No words were exchanged as they past each other in the hall. All four felt a sadness in their heart about what had happened and the relationships that...could have been.When David and Laura got in the car they both said at the same time, “Talk time.” That was their way of telling each other that there was something serious they needed to talk about.When they got home, they sat on the couch together. They didn’t snuggle together as had become a common routine for them.“Have you missed Ted?” David. Having grown bored with the hold music, I hung up to see what was on her mind. Kathryn had joined the office a couple of years before. Highly attractive and fiercely competitive, she had quickly become well respected. I had taken her under my wing, quickly showing her the ropes and she had now become my closest competitor. We also had become fast friends. "What's up?" I asked her, as I saw the playful look give way to nervousness. Kathryn walked over in front of my desk lazily dragging her. I was glad she hadn't caught me in the middle of it but I was still pretty embarrassed when I had my bath and during dinner. Mom didn't say anything about it but she did smile a few times. She did ask about Emily though, making me blush.I told her Emily seemed okay but was kind of tired. Mom nodded knowingly and said, "She did have a long night."I wanted to ask how she knew but then she asked about Emily's parents. I blushed more and looked at my plate saying, "They seemed okay." That's good.. What little there was was either brief, distant or buried deep beneath the stone and sand of the steppes.Marila was clan leader of the Dry Hills clan of the Zadaru. Some arrangement had been made to foster me among them for a time. How long, still to be determined. For this to happen, I was going to have to be adopted into the clan, and Marila and her mate Tak would become my clan parents."My husband is from the west, having been of the Copper Canyon clan, and it is through him that the request.