Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling #15) - Nalini Singh Page 0,126
“We got her a cake shaped like a leopard paw, and she and her friends got to make mud pies and dance while wearing dress-up clothes.”
“That’s fun!”
Utterly delighted with this sweet girl who’d survived so much, Sascha kissed her on the cheek just as the twins, who’d returned from visiting Tamsyn’s mother an hour earlier, stuck their heads inside the open back door and yelled for Noor to come play. Wriggling off Sascha’s lap, Noor ran to join her playmates, calling out for Jon—who was standing next to Clay—to come with her. The sixteen-year-old ambled out, his phone in hand and his ball cap worn backward.
Naya was already in the backyard with the twins.
Sascha had no idea what Tamsyn’s cubs were teaching hers, but she had a feeling it involved getting into as much mischief as possible in as short a time as possible. The one thing the boys would never do was allow Naya to come to harm, and even if the kids wandered off, this was central DarkRiver territory.
Zach and Annie were the closest neighbors but other packmates roamed nearby. The children could explore in safety and freedom. She had to keep telling herself that, keep reminding herself that no one could snatch Naya while her cub was out of her sight.
Talin’s cloud-gray eyes met hers at that moment, and the tawny-haired woman walked over to touch Sascha’s hand in silent comfort. Talin knew what it was to lose children she’d sworn to protect, and that sorrow would never leave her.
“Noor and Jon,” Sascha reminded her softly while everyone else was distracted, Tamsyn having risen to make sure the children drank some water before continuing to play. “They survived and thanks to you and Clay, they’re thriving.”
Talin swallowed. “It’s tough though, isn’t it, Sascha? My heart pounds so hard whenever either one of them goes missing for even a short time. I have to physically stop myself from messaging Jon every hour when he’s out with his friends.” A shaky smile. “You think it ever goes away? This worry?”
Sascha shook her head. “Dezi’s mom used to make her check in after a night shift for years.” The only reason she didn’t anymore was that Dezi was no longer living alone; her mate would raise the alarm if she didn’t make it home.
“But she’s a senior soldier!” A startled response.
“You see my point.” Sascha’s dry response made the other woman laugh. “It sounds like the tea party was a success,” she said at a normal volume, which she knew would be audible to all the changelings in the room.
“Noor loved it.” An affectionate glance over at where Clay was helping himself to a cup of coffee from the carafe. “Jon and Clay liked the scones.”
Clay, the sentinel who’d been the most remote and dangerous when Sascha joined DarkRiver, offered a thumbs-up. His dark green eyes were feline, his body relaxed. “Good stuff, scones.” He glanced at Tamsyn, who’d returned to take her seat at the kitchen table. “You should make those.”
The healer grinned. “I do. You’ve just never been fast enough to get any.”
Moving over to perch on one of the breakfast stools at the counter, Talin stole Clay’s coffee cup when he came around. She took a couple of sips before handing it back, pressing a kiss to Clay’s jaw at the same time. Smile quiet, Clay took the mug in one hand, then braced his other one on the counter behind Talin. “I’ll work on my scone-racing skills.”
The solemn comment had them laughing.
Nathan walked in at that instant, his black hair tumbled as if he’d been running his hands through it. “Stealing all the women, Clay?”
“I can barely handle the two women I have now,” the sentinel replied. “And one of them is less than three feet tall.”
“You’re late, Nathan Ryder.” Having risen even before he appeared in the kitchen, Tamsyn embraced her mate.
Nathan kissed her temple as he held her close. “Got held up helping Emmett deal with a couple of cubs who need a little extra supervision.”
The healer and senior sentinel were the longest mated couple Sascha knew this well, and their love, it was a deep, warm pulse that existed in their every breath. There was passion, too, but that was a private thing and Sascha would never intrude. What she picked up was what any cardinal empath would pick up simply by being in the same room with the mated pair.
Watching them, she saw what she and Lucas would one day become. So