freaking military thing. How had Jen not forced them to learn it? She turned to look at her mate. “Hey, you’re old. Do you know morse code?”
Costin’s brow rose. “I’m old?”
She nodded. “That’s not news, babe. Nor is it what’s important. Do you know morse code?”
He smirked at her. Holy crap, he did. “How do you know morse code?” Regardless of the fact that he’d been alive for sixty something years, why would he need morse code?
Costin stood slowly, with the ease and grace of a Canis lupus. He walked over to the bed and laid Titus down, pulling the blanket up over him. He looked so small in the big bed. Sally forced herself not to get upset. It wouldn’t help anything. She was trying to keep her wits about her and not freak out like a trapped squirrel.
“There weren’t cell phones when I was younger, and sometimes the pack needed to communicate without anyone listening in,” Costin said as he walked over to where she stood.
“What if those listening that you didn’t want to be listening knew morse code?”
“We created our own version of it after we learned the actual morse code.”
“Of course you did.” Sally sighed. Was there anything her mate, and the other Canis lupus, couldn’t do?
Costin pressed a kiss to her nose as he quietly laughed at her annoyance and then knocked on the wall. There was a distinct pattern to it. She realized a moment later that it was probably pointless for him to do morse code if neither Jacque nor Jen could respond.
“What did you say?” she asked, though it wouldn’t matter if the person didn’t understand.
“I said this is Costin, and I asked who they were.”
Sally was completely still as the anticipation built. She wasn’t even breathing because for some reason it felt like if she breathed then the responding knock wouldn’t come, and she knew that made no sense whatsoever.
Just when she was sure that whoever was on the other side of the wall wasn’t going to respond, there was a knock. And then another and another. Sally realized it was a pattern, not just random knocks.
Costin responded with another series of knocks.
Sally nudged him. “What did they say? And what did you say in response?”
“They said they were Jen. I told her to prove it.”
Sally’s eyes widened and then narrowed. She really shouldn’t be surprised. Jen freaking learned Romanian, for goodness’ sake. Of course, she learned morse code. She probably took an online course and never told her and Jacque.
There was another series of knocks from the other side and then Costin laughed.
“What did that G.I. Jane wannabe say?” Sally glared at the wall as if Jen could see her.
“She said you and I better not be bumping uglies.”
“Seriously? That’s how she proves who she is?”
More knocks came from the other side.
“If I can’t have any fun, then no one can,” Costin translated.
“Okay, it’s her,” Sally confirmed. “Ask her if she’s okay.”
Costin did his knocking thing and they waited.
When Jen responded, her mate smirked and shook his head. “I’m great. This is the vacation of a lifetime. Never better.”
Sally huffed a laugh as she leaned her shoulder against the wall. At least Jen hadn’t lost her sense of humor. Sally always felt like things were going to be okay if Jen was holding it together. But when Jen began to crumble, then Sally knew things were really falling apart. Or at least that was how she perceived things. Jen was the strong one. She was always able to see past the immediate danger to the other side where they’d manage to defy the odds and be victorious.
There was more knocking, and Costin continued to translate for her.
“Have they said anything to you?”
Costin replied with his own knocks and said out loud, “No. There’s been nothing since they put us here.”
“She says that they brought her stuff for Thia,” Costin said after more knocking. “And she asked how you are doing.”
Sally shrugged. “I’m…” She paused. How am I? These were the people who were responsible for what had happened to her in Ocean Side. They’d hurt her in a way that still haunted her, though there had been much healing, thanks to her mate and her family. But it wasn’t gone. It would never be gone. The scars of what she’d suffered would always be there.
“Sally mine,” Costin said, pulling her from her thoughts. His hazel eyes stared into her, the compassion and love robbing her of her breath. “It’s alright