stuffed under the mattress and walked to his chair
by the window.He flipped the cover open and
pulled the drawing of Jen out. How long since he’d seen her face? Heard her
voice? Smelled her hair? All he could remember anymore was her long blonde hair
and translucent, pale skin. He couldn’t recall the sound of her voice or what
color her eyes were.
Crumpling the paper, he
tossed it at the embers nestled in the fireplace. He watched as the paper
caught on fire and shriveled into black ash.He’d
been holding onto a dream for ten years. It was hard to love a ghost when you
had nothing to hold on to. A memory couldn’t compare with the warmth of a
lover’s touch.Jaxon sighed and withdrew the
drawing of Mali he’d been working on. Without her here, he could still picture
the corners of her mouth, tipped up slightly giving her a perpetual bemused
expression even when angry. Those lips and eyes charmed him.
Still, here was another
dream. She made it painfully clear that she would not choose him or anyone else
as a mate. At a festival designed for the sole purpose of granting she-wolves
access to only the best, what cause did she have to settle for someone like
him?He was old, all used up, damaged goods. He
couldn’t force her to choose him.For the sake
of his pride and wounded soul, he would best serve himself by refusing to give
in to her desire again. He feared she’d already stolen the last shreds of his
heart.
***
Excitement welled
inside Mali as she and Kimber descended onto the streets and joined their
costumed and masked kindred.Mali wore her hair
loose, save for two braids at her temples, which cunningly twined around each
other and twisted to the back of her head. She’d woven a crown of grape vines
studded with red and gold leaves and sprigs of red berries to match the mâché mask that covered the top half of her
face. Kimber was dressed nearly identical as she.
A cool wind tangled in
their hair and caught their cloaks, bringing with it the scent of fragrant
cooking and wood smoke.“I don’t know if I can
even eat I’m so excited,” Kimber said, grabbing Mali’s arm and pulling her into
a skip.
“We’ll get some mulled
wine first. I saw them making it earlier. That will loosen us up,” Mali said
with a laugh.
Over the chattering din
of voices, the sounds of minstrels began to play. A lute plucked and a harp
rangin a charming melody. By the time they made
it to the center, the party was in full swing. Dancing and eating had begun.Mali led Kimber to the wine, getting them both a
goblet. She handed a cup to Kimber and scanned the crowd for Jaxon’s familiar
build. Would he be here? Knowing him, he would be hiding in the shadows
somewhere, observing the gathering and staying apart from the fun. She would
drag him to the dance if she had to.
She couldn’t see him
anywhere in the mix. She lifted her glass of wine, enjoying the sweet and
pungent scent of herbs before taking a sip. The drink was delicious, encouraging
her to down her glass quickly.
“Whoa! Mali! Not so
fast. It will go to your head before you know it,” Kimber said, sipping her
own. “Mmmm. That is so good. I’ve never had wine that tasted like this before.
It’s different. Strange.”
Mali nodded, feeling
the drums of the musicians’ beat in her blood. Her head spun, but she liked it.
She asked for another goblet of wine and moved away from the table as others
came to drink greedily. “I’m going to find Jaxon,” she said, waving good-bye to
Kimber.
Fire surged in her
blood, making her cheeks hot despite the crisp night air.She peered through the crowd, wondering where her
ornery wolf could be. Sipping her drink and swaying to the music, she was
surprised when a hand grabbed her elbow. She gasped, spinning unsteadily on her
feet and falling against a broad, hard chest.
Jaxon stood in a
brocaded doublet and fine leather pants. A short cloak covered one shoulder,
secured by a gold braid across the other. A black mask covered
by the window.He flipped the cover open and
pulled the drawing of Jen out. How long since he’d seen her face? Heard her
voice? Smelled her hair? All he could remember anymore was her long blonde hair
and translucent, pale skin. He couldn’t recall the sound of her voice or what
color her eyes were.
Crumpling the paper, he
tossed it at the embers nestled in the fireplace. He watched as the paper
caught on fire and shriveled into black ash.He’d
been holding onto a dream for ten years. It was hard to love a ghost when you
had nothing to hold on to. A memory couldn’t compare with the warmth of a
lover’s touch.Jaxon sighed and withdrew the
drawing of Mali he’d been working on. Without her here, he could still picture
the corners of her mouth, tipped up slightly giving her a perpetual bemused
expression even when angry. Those lips and eyes charmed him.
Still, here was another
dream. She made it painfully clear that she would not choose him or anyone else
as a mate. At a festival designed for the sole purpose of granting she-wolves
access to only the best, what cause did she have to settle for someone like
him?He was old, all used up, damaged goods. He
couldn’t force her to choose him.For the sake
of his pride and wounded soul, he would best serve himself by refusing to give
in to her desire again. He feared she’d already stolen the last shreds of his
heart.
***
Excitement welled
inside Mali as she and Kimber descended onto the streets and joined their
costumed and masked kindred.Mali wore her hair
loose, save for two braids at her temples, which cunningly twined around each
other and twisted to the back of her head. She’d woven a crown of grape vines
studded with red and gold leaves and sprigs of red berries to match the mâché mask that covered the top half of her
face. Kimber was dressed nearly identical as she.
A cool wind tangled in
their hair and caught their cloaks, bringing with it the scent of fragrant
cooking and wood smoke.“I don’t know if I can
even eat I’m so excited,” Kimber said, grabbing Mali’s arm and pulling her into
a skip.
“We’ll get some mulled
wine first. I saw them making it earlier. That will loosen us up,” Mali said
with a laugh.
Over the chattering din
of voices, the sounds of minstrels began to play. A lute plucked and a harp
rangin a charming melody. By the time they made
it to the center, the party was in full swing. Dancing and eating had begun.Mali led Kimber to the wine, getting them both a
goblet. She handed a cup to Kimber and scanned the crowd for Jaxon’s familiar
build. Would he be here? Knowing him, he would be hiding in the shadows
somewhere, observing the gathering and staying apart from the fun. She would
drag him to the dance if she had to.
She couldn’t see him
anywhere in the mix. She lifted her glass of wine, enjoying the sweet and
pungent scent of herbs before taking a sip. The drink was delicious, encouraging
her to down her glass quickly.
“Whoa! Mali! Not so
fast. It will go to your head before you know it,” Kimber said, sipping her
own. “Mmmm. That is so good. I’ve never had wine that tasted like this before.
It’s different. Strange.”
Mali nodded, feeling
the drums of the musicians’ beat in her blood. Her head spun, but she liked it.
She asked for another goblet of wine and moved away from the table as others
came to drink greedily. “I’m going to find Jaxon,” she said, waving good-bye to
Kimber.
Fire surged in her
blood, making her cheeks hot despite the crisp night air.She peered through the crowd, wondering where her
ornery wolf could be. Sipping her drink and swaying to the music, she was
surprised when a hand grabbed her elbow. She gasped, spinning unsteadily on her
feet and falling against a broad, hard chest.
Jaxon stood in a
brocaded doublet and fine leather pants. A short cloak covered one shoulder,
secured by a gold braid across the other. A black mask covered
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