Mama finished her lullaby. Then she looked up at Bruce with a narrowed eye. “You going to marry my boy?”
Bruce flushed. “I asked him last week.”
Laddin held up his hand and flashed the hardwood ring on his fourth finger. “I said yes.”
Mama nodded in approval. “Good.” Then she smiled. “I will put little Aaron to bed now, and then we will talk about how all this happened.”
Laddin flashed Bruce an “I’m so sorry” look, but Bruce merely shrugged. It was a good thing they’d long since sorted out what story to give to family and friends.
Everyone waited as Mama climbed the stairs. She’d started up the lullaby again but kept interspersing the lyrics with cooing sounds. Laddin knew she was echoing Aaron’s sounds. The boy had quite a repertoire of noises. He and Bruce had spent many evenings laughing together at the delightful sounds.
But the moment Mama was out of sight, Nana turned on them with sharp eyes and pointy nails. “How dare you!” she growled. “How dare you become a werewolf and not tell me!”
Laddin reared back in shock. “How do you know?”
“Because I can see it, child. On both of you.” Her eyes narrowed when she peered at Bruce. “You’re fairy-born, aren’t you?”
“Um… yes, ma’am?”
“Harrumph.” Then she grinned. “I was right about you, wasn’t I, Laddy-boy? I knew you would change to magic in your twenty-eighth year, and I was right!”
“Yes, Nana, you were. But we can’t tell—”
“I know, I know.” Then she got a canny look in her eye. “But do you want to know about Aaron’s future? I saw it in a dream—”
“No!” Laddin said, his voice hard. “Just because you were right about me, that doesn’t mean I enjoyed twenty-eight years of speculation about my death.”
Nana reared back, her expression hurt. “But I never said you’d die. It was a change to magic.”
That was the truth. She’d never claimed he’d pass away. She said he’d have a complete change of life from one state to another. It was everyone else who’d assumed he’d kick the bucket.
Meanwhile, Bruce squeezed his arm and gestured them into the kitchen. It was the only room besides the nursery that was fully unpacked. “Let’s get something to eat, okay? I’m starved, and the lasagna was a long time ago.”
Laddin nodded as he grabbed the baby monitor. He wanted to be able to hear everything that went on upstairs too. He turned to his grandmother. “And then you can tell us why you’re here.”
Nana blew out a breath. “We wanted to see you, of course! And I wanted to tell you all about my dream—”
“No,” Bruce said sternly. “No forecasting, no dreams, no stories. I know I just met you, ma’am, but I must insist on this. We do not need more drama around your great-grandson.”
Nana pursed her lips. She hated being stopped from her drama, her stories, and most of all, her forecasting. But then her expression softened.
“I can see that you love him,” she said, looking at Bruce and then back at Laddin.
“I do,” Bruce said.
“And I do too,” Laddin echoed.
“And the baby? Even though he’s a magical child?” Her voice trailed away, and Laddin was appalled to realize she knew a great deal more than she was letting on.
“We adore our son,” Laddin said.
Nana waited a dramatic moment. Her gaze was sharp, her mouth pursed. And then, with a happy clap, she giggled. “Then I’ll tell you that I saw Aaron has a long and very happy life. As long as you two surround him with love—”
“Nana!” Laddin cried. It was just like her to tell the baby’s fortune anyway, even though they didn’t want it.
“—then all six of you will live happily ever after.”
“Ma’am,” Bruce began, admonishment in his tone, but Laddin cut him off.
“Six, Nana? What do you mean six?”
“Didn’t I tell you?” She blinked wide and innocent eyes, as if she hadn’t planned this from the beginning. “Aaron won’t be your only magical child. There are three more in your future, and what an exciting future it will be!”
Laddin didn’t know how to respond to that. He was too busy looking at Bruce and wondering if the guy was about to turn tail and run.
But all Bruce did was grin. And then he leaned back against the stove. “Six, huh?” he asked. “Is at least one of them a girl?”
“Yes! And she flies!” Nana said while Laddin let out a low groan.
“Don’t encourage her.”
“I don’t think I can stop her,” Bruce argued.
Wasn’t that truth? Then Bruce held out his arm, and Laddin slipped easily into the space opened for him.
“You sure you want to hear this?” Laddin asked Bruce.
“Only if you do.” Then he looked at Nana. “And only if it’s good news and you swear to tell us and no one else. Especially not the kids.”
Nana pursed out her lips and then she lifted her chin. “Will you tell me the truth about how you came to be a fairy werewolf? How you saved Wisconsin and ended up with a magical child?”
Laddin and Bruce shared a look, the question and answer clear within a few breaths. Then, together, they nodded.
“Very well,” Laddin said. “It’s a deal, but I expect you to keep your word.”
“Of course,” Nana said. “I agree.” And then, to everyone’s shock, a tiny little butterfly floated up from the sleeve of her coat and danced away—the same thing that happened when a fairy made a promise.
Holy moly, Laddin realized with shock. Nana was a fairy. That was how she knew all this stuff. His grandmother was a fairy!
She must have seen the shock on his face and realized that he’d seen the butterfly and knew the significance of it. But all she did was sit down at the kitchen table and gesture at Laddin.
“Make me some tea, please. And then tell me everything! Your
