Reed (Nano Wolves #4) - Donna McDonald Page 0,43
a way to stop it. “Nyet. My mind was curious—nothing more. I never watch wolf children grow up.”
“Gareth and the kids are the best thing to ever happen to me. As hard as it is, they’ve brought balance to my life.” Brandi chuckled. “Being Agent Nano Wolf takes a back seat to taking care of them. Gareth says they’re keeping me alive.”
“Will you make biological child with Gareth one day?”
Brandi lifted a shoulder. “It’s not out of the question. Like me, he never got to create one before. I’d probably want to wait a few more years. Ariel says we’re aging slowly. I figured I’d wait until the current three are all out of the house before thinking about it.”
“Sounds like good plan.”
Brandi chuckled. “I love a good plan.”
Eventually, Brandi made Reed join their conversation. He moved to the middle of the back seat and leaned forward into their space a little. Katarina felt his fingers stretching around her seat to brush against her shoulder and stroke her hair. The pleasure she got from his affection put a smile on her face that stayed there the whole trip.
When they pulled into Reed’s village, she was sorry the trip was ending. They stepped out of the vehicle and saw a dozen or more bears lumbering about the streets.
A Russian Big Brown strolled down the middle of it all toward them.
Brandi waved to the bear in greeting. She leaned against her vehicle and got out her phone.
It was strange that no wolves were about, so she and Reed walked forward to meet him on his trek. Katarina stopped in front of Jon and looked up. His bear was so large that she felt like a child standing so far below him. She could feel eyes watching their encounter from behind every window and many cracked doors.
The wolves were afraid. She couldn’t blame them for following their instincts, but this could not remain the case. To be safe, all creatures in the village had to work as one united people.
She stepped forward, rose to her toes, and reached up to rub a gentle hand down Jon’s enormous bear snout. He rewarded her with an up-close view of a mouthful of sharp bear teeth. Jon could snap off her head with those teeth of his, but she knew he had no leanings to do so. The male barely ate any meat at all. What would he do with a wolf in his mouth? Nothing.
“I am glad you and your people are here and safe, Jon. How is beautiful daughter doing? I’m glad she and Stewart got away.”
Jon morphed into his human self. It was not an elegant shift like when she or Reed changed forms, but if there was pain in his shifting, the male had long ago learned to hide it.
“Our heroine returns at last,” Jon said, bending to catch Katarina up in a hug. He kissed both her cheeks before setting her back down. “Thank the gods and goddesses that you are free.”
Ruffled by the public display and from feeling Jon’s considerable strength, Katarina righted her clothes and nodded. She winced as a cacophony of bear bellows assaulted her ears. Looking around, all the bears rose to their hind legs and roared loud. She understood them plainly. Gratitude was a universal language.
“You all are welcome, comrades,” she yelled at the top of her lungs.
A stampede of bears running toward her made her laugh too much to be afraid. She stepped into the middle of the group to stop their forward motion. She gave each bear a pat and let them nuzzle her in gratitude. It was like sitting in the middle of many playful puppies—not that she would speak of that comparison to these majestic creatures.
She looked back to find Reed studying her thoughtfully and Jon grinning from ear to ear.
Doors opened up and down the street to let werewolves in human form outside. The bears turned and went to greet the human wolves. They used their heads to gently make the human wolves pet them.
Finding herself finally alone, Katarina calmly strolled back to Reed and Jon. “Most of my life I think… wouldn’t it better to be tall and strong-looking?” She pointed at the bears going from human wolf to human wolf to say hello. “Now I think my size is good thing. Tiny me make wolves ashamed of being afraid.”
“Any bear in this village would die to protect you, Katarina Volkov. And I will always be in your debt for