Hawke had immediately prioritized the task, placing Indigo in charge.
“We’ve swept this area, and other outlying areas, several times since the transmitters were originally discovered,” Indigo now said to Riaz and Elias, both of whom stood with her, “and got nothing. So what are we missing?” Even now, the techs spread out below them like an army of ants, but she could tell they were discouraged.
“Chance the Psy penetrated deeper into regions we haven’t checked?” Riaz asked.
Elias was the one who answered. “Ask me, zero percent. We’re too unpredictable in those areas. An adult wolf could decide to go for a run at any time, night or day.”
“I agree with Eli. The isolated sections are the only parts where they would’ve been sure of having an uninterrupted stretch of time.” Letting her wolf rise to the surface, its vision more acute, Indigo focused in the distance—to see a heavily muscled wolf with fur the rich color of silver-birch bark loping up toward her. Her lips curved.
“Do we need to disappear?” Elias asked with a cough that struck her as suspicious.
When Indigo raised an eyebrow at him, he winked. “Drew’s style of courtship seems to involve pulling you into as many shadowy corners as he can.”
Riaz snickered.
She decided to handle the ribbing with grace. “Didn’t you once get caught butt naked with Yuki?” she asked Elias. “Weren’t you covered in chocolate sauce at the time?”
“Shuddup.” Elias folded his arms. “And for your information, it was honey.”
Riaz was doubled over by now, and though his hilarity was partly at her expense, Indigo’s wolf was glad to see him, if not happy, then at least able to find some joy. Turning to watch as Drew crested the final hill to circle around and stand beside her, she stroked her fingers over that proud head.
Having recovered from his fit of laughter, Riaz pointed to a small valley to the west. “They could’ve hidden something there. We haven’t paid much attention to that area because it’s so flood prone.”
Indigo, her wolf rubbing contentedly inside her skin as Drew leaned his weight against her, nodded. “The four of us are free right now. We can borrow a couple of scanners and go have a preliminary look.” But when she glanced down into Drew’s copper gaze, she saw disagreement. “What?”
He looked up.
“Are you rolling your eyes?” Her wolf was miffed.
A long sigh, and then he looked up again. Pointedly.
Indigo followed his gaze. “Eli, Riaz, am I blind?”
“No.” Riaz’s deep voice. “I see sky and tree branches same as you.”
“I think I spotted a squirrel,” Elias put in.
This time, they all turned to look at Drew.
If a wolf could be said to look exasperated, he did.
About to ask him to shift and explain himself, she saw his head snap toward the sky, his gaze following something.
A goshawk, its wings spread in a wash of blue-gray and white as it swept down to grab its hapless prey in powerful claws before rising.
Into the sky.
“Up,” Indigo breathed. “We’re creatures of the earth—we rarely look up.”
Drew gave a short bark to indicate she’d got it. Going to her knees beside this wolf who was able to see the world through so many different lenses, she clenched her fingers in the fur at the ruff of his neck. “I’ll get the techs to scanning, but I need you to find me some cats.” The leopards were much more arboreal than SnowDancers, could search in a way the wolves couldn’t. “You know who’ll be good at this.”
He hesitated, glancing at Riaz.
She rubbed her cheek against his fur, conscious the mating dance had to be playing havoc with his instincts. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
Though it was clear the wolf was in no way pleased, he went. Rising to her feet, she glanced at a silent Riaz. He shook his head. “Damn, but his control must be good.”
Seeing the large silver wolf disappear from sight, she realized Riaz was absolutely right. At that same moment, she understood that Drew had followed her request for one reason only—because he’d promised her he’d never again do anything that would lead anyone to question her rank.
Comprehending as it did the compulsions of the mating dance, her wolf was staggered by the fact that he’d remembered his promise even now.
One more barrier fell.
*
Bringing in the cats turned out to be a wise decision. Drew had rounded up several of the nimble, curious, and energetic juveniles and young adults. Among them, Kit—who was as gorgeous in leopard form as he was in human.
However, it wasn’t Sienna’s maybe-boyfriend who found it, but a sleek little leopard named Grey. “Mercy’s youngest brother,” Indigo said to Riaz as Grey ran over and, having got their attention, led them back to a gnarled old tree.
PLAY OF PASSION
Nalini Singh's books
- Play with Fire
- Ascendancy of the Last
- Blood of Aenarion
- Broods Of Fenrir
- Burden of the Soul
- Caradoc of the North Wind
- Cause of Death: Unnatural
- City of Ruins
- Dark of the Moon
- Demons of Bourbon Street
- Edge of Dawn
- Eye of the Oracle
- Freak of Nature
- Heart of the Demon
- Lady of Devices
- Lance of Earth and Sky
- Last of the Wilds
- Legacy of Blood
- Legend of Witchtrot Road
- Lord of the Wolfyn
- Of Gods and Elves
- Of Wings and Wolves
- Prince of Spies
- Professor Gargoyle
- Promise of Blood
- Secrets of the Fire Sea
- Shadows of the Redwood
- Sin of Fury
- Sins of the Father
- Smugglers of Gor
- Sword of Caledor
- Sword of Darkness
- Talisman of El
- Threads of Desire (Spellcraft)
- Tricks of the Trade
- Visions of Magic
- Visions of Skyfire
- Well of the Damned
- Wings of Tavea
- Wings of the Wicked
- A Bridge of Years
- Chronicles of Raan
- Dawn of Swords(The Breaking World)
- A Draw of Kings
- Hunt the Darkness (Guardians of Eternity)
- Lord of the Hunt
- Master of War
- Mistfall(Book One of the Mistfall Series)
- The Gates of Byzantium
- The House of Yeel
- The Oath of the Vayuputras: Shiva Trilogy 3
- The Republic of Thieves #1
- The Republic of Thieves #2
- Edge of Dawn
- A Quest of Heroes
- Mistress of the Empire
- Servant of the Empire
- Gates of Rapture
- Reaper (End of Days)
- This Side of the Grave
- Magician's Gambit (Book Three of The Belgariad)
- Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files
- Murder of Crows
- The Queen of the Tearling
- A Tale of Two Castles
- Mark of the Demon
- Sins of the Demon
- Blood of the Demon
- The Other Side of Midnight
- Vengeance of the Demon: Demon Novels, Book Seven (Kara Gillian 7)
- Cold Burn of Magic
- Of Noble Family
- Wrath of a Mad God ( The Darkwar, Book 3)
- King of Foxes
- Daughter of the Empire
- Mistress of the Empire
- Krondor : Tear of the Gods (Riftwar Legacy Book 3)
- Shards of a Broken Crown (Serpentwar Book 4)
- Rise of a Merchant Prince
- End of Days (Penryn and the End of Day #3)
- Servant of the Empire
- Talon of the Silver Hawk
- Shadow of a Dark Queen
- The Cost of All Things
- The Wicked (A Novella of the Elder Races)
- Night's Honor (A Novel of the Elder Races Book 7)
- Born of Silence
- Born of Shadows
- Sins of the Night
- Kiss of the Night (Dark Hunter Series – Book 7)
- Born Of The Night (The League Series Book 1)
- The Council of Mirrors
- Born of Ice
- Born of Fire
- Born of Defiance
- Gates of Paradise (a Blue Bloods Novel)
- A Very Levet Christmas (Guardians of Eternity)
- Darkness Eternal (Guardians of Eternity)
- City of Fae
- The Invasion of the Tearling