Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling #15) - Nalini Singh Page 0,83

panther wouldn’t be satisfied until he’d seen the other man with his own eyes.

Dorian, more than any other dominant in the pack, could be stubborn about injuries. He’d always pushed himself too hard, too fast, an outcome of the fact that he’d for so long been latent, unable to shift into his leopard form. Where others might’ve given in to despair, Dorian had channeled his pain into an unremitting drive to excel. It was why he’d trained as an architect, taken up flying, learned hacking, all while being a crack sniper. Not only to sublimate the pain that came from not being able to shift, but to keep his mind busy so he didn’t go insane.

Lucas’s joy the day he’d discovered Dorian had shifted for the first time had been a raw fury inside him. Today, as the blond sentinel met Lucas in the doorway of his home, Lucas took in his balance on the plascast, then scanned his chest. “How’re your ribs?”

Rubbing lightly on the soft dark gray of his T-shirt, Dorian gave a lopsided grin. “Almost fixed and no, I’m not lying. My mate insists on scanning me every night to check the progress of my healing.”

Since Ashaya was a scientist—and more important, loved Dorian with a furious passion—Lucas nodded. For once, it appeared the sentinel was following orders when it came to his health. “You want to talk inside or out?” Dorian’s architectural skill was reflected in the home he’d built. It was all glass panels covered by greenery and foliage except for cunning clear areas that let in the sunlight, until being inside was like walking in the forest.

Next to Lucas’s own aerie, Dorian’s home was his favorite design in pack territory. But today, his skin was itchy, wanted to be outside. Still, since Dorian was injured and might want to sit in a comfortable spot within, he’d follow the other man’s preference.

But Dorian said, “Definitely out. Look at that sky.”

It was a cauldron of color, the sun in the process of setting.

Dorian looked over his shoulder as he stepped out. “Keen! You want to kick your ball around?”

The answer came immediately. “Yes!”

Dorian’s adopted son ran out seconds behind him, a soccer ball held in his hands. “Hi, Lucas!”

Lifting the six-and-a-half-year-old in his arms, Lucas said, “What’s up, Keenan?”

“I got a gold star at school.” Keenan’s blue-gray eyes sparkled, the dusky brown of his skin glowing from within. “For helping my friend with his adding.”

“Good. You make the pack proud.” Ruffling the boy’s hair, he put him back down on the ground, man and panther both happy to see such open joy in a child who’d been far too solemn when he’d first come into the pack. “I hear you’re having special lessons.” It had become obvious that Keenan was highly gifted, but though normal schoolwork was so easy for him that he was bored, he didn’t want to separate from his year group.

His parents agreed with his choice, as did Lucas. Even a gifted child should have the chance to be a child, to take music and art lessons with his friends, to play games with them during breaks, to participate in group activities where it was more about communication and working together than specific knowledge.

“Children in Silence weren’t allowed friends,” Ashaya had said to Lucas when the question of Keenan’s education came up, her voice thick with emotion. “I don’t want that loneliness for my son, and I’m afraid that’s what’ll happen if he skips grades and ends up far younger than his classmates.”

As a result, DarkRiver had authorized a special education grant that meant Keenan had a teacher’s aide whose task it was to work with him on more advanced lessons while he remained among his usual classmates. When the class did math, Keenan did math, too, just at a more difficult level. When it was time for a sports or music lesson, he took it with his classmates.

Ashaya and Dorian could’ve easily paid for the teacher’s aide themselves, but cubs were considered the responsibility of the pack as a whole, for they were the pack’s heart.

It was an alpha’s honor to ensure they had what they needed to thrive.

“Yes!” Keenan bounced up and down in front of Lucas. “My new teacher’s name is Shonda and she makes my brain hurt.”

Lucas hunkered down to Keenan’s level. “Is that a good thing?”

A determined nod. “I like thinking hard.” He glanced up at Dorian. “Will you watch me kick the ball, Dad? I can get