“And one dire wolf,” I added quickly. “The fiercest of them all.”
Satisfied, he laid his head back down, his blue eyes drifting closed.
All in all, a perfect day.
#
Casimir
Before we went inside for dinner, Seri handed us each a sprig of lavender. Zane sniffed his suspiciously.
“Trying to sedate us, sweetheart?”
“They symbolize devotion, dumbass.” Koa stuck his flower in his samurai topknot like a little flag.
“Practical, too,” Zane added, twirling his like a sword. “Medieval folks stuffed it in battle helmets to cover the stench of—”
“We’re aware,” I cut him off, tucking my lavender into the space between buttons on my henley.
“Gratitude flowers.” Seri squared her shoulders and folded her hands like a queen addressing court. “From me and Brumous.”
“No thanks needed, beloved,” Ko said with a smile.
Seri settled beside me, shoulder brushing mine. Brumous, of course, followed and flopped onto my feet, belly up, eyes daring me to resist. With a sigh, I scratched the soft spot below his ribcage.
“He likes you.” Her pinky finger hooked around mine through the pup’s fur.
“We tolerate each other,” I lied.
“Aw, c’mon, Cas. Admit it,” Zane drawled. “You’ve already mentally drafted a bar graph.Optimal Scratch Distribution Across Pack Members.”
I flicked a pebble at his shin.
This wasn’t what I’d envisioned for us when we escaped our father’s hold.
It was better.
So,somuch better.
3. Going to Die
Zane Cimmerian
The security room still smelled like fresh paint when I shoved open the reinforced door.
“Welcome toCasa de Paranoia!” I gestured at our haphazard fortress with a flourish. “Armory on your left, nerd nest straight ahead, and biohazard zone to the right. Complimentary tetanus shots at every station.”
“You’re blocking the doorway, comedian.” Stalking past me, Cas scrubbed his fingers across the faint scar where the hawk’s talon had sunk into his forearm hours earlier.
I dodged his shoulder-check, trailing him toward the stainless steel exam table dominating the lab section. The mangled hawk construct looked even worse under the harsh LED lights: Half its feathers had dissolved into black sludge that bubbled ominously against the containment runes.
“You’re still sparking.” Ko’s dark eyes locked onto Cas’ arm.
“Perks of maternal unit’s DNA contribution.” Cas flexed his fingers, tiny arcs of lightning crackling between his knuckles. “Built-in jumper cables.”
“Yeah? Then why’s your left pupil dilating faster than the right?” I hopped onto a nearby lab stool, the wheels groaning in protest. “Face it, Goldilocks. You’ve got magical rabies.”
He hadn’t inherited many gifts from his mother, only strategic mind, leadership skills out the ass, and exceptional combat skills. I always thought that protection from curses via lightning in his blood was the best one, though. Usually, it snuffed a hex out in a heartbeat, which made me hella curious to find out what that hawk had been carrying.
