War Dog

Chapter 71

Price pulls up to the usual spot the 141 humvee occupied on the SAS base and slipped out of the car the moment he'd pulled the hand-break up. "Shane, we'll need to get you sorted out with a uniform, Wolf can show you to your room. We have a debrief meeting in thirty minutes, get your asses into gear, we have a lot to be catching up on from the last three months." Without further ceremony, Price pulled his ruck out of the back and departed, clearly to get some quiet time without Shane and I's back and forth. 

I slip out of the car ahead of Ghost and stretch out my back. "Come on bro. Let's go get your room sorted." Soap, Gaz and Shane all grabbed their own rucks and matched pace with my shorter legs so we all walked into the 141 head quarters together. My ears twitch and alarm shoots through me as I recognise the footsteps. I grimace and signal to Ghost to be prepared for shit to hit the fan.

"WOLF!" Lilly screams as she comes running down the hall, barefoot in one of the dresses I had bought for her. She leaps at me arms splayed out wide without a care for the company Ghost and I had bought in with us. I catch the little girl with a huff of effort, my arms wrapping around her much healthier body. "Lilly," I whispered. "We told you to stay with Ben, sweetheart. What are you doing?"

"I missed you Wolf!" She pouted, her cute little pink lips turning down as I gently chastised her.

"What the fuck," I hear Shane and Gaz say together and I can tell Soap is looking at me gobsmacked. 

"I know there's no way she's yours sis, asides from the fact she is clearly too old, you're sterilised, so what the hell are you doing with a child?"

"I second that," Soap says as his eyes expertly look over Lilly's features. His eyes light upon her tail that he can see flickering past my body. "No way," he says breathless as he looks between me and her. 

"Soap," I sigh. "This is why Price has us meeting in thirty. We have a lot of information to debrief you on. But Soap, Gaz, Shane. This is Lilly. We found Lilly in a laboratory" I smile down at the little girl in my arms who suddenly seemed to realise we had company and had gone shy. The men all froze, eyes flicking to the little girl with concern. "Lilly, this is the rest of mine and Ghosts team. This big goofy one here," I point to Shane with a genuine smile. "This is my brother. He will protect you like I do, I promise." I point to Soap. "This is Soap." She giggles, "Soap?" She asks her little voice tinkling with delight. "Yes, Soap, because he's squeaky clean," I say tickling her with a mischievous smile making her laugh some more. "And this is Gaz," I say pointing to Gaz. "Say hi, Lilly."

"Hi Lilly!" She says, giggling at her joke. Her rosy and fleshed out cheeks lift up as she laughs. Her body had put on some healthy weight under Bens care, and she seemed to be settling in well.

"I see you have Wolf's sense of humour," Soap grinned and came up closer. He offered her his hand and she grabbed his hand in one of hers in a handshake. 

"Wolf is teaching me lots of things," She says proudly with a grin. 

"Good things, I hope?" He asks.

"Mmmmm... Maybe," she responds evasively with an innocent smile, doe-eyed and the epitome of charm.

Soap shook his head, Gaz still standing back trying not to overwhelm the little girl. Shane on the other hand had come up behind Soap and pulled his mask and hood down, revealing his own set of hybrid features. His features were more similar to Lilly's rather than my own. His fur was thinner and didn't cover as much of his body. He had the ears, and the tail but his face was definitely human. Lilly's eyes widened as she noticed my brother and she began squirming reaching for him. "You're like me!" She exclaimed, excited. "You're like me and Wolf!" 

Shane managed to grab the little girl out of my hands before I dropped her from all the squirming she was doing. He lifted her up under the armpits and cradled her against his chest. "Hello little one. Yes, I am like you." She reaches up to gently run her fingers against his ears. They flick as he chuckles softly. "That's ticklish, little one." She retracts her hands looking contrite. "Sorry," she mutters her cheeks going red.