Dastan’s lips lifted in a small smile. “I’m asking myself that same question right now.”
“Don’t send him,” she murmured. “I need to just…think.”
Dastan nodded and turned to leave her room, giving her the space she needed.
* * * *
Razeen dropped the binoculars he’d used to stare in the young woman’s window. Watching her have sex with Dastan had been eye-opening to say the least. She was beautiful, but there was something about the way she moved, the way her eyes had that faraway look when she gazed out the window that seemed so familiar. Who are you? he wondered.
It was obvious by the way they had sex they meant something to each other. Could she be his revenge against Dastan? The beast inside him clawed to get out, to find its release in the screams of the dying. Would killing her be his revenge? Or would that just raise Dastan’s ire? Would that get him more trouble than he wanted?
Razeen growled with indecision. He needed to take the edge off while he thought. While he plotted his next move. Time to head back to town and scout out his next victim. Dastan wasn’t going anywhere. He could wait.
Chapter Eleven
Sarah stood in the yard outside her mother’s house, deep within the protected dimension. She wasn’t sure why she was here. She wasn’t really angry with her mother, but… She crossed her arms and hugged herself as she stared at the home where she grew up. Nestled in the trees, the three-story plantation-style home looked so inviting.
She could remember the picnics under those trees. All the times her father played with her in the yard. He’d been so good to her, and he’d never once let on he wasn’t her real father. But then why would he? Deep down she admired him for loving her like he had. Could she have done it? Could she have kept a child that had resulted from a horrible rape? And then loved that child like they’d loved her?
The front door opened. Her mother stood just inside, watching nervously. Sarah gave her a soft smile, and her mother rushed toward her. Her mother embraced her in a tight hug and sobbed. Tears streamed down Sarah’s face as well as she hugged her mother back.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Sarah whispered.
Her mother sobbed harder. Sarah noticed her father on the porch and lifted her hand, waving at him. Her father waved back, but the look on his face was still one of worry. Sarah pulled back and cupped her mother’s cheeks. With her thumbs, she wiped away the tears.
The second their gazes met, her mother’s eyes widened. “Your eyes. Dastan said you were…that you were beginning to show signs.”
“They just changed.”
“Have you shifted yet?”
Sarah shook her head. “No. I’m afraid to,” she added in a soft whisper.
A new stream of tears spilled down her mother’s face. Sarah felt a twinge of guilt for saying that and quickly tried to reassure her. “I’m okay, Mom. But we need to talk.”
Her mother nodded and turned to head into the house. Her dad gave her a gentle pat as her mother walked past. He then turned to Sarah. He put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her as he stared into her eyes.
He smiled softly and cupped her cheek with his palm. “You’re still my daughter, Sarah. That will never change.”
Tears gathered in Sarah’s eyes, and her lower lip quivered. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. How many other husbands could’ve done what he had? Not many. He gave her a reassuring pat on the back, then pulled away.
Sarah and her father walked arm in arm into the house. Her mother had coffee waiting at the kitchen table when they got there. She sat on one side, her hands shaking just a little as she clasped them before her on the table. Sarah sat next to her and put her hand over her mother’s.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sarah asked.
“How could I have told you this?” her mother whispered. “We truly thought we could keep it hidden. That by distancing you from the shifters, you
“Don’t send him,” she murmured. “I need to just…think.”
Dastan nodded and turned to leave her room, giving her the space she needed.
* * * *
Razeen dropped the binoculars he’d used to stare in the young woman’s window. Watching her have sex with Dastan had been eye-opening to say the least. She was beautiful, but there was something about the way she moved, the way her eyes had that faraway look when she gazed out the window that seemed so familiar. Who are you? he wondered.
It was obvious by the way they had sex they meant something to each other. Could she be his revenge against Dastan? The beast inside him clawed to get out, to find its release in the screams of the dying. Would killing her be his revenge? Or would that just raise Dastan’s ire? Would that get him more trouble than he wanted?
Razeen growled with indecision. He needed to take the edge off while he thought. While he plotted his next move. Time to head back to town and scout out his next victim. Dastan wasn’t going anywhere. He could wait.
Chapter Eleven
Sarah stood in the yard outside her mother’s house, deep within the protected dimension. She wasn’t sure why she was here. She wasn’t really angry with her mother, but… She crossed her arms and hugged herself as she stared at the home where she grew up. Nestled in the trees, the three-story plantation-style home looked so inviting.
She could remember the picnics under those trees. All the times her father played with her in the yard. He’d been so good to her, and he’d never once let on he wasn’t her real father. But then why would he? Deep down she admired him for loving her like he had. Could she have done it? Could she have kept a child that had resulted from a horrible rape? And then loved that child like they’d loved her?
The front door opened. Her mother stood just inside, watching nervously. Sarah gave her a soft smile, and her mother rushed toward her. Her mother embraced her in a tight hug and sobbed. Tears streamed down Sarah’s face as well as she hugged her mother back.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Sarah whispered.
Her mother sobbed harder. Sarah noticed her father on the porch and lifted her hand, waving at him. Her father waved back, but the look on his face was still one of worry. Sarah pulled back and cupped her mother’s cheeks. With her thumbs, she wiped away the tears.
The second their gazes met, her mother’s eyes widened. “Your eyes. Dastan said you were…that you were beginning to show signs.”
“They just changed.”
“Have you shifted yet?”
Sarah shook her head. “No. I’m afraid to,” she added in a soft whisper.
A new stream of tears spilled down her mother’s face. Sarah felt a twinge of guilt for saying that and quickly tried to reassure her. “I’m okay, Mom. But we need to talk.”
Her mother nodded and turned to head into the house. Her dad gave her a gentle pat as her mother walked past. He then turned to Sarah. He put his hands on her shoulders, stopping her as he stared into her eyes.
He smiled softly and cupped her cheek with his palm. “You’re still my daughter, Sarah. That will never change.”
Tears gathered in Sarah’s eyes, and her lower lip quivered. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. How many other husbands could’ve done what he had? Not many. He gave her a reassuring pat on the back, then pulled away.
Sarah and her father walked arm in arm into the house. Her mother had coffee waiting at the kitchen table when they got there. She sat on one side, her hands shaking just a little as she clasped them before her on the table. Sarah sat next to her and put her hand over her mother’s.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sarah asked.
“How could I have told you this?” her mother whispered. “We truly thought we could keep it hidden. That by distancing you from the shifters, you
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