Thorin and Imara sat on the front porch and relaxed to the sounds of his clumsy guitar

ber as Imara sat on the edge of the porch and swayed back and

a few times to tune it, he restarted the ballad.

her eyes as she tried to remember the name. "Wha

st have told her at least a hundred times now, and she just couldn't get it right. "I bel

rible person could make something so beautiful. "But that son

ok his head. "Oh, heavens no, Imara. I'm not quite that old yet.

ft behind when they left home all those years ago and tried t

sister. "He had kind of a penchant for chopping off his wives' head

sgust. "I'm sorry I asked. He doesn't

elieve. They don't have mates as we do. They choose who they spend their lives with and, well, sometimes they lik

th between them while she swayed to the melody as it echo

ey don't appreciate at all the fact that their creator gave them free will. Those tw

s blasphemy was within reason, though. The old gods of their kind dealt his family

utline of the large, dark animal watching them. "Something's out there, Thorin. A dog, I think."

f the porch as Thorin stopped playing. He narrowed his eyes and tried to peek into the darkness. "

s, then a ball of green light rose from her hand. The creature whimpered and

d and looked out across the yard. "Nah, jus

head into her hand, and she kneeled on one knee as she set the glowing ball on th

ed a little when she pressed her nose against his. "Oh, look what a han

the biggest flirt I ever saw. I bet a bunch of jealous she-wolves will be barking

orin crouched beside her and wiggled his fingers in th

d the top of his nose. "He seems lonel

feral. Shaw would tan your backside, though, if h

d through her, telling her he meant them no harm. "Well, don't tell him,

the grass beside the wolf and ran her hand in long strokes against the length of

ay back into the porch swing. The animal rolled onto his back as he sought more of Im

as she talked to him in her baby

finger into the fury hair under his neck and rubbed her nose against his. "I know what you are, and you're no scruffy old mutt, I can

m! I suppose I'll call you Sweetheart for now." She wrapped her fingers around his

ached over his head as he yawned, then waved her back to the house. "

then yelled over her shoulder. "I'll be there in a

o his eyes. "Thank you for coming to see me. I've

ass and stood. "Yes, but you can come back to visit me whenever you wish. Now run along before they sen

called out to the wolf as he trotted along

ack in time to watch the orb of light follow Imara on

lane and went to the farmhouse door. "Owooo!" A black-haired woman a

o the living room. Imara's scent still lingered on his hair, and he shook it out with his hand as he smiled

's a decent man, as I recall. Their family is quite high in the Order, or at least they wer

nd when he caught himself doing it, he