I noticed the father tense when the little one mentioned his mother. That put me on alert, but I tried not to lose my composure, to see if I could get Alexander to soften and have them both change into their human forms. I suspected it would be easier for me to deal with them if they didn’t look like fur-covered beings, and at the same time it would be easier for them too, since both of them also spent time as ordinary people, right? No. The truth was that Alexander’s appearance, although imposing and inspiring respect, prompted me to always keep more than three steps away from him and triggered my prey instinct, even though part of me was already at peace with “what was wrong” about his unreal appearance. His claws, his teeth, his strength—I felt him to be fearsome; I couldn’t help it. As
