Finally I found the strength to talk openly. “I want to be honest with you. I don’t know how I feel about any of this. My life suddenly took an unexpected turn, and the next thing I knew, I was looking at a picture of my son. I saw the happiness in your eyes, and I know you love him. Thank you for giving him that kind of love and the life he’s always deserved. Something compelled me to drive up here to see him, and I won’t be able to move on with my life until I do that. I don’t know what you’ve told him about me—”
She laughed and grabbed a napkin, blotting her eyes and then blowing her nose. “I hate crying. Here.” She handed me a dry napkin. “Lakota knows he’s adopted. I’m a Mage and his father is a Chitah, so we didn’t want him to grow up confused, although he’s a little young to understand what it really means. There’s no sense in lying to him since we’re obviously not the same Breed. We kept the Relic’s contact information in case Lakota ever wanted to track you down, but we’ve always been guarded about it. She wouldn’t tell us who the parents were, if it was an abusive home, and so all we have is the address and a few names. As much as I love him, I don’t know if I could give him clues to his past if it meant someone hurting him.”
I played with the wadded-up napkin, bunching it between my fingers. “That’s an unusual family you have.”
She smiled wide. “You have no idea. We live in a large house with family, including my Ghuardian.”
“Ghuardian? I’ve heard the term, but I’m completely ignorant of your culture.”
She arched her brow. “Um, well, it’s sort of like a stepfather. It’s what they call an experienced Mage who takes on a fledgling.”
“But don’t you have a Creator who acts as your caretaker?”
She twisted her mouth to the side. “That’s a long story, but sometimes a Mage is rejected by his Creator. The Mageri—our form of government—requires that all new Learners have either a Creator or Ghuardian to oversee their education and development. I’m his Learner, so he helps me navigate in the Breed world and teaches me everything I need to know about my power. We have another Shifter in the building, so he’s going to be someone who can help Lakota when he goes through the change and shifts for the first time. I guess you could look at our family as a pack, but I know there’s a lot he’ll miss out on.”
I clung to each word, astonished by the life they lived. This Mage had mated with not only her mortal enemy, but together they couldn’t have children because I knew a Mage was infertile. What a sacrifice it must have been for him.
“Will you let me see Lakota?”
She tensed and sat back, her knuckles turning white as she squeezed the napkin. I could only imagine the terror and dread she was feeling, but I also needed to see how he was with his parents, because it was the only way to find out if he was truly happy.
Or if I wanted to take him home.
***
Thunder sat in the back of the Mage’s car and I in the front. She had put the hot dogs and fries in the trunk, skeptical of whether or not the wolf could control his appetite. We didn’t speak the entire way because I didn’t know what to say. I wanted to ask questions, but I was afraid she might change her mind and drop me off at the nearest corner.
I was also afraid of liking her.
We arrived at an enormous building several stories high.
She unlocked the doors with the automatic switch. “You can get out here and I’ll park the car. They’ll buzz you in. Can you get your friend to shift back? It’ll be easier that way—we have children in the house and very protective men.”
“Of course.” I got out of the car and headed up the steps, kicking dirty snow off my boots as I pressed a buzzer.
“Lorenzo, you need to wake up in there and shift back,” I said, pinching his soft ear.
He groaned and looked around.
When the door swung open, a tall man with blond hair and golden eyes stood before me. Thunder growled and wedged himself between us, using his strong body as a shield.
The man’s jaw tightened and he bowed. “We’ve been expecting you, but I thought it would be years from now. Come in, female. It’s too cold for you to linger on the steps.”
Once inside, he led me to another set of doors where he pressed his thumb on an electronic pad and the door opened. “I have a change of clothes for your friend, but I wasn’t made aware of his size. I assumed average for a Shifter and borrowed a pair of track pants and a sweatshirt. He can shift in there,” the Chitah said, pointing toward a door to my right. “You can wait in there with him. Don’t let anyone in through the front doors. There are drinks inside, so make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be back shortly.”
He strolled to a set of elevators and disappeared. Ahead was another door I presumed led to someone’s personal residence. The front of the building felt more like a lobby, and I guessed the rest of the floors were not easily accessible. Someone had converted this large building into not just a home, but a fortress.
When I opened the door, I entered a lovely lounge with a wood floor and leather furniture. There were no windows, but someone with taste had decorated it. There was a bar on the right, a few fake plants, paintings, and a door halfway open that led to a bathroom. I approached a chair on my left and lifted the small pile of clothes.