Page 74 of The Rabbit's Foot

He turned and headed for the exit, when one of the kids, a little girl whose name was listed as Alice on Hyde’s notes, stepped forward. Mal had watched her hide whenever others were around, but now she came toward him, her palm outstretched.

“Puppy,” she whispered, reaching out and touching Mal’s snout. A few moments later, she leaned in close and threw her arms around Mal’s neck. “Puppy,” she said again. When she straightened, there was a look of sadness on her face that Mal couldn’t stand. He needed to make her happy, right? That’s what he was there for.

He nudged her hand, which made her giggle. She seemed to calm considerably when she stroked a hand over his fur, and that made Mal happy. He turned and trotted to the bags Lydia had brought on her last visit. This was going to be so embarrassing. It was a good thing Alp was helping out in the kid’s area, because if he saw this, Mal knew he’d never live it down.

He reached into the bag and snatched a tennis ball. He took it back to the girl and placed it at her feet. She picked it up and turned it over a few times, then eyed him curiously.

Oh, shit. She has no idea what to do with it. He took it from her hand, then flipped his head and let the thing go flying. The bright yellow ball bounced along the hall, and Mal chased after it, grabbed it in his mouth, then hurried back to her and placed it at her pink tennis-shoe-clad feet.

She picked it up, looked at it quizzically, then at Mal. She seemed unsure. Just as Mal was about to try again, she tossed the ball. It skittered down the hallway, and Mal bounded after it. When he turned around, she was clapping and giggling, and so much warmth filled Mal. They played for a good twenty minutes, and this, Mal decided, was better than a run in the woods any day. Seeing Alice smile? Hearing her laugh? Yeah, way better.

“Alice?”

He spotted Lydia coming out of the clinic. He was so damned grateful for her. She’d already done so much, but there was more to go. Too many people had been maimed by Hyde, some of them far worse than Alp had been. He wished he’d been the one to kill that insane bastard, but at least he was dead. Damon’s people ensured that everything on their closed computer network was still there. It seemed, from going through Hyde’s files, he wasn’t anywhere near his “miracle” and was zealously guarding his research, keeping the files under heavy encryption, even going so far as to not share with his counterparts.

When Alp asked how they could be certain, Damon told him they couldn’t. The only thing they would be able to do was keep an eye on things and hope to hell their secrets died with the people in the labs.

When Lydia reached out to Alice, she smiled and took Lydia’s hand. Alice turned and followed behind Lydia, glancing over her shoulder at Mal, who gave a chuff for her as she waved. As soon as Lydia had her in the examination room, Mal turned and came face to face with Alp.

Maker, please. Tell me he didn’t see any of that.

Alp sauntered over and ran his fingers through Mal’s thick coat.

“I missed you,” he said brightly, scratching that spot Mal loved. His hind leg thumped, even as he tried to stop it. “Damon and Cece are taking the boys to the diner for dinner. She asked if we wanted to go, but I said no. I needed to come find you.”

Mal inhaled, breathing Alp in, letting the scent fill his lungs. Alp was home for Mal, and he knew that to his heart.

Alp huffed out a breath as he turned in a circle. “I can’t believe this place is home for us. And it’s weird, you know? I walk through the halls, looking at the changes, and I don’t see Hyde’s face. I see the kids lighting up when we play a game, or Jerome Abernathy as one of the pack helps him learn to read braille. I spoke with him, and he said they took him while he was rooting for food. When we talked about what he wanted to do now, he said he had been homeless and now has nowhere else to go. He’d like to stay with us, if we’ll allow it.”

He’d been the man who’d had his eyes removed. Twenty-two years old, and they’d stolen his ability to see, to protect himself. For a cat shifter, it was hard to take, but he was doing his best to cope. Damon said they’d spoken with an ocularist to have glass eyes made for him, but they’d also reached out to makers of visual prostheses about getting him on a list for the experimental bionic eyes. If he got them, he’d never be able to shift again, and it wouldn’t restore his full vision, but maybe in the future….

“Mal?”

He snapped his gaze back to Alp, who was holding a soggy… aw, fuck.

“Wanna play fetch?” He danced around, waving the ball at Mal. “C’mon, be a good boy. Play fetch with your mate. Who wants the ball? Do you want it?” He pretended to throw it. “Where’s the ball? Go get it!” Mal sat on his haunches and stared at Alp, whose eyes gleamed when he leaned in and whispered, “Or would you rather go home and play with some other balls?”

It took a moment for Alp’s words to settle into his brain, but then Mal bounced up and took hold of Alp’s hand. His mate’s balls did sound way better.

“Mal?”

He stopped and looked up expectantly.

Alp leaned over and kissed him on the nose, then scowled. “Okay, won’t be doing that again. I don’t even wanna know why your nose is wet,” he said, scrubbing a hand over his lips. “Just do not.”

This man was way too adorable.

“I love you.”

And all Mal’s.

Even knowing there was a lot of hard work ahead of them, Mal wasn’t worried. He and Alp would figure everything out together. For now, though? Mal dragged Alp down the hall toward their room, where they’d spend time decompressing, talking with each other about the problems, and, of course, having hot, sweaty sex.

There were still a lot of obstacles they’d need to deal with, but with the help of Damon and Cece, plus all the others who were joining them, it would be a good life for their pack.

Mal and Alp would make sure of it.