He found me at midnight.
The compound had settled into its nighttime register — the pack bond at its resting warmth, Rowan asleep in the cradle after the full-volume opinions about the lamp had been satisfied and the feeding had been completed and the small person had decided that sleeping was acceptable for now. Kira had gone to her kitchen. Maren had gone to the library with the recording on the table beside her and the lamp at the correct angle. Cole and Luna were wherever they were being whatever they were becoming.
The compound was quiet.
And Darius came to the river window room and found me in the window seat and sat beside me without announcing himself and put his arm around me and pulled me in.
I leaned into him.
We stayed like that for a long time without speaking.
The river
