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Chen dropped her tray onto the table from higher than she’d intended, and the racket startled an uncomfortable pause into what little conversation was happening in the mostly empty mess. She set Nujalik’s bowl on the floor more carefully, then used her napkin to clean up where the fruit salad had splashed onto the tabletop. She hated dragging a sleeve through someone’s spill and refused to put anyone else in that position.
A quick glare convinced the diners still watching to turn away, while her wolf checked under the table for any tasty tidbits that had been left behind before focusing on her own meal.
May settled onto the bench opposite her. Measured against their typically even keel, their raised eyebrow and twinkling eye practically constituted hysterical laughter. “So, the appointment went well. Do I need to requisition a new doctor?”
In spite of herself, Chen relaxed into a smile at the jibe. “Not today. I make no guarantees about tomorrow.”
“Wow, you must really like him.” May dug into their bowl of vegetables and rice in time to miss the heat that flared across Chen’s cheeks.
She closed her eyes and let out a careful breath as she brought her traitorous body under control. Dr. Priddy had a way of slipping past her defenses that was dangerous, combined with a general openness that tugged at her like a magnet. The man acted as if he’d never been hurt, never had to wall off a part of himself. It would have been intoxicating if it wasn’t also baffling.
No, the problem was he knew he was easy to like. And he had too much insight into how wolves behaved for a simple civilian doc. She choked down a spoonful of the too-sweet fruit cocktail. “What do we know about him?”
“Priddy?” May either contemplated the question for a moment or counted ceiling tiles. Chen wasn’t quite sure which. “The Forces recruited him before the ink on his licenses had dried. He’s apparently some kind of wunderkind with canines, and they were hoping it would translate to umbra wolves.”
“Nujalik likes him, so that probably tracks.”
May shook their head. “Nujalik likes anyone who has food or belly rubs to share.”
From under the table, her wolf gave an annoyed sneeze, and Chen chuckled. “You can be upset if you want, but you know it’s true.” The spiky wave of her wolf’s annoyance dragged across Chen’s spine, and she combed her fingers through Nujalik’s coat until the wolf’s pride had been salved.
Once her wolf had settled and returned to her bowl, Chen felt like she could address the bigger question. “The doctor thinks there are persistent issues with Nujalik’s hip. That she’s either aggravated an existing injury or created a new one.”
May paused and set their spoon down. “What did he say about the issues with your bond?”
Chen picked up the yellow, crumbly cube from the corner of her tray and took a bite. All the moisture immediately fled from her mouth, failing to soften the overly dry, slightly bitter compound. She drained her tea in a failed attempt to swallow it down without sputtering. When she’d cleared her palate, she managed to croak out, “I thought that was cornbread!”
“Hm. So do they, I suppose.” May did smirk at that, a tiny curl to the corner of their mouth that echoed their eyebrow. “I forgot to mention, the bio-fabricator’s having an issue with its settings, so the cornbread may be a little dry. Which is why I selected the vegetarian option.”
Technically, all the selections from a fabricator were vegetarian, since the machines printed out food from a selection of chemicals, and not from animal-sourced meat of any kind, but she didn’t feel like arguing.
“Thanks for the intel, Corporal.” Nujalik’s concern crept into the corner of Chen’s awareness, pricking her skin like the silence in the wake of an unanswered question. She reached down and winnowed her fingers into the wolf’s ruff in reassurance.
“Any time. I have to take care of my team, after all.” May chewed another spoonful of what looked like cubes of sweet potato. Or maybe carrot. “So, you were saying?”
“That you’re not going to let it rest?”
They tilted their head, eyes glittering in quiet acknowledgment of the obvious.
“Fine.” Chen took a bite of her food, hiding behind the simple action long enough to decide how she’d advance. The entrée, some kind of mushroom gravy and printed protein patty, was surprisingly flavorful. Apparently, all the effort had gone into that instead of the sides. “I didn’t mention the bond issues with him. He’s not a psychologist, and he’s not going to understand the wolfbond. It’s like anything else, it just needs time.”
“I see.” May set their bowl down and leaned against the back of the bench. “You know I hate to push, but I need to ask. Because you can bet your hide that Penzak will ask me. Is this a danger to the unit? And is your refusal to consider treatment a result of a lack of confidence in Dr. Priddy? Or fear that something might actually be wrong?”
Somehow their words made the food in Chen’s mouth dissolve into a chewy, flavorless paste. She forced herself to finish chewing and swallow. “Can it be a little of both?” Though she had to admit, it wasn’t that she suspected he was wrong, so much as the doctor’s tendency to be so damn smug about being right.
Their face softened. “It can. But there still needs to be a solution.”
She nodded. “He suggested a week or more in planetary gravity, to see if it starts to reverse the effects.” Gravity could vary in even a midsized ship like the Hunting Cry, based on a number of variables that she didn’t bother to keep track of.
“It might also give you two time together without the distraction of other rangers, other wolves. Which could help strengthen the wolfbond again.”
Chen smirked. “Now who’s grasping at straws.”
May’s face grew somber. “Your friend, and your battle buddy. And the corporal who needs every member of their fireteam at the top of their game.”
“I’d have to take leave.” Chen looked down at her wolf and tried to come up with another option. Something that didn’t involve her leaving the only people she cared about short-handed in case something happened somewhere in the Three Systems.
“It’s recovery time for a squad mate. Besides, you haven’t taken time away since—” They cut themselves off before saying her name, but Chen heard it anyway.
Since Elena and you broke up.
And it was true. Hell, it had been true before the relationship ended. One of the many reasons that they’d fought had been Elena’s insistence that Chen put their relationship ahead of her fireteam. As if that was even possible—with a civil war brewing on Tyson, and Triptych increasing their attacks throughout the Three Systems, now was not the time to leave her teammates unsupported. And it wasn’t like she could just set aside the wolfbond. The pack was forever. Something else Elena had never understood.
Chen tensed her jaw as she pushed back Elena’s unwanted intrusion into her thoughts and dropped her shields back into place. “Actually, I was thinking the cabin would be a perfect location.”
May watched her a moment, then shook their head. “Since you were going to risk reopening old wounds already.”
“Don’t start. Besides, it meets all the requirements.” Chen counted them on her fingers. “It’s remote, so no one will bother us, especially now that it’s winter down there. It’s mine, so I know it’s available. There are no stairs. Soft, mostly even ground around the cabin. Plenty of woods to run in.” It was also the place Chen had taken Elena whenever she’d gone on leave. Going would allow her to scrub the rest of her ex’s presence from what used to be Chen’s safe haven.
“You could do scent training while you’re down there. We need more wolves than Pakhet who can do the work.” At the mention of her name, May’s wolf popped her head over the edge of the table. Her amber eyes looked at Chen’s discarded cornbread with suspicion.
Chen pushed the dusty cube closer to the wolf’s nose, leaving a trail of crumbs in its wake that she knew she’d have to sweep up so they wouldn’t get into the air-scrubbers and destroy a seal or something.
May’s hand intercepted the faux-cornbread and scooped it into their bowl despite the disappointed whine from their wolf. “Believe me. You wouldn’t have liked it, and then you’d stop trusting Chen. And where would that get us?” They scrubbed between the wolf’s ears, and she grinned in tongue-lolling satisfaction.
Chen watched the proceedings but didn’t rise to her squad mate’s barb. May’s suggestion had a lot of merit, if she was honest. Scent work would allow a fair bit of trotting about and let Nujalik practice critical problem-solving skills, which would keep her from getting bored. It also would better test and push the bond between them than endless games of fetch or aimless rambling about in the woods that surrounded her property. Most importantly, it would be a new skill that could improve the squad.
And she wouldn’t feel like she was hiding.
Chen swallowed. “I need you to promise me. If we get deployed, you’ll send a shuttle. I couldn’t bear it if you all went into the field without me.”
“Like I’d go anywhere without my support specialist.” May sipped at their tea and leaned across the table. “Penzak would recall you, even if I didn’t. He knows how important you are to the team. If I have any warning at all, I’ll make sure you drop with us.”
“Even if there’s no warning. You need to make sure I get word of it.”
“I promise,” May said. Two words that, from them, were as good as carved in stone. “Good enough?”
“I can accept that.” Chen knew they’d do everything in their power, but having the reassurance helped.
“When are you planning to leave?”
“It’ll be a couple of cycles, I imagine. I need to check my responsibilities and get things squared away before I can go.” Chen took a drink.
“Luckily, your duty roster shifts have already been cleared for the next two weeks.” May offered a thin-lipped smile. “And the third is light enough that it can be cleared.”
Chen choked on her tea, coughing and sputtering as the liquid invaded her sinuses. “You knew?” Anger flared at the back of Chen’s throat, outrage that they’d dragged her through the whole conversation without need.
May shook their head once. “I didn’t know. I suspected. Even if they put Nujalik into shipboard rehab, you’d have been out of commission. I needed to make a decision that would allow the squad to keep functioning. I predict and take action to mitigate. That’s my job.”
Chen spun her tray one-eighty and placed her fireteam leader’s bowl on top of it. “That and clean up detail. After all, I’ve got to get packed if I’m going to get out of here.” She stood and stepped out from behind the table. “Permission to leave, Corporal?”
“I could order you—”
“But you won’t.” Chen smiled her friendliest smile. They’d played through the same ritual almost every day since she’d first been assigned to the fireteam. “If you did that, you’d have nothing to complain about.”
May scoffed quietly before standing and gathering up both trays. “Get packed, Specialist. I want you headed to Farhope before the end of the next cycle, or...”
She didn’t stick around to hear the rest.
#
JAVAD FINISHED DICTATING the last of his care notes from the day and killed the microphone on his omnidevice. Andile hadn’t contacted him yet, and he fought against the need to call her again and try to force her hand. She was still gun-shy about family poking into her business, especially him. At the same time, she usually answered within a standard day.
He chewed his lip and stared at the screen, thumb hovering above her name. She was fine. It had scarcely been six hours. He could worry about her if he hadn’t heard from her by tomorrow. And if need be, he could ask about anyone who’d inserted themselves into her life recently. He could play the brotherly concern card pretty well at this point. She practically expected it of him.
Dr. Bajusz leaned around the door, face split wide in a grin. “We’re headed to the Officers’ Club for a few drinks. You interested?” She looked hopeful, but as the medical team’s unofficial mother hen, she wanted everyone to take the relaxation she felt they needed.
“Sorry, Immalyne, I’ve got a few things left to close up. You all go, though. I can shut it down here.” Technically there’d be a skeleton crew left in place at the med center, just to handle accidents and injuries during the overnight hours, so closing up wasn’t much effort. If anything major happened, they’d all get roused to duty regardless.
“We’ll be there for a while. It’s Lafrenz’s anniversary, you know.” She sounded unsurprised, but disappointed, and he had to ignore the gouge it cut across his feelings.
“Okay. I’ll try to make it, but if I don’t, make sure she knows I wished her a happy one too.” They both knew he was lying, but at least she had the good grace to allow him the face-saving gesture. He transferred a chunk of cash to Bajusz’s omni. “There. First round’s on me.”
“I don’t know how you expect to meet someone if you only work and sleep.”
Ugh. “First, I do more than work and sleep. I have fun.” She gave him a skeptical glance, and he cut it off. “I do. And second, I’m pretty sure my relationship status isn’t work relevant.”
Bajusz made a grumpy noise and waved her hand as she walked away. Honestly, he’d be more upset about her prodding if she didn’t do it to literally everyone on the staff. And half the military and crew she came in contact with. He also didn’t want to explain to her that he wasn’t looking for anyone else in his life until he’d done a better job carving out a place for himself, either on the Hunting Cry or in a planetary clinic somewhere. He had to make a place for himself that couldn’t be taken away by the people who’d helped him so far—either by being too good, or by being too remote to be worth their effort. He needed something to offer a partner other than long absences, strange hours, and looming dread.
Even if the partner in question was a prickly, guarded ranger, who made him feel like a gangly teen when she talked to him.
Javad shook his head. Chen had made her feelings for him plenty clear over the last four months. He was a nuisance to be tolerated for the sake of her wolf. Though thinking of her did remind him of one more task. He compiled a set of exercises that would help Nujalik strengthen her hip without putting too much strain on the joint. Chen would want to keep the program slow and steady, and he noted as much in his message before he sent it off and returned to his work.
Ten minutes later his omnidevice beeped.
“That was fast,” he muttered. He hadn’t expected a response at all, let alone one so hot on the heels of his instructions. He braced himself for what might be a scathing reply from the ranger as he flipped his omni over to view the screen.
Excellent work isolating a wolf.
Ice squirmed in his belly, and he felt off-balance, despite sitting down. He didn’t recognize the originating ID for the message. He’d blocked the number from earlier, but he knew it was the same sender.
The padlock logo hovered over the message. Whoever had sent it was using a secure encryption, which meant they didn’t want any of the comms personnel on the Cry listening in. Javad swallowed to shove the tightness in his throat back into place, then stretched from his chair and tapped the door closed. After rubbing the bridge of his nose, he replied, I don’t know what you mean.
Except he did know, or he had a good idea.
The thinking wheel spun for a long time as his omni waited for a response. Whoever it was, they were contacting him from a good ways off. Or wanted it to seem that way.
After what felt like too long the reply came through. We will put a team in place to acquire the wolf. Once it’s in our possession, your family is safe.
Javad’s throat burned. He should take this to someone. Alert someone. He at least needed to tell Chen.
Another picture of his parents’ restaurant downloaded to his phone, the clock behind the counter matching current Khonsu Local time. His mom had her back to the floor, talking through the pass-through to the kitchen. But in case you decide to get clever...
His heart constricted, torn between his desire to warn Chen to stay on the ship and the need to keep his family safe. If whoever they were knew Chen was leaving the constellation, then they had eyes somewhere close; possibly even on board the Hunting Cry itself. Panic seeped in. Who could he tell? Who could he risk talking to and trust not to be a spy?
Chen, obviously. If they had her under control, they wouldn’t need to steal her wolf. She could simply give it to them. The other rangers in Chen’s squad, maybe. Though he could see a rationale in someone sacrificing an ally’s wolf to keep their own safe. It was the downside of the wolfbond’s attachment. The fear of loss made people willing to compromise.
Or maybe that was just him.
Anyone else on the constellation, even people with whom he worked like Cignetti or Dr. Bajusz, was suspect. He folded up his glasses, set them on the desk, and pressed the heel of his hands into his eyes.
There had to be a way to get word to Chen, though. If she had ample warning, Javad had no doubt the ranger and her wolf would be fine. Once she’d been warned, he could figure out how to get to Khonsu and keep his family safe. It would only be a matter of time before the people pressuring him realized that he’d betrayed them.
He pinched the bridge of his nose. As plans went, it was bad bordering on unworkable. With more time, he could open the problem up and devise a better strategy, but time was the one thing he didn’t have. Without knowing when the attack on Chen might take place, every minute counted. She couldn’t risk exercising Nujalik when they might be waiting for her.
The thought pulled him up short. He’d made it plain that he wanted to check on the wolf in the field. It was stated in his care notes. A quick trip to the surface wouldn’t be out of place. He could even try to couch it as confirming the wolf’s health for the abductors. Plus he could tell her away from the ship, where he didn’t know who else might be listening. And it put him that much closer to home.
He still didn’t know where she might be taking her wolf, but the Calypso system was well connected. Any of the moons she visited would likely have a shuttle to Khonsu available. Javad nodded to himself and tucked his glasses in a pocket. It was a slim chance of success, but he could do it. All he needed to do was figure out where Chen would be staying.
He knew just the place to find someone who might help. Luckily a run always helped to clear his mind.