Natural Family Disasters

by Jae

  Silence spread in the living room. Even Brian’s grumbling stopped.

  Helen laughed. “Isn’t she an amazing storyteller?” She gazed at the other guests. “When she was a child, she amazed her father and me with these fantastic stories about her imaginary friends.”

  “They weren’t so imaginary after all, and what I’m saying isn’t just a story. You just had dinner with a bunch of cat-shifters.”

  “And a half wolf, half coyote-shifter,” the nice young man said.

  Helen stared at them. Surely they were joking? She couldn’t figure out why they thought it was funny, but they had to be joking.

  “I think she needs to see it,” Gus said.

  Again, gazes were exchanged all over the room. This time, everyone ended up looking at Griffin.

  “Me?” Griffin touched her own chest. “Are you crazy? You seriously want a ten-foot liger to be the first Wrasa she sees in her animal form?”

  Brian stood. “Let me do it. I’m the natak of the Ottawa National Forest pride after all.”

  What is he talking about? Helen’s confusion grew with every word.

  “No.” Griffin stopped her father from unbuttoning his shirt. “An alpha male out to prove that he’s not gay is not the kind of first experience with a shape-shifter that I want Helen to have.”

  “Maybe Rufus could...?” Jorie said. “He looks a bit like a large dog and is not quite so scary. Sorry, Rufe. No offense.”

  The brown-haired man shrugged. “No offense taken. But I don’t think I should shift around humans.” He looked at his wife. “Not right now. I feel a bit out of control today.”

  Everything felt so surreal. Why are they discussing this as if they can really turn into animals? “Jorie, please.” Helen squeezed her daughter’s hands. “This isn’t funny.”

  Jorie didn’t listen. She looked at the friendly blond woman who had been the first guest of the evening. “Ronnie, would you? Compared to the others, you are small and not as threatening.”

  “Of course.” Without hesitation, the young woman stood and started to unbutton her blouse.

  “Um, sweetie,” her partner said. “I’m very fond of watching you, but humans don’t undress in front of each other. Maybe go to the bedroom, okay?”

  When the young woman opened the bedroom door, two of Jorie’s cats rushed out.

  They hissed at the brown-haired man and ignored the other guests before they disappeared under the couch on which Helen sat.

  “Oh, no.” Helen prepared for sneezes and watery eyes, but nothing happened. Weird. This whole evening is getting weirder and weirder.

  Muffled groans and grunts came from the bedroom.

  When Griffin’s sister opened the bedroom door, the blond woman was gone. In her place stood a golden lioness. Her whiskers vibrated as she rubbed her cheek against Griffin’s sister.

  Darkness threatened at the edges of Helen’s vision. She sank back against the couch.

  “I can’t believe she thought I was gay,” was the last thing she heard before she allowed herself to slip into a soothing unconsciousness.

  * * *

  “Griffin, can you please make your cats stop hissing at me?” Rufus asked. “It makes me want to howl and chase them up a tree.”

  Griffin looked away from Helen’s pale face for a moment. “They’re Jorie’s cats, not mine.”

  “They smell like you, though. I bet they sleep on your side of the bed. So please, tell them to stop.”

  He wasn’t joking. Waves of agitation hit Griffin’s nose. Even Rufus wasn’t his usual quiet self today.

  Kylin settled down next to him and trailed her fingers over his arm.

  “Did you ever try to tell your own cat to stop doing something she wanted to do?” Griffin asked, nodding at Kylin. She waited until the truth of her words sank in and a slow smile spread over Rufus’s face. “I’m not wasting my breath.” At least the three felines in the household had learned not to hiss at fellow cats, as big and as human-looking as they might be. Now only poor Rufus was the object of hissing and bristling.

  “Hush,” Jorie said. “She’s coming to.” She lifted the cool cloth from her mother’s forehead. “Mom?”

  Groaning, Helen opened her eyes and sat up. “God, I had the weirdest dream.”

  Awkward silence answered her.

  “It wasn’t a dream?” Helen stared at Rhonda. “You really were a...a lion?”

  Rhonda settled down on the edge of the couch next to Jorie. Everything about her was gentle and friendly. Nothing screamed predator. “We are what you would call shape-shifters,” Rhonda said. “Leigh and her dads and my mother and I, we can shift into something that you humans call a lion.”

  “Shape-shifters?” Helen repeated as if giving her brain a chance to catch up.

  The Wrasa in the room nodded.

  Helen rubbed her temples. No doubt they were pounding. “A-and all you lions are gay?”

  “Why does she keep thinking that?” Brian asked.

  “No, Mom,” Jorie said. “Gus and Brian are both considered Griffin’s fathers, but not because they’re a gay couple. The Kasari—the people who can turn into lions—consider all members of a ruling coalition the fathers of a child, not just the biological father.”

  “If it helps you deal with the situation, just think of me as their uncle,” Gus said kindly.

  Still glassy-eyed, Helen looked at Griffin.

  Griffin froze. Oh, please, Great Hunter. Let her accept this. For Jorie’s sake.

  “And you?” Helen asked, sounding as if she was afraid of the answer. “Rhonda didn’t include you in her list of lions.”

  “You said you liked the cover of Jorie’s novel, right?” Griffin asked.

  Helen nodded.

  “Good. Because that’s a picture of my cat form.” Of course, no one outside of this room and the council knew that. The human readers of the novel probably thought it was just a photo of a liger in a zoo.

  Helen’s already pale face blanched even more. “You want me to believe that you are this giant...” She gesticulated.

  “Liger, yes,” Griffin said. Please don’t force me to show you. It would be a bit much for one day.

  Helen pressed the balls of her thumbs against her eyes and then peeked out from behind her hands. “Can you give me a moment alone, please?”

  The Wrasa moved to the door.

  “You too, please,” Helen said to Jorie.

  The door fell closed behind them, and Griffin immediately wrapped her arms around Jorie, who slumped against her. “She’ll be fine with it,” she whispered into Jorie’s coconut-scented hair. “It just takes some getting used to.”

  The rest of the family crowded around them, supporting Jorie with reassuring words and soft touches. Moments like this made Griffin glad that she had grown closer to her family in the past year.

  Jorie leaned her forehead against Griffin’s shoulder. “I hope you’re right.”

  * * *

  Chaotic thoughts raged through Helen’s head, making it pound. Questions repeated themselves over and over, but she didn’t find any answers. I feel like I’m stuck in Jorie’s novel. This can’t be real. It just can’t. What’s going on?

  Nothing made sense anymore.

  Helen pressed her hands to her face and massaged her pounding temples.

  “You know, I wasn’t too fond of having a human daughter-in-law at first.”

  The unexpected voice made Helen jump. She pulled her hands from her face.

  Griffin’s father—the biological one—stood in front of the couch. “I don’t like humans.” His thick beard parted in what Helen hoped was a smile. “Present company excluded, of course.”

  Helen’s insides quivered. She sensed something untamed, something potentially dangerous about this man. She wanted to send him away, but now that she was alone with him, she thought it would be better not to anger him. “Of course,” she said but watched him cautiously. Calm down. If he was dangerous, Jorie would never leave you a
lone with him.

  With unhurried steps, Brian walked over to the table, reached for a leftover shrimp, and dunked it into the cocktail sauce. He ate with the enjoyment of a cat and then directed his gaze back at Helen. “You humans can be the most dangerous and treacherous animals of all.”

  Anger sparked and chased away the fear. “Excuse me? I have neither claws nor sharp teeth.” Helen stretched out her fingers and pulled back her lips. “I don’t hide who and what I really am. I don’t spring nasty surprises on people on Christmas Day.”

  “I told them it was a stupid idea to tell you, but despite their sensitive hearing, Wrasa children don’t listen to their parents any more than human children do.” Brian stepped closer. “Jorie is showing her trust in you by telling you this, and we trust her enough to let her decide for herself. But there are some Wrasa who wouldn’t react so tolerantly. Jorie is risking a lot by telling you the truth.”

  Helen’s protective instincts reared up. “You mean she’s in danger?” Her gaze flew to the door. Jorie’s alone with eight of these shape-shifters! She was about to jump up.

  Brian sat on the couch next to her, ignoring Helen’s flinch. Almost casually, he put a hand on Helen’s arm and kept her in her seat. “She’s not in danger from any of the Wrasa in this house.”

  “But you said you don’t like humans. How can I trust you to keep my daughter safe?”

  “She’s Griffin’s mate, and that makes her my daughter too.” The wild expression in his eyes gentled. “We all love that little human kitten, okay? She’s one of us now.”

  One of us? New panic rose in Helen.

  “Oh, Great Hunter, not in the bloodsucking, ‘turning you into one of us’ way.” Brian rolled his eyes. “She married into the pride.”

  “Married?”

  “They live together, so my kind considers them married.”

  Hm. Helen blinked. She had hoped that Jorie would be getting married for years. A tiny smile crept onto her face. “Maybe you shape-shifters aren’t so bad after all.”

  Brian stretched out his long legs. “Well, our traditions make a lot more sense than stories about a fat man climbing down the chimney with a sack of presents. That’s for sure.”

  Helen ignored the comment and focused on what was important. So many questions were running through her mind. “When Jorie got together with Griffin, did she know who...what Griffin is?”

  “She knew.”

  The thought rattled around in Helen’s brain. She shook her head as if that would help her understand. Why would Jorie choose to be in the middle of all this confusion? All this danger? She helplessly spread her hands. “Then why didn’t she break it off? Wasn’t she scared?” Even with Jorie there to help her understand, Helen was shaking. She could only imagine how scared Jorie must have been if she’d lived through the revelation alone.

  “Oh, she was scared all right. And she had every reason to be.” Brian stopped, and Helen had a feeling there was more that he wasn’t telling her. “But love gives you the courage to face the scary things.”

  Love. From the beginning, Helen had never doubted that Jorie loved Griffin. And shape-shifter or not, the feelings she saw in Griffin’s eyes whenever Griffin looked at Jorie was clearly love too.

  “I know you are worried about your cub,” Brian said.

  An involuntary smile formed on Helen’s lips. Cub. Somehow, the term was endearing.

  “But I promise you that we’ll always keep her safe.” Brian’s eyes held nothing but sincerity. “We’re not animals or monsters. We Wrasa are capable of love, friendship, and loyalty the same way you are.”

  “I’ll try to understand,” Helen said. At the moment, that was all she could promise.

  “Good.” Brian picked a bit of lint from his shirt. “Now tell me something...”

  Helen suspected what was coming. She secretly rolled her eyes. After the scary revelation, her patience was running thin. “You know, you really have to get over me thinking you were gay. It was an honest mistake after Jorie introduced you and Gus as Griffin’s fathers. Stop being so offended. Being gay is not a bad thing, you know?”

  Brian flashed a catlike grin. “That’s not what I wanted to ask.”

  “Oh.” Helen looked at him but couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. Griffin’s father was as mysterious as a cat. “Then what did you want to ask?”

  Brian watched her with the intensity of a predator. “You read Jorie’s novel. What did you think of Quinn’s father?”

  * * *

  Awkward silence settled over the kitchen, only interrupted by Jorie’s shaky voice. “Maybe Brian was right,” she mumbled, her head burrowed against Griffin’s shoulder. “Maybe telling Mom was a bad idea. This is too much for her. She can’t deal with it.”

  Griffin slid her fingers through soft black strands of hair. “Don’t underestimate your mother. Give her a little time, and I’m sure she’ll be fine, just like you were.” She wished she could be sure of it, though.

  “What if she’s not fine with it?” Jorie groaned. “I never thought about that. What if she can’t accept this? Can’t accept us?”

  There was no easy answer. Helplessly, Griffin stared over Jorie’s shoulder at her family.

  They crowded around them in silent support.

  Gus settled one hand on Jorie’s shoulder while the other rested on Griffin’s back.

  “Come on,” Nella said. “Let’s clean the kitchen while we wait.”

  Griffin watched as the members of her family began to wash the dishes, stow away leftover food, and sweep the floor. She wrapped her arms more tightly around Jorie and looked around. “Where’s Brian?”

  “No idea,” Jorie said. “Maybe he is getting some fresh air. I think he’s still not over the shock of Mom thinking he is Gus’s lover.”

  Come to think of it, Griffin hadn’t seen him since they had left Helen in the living room. “Oh, no.” She let go of Jorie and strode to the door.

  Someone grabbed her arm.

  Griffin whirled around.

  “Leave them alone for a while longer,” Gus said. “They’re just talking.”

  Her sensitive hearing confirmed it. Brian’s calm voice rumbled through the living room, followed by Helen’s higher-pitched tones. She didn’t sound scared or threatened. In fact, Griffin heard her chuckle a time or two.

  Used to respecting other people’s privacy, Griffin turned her head away and returned to the kitchen.

  “Everything okay?” Jorie asked. Concern reflected in her dark eyes. “Brian’s not in there with Mom, is he?”

  “Yes, he is.” Griffin grabbed Jorie when she tried to hurry past her. “Don’t worry. Gus is keeping an eye on them. And they’re actually sounding pretty friendly. My father is using his feline charms on your mother.”

  “What?” Jorie still looked worried. “Since Gus is happily married to Martha, I assume you mean Brian?”

  Griffin trailed her hands over Jorie’s back in soothing circles. “I think your mother impressed him. Not that he would ever admit that a human—” She stopped midsentence and mentally repeated what Jorie had just said. Her throat constricted, and she gulped. “You know that moving in together makes the Kasari consider a couple married?”

  Jorie nodded. “Ronnie told me when Leigh moved in with her.”

  “But...but...” Shock made Griffin’s skin itch, but she quickly shook it off. “But that was before you asked me to move in with you.”

  Fine lines formed at the edges of Jorie’s eyes when she smiled. “Somehow, asking you to move in seemed less scary then asking you to marry me.” The smile vanished. “You’re not angry with me for not telling you I knew what it meant?”

  “Angry?” Griffin laughed and bent to kiss Jorie. “I was trying to figure out how to tell you that U-Haul jokes have a very different meaning for Wrasa.”

  Jorie laughed. “The bigger problem is how to tell my mom that I got married without her.”

  “Oh, Great Hunter.” Griffin scratched her head
.

  “One family crisis at a time, sis,” Kylin said as she and Rufus walked over. “While we’re all here together, there’s something we want to tell you.” She hesitated and looked over at Rufus, who just grinned. “Remember how Helen thought Jorie was expecting the latest litter of Westmore cubs?”

  Griffin rolled her eyes. “She’s not pregnant.”

  “No.” A grin lit up Kylin’s face. “But I am.”

  “What?”

  Still grinning madly, Kylin nodded.

  “Oh. Oh, wow.” Griffin wrapped her arms around her sister and whirled her around. Wild waves of happiness wafted up from Ky and mixed with the aroma of Griffin’s own joy.

  “Put my mate down!” A low growl rumbled through Rufus.

  Griffin had never heard a sound like that from the usually quiet hybrid. Suddenly, she understood why he had refused to be the one to demonstrate shifting for Helen. As an expecting father, he was in a state of constant overprotective vigilance. She set Kylin back down but kept grinning at her. “This is so great. Congratulations. I always thought having children together wouldn’t be possible for two hybrids.”

  “That’s what we thought too,” Kylin said quietly. Her amber eyes glowed like golden treasures.

  “Yeah, well, apparently, this is one area where I’m more ‘talented’ than you, cat,” Rufus said, using Gus’s words. He regarded Griffin with a smug smile.

  Wolf humor. Griffin’s eyes narrowed. She shot him a fake threatening gaze. “Just be glad that you are the father of my future niece or nephew.”

  “Niece or nephew?” Gus rushed over to them.

  Nella was hot on his heels. She stared at Kylin. “Does that mean...?”

  Kylin nodded.

  Chaos broke out in the kitchen as the family crowded around Kylin and Rufus, shouting questions.

  “What’s going on in here?” Brian boomed from the doorway. “Do you want Helen to think we’re nothing but an uncivilized bunch of howling animals?” He stood with one hand on Helen’s back.