Page 43 of Sobek’s Joy

Timothy slid down more carefully, his hand reaching for Sobek’s. “I’ll help.”

Rose beamed. “Me too.”

Sobek glanced back at Rudy, still sprawled in bed, and raised an eyebrow. “You coming?”

Rudy stretched, feeling the pleasant ache in his muscles, the hum of the bond between them, and the overwhelming rightness of it all. “Yeah. I’m coming. I’m not missing out on pancakes, especially ones I haven’t had to cook myself.”

Chapter Fifteen

“How many pancakes can you eat?” Sobek asked, whisking batter in a large bowl. Rose perched on the counter despite Sobek’s repeated instructions to sit at the table. Jack had chocolate chips smeared on his cheek. Timothy stood pressed against Sobek’s leg, watching everything closely.

“A hundred,” Rose declared.

“Three,” Jack said, more realistically.

Timothy held up two fingers.

Rudy leaned against the doorframe, coffee mug in hand, looking rumpled but completely relaxed. “Rose can eat six if they’re small. Jack usually manages four. Timothy eats two and then picks off everyone else’s plates.”

Timothy ducked his head, but Sobek just ruffled his hair. “There’s nothing wrong with checking out your siblings’ food. It means you get the best bits.”

Through the bond, Sobek felt Rudy’s amusement. He was still adjusting to the certainty of their connection. Every emotion Rudy felt echoed faintly in Sobek’s chest, and his crocodile side couldn’t stop rumbling with satisfaction.

Sobek poured batter onto the griddle, flipping pancakes easily. The Paulie app had provided detailed instructions when asked - something Sobek had done while Rudy was in the bathroom - and it looked like the recipe would be a success. Paulie also congratulated Sobek on his mating, and while Sobek didn’t want to know how an app would know about what he’d gotten up to the night before, he decided it was easier not to ask. He had children and a mate to feed.

Rose kicked her heels against the cabinet. “Can we have a try at shifting later?”

Sobek’s hand stilled on the spatula. “What?”

“Like last night. When Tim turned into a crocodile.” Rose’s eyes shone with excitement. “Can we all try doing it this time, like, on purpose?”

Rudy straightened, his mug halfway to his mouth. “Is that safe?”

Sobek glanced over his shoulder, meeting his mate’s worried gaze. “It’s perfectly safe. In fact, it would be a good idea for all three children to learn how to do it now, so that they can control the process. There’s less risk of that happening in public if they work with their animal spirits, instead of trying to suppress them.”

“I’m just worried about it hurting them,” Rudy said quietly, and Sobek could tell all three children were watching the interaction carefully. “You did say most shifter children don’t fully shift until they’re teenagers.”

“We have special and wonderful children who can do it sooner than others, that’s all. Timothy’s first shift happened because his body forced it. He was fighting the transformation, which made him sick.” Sobek flipped two pancakes onto a plate. “If they learn to shift deliberately, it won’t hurt. And they’ll understand their own bodies better.”

Jack bounced on his toes. “Are you sure it won’t hurt?”

“Not if you listen to me. You’ll be fine.” Sobek slid pancakes onto plates and set them on the table. “You need to eat first. Shifting takes a lot of energy, and I imagine our young Tim is absolutely starving this morning after his shift last night.”

Rose groaned but hopped down from the counter. All three children attacked their breakfast, drowning everything in syrup. Sobek made another batch, piling pancakes onto a plate for Rudy, who accepted it with a soft smile that made Sobek’s chest tighten.

“You didn’t make any for yourself,” Rudy pointed out.

“I’ll eat later.”

“No, that’s not right.” Rudy pushed the plate toward him. “We share.”

Sobek stared at the plate, then at his mate. Through the bond, he could feel how important it was for Rudy - not just sharing the food, but sharing space…sharing everything. Picking up a fork, Sobek nodded. “Thanks.”

They ate together, standing at the counter while the children chattered at the table. Timothy kept glancing over his shoulder, as if reassuring himself that Sobek was still there. Each time, Sobek caught his eye and nodded. The hatchling was still a bundle of nerves, and it was going to take a while for that to change. Sobek knew all he could do was be a consistent presence until Tim trusted it. I’m not going anywhere, little one.

When the plates were empty, and the children were sticky with syrup, Sobek herded everyone into the living room. “Clean hands first. Shifting with syrup on your fingers could be very messy.”

Rose giggled, and Jack wiped his hands on his shirt, earning a long-suffering look from Rudy.