Page 17 of Song Bird Hearts

Nothing like near death and a shadow organization coming after you to accomplish that.

And now she’s running back home to hide. Back home. . . where the Foundation will look for her.

She’s vulnerable, and no matter how tough she is, it will never be enough to stop the Foundation. I straighten, realizing that if I want her to remain alive, that if I want her to be mine, she needs to be protected.

And what better protector than a Wolf?

Chapter10

Valerie

“Where are we supposed to land?” I ask, though I’d like nothing more than to pretend I no longer exist after puking on Knox’s shoes. I’ve been quiet since then. We haven’t addressed it or talked about it. Every now and then, Knox just opens his door while in midflight to let some air in. Every time he does it, I about die from shame again.

But my question is valid. Steele doesn’t have any airports. Not even small ones. I’m not sure where we can land this small thing down at without an airport. White Stag Pastures certainly doesn’t have a straight road long enough.

“The Sheriff has already shut down the highway temporarily for us,” Gilden answers when Knox doesn’t. “Luckily, it’s late so there shouldn’t be much traffic.”

Wow. Hank really is calling in the favors for me. Highways shut down and everything.

“So, we just land on the street?” I ask, concerned. Is that how it’s supposed to work?

“We need something smooth to land on and we need something long. We can’t just land this thing in a field, not unless you wanna crash,” Knox grumbles. “Street is the next best thing after runway.”

He’s talking to me at least. For now.

“Is it difficult to land?” I peer over at Knox, my face still aflame. I don’t know if I can ever look him in the eyes again.

“Oh, landin’s the hardest part,cher,” Gilden says from the back. I hear Kevin give a happy grunt. He must be petting him. “Best hold on. It’ll be a bumpy ride.”

“Try not to puke on me again,” Knox grunts.

I shrink into my seat. “I’ll try,” I whisper, anxious that I could do that again.

As it turns out, we’re not just landing on any road. We’re landing ontheroad, the biggest major road through the Green River Basin. I don’t know what strings Hank had to pull to get the Sheriff to shut down the main highway, but I’m thankful for it. I don’t know where we would have landed otherwise.

Knox expertly brings the small plane down and I clutch at the seat as the ground grows closer and closer. My mind plays different scenarios of us crashing, of me being taken out in some actual accident after everything, but the plane hits the ground and we manage to land safely.

Someone, probably Sheriff John or one of his deputies, flags us onto a driveway into Blue Moon Pastures. We’re directed into a large building where the columbine was clearly meant to be stored since the massive machine sits to the side of the barn.

Escaping the plane can’t come soon enough. Knox, to his credit, doesn’t address anything about me puking on his shoes, but he does glance down at his feet a few times with pure displeasure dripping from his expression. I wish the ground would swallow me up every time.

“Are we going to White Stag?” I ask as I tap my thigh for Kevin to follow. The large pig does so without complaint.

White Stag and Blue Moon Pastures share a small border between us. It would be easy enough to just hop on over there.

“Too obvious,” Gilden replies. “The first place anyone would look for you would be home.”

I frown. “But. . . I am home. Isn’t this all too obvious?”

“Yes, and no,” he answers but clamps his lips shut when the Sheriff comes pulling up and climbs from his patrol car.

“Welcome home, super star!” John says, a big grin on his face despite the exhaustion in his eyes. He immediately comes up and gives me a bear hug, something I notice Gilden and Knox watch carefully. “I’ve missed you!”

“I missed you, too, Sheriff,” I tease, grinning ear to ear despite the situation.

John scoffs. “Don’t call me Sheriff when I’m hugging you. It’s weird.”

I laugh and step back. John and I grew up together, getting into trouble as often as we were allowed to. Hell, it wasn’t just me stealing that tractor. John wasn’t too far behind. To think he’s the sheriff now, it makes me laugh. Steele really does take care of its own.

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