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She looked up to see Gio lifting an eyebrow at her. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Mila said, giving him a wicked little grin. “The wolf just wanted to play.”

Gio smirked. “Yes, but only with very special people.”

While Mila was leaned over and looking up, Carter swiped a long tongue across her face.

“Carter!” she gasped. The big wolf huffed, and she could’ve sworn he was laughing at her. Bending her knees, she tackled Carter. He let out a surprised yip as they tumbled to the ground.

Carter didn’t try to get out from under her. Instead, he relaxed with her sprawled on top of him, his tail thumping.

She rolled off him and knelt at his side, running her fingers over his canine body. He was as solid in his wolf form as when he was human. With a happy huff, Carter rolled on his back so she could rub his belly.

“Careful,” Gio warned, kneeling next to her. “He loves belly rubs. He’ll be in his wolf form all the time now just to get them.”

A thought occurred to Mila. “Wait, who was the bird that broke my van window?”

Carter pointed a paw at Gio.

“Tattletale,” Gio grumbled.

“Are you a vampire and a shifter?” Mila asked, feeling a little confused.

“I’m not a true shifter,” Gio explained. “I worked very hard to learn to shift into my osprey form. It isn’t natural, and when Itake it, I have to concentrate very hard on making my body move like a bird. Carter’s soul is half wolf. It’s almost as if there are two personalities inside of him, one wolf and one human. That means shifting and moving in either body comes naturally to him.”

“Could you have picked any animal to shift into?” Mila asked.

Gio nodded. “Most modern vampires never bother to learn. It's an old art that was valuable back before modern transportation and roads could get you anywhere much faster than a horse. Being able to take a bird form could mean the difference between dying at sunrise or making it to shelter.”

Mila nodded. “Can I see you shift?”

“You already saw my bird form,” Gio argued.

“At night, while I was driving and panicking!” Mila protested with a laugh. “I’d like to see it here where I can admire you.”

Gio set Babette down and stood up. “I’m not as graceful or gorgeous as Carter.”

“Doubtful,” Mila retorted. She expected Gio to strip, like Carter. Instead, he took a step away from her and closed his eyes. His form didn’t blur like Carter’s had. It was more like a magic trick where there was a weird distortion of light and then a massive sea hawk stood where Gio had been.

“Majestic!” Mila announced only to have Gio try to open his wings and fall over in the process.

Mila bit her lip to keep from laughing while Babette sprang into action to check on the fallen bird.

Gio didn’t try to get up in his bird form. The light distorted and then Gio was there, laying face down.

“The floor is slippery,” he grumbled, his voice muffled because he hadn't rolled over yet.

Giving up, Mila started laughing and knee walked to Gio’s side to roll him over. “That wasn’t graceful, but you’re still majestic.”

Gio let her move him onto his back with a sigh, then gave her a rueful grin. “If you think I’m bad, you should see Anatoly try to fly. Zan calls it controlled crashing. At least I’m capable once you get me in the air. It’s trying to be a bird on the ground that always throws me. If I have to shift, I try to do it on one of the balcony railings so I can fall into the air and fly, instead of worrying about taking off.”

Carter crawled over to him on his belly and laid his head on Gio’s chest with a little whine.

“I’m fine,” Gio said, resting a hand on Carter’s head. “I haven’t died of embarrassment yet.”

Mila laughed. “If that was possible, then I’d be dead a million times over!”

Gio chuckled and Carter made his wolf-huff sound. Carter looked so comfy with his head on Gio’s chest that Mila decided to join him. Stretching out next to Gio, she nestled in close.