Page 33 of Night Shift

Layla stood in the doorway, her hand resting on her son's shoulder as the boy practically vibrated with enthusiasm. The moment Tyr cut the engine, Yousuf broke free from his mother's grasp.

"Vampires! Real vampires!" The boy's voice carried across the yard. "Mama, look! They're here!"

"Inside voice,ibni," Layla called after him, but her smile was warm as she watched her son race down the porch steps.

Tyr exchanged an amused glance with Tobi as they climbed out of the truck. The cold air carried the mingled scents of wolf shifters, caracal, and the lingering aroma of someone's recent barbecue dinner.

"Are your fangs real?" Yousuf skidded to a stop in front of them, snow flying from his boots. His eyes were wide with wonder as he stared up at them. "Can you really turn into birds? Do you sleep in coffins?"

"Yousuf!" Layla's cheeks flushed as she hurried down the steps. "I'm so sorry, he's been asking questions about vampires for days."

"No need to apologize." Tobi crouched down to the boy's level, his gaze twinkling with amusement. "And yes, the fangs are very real." He flashed a quick grin, letting his fangs extend just enough to be visible.

Yousuf gasped in delight, bouncing on his toes. "Cool! Mom says you can turn into birds! Can you fly?"

"We turn into raptors, not birds." Tyr moved to the truck's tailgate, hiding his own smile. "They're a lot bigger and… you know what? Maybe another night we can find a video on YouTube to show you the difference. But right now we need to get this equipment inside before it gets too cold."

"Can I help?" Yousuf was already reaching for one of the smaller boxes.

"Of course." Tobi straightened up, ruffling the boy's dark curls. "But only the light ones, okay? Some of this stuff is pretty heavy."

"I'm strong!" Yousuf puffed out his chest. "I can carry lots of things. Watch!"

Tyr watched as Yousuf carefully carried a small tub of cable connectors, following close behind Tobi, his face scrunched in concentration. The boy's excitement radiated off him in waves, making Tyr chuckle.

"Thank you both," Layla murmured as Tyr reached the porch, his arms laden with boxes. She took some of them from him, stacking them beside the front door. "He's been impossible to settle down tonight. Usually he's sound asleep by eight, but..." She shook her head, a fond smile playing across her features. "The moment he heard vampires were coming to install security equipment, he refused to go to bed until he'd seen you."

"It's no trouble." Tyr placed the rest of the boxes by the others. "Though I hope we're not disrupting his schedule too much."

"He'll sleep late tomorrow." Layla's voice carried warmth as she watched her son chattering animatedly with Tobi. "It's worth it, seeing him this happy."

"Mama, look!" Yousuf's excited voice broke through the moment. "I'm helping carry vampire stuff!"

"I see that,ibni." Layla's expression brightened. "You're being very helpful."

The boy beamed at her praise, carefully placing his tub beside the growing pile of equipment on the porch. His eyes sparkled with barely contained questions as he bounced from foot to foot, clearly torn between his desire to help and his burning curiosity about the vampires.

"Ibni - that means my son, right?" Tobi asked.

"Yes," she smiled at him. "Do you speak Arabic?"

"Yes, but it's been a couple hundred years."

"One more trip should do it," Tyr told him with a shoulder bump, heading back to the truck. "Unless our young friend here wants to help with the last few boxes?"

"Yes!" Yousuf sprinted back down the steps, alight with enthusiasm.

Tyr watched Tobi and Yousuf head back toward the truck, the boy bouncing with each step. The security lights cast long shadows across the snow-dusted walkway, and Tyr noticed a telltale gleam where earlier snowmelt had frozen into a slick patch.

"Careful-" he started to call out, but Tobi was already moving.

Yousuf's feet shot out from under him as he hit the ice. Layla's sharp cry cut through the night air as she lunged forward, but her son was too far away to reach. Before the boy could hit the ground, though, Tobi's hands caught him smoothly under the arms, lifting him clear of the slippery surface.

"Whoa, watch your step there, little man." Tobi set Yousuf back on his feet on a safer patch of concrete. "Ice is tricky stuff, especially when it's hiding under the snow like that."

Tyr's enhanced vision caught the flash of fear that crossed Layla's face from the porch, quickly replaced by relief as she saw her son safely steadied by Tobi's quick reflexes. Her handpressed against her heart, and Tyr could hear its rapid beating from where he stood.

Tyr moved closer to Layla, catching the lingering tension in her posture. "Hey, it's okay. Kids slip on ice all the time. It's practically a winter tradition."