her hand in front of her mouth as she watched them, not wanting Roman to have any idea how much she loved seeing him like this. It wasn’t just the appeal of him, though she certainly had to admire his glossy coat and dark eyes that still carried a reflection of the man she’d come to know. It was also in the way he played with Lucas, how he dodged first one way and then the other as they stormed through the yard in a far more raucous game of tag than Melody ever normally played with Lucas. Roman knew little about caring for children’s most basic needs, but he certainly knew how to entertain them.
She was distracted from her admiration by movement at her feet. Ruby sat on the blanket, her little fingers braced on the fabric as she watched the action in the backyard. She chattered at Lucas and Roman, blowing raspberries at them every time they ran past. She rocked back and forth on her backside.
“They’re having a lot of fun, aren’t they?” she said, smiling once again at how absolutely adorable this little person was. Roman had said they had a lead on her parents. Did they know she was safe? Did they have any clue their dear baby was being taken care of? Roman hadn’t given her any details about the parents. What if they didn’t want her at all?
Ruby thrust herself forward and caught herself on her arms. Melody bent down to make sure she was all right, but then she noticed the thin coat of hair on Ruby’s ears that hadn’t been there earlier that morning. Before her very eyes, those tiny ears continued to transform as they shifted up the side of Ruby’s head. Her tiny baby fingernails that were only paper-thin in her human form emerged as thick black claws. The next thing Melody knew, Ruby was toddling in pure bear cub form across the grass.
“Good job, little girl!” Melody cheered.
Lucas and Roman turned to look, slowing down as Ruby meandered across the lawn to them. Lucas gamboled up to her and nudged her with his nose, while Roman was suddenly very careful about the exact placement of his paws.
Melody refused to hide her delight this time, and for the first time in the past day, she and her snow leopard were in agreement. She called her own arctic beast to the surface, and though her body had to compact itself for this transformation, it was incredibly freeing. Melody twisted and stretched as she melted down to her feline form, extending her claws as soon as she had them to grip the cool grass underneath her. There was a certain balance that came from having a long tail that complemented her body perfectly, making her feel far more comfortable in this form than as a human. Even her wild, unruly hair that she always sought to tame when she stood on two feet was no longer a problem. The silvery-white fur was warm and fluffy, its spots and rosettes acting as both decoration and camouflage.
With a flick of her tail, Melody trotted off across the yard to join the others. She stuck close by Ruby, wanting to make sure the little one was all right. The baby often lost her balance and rolled over onto her side, but she didn’t seem to mind as she grabbed at her toes and rubbed her muzzle in the grass. Lucas charged at Roman from the other side of the yard, slamming into the side of the big white bear. Roman responded with a rather dramatic fall to the side, allowing Lucas to climb on top of his defeated enemy and make a tiny roar of victory. Ruby decided to join in on the triumph, frolicking over to nip at Roman’s toes.
Melody watched with interest. Any man who was that thoughtful and sweet when it came to children couldn’t really be as much of a jerk as she thought he was, could he? And he’d made the effort of buying both Lucas and Ruby souvenirs at the zoo. Why, then, did he always seem so hesitant when it came to kids? And why did he have to be so rude to her?
Lucas rolled off Roman and tried to engage Ruby in a new game of tag. As the two of them worked out the best way for young shifters to act like bears, Roman’s dark eyes met Melody’s. While in their human forms, their animals