I frowned and tried looking around again, but the cavern wasn’t very large. Just like last time, she didn’t seem to be present, but I knew from experience that she might still be lurking somewhere.
“Unless mom shifted into a rock, I don’t see her,” Nero muttered.
Starry struggled in Xander’s grip hard enough that he placed her on the floor. She growled in her tiny voice and took off in the opposite direction.
“Star, wait!” I called.
Immediately worried, we ran after her as she exited the cavern.
“Why is she sofast?” I asked, bewildered.
I was aware of the others following us, their steps pounding against the hard-packed earth and stone. I looked down at the canyon floor. For a moment I was worried she’d fallen, but I didn’t see her anywhere.
“What the…?” I muttered.
“Sage, up there!” Xander called.
I frowned and followed his gesture. In my hurry to reach Dr. Pine, I hadn’t noticed it before, but there was now a new second set of steps leading up past her cavern to the top of the canyon. Starry was clambering up the final steps. She disappeared over the ridge.
Xander and I acted instinctively. We shifted like lightning and ran up the steps behind her.
As soon as we got to the flat surface at the very top of the canyon, we skidded to a halt. There were two small pools of water in front of us. Starry was drinking from one of them.
“Starry, you little troublemaker—”
I stopped when I saw Dr. Pine behind her. My face exploded into a huge grin.
She gently ushered Starry from one pool to the other. “Ah, the little one is thirsty, is she? Oh, dear, don’t drink from that one, the water’s salty. Try this one instead.”
“Doctor!” Xander called.
Dr. Pine didn’t seem surprised to see us at all. She gave a little wave. I noticed she’d replaced her usual wooden cane with a shovel. Did she dig out these pools of water all on her own?
I called over the edge, “Guys, c’mere, hurry!”
Nero grunted as he hauled himself up to the top of the canyon. “Hurry guys, c’mon guys, why are you people always in such a—”
He raised his head, then stopped.
Beside him, Nishiki was breathless and speechless, too.
Seeing all three of them together, it instantly became clear to me why Nero and Nishiki both looked familiar. It wasn’t just their resemblance to each other as brothers—it was the fact that they were both clearly Dr. Pine’s sons.
Their hug seemed to happen in slow motion. Nishiki and Nero ran towards her as she opened her arms to them, and they collided in a huge embrace.
I sniffled and wiped tears out of my eyes with a smile. I noticed that even Remington was tearing up, too.
Xander scooped up Starry and murmured to us, “Why don’t we give them some time alone?”
* * *
After we waitedout the emotional moment inside the cavern, Dr. Pine called us back up to the twin pools.
Nero had mentioned earlier that he wasn’t as sensitive as his brother, but he was the one with puffier eyes when we returned. Still, all three of them looked happy as clams. It warmed my heart that we could help reunite them.
“Dr. Pine, did you make these pools yourself?” I asked, then gasped. “Wait. Are they for Nero and Nishiki?”
Dr. Pine chuckled. “They sure are. One freshwater and one saltwater. And yes, I did.” She showed off a bicep. “I’m not too old for a little elbow grease, young pup.” She turned to Xander. “After you and I spoke, a curious thought came to me. When you mentioned an alpha who could not shift, I wondered if it was one of my boys.”
