not uncommon among his people to take the blood of a beast of nature, it was not as rich or as plentiful as that of a healthy mortal. Taking enough to sate his hunger would kill Richelle’s wolf companion. There was no way he could accept the death of such a noble creature, but he had very little strength left—certainly not enough to return to the city to find mortals. “I will be as gentle as possible, brave alpha.”
“Shadow. My name is Shadow.”
Valya nodded in acknowledgement as he flooded the beast with
pheromones to soothe him and lull him into a calm. The great wolf lifted his head, exposing his throat. Valya drew his head back as he widened his jaws and his canines elongated. Valya felt Richelle’s fretting concern as he raised his head and bit into the black wolf’s throat.
Of Night and Desire
67
Reserved as he fed so as to not frighten Richelle, he kept his hunger at bay. He took only enough to renew his strength until he could leave the cave to find another to slake his hunger. Mindful not to cause any undue damage, he carefully withdrew and swept his tongue over the pinpricks to close the wound. The large wolf’s head lolled as he loped to a corner of the den. He toppled over, joined by his mate, who licked his nose before curling beside him.
Valya fell back upon the makeshift bed and was immediately covered by Richelle. Though his eyes were closed he could feel Richelle’s hands stroking his hair and face just as he had stroked hers to calm her. When he opened his eyes, he could see hers were glittering with unspilled tears.
“Will he be all right?”
“He will be well when morning comes,” he replied with tenderness as he stroked her hair, then let his arm fall to his side.
At his words, she let her head drop to his chest. He opened himself to her emotions of relief and gratitude for not taking the life of her wolf companion. Lifting her head, she smiled shyly as her fingers trailed over the bridge of his nose and then over his lips. She shivered as he sensed a feeling of uncharacteristic wantonness wash over her—she wanted to kiss him. He did not sense disgust at the sight of him taking blood, she simply accepted it…it was what it was. He watched as she stared at his mouth while chewing on her bottom lip. He smiled devotedly and removed her dilemma by leaning up and brushing his lips against hers. He smiled against her lips when she tried to prolong his kiss, but he pulled back. She watched his smile fade as his expression took on a serious countenance.
“Night is upon us. We need to return to the cabin. You will need to gather your belongings for you will not return there. They know where to find you now.”
“Who are they?”
Valya didn’t want to tell her, but she needed to know the truth. The last thing he needed was for her to fight him in his decision. He needed to hide her away, at least until he could take care of the old priest.
“They are called the Believers, religious fanatics who follow the preaching of a madman.”
“Why would they kill my mother? And what do they want from me?”
68
Mia Bailey
He could hear the pain in her voice. Although it had been more than twenty years, she still keenly felt the death of her mother.
“He believes you are the key to destroying my people, or rather what he believes us to be.”
* * * *
She thought on his words. She recalled what the old priest had said to her mother: God has decreed it. She is mine. She felt a cold chill down her spine and shivered against Valya. And he, in response, wrapped her tighter in the warmth of his embrace, his expression unchanged.
Her heart skipped a beat at his pronouncement that she would not be staying at the cabin. She had just returned home after being gone so many years and now he was taking her away. He placed his hand upon her cheek and lovingly stroked her skin with his thumb. Gazing up at him, she could feel his regret at the decision.
“I know how much you love it here in
“Shadow. My name is Shadow.”
Valya nodded in acknowledgement as he flooded the beast with
pheromones to soothe him and lull him into a calm. The great wolf lifted his head, exposing his throat. Valya drew his head back as he widened his jaws and his canines elongated. Valya felt Richelle’s fretting concern as he raised his head and bit into the black wolf’s throat.
Of Night and Desire
67
Reserved as he fed so as to not frighten Richelle, he kept his hunger at bay. He took only enough to renew his strength until he could leave the cave to find another to slake his hunger. Mindful not to cause any undue damage, he carefully withdrew and swept his tongue over the pinpricks to close the wound. The large wolf’s head lolled as he loped to a corner of the den. He toppled over, joined by his mate, who licked his nose before curling beside him.
Valya fell back upon the makeshift bed and was immediately covered by Richelle. Though his eyes were closed he could feel Richelle’s hands stroking his hair and face just as he had stroked hers to calm her. When he opened his eyes, he could see hers were glittering with unspilled tears.
“Will he be all right?”
“He will be well when morning comes,” he replied with tenderness as he stroked her hair, then let his arm fall to his side.
At his words, she let her head drop to his chest. He opened himself to her emotions of relief and gratitude for not taking the life of her wolf companion. Lifting her head, she smiled shyly as her fingers trailed over the bridge of his nose and then over his lips. She shivered as he sensed a feeling of uncharacteristic wantonness wash over her—she wanted to kiss him. He did not sense disgust at the sight of him taking blood, she simply accepted it…it was what it was. He watched as she stared at his mouth while chewing on her bottom lip. He smiled devotedly and removed her dilemma by leaning up and brushing his lips against hers. He smiled against her lips when she tried to prolong his kiss, but he pulled back. She watched his smile fade as his expression took on a serious countenance.
“Night is upon us. We need to return to the cabin. You will need to gather your belongings for you will not return there. They know where to find you now.”
“Who are they?”
Valya didn’t want to tell her, but she needed to know the truth. The last thing he needed was for her to fight him in his decision. He needed to hide her away, at least until he could take care of the old priest.
“They are called the Believers, religious fanatics who follow the preaching of a madman.”
“Why would they kill my mother? And what do they want from me?”
68
Mia Bailey
He could hear the pain in her voice. Although it had been more than twenty years, she still keenly felt the death of her mother.
“He believes you are the key to destroying my people, or rather what he believes us to be.”
* * * *
She thought on his words. She recalled what the old priest had said to her mother: God has decreed it. She is mine. She felt a cold chill down her spine and shivered against Valya. And he, in response, wrapped her tighter in the warmth of his embrace, his expression unchanged.
Her heart skipped a beat at his pronouncement that she would not be staying at the cabin. She had just returned home after being gone so many years and now he was taking her away. He placed his hand upon her cheek and lovingly stroked her skin with his thumb. Gazing up at him, she could feel his regret at the decision.
“I know how much you love it here in
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