Page 62 of Rivers and Roads

I found the courage to meet his gaze as I let out a small sigh. “If it was humans.”

“You think…?”

“I don’t know what I think,” I interrupted, too tired to go into detail. “But we were both hurt, and we’re both recovering, and I’m not sure our bodies will stand up to another attack.”

I saw when he gave in, the way his body deflated. “Promise me it’s not forever. I’m not going to cower in some little room and let everyone fight our battles for us.”

“That’s not going to happen,” I told him, pulling him close again. “In the morning, I’m going to meet with the Council, and we’ll get your place cleared.”

“And after that?” he asked.

I looked him in the eye when I spoke next, hating the words I had to say. “And after that, we step right back into war.”

Chapter

Twenty-Four

ORION

Zane was dead to the world a few hours after we got home, so I crept over to the main house when I saw Cameron in the kitchen window, puttering around. I could hear Talia and the baby’s heartbeats, steady in their sleep, so I knocked gently on the back door, then let myself in.

“Mind if I grab a beer?” I asked.

His mouth spread into a grin, and he gestured to the fridge. “Help yourself. I don’t have anything fancy. It’s been difficult enough to get the cheap shit stocked, but it does the trick.”

I laughed quietly as I crossed the room and pulled one out, then looked over my shoulder at him. “You want?”

“Gods yes,” he said.

I chuckled again, popping the top, then handed his over just as Loki came barreling into the room, and smashed himself into my legs. He was a total puppy the moment his harness was off, his big German Shephard ears perked up, his tongue lolling out from between his jaws. I gave him a scritch before stepping back as Cameron snapped his fingers.

“Outside,” he commanded. When Loki dove out the dog door, Cameron turned his gaze back to me. “Want to stargaze?”

“Sounds better than sitting inside,” I confessed. I followed him out the door and down the little path to a couple of chaises, and we each took one. It felt good to stretch out, in spite of the fact that I’d spent the last several hours lying on my back. But my skin was just now losing the unbearable itch of healing, and I could let myself relax.

“What’s the sky like?” he asked.

I glanced up and saw a few puffs of grey clouds in the distance, but the moon was high and close to full. “Well, it’s not going to rain, if that’s what you’re asking.”

He laughed, then took a drink, as the moment was punctuated by the rapid squeak of Loki’s toy. “And what about you? How’s everything healing up?”

“Nearly there,” I told him. I rubbed at my eye and tried not to think about their color—or what the hell that could possibly mean. I’d managed a shower once all of my scabs had flaked away, and when it was over, I stared at myself until Zane had come into the bathroom and kissed me calm.

Now though, without his touch, I was starting to feel panicked all over.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I let out a short breath, then set my beer down and sat up, swinging my legs over the edge of the chaise. “I lost the serum back at ComTech,” I told him, keeping my voice low enough, only he could hear me. “It was in my car in the parking garage, and when Nadya lit the place up, I had to abandon it. I figured that was fine—I wasn’t planning on taking it once I was out of DC.”

“Right,” he said quietly.

“Danyal wasn’t really sure what was going to happen once I stopped taking it, though.” I rubbed at the back of my neck, my gaze fixed on my bare feet as I dug my toes through the grass. “I assumed after a few missed doses, shit would get back to normal.”

“But it didn’t,” he murmured.

I shook my head. “I, uh.” I swallowed thickly. “I went into heat.”

At that, Cameron sat up and turned his face toward me. “Oh shit.”

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