Page 15 of Winds of Death (War of the Alliance #4)

The lift ride to the ground floor and the walk from one warehouse to the other had never felt so long. By the time they reached the fuselage where he’d found Pip, he was clenching his teeth and trying not to let his breathing turn into ragged panting.

Mama was standing next to the fuselage, quietly chatting with Louise and Bennett. As Fieran and Pip approached, all three of them turned in their direction.

Fieran kept his arm around Pip’s shoulders, hoping it looked more like a romantic embrace than that she was holding him upright. “Pip, I’d like you to meet my mama. Mama, this is Pip. My girlfriend.” He could feel his grin widen as he said it.

Louise squealed and bounced on her toes. Bennett’s eyes widened, more bewildered than anything, and he muttered something before he hurried away.

Mama stepped forward with that graceful ease of hers. As Fieran withdrew his arm, Mama gave Pip a quick hug. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“And to meet you. Fieran has told me a lot about all of you.” Pip smiled as she returned the hug.

“He finally made everything official!” Louise grinned and hugged Pip as soon as Mama let her go. “You have no idea how hard it has been not to pester you with questions.” She shot a look at Fieran. “You should be impressed by my forbearance.”

Fieran braced a hand against the fuselage as he sent an exaggerated, annoyed look at Mama. “Dacha told you, didn’t he?”

“Yes. Of course he did.” Mama’s grin widened as she gave Fieran a hug as well.

Right. Because Dacha told Mama everything. The two of them had no secrets.

Great. That meant Dacha would have told Mama the whole singing a love ditty thing. He was never going to live that down.

Then something struck him. “Wait. You’re the reason Dacha arranged for Pip to be sent to the AMPC, aren’t you? I knew meddling wasn’t like him.”

It made so much more sense that it had all been Mama’s idea.

“Yes and no. I might have inspired the idea and urged him to do it, but believe it or not, the actual idea was your dacha’s.” Mama gave him and Pip a more hesitant glance. “I’m sorry if we overstepped.”

“No, not at all.” Fieran shared a look with Pip. He certainly wasn’t sorry his parents had meddled to make sure Pip was here in Aldon while he recovered.

Pip shrugged and smiled. “I’m glad I’m here.”

So was he. He couldn’t have imagined waiting until he returned to Fort Defense to finally sort things out with Pip. Nor would he have wanted her to remain in that almost tormented state that she’d been in when they’d first begun talking.

“And Mama told me, of course.” Louise’s grin was huge as she hugged Fieran. As she did, she spoke quietly enough so that Pip wouldn’t hear. “I like her. You’d better not mess this up. I want her for a sister.”

Fieran sucked in a breath so quickly that he choked on his own saliva. He covered his mouth and coughed.

Louise stepped back from him, though her grin didn’t get any less mischievous. “We spent that night scouring your letters for any mention of Pip, trying to read between the lines and figure out everything we could about her.”

Fieran gave another cough, his ears burning, as he shot another look at Pip. Maybe introducing her to his family wasn’t the best idea after all.

She was shifting from foot to foot, her face flushing red.

“All good things, of course.” Mama gave Pip a smile before she looked away, her smile slipping just a bit. “It was a good way to pass that night. Neither of us would have gone to bed right away anyway.”

Fieran couldn’t help the lopsided smile, even if his ears still felt a little too hot.

It was strangely comforting, thinking about his mama and sister re-reading his letters for any mention of Pip.

That was far better than thinking of them sitting there long into the night worrying over him after his crash.

“And of course I had to volunteer to host you as soon as I heard you were coming to Aldon.” Louise turned her grin on Pip.

“I’ve been dying to ask you everything, but Mama said not to interfere.

But now I can. So as soon as they leave, I’ll need you to tell me everything .

Well, not everything. If you kissed my brother, I don’t want to hear about it. But everything else.”

Fieran felt his ears go even more red as he glanced away from Louise. Considering he had just been kissing Pip a few minutes ago, there was actually something to tell her about. Or not tell her about, as the case might be.

Pip’s face flushed scarlet, but she managed a smile. “Will ice cream be involved?”

“Of course.” Louise gave Pip another hug. “I’ve been saving up my ice cream ration.”

“Then, it’s a deal.” Some of Pip’s agitation seemed to ease as she returned Louise’s hug. She and Louise must have been getting along well, if Pip was willing to confide in her.

Fieran smiled at that. There was just something so right about seeing the way Pip was fitting into his family.

“Oh, you know what?” Louise turned to Mama. “Pip should come to Treehaven with me this weekend.” Louise whirled to Pip with barely a pause. “I go home to Treehaven every other weekend. Bennett goes home the other weekends. I stay the whole weekend before returning to work the next week.”

“Yes.” Mama smiled at Pip, waving a hand. “You would be very welcome.”

“Oh, I…I couldn’t impose. I…” Pip glanced from Mama to Louise to Fieran, as if searching for help.

“You don’t have to.” Fieran worked to keep any trace of disappointment from his voice. He didn’t want to rush Pip. “But I would love to show you my home. And introduce you to my youngest siblings.”

“Please say you’ll come. I’d feel bad leaving you all alone back here at the AMPC.” Louise gave Pip her pleading gaze, the one Fieran could never refuse.

“All right. I’ll come.” Pip smiled at Louise before she shot a look at Fieran. Traces of something like fear still lingered in her eyes, but her smile was warm. “I’d like to see where you grew up.”

With the way she was looking at him, he would’ve liked to kiss her again. But perhaps a hug would have to do, given that they had an audience.

Fieran took a step away from the fuselage, but as soon as he did so, his knees wobbled.

“All right, that’s it.” Mama hurried to his side and tugged one of his arms over her shoulders. “Time to get you home.”