Canyon shrugged. “Bound to happen to any wolf who got too close to Abigail White.”
They sat in comfortable silence for several moments, finishing their meals.
“Vixie,” Canyon said, grinning at her, a questioning look on his face.
Sage smiled at him. “It’s a term of endearment for an adultfoxenfemale. Anyone can use it. There’s alsovi, andvix, for young children and teens.
“Mmm,” Canyon growled. “I like it…vixie.”
Sage smiled at him, then licked her top lip, moving from rubbing his shoulders to rubbing his chest.
“Dude, I’m still right here…” Timber said.
:Me, too—
Sage whipped her head toward the robot. The wolf’s head on screen had stopped spinning, and it was staring at her.
“Did it just—?”
Timber laughed. “I guess we haven’t told you. Wulf is…” He grasped for a word. “…alive? Sentient? We don’t quite know.”
“Wulf, are you alive or sentient?” Canyon asked.
:I am Wulf—
Canyon shrugged, his eyes locked on Sage, grinning his gorgeous grin.
“How does a robot become… alive?” she asked.
Timber shook his head. “We’re not entirely certain. An explosion was involved though, up on Morning Bluff.”
“Explosion!”
Canyon and Timber looked at each other.
“What?” Sage demanded. “Just say it.”
“Do you know anything about Number Six?”
“Or Number Thirteen?”
Sage gasped and covered her mouth. Shit was getting too real. She’d thought she was strong and could handle the two worlds coming together? She’d been wrong.
“They’re Nana’s husbands,” she whispered, feeling like she was ripping herself apart from her family and her clan and her elder.
“Both of them?”
She nodded, emotional pain striking her in the head and throat, but she continued to answer their questions. “Some people think Nana doesn’t divorce them; she just keeps marrying them. There’s six or seven of them, and some of them might come… from… another world.”
A glance passed between Canyon and Timber.
“Above my pay grade,” Timber said. “I didn’t hear anything you said, nope.” He shrugged and faced forward, muttering.
“How does she change the records?” Canyon asked, his eyes dark and focused on Sage.
“Magic,” Sage whispered.
Canyon shook his head, looking irritated.
