She laughed, then sat up alertly, her head turning. "They're here."
"Damn, you have good hearing," Nathan told her, rising to his feet and extending a hand to her.
She took his hand, standing up and letting him pull her to his side. "Fox hearing," she reminded him.
"Yeah, yeah." He grinned and leaned down to kiss her, his lips warm against hers, and she melted against him. Outside, a car door slammed, and they separated. Nathan took a long, deep breath.
"Well, here goes."
She smiled, her fingers tightening on his reassuringly. "It'll be fine."
"I know."
Still she could feel the tension in him as he crossed the room to open the front door. "Hi, Mom, Dad."
"Nathan!" Her voice warm with pleasure, his mother pulled him into a close hug, while his father patted his son's shoulder.
This gave Harper a few minutes to observe them. His mother was a tall, slender woman, with auburn hair, silvering at the temples, pulled up in an elegant twist. She held herself with the unconscious grace of a medieval queen, Harper thought. Nathan's father was so similar in appearance to Nathan, it was like looking through a time warp to see what Nathan would look like in his fifties. He had the same warm brown eyes, the same thick brown hair and lean build.
Nathan stepped back, pushing the door open wider, and came to Harper's side.
"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my friend, Harper. Harper, this is my father, Charles, and my mom, Regina."
Regina, she thought. Queen. It fit. Harper stepped forward, her hand extended, aware of their curious, interested gazes.
"Charlie," his father said as they shook hands.
His mother had a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "Are you two dating?"
"Mom!" Nathan objected, a flood of color warming his cheeks.
Harper giggled, she couldn't help herself. "Yes," she admitted. "We are."
"Is it serious?" Regina asked.
"Okay, that's it." Nathan grabbed Harper's hand and pulled her away from his parents. "What do you want to drink?"
"I'll have a glass of wine," Charlie said, and his wife nodded. "For me as well."
Nathan crossed the room to his liquor cabinet, peering inside. "Chardonnay?"
His father went to join him, and lifted out a bottle, studying the label. "Sonoma? Not bad," he nodded. "Let's give this one a try."
"Harper?" Nathan asked over his shoulder.
"Absolutely," she agreed. She was going to need it to get through this, as her nerves felt shot all to heck.
"This is delicious,"Regina exclaimed after one bite. "What is it?"
"It's a Greek dish called pilafi me kreas, which translates into rice pilaf with meat. Some friends of ours are Greek. One owns a small restaurant here, and taught me how to make this."
"Greek?" His mother's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward, her hopeful gaze intent on her son's face. "That young woman on television, the shapeshifter. She's Greek-American, and from this area. Could this be one of her family? Have you run into any shapeshifters here?"
Harper and Nathan exchanged amused glances.
"Uh, yeah, Mom. That was Katerina Kazakis. My friend who gave me this recipe is her brother, in fact, Kazakis is the name of his restaurant."
Regina's hand flew to her chest, and her gaze moved to her husband. "Charles! Nathan actually knows a shapeshifter!"
