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“How?”
“I’m going to help them rediscover their true nature and find a pack.”
“And what if they leave you?”
“Oh, they will,” Oakley said around the lump that formed in her throat. “Sooner or later, they will. But maybe, if I’m lucky and can find a place near their territory, they’ll pass through now and then.”
“And if not?”
“If they’re safe and living their best lives, then I’ll be content.”
“Will you?”
“I’ll try to be.”
“Doing what, Oakley?”
“I don’t know.”
“Yet.” Sadie said.
“You think I’ll find my way?”
“Or it will find you.”
Oakley considered that, but remained silent. She had to start facing the reality of the choice she’d recently made. If she was lucky enough to succeed in what she wanted for the wolves, it was probable they’d return to the wild, and she’d never see them again.
Could she be happy with that? If she truly cared for them, she had to be. She had to give them the one thing denied to them. Their freedom.
“You’re probably right,” she finally said. “And I’ll face whatever comes, but first, I have to give them back what someone took when they robbed them of their mother and home. I have to help them find the place they belong.”
“And in doing so, find your place as well.”
Oakley stopped and stared at Sadie. “Do you believe that or are you just trying to make me feel better?”
“There’s a lot left for you to do, Oakley. You and your warrior, Gunner. You have talents and abilities. Look how well the K9s respond to you, how devotedthey are. You train them to fight. Why not train them to be protectors or companions? Dogs are the most giving animals on the planet. Show them how to give in a way that saves lives, or at least makes life more tolerable. Teach them how to make people feel safe, loved, or happy.”
“Do you think they possess that skill?”
Sadie laughed and gestured to the wolves. “You tell me, wolf mama.”
“Yeah,” Oakley smiled. “In spades.”
“Well, there you go, Rising Wolf. This isn’t the end of your career, life, or identity. It’s the beginning. The only question is, what do you want?”
And just like that, everything changed. Oakley actually stopped in her tracks, staring at Sadie. She supposed her brand of soul searching had been leading her in this direction. She knew she wanted Gunner, and for a time thought she wanted to train the wolves for working with humans.
Then Sadie walked into her life and asked the right questions. Questions that made Oakley step back from her original stance and consider things from another perspective. From the point of view of the creatures she claimed to be dedicated to protecting.
Why couldn’t Gunner be here? She needed to talk to him. Badly.
“I’m not sure I have a cogent position on that yet. I know I want the wolves protected, and not just these, but everyone on this continent. I know I want to experience a life outside the military, with someone I love, and I know I want to do the right thing. But I also know that I will likely have to face an opponent, someone from my pastwho has a score to settle, and will seek to hurt me by hurting anyone and anything I love.
“So, there’s a good chance that what I want will come with a price that’s costly.”
“What cost is that?”
“The life I’ll take from someone determined to harm these wolves.”
