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“Where are you coming from, looking so smug?” he called out.
I smirked as I felt the lump in my pocket, the velvet beneath my thumb. It was strangely heavy for how small it was.
I could tell them, I supposed. It wouldn’t hurt anything. Denny might have something to say about it, but Dylan and Kingston would be thrilled.
To say it out loud might jinx it, though. After the year we’d had, I had no desire to test my luck.
“Just running some errands,” I answered, which was technically true. “What are you up to?”
Dylan grinned. “Look at what Denny brought us.”
He shifted aside to reveal a rifle laying across Kingston’s lap.
“A gun?” I looked to Denny, immediately wary. “I don’t mean to look a gift horse in the mouth here, but—”
“Bullets won’t stop the ferals,” Kingston finished for me. “We know.”
“It’s not that kind of gun,” Dylan explained.
Kingston lifted the rifle up and held it out for me to inspect. I took it into my hands with care.
“Rab had it shipped up from Texas for us,” Denny said. “He’s always liked to tinker with this kind of stuff. Normally, we use darts to take down ferals, but it’s not very efficient if you’re dealing with more than one at a time. So, when I mentioned we’d probably be looking at an army of them…” Denny shrugged. “There’s nothing Rab likes more than a challenge. He says to tell Felicity hello.”
“I bet he does.” I studied the rifle, turning it over in my hands. “How many rounds does this hold?”
“Ten, for now,” said Denny. “But Rab’s working on a prototype for something bigger, maybe one that can take belts. It’ll take a while before it’s ready, but—”
“We’ve got time. Send him my thanks.” I glanced between Dylan and Kingston. “You two know how to use this?”
“Haven’t tried it out yet,” Kingston said. “But I figure if I can get accurate with it, I might be of some use to you when it’s time to fight. Even without shifting.”
“And we were thinking that me and squad, perched up the trees, might be able to take down a whole lot of them before they even make it to our front lines,” Dylan added.
“If you’re okay with it, I can get the schematics from Rab and start working on arming your troops,” Denny offered.
I nodded and passed the rifle to him. “Make it happen.”
A non-lethal option that could still effectively take down a feral wolf was exactly the kind of thing we needed right now. Most of the pack was made up of civilians. Not all of them would be willing to kill, and this gun would mean they didn’t have to.
Kingston had a point as well. He wasn’t the only one who couldn’t rely on shifting. Gena, Nana Jordan, Nadia, and Felicity all deserved the right to defend themselves. If worst came to worst and our forces fell, Rab’s rifles might be the only things standing between them and the feral horde.
Not that I particularly enjoyed thinking about that, but I’d rest easier knowing they had something.
“Have any of you seen Felicity?” I asked, glancing around.
There was no response beyond some shrugs, but the Flamingo was in the driveway, which meant she was here.
Down the slope of the drive, I spotted Nana Jordan sitting with Connell on a picnic blanket. They were on baby duty today, and had the boys between them, enjoying tummy time. A little farther out, near the tree line, Dylan’s guerrilla squad were shooting the shit. The Riley boys were teaching Katie Graves how to roll cigarettes. Mandy Spencer was nestled beneath her husband’s arm.
No sign of Felicity out here.
I parted ways with Denny and my brothers, heading toward the front porch. Inside, I suspected I’d find Gena and Nadia hanging around the kitchen. If Felicity wasn’t with them, they might know where she was.
I had something to show my mate. Two things, actually.
I was eager to see how she might respond.
As I jogged up the ramp I’d built for Kingston, the front door opened, and my search ended.
