* * *
“Love the look,” Matt gestured to my gloves, “But they’d be better with sparklies.”
I hadn’t seen him come up behind me, and my heart flipped right over. With everything that had happened, and was still happening, he was my rock.
My wolf.
Mine.
The concept grabbed hold of me as I smiled up at him—and then reached trembling gloved fingers up to touch his jaw.
His eyes widened and then dropped to my lips. “Can you put gloves on them?” he asked, his voice husky.
“Not yet. But Cara thinks I can learn to control this thing.”
His eyes lit emerald. “Let me know the moment you do. Until then, Angel, I can always put a glove on something else.”
Suddenly, I was breathless. “If I thought that would be enough...”
I broke off when I noticed Cara winding her way through the students. She waggled her brows at me and Matt, and then took Sebastian’s arm and led him off to the side.
“Like to be a mozzie over that billabong,” Matt said, watching them.
I wound my way through the slang as I did my pre-run warmup. “Do you suppose it’s about Talakai?”
“If it is, they’d better tell us.”
Sebastian’s expression as he straightened could have frozen hell itself. But then, he always looked like that.
Cara didn’t look our way as she left. Matt, Mari, and I fetched our packs—I fussed with Mari’s, which now had longer straps attached to it.
“Thank you, Anna,” the ogress said as I pulled her waist strap tight.
I grinned up at her. “Any time. We girls have to stick together.”
“Not nearly as much fun as sticking to me,” Matt pointed out.
Mari rolled her eyes. “Even when I understand you, I wish I didn’t.”
A deep voice shattered the moment. “Anna, you’re with me.” Sebastian didn’t even pause, just dropped the comment—clearly an order, in a cold, impersonal tone—and cruised on by.
Matt stiffened. “I’m with her.”
His head barely turned. “That much is obvious. If you can keep up. You are welcome to try.”
Matt’s jaw jutted slightly. “Have you heard anything about Talakai?” he asked.
Sebastian stopped and turned back to us. “It will take time.”
“Does Aaron know anything?” I asked.
His pale eyes locked with mine. “Aaron is in a coma. The Watchers expect he will recover, but he cannot be questioned as of yet.” He turned his back on me and strode through the students to the start line.
I swallowed. I was the reason Aaron was in a coma.
“I slammed the bludger’s head into the wall a few times too many,” Matt offered as we traipsed in the Bellati’s wake. “And you should have seen what Cody did to him.”
“Thanks, Matt,” I said. “But we all know why Aaron’s in such bad shape.”
