Page 18 of Curvy Nanny for the Cougar (Uncle Uzzi’s Date to Mate #3)

Dane

T he fact that she saw Uncle Uzzi’s literal floating head in my office and hasn’t bolted like I just told her I harvest toenails for a living?

Yeah, that’s all the encouragement I need to stop screwing around.

So when I say, “We need to talk, Pretty Girl. About a lot of things,” I damn well mean it.

Tamare doesn’t respond right away.

She just stares at me, and her big hazel eyes— rimmed in gold and shimmering with uncertainty and fragile trust —steal every last ounce of breath from my lungs.

She’s here. She’s listening.

And God help me, I want to press her down into this couch and tell her with my mouth, my hands, my body just how much she matters.

But first, she deserves everything .

The truth.

The whole damn truth.

I lean in, slow and careful. “Okay, I’ll start. You jump in with questions when you need to, alright?”

She nods, biting her lower lip, and that small movement nearly kills me.

“First off, Alex is perfectly healthy,” I begin. “You see, for people like us, appetite is a sign of the change?—”

“The what?” she interrupts, eyes narrowing, body tensing just a little.

Protective. Curious. Brave.

I raise a hand gently. “Hang on. Let me finish this.”

Deep breath. No turning back now.

“See, the world’s a hell of a lot bigger and weirder than most people think, Baby. There are more mystical beings, more magic, than most normals— humans —ever realize.”

Her brows furrow, but she doesn’t bolt. She doesn’t scoff. She just waits.

“Like I said, Alex isn’t sick, but his body is changing. He is getting ready. He’s close to what we call his first shift . And all that extra eating and activity? That’s his body fueling up for the change .”

Her jaw drops just slightly, but she’s still listening. I push forward.

“Originally, I had hoped to find a supernatural nanny. Someone who wouldn’t freak out if my kid suddenly decided to sharpen his claws on the curtains.”

That gets her to snort, just a little, and the sound is a balm to my raw nerves.

“But I didn’t find a supernatural nanny. I found you . And Tamare, I am so fucking glad you answered my ad. I’m so glad you swiped right on me, because, well, you’re the answer to every single hope and prayer I’ve whispered since the day I first held my son in my arms.”

She looks stunned.

Shell-shocked.

Gorgeous.

“What are you saying?” she whispers.

I meet her eyes and let the truth roll off me like a vow.

“I’m a Shifter. Dual-natured. So is my son. We’re Cougar Shifters, actually—not common, but real. There are others like us. Wolves, Bears, Dragons, but you?”

I take her hand and press it over my heart.

“You are my fated mate, Pretty Girl. The one the universe designed just for me.”

“Y-you’re not serious,” she whispers, her voice wobbling. Her eyes are glassy with unshed tears, full of disbelief and hurt. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am,” I say quietly, willing her to believe me.

To feel what I feel.

But she shakes her head, stepping back.

“That’s not funny. You think I’m a joke? Is this—is this how you let me down easy? Is this your idea of rejection? A damn fairy tale?”

The pain in her voice guts me.

“No. No, Tamare,” I say, fast and fierce. “It’s not like that. I want you. Only you. I’ve wanted you since the second you looked at me like I was more than just some grumpy lawyer dad. This isn’t a rejection—it’s the total fucking opposite. It’s everything. You. Are. Everything. ”

Her lips part, a thousand thoughts storming behind those luminous hazel eyes, but before either of us can speak again— CRASH.

A yowl splits the air, deep and unearthly, echoing from down the hall.

“Alex,” we both say at the same time, and we’re running before the sound finishes reverberating through the condo.

My heart’s pounding as I skid to a stop outside my son’s door.

“It’s sooner than I thought,” I murmur, my voice thick with emotion. “I was hoping we’d be at Keeton’s cabin when this happened—he’s my cousin.”

Tamare grips my arm, panic written across her face. “What’s happening? Is he okay?”

I take a breath. My hand is already on the doorknob. “He’s going to be fine. He’s strong. But this is his first shift.”

“Shift? You mean?—”

“He’s becoming what he is. Like me. Like our ancestors.” My throat tightens. “But you need to stay back, Pretty Girl. Please. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Her eyes widen, and I can see she wants to argue— wants to be brave —but there’s real fear there.

And she trusts me enough to take a step back, even if her arms are trembling and her fists are clenched.

I meet her eyes for a beat longer, then push open the door.

What I see damn near breaks my heart.

My little boy. He’s growing up so fast.

And right now, his little body is experiencing something magical, but unfortunately, it’s also painful.

Alex whimpers again, curling tighter on the edge of the mattress, his body taut with pain and confusion.

His bones are beginning to shimmer beneath his skin, the first flickers of fur threatening to surface.

This is it. My boy is shifting.

“It’s okay, Alex,” I whisper, brushing a hand down his back as the magic pulses under my palm. “Just breathe through it. Let it happen. I’ve got you.”

He pants through his teeth, a low growl beginning to rise from his chest—his Cougar’s voice.

The wild part of him is stirring now, and I can feel it thrumming in the air between us.

“Am I turning into a monster, Dad?” he asks, voice raw and terrified.

That cuts deeper than I expect, and I grip his shoulders, gently but firmly.

“No, baby boy. You’re turning into something incredible. You’re turning into you . And it’s nothing to be scared of. You were born for this.”

His eyes glow brighter, and I can see his body start to shimmer. The transformation is coming fast now—joints shifting, claws breaking through, bones grinding under skin.

I glance behind me.

Tamare is standing frozen in the doorway, her hand over her heart.

Our eyes lock, and her lips part—but she doesn’t scream.

Doesn’t run. Her breath shudders, but she stays.

Stays .

That gives me the strength I need.

“Tamare,” I say softly, but firmly. “I’m going to shift, too. I have to show him he’s safe. That he’s not alone.”

She swallows, her eyes wide.

“You mean, like fully ?”

“Fully.” I nod. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. I’d never hurt you.” I pause, holding her gaze with everything in me.

“Can you open the back door? The one to the rooftop atrium. It’s private. Walled. We can run up there together for a bit, burn off the shift before I bring him back down.”

For a long moment, she doesn’t say anything. Her hands are trembling.

But then she steps back, nodding once.

“Yeah. I’ll do it.”

I mouth thank you before turning back to Alex. He’s nearly there—his limbs elongating, his spine arching, the sleek outline of his Cougar form breaking through.

“You’re doing great,” I murmur, pushing all my pride and love into the words. “Let go now, Alex. Let him out. I’ll be right there with you.”

A final gasp, a shake—and then the shift completes.

Fur ripples over his body, and suddenly, my son is no longer a little boy.

He’s a young Cougar, paws too big for his frame, eyes golden and glowing, body swaying with the awkward, gangly confidence of youth.

He blinks at me, then lets out a soft, confused mrrrowl .

“See, pal?” I grin. “Told you. You’re perfect.”

Then I close my eyes, let the change sweep over me— and the moment I shift, everything inside me roars in relief. I have everything I need.

My Cougar knows this better than my human mind can admit.

Mate. Son. Home.

The words echo in my bones, each one settling deep like they’ve always belonged there.

I nudge Alex with my broad feline nose, huffing a little growl of encouragement when he stumbles again.

He’s still finding his footing, paws too big and legs a little wobbly— but the pride in me swells so hard it hurts.

Look at him.

My son. My blood. My legacy.

He huffs back at me—high-pitched and unsure, but trying.

Good boy.

I brush my shoulder against his smaller form, then lead him back toward the atrium door.

And there she is.

My mate. Even though she doesn’t quite know what to make of it yet.

Tamare stands just inside, her hand clutched over her mouth, hazel eyes wide and shimmering in the moonlight spilling through the windows.

She doesn’t move.

Doesn’t breathe.

But she doesn’t run either.

And that means everything.

I see the tremble in her lip, the disbelief warring with wonder in her gaze. And I know the second her eyes lock with mine that she recognizes me— even like this.

That does something to me.

I want to shift back right then.

Say something smooth. Reassure her.

But Alex is still padding around, claws skittering against the stone tiles.

He pounces on a shadow, misses, and lets out a tiny growl that makes my heart lurch with joy.

So we pad forward, side by side— father and son.

Tamare presses herself back against the door frame to make room for us—I’m pretty big like this—and her eyes are just fixed on us as we pass.

Sweet. Brave. Mine.

I chuff at her, and she makes a noise stuck between a gasp and a giggle.

Christ, I love this woman.

“Go on, I’ll be here when you’re finished,” she says.

Alex bounds ahead, tail swaying awkwardly, his nose twitching as he sniffs the plants and paws at a strip of moonlight on the tiles.

I rub my head on her belly as I pass, and she sucks in a breath, laughing as she tentatively lifts a hand and strokes it along my back.

Fuck. That feels good.

Alex yowls and I hear a crash, and I know he needs me— but I’m torn.

“Go be a good daddy,” she says, and finally I move.

This is a rite of passage, a coming of age as old as time itself. Watching my son grow is an honor and a privilege, and I am blessed to experience it.

I know this to my marrow, and I feel it inside as I watch him walk about the indoor forest room I created for us here.

It’s private, but not perfect. Still, it’s pretty damn awesome for city dwellers like us.

The atrium’s filled with the scent of blooming jasmine and warm herbs, the enchanted climate perfect for our kind.

This is our sanctuary. Ours.

He moves like instinct is already buried deep inside him.

Curious. Wild. Free.

I prowl behind him, slower, more deliberate— half of me watching Alex, the other half still thinking about Tamare.

Because I can feel it now.

The pull of her. My mate. The one the universe carved for me.

And she’s still here.

Still waiting.

Still mine? I fucking hope so.

I pause near the glass fountain in the center of the space and curl my body around it, resting for a moment as Alex batters a fern with his oversized paws.

Then I look back at the door.

I hear her below us. She’s crying now.

Not sobbing—just quiet tears, she’s trying to hide but I can imagine they’re sliding down her cheeks, and it wrecks me.

Gods help me, I want to go to her. Right now. Naked and raw and real.

But first, I need to make sure my son is ready. So I get up from my resting spot and I show him how to sniff and pick which tree is good for scratching, and which water source is good for drinking.

I’ve set up several inside. Little things that mimic what he’ll find outdoors to teach him to be safe.

After a while, Alex is pooped, and I watch silently as he changes back to my little boy.

And when I return down the stairs with him in my arms, in my human skin again—I panic for a moment, hoping to hell she’s still there.

Because I’m done waiting.

She’s our missing piece.

And my Cougar?

He’s ready to claim her.

My heart thunders in my chest, anxiety riding high as I look around the now dark living room— thank fuck, she’s there.

Tamare is there. On the sofa. A soft throw is draped over her legs.

She must have fallen asleep waiting for us, and suddenly, I can breathe because right now, in this very moment?

Everything in my world feels right.