Sentinels: Alpha Rising. Doranna Durgin

didn’t quite know what to say to that, so he didn’t.

      “Sorry,” she said. “Maybe that wasn’t fair. But Holly didn’t even have a chance to see her brother before your people whisked her away. And does she even know her parents have been taken to Brevis?”

      Careful, careful. “Her parents made their choices,” Lannie said. “Not that I don’t understand them. But choices have consequences.”

      “None of that was Holly’s fault,” Regan said. “But she’s the one paying the price, don’t you think?”

      “More than she should,” Lannie agreed. One of the mules came up behind him, reaching through the corral pipe to inspect Lannie’s hair; he reached up to tug on the creature’s chin, and mulish contentment rolled over him. “We’re coming to Cloudview tomorrow to get Holly a bike.”

      Silence greeted that pronouncement, if only for a moment. “I thought it wasn’t safe.”

      “It’s not safe for Holly to be on her own,” Lannie said. “She isn’t.”

      Regan bristled audibly. “You know, we’ve done fine without you so far.”

      “Right,” Lannie said, failing to rise to her anger one little bit. “And now you don’t have to.” He let the words settle. “More importantly, Holly doesn’t have to. She has a lot to learn, Regan. I think it would help if she could see you and Kai. If you’re not up for that, I’ll handle it.”

      “I have no problem with Holly,” Regan said instantly. “Damn you.”

      Lannie laughed. “We’ll call once we have the bike.”

      “Fine,” Regan said. “You tell her I’ll be glad to give her perspective. Use those words.”

      “Yes, ma’am,” Lannie said, without any sign of meekness. He grinned as he ended the call, struck by Regan’s assertively defensive response to Holly’s needs—struck by the similar strengths in the two women.

      He reached over his head to give the hovering mule another chin tug. “I think I just might live to regret this.”

      When the mule snorted on him, he took it as agreement.

      * * *

      Lannie was waiting for her when she came down the hill—the folder tucked away, the mules happy with a flake or two of hay to carry them into the evening and the night growing cool around them all. The clouds had stalled, lurking up high with no indication of releasing any rain.

      Holly returned in the twilight, moving easily downhill in that rolling walk. Lannie watched her progress with a semihypnotized gaze, instinctively reaching out to share pack song—

      She doesn’t want that. He stopped himself short, shifted subtle intent and let himself listen instead—waiting for the ongoing static to make way for the light and airy sense of her, and then breathing it in.