B+Bs: To Stand In A Beast's World

87. The Curtis Question

With the three keeping busy, I sat down with Cooper one-on-one and talked about Curtis. No matter what decision I came to, I decided that asking my family to come to terms with a potential family member before I brought the new member in was the best course of action.

It might not change my decision in the end, but it would show me what I needed to work on before it actually happened. For Cooper, it seemed to be fear. Although he was trying his best to hide it, Cooper seemed awfully wary of Curtis at a level that was more instinctual. Having been on the receiving end of Curtis's tail once, I understood where Cooper was coming from.

I scratched my head and assured him that he didn't have to rush his decision for my sake. I had a feeling there was going to be a good deal of disagreement in the family over Curtis. And I would wait until they got comfortable enough with the idea before pushing it along. The last thing I need is more drama in the house.

Having made up my mind on the matter, the remaining tension in my shoulders loosened. Even if it took my family months or a year to get comfortable with the idea, I was okay. As selfish as it was—considering I was the one who signed us up for this situation in the first place—I wouldn't have to look at Curtis's genuine expressions and question myself anymore.

After Cooper was brought up to speed, I found my healer in his clinic, preparing herbs. He stopped what he was doing and lit up with a smile that made my heart dance.

"Harvey," I said softly.

Harvey noticed the peculiar mood and looked Grace up and down trying to understand. "Something good happened?"

I nodded and wrapped my arms around Harvey, startling him.

Harvey's cheeks warmed as he returned the hug. "Something very good?"

"Maybe. Honestly, I'm not sure." Letting Curtis in might end up being a very stressful move. Or, it could be one of the best things I've done lately. Time will tell.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I chuckled. "You've really come into your therapist role."

Harvey took the joking compliment with a little embarrassment. "Too much?"

I pulled away and looked him in the eye. "Never."

Harvey ran his hands down Grace's arms until he reached her hands. He clasped them in his before realization hit him. "Sorry." He released her hands despite not wanting to. "I've been processing herbs."

I glanced at my arms to find light smudges on them. "I don't mind them, you know." I took a look around. "Can I help?"

Harvey knew by now that telling her she didn't have to was pointless. Grace knew it wasn't necessary. She was offering because she wanted to. It warmed him up. "I'm actually almost done here."

Just as he said that, two males were rushed inside by two guards. Harvey heard them coming, but he only now was hit by the scent of blood.

"What happened," Harvey and I asked at the same time.

"Another feral attack on the border," said one burly tiger male.

I frowned. Feral attacks happened on and off, but they hadn't been large-scale ones. The time when Qingqing was almost taken would be the exception. Still, it was concerning that they were so bold.

I took a look at the two beaten males. One had one stripe and the other had none. They both looked young.

Harvey had already begun washing around the wounds on one of them, so I grabbed a rag and got to work on the other.