Somehow a laugh found her in the midst of this confusing day. “It’s really fine, Trevor.”
Which was strange in itself. She should bristle or feel threatened or…something. Anything other than the calm settled sense of herself that was falling into place like a soft blanket spread over a bed.
He said, “Kelsey would love to come in and chat later, if you don’t mind. She wants to check in with you, but she also doesn’t want to be pushy.”
“Oh, I’d like that.” If she spent all day inside. But maybe she didn’t have to.
April was about to try emerging again when one of the tiniest children, a girl wearing a purple-and-green shorts set, ran up to Trevor. She pin-wheeled her arms as she ran, and her pale red hair sprouted from her head in two wispy ponytails. She couldn’t be much past two years old.
“Trevor!” she said, herr’s perfectly pronounced. “Where is Malpha!”
Trevor gave a chuckle like a cat’s purr. “Well, look, it’s Gigi.”
“Where!” She bounced on her feet.
“What about me? Don’t you want to say hi to me?”
She went still as though he had corrected her. She stood up straighter and said, “Hi, Trevor.”
“Hi, Gigi.”
She bounced again, a bounce for each word. “Where. Is. Malpha.”
“Hmmm,” Trevor rumbled. He feigned searching, one hand to his eyes like a scout. Then he dropped his hand. “Hey, wait a minute. What about April? You should meet her first, right?”
“No,” Gigi said.
Trevor barked a laugh that startled April but not Gigi. He crouched beside the tiny girl and pointed up at the window. “Look up there. That’s April. She’s Malpha’s friend.”
Malpha…? Wait. No, it couldn’t be. April waved. “Hello, Gigi. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Hi, April,” Gigi said. “You coming outside?”
Before she had to answer, Malachi strode up to them from across the yard. “I think someone was looking for me. Trevor, was it you?”
Trevor barked again. “No wolf’s got to look for you. Just follow the musk and pher—”
Malachi growled, and Trevor lifted his hands. Yet their actions held no anger, fear, or even warning. Malachi’s eyes glinted with humor, and Trevor’s grin was wide now that he no longer faced April.
Malachi looked up and met April’s eyes, his mouth a lovely tilt of mischief. “April, were you looking for me?”
“I’ve just been standing here,” she said. “I wasn’t looking for anybody.”
Gigi began to jump up and down in front of him. “It’s me! I looking for you!”
“Ah.” Malachi crouched in front of her. “And what can I do for you, Gigi?”
“No!”
“No what?”
“Malpha stand up!”
April’s mouth fell open. A toddler had just told the alpha what to do. Malachi rose halfway, but his knees stayed bent, the muscles of his legs keeping him perfectly balanced and still.
“Like this?” he said.
Gigi erupted into giggles. “No!” She jumped again. “All the way up!”
