Wild Invitation

tiny familial network.
    Judd was the first one she’d seen, his assassin’s gaze never moving off the grim-eyed SnowDancer soldiers who’d escorted the family into the infirmary. She’d known at once that he’d kill to protect the others. Then her eyes had connected with those of lightest green; she’d seen the way the stranger held the child in his arms, and she’d understood that this man might well be the more dangerous one in spite of his outward calm.
    Marlee, when she’d woken at last, had been a shell-shocked waif, all huge eyes the same shade as her father’s in a bone-white face. It had taken months for her cheeky, vivacious personality to emerge. Walker, Lara realized, had had to watch for years as his daughter was taught to be a well-mannered cog in the PsyNet machine, her spirit crushed at every turn.
    Cupping his face, she said, “You got her out, made sure she’ll never have to Silence her personality again.”
    An unexpected glint of humor. “I dare anyone to attempt to Silence Marlee now.”
    Lara laughed, then gasped as his hand moved over her lower curves. “I see you’re fully awake.”
    “Hmm.” It was a low, deep sound she’d become used to in the hours since their mating, the sound her mate made when he was far more interested in something else.
    Initiating a kiss as he brought her over his body, her nipples rubbing against the crisp abrasion of his chest and one of his hands fisted in her hair, Lara was thinking this was a fine,
fine
way to wake up from a nap when the comm beeped.
    She groaned, her body crying foul. “I have to get that.” As SnowDancer’s healer, she never ignored a comm alert.
    Walker was already reaching out to press the audio-only answer key on the touchscreen. “It’s not an emergency code.”
    “Doesn’t mean anything. Some of the juveniles break a leg, then don’t use the emergency code because they ‘can take the pain.’” Shifting to lie flat on her back, she wrenched her frustrated body under some sort of control, as Walker said, “Yes?” into the comm.
    A startled silence, followed by a hesitant young voice. “Um…can I talk to Lara?”
    Recognizing it, Lara sat up. “Silvia?” The girl was one of the most stable teens in the pack, and she wouldn’t be calling Lara now if it wasn’t important. “What’s happened?”
    “I just got back on one of the evac transports.”
    Inside her, Lara’s wolf raised its head in a howl, happy that more and more of the pack’s young had begun to return to the den from the safe areas where they’d weathered the storm of battle. “Go on,” she encouraged the girl when Silvia hesitated.
    “I know you must be exhausted”—apology in every syllable—“but the pup I was buddied up with won’t stop crying because his mom and dad aren’t here. I would contact the nursery, but I know how much Mason likes you…”
    “I’ll be right there.” Already up, she began to pull on her jeans, aware of Walker doing the same. “In the meantime, tell Mason his parents are fine. Your group came in a couple of hours early—his mom and dad are still out on the perimeter.”
    When she finished dressing and turned, it was to find Walker with a cell phone in hand. “I’ll get in touch with them.”
    Promising herself she’d pet her way across that finely honed chest tonight, she blew him a kiss and jogged to the area just outside the den that was the drop-off zone.
    “Lara!” Mason whimpered and clung to her like a little monkey the instant he saw her.
    “Hush now, baby.” Cuddling him, Lara pulled back enough that she was looking into his eyes. Unlike Silvia, she was anadult, the hierarchy crystal clear—Mason’s wolf snapped to attention, even as his rich brown eyes swam huge and wet. “Your mom and dad are on their way,” she said, certain Walker would’ve ensured that outcome. “They aren’t hurt.”
    His lower lip quivered. “Coming?”
    “Yes. They’re so excited to see you again.” Kissing his wet cheek, she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Now your bus has arrived super early and surprised them. Did it have wings?”
    The boy shook his head. “No…I didn’t see.”
    “Shall we go have a look?”
    The three of them were walking around the armored evac vehicle, Mason engrossed with checking every nook and cranny for wings, when two out-of-breath adults burst into the clearing. “Mason!”
    “Mommy! Daddy!”
    Grinning as the pup, who’d spontaneously