“Will do.” Tens was out of comms and doing his thing when Mack turned to the rest of us.
“Ship,” he said, and it was a direct order to return.
Case hesitated.
“I can babysit while we wait...” but Mack was already shaking his head, and Rohan came to the rescue.
“I can do it from in here,” he said, reminding us he was still fiddling with the stations’ insides.
“Fine,” Mack said, and I sensed Rohan’s delight as he hit the teleport station.
The cub and his human were right with us, by the time we had the boy open the travel car’s doors. We stayed well back, Mack, Case, me and Stepyan forming a crescent behind the kids. The boy went furry the minute he caught sight of Varian, shredding the ship-suit we’d found for him. The girl took a step to the side, and dropped into a combat stance beside him.
It was almost sweet.
Varian regarded them in surprise, and then his lip curled and his growl rumbled through the lounge. The boy growled right back, and the girl managed a credible snarl of her own. Varian laughed.
“Not yet, cub,” he told the boy, “but soon. You are your father’s son and more.”
At this, the boy’s ears pricked and his tail gave a single happy sweep, and then he reached out and took the girl’s hand. Varian frowned, but the kid didn’t let that deter him.
“Mine,” he said, and she leant into him.
“Mine,” she echoed, both confirming his claim, and daring anyone to challenge her.
Varian turned to Mack as his team exited the lift and fanned out behind him. “I take it you have an explanation...”
Stepyan snarled and Varian’s ears pricked, his lips rippling in an abortive snarl of his own. He went silent and his ears slanted sideward when he saw who had challenged him. Mack held up a hand to get their attention.
“We have the station. Odyssey are coming.”
Varian’s ears quirked, and he glanced at the cub. “We need to get him back to his father.”
“You cannot take him back to the ground.” Case was adamant, and Varian nodded.
“You have the coordinates already,” he replied, looking at Mack. He indicated the squad at his back. “We will stand between you.”
The cub cocked his head, clearly wondering why they’d have to. Mack dropped a hand to his head and ruffled his fur.
“Cutter was rude,” he explained and I shot him a wide-eyed look.
The cub’s eyes were wider. “And he let her live?”
I glared at him, but Mack cleared his throat and the cub switched his focus.
“I negotiated her free.”
“But if she goes with you...”
“We will stand between them,” Varian finished for him, and then asked, “Will you stand with us?”
The cub paused to study me carefully, before he dipped his chin in assent. “She took me from the enemy and protected my she at great risk to herself.”
He turned back to Mack. “I will protect your she in return.”
Tens sputtered inside my head, and Rohan howled with laughter. I could just imagine the boy shaking as he doubled over with mirth.
“I can still kick your ass,” I reminded him, and he let me feel when he fell off the chair as a new wave of laughter took him. “You are not funny.”
“Cutter, please stop. You’re only encouraging him”. Tens sounded tired. When he spoke next, he addressed Rohan. “Give it a rest, boy. She’s not that funny.”
Rohan sniffed and I heard him climb back on the chair. “Sorry, boss.”
“When you goat-sucking, crack-crawling, sphincter-eaters are done!” I snapped, not meaning to say it out loud.
“Enough!” Mack growled, and the cub turned to me, eyes wide.
My skin flushed red
“I can see why my father might not have let you live,” the boy said, and I ruffled his fur.
“Thanks, kid.”
The human she slapped my hand away. “Mine.”
I smiled at her, careful to keep my teeth covered in the lupar way. “Yours,” I agreed, and she relaxed, although she still eyed me warily.
Mack cleared his throat and we turned toward him.
“We cannot take the cubs with us,” Mack said, his eyes on the wolf Second as Varian, and the cub and his she froze.
“Care to tell me why?” the wolf snarled, and Mack nodded.
“It is a war zone down there. They are safer up here. Once the world has been secured, we will return them. It would be remiss to return them only to have them killed if your ship is overrun.”
“That won’t happen,” Varian argued, and Mack shook his head.
“The arach are coming.”
“Arach?”
“Space-faring—”
“I know what they are!” the Wolf Second spat. “But here?”
“Didn’t Celia tell you?”
“She would have told us if she had known. They were allied with Barangail?” Varian stopped, realization dawning in his eyes. “That scent... I wondered what it was...”
“You didn’t know it?” Mack sounded disbelieving.
Varian glared at him. “Just because I know what a species is, does not mean I know their scent.”
He glanced at the pup. “If the arach are coming, you are better off in space, commanding the other cubs until your father can meet them.”
It was Mack’s turn to look perplexed. Varian caught his expression and gave him a wolfish smile.
“I can smell them on you. They are happy and a little anxious. They need their leader.”
I got the feeling this last was spoken more for the cub’s benefit than ours, and it worked. The cub turned to Mack. “Return me to the others so I may command them.”
Mack gave him a solemn stare. “If that is your wish.”
The cub dipped his chin in a lupar nod. “It is. My father does not need to worry about my safety when he must focus on protecting our people.”
I noticed the possessive way the cub spoke of his father’s crew, and the way the wolves around us stood just a little straighter at hearing him.
“Very well,” Mack agreed, and Tens teleported the youngsters
