Page 110 of Homecoming

“You know, that honey was lovely,” Kat smiles as she looks around at the rest of the team loading the gear, ready to leave.

“Thanks,” he smiles with a huge grin before giving her a rib-breaking hug.

“Well… I guess I should say good luck.” Kat drops her head and sighs. “You really deserve the place.”

“Well, I hope you’re not just gonna give it to me, Lieutenant.Cuz, you know from what I hear, you really deserve the place, too. Hell, you’re stronger than most of the guys in the other platoons I’ve ever served with, and none of them had recently birthed three cubs…pups… I mean pups. Sorry, I have to get used to the language thing. You know, wolves… bears… sometimes things don’t translate in the same way.”

“It’s fine,” she smiles. “Rocky, you’re a really nice guy. This team is going to be lucky to have you. Anyone else and I might have been bitter about losing my place, but you deserve it.”

“Heyc’mon, it’s not over ‘til the winter bear sings, right? I mean, I might fall… break a leg… anything could happen. Last man standing… woman…person… last person standing. Shit, I really am no good at this. I think it’s being around you; you kinda make me nervous.”

“I make you nervous?” Kat laughs. “Why?”

“Yeah, you sure you do. Hey, I’ve heard what a great medic you are andwhatyou are—a Blood Luna—hell, I never met one for real before. I figured it was some kind of myth: like a bear-tale for bedtime. You know… unicorns, mermaids, yeti… that kinda stuff. But here you are, all green eyes and beautiful smell—just like a livingbreathin’honey pot,” he grins. “You know, I think it’s a real shame we couldn’t both be on the team. I’d be so proud to serve with you, Lieutenant.”

“Thanks Rocky, that’s really sweet. Hey, is that your real name?”

“Yeah. I’d like to say it wascuzmy mom liked the movies, but it wasn’t. It was after my ‘dad’, the sperm donor. He was supposedly a wrestler with a traveling tag team: The Great Rocky Roamer. Don’t ask. I’m just glad he never hung around. Complete loser, from what I hear.C’mon, let’s get ready. Hey, can I ask you something? Is Darius always sofuckin’moody? He needs to lighten up, eat some honey and relax.”

“Yeah, pretty much, but you’ll get used to it,” Kat smiles.

“Ohokay, so it’s not just me. I wonder if the bear smell wasputtin’him off, but if he’s always like that… that’s okay, I don’t need to worry.”

There’s a heaving pant and Kat gasps to get her breath as she walks forward towards the landing zone at a much slower pace.

The sand shifts beneath her feet and losing herfooting,she stumbles and sends Digby with a heavy thud crashing to the ground.

“Ahh… Fuck!” he groans, rubbing his elbow. “Kat, what in the hell are youdoin? That’s the third time you’ve dropped me.”

“Will you shut the fuck up? I’m doing the best I can.” She reaches her arms in the air and stretches the muscles in her back. Sipping from the canteen of water, she stares ahead of her as the rest of the team continues along to the extraction point ahead of her.

“Just remind me again why I’m still doing this?” she sighs, spitting sand from her mouth. “Zak’s already back and it’s obvious Rocky’s going to get there before me… oh fuck, what the hell am I doing here? It was crazy for me to even think I could do this.”

“C’monKat, you gotta finish it.” Digby stands up and with a firm grip, he massages her shoulders. “Look, you’re almost there now, so you can’t give up. This close to the finish line, ifnothin’else, do it for yourself.C’monbaby, you gotta finish what you started.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I do have to finish it. And at least Rocky seems a like a nice guy. I think he’ll be good for the team—even if he is a bear.”

“That’s my girl.” Digby wraps his arms around her waist and nuzzles her neck. Sweat runs in wet droplets down her skin and he can’t help but lick at the salty moisture. “Do you know howfuckin’sexy you are right now?” he smiles. “Kat, I just want you to know I’m so damn proud of you. This is one helluva achievement and if you’d had just a little more time, I have no doubts you’d have nailed it. And as far as Rocky goes… well there are a helluva lot worse people we could be getting than a bear shifter.”

“Maybe this just wasn’t meant to be? And… it’s probably best for the pups if I’m at home with them. Evelyn’s already becoming a real handful and so having Luna around more will probably be a good idea. It’ll keep her in line. I mean, Noah and Helena do their best, but it’s hard with her being a wolf. So like I say, maybe it’s meant to be.”

“Maybe. Still, it would have been great to have you back on the team,” he smiles. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Kat strokes her hand on his cheekandreaching up, plants a kiss on his sand-covered lips. “Okay… let’s do this.”

“Yeah, let’s do it.”

Kat takes a breath. Ready, she turns and faces the direction they’re headed. “There’s one benefit to not winning… at least I don’t have to take my clothes off for Darius this time. Though I'm guessing Rocky will have to. You know it could be quite interesting to watchDarius'reaction to that,” she grins with a smirk.

“Oh yeah. Hell, I didn’t think about that. Man, Darius is gonna spew. A naked bear shifter…fuck, that I can’t wait to see. Hell, that’s gonna fuck with Darius’s head for a while. I mean, I don’t wanna imagine what he’spackin’under that gear. I’ve heard rumors about bears that I'm yet to confirm. Rocky's notsocializedmuch with the team,keepin'himself to himself, until today. So you're right, this could get veryinterestin’.”

“I hope so.” Kat laughs as she drops to a crouched position and pauses a moment to take a breath. Lifting her head she looks up to the path in front of them and notices Rocky trip and stumble on a large boulder. Both he and Oz take a heavy tumble to the ground. “Shit, are they alright? Do you think we should go help them?”

“No. Kat, c’mon, get up, this is your chance! I said, get the fuck up,you have a chance to catch him now!”

The pair watch the two men in front of them as they sit in the sand nursing their bruised body parts. Oz unclips his rucksack to look at his arm which is grazed badly on the rough rocks where they fell.

“Okay…” Kat grits her teeth as she forces her body under Digby. Taking his weight on her shoulders, she grabs his hands around her neck, holds him in position and sets off.

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