"Thank you for being here with me through all this," he murmured. "It's a lot to take in - shifters, vampires, demons..." He shook his head, a small smile playing at his lips.
"You're handling it amazingly well," Harper assured him, squeezing his hand. Reyna stirred in her mind, radiating contentment and approval.
Nathan leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a tender kiss. His hand cupped her cheek, thumb stroking softly across her skin. Harper melted into the kiss, savoring the warmth of his touch and the way her heart fluttered in response.
After a moment, she drew back. "Listen, about tomorrow..."
"The big reveal," Nathan finished for her. "Katerina and Troy's interview. Are you nervous?"
Harper took a deep breath, considering her answer. "A little," she admitted. "It's a huge step for all of us. But I trust Katerina. If anyone can handle this, it's her."
"I'm sure she'll do great," Nathan agreed. "Hey, I was thinking... would you like to come over and we can watch it together? I could make dinner, and we could, you know, offer them moral support from afar."
Harper felt a warm flutter in her chest at the invitation. "That sounds wonderful," she said, unable to keep the smile from her voice. "What time should I come over?"
"How about 6:30? That'll give us plenty of time for dinner, before the talk show at 8."
"Perfect," Harper replied, already looking forward to it. "I'll bring dessert. Any preferences?"
Nathan chuckled. "Surprise me. Just… nothing with coconut."
"No coconut. Got it."
"I should probably head inside," Harper sighed, stifling a yawn. "Tomorrow is going to be… well… regardless, it's going to be kind of stressful."
"Yeah, you're right," Nathan agreed. "Get some sleep, Harper. I'll see you tomorrow evening."
"Goodnight, Nathan," Harper said softly. "Thanks for checking in on me."
"Anytime," Nathan replied, his voice warm. "Sweet dreams, Harper."
"Drive safe," she whispered, watching as he walked away, disappearing into the night.
Chapter 21
Douglas lookedaround the Country Vet Clinic's lunch room. It was a fair-sized room, but just now it looked smaller with the full complement of staff... vet techs and assistants, lab techs, receptionists, housekeeping and maintenance... all crowded about the various tables and standing against the walls.
"I want to thank you all for ... " He broke off, realizing a couple of crucial people were missing, and glanced to the door with a puzzled frown. "Is Tamera coming?"
"She got stopped by Katerina in the hallway," Barbara, the office manager, said. "They should be along momentarily."
Before he could reply, a feline squall went up in the hallway, outraged yowls followed by the scrabble of claws on tile. A ball of brown and black fur tumbled into the room, hissing and spitting and snarling. He sighed, rubbing his forehead.
"Cat," Troy called, from where he stood at Douglas' side. One of the cats broke away, dashing across the floor to leap gracefully into his arms. From that safety, she turned her head and hissed at her brother, ears back.
Accustomed to the antics of the sibling Maine Coons, the staff snickered. Quick footsteps sounded from the hall, and Daniel appeared in the doorway. A high school senior, heworked part time in the clinic's barn. Douglas would be sad to lose him in the fall, when the boy went off to college.
"Sorry I'm late," Daniel told, dropping into the nearest vacant chair. "I was... WHOA!"
Everyone followed his gaze to the doorway, where a tall, lean cat strolled in. It had a short, ruddy brown coat, with long legs, a long body, and amazingly long tufts coming off its oversize ears. It paid no attention to the people gathered, but leapt onto the table where Barbara, the office manager, and Anna and Holly, the front office staff, sat. It reclined gracefully, blinking with large, luminous eyes.
Mouths dropped open, as everyone stared.
"What is it?" someone asked.
"I don't know, but it's obviously a wild cat of some kind. Is that even legal to be here?" Anna replied. "It must be tame, though. Do you think I could pet it? Its fur looks like velvet."
"It's a caracal," Douglas said, scowling at the cat. He pointed at her. "You. Down."
