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“He’s no longer in pain,” Toron announced. He leaned down and whispered in the boy’s ear. “Change back, Simeon. That’s right. Let go.” Toron gave him a nudge in the right direction, and the ear covered in fur went back to normal. The next time Toron raised his head, it was to catch Sienna staring at him, lips parted, and an expression of confusion in her gaze. He turned his own gaze away from hers when he spoke. “Let him rest a while. Unconsciously, he’s been fighting the change all this time, and it’s worn him out.”
“Isn’t he a little young to change?” Hawke asked. Toron didn’t answer him.
“I’ll have him put in one of the rooms upstairs,” Toron said and stepped toward the door.
“No!”
He paused at Sienna’s vehemence.
“I mean, I’ll take him, but it’s only for tonight. Then—”
Toron hesitated and then turned his son over to Sienna.
He waited until she left the room before speaking to Hawke. “Now, explain to me why you would keep Simeon a secret from me.”
“I already—”
Toron pivoted on the ball of his foot and took two long strides to come up before Hawke. He jerked the man in the col ar and smashed a fist into Hawke’s face. To his credit, his friend, being a big guy, only stumbled back a couple steps. He ran a hand across his mouth, wiping away blood.
“Try it again,” Toron growled.
Hawke fisted his hands, but Toron didn’t sense an attack.
His friend wanted only to calm the anger rising inside. “I fell for her. I’m sorry. I knew if you found out about Simeon, you wouldn’t let her stay away, and that meant you and she… I’m sorry, Toron. I was wrong.”
“Dead wrong.” Toron flexed his hand, examining the reddened skin at his knuckles. As he watched, it faded to his normal skin tone. “I want you out of here for good. I don’t ever want to see your face again.”
“You can’t mean that.”
Toron said nothing. He waited for Hawke to get his meaning. After a moment or two, Hawke shed the clothes he’d just put on and shifted to the animal that had been inside from birth. In a flap of wings, he was gone. Behind Toron, the door opened, and Sienna’s scent enveloped him. Toron shut his eyes and heaved a deep breath before turning.
Her brown gaze struck him in the chest with its beauty.
“Hawke’s gone? I wanted an explanation from him. I thought he was my friend. He helped me with Simeon tons of times, not even hinting that he knew his father.”
Toron gritted his teeth. He should find Hawke and rip him apart for enjoying the duties that should have been his. “He showed the kind of man he is, so I don’t give a fuck where he went. What I’m more interested in is you, Sienna. I didn’t know my son existed, but I do now.”
A tremor seemed to pass over her before she stiffened her shoulders and raised her chin. “Well, like I said, we’re leaving in the morning. I’m not going to stop you from seeing Simeon, so you can come down to New York anytime. Just call first.”
“You’re mistaken.” He straightened his jacket and strolled across to his desk to sit down.
“Excuse me?”
Toron bent his head over the paperwork in front of him and picked up his pen. “You can leave whenever you like. My son stays here.”
Her small hands slammed down on his desk, forcing him to look at her. “Who the hell are you? You’re nobody as far as the law is concerned. You’re not even on the birth certificate.” She gasped when the words left her mouth and slapped a hand over her lips.
Toron took his time standing. “That can be rectified, but aside from that, tell me, what will you do the next time he shifts? What if it’s in front of humans?”
The guilt that passed over her face allerted him that was exactly what had happened.
“Do you know the danger you put us in? How about if all of us are hunted down and killed like simple animals?”
“I wouldn’t let anyone find out.”
“No, because you had so much control over this situation.” Sarcasm dripped from each word he spoke until she glared at him.
“I didn’t know it was going to happen, okay? Simi was born just like any other human, in a hospital, and they said nothing about him being different. I thought…”
