The relief, completely illogical relief because he knew he’d been dreaming, left him feeling light-headed and he dropped his head, chin resting on the floor in the meter or so of fresh air remaining under the thick smoke that filled the barn.

The thick smoke?

Wings tight to his back in embarrassment, he put out the fire seconds before one of the beams ignited. He hadn’t spontaneously flamed in his sleep in years. The third bale had been reduced to ash, but at least no one had seen; the aunties would never let him live down that kind of property destruction. And Cameron would have never let him live down the whole nocturnal emissions thing.

Pale, predawn light spilled through the grimy windows. It’d still be a few more hours before he’d be able to change into skin, but he’d digested enough he could adjust his size to fit through the door without needing to fix the frame afterward. A dump out off the main trail where weather would take care of the evidence brought him a little closer to thumbs. Not that he needed thumbs. He needed to see Charlie. He needed to hear her complain and see her smile and smell her and touch her and argue with her about how little thirteen years meant to an immortal. Eyes, ears, and nose needed to know she hadn’t burned.

He’d used the blood tie to track his father from the UnderRealm, so cross-country, or countries, to find Charlie would be a piece of cake. Or, more probably, pie. Trouble was, he couldn’t count on Charlie to stay put and she traveled too quickly for him to keep up. He should go home. She always came home.

The dirt rolled up behind his claws like wood shavings as he gouged four lines into the partially frozen ground. Someday, she wouldn’t come home. Someday, the restrictions of family would outweigh the benefits and, like Auntie Catherine, she’d go Wild. Someday soon. He could feel her pulling away from the center of the family. Reluctantly, and not even entirely aware she was doing it, but he could feel it. He wasn’t the only one. He’d watched Allie watch Charlie and knew that half the time she called her home just to prove she still could. The rest of the time, her reasons were more obvious.