Her nose was cold.

I breathed across her forehead, letting her find me beneath the fur. Then she leaned against my face with her whole small weight, and I closed my eyes for a moment.

Evelyn's hand settled between my ears. Her other palm rested lightly along Sophie's back. Through our bond came a rush of feeling so strong I couldn't separate relief from grief or love. I stayed where she could touch us both.

Outside, an approaching engine cut off. Voices moved past the window, and Sophie's ears flattened again.

I raised my head and gave a low warning rumble toward the door. Maeve stepped out to quiet the corridor. When she returned, the curtains were drawn and the footsteps had moved away.

“Police have both men,” she told Evelyn. “Briar is here. The guard's being treated.”

Evelyn nodded without taking her eyes off her daughter.

We stayed on the kitchen floor until Sophie's trembling eased. She tucked her nose beneath Evelyn's hand, then tried to lick her fingers and surprised herself all over again.

“Still you,” Evelyn murmured, kissing the fur between her ears. “My Sophie. All of you.”

When the pup finally settled against my foreleg, I understood how hard it would be to leave even for the minute needed to change back. Evelyn saw me look toward the washroom.

“I've got her,” she whispered.

She gathered Sophie into her lap slowly, supporting all four uncertain legs. I returned dressed and sat beside them. The pup sniffed my hand, then my sleeve, checking the transformation thoroughly.

“Same man,” I told her. “Worse ears.”

Evelyn smiled at me with her face still wet.

Briar appeared at the doorway and waited until I looked up. She kept her voice low.

“They had a copy of the site access notice. That's how they knew where we'd be. We're tracing who supplied it.”

“Any others?”

“None found. The road and grounds have been checked again. We'll keep officers here tonight.”

I nodded. “The documents?”

“Secured. Photographs are backed up too.”

Evelyn lifted her chin. “They didn't get anything?”

“No.” Briar glanced at the pup, and the hard line of her mouth softened. “Neither of those men is walking away from this.”

After she left, Evelyn's hand found mine across Sophie's warm back. I wanted to hold the two of them until every unfamiliar footstep outside stopped making her flinch. For now, I moved closer and let her rest her weight against me.

Maeve explained that we would wait, keep her comfortable, and let the change settle. There was no need to frighten her by demanding she become a girl immediately. We moved to the quiet bedroom, carrying a blanket and my jacket, which Sophie had claimed with both front paws.

I stayed on the floor beside the bed. Evelyn curled around her daughter, and Maeve checked in while the lodge guards finished securing the grounds.

It was nearly dusk when the small shape beneath the blanket stirred and changed. Evelyn drew the covers close. I turned away while she helped Sophie into the spare pajamas Maeve brought.

“Silas?”

I turned back at once.

Sophie held up a hand, studying her fingers. “I couldn't say Mommy.”

Evelyn pulled her close. “I knew you wanted me.”

“I tried.”

“I know, baby.”

I sat on the edge of the bed. Sophie touched my cheek, then my ear, apparently checking that I had managed the same trick.

“You came down,” she said.

“To the floor?”

She nodded. “You were little with me.”

I put my hand over hers. For a moment, I couldn't trust my voice.

“I'll come down every time.”

Later, after Maeve checked her again and she ate half a bowl of soup, Sophie fell asleep between us. Evelyn watched the rise of the blanket for several minutes before she finally leaned against me.

“I thought I'd lost her when I saw the empty clothes.”

I kissed her hair. “She's here.”

“I know now.” She threaded her fingers through mine. “Stay until I stop checking.”

“I'm staying.”

My phone vibrated once. I silenced it before reading Miriam's message.

Sabine had requested a meeting concerning the succession claim. Her proposed terms included withdrawing the Vey family from further lineage inquiries.

I passed the phone to Evelyn. She read it beside our sleeping daughter, then looked up at me.

“She's offering to stop hunting us if I give her what she stole.”