TOUCH OF THE WOLF By Susan Krinard

Braden turned to the window, his hands braced on the sill. “It is too late,” he whispered.

“For what? He’s only a little boy. Tasya has tried to raise him herself, but Stefan is taking him away from her. If Mikhail has people like Stefan teaching him—” She jumped to her feet. “Tasya can’t stop them from hurting Mikhail. She came here to ask for your help. You’re the only one who can.”

Braden was like stone. “You don’t understand.”

“He’s your son. You can’t abandon him. I know what it’s like to live with people who don’t really care what happens to you. If I ever had a child—” She broke off, overwhelmed by the thought of making a baby and all that went with it. The things Isabelle had spoken of.

She wanted those things. Being with someone because she couldn’t imagine life without him. Marrying. Having children she could love, the way she’d been loved so long ago.

And she wanted the same for Braden. For him, and for a little boy she’d never met.

For all of them.

“You’re his father,” she said. “He’s loup-garou. Isn’t he a pan of your Cause?” She pounded the table with her fist. The tea tray jumped. Anger flowed through her, cleansing and bright. “You’re forcing Rowena to marry a stranger, and you had to fight the Russians—all because of the Cause. But you won’t bring your own son back.”

“He is not—” He leaned his forehead against the window. “I have my reasons. Do not ask more than I can give.”

“You won’t even accept it when someone wants to give to you,” she said. “I know you plan for me to marry Quentin. Is that because of Milena, too? Do you want me to go away, like Mikhail?”

Outside the window, a cloud passed over the sun. Braden was shrouded in shadow.

“I will not mate again,” he said.

Because loups-garous mated for life? That was what he’d told her. But that wasn’t the whole reason.

“Is it me?” she asked.

“Please… go.”

It had become almost easy to disobey him. She touched his rigid back. “You have so much,” she said. “Not only your family, and this house, but… so much strength. You know who you are. What are you afraid of?”

“You presume too much.”

She brushed her hand the length of his arm, wishing that she could melt into him with her entire body, and feel him melt into her.

“Only because I finally know what I want,” she said. “I want to belong here, Braden. I want to be part of everything that matters to you. I want you to—” Desperately she pulled a quote from memory, hoping it would be enough.

“I would I could adopt your will,

See with your eyes, and set my heart

Beating by yours, and drink my fill

At your soul’s springs,—your part,

my part In life, for good or ill.”

He turned slowly. “Only for ill, Cassidy. You cannot see with my eyes. Not ever.”

“But you can see with mine.”

“My soul’s spring is dry. You’ll die of thirst.”

“I’ve crossed the desert before. I can go a long time without water.”

He stared at her. She’d never seen tears in his eyes, but if ever he could weep, it would be now. Yearning shone like light from his face. He looked like the boy he must have been long ago, still young enough to be crushed by a word or devastated by a single mistake.

Or trusting enough to love with all his heart.

“Let me try, Braden,” she said. “Let me find the trail for both of us.”

His fingers pressed into her arms. His lips parted. She closed her eyes and lifted her face.

From somewhere deep in the heart of the house, someone screamed.

Fifteen

It was the scream that saved him.

Braden thrust Cassidy back and strode for the door.

She was only a step behind.

“What is it?” she said anxiously. “Who—”

“John Dodd.”

“The footman? Where is he?”

“In the Great Hall,” he said, “awaiting questioning. I told you that I have business to attend to.”

She caught his arm. “You’re punishing him—”

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *