Vision in Silver(39)
“I have to report to Grandfather Erebus. Why don’t we ride together?” Vlad looked at Meg. “Simon can shift and ride in the back of the BOW. I’ll drive over to the Chambers and then pick you up when you’re ready to go home.”
“I can drive,” Simon said.
“Not tonight,” Vlad said quietly. <Neither of you should drive tonight,> he added. <You don’t look like you can hold the human form much longer, and Meg doesn’t need the mental effort right now.>
Simon nodded. Vlad was right about him not being able to hold the human form much longer. He couldn’t get a measure of Meg’s fatigue, but she crossed the short distance between the office and the garages as if she’d run a long way through deep snow and every step now was an effort to survive.
Since they’d already locked up the office and bookstore, Simon went into the garage that housed one of the BOWs to strip off his clothes and shift. Vlad obligingly stood where he would block Meg’s view. Not that Simon had any inhibitions about a human seeing him naked or shifting, but he was still careful to avoid Meg seeing him naked. He’d made the shift from Wolf to human once without thinking, and her confusion about seeing him as a naked human had almost broken their friendship.
He shook out his fur and waited for Vlad to set his clothes in the back of the BOW. When he jumped in, he made sure his tail was out of the way before the back door closed. Then Vlad and Meg got in the front seats. After Vlad backed out of the garage and stopped long enough to close the garage door, they headed for the Wolfgard Complex.
The BOWs were electric-powered vehicles that were used in the Courtyard. They had two seats and a cargo area that was just big enough for a grown Wolf if he kept his tail tucked. It wasn’t his fault that Meg’s head—and that newly cropped hair—was so close to his muzzle that he couldn’t help but sniff it.
No stinky smells anymore from whatever she had used to dye her hair. Now the hair smelled of the shampoo made by the terra indigene, and it smelled like Meg.
He gave the side of her head a quick lick before she squealed and ducked away from him.
Tasted like Meg. Felt like puppy fuzz.
Too bad he couldn’t hold her down and give her a proper grooming like he used to do with Sam. Could still do with Sam.
When they arrived at the Wolfgard Complex, the pups were outside playing some kind of game with the juvenile Wolves.
Vlad barely had time to stop the BOW before Meg scrambled out of the vehicle.
<Meg!> Sam’s happy arroo was followed by those of other pups as they all crowded around her.
<It’s the Meg!> <Does the Meg have cookies?> <Tug game?> <Chase you!>
<Let me out,> Simon growled at Vlad. Excited pups could easily forget to be careful with Meg.
He almost smacked his head, too impatient to wait for Vlad to lift the back door fully before he leaped out of the BOW.
Then he stopped and watched Meg and Sam. Strong bond between them. Trust and love.
Was Meg’s little brother at the bottom of a lake? Did she really want to know that kind of truth about the humans who had kept her? Did he?
The rest of the Wolfgard who lived in Lakeside came over to where Meg was hugging all the pups, but especially Sam.
<Uncle Simon?> Sam said. <Meg’s eyes are leaking. Is she sick?>
<No, she’s not sick. She’s . . .>
Couldn’t tell the pups what had happened today, especially not Sam, who had seen his mother shot, had been with her as she bled to death. The pup didn’t need to hear about humans killing their young. Instead, Simon howled the Song of Sorrow.