Page 20 of The Tiger's Secret Baby (Savage Shifters Special Ops 4)

“Nevertheless,” Allison replied, “I still have to investigate the claim. I’ll need to start by talking to the kids, alone.”

“Whatever you need,” she said. “You can use our library to talk to them.”

After a couple of hours of visiting with all of the kids, she tells Ember that everything seems to be fine. However, she’ll need to stop back by for surprise visits.

“That will be fine. Whatever you need to do,” Ember said.

The woman got into her car and left.

Gage put his hand on her shoulder. “You handled that extremely well,” he told her.

“There was no use in getting upset and panicky. It wouldn’t have solved anything and would have just made her more suspicious.” Then, she laughed. “Plus, when you have as many kids running around as I do, you don’t allow yourself to ever get upset and panicky. From broken bones, to cuts and bruises, to the occasional fights, you have to be ready to deal with everything at a moment’s notice. Panicking just makes things worse.”

“Do what would you do if she came out when the kids are in their shifted forms?” I asked. I could picture the look on that woman’s face if she showed up and the yard was full of bears, dragons, wolves and other so called “wild” animals.

“We have a protocol for that,” she answered. “They have fantastic hearing. As soon as we hear anyone coming up the road, the kids make themselves scarce. The younger kids are assigned an older partner, and they find some place to hide and shift back, since it takes some of the younger kids a little more time to fully shift into human form. We have clothes stashed in the woods in tubs, so they don’t run out looking like a bunch of naked heathens.”

Rose nodded her head. “Some people wouldn’t understand us, and they would try to hurt us because we’re different.”

It was getting late, so Ember had the kids get ready for dinner.

“What was Duggers trying to accomplish with that tactic,” I wondered aloud. “He had to know that the social services people wouldn’t find anything wrong out here.”

“He was likely hoping that they would. Plus, it was just another day to stress you out and put pressure on you so you’ll move.”

Ember growled. “It isn’t working. He’s just making me angrier and more determined to stay. If it’s a war he wants, then by George, it’s a war he’s going to get.”

9

Ember

That night, the four men held a conference to discuss what they knew and to make plans while I was getting the kids ready for bed. I always went to each kid, tucked them in, and kissed their foreheads before they went to sleep. I wanted each individual to know that I loved them.

I was so tired, that instead of joining them, I went to bed. I knew that if there was something important that I needed to be involved in, then they would brief me. I was so exhausted.

The stress from Duggers had mentally worn me out. Seeing Damian again had emotionally drained me. As much as I loved making love, it kept me awake far beyond my bedtime.

Sometime during the night, Damian slipped into my room and into the bed. I didn’t really wake up although I felt his presence. I just snuggled up next to him as close as I could get and fell back into a deep sleep.

I could get used to this. I knew I shouldn’t though, because when this case was settled, he would be gone. I didn’t want to think about the emptiness and loneliness that I would once again feel because of his absence, so instead, I focused on how amazing it was just to be in his arms, with my back pressed up against his chest and one of his legs thrown over mine.

The next morning after lessons, I was sitting on the porch enjoying the day. Rose came to sit by me. “Mom can we talk?”

My heart leapt into my throat. “Sure, Baby. What do you want to talk about?”

She thought for a second, as though she wasn’t sure how to put her thoughts into words. Finally, she said, “The other kids say that I look a lot like Mr. Damian.”

I nodded, but didn’t say anything. I suspected there was a lot more on her mind and I didn’t want to interrupt her.

“Mr. Damian is a tiger shifter, like me.”

I nodded again.

“I’ve seen the way that you and Mr. Damian look at each other. I’ve never seen you look at anyone else that way. You love him.” She made that last bit a statement, not a question. My daughter was very inciteful.

“Is Mr. Damian my father?”

“Yes, he is,” I said simply.

---