His heart broken, Vane blinked back tears.
Anya looked up and licked his face.
"You like the gumbo, huh?" he asked, stroking her ears with both of his hands.
He heard her laughter in his head. "Thank you for getting it."
He nodded. For her, he would walk through the fires of hell to claim a simple drink of water.
She sank down beside him and rested her head on his lap. "You should take wolf form before the others grow suspicious."
He watched the way her fur cradled his fingers. How he was going to miss her when she was gone. She was the most beautiful wolf swan he'd ever seen, and he didn't mean her looks. It was her gentle heart he would miss most of all. The way she always worried after him.
"I will, Anya. I just want a few more minutes."
He sensed Fang coming up behind him in wolf form. His brother butted him in the back with his head, then nipped playfully at his shoulder.
A flash of light appeared to the right of them. Vane looked up to find Acheron standing in the swamp. The Atlantean glanced around to make sure they were alone, then spoke quietly. "Can I have a minute?"
Fang growled.
"It's all right, adelfos," Vane said, pushing his brother back. "Watch over Anya."
Vane rose to his feet and walked Acheron into the woods, away from the den. If any of his pack learned he had brought a Dark-Hunter into it, his life was over.
"You should have called me, Ash."
"This couldn't wait. I have a problem and you're the only one I trust to help me."
Now that shocked him. Immensely. "You trust me?"
Ash gave him a wry look. "No, not really. But I have a renegade who is pretending to be me and threatening my Hunters."
"What's that got to do with me?"
"You owe me one, Vane, and I need you and Fang to act as backup. I need some muscle that they won't see coming."
"When?"
"Now."
Talon paced the floor of Sunshine's loft. He'd quickly showered the blood from his body and changed into the clothes Nick had brought. He was staying calm, but it was a real challenge.
"She is unharmed, Speirr," Ceara said. "I swear it."
He let out a long, weary breath in relief. He was grateful Ceara had managed to come to him this time, but it was a hard struggle for her to stay with him. The power that was blocking her was one they had never before encountered.
He only hoped Ceara could battle it a little longer and continue to help him protect and watch over Sunshine.
"Can you tell me where she is exactly?" he asked his sister.
"Oh jeez," Nick said from the breakfast counter where he sat, waiting for Ash to return. "You're not talking to the dead again, are you? I hate it when you do that."
"Shut up, Nick."
Nick curled his lip. " 'Shut up, Nick, heel, sit, fetch.' Love you too, Celt."
Talon glared at him. "Why don't you go scrounge up something to eat so that your mouth is occupied?"