forward to look out of my eyes at the pup. I had failed. I was his guardian and my charge sat before me covered in bruises and pink puckered scars. In that breathless moment, I hated myself for not knowing, not protecting the children who were entrusted into my care.
I snarled, unable to pull the sound back before it escaped my lips. I turned away so Justus wouldn't see as my beast changed the tint of my irises and the shape of my teeth. Colors bled away, turning everything into shades of gray. I pressed my hands against the wall, my nails long, sharp, and black.
My predator whispered to me, cajoling me, pushing me to hunt the creature that would dare touch and harm what was ours. I shook with rage and fought to stay where I was and not release a hunting howl. I would be a man when I faced Daniel Sullivan. I wouldn't be ruled by my anger or the primal part of me that called for his blood. No. I'd crush him as only as man could.
Coming back to myself I found Ushna at odds with himself. His soothing hand rubbed circled into my back but he also emitted hair-raising guttural snarls. I took his hand and kissed the pulse at his throat, helping him push back his Lupe. A small hand slipped between ours at some time, holding onto us, claws, and all.
I glanced down into the wide crystal-blue gaze and was gifted with a shy smile. I touched his face and said what I'd wanted to say for such a long time. "You and your sisters are our pups now, Justus. Never again will we allow another to hurt you."
C
HAPTER
E
IGHT
33 days until birth of the heirs to the Seat of Zeev, the Wolf Throne.
The next two days were hectic. We got the pups settled in. Nathan examined the girls to assess the scope of the abuse. I had Daniel's assets frozen. Now we waited for the leech to come back. I couldn't sleep, so I spent a couple of hours in my office wrapping up Theo's estate as much as possible. Everything was placed into a trust for the children.
The sun breached the horizon and I turned the chair to watch the scene from the double windows behind me. There on the window seal gazing in were five copper birds staring at me with small, dark, and intelligent eyes. They began hopping around each other as I regarded them. Come out and play , they seemed to say to me, and I smiled at their antics.
I headed for the back door. I sensed Ushna in the direction of our room. I was glad he slept. He had worried about the upcoming confrontation with Daniel. He too struggled with self-recrimination over the state of Theo's pups' welfare.
When I'd expressed my distrust of Daniel, Ushna chastised me. He'd believed I held a grudge. When I told him Daniel smelled rank, wrong to my predator, he'd thought I hadn't dealt with Theo's betrayal. He didn't believe me when I told him Daniel and Theo were welcomed to each other. They had paid the price the Law required for Theo's deception and Daniel's seduction of a mate. There weren't written laws that penalized Lycans for stealing another's Twin Flame. It wasn't done and so a lesser law regarding mates was used to judge Daniel. The trespasses had been paid in full and I was satisfied. My dislike of Daniel Sullivan was deeper, more instinctual, corresponding to the danger my predator and I'd perceived he brought to our tribe.
The problem was Daniel appeared to be a likeable guy on the surface. Until now, he'd exhibited model behavior. He was charismatic and congenial. People gravitated to him and his brilliant smile. For the longest time it had pissed me off no one had seen what I did.
Now Ushna berated himself because he hadn't listened to me. He thought he'd let us down. The fact of the matter was, as insufficient and unsatisfying as it was, we weren't responsible for Daniel's actions. The knowledge hadn't made either of us feel any better.
Ushna had fallen asleep holding me after we focused on a plan of action away from the "should haves". But my mind wouldn't shut down, so after a couple of hours I went to the office
I snarled, unable to pull the sound back before it escaped my lips. I turned away so Justus wouldn't see as my beast changed the tint of my irises and the shape of my teeth. Colors bled away, turning everything into shades of gray. I pressed my hands against the wall, my nails long, sharp, and black.
My predator whispered to me, cajoling me, pushing me to hunt the creature that would dare touch and harm what was ours. I shook with rage and fought to stay where I was and not release a hunting howl. I would be a man when I faced Daniel Sullivan. I wouldn't be ruled by my anger or the primal part of me that called for his blood. No. I'd crush him as only as man could.
Coming back to myself I found Ushna at odds with himself. His soothing hand rubbed circled into my back but he also emitted hair-raising guttural snarls. I took his hand and kissed the pulse at his throat, helping him push back his Lupe. A small hand slipped between ours at some time, holding onto us, claws, and all.
I glanced down into the wide crystal-blue gaze and was gifted with a shy smile. I touched his face and said what I'd wanted to say for such a long time. "You and your sisters are our pups now, Justus. Never again will we allow another to hurt you."
C
HAPTER
E
IGHT
33 days until birth of the heirs to the Seat of Zeev, the Wolf Throne.
The next two days were hectic. We got the pups settled in. Nathan examined the girls to assess the scope of the abuse. I had Daniel's assets frozen. Now we waited for the leech to come back. I couldn't sleep, so I spent a couple of hours in my office wrapping up Theo's estate as much as possible. Everything was placed into a trust for the children.
The sun breached the horizon and I turned the chair to watch the scene from the double windows behind me. There on the window seal gazing in were five copper birds staring at me with small, dark, and intelligent eyes. They began hopping around each other as I regarded them. Come out and play , they seemed to say to me, and I smiled at their antics.
I headed for the back door. I sensed Ushna in the direction of our room. I was glad he slept. He had worried about the upcoming confrontation with Daniel. He too struggled with self-recrimination over the state of Theo's pups' welfare.
When I'd expressed my distrust of Daniel, Ushna chastised me. He'd believed I held a grudge. When I told him Daniel smelled rank, wrong to my predator, he'd thought I hadn't dealt with Theo's betrayal. He didn't believe me when I told him Daniel and Theo were welcomed to each other. They had paid the price the Law required for Theo's deception and Daniel's seduction of a mate. There weren't written laws that penalized Lycans for stealing another's Twin Flame. It wasn't done and so a lesser law regarding mates was used to judge Daniel. The trespasses had been paid in full and I was satisfied. My dislike of Daniel Sullivan was deeper, more instinctual, corresponding to the danger my predator and I'd perceived he brought to our tribe.
The problem was Daniel appeared to be a likeable guy on the surface. Until now, he'd exhibited model behavior. He was charismatic and congenial. People gravitated to him and his brilliant smile. For the longest time it had pissed me off no one had seen what I did.
Now Ushna berated himself because he hadn't listened to me. He thought he'd let us down. The fact of the matter was, as insufficient and unsatisfying as it was, we weren't responsible for Daniel's actions. The knowledge hadn't made either of us feel any better.
Ushna had fallen asleep holding me after we focused on a plan of action away from the "should haves". But my mind wouldn't shut down, so after a couple of hours I went to the office
Similar Books
