Defying Destiny by Olivia Downing

greatest
    motivation
    would
    be…instinct.”
    He
    looked at her again. There was something
    sad about his expression and she was at
    once reminded of the terrible dream she’d
    had the night before. The man seemed to
    have a strange attachment to canines, be
    they Wolf or dog.
    “I guess we’ll head to the village to
    retrieve my things,” she said, wanting to
    change the subject and erase the sadness
    in his golden eyes. “Purchase some forks
    and maybe a potato or two.”
    He smiled. “It is rather early in our
    acquaintance to expect so much from you.”
    Maralee’s
    brow
    furrowed
    with
    confusion. “Where did that come from?”
    His smile widened. “Did I say that out
    loud?”
    “You’re being funny strange again.”
    “I apologize,” he said, ducking his
    head. “I was on my way to the bathroom
    when I heard you scream. If you’ll excuse
    me.”
    Maralee watched him step out of the
    house into the cold, crisp winter morning
    in nothing but his undershorts. The sun had
    scarcely made an appearance and the
    temperature was well below freezing. She
    shivered just thinking about how cold he
    must be. She peeked out the window over
    the desk, hoping to catch a glimpse of him,
    but the only living creature in sight was a
    huge black dog, which she determined
    wasn’t a dog after all, but a Wolf. It lifted
    its leg on the corner of the porch and
    disappeared around the side of the house.
    She hoped Nash would be all right,
    wandering around outside half-naked with
    a Wolf in the area, be it a friendly Wolf or
    not. She retreated to the bedroom and
    dressed.
    The house was chilly. Maralee went to
    the living area to light a fire in the grate
    while she waited for Nash to return. She
    had just added the first log to the fire
    when the door opened and Nash
    reappeared, carrying young Carsha in the
    crook of his arm. She was holding onto his
    neck, hugging him with her eyes closed in
    loving bliss. It would have been a
    touching scene if Nash hadn’t been
    entirely naked.
    “Nash,” Maralee admonished. “You
    can’t go around like that in front of a little
    girl.”
    Carsha opened her eyes and glared at
    Maralee. “He can hug me if he wants to.”
    “She means I’m without clothes,”
    Nash told his niece, setting her down on
    her feet.
    “But Uncle Nash, you never wear
    clothes when it’s warm outside.”
    Maralee gasped. Perhaps she had
    visited at the wrong time of the year.
    Nash laughed nervously. “Go warm
    yourself by the fire, Carsha,” he said. He
    padded unconcernedly out of the room to
    find his clothes. Maralee followed him
    with her gaze until he was out of sight.
    “Don’t you like to be without clothes
    when it’s hot outside?” Carsha asked
    Maralee, stepping closer to the fire and
    extending her hands towards it.
    “I only go without clothes when I
    bathe,” Maralee said in a low voice. This
    subject made her uncomfortable. What
    kind of barbaric people went around
    naked?
    “I hate clothes,” Carsha said. “I only
    wear them in winter because my mother
    makes me.”
    Wanting desperately to change the
    subject, Maralee said, “We’re going to
    Sarbough this morning. Would you like to
    come along?”
    “To the village where the humans
    live?”
    “Your mother will never let you come
    with us,” Nash interrupted, tugging his
    sweater over his head as he entered the
    room.
    “Mother took Lark and Lord out for a
    hunt. They’ll be gone for days,” Carsha
    said.
    “Lark and Lord?” Maralee asked.
    “Carsha’s older, twin brothers,” Nash
    explained.
    “I’m staying with Grandmother. She’ll
    let me go if you make her,” Carsha said.
    “That wouldn’t be—”
    Carsha
    interrupted.
    “But
    you’re
    supposed to be leader. You just let her
    take charge. You’re the alpha-ma—”
    Nash interrupted her, sending her what
    Maralee took as a look of warning.
    “Carsha, you go ask her. If she says ‘yes’
    then you can come. I’m not going to make
    her do