Chapter 345

It takes every single bit of willpower that I have to not shout “Dad!” and go running into his arms.

Instead, I act like a good little Cadet and snap myself into a salute, just as Luca and Tony and every other cadet in our truck are doing. Except I’m grinning like an idiot, and most of them look terrified.

My dad laughs, striding over to us and calling to the Cadets to be at ease, to go about fulfilling their orders. Hesitating, I think a little star-struck, the rest of my classmates do as they’re told as dad draws near.

“Hello, Clark,” dad says, beaming down at me, laughing a little at my false name. He tucks his hands behind his back, which to everyone else probably just looks like formality but which I know is him resisting the urge to grab me up in a hug. “It’s nice to see my favorite nephew again.”

“Hello, sir,” I say, beaming up at him, my eyes sparkling. “You remember Tony – Anton – and Luca, of course.” I nod to both of them, remembering my manners. Tony says a polite and cheerful hello, holding out a hand and shaking dad’s before my father turns to Luca, who looks much paler and more quiet than usual.

“It’s good to see you again, sir,” Luca says, likewise shaking dad’s hand.

Dad smirks a bit, knowing precisely where Luca’s fear is coming from and looking like he thinks it’s well justified. I just roll my eyes, sick of Alpha politics.

“I didn’t know you were going to be here,” I say eagerly, stepping forward and drawing my dad’s attention back to me. “Are you directing the battle? Did you plan –“

“Dad!” Rafe says, coming forward and wrapping our father in the hug that I wanted to give him. Dad greets Rafe like a grizzly welcoming his cub back to the den, wrapping him in a big growling hug, and Jesse gets the same treatment next. I scowl with jealousy. Jackson is last, and I watch carefully, noting the warmth with which Jackson is received - warmth that Luca’s greeting distinctly lacked.

I scowl, suspicions confirmed about who my parents’ favorite is. Luca sighs at my side and I lean into him, just subtly, letting him know it’s not true of me as well.

Greetings finished, dad turns and beckons for us all to come with him to the command tent. Trotting double-time to keep up with my father’s long stride, I look wide-eyed around the camp, which is very high-tech but also looks like it can be broken down and moved elsewhere in an instant. Which is kind of the point, I guess.

Dad talks quickly to Rafe and Jackson as we walk, though I don’t miss that my father – consciously or unconsciously - keeps me directly on his left at all times, in pride of place. My wolf trots happily in my soul, preening, her ears perked and her tail held high, quite pleased to have our spot as dad’s most treasured child reconfirmed.

When we reach a very large tent, dad gestures the rest of the boys forward. “We’ve been waiting for you, trouble,” he says, his voice low and resonant and familiar in a way that makes my poor worried heart instantly warm. When all the boys enter, he slips an arm around my shoulders and leads me inside. “Your mother and the Captain have been telling me about what you can do. I can’t wait to see it for myself.”

I grin with delight, very pleased and excited, but before I can even open my mouth to tell him about it I’m swept up in a pair of strong arms.

“Peanut!” my uncle shouts, and I burst out laughing both in surprise and at the use of an old, much-retired nickname. “It’s so good to see you – we miss you!”

“Roger!” I gasp, pulling back a little even as he still holds me up in his arms, glancing anxiously around the tent. “Aren’t we supposed to be…incognito?”

“Nah, not here,” he says, allowing me to slip to the floor and giving me a wink. “The tent is a steel trap. A zone of secrecy. No people or information gets in or out of these impenetrable canvas walls without my permission.” He sighs happily, hands on his hips, and turns to survey my little group of boys. When his eyes land on Tony, he frowns. “Who the hell is that?”

I burst out laughing even as my dad finally pulls me into his own hug, nearly crushing me with his arms as well as his love and murmuring how glad he is to see me as Rafe too laughs and introduces Tony.

“Oh, the water breathing one!” Roger says with enthusiasm, stepping forward to shake his hand.

“I mean, I prefer badass assassin one?” Tony says, grinning his wry half-smile as he steps forward to shake the duke’s hand. “But sure, that works too.”

Roger laughs, instantly liking Tony, as dad shoos us all forward into the center of the tent where there’s a large table waiting with the details of the battle clearly sketched out on it. Roger moves to stand with Jesse, draping an arm around his son’s shoulders and making it quite clear which of his parents Jesse more closely resembles.

I grin, suffused with happiness to see my family again so close together, wishing with a sudden vehemence that Mom and Cora and and Junie and Mark were here too. And all five of Jesse’s siblings. But even as I wish it, I know it’s ridiculous - we’re here for war, not a reunion.

Still, I lean close against my dad, feeling quite warm and cozy with Jackson on my other side. Quite passively, without realizing that I’m doing it, I reach out and slip my hand into Jackson’s. He makes no protest, simply wraps his fingers around mine and gives my palm a little squeeze.

“How are you all?” dad asks, looking around at the group. “I know this was all rushed, but it’s important. Tonight we’re going to make a serious strike in Moon Valley’s favor – one which we very much need.”

“We’re fine, dad,” Rafe says from dad’s other side. “Glad that we can help.” I peer around dad to see my brother give a very casual little shrug, looking dad evenly in the face. I grin, looking between them in their military uniforms, reminded again of just how much Rafe is my father’s younger double.

“You were all briefed last night?” Roger asks, looking around at us, his humor falling from him so that his much more serious side can come forward – a side which I know the rest of the world is more familiar with but which is rarer for us, to whom he is close.

We nod, confirming this, and dad and Roger turn their eyes to me. “Good,” dad says. “Then I think it’s time that we see what you can do, Ariel. I doubt that we’ll use your abilities in the strike tonight, but if it’s as powerful as your mother and the Captain suggest then we’ll want to start making you a more intrinsic part of our battle plans.”

I gulp a little because…I mean, while I told the Captain that I was a powerful weapon in this war…I don’t know, to hear my father say it makes it much more real.

“Okay,” I say, straightening up from dad’s side and tilting my head back to look up at him properly. “But, I mean, it’s…flashy. If we do it in camp people are going to notice.”

“Can you downsize it?” Jackson asks, peering down at me.

I turn my face up to him in turn, a swivel that’s threatening to pinch a nerve in my neck from bending my head back so much. I scowl a little, thinking that I might need a stool if I’m going to be on a war council with all of these big men.

Jackson, sensing my thoughts, nearly laughs out loud.

“What do you mean, downsize it?” I ask, frowning at him.

“You’ve gone small before,” he says, shrugging. “You concentrated on melting a marble and didn’t set your chemistry book on fire. Can you do the wind and the flame and the shadows just…a tenth of the size?”

“Um,” I say, standing up straight and looking at the table before us. “I mean, we can try.”

“By all means,” dad murmurs, gesturing towards the table.

I give a brief description of everyone’s roles as people make space and we all shuffle into new spots. Jacks stays on my left and Luca comes to take my right hand while Tony steps close in case I close control. Jesse stands behind me, again placing his palm against my neck.

“Ew, why is your hand all sweaty?” I ask, turning to glare at him.

“Just do the trick, shrimp,” he snarls, making me laugh and face forward.

I catch a little glimpse of dad and Roger standing side-by-side, smirking at us, both of them with their arms folded and looking so much like brothers that my heart swells. But I turn my attention back onto the table and exhale a deep breath.

Rafe, ever helpful, rips a piece of paper from a notepad and wads it up, tossing it onto the table – a little piece of kindling for me to get started.

I take a deep breath, hoping I don’t burn this whole damn tent to the ground.