had only one door. And anyone could be leaning an ear to a wall. Listening.
None of us can ever speak of aliens .
"Why are you standing there like that?" Sherry droned.
My shoulders pressed into the supportive wood. Sherry and Violet sat at the small table and chairs beneath the shutters of the room's only window.
"I'm thinking." Talk about spouting off with the truth.
"A woman brought us a pile of things," Sherry said. "Blankets, a pitcher and a bucket full of water. She said we could take hot baths tomorrow. But bathing is done during the hours of daylight. Are you listening?" she droned.
Always. Listening like a warlord's servants doesn't involve touching. "Yes."
"Elise?" Violet called.
Now what? My gaze drifted to where her hands held a broad flat basket on the tabletop. Her round wide eyes held a touch of sadness. Or fear.
"Did Augustus scare you?"
Rather worry. Violet and her knack for reading people. If only I had her skill, I might have avoided this whole accursed mess when Father wanted Lucius to bite me. Then I wouldn't have to dodge Shifter reactions or piece them together to develop a survival plan. I wagged my head.
But now I knew what I hadn't realized because of Augustus. How I screwed up the one thing I finally wanted. Lost it. When I could have held it in my hand. Touched it. Him. So much for a window of opportunity and my damned fears that slammed shut such a doorway.
My heart ached.
In memory. For what it wanted. Accursed stupid uncontrollable organ. And they say a Shifter's Wolf is impossible to control. What about a half-alien heart? Did the extra DNA push a person to insanity over something she dare not risk?
I can't hurt Violet.
Can't.
****
The pale white light of sunrise washed darkness from my cabin but did anything but brighten my day. Augustus ordered me to meet with him in the morning. Better to get the visit with my sire over with. I yanked on my combat boots and hurried to his lodge where he sat in his chair at the empty table as if he had sat there all night. Waiting. For me. Alone. He'd even sent his mate Drea away to chew me a new asshole. Then again, she had enough sense to keep her comments to herself until she was behind closed doors with Augustus.
"We need to talk," he muttered.
Not the tone I wanted to hear.
"Sit." He waved at the bench beside him.
Fine. Let's get the scolding over with. I planted my tail on the hard wood and faced him.
"She is no threat to us. To herself, yes. But that one is lost outside her sire's circle of influence."
Why did he always know how to make me feel like I was eight years old? I nodded just to get this mental thrashing over with.
Augustus slowly uncrossed his ankles, dropping the one combat boot to the wooden planking with a thud, rising off the back of the chair, leaning forward, closely, to bore his deadly glare even more deeply through my skull. "You will apologize to her today."
I want to make her feel better. To ease her worry and help her find the confidence to look people in the eyes again. But not today. I can't control Wolf just yet. Or tuck tail and whimper. I grated my teeth and nodded.
"Today, Lucius. There won't be any friction between anyone at my outpost. Clear the air between you and the woman. Then I will deal with you and Marcus. Now, explain this shit about you forgetting to tell me something as significant as these women are healers. I don't like nor understand why you forgot to mention something so important." He leaned back again.
Allowing me breathing room to cough up what he wanted. But never relinquishing me from the lance of his piercing glare.
"You will explain everything to me now," he snarled a gurgling threat of his Wolf's.
I offered a consolatory nod. "The female's got me flustered."
He just stared with his Wolf in his eyes.
Fine. "The little one said they were healers. Not
None of us can ever speak of aliens .
"Why are you standing there like that?" Sherry droned.
My shoulders pressed into the supportive wood. Sherry and Violet sat at the small table and chairs beneath the shutters of the room's only window.
"I'm thinking." Talk about spouting off with the truth.
"A woman brought us a pile of things," Sherry said. "Blankets, a pitcher and a bucket full of water. She said we could take hot baths tomorrow. But bathing is done during the hours of daylight. Are you listening?" she droned.
Always. Listening like a warlord's servants doesn't involve touching. "Yes."
"Elise?" Violet called.
Now what? My gaze drifted to where her hands held a broad flat basket on the tabletop. Her round wide eyes held a touch of sadness. Or fear.
"Did Augustus scare you?"
Rather worry. Violet and her knack for reading people. If only I had her skill, I might have avoided this whole accursed mess when Father wanted Lucius to bite me. Then I wouldn't have to dodge Shifter reactions or piece them together to develop a survival plan. I wagged my head.
But now I knew what I hadn't realized because of Augustus. How I screwed up the one thing I finally wanted. Lost it. When I could have held it in my hand. Touched it. Him. So much for a window of opportunity and my damned fears that slammed shut such a doorway.
My heart ached.
In memory. For what it wanted. Accursed stupid uncontrollable organ. And they say a Shifter's Wolf is impossible to control. What about a half-alien heart? Did the extra DNA push a person to insanity over something she dare not risk?
I can't hurt Violet.
Can't.
****
The pale white light of sunrise washed darkness from my cabin but did anything but brighten my day. Augustus ordered me to meet with him in the morning. Better to get the visit with my sire over with. I yanked on my combat boots and hurried to his lodge where he sat in his chair at the empty table as if he had sat there all night. Waiting. For me. Alone. He'd even sent his mate Drea away to chew me a new asshole. Then again, she had enough sense to keep her comments to herself until she was behind closed doors with Augustus.
"We need to talk," he muttered.
Not the tone I wanted to hear.
"Sit." He waved at the bench beside him.
Fine. Let's get the scolding over with. I planted my tail on the hard wood and faced him.
"She is no threat to us. To herself, yes. But that one is lost outside her sire's circle of influence."
Why did he always know how to make me feel like I was eight years old? I nodded just to get this mental thrashing over with.
Augustus slowly uncrossed his ankles, dropping the one combat boot to the wooden planking with a thud, rising off the back of the chair, leaning forward, closely, to bore his deadly glare even more deeply through my skull. "You will apologize to her today."
I want to make her feel better. To ease her worry and help her find the confidence to look people in the eyes again. But not today. I can't control Wolf just yet. Or tuck tail and whimper. I grated my teeth and nodded.
"Today, Lucius. There won't be any friction between anyone at my outpost. Clear the air between you and the woman. Then I will deal with you and Marcus. Now, explain this shit about you forgetting to tell me something as significant as these women are healers. I don't like nor understand why you forgot to mention something so important." He leaned back again.
Allowing me breathing room to cough up what he wanted. But never relinquishing me from the lance of his piercing glare.
"You will explain everything to me now," he snarled a gurgling threat of his Wolf's.
I offered a consolatory nod. "The female's got me flustered."
He just stared with his Wolf in his eyes.
Fine. "The little one said they were healers. Not
Similar Books
