Page 21 of Sobek’s Joy

“Oh.” Timothy pressed closer, his small body warm against Sobek’s side. “I’m good at that.”

Sobek chuckled. “You’re stabbing me with your elbow.”

“That’s touching, not watching.”

“Rose, your claws…” Sobek caught her hand before she could grab the doorknob he’d just removed. Her fingernails had sharpened to points again, tiny curved hooks that would’ve scratched the brass. “Remember what we practiced?” he added quietly.

Rose scrunched up her face in concentration. Her fingernails receded slowly, reluctantly. “Like that?”

“Good. Now go sit with Jack.”

“But…”

“Sit.”

The command came out rougher than intended, edged with the authority of an ancient god. All three children froze, then scrambled to obey with wide eyes.

Sobek closed his eyes briefly. Gentle. I have to be gentle with them. Rudy would never use that tone with them, would never make them look startled and uncertain like…

“That was cool.” Jack bounced on his heels from his new position by the stairs. “You sounded like a general or something.”

“Do it again.” Rose clapped her hands, completely unbothered.

Timothy just pressed closer to Sobek’s leg, scales flickering across his forearms before disappearing. Sobek’s heart did that flutter thing that he was slowly recognizing was to do with deep feelings.

“I’m not a general,” he said quietly, refitting the hinge. “And I should not have spoken harshly.”

“Daddy uses his Serious Voice sometimes,” Jack offered. “When we do really dangerous stuff. Like when Rose tried to eat glass.”

“She what…”

“It was sparkly,” Rose protested. “How was I supposed to know it would cut my mouth?”

Sobek looked toward the kitchen, where Rudy was singing off-key while making grilled cheese sandwiches, blissfully unaware that his mate was having a crisis about whether their four-year-old had adequate self-preservation instincts.

Their four-year-old. Their children. Sobek had given up seeing the kids in any other way.

“No eating glass,” Sobek said firmly. “Or anything sparkly. Or anything that’s not food.”

“What about glitter?”

“Especially not glitter.”

“But…”

“Rose.” Sobek caught her gaze and held it. “No.”

She deflated with a dramatic sigh that would’ve made Horus proud. “Fine.”

Sobek returned his attention to the door, aware of six eyes watching his every movement. The children had crept closer again, forming a semi-circle around him like ducklings around their parent.

Not their parent. Their guardian’s...what? Boyfriend? Potential mate that their guardian didn’t know was their mate? Random neighbor who kept showing up with fish and tools? Sobek had negotiated a million things over the years, but he’d never been as bad at defining a relationship the way he was now.

“Can I try?” Jack leaned forward eagerly.

“Try what?”

“The screwdriver thingy.”