“Surprise? What surprise?”
If that surprise was a shower, I think I would be perfectly happy with that.
Bear, understanding what I was thinking, shook his head. “No, better than that. Only if you feel up to it, little bee. We can do it tomorrow. In fact, I think we should hold off until tomorrow.” He glared at Anaki.
“No!” Anaki snapped. “You can’t do that. She has to come see now. Come on, Nadia. You have to see.”
Exhaustion hung over me, but with Anaki’s excitement and smile, who could tell that man no? And who could say no to a big surprise, anyway?
Bear took extra care of me, wiping the sweat and the tears away from my face before we left Tajah’s shop. Everyone was going to the bar, and it was hard to keep my eyes open.
I wanted to sleep, but Anaki said this surprise would be better than any bed or sleep that I would have in the next few days. If it was that important, then I suppose I could stay up a little longer.
Bear cradled me in his arms. He was light on his feet as our friends went into the bar ahead of us. The bar was closed to outsiders tonight, no humans in sight, with a sign outside that claimed a club meeting.
Bear set me down on my feet while everyone went inside, took out a blindfold, and put it around my eyes.
I giggled. “What are you up to, you big bad bear?”
My own bear shook her fur, and I could see the amusement on her face as she was also blinded by the light.
“I’ve been working on this. I didn’t think your surprise would arrive so quickly. The timing is almost too perfect for this since you’re free of that nightmare, but I think the Goddess had a hand in it.”
I put my hands over the blindfold to set it more evenly.
“What did you do?”
I felt Bear reverently brush my cheeks with his thumbs.
I tried to read inside his mind. My bear was trying to do it too, but even she couldn’t break through whatever barrier Bear had put up. She growled and let the claws lengthen.
“Little bee, I’m going to lead you inside. Trust me, okay? Let it be a surprise. If at any time you want to leave or feel overwhelmed, tell me, and we will go.”
My heart skipped a beat.
What was coming?
I wrapped my hand around Bear’s arm. The door creaked open, and whispers filled the room, instructing everyone to be quiet. I couldn’t hear the clinking of glasses or the shuffling of feet. It was eerily quiet.
“It’s her. I know it is.” I heard one woman say. It was faint, but I heard it loud and clear, and it sounded so familiar.
“Bear?” I grabbed his arm tightly, and he pressed a kiss to my head.
“It will all be okay,” he whispered. “I’ll be with you the whole time.” Bear patted my hand gently and removed the blindfold.
As I slowly opened my eyes, the dimly lit room came into focus. The air was heavy with the scent of stale beer and cigarette smoke, mingling with the faint aroma of leather from the bar stools. I could see my friends and fellow members of the Iron Fang gathered around, their eyes fixed on me with a mix of caution and concern.
The figures were tall, slender, and dressed in long white cloaks with white fur around their heads. Their faces were pale with glittery specks of sparkles scattered across their cheeks, and their ears were pointed and delicate. Their eyes were large and bright, with a hint of mystery in their gaze.
Some sat at tables, while others stood around the bar, mingling with the brotherhood, but two of these souls stood out from the rest.
The first one I recognized immediately. His hood fell back, showing off his pointed ears and his long blond hair with deep green highlights underneath it. His face was filled with awe as he stared at me.
It was Kraven—my biological father.
Beside him was the shorter woman, my height. Her hair was brown, just like mine, and she held almost the exact same features as me, completely human. She looked older than Kraven, with wrinkles and bags around her eyes. But she still looked beautiful to me—my birth mother.
I gasped, leaning into Bear. “Do they know me?” I felt the tears pooling in my eyes.
