was accustomed to.
His arm draped her waist again, and he
turned his head so his mouth was against her ear. “I have to leave you soon.”
Her sleep-heavy eyelids had started to
close, but she opened them quickly. “What? Why?” She frowned. “Is it illegal or
something to make love if you aren’t married?”
He laughed, and his chest rumbled against
hers. “No, though it would probably be better not to have rumors circulating
about your sex life during your first week here.” He eased away and propped his
chin on his hand. “I have a duty to perform, and I must leave around daybreak.”
“Where are you going?”
“Ylenia is staying at Necheau, a village
high in the mountains. Her niece married into the pa…one of the groups who live
there. She left to visit her weeks ago, before your father sent me to find
you.” His lips curved into a small smile. “Though I doubt she didn’t know he
would send for you. Little escapes Ylenia.”
The name was familiar. “Who’s Ylenia again?”
“She’s our spiritual leader, and she will
want to meet you immediately.” His expression darkened. “She will have much to
tell you, and not all of it will be pleasant.”
A hint of foreboding overshadowed the
contentment of lying in his arms. Anca wasn’t anxious to meet this woman. A
shiver raced down her spine, and she bit back the urge to beg him not to fetch
the woman. She sensed the meeting was unavoidable, though she didn’t know how
she knew that.
“When will you be back?” She tried to force
herself to sound cheery, to hide her reluctance to meet Ylenia, and her
reluctance to be parted from him. Unfortunately, her voice emerged more as a
croaky chirp.
“Late tonight or early tomorrow. I’ll take a
Land Rover to get into the mountains, but Ylenia will insist on returning on
horseback. She gets violently carsick.”
“What will I do with myself?”
“You are free to do anything you wish.” He
touched her cheek and smoothed his fingers over her supple skin. “Don’t go
anywhere alone though. It may not be safe.” He seemed reluctant to divulge that
last bit of information. “Take Starr. She has agreed to be your companion while
you’re here.”
Anca’s brow quirked. “She agreed ? How
does one get a wolf to agree to anything?”
He seemed to be going out of his way to be
obtuse. “Carefully, and with much persuasion.” He grinned at her.
“But—“
“You will be safe with her.”
She shivered, imagining having the wolf
shadowing her every move. She would rather take her chances alone.
“Anca, promise me something.” He spoke in a
low voice, and his expression was somber.
“What?”
“Promise me you won’t try to leave while I’m
gone. I know you’re frightened of what everyone expects from you, but please
promise me you’ll be here when I get back.”
She frowned when she realized the thought of
leaving while he wasn’t there to stop her hadn’t even entered her mind. “I’ll
stay until the end of the week, as I agreed to.”
He
nodded, not looking satisfied, but no longer looking fearful. “I’ll return
soon.” He cupped her face in his hand. “I find the thought of leaving you
painful, now that we have joined.”
“I’ll miss you,” she said again and snuggled
closer to him. A hint of worry lingered as he pulled the blankets over them and
relaxed. Even as his soft snores filled the chamber a few minutes later, she
remained on edge. She didn’t know which she dreaded more—being alone in the
castle for the day with a wolf companion; meeting Ylenia and hearing what she
had to say; or telling Demi she had to go back to her real life.
An ache near her heart caused her to catch
her breath, and it answered her question. What she dreaded most was leaving
Demi, though she wasn’t certain how such a turn of events had happened so
quickly. All she knew was she wanted to be with him, though they had known each
other only a few days. It felt like she had always known
His arm draped her waist again, and he
turned his head so his mouth was against her ear. “I have to leave you soon.”
Her sleep-heavy eyelids had started to
close, but she opened them quickly. “What? Why?” She frowned. “Is it illegal or
something to make love if you aren’t married?”
He laughed, and his chest rumbled against
hers. “No, though it would probably be better not to have rumors circulating
about your sex life during your first week here.” He eased away and propped his
chin on his hand. “I have a duty to perform, and I must leave around daybreak.”
“Where are you going?”
“Ylenia is staying at Necheau, a village
high in the mountains. Her niece married into the pa…one of the groups who live
there. She left to visit her weeks ago, before your father sent me to find
you.” His lips curved into a small smile. “Though I doubt she didn’t know he
would send for you. Little escapes Ylenia.”
The name was familiar. “Who’s Ylenia again?”
“She’s our spiritual leader, and she will
want to meet you immediately.” His expression darkened. “She will have much to
tell you, and not all of it will be pleasant.”
A hint of foreboding overshadowed the
contentment of lying in his arms. Anca wasn’t anxious to meet this woman. A
shiver raced down her spine, and she bit back the urge to beg him not to fetch
the woman. She sensed the meeting was unavoidable, though she didn’t know how
she knew that.
“When will you be back?” She tried to force
herself to sound cheery, to hide her reluctance to meet Ylenia, and her
reluctance to be parted from him. Unfortunately, her voice emerged more as a
croaky chirp.
“Late tonight or early tomorrow. I’ll take a
Land Rover to get into the mountains, but Ylenia will insist on returning on
horseback. She gets violently carsick.”
“What will I do with myself?”
“You are free to do anything you wish.” He
touched her cheek and smoothed his fingers over her supple skin. “Don’t go
anywhere alone though. It may not be safe.” He seemed reluctant to divulge that
last bit of information. “Take Starr. She has agreed to be your companion while
you’re here.”
Anca’s brow quirked. “She agreed ? How
does one get a wolf to agree to anything?”
He seemed to be going out of his way to be
obtuse. “Carefully, and with much persuasion.” He grinned at her.
“But—“
“You will be safe with her.”
She shivered, imagining having the wolf
shadowing her every move. She would rather take her chances alone.
“Anca, promise me something.” He spoke in a
low voice, and his expression was somber.
“What?”
“Promise me you won’t try to leave while I’m
gone. I know you’re frightened of what everyone expects from you, but please
promise me you’ll be here when I get back.”
She frowned when she realized the thought of
leaving while he wasn’t there to stop her hadn’t even entered her mind. “I’ll
stay until the end of the week, as I agreed to.”
He
nodded, not looking satisfied, but no longer looking fearful. “I’ll return
soon.” He cupped her face in his hand. “I find the thought of leaving you
painful, now that we have joined.”
“I’ll miss you,” she said again and snuggled
closer to him. A hint of worry lingered as he pulled the blankets over them and
relaxed. Even as his soft snores filled the chamber a few minutes later, she
remained on edge. She didn’t know which she dreaded more—being alone in the
castle for the day with a wolf companion; meeting Ylenia and hearing what she
had to say; or telling Demi she had to go back to her real life.
An ache near her heart caused her to catch
her breath, and it answered her question. What she dreaded most was leaving
Demi, though she wasn’t certain how such a turn of events had happened so
quickly. All she knew was she wanted to be with him, though they had known each
other only a few days. It felt like she had always known
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