Page 70 of HaL

I scoop up a small ball of snow, taking extra care to throw it wide. The last thing I want is to hurt her.

She ducks anyway.

“Oh, you throw like a girl!”

Her laughter echoes across the valley.

Soon, we are both throwing small snow missiles at each other, laughing like younglings. Then I hear something behind me. I turn … Too late, Qanuk tackles me. I hit the snow hard, and Dawn gasps. Qanuk raises her head, a low growl rumbling in her throat. I grab her thick coat, making her look back at me.

“This is my mate, Qanuk.”

Her ears twitch. She sniffs the air, then slowly climbs off me. Dawn, who fears nothing, is already holding out her hand. Just like the first time she met a creature that could tear her apart without a second thought. Before I can get fully to my feet, Qanuk lifts one enormous paw and knocks Dawn into the snow.

My heart stops.

Then I hear laughter.

“Quit, you silly bear! That tickles!”

Qanuk playfully paws at her, and Dawn rolls through the snow, laughing. I stand there completely stunned. Qanuk suddenly turns, and before I can react, she pounces.

The next thing I know, I am rolling through the snow with a Gojira on top of me and Dawn laughing beside us. A sudden deep laugh cuts through the chaos. I scramble to my feet, instinctively placing myself between what I believe could be a threat and two of the things I love most.

Then I see Father’s holo form.

“Son.”

His deep voice carries easily across the balcony.

“I see my worries were for nothing.”

He looks toward Dawn.

“When Vedece reached out because she had not heard from you Dawn, I told her I would check on you two personally. SAGE was concerned as well, especially about the suits she had CIP design.”

His gaze moves over us.

“But it appears that once again, the Lord of Light knew exactly what he was doing.”

Dawn immediately spins around.

“Hey, Commander! Look at my new fur suit.”

She poses dramatically.

“I make this stuff look good.”

Father laughs.

“You are a handsome Hallisteranian, my dear.”

His gaze settles on the glowing rune on my chest.

“And I can see by the rune shining on your chest that you two are fully bonded.”

His expression softens.

“It does my old heart good to see another of my sons blessed so.”