. And he got a bunny for that ex of his, to make up for being a little less than considerate regarding the bunny versus rabbit issue. We have an SUV loaded with stuff for the bunnies and their new empires.”

“We’ll set the bunnies up in her office. She’s already left for the day, and I’ll make sure security knows you’re supposed to be back and give you access to her office. Will they be all right overnight? I have the two I selected for her.”

“They should be all right. I have dry rabbit food and a grocery list of what her pets would prefer to eat, which can be acquired at any grocery store.” I marveled at how often people fed their pets the wrong things.

Bunnies wanted leafy greens, not dry food. The bags I’d gotten from the pet store would tide them over for a day.

Calden’s bunnies, at the very least, would eat like they were furry royalty.

“I’ll meet you at her office. Do bring your new children up with you, Calden. I want to meet my grandbunnies.”

I bit my lip, so I wouldn’t giggle at the older man’s eagerness.

“Dad, you’re something else.”

“I really am. How’d you sucker him into bunnies, Coraline?”

“I didn’t actually do anything. I just suggested he make peace with that woman and suggested he get her a bunny to make up for the misunderstanding. Then I took him to the pet store to help him with that and picked up one of the bunnies. She’s absolutely precious, so I can understand why he wanted to take her home with him. And the black one seemed so sad because she stayed by herself when the other bunnies wanted attention.”

“You are such a sucker,” Calden’s father stated in an amused tone. “Will they be headquarter pets or home pets?”

“Home. I’m thinking I’m going to go with something smaller for my office. Maybe some fish? We don’t have enough aquariums at work yet.”

Calden’s father laughed. “You just want things people won’t try to hunt in your office.”

“Including me,” Calden muttered.

I somehow kept from snickering at the dismay in the man’s tone.

“I’m not sure doing something nice for the pit viper is going to help you with that problem.”

“She’s not that bad, Dad.”

“She is that bad. When she gets Coraline snarling within twenty seconds, it’s pit viper territory. I even had the footage pulled to confirm what happened. Do yourself a favor, Calden. Never come between Coraline and her parents. She will win. Frankly, I’d beware of crossing Coraline. You will lose. And worse, you’ll lose to someone sensible with a mean streak ten miles wide.”

“We’ve upgraded from one mile to ten?” Calden rolled his eyes. “All Coraline did was tell her off.”

“It’s true. She just got snooty, so I got snooty back.” Rather than roll my eyes, I shrugged despite knowing Calden’s father couldn’t see me. “The idea is to give the crabby ex a chill pill and restore general peace. Maybe the bunnies will keep her busy for a while. Just write a note saying you didn’t think bunnies were different from rabbits, you have educated yourself on the matter, and be done with it. And if she expresses interest, just be honest with her in a polite fashion. If she continues to be an ass after the work you put in, well, the entire faction will know about it in no time at all.”

“The ruthlessness of your idea is both terrifying and admirable,” Calden’s father informed me. “Do you have any other gems lying around just waiting to be used?”

“Not particularly. Common sense isn’t all that common, but using it a little more might help. Really, most problems can be solved with a little bit of common sense. Before making assumptions, look into it first. No offense meant, Calden, but if you had taken the ten seconds to search for what a bunny was, you would have realized why a rabbit hadn’t been what she wanted. Now, you may not have understood why she wanted one, but at least you would have saved yourself a lot of effort.”

He still would have had his girlfriend at the end of the day, too, but I’d let him figure that out for himself.

“I can’t argue with that, so I won’t.”

“It’s a miracle,” Calden’s father muttered.

I almost laughed at the older man’s comment, occupying myself with twisting in my seat to check on the bunnies in the back. Calden’s pair cuddled together, while his ex’s sniffed around her carrier, her tiny nose twitching. “They’re definitely quieter than some of the other animals I’ve transported recently.”

Both men laughed, and Calden added a little snort before saying, “Lucky is one of the loudest birds I’ve heard in my life. I’m just glad he’s mostly stopped proposing to me every time he sees me now. And he’s using toy mice for his proposals rather than the corpses of formerly live mice.”

“My mother bought him toy mice?”

“We’d gotten the cheetahs toy mice, and Lucky stole them. We’re debating if peacocks like catnip now.”

Calden’s father snickered. “We’ve always had a madhouse with the number of animals living at the headquarters, but the peacocks are taking the cake for their charming but ridiculous displays. Every floor wants peacocks now, but they’re going to have to settle with the menagerie we’re building on the top floor and on the roof. I’m going to have to buy another faction building just to keep our animals at this rate. Maybe I’ll buy up some land on the outskirts of the city once the quarantines are lifted and use it as an opportunity to hire some of the refugees. A lot of the animals can’t be released into the wild here.”

“I can add it to a list of things that should be done soon but not immediately,” I stated, well aware the man might cut into his rest and relaxation time making his idea a reality. “You should inquire with the vets so they can make a plan for the type of habitats and enclosures required to safely contain the residents.”

“You’d steal my project given a single chance,” Calden’s father accused.

“I would more efficiently delegate the project so it is finished in a timely fashion,” I countered.

“I would ask you to prove it, but you might steal my job—and do a better job of it while you’re at it.”

“Highly unlikely. I would rather work than talk to most people. You can keep handling the talking. I prefer helping to make certain everything gets done without the loss of general sanity. Fixing the messes is challenge enough. I’d rather not be the one stuck with creating and fixing the messes.”

Calden snickered. “You’ve lost, Dad. Just surrender. We’ll be at the headquarters within twenty minutes, and I’d like to have the hutches set up in her office within the hour, assuming they don’t defeat us. They might.”

“I think we can handle it. How hard could it possibly be to assemble a hutch?”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Dad.”

* * *

The hutches put up a valiant fight, but we defeated them. While we worked, we kept an eye on the three rabbits meant to share the space. I’d expected some form of fluffy battle at introduction, but beyond some wariness, the three decided they were better off together than apart.

I would have accused the Stephans men of working some form of magic on the bunnies, but they focused on their battle with the hutches while I handled making certain the furred residents didn’t do something we’d regret.

Three hours later, with the bunnies contained for the night, their play pen and toys set up, a card from Calden on his ex’s keyboard along with a list of everything the bunnies would need to be happy and healthy, we left. To help preserve the idea we were going to our various homes independently, Calden dropped his father off, made a show of dropping me off, and headed to his place.

I snooped on my neighbors until certain Mr. Stephans wouldn’t catch me sneaking to the end of the row to meet up with Calden, where I’d help him build an empire for his bunnies and have dinner. I knocked on his door, and when he let me in, I laughed at the mess of hutch components scattered across his living room. “You just built two of these. How did you create this much of a mess in twenty minutes?”

“I don’t even know.”

I laughed, closed the door behind me, and replied, “I had to wait for your dad to stop checking outside to sneak over. Did he think we were just going to run off somewhere?”

“Absolutely. We are children who have been cooped up in quarantine for weeks. He’s expecting everyone in the city to be mad with the need to go out and do things. I think he’s forgotten we’ve been going out and doing things all day today.”

No kidding. “Do you need help?”

Calden regarded the pile of parts with a frown. “Apparently, if I want my bunnies in the sunroom sometime tonight, I’m going to need a lot of help.”

“Let’s measure out the space you want for the bunnies, then we will mark out where their play pen will be installed and where the hutch will go. Then we’ll set up the hutch and install the pen. If we’re working together, we can have it built in an hour. We’ll tag team dinner, else we won’t eat tonight.”

“That sounds like a plan, although I will owe you an evening in front of the fireplace while I cook you a feast.”

“Another night. We must get the bunnies settled. There’s always tomorrow for the reading and the feasting.”

“As usual, you are right. Let’s get this show on the road.”

* * *

After dinner and some reading in front of Calden’s fireplace, we tiptoed to my townhouse, filled a box each, and tiptoed back to his place. He showed me to his guest bedroom, and I laughed when I noticed Mr. Wolfston on the pillow. “When did you get your hands on that?”

“I may have stolen it the last time I was over so he could be here for you. Your mother had mentioned you have one for when you’re home and one when you’re elsewhere.”

I laughed, as I’d packed my second Mr. Wolfston in my box. “It’s true. That was really sweet of you, Calden. Thank you.”

“If you think this is overboard, my father went to several stores until he found another one, and he is keeping it at his place. It is Mr. Wolfcamperston, as he decided you would not risk either of your Mr. Wolfstons to the wilds. Or his slobber.”

I refused to question it, and I struggled to keep from laughing. “Please thank him for me if I forget by the time we go camping. I really appreciate it.”

“I have a teddy bear,” he confessed. “He is a brown one with white ears and tail. I have four of them, and let’s just say the camping one has seen better days. Dad just hugs a pillow, although I’m not convinced he isn’t hiding something in his pillow, probably a cat of some sort. He has issues with cats.”

The temptation proved to be too much for me. “We should investigate his hugging pillow and discover if he has any stuffed animal secrets. He has dirt against us, so we need to get some dirt against him.”

“Whomever gains access to, photographs, and reveals the contents of his hugging pillow wins. May you be swift and cunning, for I will have zero mercy.”

“What are we wagering for?”

“Dinners, and we shall number the dinners based on the general difficulty of our mission. For every week we fail to gain access to the pillow, another dinner is added to the wager. If we fail to gain access to his pillow by the end of a month, we will owe him dinner.”

“Are we letting him know we’re out for his pillow?”

“If we let him know, not only will we never live it down, but he will also turn it into a faction-wide game. He must not know we are investigating his pillow,” Calden announced.

“This is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever done,” I admitted, laughing at the absurdity of it all. “Why are we doing this?”

“It seems like fun. Why not? Give me a few more minutes if you want any other reasons.”

“I think those two reasons are sufficient. What happens if we’re caught trying to check out his pillow?”

“A dinner is owed to the other party, of course. While I’m sure my father will make some form of comment if he catches us, we’ll use the honor system.” Calden smirked. “Obviously, we should use a point system to determine who is the best at infiltrating my father’s defenses.”

“To learn any secrets about his pillow?”

“Our other option is to steal his recipe book and get his recipes out of his stingy hands. The pillow is easier.”

“He has a recipe book?”

“He absolutely does. When he isn’t trying to kill me with broccoli, he’s quite good at cooking.”

I could use more recipes. “Same rules? If we’re caught, we have to dish out a dinner? And we can only steal one recipe at a time. We’ll make binders of the recipes we’ve gotten out of him, and the person with the most points wins. We lose a point every time we’re caught in addition to having to pay out a dinner,” I suggested.

“May the most skilled win.”

Maybe I wasn’t a Hunter, but I would enjoy proving I could be his equal. “I hope you’re ready to prepare a lot of dinners, Mr. Stephans. I will not lose.”

“We shall see about that.”

TWELVE

He looks like he ran a race and lost. Badly.

Sarai Fletcher staged an ambush in the Hunter’s lobby, and she pounced Calden the instant he stepped through the doors. I raised a brow at how high she’d managed to jump, wrapping her legs around his chest so she wouldn’t fall to the floor.

For a second, I thought she planned to kiss him, although Calden may have averted such a fate through turning his head and struggling to peel her off. I stared, debating between attempting to rescue the man or leaving him to endure.

Aware things might get rough, I set the cheetahs down so they wouldn’t get caught in the line of fire and settled in to watch.

After at least five minutes, Calden managed to escape, and he put one of the chairs between himself and the woman. He then pointed at me and blurted, “It’s her fault, blame her!”

To my dismay, his ex changed trajectories and pounced in my direction. Aware I would not be able to get her off if I let her get a hold of me, I shrieked, sidestepped, and bolted for the safety of the elevators. I made it halfway to my destination before she slammed into me from behind and drove me to the floor.

I regretted having failed to practice more at killing my brother. I rolled beneath the woman, and during one of her attempts to hug me into submission, I brought both my legs up, worked my knees beneath her, and waited until I could dig my toes into any part of her I could reach. Once I had her positioned, I shoved as hard as I could.

While I’d expected to get her off, I hadn’t expected to take Calden out with her, and the pair fell to the floor with a thump.

Somewhere nearby, Calden’s father cackled.

“Well, I’m not worried about you being eaten alive during the hunt now,” the faction’s leader stated, coming over and offering me a hand. In the time I’d been trying to flee from Calden’s ex, he’d claimed the cheetahs and had them slung over his shoulder. “I hadn’t known it was actually possible to wiggle like that when she’s in the mood to get hugs.”

“That was her trying to hug me? Are you sure?” I more expected something along the lines of being murdered after our first encounter.

Calden’s father pointed at the pair, and sure enough, after having been tossed into his son, she snuggled in for a hug. “Don’t worry about it. When she first got in, there were tears. Now she’s just hyper, and as hyper beats tears, it is what it is.”

“I’m confused right now,” I confessed.

“Don’t worry about it. She just loves bunnies, and she tends to not ask for things at work because she is usually skating on thin ice with somebody.”

“I wonder why.”

Several other members of the faction went to Calden’s aid, and after a few minutes, they managed to peel Sarai off him. It took another few minutes, but Calden somehow managed to get the woman to head to the elevators without him.

I laughed at his beleaguered expression. “I have no idea what happened there or why, but he looks like he ran a race and lost. Badly.”

“Sarai is a strange one, to say the least. Hopefully, that will put an end to some of the tensions around here. Calden’s liked enough, but so is Sarai, and people were getting testy over the dispute.”

“It wasn’t even a real dispute. It was a lack of proper communication. She didn’t communicate what she actually wanted, and he didn’t understand he needed to look deeper into the situation. Once he understood the actual issue, it was easily resolved. I’m not sure why she jumped me, however.”

“Well, I told her about your general involvement in resolving the issue. She even promised she has no interest in Calden anymore. She’s dating someone, but she doesn’t want anyone to know about it.”

“Why not?”

“He is a lounge lizard of a book dragon. His words, not hers. He’s basically the exact opposite of the type of people Hunters usually date, and she doesn’t want to become the laughingstock of the faction. I found that out this morning. And yes, she resented my son hadn’t been able to figure out the difference between a rabbit and a bunny. In her opinion, there’s no way he could possibly be that stupid.”

“Except he was.”

“Except he was,” Calden’s father confirmed.

“This is ridiculous.”

“You have no idea. And everyone expected me to mystically fix their problems.”

Poor Calden. The longer I stuck around, the more I understood why he wanted his father to retire. Unfortunately, the more I saw, the less I felt I’d be able to find any actual dirt on the man. My report would pick apart every aspect of the Hunters and their base operations, but Earth’s evacuation would make a lot of my report pointless.

When the worst happened, Allasandro Stephans handled tragedy, stress, and disaster with grace. Some would abhor his choices, but while they surely disagreed with him, he did what he could to be fair.

Being fair always involved someone, typically the wealthy and powerful, being stepped on for the sake of others. Very little in life proved to be fair, but I found it admirable Calden’s father strived to create an impossible reality.

“It wasn’t your problem to solve,” I replied, shaking my head. “I recommend that you tell people that.”

“Your mother warned me to be careful when it came to serious talks with you. I seem to have misjudged her meaning. Is that how you got Calden to resolve that mess?”

“No, I just showed him how wretchedly cute bunnies are. I’m sure he spent most of his night trying to charm his furry friends.”

“I guess I better check on him, else I might lose my son to his bunnies.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary. Let him be unsupervised for a while. I’m sure his bunnies can keep an eye on him. And how much trouble can he get in when he’s playing with his new pets?”

“Having raised him, I’m confident in saying he lives to surprise me. The question isn’t if he’ll create trouble. It’s how much trouble he’ll create. He will find trouble, and his newest method of finding it is what worries me. I can handle old trouble. It’s the new trouble that gets me every time. Nobody warned me children never stop creating trouble. I know that falls into unasked for territory, but for some reason, I doubt your parents warned you about that.”

“They just tell me that I deserve to have three just like me. And when I think about it, that’s pretty cruel and unusual. Three of me? That’s more trouble than anyone can handle.”

“It amuses me how readily you acknowledge that you are quite the handful.”

I grinned at Calden’s father. “My parents raised me to be this way. From an early age, they made certain to tell me they wanted me to have a life full of joy and wonder, and that I should pursue happiness. They taught me the importance of paying the bills, but they also taught me a lot of other things. I learned to make happiness without money. For me, that means pulling pranks on my family, finding ways to attack their wallets in ways they’ll like down the road, and otherwise doing the things that make me happy. For me, happiness is a good book somewhere comfortable and safe, the ability to catch my own food, usually in the form of rabbit, and spending time with the people I like.”

“That reminds me. How much of a difference would it make for you, in your financial situation before working for me, to have an unlimited rabbit license?”

“It would have been a fairly significant difference,” I admitted. “I would hunt every weekend for certain, stock my freezer, and have ready access to food I might not have been able to afford. I’m as careful with my money as someone with a reading hobby can be, but there were weeks I only got to read something new because of the library.”

“Send me a mock budget of what someone in your financial bracket can expect for a month, one with the license and one without the license. Include the costs for someone to trap meat rabbits without your skill at a sling.”

I could do that easily enough, as I kept a copy of my general budget on my phone so I could reference it at any time. I would one-up him, however. I’d give him a copy of my yearly budget, which included things like how I needed to plan for larger expenses, including phones. I owned a baseline model that could make calls in a pinch, keep a copy of my budget, and access my bank account. It choked if I tried to run any games on it, and most of the time, it surprised me when it was able to do its job as a phone.

In good news for me, I did whatever I could to avoid using my personal phone for anything other than texting.

“You’ll have it by the end of the day,” I promised. He’d have it before lunch, as I could finish the task between checking up on my email, handling any unexpected emergencies, and preparing to delve into the depths of his work performance for my report.

“Excellent. If Sarai causes you any trouble, do let me know. Otherwise, don’t mind if she gets clingy. She’s a good enough worker, but she can get quite moody. Expect emotional whiplash.”

Ah. Every faction I’d ever worked for had a few people who slingshotted between moods, which could make the workday both perilous and interesting. Understanding that Sarai numbered among them helped.

I could handle unpredictable and moody. Most of the time, all I needed to do was make myself scarce when she was in a mood I disliked.

Doing something kind for her did not leave me obligated to become her best friend. As long as I wasn’t rude in how I avoided her, I could navigate the murky waters of office politics with a little work.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Do.” Calden’s father sighed, handed the cheetahs to me, and went off to join his son. “Wish me luck, I’m going in.”

I rolled my eyes, as the primary source of the morning’s excitement had already left the area. I did check the waiting area for the elevator to make certain the woman had gone upstairs before making the hike to my office.

Leita tamed the hummingbirds through offering them breakfast, although I acquired a flock of four before escaping the reception. I took a feeder for them, got them set up, and released the various beasts so I could start my day. The cheetahs went for their toys, the hummingbirds battled over who would get which nest, and I began the tedious process of checking my email.

Several thousand new invoices waited for me, and I questioned how the hell the faction had managed to accumulate them. While I understood that Earth’s evacuation created mountains of paperwork, I questioned the invoices.

Were there even thousands of employees in the building? Had someone just mass created invoices when I’d been out helping Calden learn he loved bunnies as much as he enjoyed eating rabbits? Had the faction paused recording invoices for the duration of quarantine?

I feared what the day would hold. I tackled the few other emails in my box, took the thirty minutes needed to compile my monthly and yearly budgets, listed additional expenses that didn’t readily show on the budget, and sent that over to Mr. Stephans before settling into the task of dealing with the fiscal disaster waiting for me.

To my relief, over half of the invoices only needed to be filed, as they’d already been paid. The ones that hadn’t been paid were due within the next two weeks and would likely crush the flagging sanity of the accountants responsible for them. From funeral expenses of faction members, some of whom hadn’t made it back from Earth, to care and vet bills for animals broken down into batches consisting of a hundred animals each, there was a little of everything I needed to address in a timely fashion.

I set up a bulk print job, went over my list of contacts to deal with the papers, and made a note for my primary report that Moonriver needed a better emergency management system.

No single faction could handle such a disaster, yet the Hunters of Moonriver did their best to rise to the challenge, refusing to accept defeat.

No wonder Calden wanted his father to retire. The level of work could drive anyone mad, especially without the appropriate support staff and masterful levels of delegation.

I doubted an entire army of helpers could get the job done, but I took the time to text Sila with a recommendation that any faction signing up to serve in such a capacity would have a system in place to handle widespread disasters.

Her reply confirmed things were busy at the temp firm, too, and that the Hunters had gotten to me at a good time. Overtime was plentiful, but stress levels had spiked to an all-time high with no end in sight.

I shook my head, questioned everything, and did my best to restore order in a sea of chaos.

* * *

“If I don’t get out of here, I’ll go mad,” Calden announced, poking his head into my office. So absorbed in conquering the thousands of pieces of paper taking over my desk, I hadn’t heard him open the door. He contained the furry beasts with his foot, transforming himself into a toy for their amusement. “The vets are here for the cats, and they have your training schedule with them. Starting tonight, they have their own home in our fledgling menagerie. They finished their habitat ahead of schedule.”

I would miss the furballs, but I also valued everything I owned, and they’d gotten big enough their claws could do some serious damage.

My desk would never be the same, nor would my chair, which had numerous claw and bite marks on the legs.

They particularly enjoyed hunting the wheels.

“Do I have the beleaguered look of a kitten mother yet?” I asked, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Close enough.” Calden got out of the way of the vets, who swooped in and claimed the animals without any fanfare or delays. They even took care of the litter box, taking the whole shebang out with them. It took two trips for them to empty my office of evidence the cheetahs had occupied the space. Once gone, Calden regarded my desk with interest. “It didn’t take long for them to start destroying things.”

“It didn’t take long for them to become a serious concern for any flesh in their reach, and they have not left the playing phase.”

“You weren’t scratched or bitten, were you?”

“No, I wasn’t. I was careful to make sure they assaulted each other rather than me. I value my flesh. I am the apex predator of this office. They’re just secondary predators. Well, for the moment. Give them a few months, and then they will rule the faction.”

“I owe you at least three dinners, by the way.”

“Why?”

“Dad had his pillow in his office, and after Sarai chased me across several floors, I tried to get my hands on it so I could take a nap. Dad stopped me all three times I tried. He did not have his other pillow with him.”

“Obviously, you need to bring your own pillow with you when you’re trying to sleep on the job.” I laughed at the thought of the woman running Calden ragged. “She likes the bunnies?”

“She’s in love with them, and she’s grateful she can have them at work. Her home life wouldn’t let her have any there, apparently.”

“Oh?”

“The few times she babbled semi-coherently, her landlord doesn’t allow animals. He made an exception for cats and dogs from Earth, but it’s only temporary. He considers rabbits and bunnies to be pests, so it wasn’t an option. That’s why she’s extra excited.”

“How did you escape?”

“She went to the grocery store to get a feast for her new bunnies, toys, and everything they might need that we hadn’t provided. She has decided she will be the best bunny mother to walk the planet. Everyone else is laughing at me. Every time I escape her, she finds me after twenty minutes and gushes. Again. The bunnies were a peace offering, but I’m the one who is under fire now.”

“I’m sure she’ll calm down soon. So, your father caught you three times trying to steal his pillow?”

“I was going to sneak into his closet or hide under his desk, but he didn’t let me do that, either. I almost shifted, but then my father reminded me every woman in the office wants to pet the wolves when the wolves come out.”

I thought about it, and after a moment, I had to concede. “If allowed, I definitely would have petted your father while he was a wolf.”

“You’ll get plenty of time to pet wolves when we go camping. Dad and I both escape from the world for a while and hunt while wolves.”

I couldn’t blame them, and I understood why someone might want to become a shapeshifter. If I could become a wolf, I would escape from reality fairly often, retreating to the wild places outside of the city to hunt rabbits, be free, and enjoy ditching the responsibilities humans subjected themselves to. I’d also be able to find out if curling up in front of a fireplace as a wolf was anywhere near as comfortable as it looked.

“That’s something. You should challenge my brother for more time, because I’m not sure the current number of weeks will fill my need to pet furry beings I probably should not be petting.”

“Like the cheetahs?”

“Especially the cheetahs. Do you miss the lions and tigers?”

“They’re getting to be huge, and I’ve seen what they do to steak. I miss them when they were extra little, but they’re not quite as little anymore. Honestly, I’m glad they were confiscated, because given a few months, they’re going to weigh more than I do.”

As tigers could weigh several hundred pounds, I winced at the thought of what they could do to someone if they decided they were hungry. “Cheetahs are a bit smaller than lions or tigers.”

“They’re significantly smaller. Tigers can get to be over four hundred pounds. It’s not uncommon for cheetahs to average a hundred and forty or so. Some can be smaller.”

“That’s a huge weight difference.”

“We are roughly the same size as a cheetah. We are small snacks for lions and tigers. My father is inconsolable because he loved his temporary feline children.”

“If he wants another child, tell him to adopt one,” I suggested.

“That beats the other suggestions he usually gets. I’ve lost count of the times someone has suggested he find a young baby momma to help him with that problem.”

“Well, he would not have a difficult time finding volunteers, I’m sure. You should definitely suggest he limit himself to one baby momma at a time, and that he’d probably be happier with a permanent baby momma rather than selecting a part-time one. He doesn’t seem the type.”

Calden snorted, his shoulders shook, and he dissolved into helpless laughter. “I will pay you to say that to his face.”

“What are you paying?”

“I’ll crush your brother for three extra weeks of camping.”

Well, I knew what I was doing before I left work. I would locate Calden’s father and inform him about the new requirement to locate a permanent baby momma before he stooped to adopting even more animals.

A child might keep him busy and restore Calden’s sanity.

A child would also solve more than a few of Calden’s problems, as if his father was busy with a new baby, he would not be as inclined to work himself to a near-death state.

“Before I locate your father, I feel it’s important to tell you that once a sibling does show up, you can’t flee the city-state. You father would be heartbroken if you ran away.”

“My father would lose his mind and turn the city upside down if I disappeared on him,” Calden admitted. “As I’ve been the target of numerous kidnapping attempts, let’s just say I’m the cause for half of his issues.”

My eyes widened. “You’ve been kidnapped?”

He made a show of posing, which did a good job of displaying his general physique, even when dressed in one of his more casual suits. “I’m just that beautiful, Coraline.”

“Your beauty aside, people really kidnap you?”

“It’s been a quiet few weeks because of the quarantine, but yes. You’ll probably get to enjoy the show as things start going back to normal.”

What was even going on in the Hunters of Moonriver? Spluttering, I got my things gathered, herded the hummingbirds out of my office, and went off in search of Calden’s father.

I found the man in his office, and he had his sock-covered feet propped up on his pillow, which was on his desk. “It seems you can be flustered, Coraline. What’s bothering you?”

I pointed at Calden, who trailed into the office behind me. “What do you mean he’s targeted for kidnapping at alarming frequency?”

“What do you consider to be alarming frequency?” Calden’s father asked, raising a brow.

“Once is certainly alarming, and more than once is definitely an alarming frequency.”

“A week? A month? A year? You’re going to have to help me out here.”

Beside me, Calden snickered.

“All of the above? Because those answers are terrifyingly frequent!”

Laughing at my dismay, Calden’s father opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a rather thick folder. “I wasn’t prepared for comedy hour, but this should give you a decent overview of the general situation.”

I approached the desk, sat on one of the empty chairs across from him, and set the monstrosity on my lap before opening it. A table of contents greeted me, and I discovered the folder had been organized by month and year.

The table of contents consisted of ten pages of incidents, with a reference to a second file of older kidnappings or attempts. “This table of contents implies at least some of these weren’t attempts. They were successful kidnappings.”

As one, the Stephans men shrugged.

With wide eyes, I flipped to the first case, which proved to have been a successful kidnapping, resulting in Calden having been taken out of the city-state for a period of two weeks. The kidnappers, a pair of young shapeshifter sisters, had wanted to stake some claims on him.

According to the police report, Calden had indulged them, taught them how to better control their instincts, and defused the situation. The two girls, both of whom had been minors at the time, had gotten off with a slap on the wrist.

They’d run away from home, as their parents hated shapeshifters.

“I admire your handling of that situation,” I admitted, holding up the overview page for Calden to see.

“They were really sweet girls. They just had no idea how to control their wolves. They got the help they needed, so they’ll be fine. I did give them a stern lecture about why they need to properly pursue their future men rather than resort to kidnapping.” Calden grinned. “Their method was adorable, though. They used a toy gun, and in a wavering voice, the one asked me to please come with them. They didn’t think to take the plastic tip off their paintball gun. They had remembered to remove the air canister and the paintballs so it looked like a gun if someone hadn’t really seen one up close before. But the bright pink tip gave it away.”

Despite my concern over the situation, I giggled at the thought of a pair of teens kidnapping Calden with a paintball gun. “And you went with it?”

He tapped the side of his nose. “I could smell they were shapeshifters, and desperate shapeshifters can hurt those who haven’t awakened their animals yet. They look even younger than they are, so I decided to go see what the problem was. It quickly got out of hand, as the girls aren’t all that stupid, so it took me a week to settle them down before I could contact Dad about it. Then Dad had to deal with law enforcement, as they took me out of city-state limits. We prefer to handle these cases outside of the court system.”

“Doesn’t that just encourage them to keep trying?” I asked, frowning while I considered the thick folder.

“Well over half of the kidnappings are organized by people within our faction to test their skills,” Calden’s father admitted. “It’s the ones who aren’t in the faction that are the problem.”

“And it didn’t occur to either of you that maybe you should ask them to limit their hunting of Calden to the faction hunts?” I blurted.

“He’s worth more alive than dead,” Calden’s father reminded me. “And it’s not my place to inform women that kidnapping isn’t a viable flirtation method. I admire the effort they put in for a chance to meet him. It’s rather ridiculous, really. Only two of the kidnappings were for actual ransom, and Calden did a perfectly fine job of freeing himself. Kidnappers rarely remember that shapeshifters can shapeshift, and it’s very difficult to restrain a human who can turn into a wolf. It’s only when they collar him that it’s an issue, and most keep the collar loose enough he can slip it off when he shifts.”

“It’s good to be a wolf,” Calden informed me in a solemn tone. “Every member of the faction is kidnapped at least once. It is part of the faction waiver. It permits Dad to scheme to have the new members kidnapped. It’s a faction event, and the kidnapped finds out the day they’re grabbed.”

How had I never heard of that tradition? Had I known that was a part of their tradition, I would have been exploring the Hunters of Moonriver as an option long ago. “You kidnap your new members. As part of their welcome to the faction?”

“We do,” Calden’s father confirmed.

“And all someone has to do is sign a waiver and sell their soul to the faction?”

“That’s correct.”

“And post-kidnapping, the formerly kidnapped can help plan future kidnappings?”

Calden smirked but said nothing, leaving his father to reply, “That is typically how it works.”

“Time off per year?”

“We start at four weeks, and a new week is added every other year, to a maximum of eight weeks a year. Any accumulated vacation time over that is paid out every check,” he stated.

“Starting income?”

“Starting income is determined on the skills of the incoming Hunter, although no one in the faction starts at anything below thirty an hour. Subsequent raises are determined by skills, expertise, and general performance. There is a minimum yearly increase of five percent to account for cost-of-living increases,” Calden’s father replied.

I twitched, as thirty an hour would completely change how I lived my life. “Eight hours, five days a week?”

“Overtime is paid at double, and we have a list of when overtime can be done. Otherwise, it can wait.”

“Follow your own rules,” I informed him.

Calden choked, and his father raised a brow at me.

“What makes you think I don’t?”

“An inside source informed me you overwork.”

“Calden,” his father complained.

“It’s true.”

“If I let you into my faction, you’ll become a tyrant and rule over my schedule, won’t you?”

“No? But I will have a talk with your secretary.”

“I don’t have a secretary.”

“You need a secretary,” I informed him. “One who controls how much unnecessary access to your person results in overtime.”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a competent secretary?” Calden’s father waved his hand in what I translated to be a dismissive gesture. “The first time I shift and pounce Calden, they quit or request a transfer to a saner part of the Hunters.”

“And what do they do about your prank brownies?”

“Quit or transfer,” he admitted.

“As I understand your relentless drive to irritate your son, I will settle with a quarter per hour raise every time I’m forced to deal with that nonsense. You will need to concoct some form of proposal that would make me consider dealing with this insanity on a permanent basis, and you must get confirmation from my current employer he does not mind me being poached.”

“Calden, wrangle the woman. I’ll get on the phone with her boss. Do not let her escape. Do not let her leave your possession until she has a signed hiring contract. Toss her over your shoulder and cart her around the faction if needed.”

“No,” Calden replied. Instead, he pulled out his work cell, and dialed a number. “Daniel, I need a hiring contract for our temp. She will be my father’s executive secretary. She will be in my general custody until the paperwork is signed. We’re stealing her from the temp agency, so reach out to them that we will send a Hunter over to cover her work until they can acquire a replacement. Begin the process of bringing her into the faction, as she’s currently unaffiliated. If we can’t get a waiver to bring her in advance of the placements, set her up as though she belongs to us. Dad has her staying at one of his townhouses at the moment, so just use his address for the official paperwork in the interim. You can claim overtime for this, as my father needs an executive secretary who doesn’t run away at the first hint of trouble.”

At thirty an hour, I’d do a lot more than deal with Allasandro Stephans pulling pranks on his son. “This could have waited until tomorrow.”

“No,” both men informed me. A moment later, Calden said, “Sorry, Daniel. She tried to tell us this could wait. She has no idea how wrong she is.”

“I can’t be impartial in my report if I’m his executive secretary.”

“Just disclose everything,” Calden replied. “You can use the report as a method of complaining about my father’s tyrannical ways.”

I twitched. “I’m not sure that is how to approach this.”

“View it as a method of streamlining your report. As his executive secretary, there is little you won’t have access to,” Calden said.

“But why me?”

“You conquered thousands of invoices in a day. That’s why,” Calden replied. “You’ll just have to accept your promotion with grace. You’ve been doing secretary work for years. You’ll just be trying to tame the city-state’s most chaotic resident. Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

THIRTEEN

Imagine all the books you could buy with that.

I demanded the entire record of Calden’s kidnappings. In exchange, I agreed to sign a conditional agreement to work as Allasandro Stephans’s executive secretary. I needed to handle my report, but my boss at the temp firm agreed.

Working directly beneath Mr. Stephans would test my patience, but when my boss, now former boss, thought I would fit well with the Hunters, I stopped and listened.

If I worked to contain the chaos in the Hunters, I would get a better view of their operations. As I’d proven myself to have integrity, the other factions would believe my word. If anything, the change in position would add to the burden of my responsibilities, but I would get paid better for doing the work.

An unaffiliated only dreamed of earning thirty an hour.

The papers Calden’s father presented promised a quarter an hour of a raise every time he pulled a prank involving me in any fashion.

The only number missing was my hourly pay, which their human resources department worked to hammer out. “Smart people wouldn’t sign this without knowing how much they’re being paid to reside in bureaucratic hell,” I muttered.

“You should give her a raise for understanding she ventures deep into bureaucratic hell,” Calden stated.

“I don’t mind paying everyone more overtime until we have the number from the human resources department. They’re probably trying to recover from the shock of me deciding to poach someone from a temp firm. This does mean you get paid overtime for all your camping trips, too, no matter how few calls you have to field.”

Calden’s sly smile added a twinkle to his eyes. “Imagine all the books you could buy with that. Weeks upon weeks of overtime pay.” He picked up the papers and waved them at me. “If you sign now, I’ll make him give you an extra week of camping, and he’ll have to provide at least a hundred new books for you to read.” He took to swinging the pages in front of me back and forth. “Books and camping, Coraline. You can’t resist books and camping.”

Calden’s father grabbed a piece of paper, jotted something down, and signed it. He showed it to me.

The paper agreed to the additional terms Calden had suggested.

“Coercion,” I muttered, although I reached for the nearest pen. “Write a note allowing me to immediately negotiate for a raise if the fiscal compensation is not sufficient.”

He did as told and showed me the note, which I claimed and added to my pile.

My parents would scold me for hours when they found out, but I signed. “I’m going to miss free rent in a year.”

“I’m sure we can come up with a suitable arrangement for your rent in a year.” Before the ink had a chance to dry, Mr. Stephans claimed the sheets and grabbed his phone, stabbing at the keypad to connect a call. “Daniel, I have secured her agreement to put up with us and wrangle my paperwork. She has suckered a week of camping out of me, the right to negotiate if the salary is insufficient, and I personally owe her a collection of a hundred books as punishment for forcing her to sign a legal agreement of employment without seeing the salary. You can go home and finish the paperwork tomorrow, or you can attack the faction coffers more, whichever suits you. I recommend going home and claiming you worked an extra hour. Consider that to be penance for my bad behavior today. I’m going to force the children to leave now, although we shall be delivering the papers first.”

I took that as my cue to get ready to go, gathering my things and making sure I didn’t forget anything. “What have I done?”

“You agreed to be kidnapped, secured a week of extra camping with books for yourself, and resolved your financial woes in one fell swoop,” Calden informed me. “Your time as an unaffiliated counts as work experience for secretarial work, as you’ve been doing applicable work in the same field. If our copy of your resume is correct, you’ve filled in for numerous executive secretaries without issue.”

I had, although I hadn’t really thought much about the work. I’d done my job and left at the conclusion of my contract.

“Please don’t make me regret this,” I begged Calden’s father.

“You’ll be fine.”

* * *

After escorting Mr. Stephans back to his home, Calden herded me to his, asked me to sit in front of his fireplace, which he set up with a nice fire, and went to work paying out dinner. As promised, he ferried hot chocolate to me and left me to my reading.

Had the job offer promised frequent nights in front of a fireplace with a book and the quiet needed to enjoy it, I wouldn’t have even cared about the money. Time escaped me, and it took Calden waving his hand between my face and my book to catch my attention. “Dinner is ready.”

“How long did I leave you trying to get my attention?”

“About five minutes, which is fine, because the meat needed to rest before I could carve it. Now that it’s ready to be carved, I upgraded from laughing, calling your name, and clicking my tongue to get your attention to blocking your field of vision. I understand a lot better why you could manage on your budget. When you’re that enthralled with your book, you don’t need a huge entertainment budget, do you?”

“Not with good libraries around,” I replied, putting my digireader away. “I have a timer I use when reading at work, and I’ve trained myself to pay attention to that specific sound.”

“Clever.” Calden smiled. “I am sorry for interrupting your reading, and I even promise to get you up in time to get a shower and change if you happen to fall asleep while reading.”

“This is compensation for being coerced, isn’t it?”

He chuckled. “Just a little. Mostly, I owe you some quality reading time, and I’m making sure you get it.”

“That’s really kind of you. I do appreciate it. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now, come sit in the dining room, where you must be served dinner. Wine? Beer? Champagne? Something else? I have a good selection, as my father sometimes brings guests here, rather than his place.”

“Champagne?”

“We can make a toast to Earth, and I even have an actual bottle of Champagne. I brought it back from Earth, and it was waiting for a night like tonight. We’ll give Earth a toast. She deserves one.”

That she did. “But it’s so valuable.”

“It was made to be consumed. I’ll keep the bottle as a memento,” he replied. “For all its faults, Earth was a truly marvelous place. Having been there and witnessed parts of her decline, I marvel anyone made it off at all. The people always accepted their fate with good humor.”

“But some made it off.”

“Some did. Reports coming in from other worlds say at least a hundred million people escaped through the various portals.”

“That left so many to die,” I murmured.

Calden nodded. “And most of them perished before they got even the first portals opened. The volcanoes they didn’t expect to erupt did, and tsunamis wiped out many coastal regions. The high ground wasn’t safe, the low ground wasn’t safe, and those in the places between that got out were lucky. So very lucky.” He herded me to his dining room, where he had set up two places across from each other. “Our faction got lucky. We tend to go to the places between while on Earth. Very few from the other factions made it back. They got a few bodies, but that was it. And here I am ruining the mood.”

“You haven’t ruined anything,” I assured him, taking one of the seats. “If you need to talk about it, you should. I never really wanted to go to Earth. I didn’t like the idea I couldn’t turn back if I missed my family or friends. I like change, but I guess it was too much change with too few guarantees.”

“Going to Earth was hard. Had I realized how much I would miss my father, I wouldn’t have gone. Dad was accessible, in that we could comm with each other, but it wasn’t the same. But I went after my mother died. Dad thought the change of scenery would do me some good and distract me. I’m not sure what Dad did. He doesn’t talk about it much. I think he worked. That’s a Dad thing. He finds purpose in work. I’ll be right back with dinner and the Champagne.”

“Okay.” I set my digireader aside and wondered what had put Calden into such a somber mood. After a few moments of contemplation, I realized he likely hadn’t had the time to process Earth’s destruction and the loss of so many lives.

With more and more people recovering from the various illnesses tearing through Moonriver, he likely had the time to really think about everything that had happened. Talking would help, but it would take time to come to terms with the scale of tragedy we faced.

Calden returned, and he carried two plates loaded with steak, sweetroot, and corn, one of the Earth imports most loved but saved as a special treat due to its general scarcity.

I expected corn’s popularity to rise, although the few city-states with the ideal climate for its growth would need to expand, especially in the regions south of Moonriver. “Corn!”

“Your mother mentioned you like it, and one of the supply convoys brought in a ridiculous amount of corn to help the refugees settle and feel like they had something from home. We’re drowning in corn. The grocery stores are giving it away for free at this stage. We even have corn seeds for trying to grow it, which came from Earth. Dad’s going to try it in one of our fields to see if the Earth corn will grow here.” Calden set one of the plates in front of me, set the other in front of his seat, and retreated to the kitchen. He returned with a tray of sugar, cream, and butter so I could dress the sweetroots up as I liked along with the promised bottle of Champagne. He grimaced, pointed the bottle away from him, and popped the cork. It bounced off the ceiling, ricocheted against the wall, and came my way.

Snickering, I caught it and set it on the table. “I’m surprised you didn’t use a towel.”

“The last time I tried a kitchen cloth, I sent the cloth and the cork flying, which is far more embarrassing than sending just the cork off on an adventure.” Calden eyed the ceiling, which had a collection of cork divots. “I need to learn how to catch the cork.”

“Or accept the bang-pop and the addition of a new dent in your ceiling.” I picked up my Champagne flute and held it out his way. “Earth has left her mark on your ceiling now.”

“That she has. Do you know what’s going to happen if we drink this whole bottle?”

As the bottle was rather large, I foresaw hangovers in our future. “Hilarity, giggling, and possibly inappropriate conversation due to our state as mutually drunk.”

“I was going with hangover, but when presented that way, it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

“We’re celebrating how I took complete leave of my senses earlier today in the name of greed and ambition.” I waited for him to fill my flute before saluting him with it. “And I think I signed an agreement to join a faction after being one of the oldest holdouts in Moonriver.”

“You did, but we’ll make sure you’re given the variety you need. Had we advertised you could have animals in your office, would you have joined us sooner?”

I laughed, waited for him to sit with his filled flute, and replied, “I might have founded the Hunters myself had that been part of the pitch.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Calden stared into the bubbling, golden fluid, smiled, and lifted his Champagne my way. “To Earth, may she rest in peace until she rises from her ashes.”

“To Earth,” I echoed, tapping the glass to his.

* * *

Calden and I curled up on his couch, and he regaled me with the tales of his various kidnappings at the hands of his fellow faction members. His father had snatched him twice, slipping a low-grade sleeping pill into his lunches and running away with him to go on an unplanned camping trip. His expression, of tender affection, made me marvel he’d had the strength to leave his father for so long to venture to Earth.

I’d approached camping as a dream I would get to experience, something I wanted to do because it seemed fun.

Until that moment, sipping Champagne and giggling over his various misadventures, I realized camping was something far beyond just an escape from the city.

For Calden, it was a slice of his living heaven, a time he shared with his father and few others.

It amazed me that he wanted me to join such a special moment.

“My father is wily,” Calden warned me. “When he camps, he wants to spend an equal amount of time as a wolf. He enjoys warming feet and being treated like the ruler of the world.”

“Just remind him he doesn’t have enough time to rule the entire world. He has enough trouble making the time to rule Moonriver. Have you thought about running away?”

“More times than I can count, although I’ve only wandered off two or three times to try to camp without him hovering. Let’s just say he pitched a fit. His fits are far more dramatic when I’m doing the running rather than being kidnapped. Kidnappings make sense to him. Why would I run away? I obviously have everything I could ever possibly want right here.”

Obviously. “I’m fairly certain that my job, as a secretary, is to monitor and control his working hours. I’m sure we could come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. You should have work assigned to him when you need space, as if he is too busy to breathe, he obviously can’t bother you. When you wish for him to be available for your general amusement, that could be arranged.”

Calden snickered, and he grabbed the Champagne bottle and refilled our flutes. “After the quarantine lifts, I’d honestly be happy if he limited his overtime to no more than one or two hours a day unless there’s a legitimate emergency.”

I stared. “If there isn’t a legitimate emergency, the amount of overtime he will be working is zero.”

“Coraline, that would require a literal miracle. My father likes his work too much.”

“He won’t have time to do overtime with the number of dates he owes women around the world, so you let me worry about making sure he doesn’t do overtime, you worry about evaluating potential step-mothers for their quality. You can’t growl at all of the potential step-mothers, only the ones that are obviously not suitable for your father.”

“I feel like I’m being tricked.”

I giggled. “Yes, I am tricking you into making certain your father jumps back into the dating pool with decent women. I’m not convinced he has a good radar for the users and abusers.”

“He’s decent at it. He told me out of the gate Sarai wasn’t a good choice for me. I did not listen. I probably should have listened.”

“I’d say it was more of a two-way street on that one. She turned down a perfectly good meal!”

“While true, she’s a softy for the animals. Hunting really is not her specialty. She likes hunting money, not living things. Well, unless the living thing is a man with money, in which case she’s a proud and fierce huntress.”

I struggled to comprehend why someone like Sarai would become a Hunter. Then again, the instant I’d learned the Hunters were more inclined to care for animals than hunt them for pointless trophies, I’d gone from anti-Hunters to signing up for extra time spoiling needy animals. “Had I known the Hunters were animal-loving freaks who enjoyed hunting each other and money rather than trophy hunters, I probably wouldn’t have lasted long as an unaffiliated.”

“We do a lot more than care for animals in need, but yes. We do that on purpose. We’d just have animal lovers if we let people know how the Hunters actually work. We do host hunts, and sometimes, those hunts are for fugitives. We do have unsavory work we have to attend to.”

I hadn’t heard about that part. “What sort of fugitives?”

“Escaped murderers is our typical fare. We have to draw lots when we’re out after a serial rapist. We’re contacted by law enforcement around the world to deal with rapists terrorizing women in other city-states. Let’s just say we have issues with how many people want to get a piece of that pie. Rapists don’t tend to last long when we’re on the hunt for them. Most of the shapeshifters in our faction are wolves, and we’re generally inclined to want to heavily romance our women and men. It gets to the point where some couples get nagged at by everyone else to hurry it up already. Wolves are thorough.”

I took a sip of my Champagne before setting the flute aside, clapping my hands to my cheeks, and exclaiming, “Oh no, the Hunters are being threatened with romance. Whatever shall they do?”

“Be wined and dined, apparently. How dangerous.”

“The Hunters need to teach Legacy members about romance, apparently. Do you know what has happened every time I tried to date someone from Legacy?”

“A report on their prowess in scientific detail, with a comparison of historic sexual performances?”

I burst into giggles. “That would have at least shown some effort! Mine have all been ready to romance their books. And I like books, don’t mistake me, but I don’t want to romance my books. The book boyfriends are always taken, they have a set script, and they’re rather two-dimensional when it comes to bedtime.”

Calden snorted, and then he dissolved into giggles, too. “I can see how that would be problematic.”

“In good news, they never interrupt reading time for some reason.”

“I wonder why.”

I snickered. “It may forever remain a mystery.”

“As your family’s resident prankster, you haven’t had much in the way of incidents, have you? You’re the cause of the incidents.”

The thought of what my parents would do if there was an incident involving me disappearing amused me into laughing outright. “Mom and Dad would beyond freak. They’d turn the city upside down. They let me get into trouble until it became clear I couldn’t get myself out of the trouble I created. Then they’d become demon hover parents. I quickly learned to stick to the sort of trouble I can handle without their assistance. They will assist, and they will do so in terrifying fashions. For me. Actually, for everyone involved. My parents are nice until they’re crossed. Then, they’re no longer nice.”

“As you haven’t been stolen from the nest, what sort of trouble have you gotten into?”

“That I couldn’t handle? Very little. My brother, on the other hand, is a little troublemaker. He would go stay with friends without telling anyone and need a way home, things like that. Once, he got locked in a department store because they had a toy section, and he was playing with tester toys. That freaked them out to the point they invested in leashes for us. In the middle of the night, he finally tripped the security system at the store.”

“Okay, that would have freaked my Dad out, too. Nobody messed with me until after I reached eighteen for some reason.”

“Only an idiot crosses a papa wolf with a puppy,” I informed him.

“I suspect you are right. So, we have this lovely bottle of Champagne. We should play a game,” he announced.

“What sort of game?”

“Drink, Truth, or Dare.”

I eyed the Champagne bottle. “We don’t have nearly enough in that little bottle for that game, Calden.”

“I have a lovely variety of sparkling wines we can explore should we drink our way to catastrophically intoxicated dodging truths or dares.”

I lifted my glass to him in salute. “Are we taking sips like dignified people or are we downing the whole glass when we fail to speak the truth or do the dare?”

“Half the glass must go down the hatch,” he replied.

As the flutes weren’t that large, we might survive the evening. “Game on. Can the dare be claiming weeks of camping time?”

“If you’d like.”

“I like this game already. You can go first.”

“Pick your poison, Miss Patten.”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to invite Sarai to lunch tomorrow. I’ll pay for it, but if I don’t get a break, I will go mad.”

I laughed at his underhanded method of buying himself peace. “Okay. I’ll ask her out to lunch tomorrow. It can’t be that bad, can it?”

“It can be that bad. If she hasn’t gotten the hugging out of her system, she will hug you to a near death state.”

I didn’t mind hugs, but being hugged to death was on the list of ways I didn’t want to die, especially when I didn’t even like the hugger. “If I’m hugged to death, I’m haunting you. Your turn to pick your poison.”

“Truth.”

Interesting. He wanted to play hardball. I eyed him, debating how best to wrangle interesting tidbits out of him or make him lose through being forced to take a drink. “What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?”

“A woman wanted to go to a bar and a show. The show was burlesque, and the bar was meant for swingers. I don’t swing. I don’t share my partner, so let’s just say I spent a very uncomfortable few hours, as there was a great deal of interest for both of us at the club. I ended up leaving early. I told her it wasn’t my scene, offered to pay the bill, and went home. She was disappointed, but she admitted she should have asked me first. She had made some assumptions about Hunters. Some Hunters do like the nightlife and multiple partners, but I’m not one of them.”

I could work with a dedicated partner; I had plenty of friends who enjoyed swinging, as they viewed variety as the spice of life, but I generally stuck to the straight and narrow. I would change partners often, but there was never any doubt of my status.

I could barely handle one man at a time. Two would break me.

“That is not something I would like,” I admitted. “I’m the jealous kind.”

“You hardly seem jealous to me.”

“I am when I’m dating a man. When I catch a man, that man is mine, and I’m not sharing him!”

Calden snickered and lifted his glass in a toast. “Catching a man must be a lot of work, then.”

“Most run when they find out they have to compete with my reading and hunting habits.”

“That’s absurd. Smart men know reading time is quiet time, which can be spent also reading.”

“See? You understand the need for quiet time. Quiet time is sacred.”

“Which will you choose now? Truth or dare?”

As dare might end up with me serving as a living shield against the various irritated women in Calden’s life, I said, “Truth, please.”

“You are in the forest, and you are alone with a wolf. What do you do?”

I snorted, as I lost my base common sense around fluffy predators. “Obviously get eaten, because I would pet the wolf. I have at least fifty-fifty odds of the wolf being a shapeshifter, so I might survive, which would make the risk worth my while. This is how it ends for me, devoured by a wolf in the forest.” I knocked back the rest of my Champagne and held the glass out for him to refill. “I deserve to drink because that’s how dumb I can get around animals. I can’t even blame your father for trying to take a nap with the lions. I’m worse. That’s going to be my fate, Calden, eaten by a wolf.”

Calden snickered, poured me more Champagne, and replied, “I will make sure you get sufficient time petting a wolf when we go camping, and I’ll even fight with my father over it.”

“But will the wolf serve as a pillow while I read?”

“As I’m a far superior wolf compared to my father, I will. He’d insist you turn the pages for him at his leisure. I am smart enough to have acquired a digireader with buttons I can press with a claw. That way, I can serve as a pillow and read.”

“Your father just wants someone to do the work for him.”

“He requires a great deal of attention.”

That I could believe. “What’s your poison?”

“I think I will be brave and select dare.”

“Take your shirt off?”

He laughed. “It was supposed to be a statement rather than a question.”

“I would need at least another bottle of something before I enter statement versus question territory. This is coming from a person notorious about not kissing on the first date. I’m such a sour grape nowadays a guy is lucky to get anything on the third date.”

“You’re hardly sour, Coraline. You just don’t want to be used as some boy’s toy. That’s perfectly reasonable.” Calden set his Champagne aside and went to work freeing himself from his button up. “Personally, I think it’s smart you’re taking advantage of the opportunity to view the wares. You can then decide if my chest might warrant the potential risks involved with going on a date with me.”

“At the very least, I will have a far better understanding of why women stoop to kidnapping you? I mean, your face is certainly worth looking at, but perhaps it’s your chest that has their attention.”

Calden laughed. “You’ve seen me without my shirt before.”

“But that was at work. I’m not allowed to openly admire the co-workers. And anyway, if your chest is that nice, I’ll just invite you to go swimming.”

“The next time you dare to dare, I will be requesting that you change into a bikini so I can have an equal opportunity.”

I drank more of my Champagne to fortify myself against the truth. “I only own one piece suits. I never really considered myself to be bikini material.”

“You’re bikini material.”

I raised a brow, as he spoke without even a hint of hesitation. Puzzled, I stared down at my chest. “Do you think so?”

“I know so. But if you’re not comfortable with a bikini, a one piece, halter top, or anything form fitting seems fair. I’m patient.”

Patient for what? To see me without a shirt? I laughed at the thought of him seeing my bra. “You’re getting the short end of that stick. I found bras that match my kitten panties, and they have bows, too. Not only are they kitten print with tiny bows, they’re comfortable.”

“You are the first woman I’ve ever met to claim there is such a thing as a comfortable bra.”

“No bra is definitely better than an uncomfortable bra, and a comfortable bra is magical, especially when it gets to come off for the night.”

“When do women typically escape those torture devices? Because however lovely they look on women, they certainly don’t seem all that comfortable. The red marks on the shoulders always look to be painful?”

“Ah. Badly fitted bras can do that. Or if she has large breasts with a bra that has narrow straps. That’s a combination for trouble. I’m fortunate. I am at the large end of sizes they’ll make pretty bras for, although I have to order early or lose out. Or order custom bras. And let me tell you, I’m too cheap to buy a custom bra.”

It occurred to me that I discussed my underwear with the most eligible bachelor in the city-state. As I’d already made a fool of myself, I took my flute, drank it down, and grabbed the bottle. “We are now in split-this-Champagne territory. I’m a giggler after I’ve had enough, so if you think I need to stop drinking, just start cracking jokes. I’ll laugh until I pass out.”

“Why wouldn’t I start telling jokes? That sounds like a good time.”

I grinned at him, wondering where our misadventure with Champagne would go. “The winner gets the last laugh. Literally. And well, will either of us actually lose this way?”

“Beyond sleep and possibly a day at work? Not really.” With a wicked smile, he said, “My father has an unreasonable hatred of most berries. Cherries are a berry, and they can be hidden in brownies. You can also hide many types of berries in chocolate. He’s not allergic. He especially hates it when I trick him and he likes the berries.”

“That is pure evil. That is the sort of pure evil we can exploit when he needs to be put back in his place. Were you looking for an accomplice? Because that is how you acquire an accomplice.”

He refilled our glasses. “As a matter of fact, I was looking for an accomplice. How many ways do you think we can get away with torturing my father with berries?”

“Get a pen, some paper, and more wine so we can find out.”

FOURTEEN

It’s delicious blasphemy.

After three bottles of wine, it came as no surprise that I failed to find my way to a bed. Had Calden’s father not come over to find out why we weren’t at work, we might have started implementing a few of our coherent plans to torment the man.

Instead, he snickered and read off some of the more creative entries to torture us while we suffered from hangovers.

Somehow, we’d remembered to feed the bunnies, although we’d given Calden’s furry friends too much food, resulting in a mess we needed to clean up. While hungover.

As Calden had somehow acquired blankets and brought them to the couch, I burrowed beneath mine, groaned, and wished my new boss would go away and leave us to our penance.

“Spiking my coffee with black currant is just evil, I hope you know. I left you two unsupervised for one evening, and you two got drunk and tried to concoct ways to make me consume black currants?” He referenced the pages we’d jotted down. “I’m grateful one of you has illegible writing when drunk, as I’m sure this would be ten times worse could this monstrosity be translated.”

I eyed the collection of six bottles, wondering which of the three I’d been responsible for consuming. I ultimately pointed at the Champagne, which Calden had put off to the side. “Blame that.”

“While I’m sure the alcohol helped you decide to cut loose for a while, why did you have to scheme about berries?”

I turned my finger to Calden. “That’s on him, although I’m pretty sure I masterminded at least two thirds of those ideas.”

“Now, that I believe. Anything else you’d like to tell me?”

“Raspberry syrup in coffee is great.”

“No, it’s blasphemy.”

“But it’s delicious blasphemy.” Despite the hangover, I grinned. “You’re just mad we had a good time scheming against you.”

Calden’s father rolled his eyes. “I’m not upset over that at all, actually. I’m more upset I expected certain people to show up at work, leaving everyone to worry, as the certain people in question are known to be responsible, timely individuals.”

“Awww, Calden, you worried your daddy.”

Calden grinned at me. “I’m sure your parents would be worried if Dad told them you didn’t show up for work.”

“They’d ask if the time was worth the consequences.”

“Was it?”

“I’m hungover. Ask me after I’m not hungover, please.”

Calden laughed. “I’m hungover, too. Dad, we’re hungover. Can you make us some tea before you go back to work and complain about my cruel ways, please?”

“I’ll make you tea, but I’ll make it at work, where I need you both for various tasks. Next time, you’ll plan your drinking for when you’re not expected at work.”

“I’m sick, possibly dying. Come back tomorrow,” I muttered, hiding under the covers and doing my best to burrow between the couch cushions. “I’m going to need a lot more than some tea to become functional.”

“I’m not that bad off,” Calden confessed. “But I also didn’t have four bottles of wine and half a bottle of Champagne.”

“Didn’t I have three?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Damn. “Apparently, I don’t remember anything after the third bottle. Did I have a good time?”

“Judging from the amount of giggling, you had a blast. Are we fired, Dad?”

“Maybe you, but I need my new secretary to come in and sign papers confirming she’s my new secretary. HR finished putting together the offer. I’d like you to help finalize the hunt plans. We’re scheduled to start in a week, as the artisans and crafters are all ahead of schedule. They got bored while in quarantine, so they advanced our timeline. There’s no reason not to start the day after the quarantine officially lifts.”

“They’re lifting the quarantine? Isn’t it early?”

“Vaccinations are done in the nearest city-states, and there will be some limited travel restrictions, but the basic quarantine lifts next week,” Calden’s father informed us. “As such, we have a lot of work to get done. I have a tentative schedule drawn up with your participation, Coraline. Calden, I want you to sanity check it. I suspect Coraline will attempt to do too much, especially during her first hunt. I’ve also arranged for the basic DNA test and the waiver. Neither of her parents or her brother have the faulty gene, so I am not expecting a problem, but the rules are the rules.”

“Ah, you want her to go into the office for the blood test.”

“I do. We’ll have the results an hour after the draw.”

After what had happened to Calden’s mother, I couldn’t justify pushing off the test.

Trauma didn’t mystically fade overnight, and not without help.

“I’m going to need a shower, a change of clothes, and something for this headache,” I replied, heaving a sigh. “And we should care for the bunnies.”

“I’ll take care of the bunnies,” Calden’s father announced. “I’ll even make tea so you two can get functional. I’m sure Calden has something here you can wear, just shower upstairs. That might save a few minutes.”

Calden snorted. “I don’t think she’d appreciate wearing my sweats, Dad.”

“Well, she certainly won’t appreciate smelling like she took a bath in wine.”

I emerged from the blanket, got up, and went on a hunt for my purse, and once I found it, I gave Calden’s father the keys. “You can pick my clothes. I’m sure you can figure out where things are at.”

He sighed. “I’m going to ask your parents why they thought having two children was a good idea. I can barely handle the one I have, yet they went in for two.”

“Lapse of common sense,” I replied.

“That’s probably the right answer. Try to make yourselves somewhat presentable while I’m gone.” Heaving a sigh, Calden’s father left with my keys.

“I’m not sure I really feel like mistakes were made,” I admitted. “Beyond not drinking enough water after the wine.”

“Or any water after the wine.”

“How many kittens do you think he had when we didn’t show up for work?”

“At least twenty or thirty, possibly even forty. I haven’t done something like that since my early twenties.”

I bowed my head and laughed. “I’ve never done something like that.”

“We’ll just have to tell my father you were enjoying a single night of freedom before joining the Hunters and having your first job as a member of a faction. You were celebrating, and it’s his fault he didn’t think you needed a chance to celebrate. Go take a shower, and I’ll get some tea started and take care of the bunnies. They definitely made a mess, and they won’t be happy if I leave it like that.”

“I’ll help when I’m finished,” I promised, sniffing at my arm. “I definitely smell like I’ve gone on some form of bar dive.”

“I’ll go shower after the bunnies are taken care of, as I’m not a big fan of smelling like day old wine.”

“On that we’re agreed. Obviously, the solution to this problem is to make sure we drink a lot of water and shower first thing after any drinking,” I announced.

“Or maybe we stick to the hot chocolate and reading plan. That plan is a lot safer for our heads.” Calden wrinkled his nose and headed off to attend to his bunnies, leaving me to navigate through the house to the upstairs guest bathroom, which I claimed as my domain.

Thanks to the hangover, I stayed in the shower longer than normal. The heat did little for the headache, and I decided Calden had the right idea.

Hot chocolate and reading would never betray us. Wine? Champagne?

Treacherous, delicious temptations. However treacherous, delicious, and tempting, I’d managed through an entire drunken evening without doing anything more sinister than asking Calden to remove his shirt. The view would haunt me, especially when I thought about how certain outside parties wanted me to pursue the man. The way I figured it, if Calden wanted to be pursued, he would ask.

Until then, I would pursue something better than just a date.

Hot chocolate and reading topped the list but having someone sensible to talk to came a close second.

We’d occupied the same space for more than a few hours without me wanting to make an escape plan, a rarity in the past few years. Ten years ago, had someone told me I would crave someone to talk to rather than date, I would have laughed before heading out to find a new partner, one that wouldn’t annoy me after ten minutes.

After dressing in one of Calden’s bathrobes, I wandered downstairs to discover father and son engaging in a glaring contest in the kitchen. The subject of the battle appeared to be two tea pots and a steaming kettle along with a variety of teas. Ignoring the posturing men, I investigated the selection, selected a spiced black tea, and took over ownership of a blue tea pot, plunking two of the tea bags in and adding hot water.

Staring didn’t make the tea steep faster, and my wine-befuddled brain couldn’t remember where the mugs lived.

The provider of warm beverages grinned at me.

“Problem?” he asked.

“I think I need a mug,” I admitted. After a moment of thought, I shrugged. “I can drink right out of the pot if needed.”

“That level of hangover is not a good time,” he said, and he pulled down a mug from his cabinet. “I’m not nearly as bad as she is, Dad, so why don’t you head back to work, inform them we were assaulted by several bottles of alcoholic beverages during a lapse in maturity and common sense, and that we’ll show up by the end of the day to sign papers. Bring the doctor with the testing kit here. If the doctor can’t handle two hungover people playing with bunnies, they’re not qualified to check DNA results.”

Calden’s father heaved a sigh. “You did this to force me to take a half day off, didn’t you? The one can’t figure out how to operate mugs, and you? Don’t get me started about you.”

“It’s true. It’s impressive I didn’t drown while trying to shower away my hangover. Can this be a life lesson moment? I’ve never done this before, and I officially do not understand why some do this fairly frequently. This is miserable.” I checked the tea, determined it to be sufficiently steeped, and filled my mug. I checked its temperature, concluded I wouldn’t burn myself if I guzzled it, and emptied the entire pot in record time. “I’m going to need at least ten of these if you want me functional, Mr. Stephans. I’d blame Calden, but I was an equal player in making sure none of the Champagne went to waste. And after that? Common sense left the building.”

“And knowing my son, he wanted to toast you to welcome you to the faction.”

I eyed Calden. “Yesterday is fuzzy. Is that what happened?”

He laughed. “Approximately. It’ll be fine. Dad’s just upset I didn’t notify him in advance we were popping bottles. Of course, in my initial plan, we would have stopped after the Champagne, but my plan quickly went off the rails.”

“It’s an alcohol thing. We should know better, but in the moment, we never know better. We should make certain we don’t play with the alcohol on work nights. That will resolve the vast majority of the problems.”

“A glass with dinner, as long as it’s a bottle we can stopper, isn’t all that dangerous. It’s the sparkling stuff that gets me in trouble,” Calden admitted. “I can’t stand once it goes flat, and I hate wasting something I bought.”

I nodded, as I tended to make sure the entire bottle of sparkling wine vanished without a trace.

I refused to regret my first and last taste of Champagne, as I doubted another bottle would cross my path. The bottle would change my relationship with sparkling wines, too.

Every time I popped a cork, I would remember the origin of the drink and the planet’s sad fate. The years would make the memories easier to carry, but I would remember all the same.

Once upon a time, someone in my family had been born on Earth before venturing through the stars to find a new home. However removed, Earth was part of my history.

In some ways, the planet’s loss made me regret having been unwilling to venture off my world to see other places.

Then again, had I waited until adulthood to make the decision to go, I might have been one of the many killed in the planet’s final moments.

“A dollar for your thoughts?” Calden asked. “Your expression leads me to believe a penny isn’t going to foot the bill.”

“I was just thinking about Earth.” As one pot of tea had restored me enough to function, I went to work heating the kettle. “What kind of tea do you want, Calden? I am confident I can now handle this basic task.”

He pointed at a blue wrapped tea, which informed me he desired some form of breakfast tea. “That’s my go-to for hangovers, although it’s been a while since I’ve had any. It’s strong enough I can taste it but it doesn’t give me the jitters like coffee does. The last thing I need when hungover? The jitters.”

Calden’s father sighed. “Your clothes are in the living room, Coraline. I will go back to the office and notify everyone you were both charmed by the bunnies and they coerced you into having adult beverages due to their wretched cuteness. I can’t believe you brought those wretchedly cute things into your home, Calden. Now I’m forced to admit I like them. You’re a terrible son. I’ll be back with the doctor for the DNA test, so don’t get into trouble without me. You’ve reached your threshold of trouble for the day.”

Once his father left, Calden snickered and said, “He’s freaking out because you’ve been spending time with me. In some ways, I’ve handled my mother’s death better than he has. He does this every time we have someone who is around us contagious wolves and he doesn’t know if the person has the gene mutation.”

“I can’t blame him for that.”

“I don’t, but it’s gotten to the point I find it to be funny. Dad’s been working hard at developing gene manipulation sciences with the other factions to fix the gene in question, and there’s plenty of evidence the gene therapy experiment is working. He’s worked himself up for nothing.”

“You’re not worried about it?”

“Not particularly. Nobody in your family line has the mutated gene, and we are around your parents all the time. Despite close proximity, neither of them are demonstrating any signs of shapeshifting. They interact with us often enough Dad worried about them, so he begged for them to get tested. Then, because he’s a worry wart, he follows them around once a year to have another test done in case they start showing signs of shapeshifting. Your family has robust genetics in terms of shapeshifting. Your father has been really helpful with my father’s research, as the preliminary tests indicate everyone shouldn’t have issues with the first shift.”

Ah. I counted as safe to be around. “In any case, I don’t mind being tested. Wolves eat rabbits, and as such, I do not have a problem with being around wolves. I’m going to have a problem if the wolf I’m around isn’t a shapeshifter, however. I was not joking. If a wolf is in the woods, I will try to pet it.”

“There are going to be a lot of wolves out at the upcoming hunt, Coraline. You should not try to pet them during the hunt.”

“But why not? If I’m caught by a wolf, I should be compensated for my defeat. Petting a wolf seems like acceptable compensation.”

According to Calden’s expression, he worried about the lengths I would go to pet a wolf.

I didn’t blame him.

When the kettle provided sufficiently heated water, I filled both tea pots and grinned at him. “You’re now worried I will go to all lengths to pet wild animals.”

“Yes, I am.”

“Are the other Hunters wild animals?”

“Absolutely. They are dangerous wild animals, and you should run away from them during the hunt,” he replied in a serious tone, although his mouth twitched as he fought to hide a smile.

“Are there any other animals besides wolves in the Hunters?”

“There are at least thirty different shapeshifting species in our faction. There are members with other genetic variability, but they aren’t shifting yet. They’re carriers until they mature their gene so they can shapeshift. Some people are born like that. Your family is blank. You’re not born with the genetic potential to shapeshift without exposure to someone else’s genetics. There are those who have the genetics in place, but also require exposure to shapeshifters to awaken their inherited abilities.”

Curiosity ate away at me, and I checked the tea to make sure it had finished brewing before serving us both. “What’s the coolest species of shapeshifter in the faction?”

“Wolf, of course.”

I laughed. Right. Of course. Silly me. “Rarest?”

“We have a unicorn.”

My eyes widened. “The Hunters have a unicorn?”

“We have a unicorn.”

“Like a horse with a horn?”

“He’s even white. His hooves are cloven, he doesn’t have a lion’s tail, and the horn is meant for dispatching prey rather than protection. He is an omnivore disguised as a horse. We think the species hid among wild horses, protecting the herd and eating the predatory species that bothered their herd mates. He doesn’t tend to view horses as dinner, and he keeps wanting to find out if wolves taste as good as we look.”

“Oh. And his view of humans?”

“Men are snacks. Women are delectable treats to be savored, but he’s really picky about the women he’ll date. He plays for keeps, unlike horse stallions, who will sleep with anyone moving and consenting basically. We have a few horse shapeshifters, and they’re the players of our faction.”

“So, unicorns are dating material, horses are studs for a good time and little else?”

Calden bowed his head, and his shoulders shook with his laughter. “Pretty much.”

“What other interesting species are there?”

“Wolves.”

I giggled. “I see you believe wolves are the most interesting and beautiful of shifter species.”

“Wolves are the most interesting and beautiful of shifter species. I am far superior than my father, who is a boring gray wolf. I am not a boring wolf.”

“What color are you, then?”

“I am obviously slightly tarnished silver, shining in my magnificence,” he informed me in a solemn tone.

“So you’re a gray wolf who is not boring.”

“I seem to have inherited a significant amount of gray in my fur, and I am never boring.”

I nodded. “You obviously can’t be boring. You enjoy reading books, you don’t mind when I’m reading books, and you like hunting rabbits almost as much as I do.”

“I am sorry we are both having a rough morning, though. I should have at least tried to get us to drink some water before we passed out.”

“Calden, we literally passed out. On your couch. Frankly, we’re lucky we didn’t get sick from that much wine. I deserve the pain I’m in. Even if there were medications for hangovers, I don’t deserve to take it because I was an idiot. I’m all right with that. I won’t be repeating this form of idiocy, though. Once was enough.”

“It’s been long enough I forgot how bad it hurts the next morning,” he admitted. “I’ll do my best to remember how bad the consequences are. That way, we can make an informed decision. Do we really, really want to spend those hours giggling on the couch and miss work the next day?”

“The giggling part was fun, but the headache is not something I want to repeat.” As hydration would help more than anything else, I guzzled my tea, gasping between chugs, and kept refilling my mug until the pot had nothing left to give.

Then I went back to work boiling more water.

Unlike me, Calden took his time with his drink. “You’re going to float away if you drink tea at that rate.”

“I’d rather float than keep the headache around any longer than necessary. However much I say I deserve this, I am annoyed I’m paying penance for a good time.”

“We can try the same general activity without alcohol. Of course, if we end up on the couch laughing until the early morning, we still might run into problems at work, but at least we won’t be suffering from hangovers while dealing with being tired.”

“Being tired is one thing. Being tired and hungover? A completely different story.”

While Calden took longer drinking his tea, he managed to empty his pot by the time the kettle boiled for another round. “Maybe we should just boil a regular pot full of water, toss in some regular tea bags, and ladle it out. Maybe that’ll work.”

“It would at least save us from having to refill the kettle so often.” He dug out a stock pot, plunked it beside the sink, and used his extending faucet to fill it up. “We can ice whatever we don’t drink right away so we might recover sometime this week.”

We settled in to watch the water boil, and before it finished, Calden’s father returned. He investigated what we were doing and burst into laughter. “Are you two seriously trying to make an entire soup pot full of tea?”

“Yes,” we chorused.

“How many bottles did you two drink?”

“About three too many,” Calden admitted. “I have certain regrets right now.”

“I bet you do, boy. Try to get ready to go to work while Coraline is DNA tested. I’m sure you have some travel mugs you can fill with your tea. We have tea at the office, so you’ll survive.”

“I’m not sure at this point.” Calden sighed, and he sniffed at his forearm. “I could use a second shower. I am not going to work still smelling of wine.”

“You’re going to need a lot more than a single shower and some cologne to fix that problem, but good luck.”

Narrowing my eyes, I sniffed my forearm, too. Sure enough, the distinct scent of having indulged in alcohol wafted off me.

Gross.

“Do the blood test or whatever it is, but I need to take two or three more showers to get this funk off, too.”

“It won’t take but a few moments,” he promised. He left the kitchen, returning a few moments later with one of the Legacy research doctors.

I’d filled in for his secretary a few times. “Oh, Dr. Morriks. How are you doing?”

“Better than you, apparently. Good call on the tea, but make sure you drink some regular water, too. Since I need to steal some of your blood anyway, I’ll do your antibody test and make sure you’re covered for all the various bugs going around. As you’ll have exposure to the Stephans, I’ll also be vaccinating you for interplanetary travel. While Allasandro doesn’t leave the planet often, he sometimes does, which means those who are in close proximity to him are better off vaccinated. On such trips, he usually doesn’t have to quarantine for long, but it’s a safety measure. He avoids interacting with the unvaccinated shortly after his return.”

“Sure, that’s no problem. View my ready acceptance of being poked with more needles as my apology for not showing up at work this morning?”

Calden’s father laughed. “No apology is needed, Coraline. Calden was overdue for making a fuss and missing work, and it comes as no surprise he brought you down to his level in the process.”

“Hey,” Calden complained. “I’m not that bad, and I didn’t bring her down to any level.”

“Go take your shower and leave us to our medical things,” Calden’s father ordered. “Shoo. Take at least thirty minutes, and scrub like you mean it. I don’t want to be catching hints of that stench all day.”

Calden obeyed, and I snickered at his hasty retreat. “I think it’s safe to say we’ve learned our lesson.”

“For a little while, at least. Let’s get you tested, then you can take another shower and we can go to work to handle the rest of the paperwork. I’ll even make arrangements for lunch so you two don’t starve or try to sustain yourselves solely on tea. I might be old now, but I remember being young, and it took me at least twenty such hangovers to learn my lesson. If you learn from one, I’ll be impressed.”

FIFTEEN

It’s a suit. You’re dressed just fine.

It took at least half an hour of scrubbing to rid myself of the scent of overindulgence, and by the time I emerged from the shower, wearing one of my slinkier black dresses, my headache eased to a nuisance I could work through. I questioned the dress, although when I thought about it, I realized the dresses were the easiest to locate in my bedroom.

Most of my wardrobe lived in boxes while I moved into Calden’s home to enjoy hot chocolate service, his fireplace, and copious amounts of reading time. I placed the blame on myself, hoped the outfit stayed on the correct side of the decency line, and double checked I wasn’t showing off anything inappropriate.

While slinky, the dress covered the important bits, which would have to do.

When I came downstairs, Calden’s brows shot up towards his hair line. “I figured my father had done something nefarious, but I hadn’t thought he’d dress you in formal attire.” He regarded his suit with a frown. “I’m underdressed now, Dad.”

“It’s a suit. You’re dressed just fine,” Calden’s father replied. “It was the first dress I could find with a pair of matching shoes in your closet, Coraline.”

Ah. Mystery solved. Calden’s father had some understanding of how women’s clothing worked. “Thank you for bringing it over. I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. The initial DNA results are completed. You’re negative for the gene mutation, which is good. He spotted some genetic flags he wants to look into, but nothing serious.”

“What sort of not serious are we talking about? Predisposed for cancer but lacking cancer not serious or I’m slowly decaying to a husk due to some genetic curse not serious?”

Allasandro Stephans stared at me as though I’d lost my mind. “Checking up on your progress on your general shapeshifter genes and exposure levels to shapeshifters not serious. You are not decaying away to some husk due to a genetic curse. Although if you were, I’m sure he’d tell you. He wants to compare your genetics against your parents and brother to see if he can identify any differences in terms of shapeshifting progression.”

Interesting. “Because I’m joining the faction, he wants to see if he can catch the progression of my genetics as the shapeshifting virus alters my DNA?”

“It’s not really a virus, but that’s close enough. You can’t become a shapeshifter solely from being exposed to a shapeshifter’s blood, for example. Calden could give you several pints of his blood, and that would not influence whether or not you become a shifter. Infection occurs due to magical interferences. Legacy is attempting to crack the genes that allow for this process to happen. So far, they’re not having much luck, as the magic part of the equation is heavily screwing with the science.”

I laughed. “How dare that pesky magic interfere with the science, Mr. Stephans. Nothing is wrong with me beyond this hangover, then?”

“Not that he could tell with his base kit. Of course, he’s going to be doing a thorough analysis in his lab, but if he does discover anything, he will take care of notifying you directly. We have the information we need to formalize your entry into the Hunters.” My new boss eyed his son. “Don’t you even think about changing your suit. You’re both fine. I have papers I need you both to sign, so get a move on. Just be grateful I’m driving you in, as it’d be rude to ask Coraline to try to walk that far in those shoes and that dress.”

The shoes in question, black kitten heels I could walk for miles in, waited by the door. Rather than tell him I’d locked the torture devices in a box around the same time I’d stopped dressing to find a date, I thanked him.

Calden continued to grumble about being underdressed, but he didn’t flee to change his clothes. Instead, he checked on his bunnies, showered them with love, and made certain they wouldn’t be escaping their play pen while we weren’t home. “I’m getting a monitoring system so I can watch them from work.”

I couldn’t blame him. Since bringing them home, Latte had worked her furry butt off to charm her new owner, and Espresso had warmed up, approaching to get her share of attention. I gave it two weeks before she needed love else she would run a high risk of perishing from sadness.

One ridiculously short car ride later, Calden’s father herded us to his office, where we received a minor scolding for our truant ways. Calden took the brunt of his father’s displeasure, which boiled down to an accusation of him attempting to steal me, his new and prized executive secretary.

Mrs. Gemma Ericks, the ruler over Human Resources, took a turn scolding Mr. Stephans for forgetting people typically celebrated and that the transition time between work generally took two weeks. She went on to request that if he could stop being impatient, she would appreciate it.

“I think Mrs. Ericks won,” I whispered to Calden.

“I think my father would go mad within two weeks of having no one dedicated to conquering his chaos. I don’t know how he lasted this long.”

“My report is going to boil down to hire extra help, some serious concerns over his workaholic tendencies, and some questionable decisions regarding chocolate and broccoli. I think the deepest scandal I’ve seen here so far is my lack of tea today.”

Calden snorted. “You’re not going to find much scandal, but please do try, and when you find some, report it to my father so he can handle it. We have strict rules about conduct in the Hunters.”

“Mrs. Ericks, may I please have a copy of the employee conduct rules when you have a moment?”

My question interrupted the squabble between the ruler of Moonriver and the woman determined to put him back in his lowly place, and Mrs. Ericks grinned at me. “Of course. It’s part of your packet. Had he been following our unofficial rules, you would have been given three days to read over everything, sign your papers, and otherwise prepare to transition. I’ll admit he does need the help, and delaying would create some issues, but you do get the next two days to read through the paperwork before signing your soul away.”

“It’s true,” Calden’s father added. “Please don’t abandon me to the other wolves, Coraline. You conquered the mountain the accounting department fears.”

“I’m going to need my computer, papers, and a place to work. That mountain isn’t fully conquered yet, and I don’t want those invoices to somehow breed. I’ll read the rules and regulations instead of babysitting the printers as often, though.” I’d also be taking the papers home, as I wanted to be able to handle my investigation sensibly. “Are you sure hiring me as your secretary isn’t going to cause a problem with the report?”

“I already notified the other faction leaders, and all of them gave approval for the report to remain in your care. No one has any reason to question your ethics or integrity.”

I had worked hard to maintain my reputation, so I nodded. “I only work overtime when it’s critical, and I will be checking to make certain what you’re doing is actually critical if you want to stay late,” I warned him.

“It’s a miracle,” Mrs. Ericks muttered. “Give her a raise, Allasandro. She’s already earned it.”

“She’s making me give her a quarter an hour raise every time I prank Calden and she’s hit with the crossfire.”

“That was a good way to get a nice raise every year,” Mrs. Ericks replied. “Well done. Daniel gave me the preliminary information, and this should suffice as an introductory offer, but we’re scheduling a salary negotiation a month from now, Coraline. You’ll have a better idea of the work involved and what is a fair rate for the work. I recommend asking Calden for guidance, as he has experience negotiating salaries outside of the Hunters.”

“I’m happy to help you,” Calden confirmed.

My stomach chose that moment to growl, loud enough to catch the attention of everyone.

“And that is my cue to feed the hungover children and make sure they have their tea, else the whining will be most severe. Have someone in the tech department take care of moving everything into her new office. Make arrangements for her to have a supply of hummingbird feeders and nests. They will follow her, even if it means they have to cross the entire floor to do so. They’ve been charmed.”

“No, I’ve been charmed. I must do their bidding,” I replied.

“There has been mutual charming involved. You may as well find out if we have any more of those exotic birds requiring a larger habitat without a caretaker. Her new office has sufficient space for such a habitat, and that will lessen the blow of having had her cheetahs confiscated.”

“How exotic are we talking about?” I asked.

“Some talk, some eat meat, some are just feathered assholes with attitude problems. I’m sure we’ll have something entertaining in your office soon enough, set up in such a way they won’t bother your hummingbirds. Calden, show her to her new office while I figure out what I’m feeding you.”

“Just no prank brownies today, please,” Calden begged.

“I’ll take mercy on you, but only this once.”

* * *

The office Calden took me to had enough room for four people to fit comfortably, and it had an entire closet dedicated to file storage. A quick peek inside one of the many cabinets revealed empty space. “How long has this office been empty?”

“Years. Dad makes Hunters dust it and clean it when they’ve screwed something up. I expect that tradition will continue, as he does it for all the large offices. It’s a light slap on the wrist that gives the employee something useful to do while also suggesting attitudes should be adjusted. Don’t be surprised if Dad makes me clean your office whenever I step out of line. He will even wait until I’m in my best suit to do it, too.”

I couldn’t tell if Calden harbored some wishful thinking or if his father liked making him pay for dry cleaning. “I will work hard to avoid having to clean offices. That is not my idea of a good time. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve filled in for janitorial staff often enough. I can do a great job cleaning. I just do not like having to clean at work. Cleaning at home is bad enough.”

He nodded, prowling around the office space and eyeing the blank walls. “Yeah, Dad is right about the size being fine for some of the larger birds. You’d have to take them out to the aviary or to one of the playrooms to let them fly around every day, but caretakers are paid extra to care for our feathered, furred, and scaled charges. We’re being saddled with most of the displaced animals that can’t be released, and we’ve had inquiries from other rescue planets about taking some of their animals from Earth. It’s going to be an interesting few weeks.”

“Oh! Is that part of why I need to be vaccinated?”

“Yes. Dad always meets the delegations at the spaceport, and while he tries to quarantine whenever possible, those near him need to be vaccinated. It helps prevent any diseases from spreading. While rare, we’ll lock down our floor if we think we might be spreading a sickness. Our floor will go home after the building is cleared, they’ll disinfect everything possible, and we will work from home until we pass our health checks. It’s happened once that I can remember, but we run exercises just to keep everyone fresh on how to do it. We’ll do a set of practice runs now that you’re going to be working for my dad.”

I raised a brow. “Is that normal?”

“Pretty much. Dad gets anxious, and the easiest way to stop that nonsense is to do the practice runs. The only abnormal thing about this is how quickly Dad is moving securing your employment. Under normal circumstances, he would have waited until after you had finished your temp assignment.”

When Sila found out the details, which I’d give her over my lunch break, she would kill me. I’d still help her set up the helpers faction, as I foresaw myself needing to recruit people when the going got tough and the rest of the Hunters forgot bringing in hired help would significantly simplify life for them. “I see. That’s fine, then. What do I need to know to do this job well?”

“You’re going to end up with at least ten dollars an hour worth of raises from prank incidents a year at a minimum. If you want dirt on my father for your report, you will check the petty cash fund, which he uses to fund his pranking. I pay for my pranking out of pocket. He uses petty cash, and he even gives accounting the invoices. He wants people to know he pranked them at their expense.”

“How much a year do you think he spends on these pranks?”

“Maybe a few hundred dollars? He doesn’t pull anything that expensive. If he wants to do something elaborate and expensive, I think he does it out of his pocket rather than petty cash.”

“That’s it? The biggest corruption you can think of is a few hundred dollars out of petty cash to entertain employees?”

“Basically.”

I bowed my head. “He has to be doing something unacceptable beyond working too much and annoying you with petty cash pranks.”

“Yeah. When I heard about the report, I couldn’t even imagine anything that would show up as a demonstration of corruption. He doesn’t handle any of the negotiations between other factions. He has one of the non-related employees handle the core negotiations, and he only shows up when the primary deal has been hammered out. He doesn’t want his politics to hurt the Hunters despite his politics hugely impacting how we operate.”

“I’m not sure I’m going to be able to give you the kind of report you’re looking for, Calden. He does his job too well,” I admitted, bracing for his displeasure.

Communication made a difference, and I needed to clear the air, else it would eat me alive.

The silence stretched and deepened, and I tensed while waiting for the hammer to fall. “If you can wrangle his office hours versus his home hours, that would be enough.”

My mouth dropped open. “Seriously? That’s it? You don’t care what the report says as long as he has healthier working hours?”

“What were you thinking?”

“That you would hate me if I couldn’t find anything that might change his position.”

Calden frowned, but he spent some time thinking about it. “All right. I understand how you got that impression. No, that’s not the case at all. I would like my father to have fewer responsibilities and more time outside of work, but I understand he does something very important for Moonriver. I don’t think anyone else could have done what he did for Earth. Too many want power. My father has the power. He’s not shy about using it, but he uses it for the benefit of as many as possible. Every life he saved from Earth, he did so using that power. He may have even abused that power somewhat to make it happen. I don’t know. I wasn’t part of the negotiations. But because of him, thousands are still alive.”

“People and animals alike,” I mumbled.

“And when you count the other planets that followed in his footsteps? Hundreds of thousands still live because of his actions. I love my father and want him to have an easier time, but I cannot refute that truth. I won’t belittle his efforts. Because of where he is and what he did, so many are still alive. I can’t, in good conscience, take that away from everyone.”

I could only assume he had changed his stance due to Earth’s demise.

The way I viewed the world had swiftly tilted as a result of the disaster. I expected to struggle with my changed perspective for a while, too.

“I worried for nothing, didn’t I?”

“Not really. Before what happened to Earth? You were right. I would not have been happy. But Earth changed everything. I’ll still not be happy, but I’ll be unhappy in a different way. I want my father to retire, find a woman he loves, and do whatever it is older men do when they’re not working.”

“Doting on his child comes to mind.”

Calden’s eyes widened. “That had not occurred to me.”

“You would be signing up for a lot of attention if he retires from ruling Moonriver.”

His eyes widened further. “Please, no. I receive sufficient attention as it is. I receive too much attention at times. Take today. I would have much rather just gotten up, called my boss, claimed I was ill, and gone back to bed. But because my father is my father, he showed up. He’ll show up more often if he has time, won’t he?”

I smiled at the alarm in his tone. “That’s a distinct possibility.”

“You’re enjoying my misfortune!”

My smile widened, despite my efforts to contain my amusement. “Maybe a little. It’s hard having a loving parent. Now, just imagine if your father meets a great woman while dating. Then you’ll have two loving parents, determined to make certain you know you’re loved.”

“It’s too late to cancel these dates, isn’t it?”

I dissolved into helpless laughter. By the time Calden’s father came calling, I’d slumped over my new desk, tears streamed down my face, and I verged on oozing to the floor.

“It’s not that funny,” Calden complained.

“Should I be concerned?” Mr. Stephans inquired with curiosity in his tone.

“Don’t worry about it, Dad. It’s fine. She told a joke that cracked her up. At my expense. I’ll probably recover. No, I am not repeating the joke, and I will hope she won’t. Not that she’s in any state to talk right now.”

The disgust in his tone set me off even more, and I gave up all pretenses of maturity, completed my ooze to the floor, and kept on laughing.

“Well, she’s having a great time, so I guess that’s fine. I’ll just leave this stack of papers for her to go over. Lunch will be here in twenty minutes. I recommend you two eat in here, otherwise Sarai will mob you both. She wants more hugs, as her bunnies were just that cute this morning.”

“Please tell her I’m glad she likes her bunnies. You may as well set her up with breeding the Earth bunnies. That will give her something to do that she’ll excel at. Are you putting a committee together to handle conservation of the Earth breeds?”

“I am. I need to figure out who to delegate that to, but for right now, I’m handling it. I’m just making sure we don’t breed unintentionally and create health problems for the babies. The vets are overseeing that portion, I’m just hovering.”

“Ask Sarai. She has a good feel for the animals and those best suited to handle them,” Calden suggested. “She might not be great with people, but with animals? You can’t go wrong with her.”

“I’ll tell her you said that, and I won’t leave the part out about being bad with people.”

Calden sighed. “Must you?”

“I must. It is my sacred duty as a father to challenge my son and provide him with positive attention from other humans. I assure you it is a platonic affection in Sarai’s case. She is grateful you took the time to do something for her.”

That I could understand. “He could use a larger tea pot if she’s the kind who feels that he must be shown gratitude.”

Calden’s father raised a brow. “You figured that out quickly. How?”

If I started counting the ways I’d done my best to show gratitude to someone who had done something meaningful, unnecessary, and unexpected, I’d be at it for several days. “Give me a week, and you will start experiencing this phenomenon, especially when it sinks in I have book money. And camping money. And anything I want money.”

“It makes a great deal of sense for the company to provide housing for my executive secretary, as your former domicile was at least an hour away by public transit.”

“Book reading time,” I reminded him.

“We’ve been over this before. You can now spend the time reading books in front of your fireplace instead of on a bus. One is infinitely more comfortable than the other,” he replied in an exasperated tone.

Calden’s chair and fireplace were infinitely more comfortable than the bus and superior to the townhome I technically occupied when I was not sneaking over to his place. “That’s true, but I’m going to require at least two to three weeks to get used to this idea.”

My new boss frowned, he bowed his head, and he sighed. “I’m going to get yelled at for being excited, aren’t I?”

“Dad, relax. Yes, you finally have a secretary who can put up with you at your worst. Yes, she needs some time to adapt. Let her settle, remember she needs to learn how we operate here, and that we have a hunt coming up soon. You cannot arrange for any kidnappings until after our camping trip.”

“May I kidnap her for the camping trip?”

Calden frowned and glanced my way.

To make it absolutely clear I wanted to be kidnapped and taken camping, I turned both thumbs up and bobbed my head.

“I think she wants to go camping, son.”

“I think you’re right. That’s fine. She’s obviously okay with it. But no kidnappings of any sort until then. That way, I know if it’s a real kidnapping this time. Do not make me remind you of the time I played along because I thought you were yanking my chain again.”

“Which time?”

I needed to review the records of kidnappings more carefully. “Please add at least three paid days for me to review this kidnapping list and come to terms with being a potential target. For some reason, I anticipate becoming a target.” I gestured in the direction of my new boss. “Leverage against you, obviously.”

“I see I am taking full blame for this, son.”

“I’m pretty sure this is your fault, Dad.”

“You could take some blame for being a most handsome son. Surely that plays some role in your status as frequently kidnapped.”

“You know what? Please leave the papers here and go to another office to hold this argument. I need to work, and that work does not involve listening to you two verbally posture at each other for hours. If you want to posture, do so quietly, preferably as wolves, so I can have sufficient silence.”

To my amusement, both men fled.

SIXTEEN

I wanted to talk to you about Calden.

Some week and a half after my promotion to Allasandro’s executive secretary, Sarai cornered me in the lobby, begged until I agreed to meet her new bunnies, and lured me to her office. Her three fluffy animals ruled half of her office with their expanded hutch serving as their palace.

The animals bounded over to meet their owner, and she showered them with her love.

“Calden really had no idea bunnies existed,” I told her, unable to keep the amusement out of my tone. “And then he had to have two of his own.”

“I saw the pictures. Mr. Stephans showed me. I didn’t understand he really had no idea bunnies weren’t just rabbits people caught and tamed. It makes sense now.”

With a little luck, the problem wouldn’t come back to haunt me. “I’m glad you like your bunnies, though. Did Mr. Stephans talk to you about the bunny program?”

“He’s having me organize everything. Thank you. He mentioned you’d made the recommendation due to my past interest in them.”

“It’s usually best to put people where they have the best chance to shine, and you really like your bunnies, so it’s a good project for you.” I smiled at the animals, who showed every sign of being happy with their circumstances. “Do you take them to the playroom?”

Every species had a playroom, and while the bunny room was smaller than most of the others, it saw the highest rate of usage.

“Every day for an hour,” she confirmed. “Marshmallow likes to chase balls, so I throw them for her. I’ve permanently booked one of the rooms for an hour daily so they can get some exercise. All the bunny owners bring theirs in at the same time so they can play together. We have harnesses for them so they can be easily caught and leashed if needed. But they are learning to be friends with all the other bunnies. It’s a fun way for them to socialize.”

“And to have a bazillion extra baby bunnies if you’re not careful.”

She flashed me a grin. “As a matter of fact, yes.”

“Where are you going to put them all?”

“Honestly, we’re prepared to use them as meat animals if we can’t place them all. We have a lot of extra mouths to feed right now, and we can’t afford to kill off the entire wild rabbit population. The meat is perfectly fine. We will keep as many of them as we can, but it’s an emergency backup for feeding everyone until our food supply can handle the extra bodies.”

I regarded her with wide eyes. “That’s both distressing and sensible.”

“I know. It’s our last-ditch resort, and only if we can’t handle the burden. If everything works out, we’re going to send a lot of them to other planets as exports. Earth-bred bunnies will be fashionable, and they’ll be marked by generation thereafter. Assuming we don’t have any supply issues, we’ll be able to use the exports to refill the city-state’s coffers and set up an emergency fund in case another Earth happens.”

“Without having to put Mr. Stephans up on the singles market?”

Sarai snickered. “Exactly.”

“Was there something you wanted to talk to me about beyond showing me your bunnies?”

“Actually, yes. I wanted to talk to you about Calden.”

I foresaw the conversation either ending with us being friends or mortal enemies, and I couldn’t begin to guess which way it would go. “What about him?”

“Are you sleeping with him?”

I choked on my own spit, coughed, and waved my hand in my face in a futile effort to recover. “If you mean did we get drunk and pass out on the same couch, yes. If you mean in the same bed, no. I’m not sure what you’ve heard about me, but I don’t kiss on the first date. It’s a hard rule. I take it our misadventure with a bottle of Champagne has made the circuits?”

“It has.”

“Calden was trying to process Earth’s destruction, and he wanted someone to talk to. We’re friends.” I could handle Calden being a friend. Nobody needed to know the other details, including my general inclination to break my own rules if he were to take his shirt off and strut for me.

When I escaped from Sarai, I would go confess to Calden. That way, when news spread along the grapevine again, he would be prepared.

“You don’t kiss on the first date?” Sarai giggled. “Your dates must be rough.”

“You have no idea. It’s a test. Most of the men who come barking up my tree are just out for sex, and I’m not in the market for a sex hookup. I want relationships, and if they can’t wait for a second date, they’re not worth dating to me.”

“Good. Calden’s the meticulous kind, so if you want to have a date, you have to be methodical and patient. Or just present. That matters to him. Your clothing is perfect. Professional, attractive, and sensible. I’ve heard rumor you hunt?”

I blinked. “Are you trying to hook me up with Calden?”

“Desperately. Please. Until he’s dating again, people are going to keep thinking we’re going to reconcile, and I am not doing that. No way. He’s a great guy, but he views bunnies as dinner.”

“No, bunnies are not dinner, and he will hunt anyone who hurts his bunnies. He goes home and plays with his bunnies every night. Rabbits are for eating, bunnies are for cuddling. Those are the rules in his house. I would not tell him about the food chain issue involving bunnies. I would also make sure the newly converted bunny lover is not served anything other than meat rabbits. He has a very firm line in the sand on this one. Bunnies are not food.”

Sarai dissolved into giggles. “You have to be kidding me.”

“I’m not. He just had no idea bunnies are nice cuddle bugs. He’s only been around the meat rabbits, and those things are nasty bastards. He had no idea why you wanted a meat rabbit, but it is what it is.”

Her giggles bloomed into full laughter. “That explains so much, though. We were never good for each other, but he showed up.”

I understood that. Someone who bothered to show up for a relationship made the struggles worth the while. “He doesn’t seem like the kind to do anything in half measures.”

“He’s really not, especially with what happened to his mother. I was available, and I was a safe option.” She reined in her laughter and stared at me with a raised brow.

“I’m negative for the faulty gene,” I replied, as I expected the test results were what she was after.

A positive result would have brought any hope of a relationship to an end. Only a blind fool could miss how hard Calden had taken his mother’s death.

I couldn’t imagine him being willing to put his child through what he’d endured.

Some things love couldn’t conquer.

“That’s good. And your base genetics?”

“I don’t have any base animal genetics that I’m aware of.”

“Then you’d pan out to be the same species of wolf as Calden. Even better. Mixed species relationships can get a little testy.”

I matched her in raising a brow. “Like an obvious cat dating a dog?”

She smirked. “Exactly so.”

“What sort of cat?”

“I’ll become an Earth species, large cat predator. He’s Earth-stock, and he would have gone home next year.”

Oh. I wondered what I could say to express the emotions battling within me. Piece by piece, the situation made more sense.

Sarai loved someone she would have lost, but fate had, while cruel in its uncaring way, given her a gift she’d never be able to repay.

“I hadn’t known those from Earth had animal genes.”

“We picked it up from somewhere,” she replied, and her grin widened. “His latent genes activated when he came here. It happens sometimes. He’s negative, too. In two or three years, he’ll start shifting. He already has symptoms.”

“Symptoms?”

“Oh, right. I guess they don’t teach much about shapeshifting outside of the Hunters?”

“Only the basics.”

“Shapeshifters bond with their partner. That bond lets the first shapeshifter create a second shapeshifter. Those of us with latent genetics either need a shapeshifter to help wake up our abilities or we need some help from another faction. My partner will be able to wake my genetics. His symptoms mostly involve cat-like behaviors. He used to hate being warm, but now he can be found curled up in front of any fireplace. He’ll sleep all day if I let him. Once he starts shifting, the symptoms will settle out, and he’ll be mostly human when human and mostly cat when shifted. Wolves tend to become protective, establish a pecking order if it isn’t a balanced partnership, and hunt early and often.”

I laughed. “Not much of a change for me at all.”

“You hunt?”

“Yes. I hunt rabbits.”

Sarai rolled her eyes. “Seriously? No wonder he’s following you like a puppy. Most of the women in our faction hate hunting. Some do it to make their partner happy, but that’s it.”

“Rabbits are free food on the table and fifty dollars in my pocket whenever I do a good job on the pelt. He’s not really following me like a puppy, is he?”

“Coraline, you’re blind. Today’s the first time he’s left you alone long enough I could get you to come to my office without him hovering. The instant he notices you’re not where he thinks you’re supposed to be, he’s going to fuss. That’s what wolves do. They fuss, constantly. They hover and fuss.”

Another piece fell into place. “You don’t like the hovering.”

“Not to that degree. I like attention on my terms. His terms are constant. If he isn’t catering, he’s hovering. He hovers sexily, though. I’ll give him that much.”

“All he has to do to accomplish that is stand there, Sarai.”

The woman heaved a sigh. “I know. It’s the worst. He just exists, and he’s worth looking at.”

“Do you know why he wears suits all the time?”

“You.”

I blinked. “Pardon?”

“You’re the reason he’s wearing suits all the time right now. You love the look of him in a suit, and he knows it. So, he’s dressing to what he knows you like. Men are peacocks. He’s showing off his feathers. Come on, Coraline. Men do not just follow women around like puppies without being annoying about it unless they’re serious, and anyone with a functioning set of eyes can see he’s doing his best not to be annoying about it.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Workplace relationships tend to be a problem.”

Sarai waved off my concern, and she even laughed at me. “Not in the Hunters. Calden’s mother used to run the show while his father just looked like he ran the show. When she died, he did everything she used to. Let’s just say we were all shocked when he moved you up the chain. Your office used to be hers. Nobody has used it since she died, and we’d just assumed that was how it would be until he retired. But he’s working to hand the reins over to Calden, and how better than to make sure his son has his partner settled into the job? And you’re taking to it like a duck to water. Everyone is already noticing how much more smoothly things are going.”

I thought back on the work I’d been doing in the past few days, which had mostly involved conquering my invoice pile and fighting with the faction’s ridiculous scheduling problem. I’d only interacted with Mr. Stephans when needed, glaring at him until he did what I needed. “I’m just making sure things are organized.”

“We’re about as organized as an unassembled thousand piece puzzle around here most days of the week. Mr. Stephans wouldn’t put anyone in your position until now, so we haven’t had access to a singular entity to organize everything. We do our best, but it’s hard when we can’t funnel everything to anyone before asking Mr. Stephans about it. And he knows he crippled our operations refusing to get an executive secretary. Honestly, we were worried about the dating scheme he did to earn money, but it should be okay. I guess he finally decided it was time to let go and move on.”

Or he held some confidence Calden wouldn’t be lost in the shadow of his mother’s death. “I had no idea.”

“You don’t have the history we do. I wasn’t here when Calden’s mother died, but a lot were. Calden has always been emotionally crippled. He fears what happened to his father will happen to him. And the entire idea of killing the woman he loves just from existing sickens him. So, he’d only date people who tested negative. Forget dating, he wouldn’t even spend more than a few minutes with untested women. He can’t handle the thought of being the reason she might die.”

“I don’t think that means he’s crippled. It means he cares, though.”

“That he does. So, now you know the situation. I figured he’d be a typical wolf, sniffing at your turf without being obvious about it. If you like him sniffing around your turf, just keep doing what you’re doing. The wolves eventually go in for the kill, but they like the long approach. Since you don’t kiss on the first date, I don’t expect you’ll have any problems with the pacing. If you want him to hurry it up, you’ll have to tell him.”

Well, the conversation hadn’t gone in the direction I thought it would, but if she was feeling chatty, I’d take advantage of the opportunity. “Thanks for the warning. Anything else I should know?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. No matter how that tricky man phrases things, he’s so afraid of what he might cause he doesn’t sleep around casually. If you want him in your bed, you’re going to have to get rings to go with that negative gene test. Those of us who have dated him pull a charade for his sake. I’m sure he’ll be a beast in bed once he gets there.”

My mouth dropped open. “He’s a virgin?”

“Did you really think someone so profoundly hurt by his mother’s death like that would sleep with anyone other than his one and only? Oh, Coraline. He doesn’t care about who sleeps with who, but I can promise you that in our few years together, there were no romps between the sheets. And I figured it out fairly quickly we were never going to be a real couple. But he needed someone. I decided to be that someone for a while. Did I actually want bunnies? Yes. But what I needed was for him to be ready to take that last big risk. I wasn’t the woman for that. From everything we’ve seen, you are.”

“He needs therapy,” I muttered.

“That he does. And no, we don’t think you’re his therapy plan. He’s just finally learned what it means to love someone enough to take that chance, even if it means having to go at it alone if it all falls apart. He’s not stupid. He knows you could be in a car accident tomorrow. But you fit with him, and he was willing to take the risk, even with you untested. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have given you the time of day. He’s been doing a lot more than give you the time of day. Mr. Stephans had to drive him away from your place when you were sick so he wouldn’t end up making himself ill from stress and failing to get enough sleep. The way I see it? He doesn’t really understand yet what he’s experiencing, so you’re going to need to have a great deal of patience while he figures it out. But you’re patient. Anyone who deals with the Stephans must have patience in spades.”

“Well, I can say this was not the conversation I was expecting when I came in here.”

Sarai giggled. “We all wear armor. Mine is just assumptions and expectations. They’re my weapons, too. I think you’ll find most of us aren’t as we seem on the surface. And Coraline?”

“Yes?”

“I’m going to be taking you out like a baby deer with two broken legs on the hunt when it starts. Do your best. If you somehow manage to best me, you’ll have nothing to prove to anyone here, that’s for certain. Good luck. I recommend skittering off to wherever you normally go this time of night before the worrywart starts worrying.”

Puzzled over the whole thing, I thanked her, left her office, and headed in the general direction of home, wondering what else I had missed by looking at only the surface.

SEVENTEEN

Was this ever in doubt?

For ten whole minutes, using one of the lobby’s potted plants near the elevator bank as cover, I observed Calden prowl around the lobby. Every time he made it a few steps in the direction of the elevators, someone ambushed him needing something. As though sensing he wanted something from someone who wasn’t them, the other Hunters toyed with him, taking turns keeping him busy.

I suspected Sarai had put her charms to use to keep Calden out of her hair while she worked to defend her chance at love.

The Hunters really would drive me crazy within a month, and I ran a high risk of enjoying the ride.

I waited for one of the older men to corner Calden, his back facing me. I crept out of my chosen spot, tip toed close, and prepared to bolt in case two sharp pokes of my fingers to his ribs sent him into orbit. I jabbed him, and he yelped, jumped, and spun. Had the floors been a little less polished or he’d been on one of the rugs, he might have stayed upright, but his dress shoes slid out from beneath him, and he went down in a heap.

I covered my mouth with my hands, but to no avail. A laugh escaped before I could stop it.

The glare Calden shot me promised some form of retribution.

The same part of me that found a thrill in hunting rabbits and putting food on my table hoped for a great deal of retribution. If he played, I’d play back, and I could use a little more fun in my life.

“I had a burning urge to meet more bunnies,” I informed Calden. “There are many, many bunnies upstairs, and I can meet them whenever I want. I wanted, so I did.”

According to Calden’s expression, the retribution would come sooner than later. “You weren’t home, nobody had seen you in the lobby, and there wasn’t a trace of you anywhere. I should have known you would have sought out the attention of something small, warm, and furry.”

I faked widening my eyes. “Was this ever in doubt?”

The other Hunters snickered, and with their task completed, they scattered, leaving the lobby empty. Giggling over Calden’s prone position, I offered my hand to help him up. “I didn’t mean to make you fall, but I did mean to see how high a wolf can fly.”

“Approximately eighteen inches in dress shoes when caught flat-footed, apparently,” he replied in a rueful tone, taking hold of my hand and getting to his feet. “Should I start assuming if you’re not at home on time, an animal caught your attention?”

“That’s not a bad idea. And your bunnies have convinced me I needed to visit the bunnies here.”

“We can probably fit a litter pan in your office and bunny-proof everything if you’d like some daytime bunny guests in your office to go along with your hummingbirds, your parrots, and the piping plovers creating mayhem in the entire faction.”

No matter how much I enjoyed the tiny songbirds, an endangered species spared from complete extinction thanks to the seventy-five breeding females and fifty-two males sent over, I could live with half of my office having been converted into a sandy beach with a water feature so they felt more at home. The setup, contained within a child’s backyard swimming pool, ate up an entire corner plus the cage that kept the occupants inside. Three times a day, I had the dubious job of seeding the sand with worms and other live prey they could catch.

Someone had made the mistake of providing rocks and nesting material, and the second day after I agreed to work for Allasandro Stephans, my pair had decided to get busy.

Until the eggs hatched, I was stuck with them.

I regarded Calden with my saddest expression. “They bred. In my office. They didn’t even bother waiting until I left to get it on. I was trying to work, and those little shits had themselves a sex fest. In my office! And don’t you get me started on the parrots.”

I expected I’d have baby parrots given some time, too.

Calden laughed at me. “I wasn’t expecting Dad to move so quickly on turning your office into an endangered species refuge, but the results are spectacular. You showed up, and the birds wanted to get some action.”

Once word spread my office was where the wild animals went to have a good time, the jokes would never end. “I’m glad they’re reproducing, especially as endangered as they are, but couldn’t they have waited until I left my office first?”

Calden kept laughing at me. “The vets said it was probably a mix of safe space, the right temperature, and a strong food supply. But they’re going to try to replicate the set-up, because if the chicks survive, the species might do well here. There is a small island with the right conditions with no significant predators they can take over.”

I loved that the Hunters worked to find wild places in our world our rescued animals might be able to call home. “I have a better understanding of how my parents feel about the birds I gave them.”

“Will it stop your future animal-gifting pranks?”

“No. If anything, I have a better understanding of how to get them even better next time. Watch me, Calden. Just watch me. They pull my chain, and I will bring over an entire box of piping plover chicks they get to raise and breed for the sake of their species. I will breed every last one of their chicks and call them my precious little children. And do you know what I’m going to do next?”

“Probably ask if their loving grandparents would please help them take over the world.”

I nodded. “That is exactly what I would do. They’re adorable menaces with ridiculous care requirements. They needed us to mimic an ocean, Calden. And somehow, the Hunters managed.”

“Earth sent care sheets. The crafters helped. Can you escape your feathered charges now?”

“Everyone is good for the night, although there were significant and loud protests from the parrots.”

“I can’t blame them for protesting your departure.”

After my conversation with Sarai, I wondered if I read more into his statement than I should. A part of me wanted to start pushing buttons to find out if she had been right. The sensible side of me decided to continue on as always.

If Calden had an interest in me, he had an interest in the regular me, the one I showed him every day, not the exploratory date-curious me who wanted to add a few extra perks to the general friendship package.

On one thing, Sarai had the right idea: I could be patient.

“Well, yes. I am the controller of food, and they haven’t been with me long enough to realize there are people who will feed them when I’m not around. The parrots are going to cuss me out on Monday, and I have no idea what to expect from the other birds. Maybe you should call in sick, but in reality, you’ll be under my desk as a wolf, keeping my feet warm while I deal with a lot of crabby animals guilt tripping me for rudely leaving them alone.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever called in sick from work to come into work and hide under someone’s desk before.”

“It’s always good to try new things.” I glanced in the direction of the elevator. “I’ve been warned I’m going to be taken down like a baby deer with two broken legs. Is this normal?”

“It’s normal. That you’ve been warned means someone likes you, so that’s a good thing. But yes, all new Hunters are put through the wringer. You’ll probably get pinned to the ground, dragged off, sat on, and otherwise contained. It’s generally expected the new hunters will need a few days to recover from the pummeling. We have a few rules, including avoiding injury to the face. We’re too beautiful to scar, obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“Did your informant give you the hunt schedule?”

“No. I don’t even know which day it starts. Every time I asked your father, he laughed at me. He then told everyone not to tell me so I could be hunted to bring to the hunt.”

Calden’s eyes narrowed. “I’m sorry, Coraline, but I can’t tell you when the hunt is starting. I want to be the one to hunt you.”

Of course. While he did a decent job of hiding his competitive side, once he decided he was going to participate, he gave every challenge his all. “If you ask your father to babysit his grandbunnies, you could start your hunt in, say, an hour. An hour is enough time to go buy camping supplies, right? Quarantine has been lifted, so we can go hunt some of those mean rabbits. If I get some good skins, I get to buy more books.”

“I could be dastardly and hold your books hostage. You won’t be able to leave. If you do, you won’t be able to read your books.”

“I’m not sure I have enough reading material to run away for the weekend,” I confessed.

“There’s a bookstore next to my favorite camping supply store.”

As far as I was concerned, I’d located heaven and intended to visit it immediately. “Please take me to the bookstore.”

Calden laughed, got out his phone, and sent a text. “There. I told my father to take care of and play with my bunnies tonight, and that I was going to be out running some errands. There’s a clothing store we can go to, so we don’t need to head home first. I have my SUV with me today.”

“We can pretend you have used rope to secure a captive, and I’ll follow you around. I’m fine with this.”

Laughing, he shook his head. “You’d be the easiest person ever to kidnap. All I’d have to do is write ‘free books’ on the side of a van, and you’d just climb on in.”

“It’s true. I’d be easily lured to my death. I should be ashamed of this, but I’m not. You’ll have to help me pick clothes and camping supplies, though. I’ve never been camping before.”

He looked me in the eyes and said, “You might regret leaving your clothing choices in my hands, Coraline.”

“All important bits must be covered, and I don’t want to get sick again, so there must be warm clothing available.”

“That’s a reasonable request. Any other requests?”

“I want an Earth-style lantern.”

“Easily acquired. Anything else?”

“I’m going to need to get my sling.”

“Captives don’t have to work for dinner. Dinner is provided. But if you’d like to learn how to hunt with a bow, I will get you one and provide the arrows. There aren’t a lot of people hunting right now despite the lifted limits. We should have the entire weekend to read books without seeing anyone else.”

“Let’s get out of here before someone stops us.” If Calden’s father guessed what we were up to, he’d find some way to put an end to our fun. “Just no alcoholic beverages this time.”

“On that, we are agreed.”

* * *

Calden took me to the bookstore first, and he followed me around, snagging a collection of books at random and taking anything I showed interest in and adding it to the pile. In the accessories section, he bought two reading lights along with bookmarks, a couple of journals, pens, and writing accessories.

“How are we going to charge the lights?”

“We’ll use solar battery packs we’ll be buying at the camping store next. I’ll charge everything in the SUV on the way to the site, though, and in a jam, we’ll just visit the vehicle. We should be fine.”

“And the journals?”

“I like journaling the things I see and do while camping. I got enough you can do a journal, too. I collect leaves and things like that if I find them interesting and press them.” He shrugged. “They usually just turn brown and eventually crumble away, so I take pictures before trying and failing to keep dead leaves in my collection.”

“That’s interesting. I’ll give it a try. I have no idea what I’m doing, so I expect I will create chaos, but that seems like a fun thing to do.”

“I usually go through four or five journals a year. I just finished filling one, so it was time for a new one. Well, I have two pages left, but I can’t do a single camping trip on two pages, so they’ll stay blank.”

“And you have pencils to go with the pens?”

Calden juggled how he held everything and showed me two packs of different pencils. “I have a sketching kit at home, but I don’t want Dad hitchhiking with me this time. I need ten minutes without him hovering.”

“More like two days, but I can understand. He does hover. He means well, though.”

“That is the only reason I haven’t tried throwing him out a window this week.”

Poor Calden. After the results of my DNA test had come in, he had relaxed. His father had done the exact opposite of relax.

I understood why now, thanks to Sarai.

My boss needed time to accept the reality of me having taken over his wife’s office. “I’m sure he’ll relax in a few weeks. Does he participate in the hunts?”

“The hunts are his favorite. He enjoys crushing us ruthlessly with his prowess, reminding us he’s leading the Hunters for more than his pretty face and sparkling personality.”

The disgust in Calden’s tone made me laugh. “He’s a peacock!”

“He really is. Let’s get this checked out and to the SUV, and then I’ll take you to heaven, where we’ll procure everything we need for a weekend of pure escape, including your Earth-styled lantern. Once we have our gear, we’ll go to the clothing store. As I will be dressing you, it seems fair that you get to pick what I wear.”

I foresaw a great deal of frustration in my near future, yet the lure proved too much for me to resist. “I’ll pay for what I force you to wear, and you pay for what you force me to wear. This seems fair.”

“That is perfectly fair. You were paid today, right?”

I pulled out my old, cheap phone and pulled up my bank account, revealing I’d been paid a substantial amount for dealing with the Hunters and their insanity. “The number makes me very confident in my ability to pay my rent, except I no longer have rent to pay, so I have to learn to cope with this situation. I’m going to be irresponsible and buy you clothes for this camping trip. Please get me out of this store before I buy the entire thing. I might be able to afford at least a hundred books. At least. I am not prepared for this level of adult responsibility.”

Calden laughed and he herded me to the counter. “We can come back to the bookstore another day. We can do this every time we go camping.”

“Will we make it to the camping part of the day if we end up doing all this shopping?”

“I already know what I want to dress you in, so it’s just a matter of making sure it’s the right size. After twenty minutes, you’ll have several outfits. I expect you’ll take a little longer, as I have been planning this all day, where you have been surprised.”

“Really?”

“I decided that around noon, I would attempt to lure you into a camping trip. That was when my father decided to come into my office as a wolf and bite my leg. I had not sent him a report on time.” After dumping the entire haul onto the counter, he lifted up his pant leg to show off a rather fresh bite, although his father hadn’t done much damage beyond breaking the skin in three spots. “As far as rebukes go, he took it easy on me. But after that? I had decided I was going camping, and that I would do my best to take you with me.”

“Which explains the ruckus in the lobby earlier.”

“I never thought they’d leave me alone. Thank you for rescuing me.”

I’d rescued him? I’d about murdered him during an ambush. “You’re welcome.”

The cashier rang up everything, and Calden paid before we hauled everything to his SUV and went to the camping store, which as promised, had Earth-styled lamps and everything we needed to escape for a while. Calden must have called the store in advance, as a lot of the basics were ready and waiting for him at the counter. We spent thirty minutes selecting a bow for me, and Calden got everything I needed to learn how to hunt with a more traditional weapon.

With everything we needed purchased, we tackled the last challenge before we could head outside of the city for some peace and quiet: the clothing store.

“Since I already know what I want to get you, let’s start in the men’s section, unless you’re going to be throwing me into a dress?” Calden struck a pose and stared down at his slack-covered leg. “I haven’t shaved.”

I giggled at the thought of him shaving his legs. “You’re getting jeans and a casual button up, some t-shirts, and a sweater or other long-sleeve shirt so you don’t freeze. Then we’re going to put you in onesie pajamas unless you opt to sleep as a wolf or you beg me to let you wear flannel.”

His eyes widened. “I’m a very warm and fluffy wolf. I will cuddle close and keep you warm, just please don’t force me to wear a onesie outdoors. Flannel would be nice, though.”

“I will take pity on you once, but only once.” Once in the men’s section, I stated, “I demand two pairs of well-fitting jeans. They should hug you, but they need to be comfortable.” I spied the type of casual button up shirt I liked, and after a few moments of deliberation, I decided I wanted him to play the role of tall, dark, and handsome for my enjoyment. I grabbed a blue and a black one, handing them over. Then, as it would be cruel to force him to change how he wore his underwear, I said, “I don’t know if you’re a boxers, briefs, or other kind of man, but you can pick those on your own, as I’m a considerate dictator.”

He checked the sizes, chuckled, and exchanged them for same colors but a size larger. “It’s the muscles. I’d bust out of those buttons with a single flex.

Oh. I stared at the shirts he’d put back, and I picked the black one up and added it to the pile. “I require a demonstration of this on my dime.”

He laughed but let me have my way. “And how shall I be covering my feet?”

I stared at his dress shoes. “What size do you wear?”

“I wear an eleven.”

“You can make sure all that fits while I hunt for your new shoes.” I bounded off, determined to get him into a pair of sneakers, a pair of hiking boots, and a pair of comfortable sports sandals. After twenty minutes, I settled on three styles I liked and thought would look good on him, grabbed several packs of good socks, and headed back for the dressing rooms to make certain they fit. Once he emerged, carrying everything I’d picked out, I foisted the shoe boxes on him. “Make sure they fit and are comfortable. It’s no good if they hurt your feet.”

He chuckled, but he found a nearby bench and began the tedious process of testing the shoes. To my relief, he gave his approval for all the pairs.

“Now it’s your turn, Miss Patten.”

“I’m ready to be dressed up.”

True to his word, he demonstrated he had been browsing on the store’s website during office hours, as he beelined directly for the section he wanted to shop in, pointing at a rather strappy halter top that did cover everything while making it clear he wanted a view of some skin. Chuckling, I grabbed the shirt, which came in black, white, and red. After a moment of thought, I picked up one of each. “I will buy the other two for myself because this is cute and I like it.”

“I can’t say I was expecting that reaction, but I’m more than pleased to buy the other colors for you if you like the shirt and it fits.” He went to his next target, which was a long-sleeved blouse with an amusingly deep v-cut neck. “I’m not really sure how this is supposed to work to keep you warm, but your arms should be fine.” He lifted up the sleeve, which had a furry cuff attached. “I’ll admit, this amused me way too much earlier.”

“You’ve never shopped for women’s clothes before, have you?”

“I have zero idea what I’m doing,” he admitted. “The model looked cute in it, though.”

I couldn’t argue with that logic. I pointed at another shirt nearby, which would offer another layer without fully ruining the look of his plunging sweater choice. “I could wear one of those underneath this if it gets actually cold.”

“Which size?”

“The medium ones should work.”

To my amusement, he grabbed one of every color. “Your shoe size?”

“Seven and a half in sneakers, usually a seven in heels, seven and a half for most sandals, even if they have heels. Women’s shoes make zero sense.”

“I will do my best to get them the first try.” Calden pointed at a rack of black pants. “One pair of those.” He shifted his hand to gesture at a rack of jeans. “Two pairs of those.”

I did his bidding, selecting the appropriate sizes. “And for the underwear?”

“I may have abused house-sharing rights to steal the numbers off your clothes the other day. That is the only part of women’s apparel I understand.”

I cracked up laughing. “Okay. Surprise me on that part, then. I won’t peek until it’s time to change into them. If you got the numbers, they’ll fit. It’s pretty rare I don’t match those sizes, at least. Sometimes, it doesn’t look as nice as I hope, though.”

“Then you shall be surprised this weekend. I’ll bring the shoes to you in a moment. I already picked them out.”

I chuckled at his level of preparedness, wondering what had finally made the man snap enough he spent most of his day shopping for clothing rather than working. On second thought, I realized I knew the answer: his father.

I would need to keep Mr. Stephans occupied after the hunt to minimize Calden’s general level of frustration. I could think of a few ways to give the son some space from the father without the father feeling neglected or unloved.

Calden hurried off, and I waited for him, laughing and shaking my head over his antics. He had either called the store to get directions for where to find the shoes or had asked them to hold everything aside, as it took him less than ten minutes to return with his haul, which he handed over for me to try on.

I retreated to the changing room, giggling over his choice of strappy halter top, which did barely cover everything, while giving him quite the show of my stomach. The pants fit like a glove, which would make moving around a little challenging until I broke them in.

I suspected all the outfits would become my favorites by the time I returned to work, where I would be hunted by the faction whenever they weren’t taking out my brother.

I hoped Peter survived.

Once I confirmed everything fit, including the shoes, I changed back into my clothes, pleased I wouldn’t have to go hunt down anything of other sizes. Calden waited with a store basket loaded with items, including several stuffed animals. “They didn’t have rabbits or wolves, so we’re going to have to settle with tigers.”

I laughed. “We’ll probably survive, but it’ll be sketchy.”

“I’ll pay for everything, and you can check out the receipt later for splitting the bill.”

Sneaky man. “Is the receipt going to end up having an accident?”

“Very probably,” he replied with a grin.

I rolled my eyes. “You’re something else, Calden. Let’s get this stuff paid for before your father figures out something’s amiss and tries to put an end to our escape.”

“Wise idea.”

EIGHTEEN

I think I’ve had my fill of wine for at least another few weeks.

Curiosity ate away at me, but Calden refused to let me see what was in his basket, blocking my view of the cashier while she rang everything up. I giggled at his effort and let him accomplish his goals. I would see everything soon enough.

So would he.

I foresaw a great deal of trouble, a request for a date so I could get around my own rules, and a weekend I wouldn’t forget anytime soon.

Once paid for, Calden gave me one of the tigers. “You’ll have to give her a name. Mine’s going to be named Mr. Ferocious the Tiger. I’ll call him Ferocious for short. Or Mr. Tiger when I want to drive my father up a wall.”

“When wouldn’t you want to drive him up a wall, though?”

“While you make a good point, I’m pretending I’m a good son for a few minutes.”

I tucked my new tiger under my arm and made a grab for one of the bags, but Calden defended the clothes, warding me away with his elbow. By the time we made it to his SUV, we both laughed, which made it harder to steal some of the burden.

“I’m going to have to keep a close eye on you. You’re one of the helpful types. Helpful types simply don’t know when to quit.”

As I’d lost the battle, I claimed the front passenger seat and put my new tiger on my lap, making a show at sulking over my defeat. “I’m going to lose so badly at the hunt. Monday morning, my lack of general physical prowess will be displayed for the entire faction and my brother to see. I might be able to claim a victory after making everyone laugh so hard at me.”

“You’ll be fine. There are some Hunters who are so bad at the hunt games we run a betting pool to see who can lose with the most grace, the least grace, and in the most hilarious fashions. We even have prizes for the most dramatic of losers. You’ll get to see everything from death scene reenactments to marriage proposals by the time we’re done. Sometimes, the marriage proposals are even accepted.” After making sure the SUV was appropriately loaded, he got behind the wheel. “We just need to hit one of the night grocers for a few of the basics, and then we’ll be on the road.”

“Just no wine. I think I’ve had my fill of wine for at least another few weeks.”

“Same here.”

* * *

Two and a half hours after leaving the grocery store, Calden parked his SUV at the end of a dirt trail at the edge of an aging forest. Moss-ladened vines dangled from thick branches, casting shadows on the ground in the few places the moonlight managed to penetrate the canopy.

“How far away is where you want to camp?” I asked, tearing myself away from the mystery of the woods to help him unload the vehicle. “Did I accidentally sign myself up for a great deal of exercise?”

“It’s about a five minute walk along a deer track, so it’s not a bad hike. I know of more remote spots, but this is one of my favorites. This is where I go when I manage to escape my father.” He pointed in the rough direction of the main road, some ten minutes away. “My father’s horse ranch is that way about thirty minutes, so I’ve done a lot of daytime exploring in this area. Not a lot of people come this way. There’s no good fishing, the hunting is limited to a lot of rabbits and some deer, and it’s generally quiet compared to the better hunting grounds. There’s a section of woods about twenty miles from here Dad has stocked with prey so the shapeshifters can hunt without killing the environment.”

“Where do you get the animals to stock the forest?”

“We have an entire section of our faction dedicated to wildlife management. There is a farm where we raise a bunch of prey species and release them into the wild whenever the wild populations take a hit. They’re raised wild at the farm, but we keep them generally contained so they have higher-than-normal survival rates. We even keep meat rabbits. We just weren’t prepared for the evacuation, because that had a lot more mouths to feed than our normal.”

“Except Earth sent over a lot of meat rabbits,” I replied.

“There are plenty of rabbits for everyone to say the least. I’m sure we’ll be able to fill up both coolers with our kills, and there’s enough ice in both to last the weekend. And if not? There’s a store twenty minutes away, so I can top us up on ice if it melts.”

“That works. I hope you know how to set up a tent in the dark because I don’t.”

Calden chuckled. “We’ll be fine. This time, I cheated and got a tent designed to be easy to set up and put away. I have better things to do this weekend than spend several hours fighting with an uncooperative tent.”

* * *

Once Calden had the tent set up, spacious enough for even four people, he went off to change into his wolf while I wiggled into the flannel pajamas he had provided for me. The presence of fluffy bunny slippers made me laugh.

Cold feet sucked, and I appreciated their warmth.

Calden returned as a wolf, larger than his father with a longer and thicker coat. Coloration wise, I couldn’t tell the difference between them beyond Calden having a darker nose. The urge to pet him got the better of me, and I went to work digging my fingers in his fur.

The few times I’d petted Calden’s father, I’d found him to have a coarse texture, his overcoat consisting of tougher, bristly strands. Calden’s coat would bring in a fortune with the crafters and artisans, softer than most of the rabbit fur I brought to them.

When presented with that much temptation, I couldn’t resist. I buried my face into his fur and delighted in his warmth. His wolf form convinced me.

I would be keeping the wolf, and it would be a bonus if I got to keep the man as well. After I got my fill of rubbing my face in his fur, I pulled away, zippered the tent closed, and made a comfortable nest with the pads, sleeping bags, blankets, and pillows Calden had acquired. “Tomorrow night, we use the fancy Earth-style lantern. Tonight? I could use at least twelve hours of sleep.”

Calden bobbed his head, made himself comfortable next to me, and rested his head on his paws.

I took that as my cue to turn off the battery-operated light, make myself comfortable, and snuggle close to the heat-generating wolf for some rest and relaxation.

* * *

I woke alone in the tent, and the scent of wood smoke and cooking rabbit drove me out of the nest I’d made for myself. Both stuffed tigers occupied the pillow beside my head. With an amused smile, I poked my head out of the tent to discover Calden at work at a campfire he’d built a safe distance from the tent. “Did you hunt as a wolf or a man?”

“A wolf, as I didn’t want to go out with a bow until you were ready to have your first lesson. I was able to wiggle out of your grip to go hunt without waking you, although you put up quite the fight to keep me around.”

“It should be obvious that I enjoy warm, furry creatures by now.”

He grinned at me while keeping an eye on the pair of rabbits he turned on a spit. “There are potatoes roasting in foil around the fire. You’ll want plenty of energy for the day. We’ll hunt and explore. About a mile away, we can reach the fence for my dad’s ranch. If we’re lucky, we’ll get to see the Earth herd. He has our regular animals at a different stable. There aren’t a whole lot of Earth-bred horses left, so he wants to keep as many of them safe and well as possible. We have enough to start a breeding program. Barely. We have two different breeds. Some different horse breeds made it to other worlds, too.”

“How many breeds were lost?”

“The current estimate is ten breeds from Earth escaped, and they’re foundation breeds. We have the program they used to create other lines. We might be able to recreate some of the other breeds. Our breeds came from the Middle East.”

I frowned, considering what I knew of the Earth’s Middle East, which consisted of a collection of arid nations that struggled for survival. “Was the portal in the Middle East?”

“No. The breeds were just popular where the portal was located, and the vets gathered as many horses as they could to preserve them. The problem is we have the paperwork but we don’t know which horse is which. We can’t tell if they’re chipped or tattooed or anything, so we’re making a lot of guesses. And the DNA tests show a lot of the animals were already interbred to preserve the species, so Dad’s pushing to have genetic therapy done on the animals. We might get the allowance because they’re now critically endangered.”

“We’ve become a sanctuary planet. So, what am I wearing today, Mr. Stephans?” I grinned, as he’d put on one of his casual button ups and a pair of tight jeans. “I have excellent taste in your clothes, I must admit.”

“I took the liberty of setting everything out for you. If the pants I’d snagged while you were in the dressing room don’t fit, wear whichever pants you want. I decided to gamble, as I was feeling rather selfish at the time. You only have to wear those shoes while we’re having breakfast or lounging around today, but I’m going to have to insist we do some lounging so I can see you in them.”

I giggled, retreated back into the tent, and zippered it closed. Calden made a disappointed noise, and I snickered at his reaction. The shirt he’d picked hadn’t been in the collection I’d tried on, and it consisted of what might have started its life as a halter top, ended just beneath my breasts, and involved a collection of straps meant to draw attention to my stomach and shoulders. Upon investigating the label, I discovered the item had been sized with a mixture of general sizing and bra sizing to help make certain shoppers could find the appropriate fit.

I tested the fabric to discover it was almost leather-like in texture, substantial enough to handle a day out in the woods, and lined with something soft and cozy to keep it comfortable. Upon further investigation, I discovered Calden had spent a fortune on lingerie, including a bra with a matching strap to the shirt to disguise its presence without forcing me to run around with zero support.

I wondered who had taught him to be considerate about women’s apparel. Had his father learned from his mother? Had someone stepped in to teach him after his mother’s death?

Had his mother started him on the basics of women’s clothing from an early age?

Amusement fought a fierce battle with my curiosity, but I ultimately decided to leave Calden with his secrets and appreciate the effort he’d invested in dressing me. I took my time with the bra and shirt, pleased when I managed to get everything on and situated without much of a fight.

I had to give him credit; he’d nailed the color and style, as I never would have picked something that balanced sexy and modest so well. Sure, the outfit exposed my stomach, but the shirt had a great deal more substance than the socially acceptable bikini top.

His choice of underwear would make me laugh for a long time.

He’d found a similar style to the kind I preferred, but instead of kittens, it had bunnies.

The pants proved a formidable foe, made of leather and designed to come down to just below my knees. I did manage to wiggle into them, grateful they had laces instead of buttons, as I suspected a button would have popped the instant I tried to move in them. As they were leather, they’d soften and break in from use, although I expected the rest of the day would be an interesting peril.

Running would be off the schedule, and I hoped I’d be able to walk.

Last but not least, he’d picked a pair of strappy heels, and I shook my head, while grinning like some fool over his general taste. I could only assume he liked legs and wanted to showcase them in an unobstructed way.

If he liked calves, between the pants and the heels, he’d get quite the show—and I would go out of my way to make certain he got a good bang for his buck.

I crawled out of the tent, made certain the heels wouldn’t punch through the dirt, and joined him at the fire. “Your ability to navigate through the perilous waters of women’s clothing is impressive.”

He looked me over, and his brows rose. “I am thinking I should take a picture of that on you, send it to the clothing company, and suggest you model that for them, because that is positively stunning on you, especially with your hair.”

I eyed my hair, which had started out pure white as a child and had darkened, if I could call it that, to a silvery blonde during childhood. Dark roots sometimes made an appearance, but they faded out the instant they were exposed to sunlight. “I wonder if the doctors can figure out what gene abnormality gives me my hair color.”

“It’s the shifter genetics,” he informed me. “That’s actually a sign of something we look for nowadays in those looking to join the Hunters. As your parents and brother have darker hair but you have pale hair, you would have been flagged to be checked for robust shifter genes. According to your mother, your brother was born with very pale hair, too, but his darkened at age five. Yours remained pale with dark roots, which is generally a sign you have strong shifter genetics. Your tendency to prank people with animals is also a signal you have those genes. Shifters tend to have an interest in all animal species. I was obsessed with horses growing up.”

“Are you still obsessed with horses?”

“I love them, but I don’t have as much time for them as I’d like, so I don’t have any right now. I expect I’ll end up with a few because of the Earth situation.”

“Can I be signed up to have a few horses?”

He laughed. “If you could get away with it, you’d spend your entire life just playing with animals.”

“That did not take you long to figure out.”

“Call it a lucky guess.”

I sat on one of the cut stumps Calden had gathered for the site and observed him cook the rabbits over the fire. “This isn’t something I’ve done before. I usually just tossed my rabbits in a cooler and hauled them back to the bus stop.”

“For you to be hunting near a bus stop, you were just on the outskirts of the city.”

I nodded. “I could have asked Dad to drive me out, but I have unacceptably independent tendencies.”

“Unless you’re being offered a camping trip,” he corrected.

I laughed. “If this is what camping is like, I am never saying no to a camping trip. It’s quiet, I have ready access to books, I can acquire a warm, fluffy wolf at my leisure, and while my parents will surely question why I’m not showing up for the family dinner, I’m sure your father will be questioning the same thing. Your father will eventually join forces with my father, and they will determine we have fled somewhere, probably for some nefarious purpose.”

“My father will figure it out quickly. He’ll just go to my favorite camping store and ask if anyone has seen me. The instant a store clerk confirms I had been there, he will understand I fled to go camping. If he’s smart enough to ask if I had anyone with me, he will know it’s a camping trip for two. My father can be cunning when he stops to think. Will he stop to think? That I can’t tell you. But once our parents join forces, they’ll figure it out quickly. Will you or I be accused of kidnapping? That’s the real question here.”

“I’ve never kidnapped anyone before, so I doubt I’ll get blamed. You’ll be accused of luring me off. Without doubt. I limit my escapes from the city to roughly six to eight hours, after which I show up with a small cooler filled with rabbit.” I eyed him. “What do I have to do to get my own unlimited license?”

“Ask my father nicely. I hear the power of tears might work to get him to abuse his powers and put in the request that you get an unlimited rabbit license. You could detail your experiment to corrupt him in your report. And if he doesn’t cave, well, he’s going to have a flawless record. He gets an unlimited license on the grounds of running the place, but he never goes anywhere near the base limit. And he reports his every kill, even when camping and hunting as a wolf.”

“There should be limits to his ethics,” I complained. “How can I get dirt on him if there’s no dirt to be found beyond horrible pranks paid for through the petty cash? And once I put he does petty pranks using petty cash, everyone will see the joke for what it is.”

Calden’s eyes widen. “I had not thought of that. He really is pulling pretty pranks using petty cash, isn’t he?”

“And he’s probably waiting for the moment someone notices and calls him out on it.”

“He would.”

We stared at each other, and Calden’s lopsided grin promised some form of trickery on the horizon. “You’re planning something,” I accused.

“I am planning on running away with you so we don’t have to deal with the hunt on Monday.”

I giggled, as the hunt preparations had driven most everyone to the end of their rope, myself included. “And you do this once a month?”

“It’s usually just two days of prep, but Dad wanted the finesse tests this go around. Usually, we try not to spend too much time preparing for the hunts, as we have a lot of work to do. Hunt weeks, most employees end up working three to four hours a day of overtime to make sure they can participate in the hunt and get the basic work done. Dad always approves that because it’s a good way to keep morale high and give bonuses to everybody without saying it’s a bonus.”

“There must be some deep, dark secret involving your father, Calden. Nobody is this ethical. Nobody.”

“I’ve been looking for years, and I haven’t found anything. Power? He’s not interested in it, and it annoys him that he has as much of it as he does. The worst thing he has done is abuse the petty cash on his petty pranks. And those petty pranks involve me!”

“Won’t running away put a damper on the hunt, though?”

“Oh, no. Dad will continue the planned activities as normal, postpone any of the hunts involving us, and then pay overtime for the entire faction to hunt us down and drag us back to work. If he clues in we’re running away to avoid the hunt, we’ll become the hunted.”

My eyes widened at the thought of the entire faction coming out to bring Calden back, probably kicking and screaming. “I’m not sure we brought enough clothes for that. Or potatoes.”

“There’s a grocery store nearby, and half the fun about camping is getting dirty. My SUV is due to be cleaned anyway.” He smirked. “You’re not afraid of a little dirt, are you, Coraline?”

“No, I’m afraid of your father, my parents, and my brother joining forces. Do you know what that lot might do if we run away?”

“What?”

“Plan a wedding, because obviously, that’s what should happen when two adults decide to go camping together without supervision.”

Calden snorted in an effort to keep from laughing. “Dad won’t allow it. He wants the bells, the whistles, and the formalities. He loves weddings.”

“Or he’ll be the one planning the perfect wedding. Don’t underestimate your father. I have seen his habits over the past week. He is a cunning, wicked man. He just limits his wicked cunningness to after hours.” Stretching out my legs, I put my feet as close to the fire as I dared without the risk of getting burned and enjoyed the warmth. “How hard is it to ride a horse?”

“It’s pretty easy. I can teach you. Hell, after we have some fun camping and hunting, I can drive you to Dad’s ranch and give you a lesson or two. I’m sure some of those freeloading Earth horses are broken to saddle, and if they aren’t, I can start the process. It’s fun. Horses are smart, and they’re pretty affectionate. I can’t promise you won’t end up as horse crazed as my father, though. The Earth horses we got in are lookers, too. They’re a lot less bulky than ours. I think of them as toothpick horsesbecause their legs look like they’re made from toothpicks compared to our breeds. Ours were bred to do work in the fields rather than be pleasure horses. I think the ones we got from Earth were riding horses or racers of some sort. Or maybe horses from Earth are just thinner in the leg in general?”

I had no idea, as while many of the books I’d read involving Earth had included horses, I hadn’t thought much of the descriptions, which had depicted them as having thinner legs. “Obviously, we’re going to have to do a thorough study of these horses and see what makes them different from our horses. But won’t the people at your father’s ranch tattle on us?”

“They won’t, not if I ask them really nicely to preserve the limited privacy I’m enjoying. Don’t worry so much. It’ll be fine. But first, we must enjoy some breakfast, some quiet time reading, and hunting.”

“You’ll teach me how to cook rabbits over a fire at lunch time, though, right?”

“Absolutely.”

NINETEEN

You live for book money, don’t you?

Once Calden decided to do something, he did it. And for some reason I couldn’t fathom, he wanted to hunt again as a wolf while I tagged along, armed with my new bow and a quiver of arrows. He’d given me a lesson on how to use it, a brace to protect my wrist and hand from being smacked with the string, and a few common-sense recommendations to prevent shooting him or myself.

Then, because I had zero common sense and an awareness of how much he liked strappy heels and my legs, I opted to run around in the sandals rather than change into something sensible.

Had the ground been a little softer, I would have made better use of my common sense. But as I could move around fine and I wouldn’t be running after any prey, I allowed myself to be stupid.

I gave Calden credit, though. The sandals held up a lot better than I thought, the heels didn’t bother me, and I could keep up with the prowling wolf easily enough.

He’d even provided a pair of bags capable of keeping the blood of any prey off me for transport back to our camp, which I carried along with several bags of salt to preserve the pelts of any animals we killed.

Within five minutes of leaving our camp site, with the fire extinguished so it wouldn’t reignite without our assistance, I understood why he hadn’t protested more about my choice of shoes.

The meat rabbits had bred, and I could barely take a step without startling one out of the foliage. “For the sake of the entire forest, we must thin these numbers. And eat them. For the sake of my stomach.”

Calden halted, turned towards me, and huffed, his ears flicked forward.

“What? Didn’t you listen to my father? I’m a walking stomach with feet, and I operate on rabbit. That breakfast was a mere snack. I can eat two whole rabbits on my own.”

The bowed head and drooped ears conveyed Calden’s general despair rather well. “It’s just an extra rabbit or two. I’m sure a fierce hunter like yourself can handle feeding me an extra rabbit. Just be glad I told you I get mean when I get hungry!” I paused. “Of course, I’m telling you that a little late, but at least I told you.”

The wolf shook his head and resumed prowling through the forest, leading me along a deer track, presumably to one of his favored hunting grounds.

The woods opened to a hill leading down to a river, which gleamed in the morning sunlight. After dark, I would have to drag Calden to the spot with a lantern, hood it, and hope the fireflies would come out to illuminate the grasses and its patches of blooming wildflowers.

The hill also catered to the needs of a ridiculous number of meat rabbits, which rustled through the knee-high foliage without a care in the world. Calden could probably catch ten in the space of five minutes with how many of them bounded around.

As Calden had gone through all the effort to provide a bow and the required arrows to try to hunt rabbits in a more traditional fashion, I followed the lengthy list of instructions he’d given me, drew my first arrow back, and attempted to target along its length to the nearest rabbit, a particularly stupid one who thought nothing of the big wolf less than ten feet away.

Point-blank range helped, and to my astonishment, the arrow protruded through the rabbit’s neck. I could only assume I’d somehow severed its spine, as it went down in the blink of an eye, unaware of what had killed it. My eyes widened, and I stared at the bow. “Either the bow is magical or that was the craziest case of beginner’s luck I have ever seen. And if you spent extra money on a magical bow, we will have words!”

Calden lolled his tongue out at me, loped over to my kill, and investigated it, gingerly seizing the animal by its head, likely to preserve the skin.

I would appreciate that later, as while I wouldn’t be able to preserve the neck or head with the arrow protruding through the pelt, I could recover everything else. I found a log, got out the new skinning knife he’d given me, and went to work cleaning the kill while he observed, his head tilted to the side in interest.

“I draw lines at carrying offal with me. If you want to eat that horrible stuff, you’re more than welcome to, but I will not be anywhere near you or your mouth for at least twenty years should you do so. I have lines, and that crosses them. But I’ll feed you this rabbit after I skin it if you go catch me one. If you dispatch it without damaging everything below the neck, I can get us some good book money for it. We’ll have to take some care with the pelts so they don’t rot, but we have everything we need to do it.”

The camping store had sold everything I’d needed to preserve them, including several different types of salts, which I’d gotten in excessive quantity.

The curing salts and my preferred brand of regular salts would be mixed together and liberally applied to the entire skin to keep the moisture out until the artisans and crafters could work their various trades on them.

The meat would go into the bags, and I’d carry the salted pelts.

While Calden hunted, which translated roughly to catching fish out of an overstocked barrel, I handled the preliminary work. When he brought in his first kill, which he’d managed without damaging any of the skin, I repeated the process.

I ran out of salt after the fifth kill, and I informed him we needed to go back to our camp to finish preparing them, get them safely stored so no opportunists would ruin my hard work, and begin making lunch.

Back at the camp site, Calden eased into the tent while I finished preparing the pelts to be taken back to town. When he emerged as a human, he did so wearing a pair of jeans and nothing else. “The bow isn’t magical, but I suspected you’d have good hand-eye coordination because of using a sling. That range is pretty easy, so you only got a little lucky. You had plenty of time to line up the shot, you followed directions, and you stayed calm. With weekly practice, you’ll probably be good at archery.”

If skinning rabbits earned me Calden prancing around half naked, I’d fill an entire bank account with book money in record time. “Since you helped catch them, it’s only fair we get to equally split the book money.”

“You live for book money, don’t you?”

“I have a few other things I particularly enjoy.” Him without his shirt gained a great deal of traction on my list. “But book money is magical. Your fireplace and hot chocolate delivery service is also magical.”

He smiled. “I brought everything needed to serve you hot chocolate tonight, although you’ll have to cope with reading by lantern light near a campfire instead of at the fireplace.”

“I think I’ll survive.”

* * *

The sun marched across the sky, and near dark, Calden turned on his phone. To my amusement, he had at least a bar of reception, as the device pinged. According to his expression, his phone had betrayed him.

“Wasn’t supposed to have reception?”

“It really wasn’t. My father is onto me, has identified I have gone camping without him, and has rightfully accused me of kidnapping.”

“It’s not kidnapping if I cooperated. I’m pretty sure you told me exactly what I was getting into, and I gleefully got into the vehicle with you. I didn’t just get into the vehicle, I did so gleefully. As such, your father can make all the accusations he wants, and I’d just inform the judge the alternative was to stay home, be bored, and read books. I had the option to go eat rabbit, read books, pet a wolf, and not be bored.”

“You’re going to want me to sleep as a wolf again, aren’t you?”

“I can probably survive with my tiger, but wolves are soft and warm. We might have to test if you’re equally warm while a human.”

He raised a brow. “Not soft?”

There was only one way for me to answer that question, and I did so through leveling my smuggest smirk in his general direction.

“And I walked right into that. I am prepared to hear the terms for my surrender.”

“I’m going to have to insist on continued hot chocolate service in front of your fireplace, with private dinners for two at frequent intervals. We may possibly have to replace the locks on your home to prevent your father from showing up at his convenience.”

“You would like frequent date nights, then?”

“With books, hot chocolate, a nice fireplace, and good food, which need not always be rabbit, but rabbit we caught ourselves does taste the best for some reason.”

“I accept these terms. What should I tell my father?”

“You were kidnapped by a tyrant queen who insists on enjoying your warm, soft, and furry self at her demand. And that he needs to go away until Monday morning. He has lost rights to your person until then.”

Laughing, Calden did as ordered. “Anything else?”

“A notification if he dare interrupt the tyrant queen’s conquest, he won’t get you back for an extra week. I’ll just keep you on a short leash. While you’re in your wolf form.”

Calden considered me through narrowed eyes. “Can we do that anyway? I could use a week off during the hunt, and Dad would probably pay me if I’m teaming up with you as a wolf during the hunt week.”

I held out my hand. “May I use your phone to inform your father of my terms?”

He handed the device over. “You absolutely may.”

I confirmed he’d passed on my initial message dutifully, chuckled at his addition he would participate in an act of patricide if we were interrupted, and I added to the chaos with a request that the father of my new captive entertain the parents of the tyrant queen. Then I turned the phone off and returned it to its owner. “I assigned him to watching over my parents. Perhaps they can all feel sorry for themselves that way.”

“That is definitely adding fuel to the fire.”

“I’m sure they’ll keep themselves busy with their various speculations. Now, what were we doing, Mr. Stephans?”

“Discussing our future date nights, I do believe. I foresee a lot of quiet evenings at home with books, good company, and great food, and I wish to know what other terms I must add to my surrender to learn more about these activities. Beyond letting you leash me for the duration of the hunt.”

“Well, I’m sure we can come up with some good ideas for our date nights, but let’s discuss how I might come out the victor of this hunt in a surprise upset.”

“Nobody is going to be upset if you win, Coraline. If anything, they’ll be delighted. If you win, that means you’ll have bested my father, and my father gives no ground. If you beat him, it’s because you did so legitimately. If anything, the more he likes you, the more cruelly he defeats you during the hunt. It’s a good way to get pampered by the rest of the faction. But if you want a chance to beat my father, I have some ideas I’ve been working on for a while.”

“What sort of idea?”

“The kind where we spend the entirety of the hunt launching sneak attacks on my father at every opportunity. As long as we best him during office hours on a hunt day, we gain points. Until now, I’ve never done such a thing against anyone. But this time? An exception will be made.”

“How do we do that?”

“You approach him like you have serious work for him, and we take him out like he’s one of your rabbits perfect for skinning. We will be armed with paintball guns. I’ll make sure we arrive early and steal one of the more interesting colors of paintballs. We’re going to need a lot of paintballs to take my father out. I’ll also need a lot of patience, because I’ll be responsible for cleaning up everything we get messed up outside of the hunting areas. But there’s nothing in the hunt rules saying we have to stay in the boundaries of the set courses to collect points.”

“There will be once we’re done with the faction,” I promised.

* * *

As I’d hoped for, Calden and I returned to the hill and its meadow after dark with a lantern and watched the fireflies dance. He stood a close and careful guard as a wolf, and I indulged in digging my fingers into his fur and enjoying his quiet company.

I wondered what wolves said, as I got the feeling his body language conveyed a lot more than the basics I could interpret from the position of his ears. Mostly, I assumed he also enjoyed himself, as he remained relaxed, even when he made certain nothing in the surrounding woods would bother us. Instead of reading, I captured the moments of quiet peace, listened to the distant call of nocturnal birds, the rustle of small animals nearby, and an orchestra composed entirely of crickets.

Only when the fire spluttered and began to die did I rise to my feet, dust myself off, and pick the lantern up. “We should probably get some rest. Then you can change back into a man of the human variety and tell me what you were thinking, because you seemed to have a lot to say with those ears of yours. Then we can get in a little reading before we sleep. I brought a book and forgot to open it.”

He huffed, bobbed his head, and pointed his nose in the direction of our camp. Upon our return, I held open the tent flap for him and went to work with a flashlight to make certain we left everything out of the camp secure from the animals that might find our things to be interesting. After a few minutes, he emerged wearing his pajamas. “You don’t have to do that.”

“You did it earlier, and I paid some attention to what you were doing, so just tell me what I’m forgetting.”

Calden had taken the pelts to the SUV, disappearing for almost an hour earlier in the day, which led me to believe he’d dropped our prizes off at his father’s ranch for safe keeping.

With a small smile, he gave me directions on how to prepare the campsite for the night before emerging from the tent so I could get changed as well.

I considered wearing nothing but my underwear, but I would keep my promise to myself and behave until sometime after our first date night, which would happen sooner than later if I had any say in the matter.

After a brief but vicious battle against the flannel, I poked my head out of the tent and said, “I don’t know how flannel managed to put up a fight, but mine did.”

Calden snickered, did one last check of the camp, and joined me in the tent. “It’s probably the same sort of dark sorcery that makes it so difficult to get out of bed in the morning when I’m wearing my favorite pajamas. It’s a most insidious spell designed to catch us at our weakest.”

“At least I’m not the only one who gets ensorcelled by good pajamas. Do you think we’ll even make it to work in the future if we both wear our favorite pajamas at the same time?”

“My phone has a potent ability to dispel such charms, much to my eternal disappointment. And if my phone doesn’t work, my father’s appearance certainly does.”

“We’re changing that lock,” I informed him in my most serious tone. “He may knock, but he may not enter without permission.”

“It’s useful giving him access sometimes. Like right now, he’s caring for Espresso and Latte.”

“In the future, we shall deliver the keys before we depart, and upon our return, we will reclaim them.” I considered who we discussed. “After which we change the locks again, for he will surely copy the keys.”

“How long are you going to let him assume you’re still living at his rental?”

“If he hasn’t figured it out by now, he’s blind,” I muttered.

“Or he’s just hopeful and doesn’t want to push his luck.”

“We’ll spell it out with paintball rounds during the week on one of his suits. I’ll even pay for the replacement if it’s ruined. Do you think one day is enough time to learn how to fire a paintball gun?”

“This is going to be harder than I thought, but I’m game to try. But honestly? I’ll just hope for beginner’s luck, as I’d rather stay here with you than dive right back into work right away.”

On that, we were agreed.

TWENTY

Why would I give you any warning?

Armed with a rather small paintball gun capable of holding only a few rounds, I entered Mr. Stephans’s office, confirmed he was alone, and pretended to hand over the morning itinerary, something we’d done from the day after my promotion.

He reached for the folder, and with a smile, I hit his chest at point blank range. As desired, the baby blue ball exploded against the black of his suit. Pretending nothing had happened, I said, “Your first hunt is in thirty minutes, and you will be expected to accurately and honestly record all of the points.”

As Calden had handled the settings for my paintball gun, he’d promised the round would thump into his father with a small risk of leaving a bruise in addition to ruining his suit. Trusting that he wouldn’t hurt his father on purpose, I set up for a second shot and squeezed the trigger, adding a second blue splotch on his chest. “I do believe that equates to five minutes immunity from retaliation, Mr. Stephans?”

With owl-wide eyes, the leader of the Hunters regarded his ruined jacket and shirt. “You shot me.”

“Twice,” I confirmed.

“Without warning. You shot me without warning.”

I made a show of checking the wall clock. “The hunt started twenty minutes ago, officially, sir. Why would I give you any warning?”

He plucked at his jacket and heaved a sigh. “Calden put you up to this, didn’t he?”

“Oh, no, Mr. Stephans. I want to win, and if I want to win against you, I have to play within every rule you set and do it better than you do. I plan on adding a complete section to my report regarding your performance at this hunt. Are you sure you’re the undisputed ruler of this faction?” I raised a brow and regarded my two shots, then made a show of blowing off pretend smoke from my paintball gun. “If I win, I rule over this faction for at least a week. But don’t worry, I’ll give it back.”

“I have no idea what has gotten into you, but I’m going to record your points and pretend like I know nothing of your ambition. But be aware, Miss Patten. Revenge is coming.”

“If you say so,” I replied, making sure my doubt oozed out of every word. “You’re expected on the fifth floor in twenty-five minutes, so try not to be late.”

* * *

Leashing Calden and keeping him close did an excellent job of deterring the other Hunters, who struggled to make sense of their leader’s son prancing around as a wolf. The collar, which we’d picked up from a pet store on the way back to the city, matched my collection of paintballs for my little gun, which I reloaded after every ambush I sprung on any Hunter unfortunate enough to cross my path.

Generally, I shot Calden’s father and enjoyed every moment of it.

Calden’s leash, which was covered with white, fluffy pom poms and counted as a horror show, induced hysterical laughter on my part every time I had to use it. Laughing while hunting my co-workers resulted in me being shot with paintballs more often than not.

Most aimed for my bare, lower legs, sacrificing my shoes rather than the knee-length pants I’d chosen to wear because Calden liked them so much.

I showed no such consideration for my fellow Hunters, and they didn’t seem to mind. I suspected the wolf keeping me company had something to do with that, as he’d curl up a lip and displayed his teeth for anyone who didn’t go with my flow.

For my first hunt, I took my wolf into the maze, where my job was to shoot my brother with as many paintballs as I wanted. Someone had given me two new paintball guns, both loaded with the baby blue balls I’d claimed as mine. Unlike me, Peter wore a full set of protective gear, which he’d need by the time I finished with him.

Peter got a five minute head start, which wouldn’t help him, as I came armed with a wolf.

The hunt did a good job of establishing I never wanted to go without my wolf ever again.

“Peter, Peter, Peter! Come out, come out, wherever you are,” I called out in my best sing-song voice.

“No!” my brother howled from somewhere deep in the ridiculous room the Hunters had converted into their personal playground.

The observers, who were on a catwalk around the entire course, cackled their delight. I unclipped Calden’s leash, crouched, and rewarded him with ear scratches. “Lick my brother into submission without getting shot with his paintball gun.”

Calden shook his head, earning more laughter from the watching Hunters.

“Come on. I don’t want you to bite him. Jab him with your nose repeatedly. That would count. And gentle nips, I suppose, are acceptable. It’s not like I’m asking you to kiss him, and I’m sure he doesn’t taste that bad.”

The baleful look Calden shot me implied he believed my brother did taste that bad. I also got the impression he viewed licking as uncomfortably close to kissing.

Interesting.

I leaned over and whispered into his ear, “If you lick my brother into submission, I’m sure you would be given an opportunity to retaliate against the evil tyrant queen putting you through this in similar fashions.”

That decided the wolf. Calden bolted off at a brisk enough pace I pitied my brother. One day, after the memory of wolf breath faded, my brother might forgive me. After the weekend, which had been spent pleasantly hinting at the various nice things we could be doing after the first date night, I held some general hope the wolf would be keen on exacting his revenge upon me for making him slobber on my brother.

With Calden on the prowl, my brother incapable of winning at any sport to save his life, and an audience of easily amused Hunters, I went the leisurely route, considering if I could pluck out a few extra points from the observers.

I needed every point I could get to defeat Calden’s father. Upon my victory, I’d run off with the man’s son and refuse to give him back.

I’d even add a tally of kidnapping to Calden’s book to get what I wanted, although I’d make sure my target didn’t object to becoming a missing person in my custody.

I suspected word had spread about my tendency to shoot anyone who came into easy range, as all the observers took care to keep their arms and legs out of my range. The few times I spied a shoe over the edge of the catwalk, the Hunter realized their mistake and corrected it before I could gain another point.

Somewhere deeper in the maze, my brother squealed, and a rather amused woof informed everyone that Calden had taken his portion of the hunt seriously. I followed the sound to discover the wolf had pinned my brother to the floor and soaked his face in slobber.

Peter squealed, but thanks to having dropped his paintball gun, all he could do was fend off the fluffy shapeshifter hard at work giving his face a bath.

I picked up Peter’s paintball gun, pointed it at his leg, and fired. Then I nailed him again with my gun to make certain I could claim at least one point from him. “You are lucky you don’t have your face protection on anymore, else I’d be going for heart shots because those are worth more points.” I worked my foot under Calden and stepped on my brother’s chest. “This is how a smart woman hunts down her brother. She sends the wolf to do all the work and leisurely finishes off the helpless prey.”

“You’re evil,” my brother spluttered between rounds of Calden soaking him with wolf slobber. “What did I do?”

“You haven’t taken me shopping for camping supplies yet. Those who do not provide me camping supplies are ruthlessly hunted.”

“I surrender, just make him stop.”

I laughed at my brother’s pleading tone, but I leaned over, wrapped my arms around Calden’s neck, and made a show of pulling the cooperative wolf off. “I think they wanted to see us wrestle on the floor and cat-scratch each other, but this is more amusing.”

“They labeled this as a light warm up,” Peter complained.

“Well, yes. I have no idea what I’m doing. That’s why I brought a wolf! Nobody said I couldn’t catch and bring a wolf. I caught this one fair and square.” I attached the pom pom leash to Calden’s collar. “I hate losing.”

“I came in expecting to be humiliated for the amusement of the Hunters, so it isn’t too bad. Nobody warned me about the wolf breath, though.” Peter escaped from beneath my foot and got to his feet. “We’re the appetizer for the activities, present only to entertain people. But then I heard rumor you started the entertainment early.”

“Eh, my boss annoyed me. He deserved a paintball round to the chest. He’ll get over it eventually. That was worth at least a point.”

“If it’s a confirmed heart shot, it’s worth five points,” my brother replied.

There was something rude about using my smallest paintball gun to take out my brother’s chest at point-blank range, but I wanted my five points. “Oh. I thought it was two.”

Peter stared down at his chest, which had a splat of baby blue over his heart. Heaving his most dramatic sigh, he collapsed to his knee and began his death scene ritual.

As it would take him ten minutes to get over my cruel betrayal, I headed in the direction of the maze’s exit. I’d get some work done and shoot as many co-workers as possible before I was dropped off in the maze to be hunted as a prize.

* * *

Mr. Allasandro Stephans either refused to learn from his mistakes, couldn’t bear the thought of accepting defeat, or enjoyed being shot in the chest with paintballs. In the matter of several hours, I’d hit my boss so many times that Calden no longer bothered lifting his head whenever his father stepped into my office. The carpet would need to be cleaned, I’d missed a few times and had decorated the walls with paintball splatter, and a few times, I’d shot the wall on purpose to add to the colorful mayhem.

Even my feathered residents no longer reacted to the bang-splat of my boss being assaulted with yet another bright ball of blue paint.

“You’re enjoying yourself a little too much,” he stated, and he held out a folder. “I need these to be dealt with today, please.”

As I refused to be assaulted with glitter and had already dodged it several times, I gestured to his son, who slept on the floor nearby. “You know the rule. You open the folders over him, and if he wakes up covered in sparkling confetti, you will be blamed.”

“It’s blue to match your paintballs and his collar.”

“I recommend you apply the questionable substance to him in a consistent fashion to maximize his shimmer potential. But you do not get to claim any points from me, good sir.”

Calden’s father regarded his stained suit with a sigh. “I’m pretty sure that one was worth five.”

“Do record my points appropriately. It’s the only way I have a chance of victory.”

“Coraline, you’re so far ahead of everyone else in scoring at this point, that we aren’t even bothering to catch up to you. You realize you’ve been going after heart shots all morning and afternoon?”

“I really want to win.”

“We have noticed. What are you winning? There has to be some prize to make it worth your while this much.”

I gestured at Calden, who must have fallen asleep in earnest, as he hadn’t budged, even when I’d shot his father with the paintball gun.

“I see.” Calden’s father narrowed his eyes, and he did as I’d instructed, taking care to tap out all the blue glitter on his son before depositing the folder onto my desk. “It would have been three points if I had managed to get you with the glitter.”

“You get three points for glittering Calden, though, so that’s something.”

“Calden’s worth less points right now.”

“When did that rule get added?”

“About five minutes after you collared and leashed him. He’s no longer a top prize.”

I raised a brow. As far as I was concerned, there was no better prize in the faction, but if his father wanted to claim fewer points, I’d let him. “If people view me as a prize, they’re going about it in the absolute wrong way. They come close enough for me to shoot, Mr. Stephans.”

“They just like crushing me cruelly beneath their heels, and you’re the first person to blatantly come into my office and shoot me with a paintball gun. Honestly, everyone is shocked someone actually did it even though it’s allowed in the rules. We’re all very orderly people who only crush each other in the primary events. You’ve earned so many points at this stage, nobody can beat you without following your example, and watching you just shoot everyone who comes in your range with your new wolf in tow is just a joy, so we’re giving it to you. Fortune favors the bold and all.”

“Isn’t that just another way of saying you might get lucky but you’re most likely going to get eaten by a wolf for trying to pet it in the forest?”

“Please don’t pet strange wolves in the forest.”

I pointed at Calden. “He has taught me wolves are soft and fluffy. I’m doomed. I’m going to get eaten by a wolf in the forest because now all I think of when I see a wolf is how badly I want to pet it.”

Calden’s father heaved a sigh. “I’m not sure I can fix this problem. Make sure you tell my son he must always escort you into the woods else you might really get eaten by wild animals.”

“Are there even wild wolves here?”

“There’s a pack in Stonecreek, and they sometimes venture into Moonriver, but not often. That’s why we’re having so many problems with the rabbit population. The birds of prey that eat rabbits are few and far between, and the wolves prefer Stonecreek. We’ve thought about trying to bring in a rehabilitated pack. There is just one problem with this: we have a bunch of shapeshifting wolves, and the wild ones are smart enough to steer clear of us. We’re bigger and smarter than they are.”

“Following that logic, it should be perfectly safe for me to go pet any wolves I see in Moonriver as the chances of encountering a non-shapeshifter are slim.”

“Please don’t pet unidentified wolves.”

“But wolves are huge, soft, and cuddly.” I pointed at Calden. “I present evidence of my case. They’re also great foot warmers, and he’s quiet when sleeping.”

“I’m questioning what you did to my son to wear him out so much he’s sleeping as a wolf in your office.”

“I made him hunt rabbits without damaging their pelts. We earned an epic amount of book money, as he was really good at dispatching them without hurting their fur. I even killed two with a bow and arrow!”

“Ah. He taught you archery?”

“The first kill was beginner’s luck. The second one was also beginner’s luck after an offensive number of misses.” I nudged Calden with my foot until he woke up. “You were just assaulted by your father, and now you need to spend the rest of the day plotting your revenge. I recommend rubbing against anyone you want to score points on.”

It took Calden a solid minute to comprehend what his father had done to him, and he heaved a sigh before casting a disapproving look at both of us.

Calden’s father chuckled, bent over, and kissed his son’s nose. “I have more glitter in my office. I’ll present the receipts proving the abusive use of the petty cash funds by the end of the day. I have a pile of them for you. I also have the expenses report for the upcoming date nights prepared, how I’m wrangling them into legitimate business trips to lower general expenses, and what I’m paying for out of pocket. Do try to put together a particularly scathing report of my wrong doings. I’m opening an election to start in three weeks to last for a month. I’ll make the announcement tomorrow, and the election will begin once we are back from the camping trip. If you could publish a preliminary report focusing on all the horrible, terrible things I’ve been doing, that would be excellent.”

“Are you trying to get fired?”

“I’m trying to motivate the leaders of the other factions to step up and take over. Maybe if they start actually competing, I wouldn’t win the election by a landslide again. For a bunch of people who enjoy polling about how shitty I am, they keep voting for me, and they need to stop it.”

I stared at him. “Are you all right, Mr. Stephans?”

“Why wouldn’t I be all right?”

“You are spouting complete and utter nonsense.”

“Your refusal to post only the negative things that you have discovered in your initial investigation is utter nonsense.”

Ah, right. I had made such a refusal, as my job was to offer a non-biased, balanced report of all his activities. Outside of the petty cash fund usage, I’d located a few instances where he’d skipped work to take a mental health day without notifying anybody he needed fresh air. Unfortunately for my boss, I’d identified the causes of all the abrupt failures to show up at work, and they always counted as legitimate mental health issues or emergencies.

Most were due to someone outside of the Hunters kidnapping Calden, and only if there wasn’t an emergency going on at work. When there was a legitimate emergency at work, Calden’s father had worked overtime while waiting for a call regarding the whereabouts of his son.

“I’m going to need a lot more than ‘Mr. Stephans wasted thirty dollars to apply glitter to his son in a morale boosting activity’ if your goal is to debase yourself.” I shooed him away. “Please go back to work. If I go into your office in thirty minutes and find you goofing off, you will be dealt with.”

“Haven’t you shot me in the chest enough times for one day?”

“No.”

“You’re ruthless. You should put my lack of foresight in the report. I hired you without realizing you would use your ruthlessness to keep me in line.”

Somehow, I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. As he had lingered beyond the typical five minute grace time, I picked up my paintball gun and shot him in the chest again, although I missed his heart. “Go away. I need to get work done before I’m tossed to the wolves.”

“I think you’ll be perfectly safe from the wolves. At worst, you’ll get nuzzled into submission. You were supposed to be tenderized, sat upon, and generally initiated in an exhausting fashion, but you decided to be a player rather than the played. It usually takes several hunts to get the new babies okay with the idea of having fun at work.”

“I think my brother is being played enough for the both of us.”

My boss laughed. “The last I checked, your brother was trying to hide under someone’s desk in a fruitless effort to escape being hunted again. He has certain regrets right now. He’s being a good sport about it, though. It would not surprise me if he ends up being taken on a bunch of pity dates, as he’s trying so hard when they do catch him and throw him into the maze.”

Goodness. “They’ll eat him alive. I wonder what I’ll tell my parents.”

“I’ll just tell them he fell valiantly in battle and is being tended to by amorous young women.”

“That’s going to land him with a severe case of married. I’m not sure he’s ready for that level of tending.”

“I think he’ll be fine.”

“I am having some serious doubts about that, Mr. Stephans.”

“He said the same to me the last time I saw him. He almost made it to my office before he was captured and dragged back to the fifth floor for his next event. I’m surprised you didn’t investigate the ruckus.”

I pointed at the sleeping parrots, who had been making a fuss and cursing me for my refusal to set them free to add to the chaos. “They were yelling. It’s nap time, and yelling time is scheduled in a few hours. I’m sure they’ll get the rest of the crew riled up once they’ve recovered from their morning excitement.”

“And how is your flock settling?”

“The parrots are mouthy, want out of their cage forever, and they don’t like being told no. The rest of the crew is nesting, which means I get told off when I provide them with their next meal. It’s a war zone in here. Calden is the best behaved of the lot, and that’s only because he decided to sleep during his well-earned day off.”

“I like that you acknowledge that my son is not well behaved when he’s awake.”

“He is your son, after all.”

Calden’s father clutched at his chest. “I have been mortally wounded.”

Sometimes, the only response suitable for the poor behavior of grown men involved shooting them repeatedly with a paintball gun, and I ran the first gun out of ammo and was well on the way to coloring his back completely blue by the time he escaped my office. “And I get a point for every one of those hits, sir!”

Maybe I wouldn’t escape the Hunters of Moonriver with my sanity intact, but at least I’d go out having a good time.

TWENTY-ONE

You’re feathered menaces!

Somewhere down the hall, my brother squealed for mercy. I checked the time, determined he’d suffered enough for one day, and said, “Capture that foolish brother of mine. We’ll flee to your SUV once you’ve shifted, and I will deliver him to my parents. If we’re lucky, they’ll feed us while scolding us for having tortured Peter in cruel and unusual ways.”

Calden huffed, a sound I learned meant disgruntled acceptance of my command, and he trotted out into the hallway. A moment later, he let out a loud bark, startling every bird in my office. The songbirds settled in to glare at me for daring to allow a wolf to bark anywhere near them.

The parrots screamed at me, using their shrillest cries.

“Are you still mad I didn’t give you an entire banana for lunch?”

“Yes,” the birds chorused.

Why had anyone thought it had been a good idea to make me responsible for wickedly intelligent parrots? Oh, right. After pranking my parents with a peacock, more doves than any two humans needed, and generally doing my best to give them gray hairs, I deserved my fate. “I will see about bringing you an entire banana tomorrow, but that’s only if I can find one.”

We had bananas, but the refugees had a huge appetite for them, resulting in their quick disappearance. Aware the birds would not accept no for an answer, I hoped I’d be able to find a banana somewhere.

They expected an entire banana to share once a week, and when they did not get their banana, they made certain their caretaker was as miserable as they were.

“I am totally going to ask the vets if you can actually have bananas. And if they say they’ll make you sick, you’re not getting bananas.”

“Ba-nan-aaaaaahhhhhh,” the parrots screamed.

“You’re feathered menaces!” I yelled back.

The birds bobbed their heads and laughed at me.

I loved the asshole parrots, and I would be heartbroken the day they went on to whatever bird paradise awaited them.

I got up, gathered our things, and headed for the door to discover Calden romping in the hallway with his father, who’d made an appearance as a wolf. A rather exhausted Peter sprawled on the floor, and when he spotted me, he crawled my way.

“Goodness. And to think I only shot you when we were on opposing teams today. What did they do to you?”

“I ran,” Peter whined.

“Well, that was stupid. They’re Hunters. They’re apex couch potatoes right up until the time their prey decides to run. If you want a Hunter to lose interest, you become as absolutely boring as possible.” When my brother came into range, I nudged him with my toe. “Use your fancy phone to inform our parents we’re coming over.”

Peter wormed around on the floor, retrieved his phone from a pocket, and held it up to me. “Please?”

Well, as my brother had learned his manners, I put my purse and Calden’s belongings on the floor, took the phone, and pointed it at his face to unlock it before selecting our father’s contact from the list. I dialed, held the phone to my ear, and waited for my father to issue his standard taunt to my brother before revealing which child had contacted him.

“Did the Hunters kill you off?”

“I regret to inform you that your other child has been thoroughly defeated by the Hunters. He is alive, but he might not survive the day if he doesn’t receive some tender, loving care from you and Mom.”

“You want us to feed you,” my father accused.

“That would be an accurate statement. I’ve had a long day shooting my boss with paintballs. Right now, my boss and his child are romping around as wolves. The child of that relationship spent most of the day sleeping in my office, so he has a surprising amount of energy.”

“And how did my baby girl enjoy her first camping trip this weekend?”

“I had a good time. I got to enjoy being kept warm by a very fluffy wolf.”

“Good. I’ll be taking you and your brother out tomorrow night to purchase your own camping equipment rather than mooching off Calden, so try to leave your brother somewhat functional after the hunt.”

“He doesn’t have to be functional to give me his money. You can help with the shopping, though. Calden has been teaching me how to use a bow, and I’m very bad at it. I’m going to teach him how to use a sling, so I need to get the supplies so he can make his own.”

“It did not take you long to mesh with the Hunters.”

“It really didn’t, and they’re basically letting me win this hunt because I have zero remorse over shooting my boss with paintball guns. I’m going to owe him a week’s worth of new suits by the time this is over, but that’s a small price to pay. Every time he does something annoying, I shoot him. It’s hugely satisfying.”

“It’s not just satisfying, it’s hugely satisfying?” my father asked in an amused tone.

“That’s correct.”

“I see you are having a good time with the Hunters.”

“That may be an accurate statement. So, can we invade?”

“We anticipated your brother’s bruised state, and your mother assumed that you would follow him, so I suppose you can invade. The Stephans are more than welcome to join us. Try to bring your brother home intact, please.”

“I view him as properly punished for his various sins, but I’m not letting him off the hook for the shopping trip. My camping kit is at stake.”

In reality, I already had a camping kit I shared with Calden, but having more camping supplies seemed wise.

“Your camping collection is safe. However, we do have a question. Why does Allasandro suspect your new townhouse is not being occupied?”

“Hot chocolate service,” I informed my father in a serious tone. “At that townhome, the hot chocolate is not served while I read. At another location, hot chocolate mystically appears at good intervals. And then I forget to leave. I should probably start going to sleep somewhere other than a chair in front of a fireplace, but it’s comfortable!”

“I see. You have been lured off with the promise of warm beverages, a fireplace, and books.”

“That is an accurate statement.”

“Are you running home every morning to get changed and take a shower?”

“Basically,” I replied, aware I skirted the truth. “Mornings can get a little chaotic at current.”

“That sounds like a bit of an understatement, as Allasandro has been trying to catch you in the act for a few days.”

“Well, I have been actively working to not get caught in the act, Dad.”

“You’re an adult, Coraline. Why are you worried about getting caught in the act?”

I blinked, and I spent a few moments considering his question. “Revenge from my family and friends would be swift?”

“What type of revenge are you thinking we’d concoct?”

“The delivery of defenseless baby animals comes to mind,” I confessed.

“That is fair. Your mother and I think about that sort of revenge often, but honestly? You have to put up with wolf breath and slobber, plus you like baby animals. It wouldn’t be revenge. It would be a reward.”

“That’s also true.”

“I’ll make sure your mother knows we’re having the entire herd over for dinner tonight. No paintball demonstrations in the house. If you want to shoot Allasandro, do so in the front yard.”

“I am leaving my weapon and ammunition at work, where I’ll likely be ambushed tomorrow.”

“Allasandro informed us you’ve been shooting everyone in the faction rather ruthlessly.”

“I like winning and hate losing, Dad.”

“As such, you only have yourself to blame when this backfires on you in amusing fashions. For us, that is. Not for you. You will not be amused.”

My father was up to something, but I couldn’t even begin to guess what. As such, I had no choice but to level accusations his way until I learned more about his scheming. “You are up to something.”

“Yes, I am.”

Interesting. “Will I like the something?”

“You’ll love it,” my father admitted. “It involves your favorite three activities.”

“Okay. I’m signed up. I don’t suppose you can bring your SUV over, can you? My boss and his son are wolves, and my brother is practicing his death scenes. I don’t drive, Dad. While I could steal a vehicle, I’d kill us all trying to get to your domicile.”

“I’ll be there in thirty minutes. If you’re bringing the wolves as wolves, please leash and collar them while also gathering their clothing.”

That much I could do. “Thank you, Dad. We’ll see you soon.” I hung up and returned the phone to my brother. I waded into the wolf-on-wolf battle, grabbed Calden by his scruff, and dragged him away from his father, securing the pom pom leash to his collar. “Peter, there’s a green leash and collar set in my office. Please retrieve it. Dad is coming to pick us up. There’s a bag of clothes for Calden near the door, and I bet Mr. Stephans has clothes in his office, too. Get them so they’re not wearing your pajamas or traumatizing the guests.”

“The guests moved out yesterday, so they’re safe from the wolves. I’ll get the rest,” Peter promised, bouncing to his feet with zero evidence he’d spent most of his day being tormented by the Hunters of Moonriver.

I regarded the pair of wolves with my sternest expression. “My father is coming to retrieve us, so I expect you both to cooperate, while wearing your collars and leashes. If my chance to get my momma’s cooking is ruined, I will be inconsolable for the rest of the night. In the morning, I will be out for so many points that the Hunters will accept that they will never beat my score or match my willingness to score points on anyone to cross my path. There won’t be enough ammunition in this entire faction for what I will do if I don’t get my momma’s cooking tonight.”

To my amusement, both wolves sat and waited with picture perfect patience for my brother to return.

* * *

One day, I would learn. Calden decided the only place fit for him to occupy was the seat beside me and my lap, and the first time my father attempted to evict the wolf to a safer seating position in the SUV, he growled. The second time, he landed a nip, which began the war. My father played the role of jealous father well, and Calden took to his position as my protector and general suitor with enthusiasm.

I forged a basic compromise within five minutes, making use of the seat belt to contain the wolf beside me in case of accident without forcing him off my lap. Calden’s father tolerated the seat belt with minimal complaints, much to my amusement. “Dad, why are you arguing with the wolves? You can’t win against the wolves. They’ll stare you into submission. The seatbelt laws are specific to humans anyway. They’re not human right now.”

“They can be human, so they count. If they want a ride in my SUV, they’ll be wearing their seat belts.”

“Sorry, Calden. You’re just going to have to deal with wearing your seat belt.”

The wolf huffed, but as the seat belt verdict hadn’t forced him off my lap, he limited his complaints to disgruntled noises.

“Did you not show your wolf sufficient attention today, Coraline?” my father asked, and he twisted in his seat to regard me with a raised brow.

“I think he’s upset because he is tired and wants to be somewhere comfortable. I’m premium real estate for a wolf. All the wolves want lap time, and Calden doesn’t want to share.”

“Well, he is a wolf, and wolves really aren’t good at sharing. I could have waited for them to shift, you know.”

“They were having a good time, and nobody was bothering Mr. Stephans for a change, so he probably wanted some breathing space. And he figured out if he’s a wolf, I’m less likely to shoot him with my paintball guns. I’m going to have some issues if my guns jam, because at this point, I don’t think anyone is going to be willing to help me fix it.”

Peter laughed. “It’s true, Dad. She decided everyone was fair game, so she spent every spare moment shooting her new co-workers. By the time the week is over, everyone is going to either love her persistence or hate her willingness to ruin clothes and cause bruises. Some are making a point to wear goggles whenever going near her office now. Nobody is willing to shoot her because Calden keeps growling. Mostly, it’s posturing. Just keep doing what you’re doing, Coraline. They’ll get over it, and they’re probably relieved Calden is hovering with you rather than worrying everyone else.”

“Why would Calden worry everyone else, Peter? That’s ridiculous. It’s not like he enjoys spreading his wolf breath.”

“That much repressed, handsome masculinity might explode,” my brother informed me in a rather serious tone.

I shifted in my seat so I could get a better view of my brother, who occupied the front passenger seat. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“I would never joke about something as serious as repressed masculinity bursting forth.”

“You’re ridiculous, Peter.”

“I am not! I just pay attention when I’m around women, and they’re whispering about things. I have good hearing. Admittedly, it’s a little disturbing listening to a bunch of women trying to figure out if my sister is sleeping with their boss’s son, but they were keeping the other predators away, so I took advantage of the situation.”

The Hunters of Moonriver needed more help than even I could provide. “Please tell me you aren’t being serious.”

“I’m being very serious. So, inquiring minds want to know. Are you sleeping with the boss’s son?”

“Dad, please take us to your home before I’m forced to murder my brother in the SUV.”

“Peter, what have I told you about asking your sister about her evening activities?”

“You keep asking me not to do it, but when a bunch of women stare me down and tell me I should ask, I’m asking. I’m more afraid of them than I am of you.”

Huh. “Peter can be taught, Dad.”

“I’m letting you off the hook this once. Just tell the ladies that you were cruelly beaten within an inch of your life so they nurse you back to health tomorrow. Coraline, you may beat your brother within an inch of his life but try not to damage his face. Be civil in your beating.”

“Peter, I think Dad is hoping you’re the one who begins venturing into the wonderful world of evening activities.”

“Do you think he hates me? Those women are vicious.”

“I think he wants grandchildren.”

“That again? Do I look like father material to you?”

I considered my brother with interest. “Some days, yes. Others? Please evict yourself permanently from the gene pool. I suspect, due to our parents and their contribution to your genetic material, you will ultimately become tolerable father material, assuming you can find a woman strong enough to put up with you. But you’re going to be a lot of work to make presentable. This is because I received the best of their gene contributions, and you’re just the leftovers.”

“What did I do, Coraline?”

“I’m sure you told someone about my kitten panties today.”

My brother winced. “That may have happened, but only because someone asked if I knew of something comfortable, and I said how you owned a bazillion of these sets with tiny bows and kitten print. They asked which store, and I was not stupid enough to refuse them. I’m not sure why the idea of kitten print with bows is so appealing, but I swear at least six of them ran off to get some.”

“Comfort is life, Peter, unless you’re out for a round of energetic evening entertainment, in which case you have to dig out something with a little less substance.”

“Can we not have this conversation right now?” Peter begged. “I’ve had this conversation, or similar versions of it, all day, and I was not a willing participant any of those times.”

Our father snickered. “You were probably being tested for your status as marriageable material. If you were not driven from their territory immediately, you probably did all right.”

“I couldn’t escape them.”

“Coraline, you know what to do.”

I did? “I’m not rescuing him from my co-workers.”

“I was asking you to encourage your co-workers, not discourage them.”

“They’re adults. They can do what they want unless it involves scoring points, in which case I’d very much appreciate if they stood still so I can shoot them accurately. For the most part, they stand still so I can shoot them accurately.”

“I feel like your mother and I failed you at basic life lessons spectacularly,” my father muttered.

“You did just fine, Dad,” I replied. “We’re both over the age of twenty, and we’re still breathing.”

“A ringing endorsement,” he muttered.

“I caught a wolf. He’s soft and fluffy.”

“But are you keeping him?” my father countered.

That was a good question. “I’m pretty sure the wolf gets a say in that, Dad. You can’t just run off with a wolf and not give him a say in the matter.”

“You should try it sometime. It might work.”

“Calden does not need any more counts to his kidnapping record.”

“Sure he does, just don’t let his father find out if you plan on signing any legal documentation.”

I giggled. “Are you trying to tell me something, Dad?”

“Yes. Kidnap the wolf and come back married. Then I might get a chance to baby a human infant rather than feathered fiends for a change.”

“Lucky and his lady are having chicks, right?”

“Apparently, it takes up to a month or so for the chicks to be born, so we’re playing the waiting game.” My father sighed. “This is apparently my fault for not somehow encouraging the Spawn of Lucky to make their appearance sooner.”

“You’ll survive, Dad. Somehow.”

“But will I, Coraline? Will I actually survive the wait?”

“You better.”

TWENTY-TWO

You’re sorry she doesn’t want to kill me?

My brother would never learn. Rather than do the wise thing, which involved taking a bath and soaking away his aches and pains, he engaged in a round of knuckle slap with Calden. The first wager involved Calden returning a week of my time, thus earning the wrath of myself and both Stephans men.

Calden showed zero mercy and claimed another week of my time as his prize, taking my brother out in record time. How a human could strike with such swiftness would occupy me for quite a while, but as he won me more camping time, I clapped for the victor to show my approval. “Do that again, but with more ruthlessness. Peter, you can visit, but if you think I’m going to let you steal more camping time from me, you will be sorry.”

“You can’t kill your brother,” my mother scolded.

“I can’t get all his money out of him for my camping supplies if I kill him, Mom. Please use some base common sense. However much he annoys me, I need him alive to make him pay.”

My mother regarded me for a long moment before turning to my brother and saying, “I probably shouldn’t have taught your sister that. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry she doesn’t want to kill me?”

My mother’s rather perplexed expression made me laugh. “Don’t worry about it, Peter. She did teach me I love you too much to actually kill you. But she also taught me that if I want to have my own camping kit, I have to abuse you when you put yourself into an exploitable position. Which you have. Don’t play knuckle slap against Calden. You will lose.”

“Can we view this as my attempt to give you an extra week of camping?”

“That does earn you my favor, but it doesn’t get you out of taking me shopping for camping supplies tomorrow.”

“If he’s taking you camping all the time, you’ll never come home. We’ll be sitting here wondering if you were eaten by wolves out in the forest.”

Somehow, I kept from laughing or leering at my brother. “I’m sure I will be fine. Thank you for the extra week of camping time, Calden.”

“You’re welcome. You should defeat him harshly for his failure to provide books to go with your camping time.”

“Two new books, but that’s it, Coraline,” my brother announced.

“As I am a lazy creature and two books is better than no books, I agree to your terms.”

My father stared at my mother. “She gets this from you. I never would have come up with such a plan, even when desperate to get you to date me.”

“Well, she’s smarter than both of us combined, because honestly, I wouldn’t have come up with such a plan either. But it would have worked. She gets the book thing from both of us. We’re just far more restrained in our book indulging ways.”

“Only because she keeps attacking our wallets using birds,” my father muttered.

“And our general reluctance to go to the library, as we’re aware we are terrible at returning books. I have no idea where she got her prompt nature from, but it wasn’t from us.” My mother considered me through narrowed eyes. “Are you sure you’re not adopted?”

“Mom!” I stomped my foot and placed my hands on my hips. “You swore never again after the thirty-six hours of hell I put you through.” I pointed at Peter. “You are also a liar.”

“He’s the product of a bottle of wine and a lack of common sense,” she replied.

Peter faked a sniff. “I thought I was the product of a crying Coraline, who wanted a little brother to play with.”

“It took the bottle of wine to think it was a good idea.”

I laughed at my mother’s ruthlessness. “And how much of a fuss did Peter put up?”

“About twenty-two minutes, which almost tricked us into having a third. But then your father wisely reminded me that you were thirty-six hours of misery. Peter, I’d like to mention that was your first and last successful ambush, and you used it to escape my womb.”

The Stephans cracked up, as did I. “Quit while you’re ahead, Peter. But you should give me a third book because I was so needy they decided to have you to help keep me somewhat contained.”

Peter sighed, made a show of shaking out his hand, and muttered, “What happened?”

I giggled and shrugged. “That’s a good question. So, Mom. Dad. I have a question for you.”

“You have taught us to fear when you have questions,” my father replied. “I’m not sure I want to take this bait.”

“I am looking for dirt on Mr. Stephans. So far, all I have is a blatant misuse of petty cash funds to pull pranks on his son for morale boosting activities. Thoughts?”

“What’s your tally up to on petty cash misuse?” my mother asked in a curious tone.

“Not nearly as high as expected, although I’m concerned about the latest receipt, which is for a twenty pound drum of glitter, a restock of paintballs in all colors other than mine, and child-safe glue, which implies he’s going to be applying glitter and paintballs to his children. Meaning the Hunters.”

“You would be correct,” my boss informed me in a solemn tone.

“I need something more substantial than what I have for this report. I’m going to release the initial findings, and I’ll be laughed out of the city-state. I’ll flee from the shame of being unable to find evidence of corruption.”

“It’s simple, Coraline. I never wanted this job. I did it because someone needed to, and my predecessor had a corruption rap sheet ten miles long. A similar report went out during the election, and I was the only one with a clean record, so I got the job. But I’ll add a few more counts of petty cash abuse and give you the receipts. Perhaps I will treat my executive secretary to lunch for putting up with my wicked ways.”

“You could try selling your son into slavery,” my brother suggested. “Give him to my sister to do with as she pleases. That’s scandalous.”

“Sure. Calden, you belong to my executive secretary now. Report for duty starting immediately. You can start with resuming your hot chocolate service after dinner.”

Calden snorted, shook his head, and then laughed. “Sure, Dad. Her office isn’t large enough for us both to work in it, though.”

“Your office is right next to hers. Stop complaining. And anyway, her office is currently owned by endangered species. They just let her use it. Coraline, you have my permission to do work in Calden’s office if you need to think without having the parrots yelling at you for bananas.”

“That could work, but I’m not responsible if the birds scream for bananas because I’m not there to calm them or suggest they shut their beaks else there will never be bananas ever again. I still need to check with the vet to determine if they can have bananas. If they can, I will have a way to bribe the little shits into giving me some peace and quiet for a while. That won’t stop the songbirds, but at least the songbirds peep rather than shriek and scream because they didn’t get bananas.”

“You must feel like you’re under consistent assault,” my father stated.

“It’s been a battle. A tiring one. Please feed me.”

My mother laughed. “It’ll be about twenty more minutes before the food is done. You’ll probably survive. And if you don’t, we’ll hold a lovely ceremony for you.”

“I will do my best to survive at least twenty more minutes. Did you enjoy a quiet weekend, free from the burdens of feeding your hungrier child?”

“It was pleasant to escape from the pleading stares for more food for a few hours.” My mother laughed and herded us to the dining room. “Are you enjoying your new job?”

“I was paid to shoot my brother repeatedly. As far as I’m concerned, I have the best job on the planet. The boss isn’t too bad, either. I got paid to shoot him, too.”

My parents regarded Allasandro Stephans, who still wore some evidence of his paintball adventures. While he’d changed his suit jacket, he hadn’t bothered with the shirt. He regarded his chest and shrugged. “I forgot to bring an extra shirt to work, but I had assumed the suit’s days were numbered. And by the time she finished with me, my shirt was soaked with paint. I’m going to be blue for a while, but it’s a small price to pay to keep the secretary happy. It’s all part of my plan to make certain she sticks around.”

“I don’t think you’re going to have a problem with that,” I told him. “Beyond this report, which may cost me my sanity by the time I’m finished. Please point me in the direction of all your corruption.”

My boss snickered. “But I already gave you the entire list of my petty cash abuses.”

“Dad stocks his petty cash with his own funds,” Calden muttered. “So that isn’t even an issue. He literally gives the accounting department money he can play with in the petty cash fund for whatever he wants.”

I stared at Calden, trying to figure out a polite way to inform him he wasn’t helping the cause.

“You just said something so stupid she has to reboot her brain,” Peter announced.

Calden held his hands up in a placating gesture. “I’m just telling the truth.”

“While you’re telling the truth, telling the truth is making this even harder, because I’m going to go to the accounting department tomorrow, and after I’m done shooting everyone to soften them up for the interrogation, they’re going to laugh me right out of the building.”

“I’ll make sure to warn the accounting department you’re coming armed, that you expect to be able to gain more points, and you intend on confirming my status as ethical.”

“There should be limits to your ethical behaviors, sir! You’re going to make saints look positively sinful at the rate you’re going.” I picked my favorite seat, crossed my arms over my chest, and sulked. “I’m going to submit this report, and it’s going to be filled with my general complaints over how much idiotic red tape there is without any actual evidence of wrongdoing. And then I’m going to complain that audits should find something. This audit has found nothing corrupt.”

“I’m sure you’d find some accounting errors if you had the tax board investigate the accounting department,” my boss stated, and he took a seat nearby but out of my general range. Calden sat beside me and laughed at his father.

“I will tell the accountants I won’t suggest that the tax board audit investigate them if they stand still while I shoot them. Heart shots are worth more points.”

“I will also suggest they wear padding to minimize how many bruises you give them. What do you plan to do with your victory? At this stage, we’re having fun watching you hunt everyone. Expect a bunch of posing for your shooting enjoyment. The others have decided I must lose terribly to you. As this falls in general lines with my plans, I’m enjoying the festivities. The next hunt, I recommend you wear padding, goggles, and otherwise be prepared to be taken out, as I will secure revenge for every bruise and ruined piece of apparel.”

I feared what would happen during the next hunt, but I would claim so many points he would have to work to ever beat me. “I acknowledge that you have warned me that I will pay for this hunt, two-fold if you can manage. But can you manage? I have so many points right now.”

Mr. Stephans regarded me through narrowed eyes. “Calden, we’re teaming up against her next hunt. We will ruthlessly crush her.”

“Why are you involving me in this?”

“I know how many points she has, and she’s made it clear I must more than double her week’s tally. She didn’t say we couldn’t team up.”

“Why would I be teaming up with you rather than with her?”

“She can be your prize if I win.”

I laughed, as I’d read the rules enough to understand the leader of the Hunters could assign someone to work beneath someone else as a result of a hunt.

“For a month,” Calden stated.

“Deal.”

Calden smirked at me. “I’m going to crush you ruthlessly with my paintball gun, Coraline. Consider yourself warned.”

I would need a lot of practice with a paintball gun and safety gear if I wanted to emerge from the week in a state other than woefully bruised. “Peter, you’re with me, and we’re going to destroy them.”

“What do I get if we win?”

“Calden will have to teach us both how to ride horses,” I informed him. “They have dainty little Earth horses, and we can learn to ride them.”

“I’m in.”

“I’m going to miss our children,” my father lamented to my mother.

“I’m sure Calden and his father will return them to us alive although battered and bruised,” my mother replied.

“They have no faith in us, Peter.”

Peter shrugged. “I’m a crafter and you’re a fledgling but fierce huntress. It’d be stranger if they had confidence in us.”

“Familial pride is a thing, and they should show us some.”

“Coraline, we’re going to be destroyed. But, for a chance to learn how to ride Earth horses, I will participate in our general destruction.”

“There’s no reason you can’t learn how to ride our Earth horses,” my boss stated. “But if you win, I’ll gift you one each. You’re not going to win.”

I eyed my brother, who eyed me back, and after a moment of thought, he nodded.

Maybe we stood little chance of winning, but we would show up to play the game.

We could get lucky.

“Game on,” I informed my boss. “Now, about dinner, Mother.”

“I swear, you’re a bottomless pit. Have children. ‘They’re wonderful,’ they said. ‘They make life worth living,’ they said. Nobody warned me that all they ever do is eat and cause trouble.”

“If anyone had warned you about the truth of children, would you have had any to begin with?” I asked, regarding my mother with interest.

“I think we would have had a few extras in the hopes of getting one that wasn’t out for our blood.”

I rolled my eyes at my mother’s antics. “We’re not out for your blood, Mom. We’re out for dinner, the contents of your wallet, and affection, though.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” My mother rolled her eyes. “I’ll go check on dinner. Try to limit your chaos to manageable levels for a change.”

* * *

Grilling Allasandro Stephans and his son regarding their work ethics earned me very little in terms of usable dirt against either man, much to my amusement and dismay. I did, however, learn of the driving force behind the man’s unwavering ethics.

Underneath his bravado, his charm, and his drive to serve his people brewed a bitter brew of anxiety and fear of failure. I understood those emotions. I endured them whenever I changed position, afraid of disappointing those I wanted to help. Somehow, I would need to create more time to work on the faction idea so Sila could run with it.

Joining the Hunters hadn’t been in the cards when my father had mentioned the idea, and I disliked the idea of abandoning what could be a good thing for those who couldn’t find a faction they enjoyed but loved working the temp circuits.

It would be a small step forward in the right direction.

Dinner took several hours, after which my father drove us home. He stopped at Calden’s place, narrowed his eyes, and said, “Coraline, get out. We all know you’re going to be sneaking over anyway, so you may as well openly wander into your new home. We counted boxes this weekend, and your mother may have checked your drawers.”

Well, I was thoroughly busted, and as there was nothing else to do, I got out of the vehicle. “Thank you for the ride, Dad.”

“If you want help moving your things to Calden’s place, ask. You do not have to sneak over in the middle of the night to transfer things on the sly. You have been caught.”

“But who caught me?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Your mother.”

As my mother would pursue the issue until I confessed, I did as ordered. “I’m going to need some hot chocolate and book time, Calden. My parents are out for my blood today.”

“I think they’re more out for your pride and dignity, as there has been a notable lack of bloodshed tonight. But as for the hot chocolate and book time, I do think I can help you with that.” He got out of the vehicle, leaned inside, and said, “Thank you for the ride, Mr. Patten.”

“You’re welcome. Try not to lose my daughter to her books. She needs to be supervised or the books win.”

“I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Before either of our fathers changed their minds about setting us free, we hurried into Calden’s townhome.

“We need to change the locks,” Calden announced as soon as we were inside and he closed the door. “Or move. We could move somewhere in secret, right?”

“Your father would cry, and not only would he cry, he would have a meltdown. He handles your kidnappings fairly well, but if you actually ran away and moved, you’d break him. You’re going to have to suffer through his affections. But we should change that lock. We can figure out a system of how to maintain some privacy.” I winced. “Maybe.”

“In reality, we might win a day or two of respite before the whining and whimpering became most severe. Expect my father to come over in ten minutes to make sure we are not going to perish, as we were obviously incapable of handling any affairs while camping.”

I snickered. “At least not of the domestic nature.”

“He’s probably hopeful but resigned to my determination to not date until now.”

“Sarai would very much like you to start dating so she can date somebody else,” I informed him.

“Why couldn’t she just date somebody else?”

I stared into his eyes and smiled, “You were obviously a hurting man and might need her love to heal you, according to everyone.”

Calden snorted, and then he laughed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“Do you need to be healed, Calden?”

“I could use some time on a couch with some hot chocolate and someone to read a book with. Does that count as healing?”

“It absolutely does.”

“I’ll handle the hot chocolate, you pick the books.”

TWENTY-THREE

I’m taking you home.

Aware I needed to score as many points as possible to conquer Calden’s father, I made certain to arrive at work first each day of the week, and I ambushed people as they headed for the elevator, shooting them in the back. As the Hunters admired my tenacity and laughed over my determination, they played the game, keeping me supplied with balls until I had tagged everyone on their way in, including the Stephans.

Calden’s expression promised retribution, and he glowered at me. I responded with my sweetest smile. He pointed at his eyes before he pointed at mine and announced, “I’m coming for you, woman.”

As he stood still for me, I aimed at his chest and fired at point-blank range, splattering him with baby blue. “When should I expect you?”

“And ruin the surprise? I think not. But know this, Miss Patten, you’re going down.”

I could think of numerous enjoyable scenarios involving his vague threat, and I liked the entire spectrum of possibilities. “At your leisure then, Mr. Hot Shot.”

* * *

At the end of a busy day, which I spent frantically working on ferreting out every one of my boss’s sins with zero progress, serving my feathered office mates, and shooting my new co-workers with paintballs, I learned a valuable lesson.

If he wanted, Calden could pick me up, toss me over his shoulder as though I weighed nothing, and carry me off at his whim. For at least a minute, I blinked, wondering how he’d done it, faster than I could resist or run, not that I had any real desire to do either. “What are you doing, Calden?”

“I’m taking you home. You should have left an hour ago.”

In good news for my sanity, Calden paused long enough to grab my purse and make certain I had my phone and wallet before carting me off.

“Am I really an hour late getting out of here?”

“You really are, Miss Patten, and that simply won’t do.”

“Does this count as a kidnapping?”

He made a thoughtful noise and detoured to his father’s office. “Dad, I’m kidnapping your executive secretary. I caught her working overtime without informing anyone of why.”

“Will your kidnapping result in you failing to show up for work tomorrow?” my boss asked. “If so, I need to arrange for someone to care for her demons.”

However much I loved the noisy feathered menaces ruling over my office, I had to agree with him.

They were delightful little demons.

“She is to be hunted first thing in the morning, but I will bring her in already contained. I have received good-natured complaints over the vast number of bruises she has inflicted upon us, and a few Hunters would like to participate in a game so we aren’t completely shamed by her desire to score more points on us.”

“She’ll be plenty bruised next hunt. I checked the point standings. Approving that would fringe on cruel and unusual punishment territory. I can approve you deciding to kidnap my executive secretary tomorrow, but I’m not going to allow you to contain her for a generalized slaughter in front of the faction.”

“I was thinking I’d make use of that tub of glitter I found in the supply closet last night. Some simple syrup and glitter would create a harmless mess.”

“One word, boy: ants. That’s what you would be summoning with that nonsense. That idea is definitely not approved. Leave my glitter out of this. I have plans for that tub of glitter.” My boss sighed. “Why are you carrying her over your shoulder like she’s a sack of grain? More importantly, why is she letting you get away with this?”

“I stunned her with my general display of manliness.”

“He’s not wrong. One second, I was working. The next? I’m over his shoulder and no longer working. Not only did he toss me over his shoulder, I’d been concentrating on what I had been doing, so he caught me completely by surprise,” I admitted.

“I’m assigning you twenty points for having launched a successful sneak attack against her. People have been trying all day, and she’s just shot them for their efforts. Think of the bruised prides, Calden. The faction is full of them.”

“She just wants the victory more than they do,” Calden replied.

“While I know that, you know that, and she definitely knows that, I feel we must ease the rest of the faction into her level of unwavering dedication.”

“I’m pretty sure they’ve figured it out already. So, about the kidnapping.”

“It’s not a kidnapping if she consents to it. She clearly has zero problems with you carting her off. If you do anything nefarious that results in requiring bail, give me a call. If you do anything else nefarious, don’t get caught.”

“Why do you think I’m going to be doing anything nefarious, Dad?”

“You’re my son, and I helped raise you from your first breath. If she develops a severe case of shapeshifting, give me a call. I caught her growling at someone earlier today for interrupting her. Don’t teach her how to shift back for at least twelve hours, take her into the forest for a good hunt, and start your camping trip early. Do give me a call for that so I know to file the appropriate leave for you both. If you need help pushing her along, I recommend shifting to a wolf and giving her light nips until she’s annoyed enough she wants to put you back in your place. That’s usually a good method.”

Rather than continue to stare at Calden’s backside, which appealed in more ways than one, I twisted around, planting my hands on Calden’s hips for leverage. “His shifting and nipping at me can speed up shapeshifting?”

“According to your DNA tests, you’ve been primed and ready for donor genetics for a while. Being around a shapeshifter who is posturing is a good way to pick up the genetics. It’s also a good way to pick up the genetics without dealing with a pregnancy. The first few shifts are known to terminate pregnancies, so we either recommend shifter couples avoid intercourse while working on the first shift or wait until after the first shift plus a month. After that, we recommend expecting mothers avoid shapeshifting during the third trimester, although there’s been little evidence of miscarriage due to shapeshifting thus far. We don’t have a broad enough data set to confirm that, however.”

Interesting. “Are you saying I could, instead of coming to work, stay home and try to grow a fur coat instead?”

“That is absolutely an option, although if my son could give you time to work on your report and other projects, that would be ideal. I can give you both a laptop so you can do your work while out of the office. If he takes you to the ranch where the Earth horses are living, there’s a stable internet connection there. You’re so far ahead in points at this stage nobody has hopes of catching up without using your method, and you’ve already won in spirit. I have no problems authorizing time off to work on your shapeshifting.”

I poked Calden in the side. “Is he spouting nonsense again?”

“No. It’s part of the employee handbook. It’s more efficient and easier on shifting employees if he authorizes work-from-home if a pair is trying to induce shapeshifting. It takes a week, at a minimum, to adjust to the new form.” Calden bounced me on his shoulder. “Can you bring the laptops over in a few hours? If I’m going to be working on my kidnapping skills, I need to appropriately dress my target.”

“Go home and get changed first. Right now, you look like the victim instead of her.”

“Everyone knows it’s a hunt week. Nobody is going to care that I’m covered in paint.”

“But she might care that she’s covered in paint.”

While I appreciated his consideration, I also laughed at the absurdity of the situation. “I can handle going into a store while splattered with paint. I’ve been handling the walk home just fine.”

“And how are you liking your new accommodations?”

“If I’m being kidnapped and you get lonely or bored, I’m sure the bunnies would love some attention. They’ll sit on your lap while you read books, and Calden has a stock of blankets, towels, and cushions that are easily cleaned. Espresso needs a lot of care, and we’re teaching her to live for kisses on her nose,” I informed him.

“How long is it going to be until you start taking those spoiled rotten fluffs on your camping adventures?” Calden’s father asked, his tone amused, although he raised a brow at us.

“I may be looking into a second tent and a good cage solution for them. If I can figure out a magical repellent for predators and a way to keep them in their tent or ours, I might start taking them with us,” Calden confessed.

Right. He hated leaving his bunnies at home during the workday, too, and I gave it a week before we ended up carrying a carrier full of bunnies back and forth to keep the doting bunny father happy. “They’ll survive without a day or two of attention from you. I’m sure your father can handle their attention needs.”

“I don’t know if he’s earned being graced with their affection,” Calden grumbled.

“We’re being bribed with work-from-home rights, Calden. Don’t be silly.” I bet I would be able to write up most of the report on Calden’s father, given a single day working from home. “We can access our work files from home?”

“The laptops can log into our network,” my boss confirmed.

I poked Calden in the ribs. “I want to stay home tomorrow, except home is where I can meet the Earth horses.”

“Are you actually planning to get any work done?” Calden asked.

“I am planning on two hours of work, one hour of horses, an hour of reading, and minimal time to handle our culinary and sleeping needs. It can be a very strange date.”

“Bring the laptops to my place in a few hours, Dad. I must take her shopping first and then visit with the bunnies before we cruelly abandon them for a few days.”

“I’ll make sure they’re taken care of,” his father promised. “Coraline, I’ll notify your parents that you’re unavailable due to being nipped and harassed by a wolf. Try to limit how far your patience goes. The point is to be impatient.”

“I’m sure I can figure out ways to test her patience in an acceptable fashion,” Calden stated, his tone colder than ice.

The men spent a disconcerting time glaring at each other.

“Calden, he’s giving you time off work to work at a leisurely pace, without people constantly shooting you. You’re supposed to thank him at this stage. You can pretend he’s on your bad side after we’ve escaped the work prison and have made it to the camping prison.”

“Camping is never a prison.”

“It is now. You’re being imprisoned and you can’t leave, but you’ll enjoy your stay, I’m sure.”

Calden laughed. “If you say so, Coraline.”

“I say so. Can I walk now?”

“No. It’s a kidnapping. Everyone must behold how I’m forcefully taking you from the building.”

If he wanted to carry me, I’d cope. “Less talk, more walk, Calden. I’m not exactly a lightweight.”

“You’re plenty light. If I put you down, you might escape.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because you can.”

While those three words had served me well through much of my adult life, escaping meant missing out on camping and working from somewhere other than in the office. “If you grab the leash out of my office, you can loop it around my wrists. That lets me walk and maintains your ability to have a hostage.”

“I am willing to compromise. But I think I’ll collar you instead.”

Well, that would send an interesting message. “Okay. That seems like a reasonable compromise. Your shoulder to the gut is not precisely comfortable, and while strange, collars aren’t a problem unless you put it on too tightly.”

“The collar will be more of a symbol than an actual restraining device, and you’ll be able to remove it at your leisure,” Calden promised, setting me on the floor with a grunt. To make certain I wouldn’t be escaping him, he put his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t expect us at work for a few days, Dad, and don’t forget to bring the laptops to my place so we can pick them up on our way out of town.”

“I’ll drop them off within the next two hours along with the login info for them. As I expect you to create some trouble, please limit the trouble to levels you can mitigate and control without parental assistance.”

“I’m sure we can handle it,” Calden replied, urging me to flee his father’s office with a few gentle pushes. “If anyone asks, just tell them Coraline is close to sprouting a fur coat because she just loves animals that much. It should confuse the others nicely.”

“Remember, no grandchildren until after she’s stabilized her shifting, but you may practice all you want.”

I rolled my eyes while Calden snorted. “Mind your own business, Dad.”

“I am minding my own business! I am informing my child he has all the blessings he could ever need or want to sensibly sign up for an entire lifetime of frustration, mayhem, expenses, and anxiety splashed with unmatched levels of love and adoration.”

“Why don’t you go visit the bunnies and leave us alone. And that does not mean bring a male bunny to add to the bunny numbers.”

“You are zero fun, Calden.”

“I don’t have time for a baby wolf and baby bunnies right now, Dad. Behave.”

“Behaving is overrated.”

While I agreed with him, I left my boss’s office before we could be infected with his level of insanity.

* * *

Had I been thinking, I would have realized the whole collar idea would backfire in glorious fashions. The instant the first Hunter spotted Calden holding the leash, he bolted and spread word, resulting in a bunch of curious people milling around.

Calden basked in the glow of their attention, which did a good job of convincing me to stick around rather than slipping the collar and making a run for it. To my relief, nobody went out of their way to embarrass me, but everyone got the same idea Calden’s father had.

Rather than asking when we’d have children, they inquired on the wedding date, if we would be having a public ceremony, and how long he expected it to be for me to sprout fur. Calden refused to answer the first, but he said I’d been spending a little too much time around wolves as of late and was showing signs of becoming snarly.

I played along, and I mock growled at him.

He viewed my display as a cue to get the hell out of town, as he said, “And that’s my sole warning to get out of here and feed her else she may sprout her coat and strip the flesh off my bones.”

The laughing hunters scattered.

“Am I going to bite and strip the flesh off your bones?” I asked once most of them left the area, leaving enough space for us to escape the faction’s lobby. “That seemed like an extreme reaction.”

“After my first shift, I had a tendency to bite ankles. Humans stink, and it takes getting used to. Perfume and cologne are not fun when you have a sensitive nose, so I would nip the offenders.”

“Which is worse? A skunky human or their perfume or cologne?”

“I have not yet made a decision on this,” he admitted. “Both are really bad. Deodorants are less offensive than the skunkier body odors, but some people smell pleasant and cover it with deodorant. It’s individual.”

“I fit into the skunk territory without my deodorant. Consider yourself warned.”

“That explains why you had deodorant when we were camping.”

“Trust me on this one, you do not want to be around me when I’m imitating a skunk. It’s just not good.”

“I’ll take your word on that.”

TWENTY-FOUR

That explains a lot.

Outside of Calden’s preferred clothing store, three Hunters armed with paintball guns surrounded him. Their grins, which bordered on the maniacal, promised more trouble than I could readily contain.

“Why are you pointing those at me? I’ve reached my kidnap quota for the year,” Calden complained. “Haven’t I been shot enough times for one day?”

“No,” the Hunters replied.

“Is this going into your binder, Calden?”

“Probably,” he replied. “Let’s hear the deal so I know how much work to put into this. Coraline, the tall one is Freddy. He loves kidnapping people within our faction. The short one with an attitude is Marko. He also loves kidnapping people within our faction. That other one is Rondel. Rondel is Rondel, and I can’t say much more than that.”

The tall one waved at me, and it amused me how hard of a time I’d have describing him to the police if needed. From his brown hair, his brown eyes, and his generally plain features, he could be anyone on the street, without any truly defining characteristic. When I regarded the other two, I realized they all shared the same traits. “Brothers?”

“They are, indeed, brothers,” Calden confirmed. “What’s the game today, folks?”

“We were asked, by a mutual not-quite-friend, to make you disappear under mysterious circumstances to test your old man again.”

“During election time?” Calden sighed.

“Yes.”

“I hate elections. Who is behind it this time?”

“Several faction leaders,” Marko admitted with a shrug. “They want to see if your father will crack.”

“He’s not going to crack. Dad sent us off to get Coraline shifting.”

“Even better. You’ll both get paid properly, then.”

The Hunters of Moonriver were insane. Amazed over the duplicity, the fact the three Hunters cooperated with the other factions, and Calden’s amusement, I decided I would play along.

It wasn’t playing with horses, but I foresaw entertainment on the horizon. “I’m not getting left behind, am I?”

“Oh, no. You can come for the ride, Coraline. Calden tends to excuse himself from these kidnappings once he gets bored, so if you’re around, he won’t get bored as quickly.”

I regarded Calden with a raised brow.

“It’s true,” he confirmed. “We need to get work laptops from my father in a few hours, and Coraline needs to put together her preliminary assessment report. If you want to get away with this, I recommend you do it after my father drops the laptops off. Then you can force us to maintain communications.”

“Are you trying to get your father reelected?” Markos asked in a curious tone.

“Not particularly, but having seen parts of Coraline’s report, I’m not going to waste my energy worrying about it. She’s including recommendations on how to make sure Dad has a healthier work schedule without leadership being compromised. That was all I wanted in the first place, so I’m fine with it.”

“That explains a lot.” Marko regarded me with interest, prowling around me with his paintball gun held at the ready. “And what about you, Coraline?”

“What about me? I’m just the frustrated woman who has wasted many hours trying to find dirt on his father without any luck. The most I have is petty cash abuses, but then the accountants showed me that he contributes to the petty cash fund out of his personal pay. He’s using his personal money to prank people, usually his son. If you have any faults to share, let me know so I can have something negative in my report beyond the breaking of my heart and expression of general frustration over the ridiculous levels of red tape surely driving Mr. Stephans insane.”

The three Hunters laughed.

“Okay,” Marko replied. “Why are you two here, of all places?”

“I’m dressing her up and running away with her for a week or two. I’m trying to goad her into sprouting fur.”

“Just nip at her until you annoy her enough,” Marko replied. “That’s easy enough if she’s that close to shifting for the first time. You can also just run around with your shirt off. That’s what my wife suggested when she was close to her first shift. Just don’t offer the goods and make her stare at your chest for a while. That should work. Flexing every now and then helps.”

I hated to admit it, but I suspected Marko was right. Given that sort of treatment, I’d probably snap within a day or two, especially if cuddling on a couch entered off-limits territory.

“I could just state we can’t read any books before she shifts for the first time, too,” Calden replied.

I gasped at the ruthlessness of his suggestion. “No!”

“She’s not going to be a difficult nut to crack, Calden. Go finish your shopping and head back home. We will wait for your father to leave. Pack a bag for a least a week, two if your father already approved your leave.”

“He has.”

“We’ll drop a hint or two to your old man to make sure he knows the other faction leaders are up to their usual tricks. View this as a nice vacation on someone else’s dime.”

“But will there be books?” I demanded.

“Not until after you shift,” Calden replied with a wicked smirk. “Let’s see how long you last.”

I gave it about ten minutes before I snapped, but rather than tell him that, I faked a sniff and went into the store to find out what sort of attire Calden had in mind for me.

* * *

Calden went overboard, buying an entire new wardrobe that would last me at least three weeks without having to wear anything twice. We engaged in a snarling match at the cashier, who looked on with amusement. He ultimately won the dispute through tossing his wallet at the woman while preventing me from doing the same.

The bemused cashier located his credit card, inquired if that was the one he wanted to use, and at his confirmation, began the payment process. We paused our growling long enough for him to sign the receipt and get his wallet and card back.

“I can pay for my own clothes, Calden.” Thanks to his excess, he couldn’t carry everything at once, giving me a chance to haul my fair share.

His expression informed me he’d wanted to carry everything.

“You can, but you won’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re about to be kidnapped for two to three weeks because of my father’s unwavering ethics.”

“This is not a bad thing.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No, it’s not.”

We bickered over that the entire time we loaded the SUV, and I went as far as hissing at him.

“We’re wolves, not cats.”

“I’m not a wolf or a cat right now, thank you!”

“You will be a wolf, so you should be growling rather than hissing.”

“Growling wasn’t working!”

“Growling won’t work, and neither will hissing. I’ve won this war, Miss Patten. And after we get the laptops and ditch my father, we’re going on an extended date, where we pretend we’ve been kidnapped. This means we get to be lazy, they’ll feed us at the appropriate intervals, and as soon as you get around to showing some fur, we’ll get to read as many books as we want. Marko’s parents have a library larger than both of ours combined.”

I halted, and my eyes widened. “Please repeat that?”

“Marko’s parents have a library larger than both of ours combined.”

“But what type of books?”

“All types. They’re members of Legacy, and they have a reading fetish that far surpasses ours.”

It took me half a second to decide I wanted to be kidnapped and taken to Marko’s parents’ home to visit their library. “I will cry if they take us somewhere else, Calden.”

“Don’t worry, so will I.”

* * *

Calden played his father, sending the older man off with the assumption we would not be causing trouble over the next two weeks. Armed with our laptops, my new clothes, and attire for Calden packed into two suitcases, we waited for our kidnappers to arrive. Twenty minutes later, with finger guns pointed our way, we climbed into an SUV while the three hunters claimed the keys to Calden’s vehicle, promised to take good care of it, and split up, leaving us with Marko.

“What did you do to draw the short lot?” Calden asked.

“The other cowards just figured it was safer, as Coraline hasn’t opted to try to remove my head from my shoulders yet.”

“Am I supposed to?”

“No,” both men replied.

I laughed. “Are new shapeshifters prone to violence?”

Calden shook his head. “Not really. We just like making a fuss because we can. Are we going to your parents’ place, Marko?”

“Of course. Dad wants to meet your girlfriend and evaluate if she’s good enough to be your dad’s executive secretary.”

“She’s good enough to be his secretary,” Calden muttered.

“Ah, but he wants to decide that for himself. You know how my dad gets. Just go along with it. Once he meets her, he’ll set her loose in the library and try to lure her over to Legacy, I’m sure.”

“No chance in hell on that one,” I informed Marko. “I’ve been to Legacy enough when working as a temp to understand I would go insane within a month there permanently.”

“Told you,” Calden muttered.

“Dad wants to try anyway. He couldn’t try to steal your mom from your dad. But your woman is fair game.”

“She’s not fair game.”

“Does that mean I’m your woman now?” I asked, unable to keep the laughter out of my voice.

“Yes,” the men chorused.

“I thought it was not this obvious, Calden.”

“Dad probably snitched about your new living accommodations to a loudmouth.”

“He did,” Marko confirmed. “It’s also part of why we’re just letting you shoot us, Coraline. You haven’t had a lot of time to adapt, and Calden’s a handful.”

He was? “If you say so.”

“Calden, I don’t think she agrees with me.”

“She skins her own rabbits, Marko. I’m going to have to drag her a buck and posture over it if I want to even annoy her when it comes to my general hunting habits. And she’s better at skinning rabbits than I am.”

“I see. You finally found one of the rare women who actually hunts.”

“I found her first.”

“I’m married. Control your zeal a little. If she wants to get jealous, that’s a different matter altogether. A little jealousy might help her put on her fur coat a little faster, although we might get whiplash over how fast she’s gotten ready to shift.”

“She has an advanced gene for shifting. Her genetics don’t have an aligned animal, but she’s been primed for a while, or so says Dad.”

Interesting. Somehow, I’d left enough room in Mr. Stephans’s schedule to cause me more trouble. As soon as I had a fur coat and had secured the man’s son, I would make some adjustments to make certain he didn’t have time to cause me any more trouble. “I see your father has been talking about me to you.”

“He has. He’s been keeping an eye on you to see if you have symptoms of shifting. You’ve been growling without realizing it for three days now, and you were downright snarly when you wanted to get some work done, and people were bothering you. He’d be sending any other member home to prep for their first shift at your symptom level.”

I eyed Marko, who sat behind the wheel and started the SUV’s engine. “Is that true?”

“It’s true. The paintball shooting and general aggression is a fairly obvious symptom. It’s part of why nobody has been showing you any prey instincts and have calmly accepted being shot. We didn’t want to startle you into shifting without Calden around, and you were having fun with the hunt, which is good development in general. Halfway through the first day of the hunt, Mr. Stephans passed on word you were getting jumpy and probably in your final stage before your first shift. And that means making sure Calden here also stays relatively calm unless he’s trying to goad you into shifting.”

“It’s true, Coraline. We do this sort of thing all the time. I was a little slow on the uptake, but mostly because I was enjoying watching you go all out on the faction.”

Men. “Isn’t this a lot early?”

“You have advanced genetics, and your love of animals is also playing a role. That’s why so many Hunters are also animal lovers. We have an easier time shapeshifting because we just love animals that much. In some cases, we love to eat rabbits that much.”

“Like you,” I stated.

He grinned and nodded. “I was born the perfect wolf, possessing a strong hunger for rabbits.”

“And a zealous love of bunnies.”

“It’s true. Dad will take good care of our bunnies, but I may be overwhelmed with sadness after a few days without them.”

Marko sighed. “We’ll kidnap the bunnies if we need to.”

“We’ll probably survive.”

“Probably,” I muttered.

TWENTY-FIVE

There is nothing embarrassing about having a good partner.

The leader of Legacy prowled around me with a neutral expression, making disapproving noises. Calden bristled, and I wondered at the game the two men played. Legacy’s leader, Kirkland Marchandle, maintained a reputation of being strict with sufficient compassion for most to tolerate him. His drive for new knowledge made him the ideal leader for a faction dedicated to learning and progress.

He toed many lines on our world, where those who breached certain knowledge barriers were shipped off to new planets to pursue a future filled with technology and advancement.

“Mr. Marchandle,” I greeted. I kept a firm grip on the bag I’d claimed as mine, which held both my tiger and wolf plushies along with my favorite of the new outfits Calden had selected for me. “If you have a problem with Mr. Stephans, please restrain yourself until I am back in the office. I’d rather you not get bitten after you annoy me so much I sprout fur and go on a rampage.”

Legacy’s leader straightened, and then he snickered. His entire atmosphere lightened, and he held his hand out to Calden. “You picked a feisty one, boy. Your father is going to stress himself sick wondering if your woman got tired of your shit and dealt with you.”

Calden grinned back at the older man and shook with him. “Coraline is learning to be assertive. She took to it right away, although there were a few days where she was stunned by her changed circumstances. Once she identified what her job entailed, she took to it without issue.”

“Having seen her work in my faction, I have no doubt in her abilities. I was, admittedly, surprised he took a new executive secretary.”

“Because of my mother.”

“You would be correct.”

“Coraline doesn’t have the faulty gene,” Calden stated.

“Well, that’s obvious, seeing as you’re following her around like some heartsick puppy hoping for attention. Having three married sons, I have learned to recognize the look.” Legacy’s leader snickered. “And unlike my three married sons, you are not at all embarrassed, are you?”

“Why would I be embarrassed? There is nothing embarrassing about having a good partner.”

“You know that, I know that, but if you could teach my sons there’s nothing wrong with having a softer side, I would appreciate it.”

“Dad,” all three of the man’s sons complained.

“Daaaaaad,” their father replied, doing a rather good impression of a whining child. “Thank you for bringing Calden and Coraline over. If you’re hungry, go tell your mother you love her and hope she takes pity on you. Calden, consider the library yours to browse at your leisure. Coraline, if you don’t mind coming with me, I’d like to discuss the election with you.”

“Just so there are no misunderstandings, I’m a neutral party in terms of this report, but if you have any dirt on Calden’s father with the appropriate supporting evidence, I’ll listen.”

“It’s nothing like that, so don’t worry about having your loyalties tested,” he promised. “Calden, I’ll bring her to the library when we’re done having our talk. I set up the guest suite for you, assuming you’d be sharing.”

“We’re sharing,” I confirmed, and I smirked in Calden’s general direction.

The wolf raised a brow at me. “What are you doing?”

“Situating things precisely to my liking.”

I loved the sound of his laughter. “Okay, Coraline. If you get edgy, just tell Kirkland. He’ll bring you over. It’s not his first rodeo with people about to shift, so he can handle it if you get a bit snarly with him.”

“It’s easier than having a teenaged son, so don’t worry about it, Coraline.”

All three of the man’s sons pouted and went off, likely in search of their mother for a dose of parental sympathy or dinner.

I would have been off for a dose of both in their shoes. Calden went with them, leaving me alone with Legacy’s leader.

“I don’t bite, not like those wolves,” he informed me.

“The wolves are surprisingly domesticated. They even cook and clean.”

“Calden’s mother was a strange one. Most of her home? Pristine and spotless. But she had two rooms in the house where chaos reigned. So, her husband and son learned a lot about tolerance from the two rooms she tended to destroy as her happy place. Calden is a lot more like his father and prefers when his messes involve dirt from being outside. He didn’t go into his mother’s junk rooms all that much. He’s not interested in crafts, wood working, and things like that.”

“He’s decent at skinning, though.”

“But is he anywhere near as skilled as you?”

“Not precisely,” I admitted.

“Good. It’ll keep him on his toes. And if you were worried about it, you’re about as different from his mother as possible for two women to be. His mother liked hunting shiny baubles and trinkets far more than animals. She loved animals, make no mistake. She wouldn’t have been charmed by a wolf otherwise. But she wasn’t really Hunter material for all she worked in the faction. She was more of a Legacy type. You are not.”

No kidding. “So that stuff Marko was saying about you trying to lure me off?”

“Bravado, to make certain Calden didn’t put up a fight coming over. Calden’s father needs a break from worrying about you children, and he’ll be comfortable knowing you’re with me and my wife. That’ll let him focus on the election without you two being underfoot.”

“This is not going how I thought it would when your sons showed up.”

Kirkland Marchandle winked at me and gestured to the front door of his home, which was a gated estate unlike the Stephans’s properties. “This is my weekend home, although we spend more time commuting than I care to think about. The back yard connects to the woods, so it’s a good place for Calden to take you if you need to stretch your legs as a wolf. I’ve also worked with new shifters enough to be able to handle any emergencies should they arise, but I’ve seen your medical report for your shifter genetics, and you’ll be popping back and forth between your forms in no time. I volunteered to give you the more scientific lecture as the Hunters tend to boil the whole discussion down to shifting isn’t comfortable and it can take anywhere between a few seconds to a few minutes depending on your diet, skill, and determination.”

“Diet?”

“Essentially, shapeshifting breaks down all your cells and reorganizes them into a new shape. A shifter’s DNA is very complicated. You essentially have two entire sets of DNA, one for your human self and one for your wolf self. There are some cases of overlap, but when you shapeshift, you ultimately rewrite all of your cells with limited exception. We haven’t pinpointed how someone maintains their memories and personality through the shift yet, but that’s how it works. At least for now.”

“What is the general process like?”

“For shifting? I can’t tell you how shapeshifters control their transformations. It’s personal, or so says Allasandro. Once you figure out the trick to it, you’ll begin your shift, and your cells will switch to their alternate state. Some people switch their states rather quickly, with each cell simultaneously undergoing the appropriate adjustment. Others cascade, so the body reforms from a starting point. Some cascade in an accelerated state. Those are the luckiest, as it’s fast and orderly. Some, like Calden and his father, have excess magic, so their clothes can become part of their coats. That trick only works with their clothes, so they tend to leave their wallets, cellphones, and keys lying around if they shift in a hurry. As a general rule, they strip before they shift because of it. I recommend putting your personal property in a safe place and stripping before your intentional shifts. For your first time? Nobody knows what will happen. I expect your clothing will be destroyed unless you’re one of the lucky ones. It could go either way. As a warning, there is a high chance you’ll be rather ill after your first few shifts. Your body will go through an adaptation period. You’ll eat like a horse, you won’t ever want to think about what you’re expelling or how you’re expelling it, and Calden will hover until you want to bite his face off, I’m sure.”

“That sounds like less than a fun time,” I admitted.

“It only lasts a few hours in most.” Kirkland led me through his home, which had a casual and modern feel to it with decor I expected to find in something like my parents’ home rather than the home of one of the city’s faction leaders. Then again, Allasandro Stephans rarely did what I expected from a faction leader.

I needed to stop making unfounded assumptions, as it never ended well.

He took me to what had to be his personal office and gestured for me to sit at one of the two armchairs tucked in a corner near an end table. “I’ll be blunt with you, Coraline. Nobody actually wants Allasandro’s job. The Hunters are organized, they’re used to the work, they keep things running smoothly, and the last thing we need or want is to overturn the government right now. We have a plan if Allasandro can’t handle the work, but we wanted to confer with you as you’re the closest to a non-biased party we have. And that’s accounting for your relationship with Calden.”

“Is there anyone willing to run?” I asked.

The older man snorted and relaxed in his seat. “There are always those who want power willing to gamble to get power. The people aren’t stupid, and those who want power haven’t been smart. Their ambition blinded them, and when opportunity knocked, they failed to answer. The evacuation from Earth would have been the perfect moment for someone ambitious to take Moonriver’s reins.”

I nodded, as I’d thought the same and had been surprised by how quiet things had been, even among those protesting the vaccination mandates. “Why is that, anyway?”

“We, as in the faction leaders across the city, made a point of showcasing why it would be a very bad idea. Mostly, we had tens of thousands of refugees to care for, and the last thing the refugees need is to witness us bickering among ourselves. And those who were more vocal were told they should consider leaving and that there were plenty of other city-states capable of handling their whining.”

Ouch. I could see how such a statement would not go over well with many. “How many do you think will leave?”

“In my faction, we have about twenty who were borderline on deciding to leave the planet to pursue sciences. The refugee situation made them decide to take the placement tests to see if they qualified. Most qualified, and the one who didn’t was given the option to undergo training in a different field.” The man smiled. “We’re better off without them, anyway. They’re the kind who think we shouldn’t have welcomed refugees in the first place.”

“But they would have died!”

“I know that, you know that, but they don’t care. The refugees aren’t people to them, and it’s important we remember that.”

I made a sound, and after a moment, I realized I growled.

“And Allasandro was not joking about how borderline you are, I see. I’ll do my best to keep from irritating you into your first shift, but I can’t promise that. This is a rather irritating discussion.”

“On that, we’re agreed. So, those who are truly against this are leaving the planet or city-state?”

“That is currently how it is playing out, yes. It doesn’t hurt we’ve made it easy for them to leave. Allasandro set aside excess funds to relocate citizens and refugees alike. That’s the dirt you’re looking for, by the way. He’s selling his body to the women of our world and using the money to relocate the unhappy or refugees who can’t stay in Moonriver with the excess funds.”

I raised a brow. “How is that dirty?”

“He didn’t tell anyone, outside of the faction leaders, he was doing it. Of course, we all agreed with his decision. If they’re unhappy because we saved lives, they aren’t really the kind of people we want here.”

“How many people do you think will leave?”

“We have to unload fifteen thousand refugees; we can’t support as many as we have long-term. For every citizen who leaves of their own volition, we can keep an extra refugee. We’re estimating ten thousand people or so will take advantage of the aid package to leave the city-state.”

“Leaving us with five thousand refugees who must leave?”

“Correct.”

“How many people can the aid package support?”

“Allasandro will be able to assist thirty-five thousand people with a basic move package.”

My eyes widened. “That many?”

“And he could do more if he dips into the other funds. That’s just the funds he put aside before he distributed checks. And everyone got the payout, even those wanting to leave.”

Well, I could solve many problems with a single stone. “Can I have a copy of the relocation package details, so when my report is released, this data is available to the public? That should get rid of the thirty-five thousand, clear out the budget, and make sure people know what he’s been up to. And there are no catches to the package?”

“There is a five-year ban from returning to Moonriver if a citizen accepts the relocation package. But the relocation package can get them off-world if they would like to leave. It’s a good deal. And once the five years are over, they’ll be permitted to visit although they will not be able to regain citizenship.”

“And their tax liability?”

“The instant they take the money and sign the paperwork, they’re no longer citizens of Moonriver and are not beholden to Moonriver for tax purposes. Allasandro has also secured application spots with most of the city-states around the world for those who wish to remain on the planet.”

I could make a few guesses about what the faction leaders wanted, and it involved me using my report to clear the air and give Moonriver and its loyal citizens a fresh start after the disaster of Earth’s destruction. “When do you need the document to be released?”

“Ideally, a copy will be leaked to the public tomorrow afternoon to early evening after the announcement regarding the election is given. That will give the report the most visibility. It will also give the other faction leaders a chance to nudge the appropriate people into running.” Kirkland’s expression turned wry. “If we can get anyone to run. The report might result in a no-show. It depends on what you’ve found.”

“Beyond his tendency to seed the petty cash with money so he can prank his son with petty cash expenditures, I haven’t found a damned thing he’s been directly responsible for. We’ve uncovered some corruption in various parts of the faction, but that’s being dealt with by the department leaders. That’s on Mr. Stephans’s orders, of course. But he isn’t the one reining everyone in.”

“That’s just how he operates. You’ll find he will press the appropriate charges against those who betrayed his trust and the trust of his faction, which is why people keep electing him, even when the polls claim they hate him. It’ll be a clean sweep on the votes.”

My brows shot up at the thought of everyone in the city all voting for Allasandro Stephans to continue leading Moonriver. “It won’t be a clean sweep because I plan to abstain from the vote due to personal involvement.”

He laughed. “Allasandro will vote against himself because he thinks it’s funny. Calden will either vote against his father or abstain. Your parents will vote against Allasandro because of the same reason. Did you know that? They have a ritual of voting against him because they think it’s hilarious. They write-in their votes, and then they talk about who they voted for. I know who they’re voting for this go around.”

My parents voted against him because it was funny? I could see them doing that. Why take something as serious as voting seriously when a good laugh could be had. “I’ll bite. Who are they voting for?”

“Allasandro is voting for Lucky the Doom Bird.”

I raised my hand and slapped my palm against my forehead. “You have got to be kidding me!”

“Your entire family, yourself excluded, plans on voting for the peacock you foisted on them.”

I slapped my forehead a few more times for good measure. “What are the voting rules about peacocks in leadership roles?”

“It will go to the highest voted human, and the animal voted in will have an honorary status as the city-states ruler, paid in room, board, and feed appropriate for species, issued to the bird’s owner.”

“I will pay you to abuse your powers as Legacy’s leader to make a campaign for Lucky the Doom Bird. And I will even vote for someone sensible in case the entire city-state takes leave of its senses and votes the peacock in.”

“What are you paying?”

“A promise not to bring over the Children of Lucky the Doom Bird.”

“As I have heard about your tendency to give people animals and they’re tricked into keeping them, I will accept this bribe. Please include my status as bribable in your report.”

“You were coerced, but that’s close enough. I know me, so I am well aware of how dangerous the threat of being gifted with many baby peacocks is. And you would be expected to love them unconditionally. If they’re anything like their father, they’ll be loud.”

“I am concerned the peacock might win the election,” he admitted. “He’s quite the charming fellow. Your brother has been sharing videos of him showing off, and he has many fans, especially among faction leadership. Endorsing Lucky the Doom Bird as our feathered leader with a secondary vote for the human running the show behind the scenes might prove an interesting endeavor. It would certainly encourage people to become more involved with our politics and voting on important issues.”

“And you could have animals for the various districts, too. It need not just be Lucky the Doom Bird running. He can just be the leader over all furred, feathered, finned, and scaled representatives of our city-state.” I giggled. “You could turn Moonriver upside down with the election.”

“It would be a good morale boost. I think we’ll start with Lucky for the first day, and if the response is positive, we’ll start having all the factions recommend pets to fill other elected positions. It wouldn’t be difficult to add an extra slot to the election forms and allow for one animal write-in and the standard vote.”

“Can something like that be pushed through in time?” I asked, unable to keep the puzzlement out of my voice.

“We do it every time there’s an election. Don’t worry yourself over it. As soon as you have your preliminary report done, I’ll steal it, and you can spend the next week or two getting settled. Should you shift, there’ll be someone here qualified to check you over and keep Calden from panicking. And he will.”

“Because of his mother.”

“Because of his mother,” Kirkland confirmed. “There’s a lot of trauma there, and while I realize it’s not something you can realistically control, if you could just shift during your sleep so he wakes up with an armful of fluffy wolf, that would minimize the general amount of distress he suffers. I’ll be honest, Coraline. It’s not you I’m worried about. You’ll be fine. Calden, on the other hand, might not be quite so fine. But in this case, once you’re safely shifted, the problem will resolve itself.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m sure I am. Allasandro went through the same thing with his Hunters after his wife passed. I’m always honest with him on if I think there are problems, so when I tell him you’ll be fine, he believes it now. Calden doesn’t have his father’s experience. Just let him hover and work through the emotions. He’ll be fine. It may take a few hours, but he’ll be fine.”

TWENTY-SIX

I have nothing to worry about.

I worried myself straight to a severe case of wolf, and Kirkland Marchandle refused to stop laughing at my misfortune.

“This hadn’t been what I meant, but this works. The wife will even forgive the fur in my office as it prevents a great deal of trouble. I’ll make certain Allasandro understands you’re a worrier.” He made a few notes in his journal and came over to the armchair, looking me over. “Interesting. You’re not a standard canis lupus lycaon. Did you know Earth had caught and sent over as many packs of canis lupis lycaon as possible after the British Isles succumbed to the ocean? Before canis lupus lycaon came over from Earth, we only had canis lupis baileyi. You have disproven one of our conceptions already. We’d always assumed the new shifter would pick up the same animal genetics as the original shifter, in this case Calden or his father.” With narrowed eyes, Kirkland went to one of his shelves and plucked down a somewhat thin volume, flipping it open and staring at me before referencing his book. “I would have thought magic would take a more sensible approach, but no. Tell me, Coraline, do you like fish?”

I drooled at the thought of fish, something I didn’t get much of, despite the city-state having a river teeming with edible fish.

Fishing licenses and gear cost a great deal more than my sling, and the regulations on fishing were much stricter.

I bobbed my head.

“Ah, then perhaps the magic isn’t lacking in sense, then. I’ll have to take a blood test to confirm this, but the closest match I’m seeing in this book is to the canis lupis crassodon, or the sea wolf. The species is now extinct, as far as I know, unless Earth managed to rescue more species. But there are many things we don’t understand about the nature of the universe, and for all we have been here for hundreds of years preserving one state of Earth’s past, we once came from Earth. Perhaps there are things we simply don’t know locked away in our genetics. A history of a lost world.”

I could always trust a member of Legacy to delve into the mysteries of life and death. As wolves couldn’t talk, I settled with a rebuking glare.

“Well, we may as well get to the anxiety portion of our day. You’ll need Calden’s help to shift back to human after he’s satisfied you’ve had a chance to settle and adapt. You are not suffering from any pain, correct?”

I glared, as nodding could be interpreted either way, something about our language I found annoying on a good day and positively vexing most of the time.

“Nod if you’re not experiencing any pain.”

I nodded.

“Excellent. This is how it is supposed to be. In good news, you took your clothes with you, which you will appreciate down the road. This is good data, as it’ll let us determine if there is a specific gene allowing for that bit of magic to be stronger. I recommend you make use of a purse any time you may want to shift, as purse straps are simple enough for a wolf to manage.” Kirkland gathered my bag, and he gestured to the floor. “Take care with jumping down. You will find walking with four paws a little awkward to begin with. Your body is the shape of a wolf, but you do not have a wolf’s experience. You must learn how to move, much like a young child learns how their body works as they age. You’ll catch on quickly. This is part of why the Hunters give new shifters a week to adapt.”

Rather than attempt a jump, I oozed off the armchair. Working with four paws instead of two feet would take some getting used to, but I’d run around on all fours enough as a child I caught onto the general idea within a few minutes of prowling around the office and sniffing at everything.

The world smelled strange as a wolf.

“Cleaners will become your bane, especially the stronger lemon scented ones. I’ve heard that complaint enough from the wolves, I try to use something a little gentler when I know they’re coming to visit in their animal forms. You’ll get used to that, too. So, on the nature of anxiety. I can’t tell you how Calden will react. He might take it in stride, he might become overprotective, or he might have a complete meltdown. He hasn’t had an attack in many years. But I also wouldn’t be surprised if this wakens old trauma for him.”

Having heard Calden’s side of the story, I understood Kirkland’s concerns. Unable to communicate I understood, I picked my way to the door and waited for him to let me out of his office.

“I see you have already figured out the air of expectation. Are we humans just servants to all canine kind?”

Some questions were easier to answer than others, and I bobbed my head.

Kirkland opened the door. “Let me reassure him you’re fine before you show up. Wagging your tail is a universal sign of happy wolf, so if you want to help with the reassurance, do that.”

As I was well aware wolves did not typically wag their tails to express happiness in the wild, I regarded him with my ears turned back.

“If I say happy wolf, the wolves don’t try to nip me for calling them dogs,” he replied.

That I could believe.

He led me down the hall to a pair of double doors, and he cracked one open to peek inside. “Calden? Apparently, Coraline is the worrying kind, and she has worried herself about your worries to the point she shifted. She’s fine, and I gave her a few minutes to get on her paws and sniff around, but if you could do your part in removing the overabundance of worrying happening in my household, I would be appreciative. She isn’t the same breed of wolf you are, so she must have some form of latent genetics we aren’t testing for, but she is a wolf. Her diet as an animal will consist mostly of fish, but I’m sure you can handle adding some fishing to your general hunting habits. You enjoy fishing when you aren’t hunting rabbit.”

There was a moment of silence, and then I heard a low chuckle. “Well, that’s a bet I just lost. Dad told me she’d need the full week to get through it, and I told him three days, and she’d put up a fight.”

Kirkland sighed. “You’re not going to have an anxious meltdown?”

“Does she have four paws, a tail, a nose, and a full coat of fur?”

“She has all of the appropriate wolf parts and seems to be in good health.”

“Then I have nothing to worry about.”

“You, boy, are supposed to be having an anxiety attack at this point. I scheduled in time to handle an anxiety attack. This is not you having an anxiety attack.”

“While I appreciate the concern, why would I have an anxiety attack over this? She’s been tested, she doesn’t have the faulty gene, and we haven’t had anyone without the faulty gene fail to shift. The only thing I’m worried about is figuring out how she specifically ticks so she can get back to her human form after she’s had some time getting used to being a wolf. Where is she?”

“Out in the hall with me. Since you aren’t going to be indulging in anxiety, you can worry about making sure she doesn’t indulge in anxiety, which is why she popped over to wolf form. Apparently, the thought of stressing you was sufficient to stress her straight into her first shift.”

“Well, she’s a worrier, and when she isn’t worrying about disappointing someone, she’s worrying about making sure she does her job perfectly. And if she isn’t worried about that, she’s worried about her flock of endangered birds ruling her office.”

“I can change my schedule to treat her for anxiety if you think it’s required.”

Kirkland got out of the way, and Calden stepped into the hallway, looking me over with narrowed eyes. “Does anything hurt?”

I shook my head.

“Good. Where are your clothes?”

“She shifted with them.”

Calden nodded, and his expression relaxed. “And she was worried?”

“She’ll be fine. She just cares, and when people care, they tend to become worriers. You’ll want to keep an eye on her, and I’ll need to get some fish brought in. I’m sure she’ll eat some rabbit, but her breed prefers fish. I suspect she had wolf DNA present somewhere in her genetic code and we aren’t looking in the right place for it. But we have her DNA sample from before her shift, so we can start looking for the matching genetics. We should have the genetic code for her breed. I’ll need to confirm it against a current blood sample, but that’s trivial.”

“Anything I should know?”

“Not particularly. She shifted swiftly, in good form, and without any evidence of distress. I doubt the process hurt her at all. I’ll want to evaluate her genetics to find out why, because if there’s gene therapy we can do to prevent the nervous system from firing during the shift and only during the shift, that would be highly useful for the Hunters. I’ll have a questionnaire for both of you to help figure out what behaviors helped move her progression along well ahead of schedule.”

“What do you mean by behaviors?”

“Exchange of bodily fluids in any fashion,” Kirkland announced.

Oh dear. I stared at the man, and then I stared at Calden. Calden’s eyes widened. “She doesn’t kiss on the first date, and we’re not technically dating.”

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“We’re very good at planning dates where we read books and sit at the fire but we end up just reading books and sitting at the fire,” Calden confessed. “She’s methodical, and I’m not going to ruin her fun. If she wants a long, drawn-out hunt, then I’ll give that to her. And it doesn’t hurt I enjoy reading books and sitting at the fire.”

“That’s data. It’s not the expected data, but it’s data. I suppose I will have to adjust my questions to be more emotionally oriented than physically oriented. Have you been in close physical proximity?”

“We’re usually together.”

“As we’ve been looking at the physical bonding elements, we’ll have to look closer into the emotional elements. You were the cause of her worries, so this tracks, as it’s clear enough to me that you’re the general subject of her interest.”

“While I appreciate your concern, my mother died many years ago, we know why she died, and her death has helped prevent numerous other deaths. It’s not my fault, nor my father’s fault she had a faulty gene. But because she had that faulty gene, there are others who won’t share her fate. We’re making progress on correcting the issue with gene therapy. Don’t get me wrong. I loved my mother very much, but perhaps it’s time for everyone else to accept what I accepted a while ago? While I was worried Coraline might have the faulty gene, she was tested, she is negative, and she’s fine. We have two weeks to get her settled. Dad’s going to be taking care of the election, and I’d rather be here with her than dealing with the politics.”

“We’re going to nominate Lucky the Doom Bird for a leadership role,” Kirkland announced.

Calden’s eyes widened. “Espresso and Latte deserve to be public leaders. They’re that adorable, Kirkland.”

“There is no reason the peacock and the bunnies can’t form a campaign together or compete against each other. We can put Lucky in as the representative of the crafting or artisan factions, Espresso and Latte can represent the Hunters, and we can nominate other animals for the other factions. We will have three days after your father announces the election to fill out the forms and pay the election fee. Or they can run for his position. We’ll figure something out.”

“How much is the fee to propose a new position?” Calden asked. “Do you know off-hand?”

“I do. It’s ten dollars.”

“We should nominate Coraline as the Queen of Animals for the year, and every year thereafter, we should have an election for the King and Queen of Animals. Or Other.”

“Co-run with her and figure out what the obligations of the role will be. I’ll handle the actual filing. If we’re going to turn the election into a circus, we may as well have fun with it.”

I foresaw trouble on the horizon, and I looked forward to aiding their cause. At a lack of any other idea of how to express my enthusiasm, I wagged my tail.

“Coraline is very enthusiastic about spreading her love of animals, so I don’t think she’ll mind helping. She needs to stay a wolf for at least thirty-two hours, however. That’s our average, and we find it helps with the next shift,” Calden said, and he crouched in front of me. “I get to meet your every need, and I get to clean up after you if you don’t figure out how to use the toilet as a wolf first try. Using toilets can be done, but let’s just say it takes some practice. Do not be surprised if you fall into or off the toilet the first few times.” He bowed his head and laughed. “It’s easier to teach a cat to use the toilet.”

“It really is. As new shifters are often embarrassed by bathroom issues, I’ve set aside a bathroom just for you, in case there are, ah, any unfortunate mistakes.”

Ew. I turned my ears back and regarded Calden with wide eyes.

“Would you like to practice before the call of nature kicks in?” Calden asked.

I bobbed my head.

“And that’s our first task for the day. Kirkland, can you handle figuring out what she needs to eat?”

“Fish. A lot of fish. Salmon, according to the book I referenced.”

Calden grimaced. “My wallet already regrets this, but get her several large salmon on my dime. We’ll try her on raw and cooked, and we may as well all indulge. Get some other fish and see if she likes them?”

“Judging from her general body language, she likes fish and will be very pleased with her wolf-form’s diet.”

As agreeing would get seafood on my plate, I bobbed my head. At a lack of any other way to get Calden’s attention, I lifted my paw and touched his knee.

While still focused on Kirkland, Calden scratched behind my ear. The sensation did me in, and I flopped against him in a bid for more attention.

“I see all wolves have the secret ear scratch spot,” Legacy’s leader said with laughter in his voice.

“Who said anything about it being secret? I don’t know what it is about that spot, but our fur is soft there, and it’s heaven to have it scratched just right.”

“As evidenced by the melted puddle of wolf all over you.”

Calden laughed and moved his hand to dig his fingers into the thicker fur around my neck. “I’ll scratch behind your ears all you want a little later, Coraline, but I have a list of things we need to go over while your body adapts to your new shape. Let’s begin with the bathroom, as there’s little as uncomfortable as having to ask someone for help with the basics.”

* * *

Thanks to coaching from Calden, some patience, and a good sense of balance, I managed to master the art of using a bathroom while a wolf without having to request assistance or cleanup. I planned on celebrating my victory over my new form with every piece of chocolate I could get my hands on, something I was banned from eating while a wolf.

Chocolate tended to make wolves rather ill, and while it wouldn’t kill me, I wouldn’t appreciate the level of sickness I would endure. A bunch of other foods joined the list as well, but the loss of chocolate annoyed me the most.

While Kirkland went out and acquired fish for me, Calden decided I would be eating right out of his hand, a situation I didn’t mind in the slightest.

He wanted to teach me how to chew and swallow without choking, and I wanted the attention.

After a long wait, which Calden used to lecture me on the various canine instincts I would need to ignore, to prevent problems with the other Hunters, Kirkland returned with a fish so fresh it still flopped.

Calden dispatched my dinner with a laugh, removed the head, and went to work cutting it into pieces small enough I could eat without choking on it. I eyed the skin, which included the scales.

“I did some research, and it appears the sea wolves favor the heads,” Kirkland announced.

According to my wolf body, he was onto something, because the head held a rather startling appeal.

I might never be able to look a fish in the eyes again while human, but before Calden could stop me, I pounced on the part he’d discarded and went to town getting it into my stomach where it belonged.

The fish crunched nicely, and it tasted a great deal better than I expected. Once done, I sat and waited for him to resume feeding me.

Calden sighed but held out one of the filets. “You were supposed to wait to learn how to eat without choking.”

As I hadn’t choked on my first adventure eating, I chomped on the filet, taking the time to chew it into pieces before swallowing.

“It seems she does not come prepackaged with any aversions to her animal’s base behaviors.” Kirkland crouched nearby and observed me while I ate. “Actually, I’m impressed. She doesn’t even care she just devoured a raw fish. It took you how long before you could deal with raw meat?”

“About three weeks,” Calden replied in a rueful tone. “I guess that’s another thing I don’t have to worry about.”

“She’s smart, and she’s educated. She probably doesn’t have any aversions to seeing raw meat after hunting rabbit for so long.”

“She didn’t eat her rabbit raw while human.”

“But she understands the relationship between animals and their supper, and as a wolf, her dinner comes in the form of raw meats, bones, and so on.”

“We can ask her about it tomorrow. Do you have more fish? I don’t think that’s going to be more than a snack.”

“I have two more live ones in a cooler in the kitchen, and I have three meant for us humans. Those have already been cleaned and prepared for cooking. I also brought a few rabbits, knowing how much she likes them. Those have been cleaned already. Stuff her silly and then have her sleep it off so we don’t have to deal with any mournful howls when boredom takes hold.”

“If it wasn’t so difficult to read books while a wolf, we wouldn’t have any reasons to howl.”

“Turn the pages for her.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s just a few howls.”

Kirkland’s patience-worn sigh warned me I missed something about their discussion, but rather than worry about it, I attended to the serious work of filling my belly.

* * *

Within a few hours, I understood the commentary about howling. A nap did me a world of good, but I wanted to go do something. Calden did not want me going out and doing anything. He followed me around, and every time I showed interest in a door, he picked me up with a grunt and hauled me away from temptation.

Most times, he hauled me to the library, put me on his lap, and held a book open for me until the urge to go do something resulted in another chase around the estate. Legacy’s leader kept laughing at Calden, who often lost twenty to thirty minutes trying to contain me.

“She’s not making this easy on you, is she?”

“She will settle down to read for a while, and she’s learned a soft whuffle will get me to turn the page for her. Unfortunately, she has a limited attention span and a high drive to be productive. This does not surprise me in the slightest.” Calden sighed, taking care to keep a good hold on me while we were on the couch, thus blocking my ability to go create trouble and mayhem and escape outside. “Have you delivered your ransom requests yet?”

“I took a picture of you hauling your wolf into the library and informed your father I’ve decided to open a wolf sanctuary in my home. I said I would think about visitation rights. He had questions. I had some answers, enough to satisfy him, so you’re free from his interference for the next week and a half. I told him Coraline would produce the report in the next two or three days. He’ll delay the election announcement long enough to give her time to finish without stressing her.”

“Okay. Good. Does your brother still race greyhounds?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Why?”

“Chasing rabbits around his course might calm her down for a while. Maybe if I set her loose there, she won’t bolt for the woods never to be seen again.”

“You’d see her again, I’m sure—around the same time she becomes lonely and even more bored with life on the wild side.” Kirkland snickered, came over, and crouched in front of me. “You are an inside wolf until you have at least a week of shifting. The last time the Hunters let a wolf outside during their first shift, it was a two-week chase. The wolf in question fried his brain, viewed it all as a most excellent and entertaining game, and decided to test his faction’s patience and skills. They finally caught him by using his girlfriend. They startled her into screaming and waited for the fireworks. He didn’t like the sound of his girlfriend being frightened, so he came out ready for a fight. One tranquilizer to the ass later ended new wolves playing outside.”

I could understand why they’d make the effort to keep me contained. I could see myself doing the same thing.

Mostly, I wanted Calden to chase me, and the fun of being chased involved what would happen after he caught me. In reality, I wanted the chasing and the catching to happen while human, with the final destination involving a shared bedroom.

I would be patient, behave myself, and cause trouble the instant I had two hands and feet instead of paws.

TWENTY-SEVEN

How do you feel about kittens?

Rather than follow Calden’s meticulous schedule for my entry into the world of shapeshifters, I transformed in my sleep, claimed the man as my personal bed, and snuggled him into submission. Had I been conscious for my conquest, I would have been proud of myself. As all I managed to do was use him as a bed, I decided my technique needed work.

A rather unamused Calden regarded me through narrow eyes. As I’d made a mess of his precious training schedule, I yawned at him, made good use of his shoulder, and refused to be at all sorry for the situation.

He started to sigh, but the sound transitioned to a low chuckle. “You seem quite pleased with yourself this morning.”

“I am,” I replied, stretching and making myself comfortable. “What concession do you need me to pay for you to not tell my family I enjoy eating fish heads while a wolf?”

“I’m thinking I’m going to have to demand weekly sessions, where I’m the one warmed by a wolf at an absolute minimum to keep your fish head secret a secret.”

I giggled at his absolute lack of hesitation. “Like having a wolf to keep you warm, do you?”

“I do. Although I was, admittedly, quite startled when the wolf became a snuggle bug of a woman. You apparently require a great deal of affection to function. While I might miss the sleep a little later today, I find my new duties to be pleasant.”

There were worse ways to go. “We should screw around with our family and pretend we’re not dating. In reality, I’m pretty sure we skipped right past dating to the living together portion of our relationship.”

“We should sprinkle in some dating, but it should involve books, fireplaces, and good company.”

I could agree to that without even thinking about it. “This seems acceptable.”

“Unconsciously shifting was not part of our training for today, but since you shifted on your own, it isn’t a problem. Some people are like that. But since you shift with your clothes, it doesn’t really matter if you have a habit of shifting in your sleep. There isn’t a whole lot we can do to prevent it. Be glad you shift with your clothes. There are a few in the Hunters who don’t, and they have amusing incidents of shifting during a nap while at work. We try not to embarrass anyone over it, but general laughter is had. And everyone knows we laugh about it.”

“Who wouldn’t?”

“Exactly. Are you hungry?”

I thought about it, and I realized I could probably eat an entire cow without assistance. “Starving.”

“That’s my cue to get up and make you breakfast, then. Shifting for the first time tends to be the world’s best weight loss program, and since you aren’t packing on any extra pounds, we need to counter that by feeding you early and often. I hope you like rabbit, as Kirkland has provided a lot of rabbit.”

I drooled at the thought of my favorite food. “As a matter of fact, I love rabbit.”

“Then rabbit you shall have. How much work do you think you need to do on the report?”

“No more than a few hours to get the preliminary one ready. There’s really not much to do beyond piecing together everything and making transitional sections so people can follow along easily.” As Calden needed to escape bed to feed me rabbit, I rolled off the bed and bounced to my feet, discovering my shoes had been tossed off the bed. I gathered them and put them on my feet where they belonged. “I’d like to get that out of the way so I can spend the rest of my time off enjoying myself.”

And him, but he’d figure that out soon enough.

“I think I can arrange for that easily enough. Breakfast, some quiet time to finish that nasty report, and then the enjoyment time you deserve.”

I had no idea what I’d done to deserve rest and relaxation and enjoyment time, but I’d roll with it. “We should look into defenseless baby animals my parents can care for in our downtime. I’m sure they would love having some more babies under foot.”

“You realize that has a lot of potential to backfire on us, right?”

I looked into his eyes. “As a matter of fact, yes. How do you feel about kittens?”

“Of the small cat variety?”

I nodded. “We can’t be trusted with the big ones, Calden. We will try to sleep with them. And pet them.”

“It’s true. I’ve always thought I’d love to have two little girl kittens.”

“You know what? Forget my parents. Let’s go look around for some defenseless kittens to adopt, preferably ones that can be taught to get along well with our bunny supervisors.”

“That sounds like a plan.”

* * *

Six hours after beginning my work, I finished my report, checked it for the fifth time for errant typos, and handed it over to Kirkland Marchandle for opinions. Upon his blessings, I sent a copy to my boss and leaked it to a particularly chatty reporter who promised to make certain it would hit the media outlets hot on the heels of the official election announcement.

Said reporter, a younger women with a reputation of being a hardass and fierce huntress of the truth and only the truth, laughed at the contents of my report, praised the moments I’d expressed some irritation on how difficult it was to ferret out any wrongdoing by the upper echelons of the Hunters, and promised everyone already knew what I’d presented but that it was a relief to see evidence it was the truth.

Then she inquired if the media might be permitted to discuss my status with Calden.

When I’d turned and asked Calden for his opinion, Lydia Meyerville had chortled her laughter.

Stealing the phone, Calden said, “You may, but only if you inform people that she is newly shifted and has not undergone her adaptation period. As such, she shouldn’t be bothered for at least three weeks.” After a few more pleasantries, Calden hung up. “She’s a good sort for a reporter, and she’s one of the ones I actually like, so she’ll be delicate with any news about us. Apparently, I’m fragile, and the pressure might shatter my esteem.”

I snorted, and then I cackled over the thought of Calden being fragile.

I could understand hurt and wary, but fragile? No, not him. “You haven’t seemed at all fragile.”

“A few years ago, I was. I’ve learned to accept that life is not something I can control, and if the worst were to happen, life does go on. It just took me a long time to realize that. And I would rather lose and have a chance to win than never have tried at all. It didn’t take me long to figure out that I wanted to take that chance with you. I’ll admit, I was testing you in the lobby, but your reactions were not what I anticipated. And then Lucky? Well, the bird has good taste in women, but I am the victor here even without a beautiful tail to show off.”

“Lucky is a gorgeous peacock, though.”

“And loud. So very loud.”

I laughed. “That he is. And I mean, he has good taste in men, as I hear he proposed to you as well.”

“Maybe he was just trying to convince us we belonged together and was using strange bird rituals trying to show us his approval,” Calden suggested.

“That’s probably not the case, but I’m claiming that story and will use it ruthlessly on anyone who is foolish enough to ask me about my relationship status.”

“We’re just going to tell people the peacock told us we should be together?”

I nodded. “That is exactly what we’re going to do. And if people ask us too many times, we’re going to have to throw one of those stupid parties couples do, and it will be peacock themed, with actual peacocks in attendance.”

“Which means we’re going to have to have a peacock themed wedding.”

“We’re absolutely going to have to have a peacock themed wedding.”

“Would you believe there are a few single peacock shapeshifters in the Hunters?” Calden asked, and he flashed a grin my way. “I bet we could recruit their help with the festivities.”

“How many peacock shapeshifters are there?”

“We have a group of six men, two of whom are single. The other four are married with children, who will likely become peacocks down the road. Their wives are also shifters of the peahen variety, and they all have extended feathered family we could easily ask to join us for some trouble and mayhem.”

“You can consider that a date, Mr. Stephans.”

“That better not be the first date, or the guests will be at high risk of a mauling due to our levels of general frustration.”

“You should just take me to the bookstore now that the report is done, we’ll have a coffee date, and call it a day. Then we’ll go to some fast-food joint and have a second date right on the heels of the first. I have no rules about the second date. Do you?”

“I’m sure I can come up with a few we’ll both like.”

“We should go discuss that at the bookstore.”

“Yes, we should.”

Epilogue: The people wanted Allasandro Stephans to remain in power.

Lucky the Doom Bird won the election in a landslide with Espresso and Latte tying for second place. I shouldn’t have been excited that the whole thing went to the birds and the bunnies. I even showed up on the ballot and, to my amusement and dismay, I won the role of Queen of Animals, a position meant to care for and check on the elected animal representatives of Moonriver.

The people of Moonriver loved animals, and by the time the dust settled, every electable position had an animal representative. The Hunters would be ruled by our bunnies as the second-place victors.

Lucky the Doom Bird, Herald of the Armageddon, would remain in his lofty position as Ruler of Moonriver for the rest of his life, or so claimed the vast majority of the voting populace, who had been bothered to write in the peacock’s term limit in the box provided.

The cheetahs had been voted in to oversee the city-state’s humanitarian efforts, a position opened due to the destruction of Earth and the need for planets willing to take in refugees.

Some people left, unwilling to remain under Allasandro’s rule, including some of the more vocal conspiracy theorists, but the rest of the population went out of their way to remind me that people could all point themselves in the same general direction when motivated.

Some remained unhappy with the man’s decisions, making their unhappiness known in the opinion vote made available to them, but the numbers didn’t lie.

The people wanted Allasandro Stephans to remain in power.

Worse, someone had put in the paperwork for the new helper’s faction, and it had been slid into the election to be publicly funded.

Everyone needed temps, and the government wanted to officiate the fledgling faction.

Sila’s name showed up as the leader of the faction, but my name came up as the founder.

I pointed at the television as we watched the election results in Kirkland’s entertainment room, with the rest of his family. “Do you see this nonsense, Calden? I did not do this!”

“I know you didn’t,” he replied in a smug tone.

“And why are you so pleased with yourself, sir?”

“I know you didn’t arrange for that, because I did.”

The cunning man would pay for his crimes, in bed later tonight, where we’d both enjoy the consequences of his actions. “You joined forces with Sila!”

“I wouldn’t say that. I joined forces with your mother, who coerced your friend, secured her agreement for it, and began building what your father started. Your father had expressed some regrets, not realizing we were trying to figure out how to date each other badly, thus limiting the time you had to start building a faction of temps and other helpers.”

I rolled my eyes. “I was a lost cause after the first time you took your shirt off.”

Kirkland’s family laughed at us, especially his younger daughters, who were just old enough to have learned boys were interesting and that Calden was easy on the eyes.

Kirkland hoped his daughters witnessing a healthy and sane relationship among adults might help guide them in the future.

As we both wanted to be a good example for them, we had behaved ourselves right up until we retreated to the suite we shared and closed the door, removing our inhibitions along with our clothes.

“I figured you wouldn’t mind, and I assumed you would have become upset if it hadn’t gotten done. After talking to Sila, she convinced me she wanted the job despite hating a lot of the responsibilities. I thought it was a good idea. She likes some elements of it, but she realizes just how much work it will be, so I figure she’ll get the job done with minimal corruption. I had to promise to bring you over so she can kidnap you for a week. I agreed, and while you are spending time with Sila, I will go on a hunt with my father and continue working on convincing him I won’t die if he gets remarried.”

“I wish you the best of luck with that,” I replied, wondering if I should give Moonriver’s reelected leader therapy as a gift. “Just send him an invitation to the wedding with a note that you expect a step-mom in attendance.”

Calden bowed his head and snorted on a laugh. “He would have a meltdown of the likes Moonriver has never seen before if we did that.

“That’s not discouraging me, Calden.”

“I’m sure he’ll survive. I’ll let him come to terms with his crushing defeat at the feathers of a peacock first, though. I mean, he came in third to our bunnies, Coraline. He’s going to be crying over that for weeks.”

“But he had a clear majority among the human-only votes, so it’s okay.”

“Eighty-three percent. It’s not quite a record, but it’s close enough, and twelve percent of those votes were for Lucky, which is the equivalent of an abstain. Realistically, only five percent of the population voted against him, and the people they wrote in don’t even want the job.” Calden wrinkled his nose.

I understood, as he’d come in second place vote among the humans. In a lapse of judgment, I’d been one of those voters, too.

Unless asked, I would not confess my sins.

“You’re just mad you’re responsible for Moonriver if your father steps down,” Kirkland stated.

Calden’s pout made me giggle. “That didn’t work out the way I expected or the way you hoped, but this truly is for the best, Calden.”

“Is it, now? Is it really? I know you didn’t vote for my father, Coraline. And nobody abstained outside of the peacock votes, and you told me you had voted for a human. I’m onto you, Miss Patten. You can run, but you can’t hide.” He narrowed his eyes and smirked at me. “And you best start running, woman, because when I get my hands on you, I will make you pay for voting for me.”

I had two choices: I could stay put and not get caught, thus robbing myself of a good time, or I could run like I meant it and enjoy the consequences when he got his hands on me. Rather than run, I got up, gathered my things, and took the time to thank our hosts. “You’ve been wonderful, but it seems I must go run and attempt to hide now, and as there is no running in your fine home, I must go flee to the wilds.”

The entire Marchandle family laughed at me, and Kirkland waved a farewell. “Go have fun. You do have work on Monday, so try not to have too much fun.”

“I think we’ll be just fine.”

With Calden hot on my heels, we left the estate and headed for Calden’s SUV, which was parked outside. He regarded me with a raised brow. “Shouldn’t we have stopped to get our luggage?”

“We can come back for it later. We have an entire weekend to enjoy, and wolves don’t need clothes.”

“That we don’t.” Calden smiled, held the door open for me, and said, “And now that I have you right where I want you, know that you won’t be escaping from me.”

“Why would I want to?” I asked, getting inside the vehicle and regarding him with a quizzical expression.

“I honestly don’t know.”

I laughed. “I’m still going to run so you chase me.”

“And I will enjoy every moment spent after I catch you, as will you.”

I had no doubt we would, and I wondered what joys waited for us in the future.