Lara took the trembling bundle from Liam, cradling it automatically against her chest. Up close, it wasn't just a blur of black fur anymore — it was all sharp little bones, small paws, and wild, blue eyes that didn't belong to anything domesticated.
Mud clung to its coat. One ear was nicked. Its tiny sides heaved with shallow, panicked breaths.
"It's a male," she said, lifting it carefully to check underneath, completely unfazed by the fact that the creature was trying very hard to look vicious.
She tilted it toward the light spilling from the green canopy above, studying its features with surprising seriousness. "How did you even end up out here, huh?"
"Sis, it's probably one of the estate dogs' litters," Logan said, shrugging. "I saw a few German Shepherds roaming near the stables yesterday."
Lara didn't answer immediately. Her eyes narrowed, tracking the shape of the muzzle, the set of the ears, the thickness of the paws — details most people wouldn't even notice.
