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“Me, sir?” Runningwolf glanced at the IV stand. “Maybe they spiked the chemical cocktail on me again and I’m hallucinating. I just made full lieutenant six months ago.”
The colonel glanced toward the door, making certain they were alone. “And you’re a beast-kin. I would like for my second to be Other since a lot of the soldiers in my unit are.”
His eyes narrowed. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, sir.”
“Even if you being tough enough to ignore crushed legs and keep fighting and giving your people smart orders that got them out of a tight spot alive didn’t indicate there was some kind of strong, stubborn beast in you, Carter told me.”
“What would give Captain Carter the idea that I was some mythical...”
“She’s half Fae. Her mom’s a djinn.”
Runningwolf stopped in mid-sentence with his mouth still open.
The Fae colonel held up a hand. “It isn’t going any further. You’ve got my word on that. In the Special Enemies and Tactics Unit, being a beast-kin just makes you an even better asset to the team.”
“Captain Carter’s not a Normal?”
The Fae colonel shrugged with a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. “You’re not the only one who can maintain the appearance of a Normal, even under extreme circumstances.”
“Huh.” The man’s eyes closed for a moment in a long blink. “Captain Carter’s half djinn. No wonder she never noticed the heat.”
“Just out of curiosity, are you wolf-kin? Some kind of big cat? Bear?”
“Badger,” Runningwolf said. “May not be as big, but way more tough and ornery, pound for pound.”
“I’d say you’ve proven that. Carter put you in for a Medal of Honor.”
“Seriously?” His voice sounded half asleep and more disbelieving than excited. He smothered a yawn. “Sorry, sir. They’ve got me on some pretty strong stuff.”
The colonel stood. “Get your rest, Lieutenant. Consider what I said. Doctor Periclum will be by later to assess you for cybernetics. He’s kind of an ass, but he’s the best, so…”
“I won’t take it personally.” Runningwolf gave the colonel a half smile as the tall officer nodded and opened the hospital room door. “Sir?”
“Yes?” The colonel paused, pulling the door closed again so their conversation stayed private.
“Are you seriously offering me a position as second in some kind of elite unit?”
“I am.”
“I accept.”
“Take some time. Make this decision when you aren’t on a pharmacy’s worth of drugs.”
Runningwolf shook his head. “Won’t matter. My mom and dad died in the Energy Wars. My mom got the Medal of Honor posthumously. My uncle raised me. He was Delta Force in his younger days. Medical discharge after he took a bullet in the kneecap stopping a terrorist from blowing up a school. Hell, my grandmother was career military. Being a soldier is all I’ve ever wanted, and you’re offering me my military dream job. There aren’t enough drugs in the world for me to change my mind on that.”
Colonel Bennet huffed a chuckle and nodded. “The job’s yours as soon as you’re ready.” The moment of lightness vanished. “But heal at your own speed first. I’ve got the right man for the job picked out. I’m not looking anymore.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Thank you. There are thirty soldiers alive today because of what you did. We owe you.”
“Just doing my job,” Runningwolf muttered, as his eyes drifted closed again and didn’t reopen this time.
The colonel watched the sleeping soldier for a few seconds. “If I had a hundred like you, I could rule the world.” He left, closing the door quietly behind him.
Liliana tilted her head, watching the colonel as he watched Lieutenant Runningwolf. She hoped the Fae colonel did not want to take over the world. That could cause some serious problems for her little town.
Chapter 10
