and show you everything. I mean the real everything. It's best that we have no secrets between us. Do you agree?”
Keira nodded her head, but he could tell she was already quite dazed. “Okay,” she said, still clearly trying to assimilate everything she had heard and seen. It seemed to him she was a little “overcooked”
“Do you want me to tuck in the children this evening? I think I can get up.” She moved as if to prop herself on her elbows.
“No, that is ok honey. I'm sure you can, but you just relax. I think you have done enough, or been through enough today. I'll put them to bed. I'll send Sarah in with something to calm you and help you sleep,” Rafe kissed her on the lips and could feel her tension subside as she relaxed at his touch. “Good night, Keira. Tomorrow we’ll fill in the rest of the picture.”
Just as he was about to close the door she added, “Rafe, it’s not what you think, I mean, I get it. It all makes sense. It is just a lot to take in all at once. But I don’t care if you are a porcupine, I just want to be with you.”
Rafe’s heart swelled. He would do anything for her. He closed the door. What, was I thinking I could just hide this from her? Any of it? He was realizing how naïve he had been to try to hide the truth.
He had finally let her in though. Now he had to turn his attention back to his mission, and the Void. He could have used the council of his old friend Peter right about now. Instead, he made the calls he had been planning on making earlier. In addition to everything else on his mind there were a few minor issues of day-to-day business that needed addressing.
An hour later, Rafe walked outside into the cool night. With Keira asleep and the children tucked into their beds, he could finally let his Dragon roam again. In truth, it had taken a bit to shift back into human form earlier. It had felt so good to be in his beast. That side of him was always there, yearning to break free. There was no greater rush. When he was in his Dragon it was like a great surrender. He just had to give over to a simpler, but in some ways much more powerful, side of himself. Fly, defend, protect, crush…mate. With his mind turned way down he felt more a part of everything…more alive, than at any other time. He shifted in a flurry and quickly beat his great wings as he flew into the night sky. Rising ever higher within the spell shielded sky above the grounds he let out a great blast of Dragon fire. His fear, and worries burned away as he swooped and dove and hurtled through the air, the wind howling over the hardened polished shine of his scales as the moon reflected palely off the many facets.
Flying over to the faire housing, Rafe spotted Peter's old place. If anyone would know what to do, it would have been Peter. Pulled to the spot, and to the memory of his dead friend he spiraled down until he landed in the yard. The house was empty and dark. Silently he transformed back into his human self. His friend was gone, and the hole left by his absence could never be filled. Rafe sat there, alone but at least bundled in the robe his amulet’s spell had given him, on the cold steps of the house with his head in his hands.
“I had a feeling you would be here,” Alec said from the darkness. “You didn't answer your phone.” Rafe looked up to see his friend standing there. He could tell he had also just shifted, as his clothing amulet gave off a faint glow. “I saw you flying, so I followed you. Rough day?” Alex sat next to his friend on the step.
“You have no idea,” Rafe said to his friend. “My relationship with Keira has taken an interesting turn.”
“I see,” Alec knew exactly what Rafe meant. As shifters they could feel the meaning behind words at times, especially from another shifter. And the better they knew them the more they could communicate in this way. “You mean you told her who we are? What you are?”
“I had to. The girls started to shift right in front of her when I was dropping