Defying Destiny (19 page)

go.”

Her eyes widened.

He meant every word. By now, he

couldn’t imagine her out of his life. How

could he have possibly become so

attached to another person in only a week?

She waited for him to continue,

glorious breasts heaving as her breaths

came quick and heavy.

“Sensibility loses,” he said.

He wasn’t sure which of them moved

first. Their mouth’s collided, their hunger

for each other suddenly the only thing of

importance. She buried her hands in his

hair and held him close to her; the soft,

mounds of her breasts pressed against his

hard chest.

She turned her head to break their kiss.

“Nash, I’m so sorry I slapped you.”

She gasped when he lifted her off the

floor to crush her against his aching groin.

His need to bury himself inside her

intensified each time they came together.

He had yet to claim her virginity, and if he

had not been so afraid of hurting her, he

would have given into his maddening need

to possess her many times before.

“You’ll just have to make it up to me,”

he murmured into her ear.

She leaned back to look up at him, a

devious grin on her face—the grin that

never failed to make his groin tighten in

anticipation. Her hand moved from the

hair at his nape to the waistband of his

pants. “I think I can handle that.”

A sharp knock on the front door made

Nash groan. He glanced over his shoulder

out the window. His mother’s anxious

face on the other side immediately

extinguished the fire of lust raging through

his body. He set Maralee on her feet,

before rushing to the door and opening it.

“What’s wrong?” was his greeting.

“Lark has just returned from the hunt,”

she said, her voice hollow with anxiety.

Relief suffused Nash. Rella, Carsha’s

mother, and her twin sons had been gone

on their hunt for a week now. Everyone

had been worried, but figured they were

likely trying to find an outlet for the grief

of losing a husband and father. Nash was

glad they were finally home.

“Just Lark,” Stacia clarified.

Nash’s brow furrowed with confusion.

“Where are Rella and Lord?”

Stacia peered into the house and

spotted Maralee standing near the desk.

His mother’s eyes narrowed. She pulled

Nash out on the porch and closed the door

behind him.

“Lark is tore up pretty bad,” his

mother said, free to speak her mind now

that Maralee was absent from the

conversation. “The three of them were

attacked by wolves. Apparently, Rella is

in estrous. The animals tried to kill her

pups and mate with her.”

“Damn it. Why didn’t she come home

sooner? She had to know her fertile time

was approaching.”

“You know why she didn’t return.”

He sighed. He did know. It was

because Maralee was in the village.

“I’ll go find her and Lord,” he said.

“I’ll collect some others to help you.”

“No, I’ll go alone. She won’t want

everyone to realize her predicament.”

Rella nodded and then blurted, “How

much longer do you plan to keep that

murdering whore in your cabin?”

Nash glanced at his door to see if

Maralee had heard his mother’s harsh

words. “Mother, she’s not—”

“Don’t tell me what she is. I smell her

all over you,” she said. “I have a mind to

get rid of her myself, since you are

obviously too cowardly to avenge your

own brother’s murder.”

“She’s the key to breaking the curse.”

“You have proof of this?”

Nash hesitated. “No,” he admitted.

“It’s just a feeling I have.”

She scoffed. “You’d better get over

your infatuation. Come the full moon, if

the curse still drives us to madness, she’s

dead.”

“I need more time.”

Her eyes were as hard and cold as

glacial ice. “She’s dead, Nash. I’ll kill her

myself.”

She turned on her heel and stepped off

the porch, walking in purposeful strides to

her cabin to mend her grandson. Nash

cursed under his breath, stifling the urge to

kick something. After a moment of self-

collection, he reentered the cabin.

Maralee was standing just inside the door,

waiting anxiously for his return. Her

beauty stole his breath. The concern in her

eyes stole his heart.

“What has happened?” Maralee asked.

“I should have gone looking for them

days ago. Lark managed to get away, but

Rella and Lord…”

“Get away?”

“Wolves,” he murmured wondering

how many there must be to overpower

Rella. She was a strong woman. “I’m

going after them.”

“I’ll come with you,” she said at once.

“I’ll need my sword.”

“No!” he barked at her. When she took

a step backwards, he softened his tone.

“They’re not that kind of wolves anyway.”

“Oh.”

“I’m not sure how long I will be

gone,” he said. “Lock yourself in the

house. Don’t let anyone inside.”

“No one?”

“Especially not my mother,” he said.

He couldn’t curtail a tremor of fear for

Maralee. He knew how much his mother

despised humans. And a Hunter? Nash

couldn’t imagine how deep his mother’s

hatred ran.

“Nash?” she said uncertainly.

He crossed the room in three long

strides and pulled her into his arms.

“Promise me, Maralee,” he demanded,

crushing her head against his chest with

desperation.

“I- I promise.”

He eased her away from him and

looked down at her. His emotions were

raw and exposed. He didn’t want to leave

her to fend for herself. He lowered his

head and kissed her gently. She clung to

him as if she did not want to let him go.

He felt the same.
Forever like this is not

long enough
. When he pulled away, he

smiled down at her.

“I guess it can’t be helped,” he said.

“What?”

“That I love you.”

She stared at him wordlessly, quite

obviously stunned. He waited for her

return sentiment, but she just gawked at

him.

He couldn’t wait for her to gather her

wits. His family needed him. “I’ll be back

as soon as I can,” he promised and then

left.

He paused on the porch, listening. He

heard her cross the floor and the door

lock.
She should be safe with the door

locked
, he told himself.
She should be

safe.

Nash walked to the edge of the village

before removing his clothes and taking his

other form. He had been so careful to

guard his secret from Maralee over the

past week he’d not reverted into a Wolf

the entire time. Remaining human for so

long was stifling. He wagged his tail as he

sniffed around the area to catch Lark’s

scent. He found the young Wolf’s trail and

surged forward.

He had told his mother he wanted to

do this on his own to spare Rella’s

feelings. In truth, he doubted anyone

would be willing to follow him. His entire

pack was angry with him. Nash expected

to be challenged as alpha male soon. He

knew how it worked. They’d gang up on

him and wear him down until he could

barely move. Then they would stand back

to allow the chosen leader to force him

into complete submission. Perhaps it was

time for him to stand down. His mother

would probably hate him even more for

allowing her to lose her place of

significance within the pack, but things

were changing for him. His priorities

were different now, which was likely a

grievous error on his part, seeing as how

he was the pack’s Guardian.

Maralee. Sweet, loving, beautiful

Maralee.

Giving,

passionate,

strong

Maralee. How could he do anything but

love her? Could she ever forgive him for

being what he was? He didn’t expect her

to accept it. How could she, being who

she was? They were born enemies.

Nothing would ever change that. Unless he

could break the curse.

Nash turned his attention to his task.

Lark’s condition was obviously severe.

Nash found the evidence of his nephew’s

wounds along a confused trail towards the

village. Spots of blood littered the ground

wherever the youth had paused to catch

his breath. Had Lark been mortal, he

would have undoubtedly lost his life on

the journey to find help.

Nash continued farther into the forest.

He seldom ventured this far from the

security of the village. What had Rella

been thinking?

The sun was just touching the horizon

in the West when Nash found his nephew,

Lord. The young, white wolf was lying on

his side in a puddle of his own blood. His

mouth hung agape and his tongue lolled.

His fur was stained pink around his throat

and all along his side. Nash licked his

face to rouse him. After several moments,

the boy’s eyes opened. He whimpered and

tried to stand. Nash pushed him down with

his nose and began to clean the deep

wounds on his side. Lord whined

piteously, weak from loss of blood. Once

the wounds on his side had stopped

leaking blood, Nash turned his attention to

his throat.

Lord whined again and then emitted a

long, low howl. Nash understood him

perfectly.
Leave me. Find mother.

Nash couldn’t abandon him in this

condition. He would have never left him

at all, if Rella’s anxious howl hadn’t cut

through the heavy air of twilight.
Oh

please. Lark, Lord. Get help.

Judging by the volume of her howl,

Nash determined she was relatively

nearby. Nash lifted his nose to the sky and

howled, long and low.
I’m coming. Where

are you?

There was no answer.

Nash tried again. His voice carried for

miles.
Rella, tell me where you are.

Still no answer.

Lord pulled himself into sitting

position and lifted his snout to the sky. He

howled to his mother.
Uncle Nash is here

to help.

Rella’s answer was hard for Nash to

take, but it didn’t really surprise him.
I

won’t accept help from a traitor.

Nash ignored the meaning behind her

words and simply followed the sound of

her voice.

Please mother.
Lord tried to reason

with her.

Nash heard a yip of pain, but it was

not in a language he understood.

Is Lark with you?
Rella continued.

No. I don’t know where his is.
Lord’s

reply sounded frantic.

Nash could now hear the warning

growls of the common wolves.

Lark is safe at the village.
Nash

informed them to put them at ease.

This howl alerted the pack of common

wolves that Rella was no longer fighting

alone. She’d been holding her own

admirably, but Nash could tell she was

weary.

The six males circling her seemed to

have formed an alliance. Nash supposed

after they’d worn her down, they would

fight, and the victor would be awarded the

honor of mating her. A scraggly-looking,

gray wolf jumped on Rella’s back and she

bit his leg viciously, snarling a warning.

The wolf yipped in pain and limped

several paces away before circling back

and trying again. Nash charged at the wolf,

hitting him in the side with the top of his

head. The wolf spun sideways and then

turned his attention from Rella to Nash.

The band of males decided they would

have to get rid of Nash before they could

concentrate on Rella. It seemed as if they

refused to let the new guy have their bitch

after they’d fought so hard to wear her

down.

They charged Nash as a unit, teeth

ripping into his forelegs, throat and the

back of his neck. Rella took this

opportunity to make her escape. Nash