Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling #15) - Nalini Singh Page 0,47
she was so excited at being able to shift forms that she did it every chance she got. Needless to say, keeping her in clothes had become a losing proposition. Good thing that changelings were used to naked babies scrambling gleefully around.
This baby had been in the nursery next door, must’ve snuck through the connecting door into the offices. Not that anyone tried too hard to keep the cubs out. The only time that door was locked was when they were in meetings with business associates who weren’t trusted enough for DarkRiver to be carefree with its children.
Business trust was a far different beast from the trust that came with being family.
Allowing Vaughn to hold her against his chest with one capable hand, Naya purred. She loved the jaguar.
“Careful.” Lucas’s heart ached at the sound of his cub’s happiness. “She’ll be scamming you for chocolate next.”
Vaughn chuckled, using one finger to rub the top of Naya’s head. “I’m heading home for a run before I meet up with Faith.”
Naya roared—or tried to. It came out more a kittenish rumble.
Grinning, Lucas translated. “I think she wants to come. But you won’t be doing much running with her.”
Vaughn’s eyes caught his, the shade near-gold. “You okay if I take her? I’ve got the jetcycle but I can switch to an SUV.”
Fighting his overprotective instincts, Lucas said, “She loves the jetcycle.” Vaughn was a skilled driver, and the jetcycle’s maneuverability gave it an advantage should anyone attempt to follow Vaughn and Naya with the aim of doing harm.
Lucas wouldn’t steal joy from his child in the name of keeping her safe.
“Yeah,” Vaughn agreed. “She’s a little speed demon.” He put Naya on his shoulder, where she curled up as if she’d been doing it forever, wrapping her tail around his neck to anchor herself. “I’ll run in human form, hold her when she’s had enough. Message me when and where you want me to drop her off.” He tugged playfully on Naya’s tail. “Come on, Miss Naya. Let’s go run. But first we’ll sign you out of the nursery so the teachers don’t worry.”
Naya growled and made bye-bye noises at Lucas as Vaughn walked out the door. Lucas trusted his friend unconditionally. Yet he still had the urge to lunge up and haul her into his arms.
It took teeth-gritting will to fight the primal desire.
She was safe. Vaughn was a lethal predatory changeling. He’d fight to the death to protect her . . . and it was good for the jaguar to open his heart to such a small, helpless packmate. Lucas hoped Naya’s determined love of Vaughn would help the other man heal from the staggering loss that had devastated him as a child.
Lucas’s phone buzzed.
Looking away from the door through which Vaughn and Naya had disappeared, he answered to find his mate on the other end. Of course she’d picked up on his silent fight against instincts formed when he’d been a young boy helpless to protect his parents from a deadly attack. He’d been tortured, too, but Lucas could’ve borne that. It had been watching his parents die in front of him that had marked his psyche in a permanent way.
Sascha understood the brutal competing drives inside him.
“I’m fine,” he told her. “Vaughn’s bringing Naya home. Where do you want him to drop her off?”
“The aerie. I’ll be back by the time he actually turns up.” Sascha’s smile was in her voice. “You know he kidnaps her for hours and she’s a very happy kidnappee.”
“He lets her finger-paint the walls of his den, that’s why.” Their cub always turned up squeaky clean, without a speck of paint on her, but Naya couldn’t keep a secret.
“Forget about walls, Faith told me she came home last time to find Naya finger-painting Vaughn.”
Chuckling at the idea of the quiet, intense sentinel happily acting as the canvas for an enthusiastic toddler, Lucas asked, “How’s the lesson going?” Sascha was up in SnowDancer territory, working with Toby Lauren.
“He’s more reticent than usual. Lara warned me, said that he might be in the first stages of teenage-boy-itis.”
“I remember that phase. Being surly is a requirement.”
“I can’t imagine Toby surly.” A pause, a rustle. “I’d better go. He’s getting restless.”
Hanging up, Lucas forwarded Vaughn’s suggested changes to the summit idea to Aden, then got up and headed out to a work site. He needed to stretch his muscles, see how the project was going. It would also stop him from worrying constantly about Naya.