“I’d like to take a look at it, offer an idea or two after I speak with Miss Nadine and Miss Tess.”

Those amber Wolf eyes studied Twyla with too much interest.

“If the human pups misbehave, we’ll bite them,” Simon said.

“If I had your teeth instead of these dentures, I’d be inclined to do the same.”

Simon cocked his head. “What are dentures?”

“Perhaps a discussion for another time?” Burke suggested.

“Now,” Twyla said, looking at Monty, then at Burke and O’Sullivan, and finally at Simon. “We’re here and we’re fine. Sierra and I are grown women who are capable of sorting out who is staying where. You men have your own work to do, and you don’t need to be fussing about us.”

“Ruthie, Merri Lee, and Eve Denby are the females in the pack who already have dens here,” Simon said. “They can help with this sorting.” He went back to Howling Good Reads.

“You sure you’ll be all right?” Monty asked. He addressed the question to his mother, but they both knew it had more to do with Sierra and the girls than Twyla.

“We’ll be fine, Crispin.” Twyla patted his hand. “You go about your business.”

Burke and O’Sullivan stood and said the appropriate things. Monty kissed Twyla’s cheek and whispered, “I’m glad you’re here.” Then the three men went out the back way.

“We’ll walk over to the consulate with you,” Burke said.

“What should I tell the governor?” O’Sullivan asked.

Monty glanced at the back of the Liaison’s Office. He caught the faint sound of music coming from the open windows, but Meg wasn’t playing it loud enough for him to determine if it was earth native music or popular music. He needed to talk to his mother and sister before they met Meg Corbyn and saw the scars that were now visible since she’d begun wearing summer clothes.

“You ever watch nature programs?” Burke said. “You ever see one of those anteaters with the big claws breaking open the ant hills in order to get at the ants?”

“I vaguely recall seeing something like that,” O’Sullivan replied.

Burke nodded. “Then you tell the governor that the storms heading our way are the claws of the beast that will break open our cities in order to get to the meat.”

•••

“Can we take a walk?” Meg asked.

Simon paused, the T-shirt halfway raised. He finished pulling it off, dunked it in the water trough in the Green Complex’s open communal area, then, with a happy sigh, put it back on.

“That’s better. Sure, we can. Do you need to rub bug spray on your skin?”

If she did, he’d stay so far away she’d have to shout instead of having a very quiet talk. “No, I’ll be all right.”