Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling #15) - Nalini Singh Page 0,186

still finding our way, discovering who we are. But one thing I know—you’re mine and I’m yours and any growing we do will be together.”

“Always.” Judd couldn’t imagine life without Brenna. It simply didn’t make sense to him. “Do you think I should give her back?”

“Finders keepers, I say.”

So they kept the baby for an hour, watching her sleep and touching her upturned nose every so often, or brushing their fingers over her little fists. It was Emmett who finally came to claim his daughter. “Come on, baby girl,” he murmured, taking her from Judd.

His hands were big and a little scarred, his face rough-edged despite the fact that he’d shaved, but the tenderness in his hold was endless. The baby’s face lit up even in sleep at the sound of her father’s voice.

“Thank you for letting us hold her.” He knew Emmett must’ve been aware of his daughter’s location every instant that she hadn’t been in his arms.

“I figured she couldn’t be more safe than with an Arrow. You protect the innocent after all.” Emmett kissed his daughter’s forehead. “But now this kitten’s great-grandmother wants to see her and she has first rights.”

As the other man turned and walked away, Judd felt his heart give another kick. Because for the longest time, the Arrows had been the nightmares, the bogeymen. They’d protected, too, but no one had seen it. Now, at last, the world was starting to understand. It no longer mattered so much to Judd, but for his brethren . . .

He searched for and found Vasic in the crowd. The teleporter was standing quietly beside his mate while she chatted to Sascha, but he was engaged. He was present. As was a man who wasn’t an Arrow but who walked the same dangerous roads. Catching his gaze, Kaleb nodded. Judd nodded back before returning his attention to the wolf who’d hauled him into her arms and taught him to live.

“Let’s dance,” he said. “I want to celebrate this night.”

• • •

ANNIE’S leg ached but it was nothing major, not now that she was using the anti-inflammatories Tamsyn had prescribed. The relative lack of pain left her free to enjoy the festivities. She’d become used to changeling events in the time she’d been mated to Zach, but this one was unusual in more than one way. Not just because of the wolves but all the others here tonight.

That was when she saw him across the clearing. He was standing by the trees, separate from everyone while his eyes tracked the woman with dark blue eyes who was Faith’s cousin. Annie knew who he was of course—hard for anyone not to recognize the man rumored to be the most powerful Psy in the Net.

But seeing Kaleb Krychek on the comm screen was different from seeing him in person. The power that pulsed off him . . . It was strangely familiar, but perhaps she was fooling herself. Still, she had to know.

Moving carefully and using her cane for support, she made her way across the clearing after checking to see that Rowan was happy in the arms of one of his young aunts. There he was, her beautiful boy.

She felt as if she was smiling with her entire body.

The constant use of the cane, the problems with her leg that had resulted from the change in her balance during pregnancy, it was all worth it.

Of course, Zach was a growly overprotective leopard who hated seeing her in any pain. If he had his way, she’d be sitting in bed drinking tea and eating crumpets every day. Smile growing impossibly deeper, she looked around, found her mate.

He was hunkered on the ground with his nephew Bryan standing behind him. Bryan had his hands over Zach’s eyes as he asked his uncle to guess something. Ah, that explained why Zach hadn’t zeroed over to her as soon as she left her comfortable seat. She liked that seat, loved how people constantly came over to socialize and how the cubs squeezed their warm, squirmy bodies in beside her when they wanted a rest.

Annie wasn’t stubborn without reason, and there was no reason to put unnecessary pressure on her leg when she could sit now and save up her energy for later.

Like for petting her mate.

But she couldn’t sit. Not tonight. Not at this moment.

Kaleb’s eyes connected with hers when she was still several feet away. He scanned away an instant later, likely believing she was moving to join a group a little