“That isn’t a good idea,” Dad says, glaring at Tucker. “Why not? It’s barely ten minutes away.” “Please, Dad?” I give him the look, again. He smiles at me, then frowns at Tucker. Tucker rolls his eyes, Dad crosses his arm over his chest. Tuck throws his arms in the air and Dad glares harder. What is going on? Are they…? Am I being excluded from an argument in my own dream? “Are you two reading each other’s mind or something?” “No.” Dad’s expression soften’s as he looks at me. “Then there’s something wrong with my ears,” I reply, irritated. “Because I didn’t hear anything of whatever that was about.” Dad throws an annoyed look at Tucker, who smirks. “I’m sorry. Are you sure you want to go? I was planning on letting you get used to everything on the islands first. There’s a lot you—” “I want to go. I’ve never been to Vegas.” I’m not missing a chance to visit that place, even a dream version of it. “Alright,” he said with a sigh, then smiles at me. “Yes!” someone exclaims, and I think I recognize the voice as Virgil. “I’m getting hovers dispatched. Four going to be enough?” I don’t question how I might know him just from one word. I’m just happy the dream’s giving me the information, instead of having me flounder in embarrassment. “We fit into two,” Violet replies. “How about we don’t overwhelm my son,” Dad says. “Please?” “If space is that much of a concern for you, old man,” Tucker says. “I can requisition a troupe transport.” Virgil rolls his eyes. “Those things aren’t allowed over the cities.” Tucker snorts. “I know people, remember? I can convince the right ones to ignore the sensors for the time it takes to get to a landing pad and out.” “Really?” Virgil replied in a definitely mocking tone. “The great General Tucker Orr is going to put his c—foot down and get people to dance to his tune?” now I’m curious what ‘C’ word Virgil was about to use, because I know he glanced in my direction before changing his mind. “Get real. This is a family outing. Not a deployment where you get to throw yourself out well before landing.” Dad places a hand on my shoulder as I look between the two of them. Again, this doesn’t sound particularly loving. “It’s not as bad as it looks,” he tells me. “Those two have had a rivalry going ever since Virgil was able to climb on Tuck’s lap. It’s loving griping that you’re hearing.” They’re glaring at each other a lot harder than Dad glared at Tuck. None of that looks loving. Virgil disengages with a grin and turns to the elevator. “The hovers are going to be waiting for us when we get there.” Tucker smirks, notices me looking and winks. Dad urges me forward. “Let’s get there first so we get to pick who rides with us instead of being stuck with whatever hover still has room.” Those already in it make space for us. It’s Violet, Felix, Eugene, and Edison, and those two keep jostling each other and giggling like children. I’m surprised Tucker doesn’t sneak in at the last moment, since this was his idea, and I didn’t see him in the crowd in the time it takes the door to close. After… well… “How tall is the building?” feels like we should have reached the ground floor already. “Felix?” Dad asks. “Don’t you know?” I ask him. He already seems to know everything. “Eight hundred and twenty-two.” There’s no way that’s in feet. “Meters?” even that doesn’t seem enough. “Floors,” Felix says. “The entire corporation is run from here,” Dad adds. That’s… I think that’s more than the Empire State building. “How tall is that?” How many floor in that Dubai building? I sort of remember it being half a mile tall, but how many floors is that? “Well,” Edison says, while Felix gives a disinterested shrug. “Let’s say each floor is five meters in height.” “Which it isn’t,” Eugene says. After the jostling, Edison is now behind Eugene, arms around his stomach and head resting on his shoulder while his brother leans back against him. “You want to do the math on fraction of a meter and explain that to him?” Edison says. While there is a bit of sharpness in the tone, there’s something tender about the way he holds his brother and I can easily— No. How about I don’t imaging brothers fucking? No matter how hot that would be? “Call it an even four thousand meters,” Edison tells me. I stare at him. I don’t actually know how tall that is—I suck at metric conversion—but I know that four kilometers if a lot more than half a mile. I’m saved from having to come up with a response by the doors opening and the people on the other side. A lot of people. A lot of animal people. I don’t see one human; I grin as I look at all those different furries. “Why are they all there?” Dad demands. “How come no one cleared the lobby?” This is a lobby? I look through the crowd and can’t even see columns supporting the ceiling that’s just to be twenty feet high. I certainly am not seeing walls. “We can’t shut down the building, Lucas,” Violet says, “are you going to demand we empty Vegas too? Look at him smile.” I step out and the giggle escapes. So many different species. There’s a moose in nothing but shorts so tight they might as well be painted on. I can even make out the crown of his cock. There’s a mongoose who’s topless and my ears fold back at the sight of another set of exposed breast before I avert my gaze. They are way bigger than Violet’s. Then it’s trying not to look at other exposed breasts. It’s like no one is covering themselves, and even those coverings are clearly not there to hide anything. The shirts are loose and open so that breasts are flashed here and there. Then I freeze. That gorilla is naked. Cock hanging out, naked. “It’s impolite to stare,” Eugene whispers in my ear, pulling me away. “He’s naked,” I say dumbly. “So he is. He isn’t the only one.” And with him saying that, I realize there are many more exposed cocks. Almost more of them than covered ones, as well as exposed woman parts and—I look up. “Isn’t he here to work?” “He might not,” Edison says, arm in arm with Eugene. “He might be meeting up with someone to—” “Eddie,” Dad warns, then sighs. “This is why I wanted to wait, Kristoff. I wanted the time to explain how things are different here.” “It’s okay, Dad.” We’re attracting attention. People stop, a crowd forms, but they keep their distance. “Don’t listen to the old man,” Violet says, smirking as I finally see the outside through what has to be the largest wall of glass ever. “He’s an old curmudgeon.” “What are you talking about, Vi?” Dad protests. “I’m barely a third your age. You’re the old one.” She snorts in a definitely unlady-like way. “I have a young spirit, while you were old the day you were taken out of the box.” “Being protective of my sons doesn’t make me old.” “Just let the kid enjoy himself, Lu,” Edison tells my dad. “You are all insane,” Dad grumbles. Felix grins at me. “Sanity’s overrated.” My chuckle is cut by watching someone walk through the glass wall. I glance at the others, who don’t seem to be noticing as we are walking toward the wall. There aren’t any doors, and more people are walking through it. We aren’t slowing and I force myself to stay with them and not tense in preparation for smacking myself against it. It’s a dream. The laws of physic don’t have to apply. Except, just about everything else does in this dream and—tense—we’re through and a gust of wind staggers me. I look over my shoulder the, “How?” escaping before I think better of it. Dad looks at me, ears canted, then where I’m looking. He frowns. “It’s a force field,” Edison says. I guess that makes sense, in a dream kind of way. But if we walked through it. “How do you keep the rain out?” “The density’s set to keep that out too,” Eugene replies. “Not that it rains here during the day.” He sniffs, frowns, then looks up. There are more clouds in the sky. “Did someone change the schedule? Smells like there’s a storm on the way.” I sniff the air, trying to pick up on what he did. “No, it’s still the same,” Felix says. “Light cloud cover throughout the day, rain over the ocean tonight.” Eugene sniffs again. “It might be glitching again.” “It better not,” Dad says before I can ask Eugene what he’s smelling. “If the weather ruins Kristoff’s day, I am going to have a talk with the person in charge.” He fixes his gaze on Felix. “Don’t look at me,” he replies. “The weather’s way below any of us. But I sent a requisition to have a tech look the system over. Which you could have done, instead of trying to impress your son with how powerful you are.” I only pay half attention to what they are saying. I’m enjoying looking at all the barely and not at all dressed guys walking to and from the building. Every furry has to be represented among them. Wait. No, some are missing. “No birds?” I ask as we crest a small hill. I get frowns, then dad, Violet and Eugene look around until she points to a copse. “There’s a flock right there.” I move my gaze up until I see the birds flying above the trees. “I mean among the people. No bird furries?” “Furries?” Eddie looks Eugene over, grinning. “Okay, I can see it.” “Bird never evolved,” Dad says. “Why?” “Oh.” Eugene grins as Dad opens his mouth. “That is never a good sign.” He grins at Edison. “Remember when we went through our why phase?” Edison shakes his head vehemently. “I was way too old to do any of that stuff.” “You were four, just like me.” The smile says there is a lot more to it than what’s implied. “Come on, Eug. Let me live that down, will you?” I look at Dad for some insight, but he shrugs. “It isn’t like they ever share what their youth was like with us kids.” They don’t comment, too busy hip checking each other and giggling at it. At the bottom of the hill there’s a large square pad with four…well, I guess they’re the hovers Felix said he called for it. Somehow, I expected something more… ship like. I’ve seen enough science fiction movies. My dream should be able to populate it with stuff that looks less like those boxes. Dad angles us toward the closest, while Eugene, Edison, and Violet head for another one. “Why aren’t they coming with us?” “Those two are probably planning on things they know I’ll object to,” Dad replies, but there’s no reproach in his voice. “Do they cause a lot of trouble?” they’re now tickling each other. “No,” Felix says, taking the three steps to enter the hover. “But they have no self-control. You’d think they’re barely a hundred, instead of one-eighty and some.” “And speaking of no self control,” Dad says as he urges me up the steps. “And I love you too, nephew mine,” Tucker replies, already seated in one of the banquets. The four sides are lined with them, with only space for the door. The roof is high enough I can stand with a foot of space left. We can probably fit over a dozen people in here easy. “How did you get here before us?” I ask Tucker as I sit. I tense as I sink into the cushion, but it firms up before swallowing me whole, and then it’s very comfortable. “Oh, you know, I just—” “Commandeered another elevator,” Dad finishes, tone full of reproach. Tucker grins. “The express one.” I didn’t notice other elevators, but it isn’t like I studied the roof. By the time the door closes, five others have joined us. I recognize Kirk and Lewis instantly, but no one else. A man’s voice comes from around us. “Destination, Vegas. Flight Duration, Thirty minutes.” One of the guy whose name just won’t come to me, no matter how much I prod the dream, looks at us before settling his gaze on Dad. “Why are we taking so long?” “I want the time to explain a few things to Kristoff, since someone couldn’t control himself and just had to take over the plan.” He glares at Tucker, who just grins and leans back, arms on the top of the banquette like he owns the place. There’s a general sense of relaxations after that, with the others leaning back too, or against each other. I find I envy how comfortable they are and consider doing the same against Dad, but I can already imagine where my mind’s going to take that and… yeah, it’s probably not the best thing to do. “I’m okay,” I tell him when I notice the concerned way he’s looking at me. He smiles. “I’m sure you are.” He turns to face me, and I do the same. His expression turns serious. “Now, I want you to listen to me carefully.” I nod. “You saw how some of the people were naked, right?” I grin. “Oh, yeah.” And that was more than ‘some’. “It’s going to be much the in Vegas. We have a higher tolerance for nudity than you’re used to.” I grin wider. “It’s okay, Dad. I’m—” “Kristoff,” his tone turns stern, “I need you to take this seriously.” I wipe the grin off my face. “Sorry.” “It isn’t your fault. But it’s why I was planning on giving you an orientation before we scheduled any outings.” He looks at Tucker again before focusing back on me. Tucker doesn’t look impressed at all. “What you need to understand is that you’re going to see more than nudity. You’re going to see people having sex.” “Wait. Are you taking me to a sex club?” Dad’s head snaps to Tucker. “Not today,” he says through clenched teeth. “Hey, you’re in charge, old man,” Tucker replies with a shrug. Dad takes a breath before looking at me. “People are going to have sex outside.” “Like on the street?” Kirk snorts. “No one’s that rude.” “They’ll be in the park,” Dad says. “And on patios of some of the shops.” “Wait, so people just…grab someone and start having sex?” that is… I don’t know, kind of extreme? “No, they ask for permission.” Dad looks really serious now. “That’s what you need to understand, Kristoff. Here, No means no.” “Okay.” Come on Dad, I am familiar with the concept. “No, Kristoff. I’m serious. This isn’t like where you liv—” “I get it,” I hurry to say before he brings that place up. “No means no.” I smile at the idea of saddling close to a guy, getting him to change his mind. I can be— His sigh is filled with annoyance and disappointment. My ears fold back and my face burn. “This isn’t something you can take lightly,” he says. “You can ask anyone you want to have sex with them. But if they say no, you drop it.” “But what if they’re being coy?” “No, Kristoff.” He’s nearly snapping and I recoil. He catches his breath. “This isn’t something you play around with. If someone tells you know, it’s the end of it. And it isn’t just about sex. If you want something they have, you’re allowed to ask. If they say no, you drop it.” “Okay, but—” “Kristoff,” he warns with such severity I almost smile. “It’s not about that. When Tucker—” “Tuck,” Tucker says. “Balls, call me Tuck. Tucker makes me sound older than your dad.” “When Tuck offered to get a troupe transport, Virgil said no, but he tried again anyway.” His sigh sounds tired this time. “Okay. Ignoring it’s Tuck we’re talking about here.” The way he says that tells me there is quite a story there. “That was just talking. No one was taking from someone else, or pushing himself on them. I mean, when there’s an exchange going on. Sex, favors, a possession. In those situations, if they say no. It’s what it means.” “So if we’re talking, no just means we disagree. As part of physical interaction, no puts an end to it.” “Exactly.” “Got it,” I saw solemnly. He studies my face and I give him the most sincere expression I can. I mean, I do get it. And as fun as it is to imagine, I don’t really play games with the guys I go out with. This being a dream should let me get away with more, but again, it’s setting the rules really close to… “One last thing,” he says. “Under no circumstances are you to do anything Tuck suggests and never ask for his advice on how to act around people.” “I can hear you, you know,” Tuck says from the opposite banquet. “Good, then how about you listen, for once?” Tuck winks at me, and when I check with Dad, he shrugs. The message is clear. He gave me his advice; the rest is up to me. I don’t want him angry with me, but… “Go head,” he says. “I shouldn’t be saying that about your uncle. Just use your own judgement. I’m worried he’s going to be a bad influence on you.” “You sure it’s okay?” “You go.” I hesitate as he looks about to say something, but when he doesn’t, I stand. Tuck pats his lap as I reach him. “Hop on.” I almost don’t. I doubt it’s appropriate, then I remind myself this is a dream and I sit across his lap. I keep forgetting that when it matters the most with how normal it all seems. A shiver runs down my spine as he places a hand on my thigh and I lean against his chest. “Why doesn’t my Dad like what you might tell me?” I swallow as he traces circles along my thigh. “Is the expression ‘it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission’ one you’ve heard before?” “Sure.” I run a finger through his chest fur. It’s so dense. “It’s my motto. So all that stuff your dad said about consent—” “You don’t believe in it,” I state. He smells good. There’s a manliness to Dad’s smell, but it’s more intense in Tuck. He laughs. “Oh, I most heartedly do. I just find that guy are more likely to say yes if my hand is already in their pants stroking their cock.” “Tucker!” Dad exclaims. “Oh, lay off Lucas. We’re just talking.” The circling finger moves to the insider of my leg, then up. “What if they don’t want you to do that?” I so want to lick his fur, taste that smell. “They tell me no.” He places his other arm around my shoulders, which presses me against him. It’s nice. Not like when he hugged me, but nice in a way that’s got my cock hard and me wanting to do stuff that is so inappropriate with an uncle. Except, he’s not really my uncle, right? He’s older than my dad by a couple of generations. Not that we’re talking reproduction here, but we are barely related by this point, right? And his finger is getting close to my balls without stopping. All I really have to do is ask. That’s how this works here. I raise my head, and he chuckles. It’s not mocking, more like my expression tells him I might be slightly out of it. And he was talking, wasn’t he? “Sorry, what did you say?” The finger stops moving, and he squeezes my thigh. “I was telling you how this one time, this elephant took exception to being fondled and decked me.” “He hit you?” I look him over real quick for an injury, but that was stupid. It had happened well before. Then I’m outraged someone laid a hand on my uncle. He’s a general, doesn’t that make him too important for someone to touch him like that? “Oh yeah. I felt it for the next two days. Half my face barely worked. You have no idea how hard it is to suc—” he looks at my Dad, who is glaring. “Anyway. He hit me hard enough my brothers hoped it knocked just a little sense into me, but it isn’t like shaking this—” he taps the side of his head “—is going to change what comes out of my mouth, or what I do…with it.” He smirks, and I chuckle. I can’t help it. I know dad’s not happy right now, but Tuck’s my really cool uncle. “So, what did you do?” “Waited until I could close my mouth properly before I—” “I mean, what did you do about him?” Good, I stopped him before he put the image of his mouth around my co—stop it! “I don’t get the question.” “He hit you. Didn’t you call the police on him?” “Why would I do that?” His ears cant quizzically. “He hit you,” I repeat, enunciating each word. “And I grabbed his cock without his permission. Decking me was the least of what he could do to me. It was well within his rights to take legal action.” “Still is,” Felix says. “Nah, we shook on it afterward. But that’s the thing your dad’s trying to get to understand. When I grope the guy, I broke the law.” “But you run things, right? You’re a general.” “Oh, balls no. That’s Kade’s deal. Can you imaging me, in charge of anything that takes serious thinking? I’d have dropped a satellite on Vanguard just because the old broad Amiolet sneezed.” “Okay, fine. But you’re still important.” “But I’m not above the law, Kristoff. None of us are. Consent is THE core principle of the corporation. I can’t do something to a guy without his consent with impunity. I’m not going to get a new personality because of it, but—” “We’ve been tempted,” someone says, “but we decided you’re so stubborn it wouldn’t take.” “Suck my cock, Lance.” My eyes grow wide and Tuck winks at me while Lance gives a horrified look in my dad’s direction. “If you’re going to break the law, Kristoff, you have to be willing to pay the price. It could be a fist to the face, or a lawsuit. But you can’t go to your dad, or to me, complaining they had no right to hit you. Is that clear?” I nod, rest my head back against his chest and go back to running a finger through his thick fur. I’m not thinking about what he said, but about the fact that his hand is no longer close to my groin. I push in the fur as I move my finger and I feel him shudder, so I push harder. He winces and I pull my hand away, ears burning. “Careful with that,” he said. “It’s sharper than you think.” I look at the tip of my fur covered fingers. The index has a smear of blood on it. “How?” He takes my finger and presses neat the tip and a claw pops out. “I am so sorry. I didn’t know.” He nuzzles the side of my head, letting out a soft chuckle. “It’s okay. You’ll get used to them and you’ll learn how to extend them on purpose, instead of when pressure is applied. “I hope so. I really am sorry, I didn’t want—” He squeezes my leg. “It’s okay. You took a risk with something and it didn’t come out the way you’d hoped. I get it. See, that’s exactly my thing, and what the others don’t get.” He pauses. “No, they get it, in that they understand what I’m doing. They just don’t understand how it can bother me so little. I take risk, and if it doesn’t go my way, I pay the price. One day it means a guy decks me for grabbing his cock. Another it might be I get a leg blown off because I rushed into battle ahead of the unit.” “You go into battle?” He looks at me as if the question is a surprise. “I am a soldier.” “But you’re a general.” He sighs. “I never asked for that. They dumped that on me sixty years or so ago. They thought that the title would force me to waste my days sitting at desk instead of having fun kicking Vanguard soldier’s asses. And to be fair to me, I tried to play it their way. I spent two weeks without ever leaving Tactical.” “Why didn’t that work?” I ask. “Well, by then none of the guys there could walk straight anymore and I’d blown up two of the data mainframes.” I stare at him, eyes wide, and he grins. “Turn out those things aren’t built as solid as they advertize. You would think they can take three guys on top of them fucking like maniacs, but no.” He stretched the ‘no.’ “I was certain it was just a defective design, so we moved to another one and went right back at it. It shattered too. Turns out they just can’t handle that kind of thrusting force.” Tuck looks down and grins. I’m hard and he’s looking. “How old are you?” I have to get the image of my burning hot uncle fucking two other guys out of my head before I pop. Was he in the middle? Is Tuck a top or a bottom? This isn’t helping. “I’m more than a hundred,” he replied with a chuckle. “Less than two.” He leans in and whispers. “It helps if you stop trying not to think about it.” I giggle, hiccup, then cough. I press myself against him, wishing I could vanish. He’d realized why I was hard and he’d— Wait a minute. Why do I keep doing that? This is my dream. His story made it clear how he went about showing he was interested, and he moved his hand away before reaching my balls. So that’s not happening. But he doesn’t look embarrassed at the idea I imagined him having sex, so why should I? I breathe in his oh so manly scent and try to will him to put his hand in my pants and stroke my cock; but not too hard. I kinda wish he wasn’t family, but I don’t want to fight the dream and risk waking him. I’d love to feel his cock thrusting in me, but if the price for a family that loves me is I don’t get to have sex all the hot guys, I’m okay with that. Tuck chuckles. “Are you comfortable there?” I tense. “Isn’t this okay?” I thought he was okay with me thinking of him sexually. His arm around me tightens slightly. “Oh, no worries there. It’s great. But I think there’s something you’ll want to see.” He nods to the left and I look there, and realize I don’t know if I’m looking ahead of behind. There are no windows, and I can’t feel the hover’s motion. Then the wall’s gone, and behind the guys seated there is the sky. And the floor’s gone too, with the ocean under us. I grab onto Tuck in fear of falling, and he chuckles again. And no one else is reacting, like it’s something they see all the time. Which I guess it is. “Tucker,” Dad growls. “What did you do?” Ahead, I can see a beach of white sand, a city behind, and a tower losing itself in the sky. Oh, and the roof’s gone too. How can anyone find this anything but extraordinary? “I’m just letting him see what’s ahead.” “You didn’t even ask permission.” “It’s okay, Dad.” I’m pretty sure my voice is filled with awe, but I’m too busy trying to make out details. “I don’t mind.” “See, no need to freak, Lucas. It’s not like he’s going to fall through the floor or anything.” “That isn’t the point. Uncle said not to—” Dad shuts up and I force my gaze away from sight to look at them glaring silently. It feels like another silent argument, but I don’t let it bother me this time. I don’t see what the big deal with making the hover transparent is. “What’s that?” I point to the tower. Virgin looked in that direction and after second, smiles. “That’s the old space elevator.” “I can take an elevator all the way to space?” He chuckles. “Not anymore. They decommissioned it about forty years ago. Once public transit was refitted for high orbit travels. Vi’s the one to ask about the details if you’re interested. She was in charge of the costs analysis and all that. It’s a museum now. The carts go up about two hundred kilometers. When ever those two stop arguing, you can ask your dad.” “So, they are talking. Even if I can’t hear them.” Virgil smiles. “Be glad you can’t. Calling that talking is being very generous.” “You can hear them?” “Oh no. They went full privacy. But I’ve had the…privilege of being around when one of those went full vocal.” He pats the banquet next to him. “Sit here. I can turn off the view, if you want.” “No, I want to see. It’s like we’re flying.” I sit, and after hesitating, leans into him. He places an arm around my shoulder. “We are flying.” “I mean really flying. Not riding in a hover.” I point to the opaque back, which is what I’m now facing. “Can you make that vanish? I want it to feel like there’s nothing around me.” Virgil looks at the tigers glaring at each other. “Might be best for you to ask your father to do that. But after this is done.” I look at the anger on both their faces. Virgil’s arm tightens. “They don’t hate each other, if that’s what you’re worried about. What you’re seeing is just an ongoing disagreement over attitude. You’ll come to see your father’s somewhat conservative and Tuck…well, I think he considers even liberals too conservative for his taste. Having you involve is exacerbating things a bit, because Lucas worked hard to get you back and he wants everything to be perfect. He’s worried Tuck’s thoughtlessness is going to get you hurt.” “But I can’t get hurt.” I really wish the dream would stop acting like this is real at the most inconvenient times. I want to have fun with this. Tuck looks in my direction and winks, while Dad harrumphs and crosses his arms over his chest. From the looks of him, this wasn’t an argument, while Dad’s definitely not happy. I sit next to Dad and lean into him. He places an arm around my shoulder and kisses the top of my head. “He didn’t do anything wrong, Dad.” “He did.” He sighs. “He didn’t ask for your permission.” “But I’m happy he showed me.” “That isn’t the point, Kristoff. He made an assumption he had no business making. Especially not after taking the time to explain how important consent it. He could have scared you.” I look at the approaching city. “How is showing him this a risk?” I search for the casinos, but I can’t make them out. Of course, it’s not like I’ve seen more than pictures of them, and the dream is in the future, so they probably don’t even look like that here. His arm tightens around more. “I’ll explain later. Okay? I don’t want anything to distract you from enjoying your day.” “It really is amazing.” I watch the buildings become larger. There are towers, but on the whole it’s all a lot more subdued than I expect. With its reputation, I expected Vegas to be… extravagant, but while there are a few big buildings, it’s all very…mundane. I notice other hovers, but not a lot of them. Definitely not as many as I’d expect as part of the traffic for a city. Then my heart climbs in my throat as the ground approaches way too fast. I grip Dad’s legs and—I’m only seeing the walls of the hover. “Dad, I was enjo—” my hand still grips his thigh, and my claws are out. I yank my hand away and search the tips for blood. “It’s okay.” Dad holds me against him. “The fabric hardened before they pierced it.” I look at his slacks. “They do that?” He chuckles. “I’ll explain that later. Right now, all I want from you is to enjoy your day.” “I will.” I lean into him while I wait for the door to open.