She had to tell him.

Crap, she didn’t want to tell him, though.

Tenlee paced back and forth in front of the big cabin. The numbers on the house glinted in the sunlight. 1010. She’d seen the Clan make wishes on those numbers too, but she didn’t understand it. What could a number do? She was the wishing squirrel. She was the one who made wishes come true.

But it couldn’t hurt, because she was pretty sure Kurt was going to be really mad. She was clutching a handful of Ramsey’s feathers in her hand and watching Gunner like a hawk. Karis was here too, and Ava, sitting on the porch talking softly, wrapped in blankets on the porch swing. It was plenty big enough for three, but Tenlee would never fit in with them, so she was content to pace the muddy path she’d created in the new grass, check the trees for crows, and watch the horizon for the men…or more specifically, for her man.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to help?” she asked Gunner.

“No, no, I got it. Dad said if I get people to help all the time, I won’t learn it. And I want to grow up big and strong like him.” He was wearing a little cowboy hat and Wrangler jeans, but he had sneakers on and was trying to tie them. Momma Crow had taught her how to tie her shoes. And speak English, eat with utensils, brush her hair, and have manners…mostly. She wanted to teach Gunner everything she’d learned so she could be important to him too, like Momma Crow was important to her.

She squatted down beside him and watched, but he seemed to have it, slowly but surely. Gah, she didn’t want to tell Kurt about Ramsey.

“Gunner? How did you know the crow was in the barn with me?” she asked.

“Well, me and Karis were working in the garden, and I got this funny feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?”

“A mad feeling. I thought maybe you were crying or something because sometimes when you’re sad, I get a sad feeling, too, in my tummy.”

“Okay.” She got that because she got the same feelings when something was off with Kurt or Gunner, or even Colt. “Did you run away from Karis?”

“Yes. When she was puttin’ little carrot seeds in the ground, I ran to the barn. I got madder when I saw that fuckin’ crow bein’ mean to you.”

“I don’t think you’re supposed to say fuckin’.”

“Well, Dad, Colt, and Trig say it all the time. I’m gonna be a big mountain lion someday, Ten. I’ll always protect you.”

She really liked when he called her Ten, like Colt did. The whole Clan had started to pick up on the nickname. Scooting closer, she did something she’d never done before. Tenlee pulled him in close, hugged him, and kissed the top of his messy hair, the same shade as his dad’s. And then he did something that shocked her. He went all soft against her and then threw his little arms around her shoulders and climbed her like a tree, like she did to his and Kurt’s pantlegs when she was feeling mushy.

She went off-balance and fell backward and landed on her backside in the dirt. Stunned, she hugged the little boy up as tight as she could and rocked him gently back and forth. “I’ll always protect you, too.” She clutched harder onto the feathers in her hand. Always.

On the horizon were the silhouettes of three men atop tall horses. Hairpin Trigger on his black stallion, Harley, and the Warmaker on Ranger, his bay. And then there was the most important of all. The man who didn’t fit anywhere, just like her. Kurt. Her Kurt. Her man, and though she wouldn’t say it out loud yet, her mate.

And right now, with the men of the Clan, those tough outlaws coming home, Karis and Ava talking quietly behind her, and her Gunner boy in her arms, Tenlee was okay. It wouldn’t be like that forever, but for now, she was really okay, and it was an important moment.

Before she could change her mind, she stood with Gunner in her arms, marched up those porch stairs and to the door. She hugged him tight against her as she pressed her palm against the 1010 and did what the other good shifters of this Clan had done—she made her first wish ever.

She wished she could keep this, right here. All of it.

The people.

This complete, happy feeling.

Her Kurt.

Her Gunner Boy.

The easy feeling in her heart.

Her human skin.

She couldn’t have all of it, but that didn’t stop her from wishing.

She wanted everything, and Heaven help anyone who stood in her way.

Adjusting Gunner to her hip, she offered a shy smile to Ava and Karis, who were staring at her with curious grins on their faces. She didn’t understand what their expressions meant, but she did know she felt braver to tell Kurt what had happened with Ramsey now.

Ramsey coming here wasn’t her fault. It was Ramsey’s. She wasn’t leading him on. He didn’t listen to her, and she was done blaming herself for another person’s actions.

Trig and Colt cut off toward the corral, but Kurt approached as she stepped out into the yard.

His smile took over his whole face and made his eyes dance as he strode up on Remedy. Even under the low brim of his Stetson, she could see the steady approval in his eyes as he looked from her face to Gunner’s and back.

“Well, this is a sight for sore eyes.” He had his jacket zipped, but she could smell the blood from here. Lots of it.

“Smells funny,” Gunner murmured, frowning at his dad.

“Everything’s okay,” Kurt said with a wink for his son, but he was hunched in the saddle as though he couldn’t hold himself upright.

Tenlee was going to have to figure out something fast because Kurt was getting worse. “We have something to tell you,” she said.

“I growled at a crow-man today,” Gunner said, lifting his little chin. “He was being mean to Ten, and I woulda killed that crow.”

The smile fell from Kurt’s face in an instant. “Was he trying to hurt Ten?”

Gunner nodded once. Brave little cougar.

Kurt’s eyes changed from dark brown to silver as he dragged his gaze to Tenlee. “Ramsey came here?”

She nodded. “I was tough. So was Gunner.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “Gunner, go on up with Karis and Ava. Let me talk to Ten for a minute.”

“Okay,” his boy said, jumping down from Tenlee’s arms.

“Son?”

“Yeah?” Gunner asked in that squeaky little voice.

“You done good.”

Gunner’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, and then he took off running toward the porch where Karis and Ava were now standing, looking off toward the barn, and talking softly between them.

“Come here,” he murmured, his voice deep and serious. And sexy. He held out his hand and pulled her up into the saddle behind him.

“Whoa,” she said when she was up there, holding on tight to his waist. “I’ve ridden on the backs of motorcycles, but never been on a horse.”

“Really?” Kurt asked, resting his hand over hers. There was a smile in his voice as he aimed Remedy toward the barn. “I like the idea of being your first on stuff.”

“Well…you’re the first man I like-like.” He probably understood but, just in case, she spelled it out for him because, in her experience, men could be dense. “I mean the first man I think I L-O-V-E.”

He chuckled and slid his hand to her thigh and squeezed. She sighed and rested her cheek against his back. The sunset was so pretty with its pinks and yellows and oranges. “This ranch is the prettiest place on earth.”

Kurt looked over in the direction of the sunset, too. “I agree with you on that one. What happened today?”

“Ramsey showed up while I was cleaning out stalls. I was tellin’ him I wouldn’t go with him, and all the sudden Gunner showed up beside me, hissin’ and spittin’, like he had no fear at all.”

“He was Changed?”

“Yeah. Little cougar. He made me braver, and we made Ramsey go away. I brought you these.” She showed him the black feathers. “I don’t really know why. Mostly, I thought you wouldn’t believe me.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because I didn’t tell people I was a girl for a long time. And the Clan doesn’t trust me.”

“So you think you need proof for me?”

She nodded against his back.

“Well, you don’t. Not with me. What you say goes. I’m glad you’re okay. If Ramsey comes back? You call out, and he’ll be nothin’ but a pile of feathers, okay? You aren’t alone anymore.”

“Okay,” she murmured, the smile on her face feeling so good.

“How long have you been in this body?”

Well, that drew her up as she did some quick math. “Six hours.”

“Yeah?” He sounded proud, and that made her kind of proud of herself.

“Yeah, I wasn’t thinking about it. I was just waiting with Gunner for you to get home. He Changed back and I…I…didn’t.”

“Thata girl.” There was such approval in his voice that if she died right now, she could do it happy.

“You aren’t mad?”

“At you? Nah.”

“At Ramsey?” she asked.

A soft, long snarl rattled through his body. “You won’t have to worry about Ramsey much longer, you hear?” There was promise in his voice, and it scared her. The crows were merciless, but Colt had told her Kurt was a monster, and she had to trust her man like he trusted her. It was only fair.

He patted her thigh, his work gloves making a clapping sound against her jeans. “I have something I want to ask you.”

“Yes to sex.”

His laugh filled her soul with a smile. “Well, that’s not what I was gonna ask, but I appreciate the go-ahead.”

“Ask me anything.”

“Will you stay the night with me tonight?”

She laid a kiss on his shoulder blade and sighed, then rested her chin on his spine. “What if I can’t keep my skin for a whole night?”

“That’s okay. Won’t matter to me. If you turn squirrel, you can still sleep by me, right?”

She smiled. God, it felt so good to be accepted either way—human or animal. The things she felt insecure about, well…he seemed patient with, so maybe she could go easy on herself, too. But she was still going to try to stay in this skin when she slept beside him so he could hug her better. His hugs were like medicine. They made everything better.

At the barn door, he climbed off Remedy and smiled up at her, flashing his perfect white teeth. His eyes danced as he took in her face. “You know, that sunset ain’t got nothin’ on you. This place is pretty because you’re here.”

The fluttering sensation erupted in her stomach, and she wrapped her arms around herself to stop it.

“What’s wrong?”

“My stomach is doing flip-flops,” she gasped.

The concern left his expression, and he chuckled, rubbing his hand up her calf. “People call those butterflies. It’s kinda special to get them.”

“Special how? They feel so weird.”

He leaned over and kissed her knee, and her stomach started fluttering all over again. “It means you like the person who gives them to you. You wouldn’t get butterflies otherwise.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, really. Makes me happy that I give them to you. Real happy.”

Heart full to the brim, she whispered, “I really L-O-V-E you.”

Kurt rubbed the dark scruff on his jaw and shifted his weight from side to side. “I love you too, Tenlee.”

Ooooh, butterflies. There must’ve been hundreds and hundreds and hundreds inside of her. “You make me like this body.”

He bit his bottom lip and looked wicked as sin when he said, “You sure make me like your body, too.”

She giggled and shook her head, cheeks flushing with heat. “You’re such a guy.”

“Come on,” he murmured, reaching for her waist, “I want to show you something.”

Easily, he pulled her out of the saddle and settled her on her feet, then held her hand as he led Remedy into the barn. After unsaddling her and putting the horse in the last stall, he pinned Tenlee against the wall and held a strand of her hair in one gentle hand as he kissed her. And kissed her and kissed her. She didn’t even know what day it was by the time he eased away. She could’ve lived in that moment forever, but he had more surprises and more butterflies to give her.

Smile on his lips, Kurt pulled her by the hand to the red door she’d wished she could go into a hundred times, at least. He pushed it open…and he let her in.

Her. Tenlee the mostly squirrel, but sometimes girl. Tenlee-Genie…Tenlee…Tenlee…Ten.

She stepped into a living room. It was echoing wood plank floors with a gray couch and an old leather recliner. There was a small bedroom with room for a queen-size mattress, and that was about it. There was a small bed in the corner with fast cars printed on the red and blue comforter. The pillow said Gunner, and there was a brown, floppy-eared stuffed rabbit laying at the foot of the bed. Brightly colored toys and Legos littered the floor and gave the place a homey, lived-in feeling. There was a small kitchen on the back wall, but it wasn’t much more than a microwave, some counter space, and a sink. And the only table in the place was a small one that separated the TV and the couch.

“It’s not much,” Kurt murmured. He’d been watching her take everything in, but what he was looking for on her face, she hadn’t a clue.

“It’s more than enough,” she said. “It’s comfortable. A good nest. Good for Gunner and good for you.”

“Is it good for you?”

“I like it very much.”

“I have somethin’ else I want to ask you.”

“Okay. Shoot.”

Kurt lifted his hand to her cheek, hesitated for a moment, then brushed a flyaway strand out of her face. “Will you let me take you out tomorrow?”

Tenlee frowned. “You mean outside?”

“No, I mean out to dinner. Just you and me.”

“Oh,” she murmured happily. “Another first.”

“You’ve never been asked out on a date?”

“I’ve been taken out on dates, I guess, but never been asked if I wanted to.” She shrugged up one shoulder as the butterflies tickled her stomach again. Tenlee reached up and cupped his cheeks just for an excuse to touch him. “Sure. I want to go out. With you. I mean…I want you to take me out.”

“I have an admission.”

“Uh oh. What is it?”

Kurt cleared his throat and then turned his head, kissed her palm. “I already counted on you sayin’ yes, so I planned a whole day for you. A special one.”

“For me? You made plans for me?”

“Yeah, Ten. You’re very special to me. Just you. No Origin stuff. I mean, you’re special. I like how sweet and honest you are, and I really liked how your face looked all soft and happy when you were holding Gunner earlier. I like that you’re protective and you aren’t afraid to bite if someone messes with your people. I like bein’ around you because you make my insides feel lighter. Like all the bad shit I done is forgivable. You make me feel like if I work hard enough, I could be redeemed. And redemption is a big deal to a man like me.”

“To an outlaw?”

He huffed a breath and nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Well, to me, you don’t have anything you need to be redeemed for. To me, you’re already a good man. The best I ever met. Outlaw or no, I’m proud to be around you.”

Kurt pulled her in close and hugged her up tight. Against her ear, he murmured, “I’m gonna make it to where you’ll be okay.”

She didn’t like that. Didn’t like the sadness in his voice. She wanted him to be happy always and not talk like they had no future. “You aren’t going anywhere.”

He swayed gently with her like a dance. Another first. Back and forth, back and forth, but she didn’t miss that he hadn’t responded, so she repeated her promise, “Kurt, you aren’t going anywhere.”

“I wish that was true, Ten. You have no idea how much I wish that was true.”

“Silly man. You haven’t learned it yet, but you will.”

“Learned what?”

“To trust me like you said you do. You said I need no proof with you. My words are enough, right?”

She could hear him swallow right before he nodded his head. “That’s right.”

“Okay then.” She planted a lingering kiss on his cheek, then smiled up at him and uttered his promise as her own, “I’m gonna make it to where you’ll be okay.”

Now, she didn’t know much about love, only what she felt in her heart, but she was pretty sure smiles like the one Kurt wore meant she was doing something right. She was pretty sure this was how it was supposed to work. They both made efforts to make each other happy and make sure they were okay. Like a team. Like a miniature Clan.

No…like a little family. She’d never really had one of those, and she would be damned if she watched the life she and Kurt were building get cut down too soon.

And besides…it wasn’t just an empty promise to save him.

Tenlee had a plan.