Defying Destiny (35 page)

said. “At least go lay down on the rug.

The floor is hard and cold. I’ll start a fire

for you.”

He smiled a thanks before reverting to

his Wolf form and climbing wearily to his

feet. He curled up on the bearskin rug,

watching her as she set her knapsack on

the sofa and then moved to the fireplace.

“I was scared to death that you’d be

killed,” she said. She laid the kindling in

the grate and started the fire. “How did

you

ever

convince

them

to

stop

attacking?”

When he didn’t answer her, she turned

to look at him. He was already asleep.

She smiled as her love for this man, Wolf,

person warmed her blood. Her heart

threatened to burst with happiness. At last,

they could be together. There was nothing

to come between them now. She believed

this as she settled down on the rug beside

him and stroked his soft fur tenderly.

After only a few hours, Nash awoke from

his nap eager to examine the book

Maralee had stowed in her knapsack. He

climbed to his feet and stretched his back

—front paws extended forward, his back

arched downward. He shook his head to

clear the fog from his mind and padded

through the house looking for Maralee.

When he discovered she wasn’t in the

house, he began to panic. He took his

human form, knowing she wouldn’t

understand him if he howled at her.

“Maralee, where are you?” he called.

“Maralee?”

He heard a commotion outside on the

porch. His heart sank down into his belly.

He moved to the front door and tore it

open. His first impression of the scene

sent a spear of ice down his spine, but

then he realized Maralee was laughing as

two small wolves tackled her and tumbled

her across the ground. He sighed with

relief.

“Oh, Uncle Nash,” Lord said from his

seat on the front steps, “you’re awake

already.”

Lark and Carsha barked excitedly as

Maralee struggled to her feet and tried to

catch them. It was a useless pursuit, but

she seemed to be enjoying herself.

“What are you pups up to?” Nash

asked his eldest nephew.

“Mama sent us over to check on you

and they all started acting foolish in the

yard,” Lord said, gazing out at his brother,

sister and the human woman with

disapproval.

“They seem to be having a good time,”

Nash said with a smile.

Lord shrugged. “They’ll be soaked,

playing in melting snow.”

Nash smiled. “I suppose,” he agreed.

“I guess you think that you’re too old for

such nonsense.”

“Somebody has to take responsibility

for this family now that Dad’s gone,” he

said solemnly.

Nash realized his young nephew was

trying to fill the vacancy that had been

offered to him. Nash wondered if Lord

would have been out playing in the snow

if he had accepted Rella’s proposition of

marriage. Knowing Lord, probably not.

Not unless he thought there wasn’t anyone

watching.

“I guess I should go get dressed,”

Nash said, smiling when Maralee caught

Lark by the tail and the white Wolf

jumped high into the air, drawing a gasp

and appreciative applause from her. This

inspired a series of leaps, jumps, and flips

that left Nash breathless with fatigue just

watching.

“What a show off,” Lord growled,

watching his brother’s antics with disgust.

“As if you could do better,” Nash

challenged, hiding his knowing smile

when Lord glanced up at him quickly.

His eyes narrowed. “You just want me

to get along with your mate,” Lord

accused suspiciously. “Don’t get your

hopes up. I know what she did to my

father.”

“It’s up to you if you forgive her. I

won’t require that you like her,” Nash

said. “You should consider giving her a

chance though. She’s changed.”

“I’m not so sure,” Lord murmured,

watching her lift an excited, wriggling

Carsha into her arms.

“Come inside when you get cold,”

Nash told Lord and went into the house to

find some clothes. He’d been mostly a

Wolf for well over a week. He was

looking forward to reclaiming the use of

his thumbs for a while.

After dressing, Nash worked on

preparing a meal for himself, Maralee and

their young guests. He made enough for

Rella as well, hoping they could convince

her to join them. He barely put his

family’s steaks over the fire, but he

broiled Maralee’s until it was done and

even roasted several small potatoes for

her. Just as he was about to call everyone

in to dinner, the front door burst open and

two sopping wet Wolves, a drenched

young woman and an irritated, white-

haired boy entered.

“I told you, you’d be soaked,” Lord

declared. “You’re getting mud and water

all over the floor.”

“It’s all right,” Maralee told him with

a friendly smile. “I’ll clean it up.”

Lord gave her a dark look before

moving in front of the fire to warm

himself. He continued to watch Maralee’s

every move, his mistrust obvious.

Maralee looked unsettled by the boy’s

dislike and leeriness. Nash watched her

consider her next move. She seemed to

realize she shouldn’t try to push Lord just

yet.

“Something

smells

good,”

she

declared, turning her attention to Nash.

“Did you cook?”

He nodded and glanced at the two

soaking wet Wolves making a spectacular

mess of his floor. “Lark and Carsha, go

home, put on some dry clothes, and bring

your mother back over for dinner.”

The pair of them barked an agreement

and Maralee opened the door for them so

they could make the quick trip home.

“I think that I’d better change clothes

as well,” she told Nash. She glanced at

Lord, who was still sitting by the fire,

pretending not to watch her warily. With a

small sigh, she took her knapsack to the

water

closet.

Nash

gave

her

an

encouraging smile as she passed, but she

was too preoccupied to notice.

“So,” Lord said irritably. “Why do

you like her so much anyway?”

Nash was taken aback by his question.

He’d never thought about why he had

strong feelings for Maralee. He merely

acknowledged them.

“Well…” he murmured, slim dark

eyebrows drawn together with perplexity.

“She’s not as pretty as my mother,”

Lord said, glancing at the floor and then at

his uncle.

“Your mother is a very beautiful

woman,” Nash agreed uneasily.

“Why did you choose this human

woman and reject my mother?” Lord

asked. “You made her cry.”

Nash was confused. “I made who

cry?”

“My mother. I wasn’t asleep when you

came back from fighting those wolves

after Mom. I heard her give herself to you

and you reject her. Then she started to

cry,” Lord told him, amber eyes full of the

pain of betrayal. “I won’t forgive you for

making her cry.”

“She wasn’t crying because I rejected

her,” Nash said, “but I understand why

you are angry with me.”

“You don’t understand anything!” he

said, climbing to his feet. “You don’t even

care that your human killed my father. She

came to our village only hours after you

buried him. You brought her into your

house and you expected me and Lark and

Carsha to come and entertain a murderer.”

Nash realized these words were too

mature for a boy his age to string together

on his own. He was likely repeating

something he’d overheard. “You know I

wouldn’t have asked you to join us if

you’d been in any danger.”

This did nothing to placate Lord. If

anything, he seemed even more agitated.

“Then you took Carsha to a human village.

What would have happened to her if

someone had found out what she really

is?”

“I would have protected her.”

“Would you have killed to protect

her?” Lord challenged, eyes flashing

angrily.

“You know I would have.”

“Even that woman?” he asked. “You

didn’t kill her to protect Dad.” Tears

flooded the boy’s eyes and he struggled

valiantly to prevent them from falling.

“I did not react quickly enough to save

your dad,” Nash murmured, “but I was

prepared to let her die if she raised her

sword to any of my people again.”

A startled gasp alerted Nash to

Maralee’s presence. She stood in the

hallway, riveted by their exchange,

clutching a towel to clean up the water

and mud on the floor. She was pale and

wide-eyed now, as she looked at him

questioningly.

“I don’t believe you,” Lord told him

before tearing out of the house, leaving

Nash and Maralee to stare at each other

wordlessly.

“Maralee?” he said after a moment

and took a step towards her. Even though

he was halfway across the room, she

flinched away from him.

She didn’t look at him when she spoke

next. It was as if she were afraid to see the

truth in his eyes. “What really happened

that night, Nash? The night when the moon

was full and your mother tried to kill me.

Were you there to protect me or to watch

me die?”

He lowered his eyes. “That depended

on you.” He forced himself to speak

truthfully to her even at the risk of hurting

her.

“On me?” she questioned, looking at

him with confusion.

“I followed you that night. I think you

heard me in the alley. You looked in my

direction in any case.”

“I thought I was imagining things.”

“You had your sword. You were on

your guard, ready to strike down anything

that threatened you or the village.”

“And what should I have done, Nash?

Stand by and watch an entire village be

slaughtered while I did nothing?” she said,

face flushed with anger now.

“I wanted you to trust me,” he

admitted. “I wanted you to believe I

wasn’t a monster, that my people aren’t

animals.”

She looked away. “I do believe that.”

“I’m glad,” he said. “You’ll never

know how glad, but for a moment, when

the Wolves came out of the forest and you

drew your sword against my people, my

family, I thought I was going to have to

watch you die.”

The look of anguish that crossed her

lovely face tore at his heart. He took a

step closer to her and she a step

backwards.

“Then you tossed your sword away. It

seemed as though you’d rather die than

kill.”

“I’ve killed so many,” she whispered.

Her eyes closed, but regretful tears leaked

beneath her lids and slid over her smooth

cheeks.

“Is that why you dropped your

weapon?”

She shook her head. “I saw a little,

gray Wolf with a barrette in her fur.”

It took Nash a moment to put two and

two together. “Carsha?”

Maralee nodded. “I realized the

Wolves were your people. Before that

moment, I had myself convinced that you

were a half-Wolf creature and you

protected Wolves, but I never imagined

that
all
of the people of your village were

Wolves. Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“Would you have believed me?”

She shook her head. “Probably not. It

was our sons that convinced me to stop

killing.”

Nash was flabbergasted. “Our sons?”

he murmured. His heart skipped a beat as

the implications of her words sank in. He

rushed forward and collected her tense

body in his arms. “Maralee, are you…are

you with child?”

She shook her head miserably. “I so

wanted to be,” she admitted. “I dream of

them, Nash. They are perfect, brilliant

boys. They have your crazy hair and…and