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The thought pursued me, and I ended in Walker’s study, taking comfort in the trace of his scent hanging in the air and the pleasant surroundings. Dmitri was napping at this time of day, so I had an hour to simply think.
I settled in the chair, folding my legs up and resting my shin on my knees. Elise’s offer… I didn’t want to. But what I wanted didn’t always come before what Dmitri needed. Today, the dream of running with him was thin and tattered.
A mental image of Walker floated through my mind, black hair, sun-bronzed skin, the red gem he wore…my thought backtracked. Walker was of the senator caste, even if he worked for a living. He had status and clout, though not as much as one of the First Families.
If we stayed together…if this were a long-term relationship…he could protect Dmitri, perhaps adopt him. He was friends with Robert and Elise…maybe we could settle somewhere close to Kalderon.
The thought brewed a mixture of hope and uncertainty in my chest and stomach. He cared, I knew that…could that love get past all my baggage? Could he truly accept me and Dmitri as we were?
He was willing to face an elf for me.
I reached over and tapped his code into the comm and waited. I wanted to see his face on the screen.
While I waited to see if he’d pick up, I pulled one of the small carved animals from the shelf and examined it more closely. It was a wolf, the detail exquisite, carved by hand in a dark wood and smooth to a silken finish. The next was a cougar, done by the same person or someone with a very similar style.
The comm burped and the screen lit up.
His face appeared on the screen, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn't help but smile. Even just on the screen, his presence filled a small part of the void I’d noticed day by day since he’d left.
“Alys!”
He shifted his wristcomm, but not before I saw smoke billowing behind him.
“What’s going on? I asked. “I saw the smoke, Walker.”
He half laughed, a bit like I’d imagine a happy predator would laugh. “One of the tasks I took on was an audit of the Wolves, since they’ve not posted a profit in years. I needed to call for backup, but it looks like they’ve got substantial liability.”
His lazy voice made me laugh. “When will you come home?”
His smile warmed and I flushed a bit, realizing I’d called this place home.
“Soon, I hope. I’ve got two more jobs to finish. How are all of you doing? Did they move your trial date back? He’s got more courage than I would have thought, even if it’s just a nuisance suit.”
“No, not yet. I was calling- Silver has a new errand lined up for me, and I didn’t know if you’d be back before I had to go out.”
He frowned. “As far as I knew, you weren’t to be sent out alone because of the price on your head. What’s changed?”
“I don’t think your link is secure enough, and I don’t know your clearance,” I said. Since the geas didn’t clamp down on me, I was probably right.
His frown deepened, “I’ll wrap up as fast as I can. And have a chat with Silver on the topic too.”
Not much could be said there.
I hesitated, then took the plunge. “How do you feel about long-term relationships? Dove mentioned…”
He laughed as I caught myself. “It’s fine. I’d like to be in one, I hadn’t met the right woman until recently. If she’s ready for a commitment, I am.”
“Even if she has a kid and a lot of baggage?”
“I like children. And I’m good at finding places to put baggage.”
I hadn’t known I could like him more than I did, but the sight of his dry smile made my heart want to burst with happiness. “I hope you get home soon, too.”
Yelling erupted out of sight of his comm, and he glanced over his shoulder and blew me a kiss, then cut the comm.
My comm pinged with an incoming message. It was Silver.Remember.Escort Joan Cameron and Kara Dumont for the rest of the day. Make sure they aren’t injured by their tasks, and aid them in accomplishing them. This should be a one-day mission.
A sharp rap sounded on the door. “Alys?”
