"Again?" whined Waltz, because Uncle Andros had arrived at our home once more.

I pouted at him. "That was a week ago, Waltz."

Waltz huffed. "So? I wanna be with you all the time."

"Aw, Waltz..." I cooed, hugging his waist.

His wings appeared and wrapped around us as he dipped his head. "Kiss me before you go, Annie."

I blushed a bit, but nodded with a happy grin. I pecked his lips, but his eyebrow twitched.

"More, Annie. More than just a peck," he whispered, his gold-flecked hazel eyes darkening as he stared at my blushing face.

"O-okay..." I whispered breathlessly, standing on my tiptoes to press our lips together.

Waltz hummed in delight as my tongue sought entrance. He took the initiative this time, so I mewled softly in response. His grip tightened as he held me against him. My tail curled up when I clenched the back of his sweater. Waltz licked the roof of my mouth and pulled back to peck my lips. His happy smile made me so happy in return.

"Spend some time with me when you come back, Annie."

I nodded with a bright smile, my tail whipping back and forth. "Absolutely, Waltz."

Waltz kissed my head and moved his wings away. I squeezed his hands, then pecked his cheek. Uncle Andros scooped me up a moment later, and I breathed in his scent. My uncle held me tightly while he exited the house and even after he slid into the car. His driver, David, greeted me with a pleasant smile this time.

"Anwyll, what is your relationship with those in that house?"

I giggled when I heard the worry in my uncle's voice. I wiggled to get higher and whisper in his ear, "They're my lovers."

Uncle Andros stiffened. "Have you done—?"

"No," I giggled. "Not yet."

He relaxed and kissed my head. "That's good."

"Why?"

He tensed and silenced himself, so I pouted and kissed his cheek. I settled down into his arms again, and he cradled my back so that he could look at my face. He cupped my cheek with a small smile, which grew when I giggled. My tail thumped against the seat while he stroked his fingers through my hair.

"You look adorable again today, my sweet nephew."

My cheeks warmed and I hid my face in his suit. "Th-thank you, Uncle Andros. You're very handsome as always."

He chuckled. "Thank you, Anwyll."

"S'true, though." I pouted, nosing his shirt.

Uncle Andros leaned back, but kept petting my hair. He closed his eyes for a moment, releasing a silent breath. I watched him for a moment, then followed his lead. I cuddled closer, and he moved my body upright. Uncle Andros rubbed my back while I settled my nose against his throat. My tail swished lazily for a few moments before I completely relaxed. My uncle began to purr when my fingers curled against his pressed white shirt.

The backs of my hands were pressed against my warm sweater, which was azure with silvery-white flowers over it. It was oversized again, and the midnight blue skort did have suspenders and silver-colored buttons on the front and back. The thigh-high socks were knit like the sweater, and they matched with the outfit. I had two silver clips in my hair and a midnight blue ribbon tied around my throat. When Uncle Andros first saw my outfit, he was clearly pleased that I wore his true colors.

I was happy too, actually, since my uncle is so very beautiful. It would be a shame not to show the world, so I did it in a uniquely discreet way that immensely pleased my uncle.

Daddy was in awe and peppered my faces with kisses before he sent me out with his brother. I got a lot of hugs and kisses from my beloved family, and Damon remarked that I looked like a little angel, which made me blush and kiss him again. Blaine got a bit jealous and stole another kiss from me before he whisked Damon away to his room. Dian was blushing, Briar was cooing at me, Zaire was hugging me so tightly, then Gavin possessively hugged and kissed me, and Angel and Waltz kissed me senseless. Needless to say, I was very pleased with the attention.

"Anwyll," murmured my uncle. "Are you sleeping?"

I yawned softly, because I had been snoozing. "Not really, Uncle. Are we there yet?"

"Yes, my adorable nephew."

"Mmkay, Uncle. Who're you meeting this time?"

Uncle Andros chuckled as he stepped out of the car. "Not many people today, Anwyll. It's a holiday tomorrow, so people are leaving earlier."

"Ooh, okay. Am I gonna spend the night, Uncle Andros?"

His breath hitched. "Would you like to?"

I giggled and kissed his cheek, my tail whirling and almost smacking David in the face with it. "Yes, please."

David paused when he felt the air move in front of his face, then frowned and shook his head. He bowed slightly to Uncle Andros, then returned to the vehicle and pulled away from the curb. I turned my head to stare at the oddly shaped building. It was rectangular with an artistic flare over the top of it. It almost looked like a boomerang or perhaps a crescent moon?

"What do you think?"

"It looks interesting."

Uncle Andros chuckled and thumbed my thigh. "I knew you would say that."

I hummed in response, then tilted my head as my uncle entered the building through one of the spinning doors. It was massive and spacious. There were stairs and hallways within sight, but my uncle approached the desk. The woman held up her finger while she talked on the phone and typed with her left hand.

Once she looked up, though, her face paled and she quickly ended the call. "M-Mr. Lucaon! My apologies for making you wait. My boss is on the top floor in the meeting room at the end of the hall."

Uncle Andros stiffly nodded and strode away with my body tucked into his right side. I peered over his shoulder, then wiggled my fingers at the startled woman. My uncle growled until I slapped my fingers down onto his suit jacket. I giggled and rubbed my head on his cheek. Uncle Andros rubbed my thigh with his thumb again, the firm pressure making me happy.

I tucked my head underneath his chin and watched young people stop in the stairwell and stare at my uncle while he climbed the stairs with ease. There were only two flights, so my uncle reached the top in no time at all. Uncle Andros rubbed his chin on my head and kissed one wolf ear, which caused me to burst into a fit of happy giggles.

My tail whirled and smacked his side, but my uncle was clearly pleased with the situation, so he didn't mind. Older girls giggled and waved when I caught their gazes. Uncle Andros grunted for some reason and the tension rose, but once I kissed his cheek the thick air dissipated.

I held his heavy briefcase while he knocked on the specified door and opened it a moment later. He shut the door behind him, then set my feet on the tiled floor. He patted my head and gave me a look that told me to "watch and listen." My eager smile made him bark a quiet laugh.

Uncle Andros greeted the man with a stiff nod, and took a seat while I peered over his shoulder. The man's hazel eyes widened with surprise when he noticed my presence and the fact that my uncle appeared to be very relaxed with me touching his shoulders and neck.

"Mr. Lucaon, may I inquire—?"

"No, you may not."

The man quieted, but I could tell that he was very distracted by my presence and could not focus on the discussion. Uncle Andros turned in the swivel chair and cupped my face.

"Anwyll, I believe this associate of my company cannot focus with your adorable self here. Would you like to explore? I will meet you in the cafeteria at noon."

I grinned, my tail becoming a blur behind me. "Okay, Uncle! I'll see you later."

He nodded and turned his head to face the man, so I smirked with a mischievous expression and kissed his cheek. He stiffened and turned to look as I hopped away with a giggle on my lips. He gave me a look that clearly said he would pay me back for that. I grinned widely and ventured out of the meeting room.

As I shut the door, I felt numerous gazes on me. I turned, but no one was watching me. I quirked my lips to the side and began walking back the way we came. My ears twitched and moved around, taking in the music and sounds of lots of people talking. I wanted to go towards the music. My tail wiggled at the beat and swished during the bridge.

I followed the music and found myself at a classroom door. I hopped up to peek through the narrow rectangular window and I saw people stretching in comfortable clothes. I wondered if they'd be mad if I went in. I kind of wanted to join in if they were going to dance. I've always wanted to try a dance class.

Someone came up behind me, so I turned with a smile. The girl halted, then crouched down. "What are you doing here?"

"My uncle brought me. The other guy couldn't concentrate with me there, so my uncle allowed me to explore. I followed the music and came here. Is it okay if I watch?"

The girl's smile was infectious. "Of course! Come on in. My teacher loves it when we can have other people watch our practices to rid the dancers of stage fright."

I giggled. "I have stage fright, too. I get really nervous when I think people are watching me dance."

She ruffled my hair and opened the door. "Then it may be fun to try to follow along."

The door opened to reveal a large room with a piano on one side, and a phone sitting in a cradle of sorts on top of it. The flooring was a slippery kind of wood like on an indoor basketball court. There was a bar on the wall to my right, and two huge panels making one wall of mirrors on the far right. A woman in her thirties was showing a move to the others in front of the mirrored wall, then explaining the steps behind it. She looked up when the door opened, and her expression brightened when she saw me.

"Oh, a guest?"

The girl behind me shut the door. "Yes, Mrs. Shaw. I found the kid hopping up to take a peek through the window."

The woman now known to me as Mrs. Shaw came over and crouched down. Her smile was bright. "Do you like to dance?"

"Mm, when I can. Usually when I'm cleaning. I get nervous when other people watch."

Mrs. Shaw's expression twisted slightly, which made me concerned. Her face relaxed and she clapped her knees.

"Well, don't be nervous here. Everyone learns in this place. We all screw up and have to retry to get it correctly. Do whatever you want here. Watch, listen, join. Do whatever."

She stood and returned to the front of the class, and I moved along the wall with the ballet bar. The girl from before joined the group again. I'm guessing she had to take a break, because she looked exhausted.

Mrs. Shaw used a small remote and the music changed to something with a heavier bass and a more electronic sound. I liked it a lot. She started to dance, and the others began to follow. I think it was a previously choreographed dance, since they were almost fully in sync.

My ears began to move in time and then my tail. I blushed and bit and grabbed them, only to realize that no one could see my attributes. I rubbed my face to relieve my anxiety. I wanted to join in so badly, but I was so nervous.

I closed my eyes and followed the beat with my heel, remembering the moves that I had been watching for a few minutes. As it hit the chorus, I steeled my resolve and let out a heavy breath. I nervously began to follow the dance. The girl from before perked up and looked over in the mirror. She gave me a quick thumbs up, which made me feel a bit better.

"One, two, three, four, five, six. And repeat!" called out Mrs. Shaw, while I steadily found a way to move in sync with them at my own stride. I was very, very short after all.

I blushed when I got a few wolf whistles from the other dancers. Mrs. Shaw laughed heartily, clapping for everyone to keep going until the end of the song. I stopped as she approached me. The woman led me to the back, and I hopped up onto the bench in front of the piano.

"What's your name, kiddo?"

"Anwyll, Mrs. Shaw."

She smiled. "Anwyll? That's an unusual name."

"It means 'beloved by many'. I really like my name."

Her fingers ruffled my hair, then fell from my hand to her knees as she crouched down again. "Anwyll, how old are you?"

I paused in answering, my eyes studying her face. "Why?"

"You seem older than you look on first glance."

I quirked my lips to the side. "You're rather keen, Mrs. Shaw."

Her blue eyes were filled with curiosity. "So?"

"I'm eighteen."

Her jaw dropped. "Surely you're joking?"

"I graduated high school six months ago."

Mrs. Shaw rubbed her face. "Okay, so are you here to enroll?"

I shook my head. "My uncle brought me here on business. The other guy got distracted with me watching him, so my uncle allowed me to stray from his side to explore. I'm supposed to meet him at noon in the cafeteria."

While I spoke, my gaze lifted to the clock way above the ballet bar near the ceiling. "Oh, it's almost that time now. I'll get going."

"Wait," she said, grasping my wrist when I moved to slide off the bench. "I know this isn't my place to ask about it, but are you being abused?"

I snorted. "No, I am not. I was being abused by my mother up until three weeks ago. My daddy saved my life."

Her eyes widened and filled with compassion. She dropped my wrist. "I'm sorry, it was just the way you talked earlier..."

"About the cleaning thing?" She nodded after I asked that, so I continued, "I'm kind of obsessive compulsive about making sure things are in order to do with clothing and items in rooms. I enjoy cleaning. And usually when I clean I get music forming in my head and then I can't help but to dance."

Mrs. Shaw breathed a sigh of relief. "All right, thank you explaining it to me. Do you know where the cafeteria is?"

I shook my head, so I thanked her after she gave me instructions. I went to leave, but that girl from before was told to escort me to the cafeteria to make sure I didn't get lost. The girl didn't seem to mind, but I apologized for causing trouble and allowed her to take my hand. She thought I was a kid.

"What did you talk to my teacher about?"

"Mm, she was just asking what I meant about the cleaning thing earlier. She was just worried."

The girl hummed. "Cool."

Once I reached the cafeteria, it was one minute before noon. I thanked the girl again and peered around the corner. My uncle was sitting in a corner by the huge half wall of windows. Lots of people were peeking at his regal form while he checked his phone. I heard a gasp from behind me when I grinned and hurried over to him.

Uncle Andros looked up before I approached and his oppressive aura lessened when I fell into his arms. I giggled when he stood up with my body firmly tucked into his right side. I rubbed my cheek on his chest, purring when he began petting my silvery-heather waves.

He paused when he saw the flabbergasted expression of the girl who escorted me here. "What is it?"

"A-are you Mr. L-Lucaon?" she whispered, her eyes wide.

My uncle nodded. "Did you help my nephew?"

"She escorted me from her classroom to make sure I didn't get lost." I explained, since she couldn't talk right now.

"How kind. What's your name?"

"M-Marisa Klein, sir." she tried to stay calm, but I could see her internal anxiety.

"I'll remember that name. Have a good day, Ms. Klein." calmly stated my uncle, before he stalked towards the exit.

I peered over his shoulder and watched the girl stagger down the hallway back to her classroom. I kissed my uncle's throat and nuzzled his jaw.

"Did I make you wait, Uncle Andros?"

"No, pup. Not at all." he murmured, cupping my head as he climbed into the car. Daniel closed the car door after us. "Did you have a good time? Where did you go?"

"I had a pretty good time. I joined a dance class. It was fun, even though it was embarrassing at first. Everyone was really friendly, though."

"That is wonderful to hear." he whispered as he pressed a kiss to my temple.

After all that excitement, nervousness, and anxiety, I was now getting sleepy in my uncle's warm, firm, and safe embrace. I pressed closer and tucked the bridge of my nose against Uncle Andros' throat, curling my fingers against his shirt again.

"There we go," he breathed, cupping the back of my head. "Back to normal."

I giggled a bit. "Did you feel uneasy without me in your arms?" I asked softly, tucking my head closer.

"Yes, because it's not safe in this world for my cute little nephew to roam free."

My smile broadened as my eyes shut. "But I'm safe with you."

"You are, pup. You are safe with me."

"Love you, Uncle Andros."

His breath hitched at my quiet admission, and he held me tighter against his chest. He pressed his lips to my head and heaved several shaky breaths while I drifted off to sleep.