I reached out one hand to touch her knee, and she flinched.
Our belovedflinched.
Fromme.
“People say that,” she whispered, her eyes dropping to her twisting fingers, “before they realize what it costs to keep promises.”
Trust. Such a fragile thing, and hers had been shattered too many times already.
“Brummy isn’t going anywhere, angel.” Zane angled one of the wolf’s paws to lay across her thigh. “Neither are you.”
“That’s right,” I agreed. “We won’t separate you two. Right,Casimir?”
Twisting his knuckle between his eyebrows, he sighed, then dropped his hand only to clench it into a fist.
“Right,” he spat and marched from the room.
And Seri’s head dropped until her chin touched her chest.
“Is he mad at me?”
How could a handful of words, barely breathed, shatter a man?
“No, sweet girl.” I gave her a small smile. “Never at you. At the situation, maybe, but never at you.”
“Cas doesn’t know how to show worry or fear like anormalperson,” Zane chimed in. “It all comes out in orders and security protocols. Don’t be surprised if he hands you a Seri-Brumster interaction manual tonight at dinner.”
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
#
On the patio, Brumous launched himself into a pile of wisteria trimmings, sending up a spray of green leaves. Seri’s laughter rang out like wind chimes as the wolf shook himself and a leaf landed on Zane’s nose.
“Terrorize your favorite daddy first,” Zane smirked. “Solid strategy, fuzz bucket.”
I leaned against a pergola post, thumb worrying the scar along my jaw. Brumous’ claws had already scratched long furrows in the flagstones, but watching Seri press her forehead to his in silent conference made the destruction feel trivial. Her gray eyes met mine over the pup’s ruff, crinkling at the corners.
“Koko?” She offered me the stick Brumous had abandoned.
The pup’s tail became a blur as I approached. Seri’s fingers brushed mine during stick handoff, brief and electric, before Brumous seized it with a growl that rumbled up my arm.
“Easy, hellhound.”
Cas chose that moment to walk around the corner, arms laden with wood for the outdoor fire pit, and stopped dead still.
“Teeth clear the artery?”
Seri stiffened. Brumous whined around his stick.
“Still attached,” I said, twisting my arm to display unbroken skin.
“Relax, Cas.” Zane stuck two fingers under Brumous’ upper lip. The resulting lick nearly toppled him. “See? Built for cupcakes, not carnage.”
“Dire wolves can snap a man’s spine in—”
“This one wouldn’t,” Seri interrupted Cas.
Her voice barely stirred the air, but we all turned. She stroked Brumous’ chest fur as the silence pulled taut between us. Something flickered in Cas’ eyes, and Seri got to her feet, flowers and leaves clinging to her sweater.
