77)

Me and Drew finished up our preps as I tried not to listen in on my daughter in laws family time. Even going the long way around through the dining room to put a little distance between me and them when I headed downstairs to change the loads in the washer and dryer.

I came upstairs in time to hear them talking about bedtimes and heading for the elevator, with Yuki hefting up Aran in her arms, the boy sound asleep.

“I figured I should at least point out the kid’s room. It feels like something symbolic I should be doing at your host.”

I pondered the impulse as the elevator came down. “Though I suppose Sara could do it as well. She had been the lady of the house this last week. She even did the whole defending it thing you were talking about earlier.”

Both of her parents turned and gave her proud smiles as Sara blushed and squirmed in place.

“She didn’t even break any of my stuff that time.”

That got a raised eyebrow from her mom and a pleading look from Sara. I gave her a sad, forgiving look as I ratted her out. “It was just a light fixture, the glass part, and she learned an important lesson. No polearms in the house, other than in the ballroom.”

My daughter-in-law glanced back and forth between me and the grandkid slightly confused. “Where did she get a polearm?” which was directed at me, and “Why were you playing with a polearm? What ballroom?” at Sara

A drowsy Ami who was leaning up against her father answered. “Sara got the Naginata from the library, and the ballroom is the practice room now. That’s where grandpa taught me how to control my magic.”

My son and his wife exchanged questioning looks before they began to look back and forth between their children to me, stopping at me.

My son raised an eyebrow as the elevator came to a stop. “Could you explain?”

I held up my fingers as I tried to answer each unasked question. “The attic has a ballroom in it that Sara practiced in. I taught Ami a meditative trick I figure out for myself when I was an ill tempered teen. The library is full of various weapons because I don’t have enough books to fill it up.”

I reached out to keep the open elevator door from closing. “Ami can give you a tour tomorrow.”

The two of them got the kids tucked into bed with a last few hugs and kisses. Not that two young girls were going to go to sleep all that soon. Girls need to talk to decompress.

I waved their parents to follow me down the hall and into their room, closing the door behind them, then slipping over to the attached bathroom to turn the sink faucet on.

Stepping back out to their questioning looks, I explained. “Sara has been working on developing her hearing. So if we have anything we need to talk about tonight, now’s the time.”

I held up one finger before they could begin to talk. “And before I forget, I got another room with two sets of bunk beds for boys and plenty of guest rooms. I just tossed all of them in the same room since I thought they would sleep easier altogether.”

Yuki suddenly sat down on the bed and looked up at me. “I’m having a hard time thinking of anything other than how happy I am to be back with my children, and thanking you. I’m so tired right now, I don’t think I can put together a question right now. Maybe in the morning?” She gave me a hopeful look.

My son leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, “Why don’t you just turn in sweetie. Me and my dad can go for a walk outside and have a long talk. I’ll fill you in later.”

She smiled gratefully and I headed for the door, closing it behind me since I knew they needed a moment or two alone. My kid wandered down to the kitchen himself a good ten minutes later and gave me a grateful nod.

I shook my head at him and huffed. “First time we meet, and just because I’m a werewolf you want to take me walkies.”

He started to protest, then huffed himself. “Ha ha... But seriously, what’s it like? Being like that?”

I thought it over. “Most of the time it’s... not so much like being young again. But still being old but without all the bad parts. And hungry all the time. Very hungry. But that seems to be wearing off gradually.”

“As for turning into a wolf, it’s mostly just awkward. Maybe if I get outside and want to run, it might be different, but the two times I changed...” I shook my head. “You’re lower to the ground, and all the furniture is blocking your line of sight. You can’t do anything because you don’t have hands, and you can’t say anything.”

I looked over at my son to see him just taking it all in. Silently letting me spit out as much as I wanted to share rather than ask questions I would get around to telling him about all on my own. “But there's another shape, something halfway in between. There are only maybe three of us around here that can do it, with me being one of them. At least in potential.”

I raised my hands. “It’s a compromise form meant to turn us in something just for killing. And since we are made so we can’t stand the smell of a vampire. It seems like a big clue as to who we are meant to be killing.”

My son slowly nodded. “They know. Maybe not all of them know about the half form. But they know all of you are out here in the countryside. They know that you are what limits them from trying to control everything. Because they can’t tell the difference between you and normal humans until your coming at them with teeth and claws.”

He got an evil smile on his face. “Some of the older ones still carry silver weapons with them at all times from when cities were smaller, and you couldn’t travel quick enough to get from place to place in one night.”

Looking me in the eyes, he tried to reassure me. “I’m not sure how many werewolves live around here, but any vampire that started any trouble out here would have to be an idiot.”

I pursed my lips to the side. He noticed with a surprised look. “What? No, really?”

Shaking my head I explained. “Walked into a Redd’Smart, got noticed and one of the staff passed on a picture of me to someone who set three goons to try to find me and get my blood. The local sheriff handed them off to someone higher up at the store and I was told it would be taken care of.”

He stiffened up. “Is this sheriff someone you can rely on?”

For once I didn’t have to think that one over. “We’re seeing each other.”

My son looked a little awkward. So I clarified it for him.

“Romantically.”

If anything he just looked more uncomfortable, which was making even more fun to provide a little more detail.

“Intimately.”

He held up his hand, half amused and half mortified. “I got it, dad. You trust her.”

I grinned at him. “She’s also one of the other ones who can take the warform. She has children and grandchildren all about the area, and is the leader they don’t officially have.”

He sobered up a bit and leaned back against the kitchen sink, and gave me a careful look.

“So I guess you and my mom aren't getting back together.”