Page 98 of Hummingbird and Kraken

As the song ended, he caught Geir’s eye and got a smile. The man might say that he hated people, but he’d sure been smiling a lot watching Declan and the others dance. So he couldn’t be that miserable. Declan undulated in a special move that he’d practiced, grinning when it had the desired effect.

There was someone standing in the shadows next to Geir, and after a moment he recognized the Chief.

This would be the perfect time to execute his mission.

Declan glided up to Ro and wrapped his arms around him. “Tier’s watching you,” he whispered, grinding against him. “He can’t take his eyes off you.”

Ro started to turn, but Declan held him back. “No, don’t look. Follow my lead.”

He turned in Ro’s arms, rubbing his ass along Ro’s very well-endowed front. Ro grabbed his hips, biting out a harsh whisper. “You’re going to get us in trouble.”

Declan turned back again, gliding his hands down Ro’s torso. “God, I hope so. Geir hasn’t let me come in almost a week.”

Ro threw back his head and laughed, and Declan laughed with him. The Chief was stalking over to them with Geir right behind him.

He stood on his toes and planted a loud kiss on Ro’s cheek. “You’ll thank me later,” he whispered. “I expect all the details.”

That was the last thing he got to say before Ro was torn from his arms and Geir was marching him toward the truck. “Bye!” he called out over his shoulder. “See you all soon!”

“Goodbye!” a few of the others called out. But most were busy disrobing, their clothes neatly folded or just left on the ground. On some invisible signal, most of them shifted, exchanging smooth skin for fur, scales, and feathers.

One of them let out a strangled growl, probably Tier. Then the others joined in until the forest rang with their songs.

“Hey, um, Geir? What animal is Tier?”

Geir looked back. “He’s the one on top of the hill?”

“Yep.”

“A bobcat.”

“Ah. That’s different from a miniature leopard, then?”

Geir was still laughing when they reached the truck.

Declan slid over so that they could sit pressed together while Geir drove them down the moonlit road. With the windows down, they could hear the cicadas over the rumble of the engine. The beat of the dance still sizzled through his veins, but he felt peaceful, too.

“I thought more of the kids would be there tonight,” Declan mused aloud.

Geir slowed the truck to a halt halfway down their rutted private road, and then he closed his eyes. “The little lizard is that way,” he pointed out the window. “In a car, I think, with five of the others. The opossum and her brother are already home. Over there.” He smiled fondly at some distant point through the windshield. “The squirrel is… very far. He must have flown home.”

“Wow,” breathed Declan. “That’s amazing.” The most amazing part, though, was the look on Geir’s face. “Will you always know where they are?”

Geir grunted and started the engine again. He took that for a yes.

“And will you always know where I am?” He batted his eyes, knowing the moonlight would glint off his silvery lashes. He was totally fishing.

“You were starting trouble, tonight,” Geir grumbled as they drove up to their own house.

Declan shivered, imagining the punishment he might get. “I would say I was providing a valuable service,” he countered. He was quite proud of himself, really.

“Making the Chief jealous isn’t a valuable service.”

“Making the Chief claim his mate is, though. I think I deserve a reward.” Punishment or reward, he didn’t really care. Daddy wasn’t angry with him, just playing along.

“The presents today weren’t enough?”

They were, many times over. But that wasn’t any fun. “New good deed, new reward,” he sing-songed as he slammed the truck door.