clean plates from the kitchen and passed them out, and after Jeremiah had served himself, he offered a share of the meat to Abby. She had no idea what sort of meat it might be, but it smelled delicious.
It had been a wonderful meal, she decided when they were finished. Simple, but nourishing and good.
Rachel and Aaron worked together to clear the table. Then, again to Abby’s distress, they both left the house.
Jeremiah stayed where he was, at the head of the table. Abby made to get up, to follow Aaron, but Jeremiah waved her back into her chair. Being alone with him made her nerves quiver, and she half-expected him to scold her, to accuse her of some terrible misbehavior that his people wouldn’t allow.
Instead, he looked… tired.
“If you go,” he said, “if you talk of what you’ve seen here to the people on the mainland, you will ruin everything for this community. For our pack. Do you understand that?”
Pack? Abby wondered. “I wouldn’t say anything.”
“An easy promise to make. Not so easy to keep.”
“Why would anyone care?” Abby blurted. “You don’t have anything here worth stealing. The land, maybe, but—”
“Certain parties would care. The wrong kind.”
“I don’t want that to happen. I don’t—I would never wish anyone any harm. You seem like nice people.”
Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. “And you’ve determined that after being among us for barely an hour.”
Abby glanced past him at her yellow bag, sitting slumped on the floor near the fireplace. It was a very bright spot in a room that was mostly subtle shades of brown, red, green, blue. “I love your son, sir. I do. He’s a wonderful man.”
She thought he might argue that, or question again her making judgments after only a short time.
Instead, he said, “I’m aware of what you feel.”
“Then–”
“I would prefer that you had never come here. My son was meant to choose among those who live here, to find his mate here. There are two I thought would be good for him. They’re strong. Smart. Healthy.”
“I’m healthy,” Abby said.
Jeremiah smirked at that, and reached out to push a crumb across the table. “It would appear that way,” he said, but it seemed at odds with his expression.
“I am. I almost never get sick.”
“What about the rest of it?”
“The rest of what, ‘it’?”
“Your life. Your habits. Your expectations.”
“I love your son,” she said stubbornly.
And damn him for not believing her. Whatever had brought it about, she wanted nothing more than to go back to the cabin with Aaron and nestle in bed with him, waking periodically to make love and then fall back asleep in his arms. To begin building a life with him—a life that would last, in spite of anything anyone’s father or brother thought. In spite of anything anyone thought.
“I love your son,” she murmured.
Her eyes were locked on his—on eyes that seemed to peer deep into her soul, and she had to force herself not to look away. Then Jeremiah reached over and lifted her head with a finger placed under her chin.
“I smell it on you,” he said. “I could smell it on you from some distance away.”
“Smell… what?”
But he shook his head. “Go to him,” he said, and got up from his chair. “You’d find a way to do that even if we kept you apart, so you might as well be together. It will help you decide whether the bond is truly there or not.” He paused. “As I told my son, this will not be simple. You will have to prove yourselves: to the elders, to this family, and to the rest of the community. If you can manage to do that, you’ll have a great deal of responsibility here.”
“For–?”
“Go to him,” Jeremiah said firmly. “Don’t stray. He’s waiting for you.”
Clearly, he was done talking for now. With Abby frowning at him, lost in confusion, he went into the bedroom and shut the door.
He’s waiting for you.
That was enough to send her out of the house in search of the man
It had been a wonderful meal, she decided when they were finished. Simple, but nourishing and good.
Rachel and Aaron worked together to clear the table. Then, again to Abby’s distress, they both left the house.
Jeremiah stayed where he was, at the head of the table. Abby made to get up, to follow Aaron, but Jeremiah waved her back into her chair. Being alone with him made her nerves quiver, and she half-expected him to scold her, to accuse her of some terrible misbehavior that his people wouldn’t allow.
Instead, he looked… tired.
“If you go,” he said, “if you talk of what you’ve seen here to the people on the mainland, you will ruin everything for this community. For our pack. Do you understand that?”
Pack? Abby wondered. “I wouldn’t say anything.”
“An easy promise to make. Not so easy to keep.”
“Why would anyone care?” Abby blurted. “You don’t have anything here worth stealing. The land, maybe, but—”
“Certain parties would care. The wrong kind.”
“I don’t want that to happen. I don’t—I would never wish anyone any harm. You seem like nice people.”
Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. “And you’ve determined that after being among us for barely an hour.”
Abby glanced past him at her yellow bag, sitting slumped on the floor near the fireplace. It was a very bright spot in a room that was mostly subtle shades of brown, red, green, blue. “I love your son, sir. I do. He’s a wonderful man.”
She thought he might argue that, or question again her making judgments after only a short time.
Instead, he said, “I’m aware of what you feel.”
“Then–”
“I would prefer that you had never come here. My son was meant to choose among those who live here, to find his mate here. There are two I thought would be good for him. They’re strong. Smart. Healthy.”
“I’m healthy,” Abby said.
Jeremiah smirked at that, and reached out to push a crumb across the table. “It would appear that way,” he said, but it seemed at odds with his expression.
“I am. I almost never get sick.”
“What about the rest of it?”
“The rest of what, ‘it’?”
“Your life. Your habits. Your expectations.”
“I love your son,” she said stubbornly.
And damn him for not believing her. Whatever had brought it about, she wanted nothing more than to go back to the cabin with Aaron and nestle in bed with him, waking periodically to make love and then fall back asleep in his arms. To begin building a life with him—a life that would last, in spite of anything anyone’s father or brother thought. In spite of anything anyone thought.
“I love your son,” she murmured.
Her eyes were locked on his—on eyes that seemed to peer deep into her soul, and she had to force herself not to look away. Then Jeremiah reached over and lifted her head with a finger placed under her chin.
“I smell it on you,” he said. “I could smell it on you from some distance away.”
“Smell… what?”
But he shook his head. “Go to him,” he said, and got up from his chair. “You’d find a way to do that even if we kept you apart, so you might as well be together. It will help you decide whether the bond is truly there or not.” He paused. “As I told my son, this will not be simple. You will have to prove yourselves: to the elders, to this family, and to the rest of the community. If you can manage to do that, you’ll have a great deal of responsibility here.”
“For–?”
“Go to him,” Jeremiah said firmly. “Don’t stray. He’s waiting for you.”
Clearly, he was done talking for now. With Abby frowning at him, lost in confusion, he went into the bedroom and shut the door.
He’s waiting for you.
That was enough to send her out of the house in search of the man
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