Read Feral Magic for Free Online

the word, obviously upset.  We must return quickly."  He glanced at her and she saw him scan her – her breasts, her throat, her face – before meeting her eyes and she thought he'd have been open to some recreational sex.
    She busied herself with lifting a huge box of diapers and hauling it into the living room.  Dak put his nephew on the couch and said, "Stay."
    The baby smiled, and crawled back and forth, but remained.
    Dak studied the pictures on the box with a frown.  "I don't like those nethers cloths."
    "They're the best," she said with heat, then decided it wasn't important.  "Looks like I ordered too many."
    Dak shrugged.  "You could not know we would leave so soon."
    "No."
    She'd gotten a playpen, too.  Dak picked up the box, shook his head.  "The top is open."
    "Yes.  It's for humans. "  She didn't know if it was sturdy enough that the kid couldn't rip through it, though.  "I was going to order animal stuff today, but not if you're leaving."
    "You have a floating dimensional portal."
    Brandy blinked.  "I do?"
    "Earth does," he amended.  One side of his mouth had kicked up.
    "Ah."
    He picked up the baby as if he couldn't get enough of holding the child, sat and gestured to Brandy to sit next to him.
    She did, and Favel wiggled and crawled over both of them...a new game...fun!
    Sniffing, the child settled onto Brandy's lap and appeared to plunge into sleep.
    Dak reached into his pack and drew out a faceted rectangular ruby-like gem as big as her hand and with long flat sides.  When he turned it west-north-west, a tiny light pulsed.  "This indicates when the portal is within a certain range."  His brows lowered.  "I believe it is in the general area where Favel and I came through."
    He stroked the baby's back.  "He has a gift from his mother's family for finding natural portals – here and gone in instants – and slipping through them."
    "Oh."
    Purple gaze met hers.  "There is also an enemy following me."
    All the hair on Brandy's body rose, prickling her skin, at his deadly tone.  She swallowed and repeated, "An enemy following you.  Really?"
    "Yes.  She would kill Favel without hesitation.  Perhaps eat him."
    Lunch sloshed uneasily in Brandy's stomach.  No.  Do not imagine.  Do not look at the baby warming her lap.  Big – huge – deep breath, ignore the blood draining from her head, muzzying thoughts.  "I will protect him with my life."  She meant it.
    Easy to defend a child, to understand that.  She still had a hard time understanding Ross's need to go to war in a foreign land.
    "As will I.  But it would not be good for Bretine of the white tiger klatch to find you."
    Brandy swallowed.  She'd liked white tigers an instant before.
    "I will protect you with my life, too," Dak said.
    He'd die for her, for his nephew, for his klatch.  As Ross had died for his country.  Warriors did that.
    Accepting this sudden threat against her was harder than she'd thought.  "Thank you.  But if it comes to a decision between me and Favel, you must save him."
    The man's face took on color.  "I will do both."
    "Um hmm."
    "But it is best if we leave sooner rather than later."  He gestured to the car seat.  "Must we take that?"
    "Absolutely,” she said. "It's a rule, if we're in the car—" she noticed his shudder, "with the baby, he has to be restrained to be safe."
    "We rarely think being restrained is safe," he said.
    "But I saw you tell Favel to stay and he curled up and did. "
    Dak scowled.  "That is training, discipline, obedience to one who protects and whom you must follow because he is stronger.  Also self-control."
    "And trust.  He trusts that you will protect him."
    "I do not think he knows the word, but a babe should know the feeling.  I would give my life to protect him.  He knows that."  Dak paused.  "He senses that you will protect him, too."
    She found herself saying, "I would protect him to the best of my ability."
    He nodded, gave a little grunt.  Sort of dismissing