Wolf swallowed his exasperation. Hisjavaaneeexcelled at stubbornness. A trait they shared.
“When Benioko approaches youagain,”because he would, “ask him why our females have been gifted warrior spirits. Ask him what the elder gods expected of them and how they are meant to serve theHee'woo'nee.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “This request is a fucking test, isn’t it? You know damn well the answer to that question is not something my subconscious can provide. What the hell, dude—are you trying to find out whether I’m actually talking with your dead shaman?”
“No.” Wolf simply stared back. “I know you’re speaking with him. Your own words prove this truth. You, who have never heard the language of theHee'woo'nee,echoed the words of theTaounaha,Kali words. A language you do not know.”
Aiden looked startled, then dismissive. “When did I—”
“You used the Kali termTabenetha.This is not a word you know. TheTaounahawould use this word. You would not.”
Wolf watched Aiden’s forehead wrinkle, watched the memory of his words, sink into his eyes, watched his gaze widen and fill with shock.
“I must have...must have heard it on base.”
Wolf didn’t argue. He just sat back and let the hook set and sink.
Chapter seventeen
Day 28
Shadow Mountain Base, Alaska
Muriel had a love-hate relationship with Shadow Mountain. She’d flown into the air hangar multiple times since Daniel’s death, sometimes with Olivia or Gracie by her side, sometimes without. And always, without fail, she felt her son’s presence the instant her shoes touched the iridescent, spongy floor. She could almost hear the faint echo of Daniel’s voice, feel the warmth of his touch. Had the recycled air trapped remnants of her son’s spirit on base? Was that why his presence felt so strong here? Or were these ghostly resonances simply her imagination?Her soul’s efforts to keep Daniel alive, even if in echoes and memories?
She turned, looking at Gracie who sat in the back of the vehicle. Did her daughter sense her twin’s presence too? Muriel hadn’t asked...didn’t even know how to ask.
“Seatbelts on,” O’Neill said as he cranked the key to the utility vehicle.
He glanced down at Muriel’s waist and then over his shoulder at Gracie. Once assured his passengers were buckled in, he deftly backed the vehicle up and pulled onto the road.
Before today, Wolf had acted as her chauffeur, ferrying her from the hangar to the clinic. But O’Neill escorted her and Gracie today. His muscular body sat sprawled across the driver’s seat, while his fingers tapped against the steering wheel. She could feel the heat his body shed. It prickled against her skin, electrifying her senses.
His overwhelming presence crushed the faint echo of Daniel’s spirit, both a relief and a regret.
Wolf was just as big, just as muscular, just as masculine, but his presence beside her all those times before had barely registered. Between her grief over Daniel’s death and anxiety over Samuel’s condition, she’d barely noticed him sitting there in the driver’s seat.
“Do you want to stop by the ER before the tour?” O’Neill asked. He stopped at the bottom of the exit ramp and reached in the caddy between the seats. Picking up his cell phone, he glanced at the screen.
“Yes please. We should get Gracie’s spirit bite checked out. Make sure it’s not infected.” Muriel forced herself not to look in the back seat. Her daughter wouldn’t appreciate her concern. She hadn’t even let her bandage or check the wound this morning.
“I’m fine.” Gracie drew the last word out, exasperation and annoyance in her tone. “It’s a spirit bite, remember? Modern medicine won’t affect it.”
From O’Neill’s raised eyebrows, she wasn’t the only one who’d caught the edge to Gracie’s voice.
“It won’t hurt to have someone look at it,” Muriel countered. She glanced at O’Neill for reinforcement. “Isn’t that what you said last night?” At least Gracie respected his opinion.
“I did.” O’Neill glanced in the rearview mirror. “It’s always wise to cover all your bases.”
“Fine.” Gracie blew out a noisy breath. “But can we do it after the tour?” She paused, and then her voice took on a calculating tone. “Unless mom wants to visit Samuel while you give me a tour of the base. If that’s the case, we might as well head to the clinic now and drop her off.”
Muriel’s chest went hollow beneath a wave of hurt and embarrassment.
“I’d like a tour too,” she said in protest, her voice tighter than she’d expected.
Gracie had made it crystal clear she didn’t want her mother horning in on her time with her father. Too bad. Muriel wasn’t ready to step back and let O’Neill monopolize their daughter...not yet.
“Tour first, then,” O’Neill said, sounding like a diplomat. He guided the vehicle across the road and down the next ramp. “We’ll hit the clinic last.”
