Serah woke before dawn.
She left the cave with the same silence she'd entered it. Kai felt her leave but didn't open his eyes — the father wasn't supposed to discover the "technical margin" and Kai had decided that was the game they were going to play today.
He got up at dawn.
He went down to the main room.
The father was already awake. In wolf form, lying in front of the fireplace. Silver eyes following Kai as he came down the stairs.
Serah was in the kitchen — yes, the father-in-law's house had a kitchen — with three cups of something hot on the table.
She looked at Kai.
Smiled.
"Father. Today you're going to spend the day with Kai. I'm going out with the girls."
The father growled — long, with the kind of sharpness Kai caught as protest even without understanding the words.
"No, father. Kai's been in the territory for three days. You're not a new father-in-law anymore. It's time to spend time together."
Another growl.
