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Harper tucked her hand into Nathan's as they sat on the sofa.

"You know," she confided, "six months ago, this would have been torture. Sitting here waiting to meet your parents. I used to be shy... like, really shy. I always have been. But ever since I got here, and got embraced by everyone into the community, it's simply fallen away."

He chuckled. "They never let you have a chance to be shy."

Harper grinned at him. "No, they didn't right from the beginning. And it's like a flip was switched in my brain. Not that I'll ever be an extrovert, but that social anxiety has disappeared."

There was a moment of silence, and she saw that Nathan's brow was furrowed.

"Do you think," he said slowly, clearly pondering his words, "that maybe it's because this is where you're supposed to be? I mean... San Francisco is no place for a fox, and you didn't have any family there, and from what you've told me, you didn't have many friends, and amongst those, the only one who was a shifter, was Jake. But here, you're surrounded with shifters, you have a support system, and woods all around to change into your fox any time you want."

She considered what he said, and her fox peeked out. Den , she agreed.

Yes, I think so , she told her fox, and nodded at Nathan.

"That's it exactly. I feel like, finally, I'm home," she said. "My fox agrees, too."

"Nice fox," he teased, and patted her head.

She laughed, then sat up alertly, her head turning. "They're here."

"Damn, you have good hearing," Nathan told her, rising to his feet and extending a hand to her.

She took his hand, standing up and letting him pull her to his side. "Fox hearing," she reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah." He grinned and leaned down to kiss her, his lips warm against hers, and she melted against him. Outside, a car door slammed, and they separated. Nathan took a long, deep breath.

"Well, here goes."

She smiled, her fingers tightening on his reassuringly. "It'll be fine."

"I know."

Still she could feel the tension in him as he crossed the room to open the front door. "Hi, Mom, Dad."

"Nathan!" Her voice warm with pleasure, his mother pulled him into a close hug, while his father patted his son's shoulder.

This gave Harper a few minutes to observe them. His mother was a tall, slender woman, with auburn hair, silvering at the temples, pulled up in an elegant twist. She held herself with the unconscious grace of a medieval queen, Harper thought. Nathan's father was so similar in appearance to Nathan, it was like looking through a time warp to see what Nathan would look like in his fifties. He had the same warm brown eyes, the same thick brown hair and lean build.

Nathan stepped back, pushing the door open wider, and came to Harper's side.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my friend, Harper. Harper, this is my father, Charles, and my mom, Regina."

Regina, she thought. Queen. It fit. Harper stepped forward, her hand extended, aware of their curious, interested gazes.

"Charlie," his father said as they shook hands.

His mother had a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "Are you two dating?"

"Mom!" Nathan objected, a flood of color warming his cheeks.

Harper giggled, she couldn't help herself. "Yes," she admitted. "We are."

"Is it serious?" Regina asked.

"Okay, that's it." Nathan grabbed Harper's hand and pulled her away from his parents. "What do you want to drink?"

"I'll have a glass of wine," Charlie said, and his wife nodded. "For me as well."

Nathan crossed the room to his liquor cabinet, peering inside. "Chardonnay?"

His father went to join him, and lifted out a bottle, studying the label. "Sonoma? Not bad," he nodded. "Let's give this one a try."

"Harper?" Nathan asked over his shoulder.

"Absolutely," she agreed. She was going to need it to get through this, as her nerves felt shot all to heck.

"This is delicious," Regina exclaimed after one bite. "What is it?"

"It's a Greek dish called pilafi me kreas, which translates into rice pilaf with meat. Some friends of ours are Greek. One owns a small restaurant here, and taught me how to make this."

"Greek?" His mother's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward, her hopeful gaze intent on her son's face. "That young woman on television, the shapeshifter. She's Greek-American, and from this area. Could this be one of her family? Have you run into any shapeshifters here?"

Harper and Nathan exchanged amused glances.

"Uh, yeah, Mom. That was Katerina Kazakis. My friend who gave me this recipe is her brother, in fact, Kazakis is the name of his restaurant."

Regina's hand flew to her chest, and her gaze moved to her husband. "Charles! Nathan actually knows a shapeshifter!"

"You know that young woman, too? Katerina?" His father asked, clearly as interested as Regina, but more dignified about it. To his right, Nathan was aware of Harper struggling to control her laughter.

"Er, yes."

"Do you think we could meet them?" His mother asked eagerly. "Maybe we could go to this restaurant while we're here! Ever since those videos came out, I've been wishing I could meet a shapeshifter. There are so many questions! There's a whole other world out there, one that apparently has always been there, but we never knew."

"It makes us wonder what else is out there," Charlie said, agreeing with his wife. "If there are shapeshifters, which is a kind of magic from the way that young woman described it, are there other magical beings? And if magic is real, what other kinds of magic are there? The possibilities are mind-boggling."

"Also," said his mother, having eaten a few more bites of her dinner with clear relish, "I want the recipe for this. But seriously, dearest, do you think we might be able to meet any of your shapeshifter friends?"

Nathan and Harper exchanged glances.

Putting down her fork, Harper looked across the table at his parents, her eyes dancing with mischief. She lifted her right hand and waggled her fingers at them.

"Hi!" she said brightly, trying not to laugh aloud. Inside, her fox was spinning in delighted circles. Heehee!

Charlie and Regina stared at her a moment, uncomprehending. Charlie was the first one to get it, and he froze, his hand with the wineglass halfway to his mouth. A moment later, Regina's mouth dropped open in a perfect "O". There was a moment of silence as they digested this news. Then a frown creased Regina's brow, and a hint of anxiety crossed her face.

"I hope we didn't say anything to offend you, dear." She turned her anxious gaze on her husband. "We weren't rude, were we?"

"No, no," Harper hurried to reassure them. "It's fine. Like you said, a whole new world has opened up for you, and so far you've only had a glimpse of it. Anyone would be curious."

Nathan watched as Harper's expression softened, clearly seeing the barely contained curiosity in his parents' faces. His mother kept opening her mouth as if to speak, then closing it again, while his father fidgeted with his napkin - something Nathan had never seen him do before.

"It's okay to ask questions," Harper said gently. "I can see you're bursting with them."

His mother's shoulders relaxed slightly. "We don't want to make you uncomfortable..."

"You won't." Harper's smile widened. "And since you're probably wondering - I'm a fox shifter."

"A fox!" His mother's eyes lit up with delight. "Oh, that's wonderful! Like the woman who saved that family in Yosemite!"

Nathan tensed slightly at the mention of the incident that had exposed shifters to the world, but Harper remained calm beside him.

His father leaned forward, his scholarly interest evident. "Is it difficult? The transformation, I mean?"

"Not at all," Harper replied. "It's as natural as breathing for us. We're born with the ability, though we don't start shifting until we're toddlers."

Nathan watched in amazement as Harper fielded his parents' questions with grace and patience. The tension had completely melted from her shoulders, replaced by an easy confidence he'd come to associate with her discussions of shifter nature. His mother had produced her infamous notebook from her purse, but Harper just laughed when she saw it, giving Nathan's hand a squeeze under the table.

"I told you they'd be excited," he murmured in her ear, and she turned to give him a bright smile that made his heart skip.

"Your fox form," his mother was saying, pen poised over her notebook, "is it the size of a regular fox?"

"Yes," Harper nodded. "We maintain natural proportions when we shift. A wolf shifter becomes a normal-sized wolf, a house cat shifter becomes a regular cat, and so on."

His father set down his wine glass, expression thoughtful. "And you can change whenever you want? It's not tied to the full moon or anything like that?"

"That's werewolves," Harper explained. "They're something completely different. Shapeshifters can change at will, any time we choose."

Nathan felt a surge of pride as he watched Harper handle his parents' enthusiasm with such ease. Gone was the nervous woman who'd been anxious about meeting them just an hour ago. In her place was someone confident and comfortable, happy to share her world with others who showed genuine interest rather than fear.

Nathan scanned their half-eaten dinners, and gave an audible sigh. "I should have just ordered pizza."

Guiltily, his parents returned their attention to their plates. "It really is good," his mother assured him.

Charlie spooned some of the salad onto his plate. "This is unusual."

"It's Greek also," Nathan replied. "Tomatoes and cucumbers with cumin, and a light dash of olive oil."

Charlie's brows raised as he sampled it. "Simple, but tasty." He glanced at Harper, then Nathan. "Let's make a pact. No talk of shapeshifters until dinner, which truly is excellent, is over."

Regina seemed inclined to want to argue, but her husband laid a stern gaze on her. "Oh, very well," she capitulated.

"We'll answer all your questions after dinner," Harper reassured her.

After that, dinner was a quick affair. Charlie and Regina insisted on clearing the table, while Nathan made a pot of coffee. In the living room, Harper turned on the stereo, choosing a light classical selection at low volume.

Within a very few minutes, everyone was gathered in the living room, coffee in hand. Harper and Nathan settled side-by-side on the sofa, while his parents took the soft, overstuffed armchairs.

"Actually, my first question is for you," Regina said to Nathan. She'd initially relaxed when she first sat down, but immediately leaned forward, all but bristling with curiosity.

Charlie, however, sat at his ease, sipping his coffee. He was the quiet one, Harper decided, clearly content with his wife taking the lead in the conversation. His frequent gaze on her held deep affection, and amused tolerance.

Mates , her fox supplied sagely.

"Sure, Mom, what is it?" Nathan asked, his hands tightening around the cup he held.

"How did you know your friends were shapeshifters? Did they come right out and tell you? Or did you not know until you saw Katerina was on that talk show?"

Nathan visibly winced, and leaned forward to set his coffee cup on the table before him. Okay, so, they were diving right into the deep stuff. Beside him, Harper laid her hand on his, threading their fingers together. Her smile was comforting, her gaze encouraging. "You've got this," she assured him.

"Actually, I knew about shifters before they were... er... outed," he confessed. He held up one hand, halting their exclamations of surprise. "Wait... please."

Harper saw Charlie reach for his wife's hand, and their fingers clung as they waited. Charlie was more laid-back about it, but both were clearly riveted, Regina almost breathless with anticipation.

"In order for me to explain how I came to know about shifters, we first have to take a step back. And please, Mom. Dad. You cannot tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. This is absolutely crucial. You have to swear."

His parents exchanged perturbed glances. "Of course we promise," Charlie said, his voice solemn. Beside him, Regina nodded.

Nathan drew a deep breath. "Remember when we first started on this subject at dinner, Dad, you asked about magic? The thing is you're right, there are other types of magic... other types of magical beings. And, er..." he gulped, drawing courage from Harper, who squeezed his hand reassuringly. "Well, I have one living with me. And I want you to meet her."

"Not a shapeshifter?" Charlie questioned, a furrow between his brows, his gaze moving from his son to Harper, then back. "What kind of magical being?"

Nathan took a deep breath, then expelled it. "A jackalope."

Silence fell.

"A what?" his mother asked.

"It's a popular hoax from the American West, early last century," Charlie told her. "Some taxidermists in... Wyoming, I think... put antelope antlers onto a jackrabbit and started selling it to tourists. It's taken on the status of a mythologic creature over time."

Nathan frowned, not having considered that. "Was it a hoax?" he asked, turning to Harper. "The original ones?"

"Yes," she assured him, nodding. "Those really were created by the taxidermists, they weren't real jackalopes. We do know that."

"Real jackalopes," Regina echoed faintly.

"Who is we?" Charlie asked astutely. "And how does this 'we' know that?"

She bit her lips, glancing at him from under her lashes.

"'We' is the shifter community. And... er... we have a database."

"A database." Charlie struggled with that, his fingers pressing between his brows for a minute. "Of course you do."

Harper grinned sympathetically, and nodded.

"So this jackalope," his father ventured cautiously. "Is it a shifter, too?"

"No, not a shifter. And she's just a baby. About four months old now, as best we can tell. She was six or eight weeks old when I found her. Well," Nathan appended with a reminiscent smile, "she found me. She'd been attacked by something... a dog or coyote most likely... and managed to escape. She came and tapped her antlers on my patio door."

"Oh, the poor thing," Regina exclaimed. "Was she okay?"

"She was a little torn up. And I was shook up," he emphasized. "Anyway, I went next door... my neighbors do rescue work... and borrowed a dog crate from them, and I took her to a vet clinic, one that was out in the country, not in town. And the vet who saw her, well, he was pretty shook up, too."

Nathan couldn't help grinning, remembering the scene in the exam room. "He took one look at the jackalope, then went to the door and hollared 'Cat!' and here comes this gorgeous Maine Coon into the room, and he's glaring at her, and shows her the jackalope. And the next thing you know... she changed into a human being. And the vet was yelling, and she was saying she didn't know jackalopes existed, either, and there were more people in the room, and someone pushed a stool under me so I could sit before I fell on the floor. Oh, man, it was wild!"

Although she'd heard the story before, Harper laughed in appreciation. "I can see it now," she said. "I've seen how Troy gets when faced with yet another new being."

"Troy!" Regina fixed on that. "The veterinarian, yes. He's Katerina's husband, right? He was on the talk show with her."

"Yes, that's them," Nathan agreed. "He's human, and like me, he's still adjusting to everything. And then it turned out the others in the exam room were shifters, too. So the doc fixed up her injuries, and sent me home with instructions. Then that afternoon, a whole crew of bobcat shifters showed up, and built her a big pen out in the back yard."

"Bobcat shifters!"

Harper thought Regina might actually swoon for a moment. Nathan grinned at his mother. "There was a hawk shifter, too."

His father's gaze went to the patio door. "So you're keeping her out there? Can we see her?"

"Oh, she's not out there. She's in here." Nathan grinned again, like the cat that ate the cream. He nodded toward the now darkened dining room.

His parents turned in their chairs to stare across the room.

"I don't see anything," Charlie said.

"Jackalopes have their own kind of camouflage." He opened a plastic tub he'd brought from the kitchen, pulling out a wedge of apple. "Jill," he called. "It's time for treats."

From the dark distant corner of the dining room, a shadow separated itself, moving forward until a tiny wriggling nose was visible, and big dark eyes.

"Treats," Nathan said again, as his mother gasped.

With one hop, the small jackalope came fully into view. Both parents stared, looking stunned. Regina appeared bereft of words.

"It's... a jackalope," Charlie finally said, his voice full of wonder.

"She is," Nathan agreed, as Jill came up to him, accepting the offering of apple, and munching contentedly as he stroked her fur.

"Yes, but that's not a jackrabbit," his father commented, continuing to study the little creature.

"No, I'm thinking she's American Sable. I've done some research online."

Regina found her voice. "You call her Jill?"

Nathan shrugged, looking a little embarrassed. "It seemed right. I mean, she's a jackalope, but she's a girl..."

Harper took in their bewildered expressions. "Jack and Jill," she supplied.

"Oh!" Regina shook her head, laughing. "Of course. Will she come to me?"

"She'll come to anyone who offers her food," Nathan said, grinning, as he pushed the tub of cut-up fruits and vegetables across the table. Regina took a leaf of romaine lettuce and, leaning down, clicked her tongue at the little jackalope. Obligingly, Jill hopped right over to her and began to chew on it. The expression on Regina's face, of delighted charm, made Harper giggle. When Jill had finished the treat, Regina tentatively stroked the long ears.

"Oh! She's so soft!"

Nathan nodded. "That's why I think she's American Sable. They were bred originally from chinchilla rabbits."

Charlie addressed Harper. "Do they know how jackalopes evolved?"

She shook her head. "Not a clue. And in fact, everyone thought they were extinct, no one had seen one for decades, until Jill here showed up at the vet clinic. There's been a flurry of interest amongst our scientists and researchers."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "No kidding. Those first weeks, I thought I was going to be overrun with people from your Council, all wanting to see her and ask me questions that I had no clue about. I mean, she simply showed up at my door, that's all I know, but somehow they seemed to expect I would know all about her, and I didn't."

Charlie's brows rose almost to his hairline. "Scientists and researchers? Council?"

Harper grinned at him. "There are a lot of us," she stressed. "It wasn't an accident that we've flown under the radar for all this time. Although," she allowed, "we knew it was going to happen any time soon, what with street cams, store cams, traffic cams, wildlife cams, not to mention the sheer number of people with phones taking videos everywhere. The Councils have had contingency plans in place for ages."

"Well, the way it did happen, couldn't have been better from a public relations standpoint," Regina declared, sitting back in her chair while Charlie took the opportunity to pet Jill and feed her a strawberry. "With that young woman attacking the grizzly like that to save that man, and probably the woman and child, too."

Nathan made a strangled sound in his throat, and Harper colored up to her roots. Harper raised her hand weakly.

"That would be me," she confessed.

Regina's jaw dropped, and Charlie froze with his hand hovering a half inch above Jill's head.

"The fox in Yosemite?" Regina demanded. "You're that fox?"

"I didn't know that tourist group was there," she admitted miserably. "I didn't think at all... except that I had to distract the bear away from that man."

"That man who totally deserved it if he had got eaten," Nathan defended her, reaching one arm to encircle her shoulder, pulling her close. He looked across the table at his parents. "What Harper didn't know at the time was, the grizzly was a shifter, too. A kid."

"Teenager," Harper mumbled, her voice lost in the folds of Nathan's shirt.

"Right. But a full-grown grizzly. As I was told it, the idiot man saw the grizzly and approached it, making... uhhh...."

"Chirping sounds," Harper put in, her voice dripping with disgust.

"Right, chirping sounds. So the kid..."

"Teenager."

" Will you let me tell the story?" Nathan demanded, and she lifted her head to grin at him. "So the kid decided to teach him a lesson, to save the guy's life in case he ever came across a real bear in the wild."

"Yes, he was never going to hurt him," Harper said, sitting up straight and pushing her hand through her unruly mass of hair, moving it off her face. "It's just too bad I didn't know that before I charged in to the rescue."

"That was still an incredibly brave thing you did, young lady," Charlie told her in a solemn voice.

She smiled at him. "Thank you. As soon as I got hold of his ear, I realized he was a shifter, and you can believe I was giving him the sharp edge of my tongue the entire time I was fighting him... not, of course, that it was a real fight after that, it was all for show from then on. I was so mad, I could just about have killed him! And then to discover there'd been a whole flock of tourists watching and filming it..."

Nathan hugged her. "But you know the Councils are pretty happy with you. Like my mom said, from a PR aspect, it couldn't have been better for shifters as a first introduction to their existence."

"That's the only thing about the whole thing that does make me feel better," she sighed. Then she looked at Nathan and smiled. "Except, if it hadn't been for that, I wouldn't ever have moved across the country and found this amazing, supportive community, and we'd never have met. That makes it all worth it!"

Nathan leaned over, kissing her softly, despite his parents looking on.

Nathan felt warmth spread through his chest as his mother let out a musical laugh, her eyes twinkling with delight.

"I suppose I should ask to see your fox form," Regina said, smiling warmly at Harper. "But in a way, we already have, haven't we? We must have watched that Yosemite video a hundred times."

"At least that many," Charlie agreed, still absently stroking Jill's soft fur. "Every news channel played it on repeat for days. The way you moved..." He shook his head in amazement. "The grace and speed with which you confronted that bear - well, shifter bear as we now know - was incredible."

Nathan watched Harper duck her head, a becoming blush coloring her cheeks. He squeezed her hand gently, knowing how uncomfortable she still felt about the incident that had exposed the shifter world.

"I think I've memorized every frame," Regina admitted. "The way you transformed mid-leap..." She gestured with her hands, trying to capture the fluid motion she'd seen. "One moment a young woman, the next this beautiful russet fox. Simply extraordinary."

Nathan couldn't help but smile at his parents' enthusiasm. Their genuine wonder and acceptance of Harper, both her human and fox nature, filled him with relief. He'd known they would be fascinated rather than fearful, but seeing their warm response still touched him deeply.

"We must have replayed that transformation sequence dozens of times," Charlie added, his academic interest showing through. "The fluidity of the change is remarkable - there's no awkward interim stage, just this smooth flow from one form to the other."

Nathan felt Harper relax beside him, her earlier tension melting away under his parents' sincere appreciation and curiosity. Jill hopped over to them, settling contentedly against Harper's feet as if sensing her growing comfort with the situation.

Nathan watched as Harper leaned forward, her expression animated. The way she lit up when discussing shifter nature never failed to captivate him.

"That's because it's magic," she explained, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. "The Change isn't physiological at all - it's purely magical in nature."

His mother's pen paused above her notebook. "But all those movies and books..."

"Get it completely wrong," Harper finished with a gentle laugh. "All that dramatic twisting and morphing of limbs, bones cracking and reshaping - that's not how it works at all."

Nathan found himself nodding along, remembering his first time seeing Harper shift. There had been none of the grotesque transformation scenes he'd grown up watching in werewolf movies.

"The current form simply... dissolves," Harper continued, making a flowing gesture with her hands. "And the new form takes its place. Like water flowing from one vessel to another. There's no pain, no intermediate stage where we're half-human, half-animal."

"Fascinating," his father murmured, leaning forward in his chair. "So the transformation itself is instantaneous?"

"Almost," Harper agreed. "It takes maybe half a second? Though it can feel longer when you're watching it happen." She glanced at Nathan with a small smile.

Nathan remembered that moment in his music room, when Harper had first shown him her fox form. The way her human shape had seemed to blur at the edges, like watercolors running together, before Reyna stood before him. It had been beautiful rather than frightening, leaving him in awe of the magic he'd witnessed.

"That's another reason why the Yosemite video was so important, according to the Council," Harper added. "It showed people that shifting isn't scary or grotesque. It's natural, elegant even. The way magic should be."

His mother was scribbling frantically in her notebook now, trying to capture every detail. Nathan felt a surge of affection for both his parents and Harper - their genuine curiosity and her willingness to share her world with them.

Charlie stood, gathering all the coffee cups, and retreated to the kitchen. He returned with the cups filled, on a tray with creamer and sugar, which he set down on the coffee table.

"Harper, I'd very much like to hear more about this Council," he said as they all settled back in with their coffee.

"Their main purpose, through the centuries, has been to keep our existence secret," she replied. "And setting contingency plans in place for when we were outed, which everyone has been aware was inevitable. Now, the focus has shifted to those contingency plans. That is, damage control. Protecting the shifters who have come forward in public, and shielding those who'd be in the most danger should their identities be disclosed... families with children, teachers, and so forth. Also, those in certain careers have to keep their anonymity, because they could very well, almost certainly, lose their jobs... teachers, librarians, those working in the political arena or in the military. Doctors could lose their licenses, or lose hospital credentials, lawyers could be disbarred."

Nathan nodded. "And that's not even taking into consideration the very real possibility of personal attacks, and attacks on homes and businesses."

"Yes," Regina sighed. "We're already seeing news reports of those across the world, including in this country."

"We've actually been surprised at the huge amount of support that's been generated," Harper said. "People are loving the possibility of shifters, and a glimpse into... as you said earlier... a whole new world."

"Are you, yourself, planning to go public?" Charlie wanted to know.

Harper blanched. "Not ever, if I can help it. My fox needs to feel safe, and we didn't, not in San Francisco, where everyone was studying every red-haired woman they saw on the street, trying to figure out if she was the one on that video. It was horrible. I had an old friend from work, another shifter who'd worked in the same bank with me in San Francisco, but had moved here, to the Hudson Valley, where he'd been born and raised. He reached out to Maroulla Kazakis, that's Katerina's grandmother and the head of the Northeastern US Shifter Council, and she reached out to me. And, here I am."

Regina's leaned forward, looking interested. "You work in banking?"

"Yes, I'm a certified Financial Planner, and I've been working as a Personal Finance Officer for a few years now. I got a position at a local bank before I even left San Francisco. Which was actually a bit of luck," she added. "My predecessor had health issues, and had to retire early, and unexpectedly. They were just starting to look for a replacement when all that happened in Yosemite," and she waved her hand toward the big screen television on the wall. "Jake, my friend, told them he knew an experienced PFA looking to relocate and they had me send my resume."

"Everything just lined up like dominos," Charlie said, impressed.

Harper nodded. "It really did! It all fell together like it had been planned. I packed up some clothes, arranged for a moving company to pack and move my whole apartment, and I got on a plane barely a week after the... um... the incident." She grimaced. "That's still how I think of it. The Incident. All caps."

Regina looked sympathetic. "That's understandable. But you're here and settled, now." She slid a glance to Nathan. "And dating our son."

Charlie rose to his feet with a slight groan, his shoulders sagging from jetlag. "And on that note, it's time we headed to our hotel. It was a long flight across the Atlantic."

"Yes, it was." Regina stood up, smoothing down her skirt, as did Nathan and Harper. Nathan noticed his mother stifling a yawn behind her hand. "We'll see you both for breakfast?"

"That works, Mom." Nathan stepped forward to give both his parents a quick hug, breathing in his mother's familiar lavender perfume. The scent brought back memories of childhood piano lessons at her side.

Nathan walked his parents to the door, watching as they headed down the walkway to their rental car. His mother paused halfway, turning back.

"It was lovely meeting you, Harper," she called softly.

"You too," Harper replied, standing close to Nathan's side. "Have a good night."

Once his parents were safely in their car and backing out of the driveway, Nathan closed the door with a sigh of relief. "That went well."

"Your parents are wonderful." Harper's amber eyes sparkled. "Your mom especially seemed excited about Jill."

"Yeah, she's always had a soft spot for unusual animals." Nathan chuckled, remembering the parade of injured birds and squirrels his mother had nursed back to health during his childhood. "You know she really, really, and I mean, really, wanted to see you Change."

Harper smiled softly. "She was being polite, wasn't she? Let her know I will, the next time they visit."

He laughed. "She'll love that, and make it a point to be back in the Valley as soon as she can!"

"Come here," Nathan said softly, reaching for her hand. His fingers threaded through hers as he led her back to the sofa.

Harper curled into his side, breathing in his familiar scent. "Your parents are amazing," she murmured. "I can't believe how excited they were about everything."

"Mom's probably writing down every detail in that notebook of hers right now." Nathan's chest rumbled with quiet laughter. "Did you see her face when you mentioned the Council? I thought she might explode from curiosity."

"She wanted so badly to ask to see my fox form." Harper chuckled, remembering Regina's restraint.

"She was trying so hard to be polite." Nathan's arm tightened around her shoulders. "Dad too - he had that look he gets when he's bursting with questions but doesn't want to overwhelm someone."

"Honestly, I wouldn't have minded, in fact, I was going to offer but then the conversation kept going, and I forgot."

Jill hopped over to them, settling at their feet with a contented wiggle. Harper reached down to stroke her soft ears, marveling at how naturally the little jackalope had fit into their evening.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

"For what?"

"For sharing this with them. For trusting them with Jill, with everything." Harper snuggled closer, feeling the steady beat of his heart against her cheek. "It means a lot."

Nathan pressed a kiss to her temple. "They're going to love having you as part of the family."

His words sent a pleasant warmth through her chest as they sat together in comfortable silence.

Harper nestled deeper into Nathan's embrace, enjoying the peaceful quiet that had settled over them after his parents left. Jill dozed at their feet, her tiny nose twitching occasionally in her sleep. The evening had gone better than she'd dared hope - Nathan's parents' enthusiasm and acceptance warming her heart.

"How long is your lease for?" Nathan's question broke the comfortable silence.

"A year," Harper replied, tilting her head to look up at him. "Why?"

His lips curved into a soft smile, his eyes twinkling with something that made her pulse quicken. "No reason," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "Just something to be thinking about."

Mate planning den, Reyna purred in her mind, radiating approval.

Harper's heart fluttered at the implications of his words, but she forced herself to stay still, savoring the warmth of Nathan's body beside hers and the gentle caress of his fingers through her hair. A wave of contentment washed over her as she imagined a future together, though she dared not voice those thoughts aloud, not wanting to break this perfect moment. Still, she couldn't deny the warmth of anticipation.