Penny stepped into the hollow, casting a fire into the stone ring even as she pulled the door closed behind her. She searched for Ronan and found him peeking through the mouth of his cave. When he stepped out, she saw that his fur had grown in to cover the singed spots, as thick as ever. He looked healthy, strong. A moment later, he confirmed her assessment by bounding across the creek in a single leap, a leap that carried him straight into Penny.
Unlike Zoe’s tall, muscular father, Penny didn’t have the size or strength to remain upright. Ronan knocked her to the ground and sat on her chest, laughing with joy and sounding more like the Ronan she had met almost a year ago than he had in a long time.
“I am so very proud of you,” he said at last, bumping the furry crown of his head ag
