Griffin let out a nervous laugh before clearing his throat. "Well… uh… Believe it or not, we actually met when Nathan got caught in one of my hunting traps."
Leandra let out a gasp. "What? Griffin DeLuca! What were you doing that this young man got caught in your trap?!" Leandra raged at her son.
Nathan flinched at the loud volume.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dear," Leandra soothed, lowering her voice. "Your hearing must be sensitive."
Nathan peeked over at his mother-in-law, nodding slightly. He took a moment to collect himself, taking comfort from Griffin, who hadn't stopped rubbing his back. "It wasn't his fault I ended up in the trap," he finally whispered.
"Yes it was, dear. Don't protect him."
Nathan shook his head hard before continuing. "It really wasn't. I was doing my own hunting and didn't realize it was a trap until it was too late. I'm actually lucky he let me go instead of thinking I was prey."
Leandra couldn't hide her shock at what Nathan was saying. "He's not a cannibal. Why would you think that?"
Nathan's breath grew jagged, unable to tell Leandra what he was.
Griffin leaned down, whispering lightly in Nathan's ear, "Do you want me to tell her?"
Nathan nodded, trying to steady his breathing.
Griffin leaned back, pulling Nathan closer to him. "It was a wolf that was in my trap," he said simply, not breaking eye contact with his mother.
There was a heavy silence in the room as Leandra processed what Griffin said.
"A wolf? But… I thought…" she trailed off, her eyes going wide.
"Yes, mom. He's a werewolf. The last one."
Leandra's jaw dropped as she stared at the two across from her. "Goddess protect us," she whispered. "A werewolf."
Collecting herself, Leandra slowly moved to kneel right in front of the trembling wolf, gently placing her hand on his head. "You're safe with us. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Nathan had stiffened again at the foreign touch but slowly relaxed when Leandra only lightly stroked his hair.
The three of them spent the rest of the morning talking about nothing until after lunch when Leandra surprised them.
"Nathan, I want to see you shift."
The dish Nathan'd been washing slipped out of his hand, splashing back into the soapy water. Slowly, he turned. "Why?"
Leandra gave him a tender look. "It's not that I don't believe you, but it is hard to imagine that there is still a werewolf in this world without proof."
[Want me to take over?] Axel suddenly asked.
Nathan startled slightly at the unexpected question before Axel continued.
[I can feel your soul trembling at the thought of shifting in front of her. I can do it while you rest if you want.]
Nathan closed his eyes, trying to decide what he wanted to do. Finally he whimpered, "Yes, please. It was hard enough the first time with Griffin."
Axel badly wished he was able to physically comfort his partner at that moment. To nuzzle up against Nathan to let him know that he was there for him.
Axel gently nudged Nathan, encouraging him to give up control. As Nathan retreated, ready for a break, Griffin's voice came across the bond.
"Rest, love. Axel and I will take care of everything."
That was the last thing Nathan heard before everything around him faded to black.