Deidre “Who was that?” “Kira,” Benjamin replied, rifling his hand through his hair for what must have been the twentieth time. He had descended the stairs behind me a moment later, lost in thought. I wasn’t sure if it was Marge coming back for something and didn’t want to be spotted, so I had hid upstairs behind one of the first rows of stacks as he answered the door. I couldn’t see who it was, and the whole thing had felt rather foolish, but I was exhausted and didn’t care. These days weren’t going to get any easier and if I didn’t start being more careful, it wouldn’t end well. “What did she want?” I asked. “Oh, nothing,” he said dismissively, taking his seat once more. I noted that he looked slightly agitated, as though something had gone wrong between them. But he hadn’t raised his voice, nor had I heard hers raised. I accepted that he wanted to drop the subject and moved on. “Well, I thank you again for your discretion.” “No need, Luna.” He had agreed to close the archives
Perrin “You’re sure you’re ok with it?” I asked for probably the tenth time. Lo squeezed my hand as we ascended the elevator. “Of course I am. We knew there was a fifty percent chance that’s what she would decide.” “I know.” “You say you know, but it seems like you’re still unsettled.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I mean, I’m glad she decided, I just…” “Had hopes for the opposite?” She prompted, eyeing me carefully. “No, I guess… it’s just more real now, you know?” “I get where she’s coming from, though. Not wanting to tell people. I think it’s smart.” “That was her term, not mine,” I muttered. Lo smiled. “Maybe we’re more like sisters than she wants to believe. I would have asked for the same thing.” “You would?” I asked, slightly startled.” “Of course,” she said. “And it was right of you to accept her term of privacy as she finished out the pregnancy. It’s so much pressure, so much change–and while I was expecting our little blessing, it was never unwelcome. For her? Sh
Kira He didn’t try to pick me up the next morning. Which was good, because I certainly wouldn’t have let him drive us to the meeting. He could let little miss mystery tits straddle his hips and press her probably huge boobs against his chiseled, muscular back for all I care. Fuck her. Fuck him. Whatever. But given that I had half expected him to show up trying to give me a ride when all I had planned to do was give him a piece of my mind and drive myself, staying behind meant that I was running late myself. So I took off, speeding like I normally did. I nearly anticipated his criticism of my erratic driving, having no doubt seen it as the asshole nearly always saw everything stupid I ever did. But he wasn’t at the meeting. For the entire time I had known him, he had never missed a meeting. And here he was, the stupid hypocrite. Missing a meeting when he chided me even for being late. And there he was, probably, still stuck in the archives tangled up with some hussy and shucking
Chapter 98 Deidre Just… just be normal. Act. Normal. Nothing about tonight was going to be normal. Nothing about this was ever normal. I was spending time with someone who was supposed to be dead, in the dead of night, all the while pretending that I wasn’t, in fact, doing so. It’s not like I didn’t see the shadows and planes of Jason’s face everytime Sirius sat still long enough for me to steal a glance. Or that his mannerisms echoed so exactly like Perrin’s that I had to still my racing thoughts every time they happened. I had avoided my husband for the better part of several days now, stealing fitful bits of sleep and unfulfilling naps. Cynthia was communicating for us, apart from the texts here or there that I pretended not to get. He had to know. Jason had to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that what had happened to my children had happened to his son. But how could he explain it? Well, that was simple. He couldn’t. Jason, as my gut confirmed, had waited these long mont
Deidre “I was hoping you could tell me,” he said quietly, the unspoken threat and question coming out in a low, soft cadence. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said too quickly. He let out an alarming chuckle, so fake that my body stilled again, alert and waiting. I had no reason to think I was in any danger. This was my step-son for Goddess’ sake. But the looming golden eyes that he fixed on me had me unsteady, despite being seated. His next words were slow and careful as he watched me react. “Mistra may be at a loss as to why I came out this way, but I can assure you she has told me enough about her own son to know that whatever happened to him also happened to me.” My body shivered, my flesh crawling with every word of his unwelcome suggestion, willing my body not to give away anything. “I also know Mistra well enough to know she really has no idea what happened to me,” Sirius went on smoothly, admiring his nails as if he just had them polished, breaking his stare as
Kira“Are you ready?”Perrin puffed beside me. He was up early, his own mind racing about tonight’s patrol. I hadn’t slept a wink. I was up for most of the night, restless and staring at the ceiling. I didn’t want my thoughts muddied by that stupid potion as I’d have enough in my system soon enough. I was paying the price, my pace feeling slower than usual.I replied, “As ready as I’ll ever be.”“Any idea who you’re paired with yet?” he asked, breathing hard. We rounded a corner and started an uphill mile. It was still dark, the faint orange of the morning just teasing the horizon. “Nope. Janas just said it’ll be a new recruit. Somebody I don’t know well enough. Probably someone I haven’t sparred with.”“Who’s left?” He knew I had beaten nearly three quarters of the Alpha Guard by now.I wiped sweat off my face. “Not many. But Janas said it would be someone who wouldn’t know my scent either. That’s important.”Perrin nodded, grunting as we made the final ascent. “So that leaves…” his
KiraThe sound of his paws on the dewey earth were soft but rhythmic. He paced behind me, allowing me to lead.Well, at least he got that much right.We spent much of the first hour in silence, I set a brutal pace that had his wolf form panting. I only stopped once to allow him to catch his breath. If I kept this pace up, there was no way he’d be able to tail me in another few hours. The fiery orange of the sky I had welcomed this morning plunged to purple, then faded to navy of a starless sky. It was going to be a foggy night; a rarity for early summer. Luck was clearly in my favor. The less visibility, the better.Do you usually run this fast? The mind link stopped any hint of his heavy breathing to permeate his speech, but I knew he was pushing himself. I slowed just a fraction. Why, can’t keep up?Just curious. You seem to be running pretty fast. I felt the wolfish grin of pride spread across my lips. I was going fast. So?Just wondering what you’re running from.My paw nearly
KiraI ran. Hard. Not to punish him, but to silence the battle going on within my mind. There were no sounds except my own harsh breathing, which was beginning to match the ragged breathing coming behind me. There were no words except the periodic crackling of the radio in the quiet of the night.As agreed upon weeks ago, Mark had started issuing hourly notices as the time crept by. Janas had instituted it shortly after Ethan’s attack, making sure that each radio carried by a patrol pair had its volume turned up to hear any announcement. Ben had carried the radio tonight, strapped to his hind leg. Despite being my partner, that was one part of the plan that had gone off without a hitch. There was a reverse call button that could be pressed by a wolf’s paw, alerting headquarters of our location in case of danger without speech. It was meant for immediate purposes; could be pushed by either the wearer or his partner. Any need to really communicate required phasing and talking directly