Lita hears a yip, the sound of a puppy who's had its tail trod on, and looks around the room suspiciously. They have kept none of Garahel's many puppies—Morrigan would not stand for it, and Alistair knows better than to bring Barkspawn, the pup who imprinted on him, to their home.
When her eyes catch on movement it is not a mabari puppy, but a wolf. Young and lean with dark brown, nearly black fur and the same golden eyes as her mother. Lita's mouth falls open, her heart catching in her chest with a strange twist of pride and terror.
"Kiera, what have you done, da'len?" Her words are barely more than a whisper and she drops to her knees, arms outstretched. Kiera barrels toward her on ungainly legs, tongue lolling out between sharp teeth. It's enough to make Lita laugh, until she feels the tremble in her daughter's new frame. She cradles her close to her chest, dropping a kiss between the furry ears. "Do not worry, da'len, we will fix this."
Kiera yips again and Lita fixes her with the sternest glance she can manage. "And then we will talk about you practicing magic alone." Her daughter's pointed ears droop and Lita bites down on another smile as she carefully stands up. "Let's go find your mother, shall we? You definitely got this talent from her side of the family."