Liam Takes Manhattan (Elder Races #9.5)

Eva had been an excellent soldier. She had commanded the unit that Hugh had been in, and now she made just as excellent a bodyguard. But she would never make a sentinel. What was the difference?

Eva was a canine Wyr, and her lifespan was nowhere near that of one of the immortals, but that wasn’t the difference. Dragos didn’t make a distinction between the immortal Wyr and the others—Eva was just as welcome as anybody else to try for a sentinel position if she wanted it, and if she won the position, it would be hers for as long as she could do her job.

No, it was something else. Perhaps it was fire.

Eva didn’t have the drive to become a sentinel. While she had alpha tendencies, she had been content to be a unit commander, and she liked being Pia’s bodyguard. But Liam couldn’t imagine any of the sentinels being content with such a position for long, even though they liked to wear a laid-back demeanor.

So aside from ability, experience and ruthlessness, did a sentinel need to be driven as well? And if so, did Liam have that kind of fire in him for the position?

All he knew for certain was that he was going to be asking himself a lot of questions during the upcoming year.

Inside, the large lobby was utilitarian as well. Somebody had tried to make up for it by painting the concrete block walls with bright colors, and a large fake Christmas tree stood in one corner, decorated with pet toys and leashes.

They walked to the front reception desk where Pia gave her name. The elderly receptionist spoke on the phone and then told them that the executive director would be out in just a moment.

Smells assaulted Liam’s sensitive nose—disinfectant, along with the scents of stressed animals. A man and two young girls walked past them with a border collie mix on leash. As it neared Liam, the dog shrieked and tried to pull out of its collar.

His heart sinking, he quickly retreated until the family could calm the dog enough to walk it out the front door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mom give him a sad look before Pia turned to the front receptionist and asked, “Do you have a section with puppies?”

“We sure do,” the receptionist told her. “All the puppies that are up for adoption are through that glass door. You’ll be able to see it in a moment. I’m sure Eileen will want to give you a tour.”

“Certainly,” Pia said. She looked at Liam and told him telepathically, Go visit with the puppies if you want.

He hesitated. You don’t mind?

Of course not. She smiled at him. We’ll just be talking about annual budgets and policy changes anyway. Go—enjoy yourself. I’ve got this.

Thanks. As a brisk gray-haired woman strode up to Pia and Eva, Liam stuck his hands in the pockets of his jeans and strolled over to the glass door that led to the area where the adoptable puppies were kept.

On the other side of the door, a long room held a series of pens with waist-high gates. High squeaks and yaps sounded as he approached.

He peered over the first gate, but that kennel was empty. The next held three sleeping Chihuahua puppies, curled in a pile on a folded blanket. He smiled as he looked at their small, round bellies.

The third kennel held two Rottweiler mix puppies that rolled along the floor and play-fought with each other. He clicked his tongue at them and snapped his fingers, but they ignored him.

Indifference was a lot better than outright panic. Shrugging, he moved on.

The fourth kennel was the largest and it held the most. Seven puppies gamboled about. It was hard to tell what kind of breed mix they were. There seemed to be some German shepherd, along with maybe a splash of golden retriever, or something else he couldn’t identify. The result was that the puppies looked somewhat wolfish, with narrow noses, yellow-gold eyes, and brown and tan markings on their soft, shaggy pelts.

As he watched, one puppy chewed its hind leg while one of its litter mates stalked up to it and pounced. Liam laughed as the pair fell over, growling at each other.

Bending over the gate, he reached down to pet one of the largest of the puppies. It promptly turned to gnaw on his fingers with needle-sharp teeth. Another, smaller puppy fixed on him and bounded to the gate. It scrabbled at the barrier.

The thing was, his parents hadn’t been wrong. He really would have loved to have a puppy. But now he was going away to school, or at least he hoped he was.

If everything went well, he would be leaving behind everyone he knew. His mother and father. His new baby brother. He would be gambling everything to take a shot at a big unknown.

If everything didn’t go well, and he didn’t get into Glenhaven in time for the next term, he truly had no idea what he was going to do with himself.