stained the front of Mary's shapeless dress and tears still rolled down her round face. Real or false? Andre stared at her, at her stunning green eyes and her halo of black hair. She was so beautiful, from her long slender hands to her voluptuous body. He especially loved her smile. When she smiled, he could almost imagine himself being happy again.
It was her beauty that fooled him. He should have never trusted her, her smile, her laughter. She had as good as said she loved him after knowing him three weeks. How could she? They hardly knew each other! She was his prisoner! And yet, she had spoken of soulmates as though she thought he was hers.
Mary stepped forward, raising her arms to embrace him. Andre backed away.
"Did you know he was coming?"
Her eyes widened, mouth dropping open. "What?"
His voice was rough, acid. "You knew he was coming! You knew he was coming," he had to repeat it to convince himself.
The shock and betrayal on her face was almost too much to take, but if he let her in again, he could not do what was necessary.
"You lured me away. You delayed going to the city because you knew he was coming. You wanted me away so he could come and destroy my farm and my life! Why else would you want to see their graves?"
"What are you talking about?" Mary flinched back from him, shaking her head. "Andre, I didn't know this was coming. I wanted to see your wife and daughter's graves because I wanted to let you know that I was here for you. We were going to run away together. We were going to go east, away from my family!"
"You were in on it the whole time!" Andre roared, his hands clenching. "He's your father!"
"We don't know it was him. It could have been anybody. Anybody in the community would want to chase a Bear away. We all fear Bears!"
Andre froze, his blood running cold. "We?" he choked out. " We ?"
"I didn't mean it like that," Mary reached for him again. He pulled away and she pursued him, following as he backed away towards the untouched barn.
"What did you mean then?"
"I only meant that us Wolves were raised to fear Bears. We heard stories. Bears attacking and killing for no reason. But I know it's not true, I know you . I am not afraid of you. I love you."
Acid scorched his throat. How dare she say that? His ears rang, his vision darkening. Blood roared in his ears and his Bear growled deep in his core. The growl rose through his throat and Mary backed away, her breathing becoming more rapid. A laugh bubbled and burst through his mouth, making her flinch again.
"You really played me, didn't you? But you say you don't fear me? Then why are you afraid right now?"
***
Mary's heart thumped against her chest as Andre advanced. His black eyes were hard and angry, lips pulled back in a snarl. His long hair had come loose from the bun he normally wore it in, fanning out in a ragged way. Dirt clung to his close-cut beard and under his fingernails. Normally he was striking and handsome, a powerful figure meant for admiration. Now he looked like a figure to be feared, some wrathful god come to strike down all those who stood in his way.
Afraid? Yes, she was afraid–but not of him. Not that he would hurt her, at least not physically. But he wasn't in control of the words coming from his mouth.
"I'm afraid that you aren't thinking clearly," she rasped out. "I'm afraid that you are going to say something that you can't unsay."
He stopped advancing, chest heaving, staring at her.
Mary swallowed hard. Though her hand trembled, she reached for him again. "I know you won't hurt me. I know you love me."
Her Wolf whimpered, agonized, wanting to comfort him. But she hung back, not wanting to scare him, or place him on the defensive, or push him too far. Her fingertips brushed his arm. He was freezing. His natural heat seeped from his skin. How long had they been out here without coats? She suddenly realized how cold she was as well, and shivered.
The movement jolted Andre from his reverie. He stepped back,
It was her beauty that fooled him. He should have never trusted her, her smile, her laughter. She had as good as said she loved him after knowing him three weeks. How could she? They hardly knew each other! She was his prisoner! And yet, she had spoken of soulmates as though she thought he was hers.
Mary stepped forward, raising her arms to embrace him. Andre backed away.
"Did you know he was coming?"
Her eyes widened, mouth dropping open. "What?"
His voice was rough, acid. "You knew he was coming! You knew he was coming," he had to repeat it to convince himself.
The shock and betrayal on her face was almost too much to take, but if he let her in again, he could not do what was necessary.
"You lured me away. You delayed going to the city because you knew he was coming. You wanted me away so he could come and destroy my farm and my life! Why else would you want to see their graves?"
"What are you talking about?" Mary flinched back from him, shaking her head. "Andre, I didn't know this was coming. I wanted to see your wife and daughter's graves because I wanted to let you know that I was here for you. We were going to run away together. We were going to go east, away from my family!"
"You were in on it the whole time!" Andre roared, his hands clenching. "He's your father!"
"We don't know it was him. It could have been anybody. Anybody in the community would want to chase a Bear away. We all fear Bears!"
Andre froze, his blood running cold. "We?" he choked out. " We ?"
"I didn't mean it like that," Mary reached for him again. He pulled away and she pursued him, following as he backed away towards the untouched barn.
"What did you mean then?"
"I only meant that us Wolves were raised to fear Bears. We heard stories. Bears attacking and killing for no reason. But I know it's not true, I know you . I am not afraid of you. I love you."
Acid scorched his throat. How dare she say that? His ears rang, his vision darkening. Blood roared in his ears and his Bear growled deep in his core. The growl rose through his throat and Mary backed away, her breathing becoming more rapid. A laugh bubbled and burst through his mouth, making her flinch again.
"You really played me, didn't you? But you say you don't fear me? Then why are you afraid right now?"
***
Mary's heart thumped against her chest as Andre advanced. His black eyes were hard and angry, lips pulled back in a snarl. His long hair had come loose from the bun he normally wore it in, fanning out in a ragged way. Dirt clung to his close-cut beard and under his fingernails. Normally he was striking and handsome, a powerful figure meant for admiration. Now he looked like a figure to be feared, some wrathful god come to strike down all those who stood in his way.
Afraid? Yes, she was afraid–but not of him. Not that he would hurt her, at least not physically. But he wasn't in control of the words coming from his mouth.
"I'm afraid that you aren't thinking clearly," she rasped out. "I'm afraid that you are going to say something that you can't unsay."
He stopped advancing, chest heaving, staring at her.
Mary swallowed hard. Though her hand trembled, she reached for him again. "I know you won't hurt me. I know you love me."
Her Wolf whimpered, agonized, wanting to comfort him. But she hung back, not wanting to scare him, or place him on the defensive, or push him too far. Her fingertips brushed his arm. He was freezing. His natural heat seeped from his skin. How long had they been out here without coats? She suddenly realized how cold she was as well, and shivered.
The movement jolted Andre from his reverie. He stepped back,
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