Chapter four

Zander

Ileap onto the floor, bumping my head with JJ's as Ronny opens the RV doors. We step out into the sun, stretching as we go. It feels nice to be outside, but at the same time, being in Ronny's RV feels homey and safe.

JJ lets out the cutest meow, jumping on me and wrestling me to the ground. I could easily tackle him back and pin him to the ground, but I keep playing with him, letting him get the pent up energy from being stuck in an RV out.

Once JJ starts to peter out, I push him away with my paw. He lets out a giant yawn, finding a nice spot at the back of the RV to lay in the grass. He finds the perfect sunbeam and my chest warms at the sight.

The guys are all chatting together and one of the vampires comes out, holding his baby against his chest. He looks so happy. More and more I feel like I've stumbled upon just what I need.

"You know we're hunters, right?"

I startle, jumping to my feet and staring up at the guy I've heard people call Carlos. I completely freeze as he gazes down at me. He squats down so he's even closer and I just barely stay standing where I am instead of running away.

"We're not gonna hurt you. But I thought you'd like to know."

Everything in me is screaming to grab JJ and run away. John used to tell me how evil hunters were. How they would hunt me down if I ever thought about running away. He told me he had hunter friends who would find me no matter how far away I ran so it was always better just to stay where I was.

Would Lady Fate truly see me escape one evil man only for my true mate to be a different brand of evil?

I don't think she would do that.

I look up at Carlos and tilt my head. I take a deep breath and realize the reason he knows I'm a shifter is because he's one himself. Some sort of canine but nothing I've ever smelled before. That fills me with a little bit of hope. If these hunters allow a shifter to hunt alongside them, maybe they'd be okay with JJ and I.

"We're not gonna hurt you. We're good. You're not gonna screw us over, are you? I just have to ask because I'm rather protective of these guys and you've seemed to worm your way into Ronny's heart already."

I shake my head, needing him to know that I would never hurt Ronny. There's no way for me to speak in this form but I hope Carlos will understand. He nods his head and I feel my body relax.

"Can you shift into your human form?"

I shake my head, holding up my paw. It's better if I let it completely heal before shifting. I might be able to heal supernaturally fast compared to humans but that trap really did a number on my foot.

"Alright. Let's go find your kiddo. I think I saw him run after Ronny towards the bathrooms," Carlos says and my head raises. Fuck. How did I not notice JJ running away? I try my best to let my anxiety fade away into the background as I walk with Carlos towards the bathrooms. What John told me was a lie. These people aren't going to hurt me or JJ. These hunters keep company with another shifter and two vampires, of course they're not just hunting supernatural beings for being different. Everything is okay.

"Ronny?"

Terror fills my stomach for the second time in such a short period. Instead of freezing, I leap into action, putting myself between JJ and Ronny.

Instead of a small kitten in the grass, I find my son standing at his full human height wearing Ronny's hoodie which covers him down to his shins. Oh gods. Why has he shifted?

I look up at Ronny, finding him staring at me, his eyes flicking between me and JJ. Carlos steps up beside Ronny, putting his hand on Ronny's shoulder. The tiniest growl sounds through my chest before I can stop it.

"Hey," Carlos murmurs, his voice gentle and calming. "What's going on here?"

"I'm--" Ronny finally tears his eyes away to look at Carlos. "I'm really confused. My kitten just turned into a little boy."

"Yeah. Shifters do that sometimes," Carlos says with an amused smile.

I stand my ground, my eyes never leaving Ronny. Is this it? Is this the moment he rejects me and my son? Will this be too much for him to handle? The thought of Ronny rejecting me leaves me breathless but I'm strong, I can take it. If I can run away from John I can handle anything life throws at me.

"Shifters?" Ronny finally looks down at me. "Are you a shifter?" I nod my head, letting out a little meow. His face brightens with a blush. "Oh gods. That's so embarrassing! I was chatting to you so much while I was driving because I thought you were just a cat!"

Carlos chuckles and I finally feel like I can breathe again. He's not upset with me. I let out a mournful meow, my own way of apologizing. Somehow, Ronny knows exactly what I mean.

"It's okay," he tells me, squatting down and holding out his hand. I lean close, brushing my cheek against it. "It's not your fault. I'm not upset. The plan is still the same, I want to help you get better."

A pitiful meow leaves my lips without my permission. I can't believe he still wants to help me, he wants to keep me. My brain whispers for now, but I do my best to ignore that. Little hands reach down and pick me up. I dangle with his arms under my armpits. Gods, this is incredibly undignified. This must be payback for all the times I picked him up by the back of his neck.

"This is my Papa," JJ tells Ronny and Carlos. "He hurt his paw so we had to shift. He told me I was supposed to stay in my cat form but I really had to use the bathroom so I thought it would be okay."

"It's okay," Carlos tells him. "You and your Papa are safe with us. You don't have to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid of anything," JJ says, puffing out his chest. My little alpha is fearless.

"I'm sure you're not, kiddo," Ronny says with an amused chuckle. He reaches out, ruffling JJ's hair. "What's your name?"

"JJ. And my Papa's name is Zander. We were on a walk when Papa hurt his foot."

My heart is up in my throat, hoping that JJ doesn't say too much. The last thing I need is for these hunters to learn about John and kick us out because we're a liability. Part of me is scared they'll want nothing to do with us, but part of me is scared they'll want to seek John out. I just want to be done with that chapter of my life.

"It's nice to officially meet you, JJ," Ronny says, holding out his hand. JJ shuffles me until his hand is holding under my front feet, holding my back against his chest as my feet dangle below. How embarrassing to be held like this by my six year old. He's lucky he's literally the cutest kid I know.

With his hand free, JJ reaches out and shakes Ronny's hand. "Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

"I'm Ronny," Ronny says with a wide smile. "And this is my friend Carlos. The big guy you saw with us is named Martin, the guy with the glasses is Cooper and the vampires with the babies are Axel and Jeff."

"Did you catch all that, buddy?" Carlos asks with a chuckle.

JJ nods. Then shakes his head. Then nods again. "I remember." That makes both guys chuckle again.

"It's okay, we'll remind you, JJ," Ronny says and my chest warms. The implication that we'll be sticking around long enough to remember everyone's name is there, just simmering under the surface.

"Let's get you two back into the RV. Do you think your Papa can shift?"

Carlos speaks up. "I'm pretty sure he's waiting for his paw to heal before he shifts. So it'll probably be a couple days still."

"That's fine. I promise you," Ronny says, looking me in the eye, "I'll make sure JJ is safe and taken care of while you're in your cat form, okay?"

My stomach flutters violently. As best as I can while quite literally dangling in my kid's arms, I give Ronny a nod. The smile I get in return warms my entire body. Gods, he's so handsome when he smiles like that.

The fact that Ronny knew JJ was the most important thing, that his protection and care mean more to me than getting out of this form makes me let out a grateful meow. Without knowing it, Ronny is becoming the true mate that I need in my life. Now I just need to get better so I can actually tell him that.