CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Tia looked around the dinner table and fidgeted. Everyone was sitting around the table after dinner having coffee and dessert. Amanda had invited Kerry’s family over for dinner. It was Amanda’s birthday, and she wanted to cook something special for her family on her birthday and be surrounded by all the people she loved.
Caine and Nathan were chatting idly over coffee. Kerry was sharing some recipes with Amanda, and Corinne and Sarah were busy digging into a large ice-cream sundae. Corinne laughed and tried to wipe the ice-cream off her little cousin’s face but Sarah was having none of it. She continued smearing ice-cream all over her face and banged her spoon noisily on the table.
Tia glanced nervously at Caine. Her mate smiled encouragingly and mouthed, Ready?
Tia gulped and nodded.
Amanda insisted she didn’t want anyone to buy her anything for her birthday, and she didn’t want a birthday cake.
But she did ask Tia for one very special present.
She wanted Tia to show everyone her wolf tonight.
So—tonight was the night.
Tia had been turned, but her wolf had never fully emerged.
She and Caine were mated now, and Tia had moved in with Caine. Amanda still refused to move, but she insisted that they have dinner at her house at least twice a week. And she insisted on taking care of her little granddaughter while Caine and Tia were at work. So Tia would walk Sarah over to her grandmother’s house every morning before leaving for work, and pick her up every evening with Caine.
Sarah had turned one a few months back, and the rambunctious little girl was now running circles around her father and grandmother.
Tia had told her sister everything, and Kerry had taken the news of her turning surprisingly well. “But I haven’t been able to shift fully into my wolf,” Tia had confided to Kerry. “I can feel my animal, and I can even extend my fangs and claws. But I just don’t seem to be able to let my wolf out.”
Caine had tried to coax her wolf out. Even Nathan and Corinne had tried to show her how to shift. But still her wolf refused to show herself.
Everyone was patient, encouraging and understanding. Amanda had pulled Tia aside one evening and said, “Let me see your wolf, on my birthday. Make an old woman happy, Tia.”
Tia loved her mother-in-law, and she wanted to give Amanda a very special birthday present.
She would do it, tonight.
“Everyone,” Tia said, clearing her throat. “Would you all step outside for a while? I’d like to show you something.”
All eyes turned to her expectantly, and Kerry pressed her fingers to her lips and blinked hard. Corinne licked her ice-cream spoon and peered at Tia. “What are you going to show us, Aunt Tia?”
“Woof,” Sarah shouted.
“Woof?” Corinne frowned at her cousin. “Oh, you mean wolf!” The older girl grinned and asked excitedly, “Are you going to shift, Aunt Tia?”
Tia took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes.”
“Yay! Mummy!” Sarah squealed.
Caine stood and picked his daughter up. He ushered everyone out to the spacious, well-kept backyard and gave Tia a quick hug. Sarah gave Tia a loud kiss on the cheek and giggled. “Mummy is a woof!”
“Wolf,” Corinne corrected. “W-o-l-f!”
Tia stepped forward and faced her family. Kerry and Nathan gave her the thumbs up, and Corinne and Sarah were clapping and chanting together, “Wolf...woof...wolf...woof!”
Caine and Amanda came up to her and hugged her.
“You can do it,” Amanda whispered.
“Happy birthday,” Tia said, giving her mother-in-law a kiss on the cheek.
She held Caine’s gaze and saw his wolf staring at her. His wolf called to hers, tugging her animal up to the surface. Tia focused on her mate, and listened to her instincts. She let go of her inhibitions and residual fear and simply relinquished control to her animal.
Tia closed her eyes as a burning pain seared through her body. She gasped and dropped to the ground. She could feel her claws slicing out of her fingertips. Thick white fur pushed out of her pores. Tia let out a growl as her body contorted and changed shape.
She opened her eyes and blinked. Everything looked clearer, sharper and all her senses seemed heightened. She could distinguish all the different scents, and she could hear sounds from far away.
She shook her head and looked up. Kerry was staring at her with happy tears in her eyes. “You’re beautiful, Tia,” her sister exclaimed. “You are such a beautiful wolf.”
Corinne and Sarah were shrieking with delight and excitement. Nathan grinned at her and said, “Well done, Tia.”
Amanda stepped forward and threw her arms around her. “You did it, Tia,” she whispered. “Thank you for such a wonderful birthday present.”
Tia turned and saw Caine shift into wolf form. He padded over to her and nuzzled her neck lovingly. The two white wolves stood together and leaned against each other.
Tia looked around and saw her family take their cue from Caine. One by one, they shifted. Nathan and Corinne shifted into two black wolves, and Sarah shifted into a little phoenix in a sudden, red blaze.
Nathan came to stand with Caine and Tia, and Corinne pranced around the adult wolves and howled with glee. Sarah flapped her wings and ran to her parents. Caine and Tia nuzzled their daughter lovingly and Tia rubbed her head against the little phoenix.
Tia saw her sister and mother-in-law link their arms together and let out happy laughs. The two human women dabbed discreetly at their eyes as they stared at their wonderful family.
Tia bumped her head against her mate’s and chuffed softly. Caine nodded and they shifted back to human form together. Nathan and Corinne followed. Only Sarah didn’t shift back. She had fallen asleep.
Tia carried the little phoenix back into the house. “It’s okay,” she told Corinne. “She’ll shift back to human form in her sleep.”
Tia glanced at her sister and brother-in-law over her shoulder. “So—now that I can shift into wolf form, you’ll give me the tougher assignments, right?” she asked Nathan.
Nathan huffed. “I always give you the toughest assignments. I’ve always had faith in you, Tia.”
“I know.” She grinned and nudged Kerry. “Thanks. You’re the best sister ever. I never told you that.”
“You tell me that every single day,” Kerry said, smiling. “I’m proud of you.”
As Tia cradled her sleeping daughter, Caine put his arm around her and kissed her hair. “You’re amazing,” he whispered. “I love you. You have no idea how much I love you.”
Tia grinned. “I do know. You love me so damn much.”
When Caine grinned back, Tia leaned in and whispered against his lips, “And I love you, and my beautiful family. So damn much!”