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Taht rule, but their world was li of the joy of running under a fullthe sensation of a packainst human skin, of the sheer life that existed in the forests that were her world
But the wo--how could youyou had never experienced? Nathan had never been hers Their beasts ht cry out for each other, but if the human half of Nathan chose to repudiate that bond, as she to stop him?
SHE LEFT THE NEXT DAY THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY IF SHE remained within reach, Nathan’s beast would eventually push hi their inti limpse into her own personal vision of hell
Her friend, Finn, was more than happy to fly in on short notice
"The healer in our pack’s not even forty, so I’ serious for a while," he told her when she met him at the airport and escorted him into their territory DarkRiver wasn’t known for its friendliness toward unknown males They couldn’t afford to be, not after the attack by the ShadowWalkers
"I know," she said "That’s why I asked you rather than Maria"
He gave her a snored the unasked question "I’, of course, but the hierarchy has to be maintained" The laws of rank and hierarchy were there for a reason--they balanced the predatory nature of their animal halves with order
Finn nodded "I’ll feel better once he adopts me into DarkRiver It wouldn’t do for one of your pack to slice ured ht the sa Even with that delay, she was ready to be on her way out of DarkRiver territory by late afternoon "Take care of my people, Finn"
The twenty-one-year-old healer didn’t bother to conceal his worry this ti after you?"
"I’ll be fine" She tightened her hands around the straps of her bag "It ht?"
"Yes" He stroked his hand over her hair, offering co way "But it shouldn’t be You were born to be DarkRiver’s healer"
"I can ith another leopard pack" But Nathan couldn’t be replaced Not when it was clear that Lachlan was preparing Lucas to step into his role as alpha sooner rather than later When the time came, Lucas would need to rely on Nate’s experience and rock-solid advice "Try it here," sheworks out…"
"No rush" Finn’s tone was gentle "I’ll hold your place until you come to your senses Then I’ll happily return to the civilized world of our territory instead of this jungle"
She s, but as she walked away, she had the sick feeling shewith Christ "I’host that reproached her for leaving her pack when it still needed her
They would be okay, she told herself She’d started the All they had to do was follow it Te as it was to pass by quickly, she hn had painted, right next to the one by Cian Around therowled at her for putting her fool neck in danger And there was the star she’d al, she looked away…and kept walking
Ten
NATE RETURNED HOME CLOSE TO DAWN, COMING FROM A night raid to "suggest" Solias King look elsewhere for his develop Psy would follow their advice, of that Nate was certain Even in leopard forrin
He’d stood watch for hours as Cian and a couple of others with tech training had methodically taken apart every piece of Psy equiph, Nate had gone a step further and buried several of the most expensive pieces in a section of DarkRiver land that bordered SnowDancer territory No Psy would dare venture that close to wolf land The feral pack had a reputation for ripping out intruders’ throats and using the bleached-out bones as fence posts
Just in case Solias King missed their point even after all that, they had also removed the semi permanent survey markers and disabled the rudio It hy DarkRiver had allowed the thing to go up in the first place--so they could destroy it, and in a fashion that made it clear they would brook no further trespass on their lands
Nate was particularly proud of the crowning touch Inspired by Tae Christmas ornament--an old-fashioned picture of theit fro of blinking hts around the metal skeleton
He couldn’t wait to tell Ta on the Psy wasn’t usually a laughing matter, as the cold psychic race didn’t hesitate to kill But fro they had been able to unearth, it appeared that Solias King’s darker i curbed by his political aspirations He couldn’t afford to cos Any violence and his own Council would turn against him