Page 72 of Fastlander Fighter

She didn’t know how she knew, but she felt it in her bones—everything had happened for a reason.

And everything…everything…was going to be okay.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“I’m scared.”

Sloane eased her eyes open to find Ruger standing by the bed in Captain’s single-wide trailer.

She pushed up on her elbow and ran her fingers through his hair, mussing it. “What are you afraid of? Me being Turned?” That would make sense, because today was the day.

“No. I had a bad dream,” he said, crawling over her to place himself directly in between her and Captain, who had eased his eyes open in the early dawn light filtering through the window.

“What was the dream about?”

“I was swimming, and a big salmon tried to bite off my toes.”

Captain chuckled, and buried his face in the pillow to hide it.

“It’s not funny,” Ruger groused.

“Boy, you always tell us you had that dream when you want me to take you fishing,” Captain said, scooping him up and carrying him out of bed. “Come on, let’s go make your mom some coffee.”

“Coffee is gross.”

“Hey,” Sloane called. “Did you let him try coffee?”

“Probably not,” Captain called over his shoulder, hefting Ruger over his shoulder and carrying him like a sack of potatoes.

“After today I’ll be able to hear a lie!” she teased.

Sloane relaxed back in bed to the sound of her boys’ conversation about whether Ruger wanted chocolate milk or regular milk with breakfast.

This.

This was the thing she’d always wished for but hadn’t really known existed.

The last few weeks, Captain had stepped up and stepped in, and was now a full-time assistant coach for Ruger’s baseball team. He even had a jersey and everything. He distracted her when they didn’t have custody days with Ruger, and was completely involved when they got Ruger back.

And Ruger was happy. She could tell.

His favorite thing was staying over at the trailer park. The Fastlanders loved him and were like aunts and uncles to her boy, and this was the family she’d always wished for.

Today would be huge.

She pushed up and sat on the edge of the bed. She grinned as Ruger moved carefully down the hallway with an iced coffee with caramel creamer, just for her. It was filled to the top, and he sloshed a little, but he did pretty well.

“Thank you,” she said as he climbed up on the bed next to her.

“Captain said he is going to register you for a card, and then you will be able to sign autographs.”

She took a sip and hid her smile. No one would want an autograph from her, but she loved that he was excited to add his mother to his card collection. “Are you nervous?” she asked him.

“No. I’m excited. Silver said she will just bite you once, or maybe twice if it doesn’t take.”

Captain came in to lean against the doorframe, and he smiled sleepily at her. They had discussed at great length whether to wait until Ruger was with Ryan to have Silver Turn her, but here was the thing. Captain was adamant about Ruger not being Turned until he was an adult and mature enough to understand the process, and all the pros and cons. But…he also thought Ruger should see what it was like, because Sloane’s new lioness would be a part of their life now. She would be a part of their family.

Sloane trusted Captain to shield Ruger from anything traumatizing. If she was Changing too much in the beginning, or anything like that. He would take him on an adventure and get him distracted. He would make good memories while the girls got her back on track.

---