by Lola Kidd
The customer came outside with his bag of food and sat on the bench next to Sarah to eat. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. He was much younger than she’d thought initially. He was a very big boy and not a small man. She looked at her watch. It was barely noon. Unless he’d had early dismissal, this kid was skipping school. She looked around the street. There were no other teens or kids walking around. Definitely, he was playing hooky.
“Hey.” Sarah nudged the kid’s arm. “Aren’t you supposed to be in school?”
The boy looked guilty. “I guess.”
“Then what are you doing out here eating Chinese food? You know you’ll get in trouble if you get caught.”
“I got out just fine. I can’t get in trouble anymore unless my dad sees me, and he’s out of town.”
Sarah set down her book. “This is a small town. I bet he has a lot of friends who will tell him they saw you. What about your mom?”
“I don’t have one.” The kid stopped eating. “You don’t think Reba and Pete would tell on me, do you?”
“I don’t know. Do they know your dad?”
He nodded. “Yeah. We come in here at least two or three times a month. He loves this place.”
“Do you skip school a lot?”
He shook his head slowly. “Not usually.”
Sarah laughed. “That’s pretty obvious, since you came to one of your dad’s favorite restaurants! Is this just a one-time thing? Want to enjoy the sun while you still can?”
The boy looked conflicted. “I dunno. It’s been pretty nice.”
“If you’re going to skip again, we’re going to have to let your dad know.” Sarah tried her best to look serious. It was hard, considering she’d skipped many times during a rebellious phase in middle school. It had all turned out alright for her in the end. But that wasn’t the kind of thing she wanted to let a kid know about. Setting a bad example and all of that.
The boy shrugged and continued eating. “Nothing I can do to stop you, then.”
“Why did you skip?”
He looked at Sarah. “You aren’t from around here, are you? You can’t be, or I’d have seen you before.”
She shook her head. “I’m Reba and Pete’s niece. I’m only here for holiday.”
“That explains the cool accent.” He grinned. “You’re really pretty. And I know all the pretty ladies in town. No way I’d have missed you if you’d always been here.”
Sarah laughed. “I’m not sure how to take a compliment from a minor, but you’re dodging my question.”
He sighed. “I guess I can tell you since you don’t know anyone in town and I doubt this will get around. I shifted for the first time in the school bathroom yesterday.”
“Whoa! That’s huge. The first time? Aren’t you a bit old for that?”
“I am. That’s the problem.” He threw his food containers into the trash can next to them. “I thought I wasn’t a shifter. And now I am. I’m too old to be shifting uncontrollably. Everyone is going to laugh at me.”
“Nobody is going to laugh at you.” That was probably a lie. She had no idea how kids would react. She’d never met anyone who shifted for the first time so late in life. Usually people shifted for the first time as toddlers. By the time they went to kindergarten, everyone knew how to control themselves. She’d seen kids shift when they were very emotional, but even that stopped by the time they were ten or so. By high school, the only time people shifted was for fights.
“They’ll laugh and even worse, they’ll kick me out of school.”
“Why would they kick you out? There isn’t a ban on shifters in school in the US anymore.”
“No, they’ll kick me out because I’m dangerous. If I can wait until Christmas break, I’ll be able to learn how to control myself.”
“You ran because you thought you were going to shift again.”
“Yup. I could feel it start to happen and I panicked.”
“Why don’t you ask your dad to help you?”
“He’s really busy right now. I don’t want to mess with his work for baby stuff like this. I’ll show him once I know how to control myself. I’ve got some buddies in the Lunar Pack who are helping me work on it.”
“That’s nice, but it’d be better if you spoke with an adult.”
He pulled out his phone and sent out a text. “It isn’t dangerous. It’s natural. I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the talk. I’ll see you around. I have to meet some friends.”
Sarah went inside as soon as the boy was out of view. “Who was that kid?” she asked her aunt.
“That’s KJ, Kai’s son,” Reba told her. “He’s a good kid.”
“Do you know where Kai lives?”
“Oh, yeah.” Reba gave her directions. “You could probably walk there.”
“Looks like someone has a little crush on the big leopard,” Pete teased. “Why’d you sign up for a mail-order bride service when you like him?”
“I don’t like him. I just want to talk to him about his son,” Sarah said. Not that there was anything wrong with the yummy American. There was just no way he’d ever be interested in a girl like her. Nor did she have any intention of moving to the States.
She would drop by later in the evening. It was important he knew what was going on with his son.
***
Kai had had a long day at work. He had done a shipment run for Ben Shelby, who had ordered a push present for his wife Zelda. It hadn’t arrived before the baby came and Ben hadn’t been happy. Since the jewelers had messed up delivery, he’d paid Kai a lot of money to hand-deliver it once he’d picked it up from the airport. That exorbitant bonus made Kai stick around waiting much longer than he normally would. It was worth it. He would be able to stick all the money into KJ’s college fund.
Kai had been saving since KJ was born. Now that business was booming in Sunset Falls, KJ could go to an Ivy League school if that was what he wanted. Kai had managed to save so much he was thinking of starting a new fund. He would be overjoyed if he could help his son make a down payment on a house one day. If business kept growing, it would be very easy for him to save more than enough.
When he got home after dark, he thought about how much easier he was making KJ’s future. It would all be worth it one day. Being able to keep big bonuses all for himself made him hesitant to hire a second pilot. It was such a major expense. If business slowed down again, he would have a second plane to sell too. It was such a big decision, he was putting it off for as long as he could.
He grabbed the mail on the way inside. One piece stood out to him. It didn’t have a stamp and upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a handmade card with his name on the front. Someone had folded a piece of paper up tightly and stuck it in his mailbox. Kai skimmed the note quickly and then dropped all the mail. He read it four more times before going to find his son.
KJ was in his room at his desk. The teen was wearing his headphones and doing homework. Kai knew he was going to have to handle this conversation delicately. He was a mix of conflicting emotions. The note had been from the beautiful Aussie he’d just driven to town. She’d apparently been at his house earlier and no one had been home. That set off alarm bells for him. KJ was supposed to come home when his afterschool activities were done.
She’d come by to tell him that she’d spoken with his son earlier. He’d skipped school because he was worried about shifting during the day. Kai was very angry that KJ had skipped school and was keeping this very big secret from him, but he was also incredibly happy. His boy was a shifter! KJ being a non-shifter had disappointed Kai when his son was younger. He’d gotten over it quickly, though, and didn’t love his son any less for the strange quirk.
Almost all children of shifters were shifters themselves. It was also very rare for a teenager to shift for the first time. It was painful that he’d found out from a stranger. Sarah had apologized for telling him in writing. She had left her phone number and told him to call her if he wanted to talk. He’d hold
on to the number, he decided. He was grateful the bubbly Aussie had taken the time to talk to KJ. If she hadn’t, it would have taken much longer for Kai to find out about his son.
He sat down on KJ’s bed. KJ looked up and took off his headphones. “Hey, Dad! How was work?”
“Long, but it was a very good day.” He held up the card. “I got a very interesting piece of mail today.”
“What’s it say?”
Kai looked at the card as he chose his words carefully. “It says that you were keeping a secret from me.”
KJ’s eyes flashed. “Does it? Whatever moron told you that is a liar.”
Kai took a deep breath. “It was Reba and Pete’s niece. Are you saying she made up this story? ’Cause I think it’s pretty weird that a woman who had never met you before would do that.”
“She must be obsessed with our family or something.”
Kai looked at the boy who looked so much like him and fought down his anger. He hated it when KJ lied to him or pretended to be disinterested in something important. But Kai had to keep his cool. KJ would remember this conversation forever. If Kai messed it up, it could damage their relationship for years. “I don’t think she’s a liar, KJ.”
“So I’m a liar, then?”
“I think you’re keeping a secret because you’re afraid. You don’t have to be scared. I don’t care what you did, but I am upset and disappointed that you didn’t come to me first.”
KJ turned back to his homework. “Whatever. That lady is crazy.”
“I know, KJ. We can stop this charade. It’s going to happen again. I know you think your friends can help you but they’re just children too. You need someone who has experience to guide you through this important phase in your life.”
“Yeah, someone who doesn’t even shift is really going to be able to help me right now.” KJ’s voice was cold and his back was still to Kai. “Yeah, I can shift. Big freaking deal. How are you going to be able to help me? You hate being a shifter.”
Kai was stunned. He had made the wrong choice all those years ago. He was only trying to help by not shifting when KJ was around, but he’d only succeeded in pushing him away. He’d never guessed this would happen. He was going to have to do damage control. If he couldn’t fix this, he risked losing his son. Or even worse, his son would never learn to shift properly. He would live a hard life as an uncontrollable shifter and possibly end up in prison. There was a lot on the line for Kai.
Three
“I don’t hate being a shifter,” Kai told his son. “I’m very proud of our heritage. You come from a long line of shifters, KJ. This is a proud day for me as a father.”
“Because before I was a big disappointment. I get it.” KJ turned back to Kai and rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to lie, Dad. I know you hate being a shifter, and I understand.”
“I am not ashamed and I don’t hate it. I don’t know how much clearer I can be. I love being a shifter.”
“Then why don’t you ever shift or hang out with any of the shifter guys in town?”
“I don’t shift because I didn’t want to make you feel like you were missing out on something. There’s nothing wrong with being a human. I was never ashamed of you or disappointed that you couldn’t shift. I’m proud of you because you’re you. You don’t have to shift to impress me, KJ.”
“And why don’t you hang out with the other shifters?”
“I’m not a very social person.” Kai was growing more and more frustrated with each question. “I don’t think you need to be a social butterfly to have self-confidence. And I do have shifter friends. I get along well with the alphas of the Lunar Pack.”
“Look, I don’t blame you. I know how hard it is to live the life of a shifter. I wish I wasn’t one, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.”
“You don’t mean that.” Kai’s chest got tight and his face was hot. “Being a shifter is wonderful. It’s a part of who you are. Once you learn how to control yourself, you won’t feel that way.”
“I will,” KJ said confidently. “I’ve heard all about the shifter lifestyle and I wish I could stay away from it all. Once Ron and Carl show me how to control myself, I’m going to be like you, Dad. I’m not going to shift ever.”
Kai bit the inside of his cheek. He didn’t want his son to see him cry. “Now that you’re a shifter too, I won’t hold myself back anymore. I’ve given you a bad impression of what it means to be a shifter, KJ. That’s going to change starting today.”
“I get it, Dad. You don’t have to convince me. Mr. McGarber told me all about how awful being a shifter is. I won’t fall into that lifestyle too.”
“Who’s Mr. McGarber?”
“The guidance counselor at school. Did you know that fewer shifters graduate college than humans? Or that more shifters engage in illegal activity? There are a lot of really messed-up things that shifters do.”
“You don’t have to go to college to be successful.” Kai wasn’t going to cry anymore. He was going to find that counselor and wring his neck. “That man is wrong. Shifters are no worse than any human. Just because a few people do those things doesn’t mean that everyone is bad.”
“How come you don’t date, then?”
“I don’t want to take away from my time with you. What does that have to do with anything?”
“You don’t date because you know how tough it is for shifters to find someone. I know that it’s very hard for shifters to find mates. Did you know that the shifter population is shrinking?”
“Yes, I did. That’s not because we can’t find mates. The population goes up and down throughout time. Right now there are fewer shifter births. In ten years, the numbers will be different. It’s been that way my whole life, KJ. Seriously, you need to stop listening to this man. He’s feeding you lies.”
“Facts don’t lie. You don’t want to have any more children because you think they’ll be shifters too. I get it, you were happier when I was a normal human and not a shifter. You didn’t want a child to suffer if they were born a shifter. That’s why you haven’t used the matching service.”
“Not true. I actually signed up with LK Brides this week,” Kai lied. “I haven’t had a free moment to tell you yet. I flew Olivia into town for the big celebration. She’s looking for my match as we speak.”
“You’re lying.” KJ narrowed his eyes. “No way you’d sign up. You don’t want any more kids.”
“I’m not opposed to the idea. It all depends on what my mate wants.” As he spoke off the cuff, Kai realized it was true. He wasn’t looking to have more kids, but he wouldn’t be disappointed if it happened. It might even be nice to have another little one around since KJ would be leaving for college soon.
“Yeah, right.” KJ turned away again. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Kai stood up. “Fine. We’re not done with this conversation. I don’t want you having shifter classes with your little buddies anymore. I’m going to teach you how to shift and to control yourself.”
KJ shrugged. “If you remember how.”
“Don’t work too late. I’ll be up to turn out the lights in ninety minutes.” Kai closed the door and went downstairs. He went to the coat closet at the front of the house and closed himself inside. He knew KJ wouldn’t be able to hear the phone call. He dialed Olivia’s number with shaking hands.
She picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Olivia. Hi. It’s Kai Waters.”
“Kai! Lovely to hear from you. How are you doing?”
“Great. I was wondering if you could match me after all.”
“Really? You’re kidding. This is great. I can’t believe it. Have you signed up yet?”
“No. I’ll do it later tonight.”
“Great. I’ll pull your application and get on it first thing in the morning. You won’t be disappointed.”
“Thank you. Have a great night.”
“You too.”
Kai stepped out of the closet and went to mak
e himself dinner. He would sign up as soon as he was sure KJ was in bed. He couldn’t believe how stupid he had been. By trying to protect KJ, he’d opened the door for an idiot to guide his son. He’d never heard of this Mr. McGarber before, but he was going to set up a meeting. He wanted to meet the man who was telling kids all the “facts” about shifters. Kai found it hard to believe a man like that would get a job in such a pro-shifter town. Successful shifters were the backbone of Sunset Falls. The town was one of the best places for shifters to live in the entire country.
With all the good examples around him, Kai didn’t know how KJ had been led astray so easily. People didn’t shift in the middle of the street, but the shifters in town were happy and well adjusted. The Lunar Pack had had a few rough years but even they had turned it around thanks to their new alphas.
The only thing missing for KJ was a father who shifted frequently and had a happy relationship. Kai hadn’t thought that that kind of thing mattered to his son. They’d done so well alone all these years. Since KJ had brought it up, Kai was going to do his best to find him a great stepmom.
Olivia had worked magic for all the other shifters in town. Kai was going to trust her to do the same for him.
***
“I have great news!” Olivia Grey said over the phone.
Sarah checked the clock next to her bed. It was only ten in the morning. She didn’t even know why she had answered her phone. “You do know I’m on holiday, Olivia.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I just couldn’t wait another minute to tell you the good news. I found out at three in the morning. I’ve waited a very long time to call.”
“Well, go on.”
“You have a match!”
Sarah yawned. “What’s he like?”
“Tall, dark, and very handsome. He’s a single father and family is very important to him.”
“Sounds great. What kind of shifter is he?”
“Leopard. I’ll send over his information and set up a conversation right now if you’re interested.”
“I’m interested. I’ll read it after I have my first cup of coffee.”
“I know I should wait and let you find out, but your match is Kai Waters.” Olivia didn’t sound like someone who had been up all night. She sounded positively over the moon.
