Wolf’s Princess (6 page)

Walking at her stirrup, Paint glanced up at her. “Don’t fret, Rose.”

“I’m trying not to. But why is he here? What does he want?”

Paint adjusted his eye patch and gave her a raised brow. “Why do you think he’s here?”

She glanced away from the knowing look on his face. “I don’t know.”

“Really? You don’t think that just maybe he’s here because you’re looking for a man to marry? Or do you think he decided on the spur of the moment to drop in after all this time?”

Her cheeks heated. “Okay, okay, he must be here because of me. But why? He’s practically ignored me for eight years.”

Paint patted her knee. “Well, I can’t read his mind, but I can tell you this: When I was in Omaha, I saw his face when your letters came. He’d try to act like it was nothing important, but you can’t fool wolves. He touched the paper like it was a woman’s hand. Your hand. He’d put it aside to read later in private, but he’d touch it over and over. I don’t think he was ignoring you.”

“Really?” The hope in her voice embarrassed her. She tried to sound stern. “Then maybe he should have written back a little more often.” When her horse threw her head back with a snort of breath and a jingle of bridle, Rose laid a hand on her neck under the mane and gave her a pat. “I agree completely, Flora-sweetie,” she told the mare before turning back to Paint. “Well, I guess I’ll find out what he wants.”

The gate was opened for them and the men carried the supplies to the shed while she rode Flora around to the back of the den to dismount. Rain, one of the Pack, came to take the horse, but Rose unsaddled the mare and groomed her before going into the den. Her cat, Mitzi, was asleep on the counter in the tack room, and Rose paused to brush her, murmuring praise for the mouse she had caught and presented to her this morning. Having delayed as long as she could, she entered the den through the kitchen door.

“Rose,” said Snow happily from his position in front of the stove, where he vigorously beat potatoes with a wooden spoon. The rich scent of baking chicken rose from the oven. “You’re back at last. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Sorry.” She tried to make her voice casual as she paused to wash her hands at the sink. “I stayed to help Renee and Sammie get supper ready at the House.”

Snow pointed with his chin. “They’re all waiting for you in the rec room.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Dread dragged her stomach down to her feet. Anticipation flung it up back up to her throat. For goodness sake, she wished her stomach would settle on one of them. She left the kitchen, walked through the cafeteria to the rec room across the hall. The rec room was her favorite place in the den, big and spacious with colorful rag rugs scattered over the hardwood floor, and tables and chairs placed by the two large windows. Clustered around the fireplace were the armchairs she and Carla usually sat in. Right now Taye sat on the floor in front of Carla in her big stuffed leather chair, and in the chair Rose usually occupied sat the slick stranger who had once been a boy who had demanded she be his mate.

Rose froze at the sight of him. He had taken off the coat and tie, but still wore the silvery slacks and bright blue shirt. In the crook of one arm he held Little Feather, and Taye and Carla’s two-year-old daughter, Patia, hung on his knee. He smiled at the baby, tickling his round belly, while bouncing his knee to make Patia laugh.

Rose’s breath caught with unbearable longing. He looked like a loving father playing with his children. It was the perfect family picture, and she wanted so much to be part of it.

She must have made some sound, because Sky looked over at her, the smile draining away from his face. “Rose.”

Taye reached for Little Feather and directed a hard stare at Rose. “You’re late,” he said in his calm, I-Am-The-Alpha voice that warned he wasn’t pleased. “We expected you at least an hour ago.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.” That was the truth. “Sammie was just starting supper when I stopped by the House and I stopped to chat with her for a little while. Time got away from me.”

That part wasn’t quite true. Time hadn’t gotten away, but she hadn’t wanted to leave for the den until she had told her friend Sammie everything. Sammie had given her a basket of apples to peel and core while they talked. Sammie’s advice was to give Sky a chance. Rose glanced at him now, divested of children, sober-faced, and watching her. She should say something to him. Shouldn’t she?

“You’re in my chair.” Her face flushed. Dang it, that wasn’t what she wanted to say. “I mean, it’s a nice chair, don’t you think? Mikey and Alex made it for me. And it’s really comfortable. I…um…”

She trailed off, miserably aware she was babbling, as he stood up.
My, he’s tall
. Not quite as tall as his big brother Shadow, but about two inches taller than Taye. She glanced down at his feet, still wearing the black leather shoes, and amended it to an inch taller than Taye. That made him about six inches taller than her own five feet eight inches.

“We need to talk, Rose,” he said quietly, almost gently. “Alone.”

“It’s almost time for supper,” Carla protested.

“It won’t take long,” Sky said. “Rose, let’s walk outside.”

She walked to the den’s front door and stepped out. Her stomach tightened into a knot. At least it wasn’t jumping. What did he want to discuss that wouldn’t take long? Was he going to tell her that he released her and she could marry anyone she wanted? Now her stomach commenced a wild bouncing.

He started off toward Sand and Amanda’s house, moving in a slow, easy saunter. Rose stuffed her hands into her front pockets and walked beside him. She decided that no matter what he said, she wouldn’t argue, or raise her voice, or above all, cry. She sent a sideways glance at him and found his face pensive.

“Do you know why I’m here?” he finally asked.

She forced her hands to relax. “No.”

She caught his glance at her and her heart sped up. He looked a lot like many of his cousins, men she saw on a daily basis, so why did he seem so much more handsome than any of them? “You sent me a letter,” he reminded her.

Her hands clenched. “Months ago.” She almost managed to sound casual. “You never answered it.”

“No, and I should have.” He stopped and turned to face her. “I’ve been very busy for the past several months, but that’s no excuse for not writing. I’m sorry.”

His polished, polite, mild tone niggled at her. No wolf ever used that kind of tone. It reminded her, of all things, of some of her mother’s smooth politician friends. Even at fifteen, she had been able to tell when they were using their voices and their words to manipulate people. She swallowed and dug her thumbnail into the pad of her finger as a reminder to remain calm.

“I forgive you.” Which might, or might not, be a lie, depending on what else he said.

The smile that flashed over his face seemed briefly genuine, before smoothing into something else, something practiced and bland. “Rose, you are as sweet as your name.”

She didn’t smile back. “Let’s cut to the chase. Just tell me why you’re here.”

He lifted his hand, as if to brush her cheek.

She stepped away. “Why did you come, Sky?”

“Because I had to. I received a letter from Taye. He’s allowing men to court you.”

“Is that a problem?” She smiled sweetly. “I waited for you a long time, and now, when Taye is finally allowing me to move on with my life, you’re back.”

Some of the blandness fell away from his face. “You’re my mate.”

“Yeah? But I’m tired of waiting for you. I want a family.”

“Sweetheart,” he began, but she threw up a hand and wrestled with her temper.

“No,” she said, amazing herself with her level voice. “You don’t know me well enough to call me that.”

“Does that man I found you with this afternoon call you sweetheart?”

She swallowed at the silky menace in his voice. “Of course not. I barely know Jasper.”

“He’d like to know you better.”

Calm, she reminded herself. Don’t yell. “I think you’re right.”

She turned and began strolling again, leaving him to catch up if he wanted to. He did, with one long step, and grabbed her arm. “Don’t walk away from me, mate.”

“Don’t snarl at me.” She jerked her arm free and folded both her arms over her chest. “And let’s quit dancing around the issue. What do you want?”

“Rose, you are my mate.”

“And?” she demanded. “What exactly does that mean? You’re here to court me?”

The suave polish came back. “I’m your mate. No one can ever love you as well as I can. All I ask is a chance to prove that to you.”

Pretty words
, she sneered inwardly. Pretty and empty. “I’m willing to give you the chance to court me, but I haven’t accepted your mate claim yet.”

He smiled and took her hand. “Perfect. How could I ask for more? Shall we go in to supper?”

* * * *

He was too smooth. Too slick. Too fake. Rose brooded on it during supper. She sat at the head table, next to little Patia, who was in a booster chair at her mother’s left. Sky was on the other side, between Taye and Jay. He didn’t ignore her, but most of his attention was on his cousins, catching up with family news. She couldn’t blame him for that. They were on opposite ends of the long table, so conversation wasn’t easy, and there was plenty of news to take in. So many of his cousins had found their mates and begun their families that just learning all the new names took quite a bit of time. Too bad Mel and Snake were visiting her family down in Kansas. And Rose really wished Ellie were here instead of visiting the Clan. Ellie was her very best friend, and she could be relied on to give sympathy and good advice. And being married and mated to a wolf, she could understand better than Sammie the intricacies of building a relationship with a man like Sky.

Then again, Sky didn’t really act like a wolf warrior. He remained fully dressed, even to his shoes. He ate with very elegant table manners and was polite. He had snarled at Jasper this afternoon, but other than that, he acted like a slick, city stranger.

“Five children?” he said, when Paint told him about his older brother’s family. “Last I heard it was three. Glory and Shadow have five children now?”

“It’ll probably be six one of these days,” shouted Alex from a table close by, amid laughter.

White Horse nodded solemnly, “He says he needs more sons to be able to protect Victoria. He dotes on his daughter.”

“Who doesn’t?” called Standing Bear.

“And Dan has settled down too,” Sky said with a smile in his voice. “Rose wrote me about that. I thought he was a lone wolf if there ever was one.”

“Tami is perfect for him,” Carla commented. “She has a ranch in Colorado where they spend most of their time these days. They have two boys, six and four years old, and their little girl is two now, the same age as Patia. Dan doesn’t like having little Olivia exposed to strangers, but he and Tami are coming for a couple of weeks before winter.”

Sky looked around. Rose could see him if she leaned forward and turned her head to look past Carla and Taye. She wondered what he saw when he looked at the three rows of long tables filled with relatives he hadn’t seen in eight years.

“It’s good to be back and see you all,” he said, and Rose thought he was completely sincere at that moment. “Tell me all the news. Des has his own pack? What about Stag? Rose told me in a letter he convinced Sherry to accept his claim.”

Taye settled into story telling mode, lifting his wide-eyed daughter from Carla and setting her under his arm. “Des is alpha of the Plane Women’s House Pack now. He mated Connie only a few months after you left. Stag and Sherry divide their time between Des’s pack and the Clan. Red Wing and Marissa are with Des, and so are Hawk and Renee. You remember the women’s plan to open a restaurant? They did it. The Eatery is doing well.”

“I’ve heard of it,” Sky said with a nod. “Even in Omaha the Eatery is well known. How large is Des’s pack? Are the women from the plane all married and living elsewhere?”

“Nah, some have married, and brought their husbands into the Pack. Others have gone to live with their husbands in Kearney and other places. Some haven’t married yet. Connie says a woman shouldn’t have to marry, and Des has his hands full making sure no one bothers ’em. Des has eighteen men from our pack and the Clan with him, and the Clan sends their young men there to learn to behave with townies. Renee puts them to work cleaning dishes and clearing off tables. In fact, your brother Raven is there right now.”

“What?” Sky sat up straight in the chair. “Raven is in Kearney?”

Taye nodded, and Rose said, “I talked to him this afternoon.”

Sky glanced at his wrist, and Rose blinked, feeling strangely disoriented. That was a gesture she hadn’t seen in years. Nobody in the Pack or Clan checked the time by a watch. He stood up. “I’m going into Kearney tonight to catch up with Raven. It’s not too late.”

Rose opened her mouth to say something, but shut it again. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. Even on the other end of the table, Sky must have caught it. He stood up and walked to stand behind her chair. Her shoulder blades twitched when he loomed over her, so she stood up to face him.

He lowered his lips to her ear and murmured, “Sorry to leave you right way like this.”

This close, his scent wrapped around her like the aroma of apple pie fresh out of the oven. It was a clean scent, spicy and alluring. She made herself breathe normally instead of leaning close to inhale deeply. “That’s all right. You’re probably dying to see your brother, and we have plenty of time to spend together.”

Something about his smile made her heart speed up. It was so white, and his dimple deepened so charmingly, that she smiled back. “Thank you,” he said. “All of tomorrow is yours.”

He kissed her cheek. It was just a quick brush of warm lips, but Rose’s heart leaped into double time. By the smug look on his face, he knew it. Drat him.

As Sky left the dining room, most of the men watched him. Then looked at her. Rose hated that she was blushing. “Come here, Patia. Let’s go play in the rec room.”

“No,” said Carla. “Let’s us girls go to the children’s room.”