Page 56 of Found in Obscurity

She scowled back, matching him. “He was only in my house for two days. You’ve been living with him and he’s your familiar. Do you need me to do everything for you?”

Lorin pouted a little, like he was a five-year-old getting scolded for backchatting. “Why are you here then? Can you help me or not?”

His grandma sighed long and loud as she sank further into the chair, tapping her cane with her spindly nails as she thought.

“I’ve never heard of a shifter being unable to shift. Your father never had any issues,” she said. “Shifting is as natural as breathing to them.”

“The Owner hadn’t heard of it either.”

She frowned harder at that, looking back at Kit before murmuring, “Most curious.”

Kit huffed in answer—a long, tired sigh.

“Your father used to get all pent up when he hadn’t shifted for a while. I can’t imagine how your Kit must be feeling. Or how long this has been an issue,” she said.

“That’s what I’m worried about. Do you think it’s damaged him? The vet said he’s fine and he didn’t look injured when I saw him…” He flushed, thinking back to seeing Kit as a human. Naked. He knew Kit didn’t mind being naked in front of him. Knew it was all natural and accepted in their community. But Kit was…different. He was something more to Lorin. He was his, and the thought made the experience feel like something larger than just seeing a naked body.

“Why are you blushing, boy?” she said, poking him with her cane. “You’ve seen a naked body countless times before. The moon festival—”

“I’m not blushing about anything.” Lorin pushed the stick away, fighting his reaction. “I was pointing out that he didn’t seem injured to me.”

“It’s impossible to know,” she said. “Magical health problems are not always visible. And we can’t examine him in this form to know if there’s anything wrong with his shifted self. They’re two different things. You have to do them separately.”

Lorin worried his lip, looking over at Kit, who was paying total attention to their conversation, looking hyperfocused. Lorin supposed he would be too if they were discussing what was wrong with him.

“I have to wonder,” his grandma mused, breaking Lorin from his thoughts, “why was he at that ceremony?”

Lorin frowned. He hadn’t even considered that. “Do you think he was looking for help?”

He turned to Kit, who looked back at him with an intelligent gaze. He felt something twist in his stomach. Had they bonded when Kit was only looking for someone to help him out of his predicament? Had he somehow forced him—

“Stop spiraling,” his grandma snapped. “Remember the basic lessons I taught you. Bonds go two ways. In fact, bonds are more than that for shifters. He views you as his mate.”

“What?!” Lorin spluttered, eyes bugging.

His grandma smirked. “Congratulations.”

Kit yipped, shuffling over and licking over his neck as if to happily confirm that. Lorin could only numbly stare at her under the ministrations.

“He might have been searching for help, there’s no way to know until he tells us, but there is no doubt about the connection you share, so let’s put that aside and concentrate on the more pressing issues. Like working out why my grandson-in-law can’t shift.”

“He’s not your grandson-in-law!” Lorin screeched, absolutely mortified.

Kit put a paw over Lorin’s mouth like he was refuting that statement entirely.

His grandma cackled evilly. “What do you think mate means?”

Lorin had no idea! Well, actually, he did. His parents’ relationship and his very existence on this earth was a direct answer to that very equation. But Lorin had no idea what that meant for him and Kit.

Kit who was a fox.

Kit who was also a very pretty human.

Kit who was still licking his neck like he was marking territory.

Stars and moon above.

“Can we get back on track?” he squeaked out, pushing Kit away from his mouth and neck before he spontaneously combusted.