“You were such a good horsie, Dog Mama didn’t want to let you go,” Hubrie cackled. To Nat, he added, “Hell Master’s parents commissioned someone to paint that scene, and charm it so that when you look at it through some special glasses, the entire scene is in 3D. Lil Hell Master even barks and wags his butt.”
Nat wanted to see that painting, but Duke would probably fire him if he asked.
“I demand respect,” Duke hissed at Hubrie. “These stories don’t give me any!”
“Well, they’ll help you appear more human to Nat,” Hubrie said.
“I don’t need to appear more human!”
“Are you implying that Nat is a monster-fucker?” Hubrie whispered.
Nat choked on his saliva.
Duke growled.
They pulled up in front of a mansion before Duke could ream out his butler. It was growing dark; soft golden lights lit up the exterior of the mansion. Majestic pillars held up its roof, and double doors led the way in.
Nat scooped Wanda out of her car seat, grabbing her diaper bag.
Duke held out his hand. “I can get that for you.”
“You’re already carrying my new clothes,” Nat protested.
Duke raised an eyebrow and wriggled his fingers. It was such an intimate gesture that Nat blushed, handing the bag over.
Their fingers touched again. This time, Nat anticipated the rush of tingles.
He didn’t expect the way Duke smiled at him, though, all warm and inviting. His stomach flipped.
Nat ducked his head, following Duke into his home.
The mansion was huge. A simple chandelier hung above the foyer, casting light everywhere. Smooth cobblestones lined the floors and walls, and on one side of the living room was a giant fireplace as tall as Nat, surrounded by cushy-looking couches.
“This feels like some kind of fancy hunting lodge,” Nat said, eyeing the exposed wooden beams in the building’s architecture.
“I like to bring nature into my living spaces,” Duke said.
He opened his mouth to say more, except tiny, excited footsteps reached their ears.
“Duke, Duke!” Two small faces popped up at the top of the stairs. Teddy was eight with blond hair and green eyes, and Mallie was ten, with red hair and black eyes.
Teddy hopped onto the stair railing and slid all the way down; Nat squawked in horror.
“Teddy,” Duke chided, reaching over to catch the boy before he flew off the end. “I told you not to do that.”
“But you always catch us,” Teddy said brightly.
“My turn, my turn!” Mallie hopped onto the railing too. Duke hurriedly set Teddy on his feet; Mallie slid down with a whoop, and Duke caught her with a fond sigh.
“You can’t do that when I’m not around, okay? Hubrie and Nat might get knocked off their feet if they try to catch you,” Duke said, crouching to look them both in the eye.
“Who’s Nat?” Mallie asked.
Nat waved awkwardly. “Hey! I’m Nat, and this is Wanda.”
“Nat and Wanda are here to play with you tonight,” Duke said, wincing when Teddy and Mallie both sagged. “There are some wildfires nearby that the fire department really needs help with, so I promised them that I’d help them tonight. These fires might hurt people if we continue to let them burn.”
“But...” Teddy whined, his little shoulders slumping. Nat felt so bad for him.
