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The cub screa and scra arainst his chest

Myka let out a long breath, air scraping her throat Ella had gone coaze fixed upward

Spike wrapped his ar, one branch at a ti tensely as Spike ca over his arm The doard journey took maybe a minute, but to Myka’s clenched body, it was a lifeti on thicklyaround to balance him Jordan shifted back to little boy in Spike’s aret down

"Aunt Myka, did you see ht me"

"Yes, I saw you" Myka lifted Jordan as Spike set hi "Don’t you ever do that again You scared ht Dad caught ht not be there to catch you next ti for you"

Jordan stared at her in surprise, then he gave her his wide-eyed, ingenuous look, lower lip starting to tremble "I love you, Aunt Myka" He threw his arms around her and buried his face in her neck

Myka knew daet himself out of trouble He did it all the ti of Jillian hter She looked up, her eyesin front of her, huon’s tail went all the way to the base of his very substantial

"Is he okay?" Spike demanded

Jordan was perfectly fine, not even afraid "Yes," Myka said "This tirowl in Spike’s voicethere in nothing but his ink, thehim But it takes an army to watch Jordan I know that from experience"

Spike put his hands on his hips His eyes were still Shifter--tinged with yellow, his pupils slits "My grand any wildcat paw ca, followed by a snarl One of the other Shifters laughed "Better watch it, Spike"

Spike looked his neighbors over, his eyes going Shifter all the way "Get the hell out of here"

The Shifters went, not in terror, but with the stroll of people who knew the ao inside," Myka said

Ella had already headed that way, still a jaguar, but every step, every twitch of her tail betraying her irritation

Spike reached for Jordan Jordan was still clinging to Myka, his breathing slowing, likely drifting off to sleep, worn out frolare and carried Jordan past hi the way through the back door By the time Myka walked into the kitchen, Ella had disappeared upstairs to her roo Jordan down the hall to the small bedrooone

Spike followed her, his body heat on her back Myka laid Jordan on the bed and gently put on the nightshirt Ella had left for him--one that had tear-away shoulders in case the boy shifted in his sleep Jordan’s eyelids fluttered once before he turned onto his sto a satisfied sigh