what?”
Carson gulped. Should he tell the wolf that he’d spoken to Brody and pleaded with his mate to stop? It seemed like an advantage in the circumstances, but the man might interpret it in a bad way and make an additional accusation toward his son. Then again, the others didn’t seem to know about Brody’s actions. The elder had pulled him away to discuss it. Perhaps the wolf truly was a concerned father, as well.
Gathering his courage, Carson went with the truth again. “I…I managed to speak to him, and…told him to stop.”
Once more, the wolf looked thoughtful. “I appreciate your honesty,” he finally said. “It is very important.” His penetrating gaze fixed on Carson. “First of all, I want you to know you passed the first test. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there’s a difference between a claimed mate and a true mate. Brody believes you are his true mate, his other half, as it is. As I gather, in spite of his bond with Roxanne, they cannot talk to each other telepathically. This supports his claim that you are the one for him. I had not actually trusted his words until today.”
Hope coursed through Carson. “So you’ll allow us to be together, then?”
The Lamb Who Cried Wolf
83
“Don’t be hasty, lamb.” Great, Carson was back to being a lamb.
“What you and he are trying to do defies everything we know. As such, I want to complete a test. If you pass it, you will be free.”
Carson didn’t think he’d like this new plan, and his suspicion was confirmed seconds later, when the wolf pulled him toward the very edge of the grove. As they walked, he sensed Brody’s presence grow more and more powerful, but he couldn’t see his mate anywhere. At last, they stopped and the elder pointed at something Carson hadn’t originally noticed—a hole in the ground covered with bars. It seemed deep, and even if he was a shape-shifter, Carson couldn’t see to the bottom, but still, he knew Brody must be in there.
He knelt on the grass, desperately trying to break through the bars.
“Brody,” he called out. “Brody!”
Brody’s voice answered him as if from the distance, “Carson? Oh, God, you shouldn’t have come. You shouldn’t be here.”
The elder pulled Carson up and forced him to meet his eyes. “You will stay in there together for one month. You will occasionally be given food, but not Brody. If he lives through this without trying to eat you, it means that you really are true mates.”
Carson gaped. “You can’t be serious. He’ll die.”
The other man shook his head. “Wolves can live without food for a long time, and you will be under close supervision. But I don’t think it will get to that.”
Clearly, no matter what the wolf had said earlier, he was still convinced Carson and Brody couldn’t be true mates, and that, if pressed, Brody would eat Carson.
The elder waved his hand in the general direction of the grove, and some wolves made their way to their position. They removed the grate, using thick gloves. The bars must be made out of silver. Before Carson could say anything else, the elder pushed him into the pit.
Carson fell through the darkness, hearing himself screaming, not knowing if he was going to even survive the landing. Shape-shifter or 84
Scarlet Hyacinth
no, he could still break his neck. He closed his eyes, unwilling to see his demise coming.
And then, all of a sudden, strong arms wrapped around him, catching him. His nostrils were invaded by a spicy, familiar scent.
Carson cracked his eyes open, and for the first time in two years, met the beloved gaze of his mate.
* * * *
Carson looked just as beautiful as Brody remembered him. He’d changed very little, barring a more fashionable hairdo probably the result of Shiloh-the-swan’s intervention in Carson’s life. He was both happy and dismayed to see his mate. In fact, he felt thrilled at holding Carson once again, but the danger he’d put the lamb in shadowed that
Carson gulped. Should he tell the wolf that he’d spoken to Brody and pleaded with his mate to stop? It seemed like an advantage in the circumstances, but the man might interpret it in a bad way and make an additional accusation toward his son. Then again, the others didn’t seem to know about Brody’s actions. The elder had pulled him away to discuss it. Perhaps the wolf truly was a concerned father, as well.
Gathering his courage, Carson went with the truth again. “I…I managed to speak to him, and…told him to stop.”
Once more, the wolf looked thoughtful. “I appreciate your honesty,” he finally said. “It is very important.” His penetrating gaze fixed on Carson. “First of all, I want you to know you passed the first test. I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there’s a difference between a claimed mate and a true mate. Brody believes you are his true mate, his other half, as it is. As I gather, in spite of his bond with Roxanne, they cannot talk to each other telepathically. This supports his claim that you are the one for him. I had not actually trusted his words until today.”
Hope coursed through Carson. “So you’ll allow us to be together, then?”
The Lamb Who Cried Wolf
83
“Don’t be hasty, lamb.” Great, Carson was back to being a lamb.
“What you and he are trying to do defies everything we know. As such, I want to complete a test. If you pass it, you will be free.”
Carson didn’t think he’d like this new plan, and his suspicion was confirmed seconds later, when the wolf pulled him toward the very edge of the grove. As they walked, he sensed Brody’s presence grow more and more powerful, but he couldn’t see his mate anywhere. At last, they stopped and the elder pointed at something Carson hadn’t originally noticed—a hole in the ground covered with bars. It seemed deep, and even if he was a shape-shifter, Carson couldn’t see to the bottom, but still, he knew Brody must be in there.
He knelt on the grass, desperately trying to break through the bars.
“Brody,” he called out. “Brody!”
Brody’s voice answered him as if from the distance, “Carson? Oh, God, you shouldn’t have come. You shouldn’t be here.”
The elder pulled Carson up and forced him to meet his eyes. “You will stay in there together for one month. You will occasionally be given food, but not Brody. If he lives through this without trying to eat you, it means that you really are true mates.”
Carson gaped. “You can’t be serious. He’ll die.”
The other man shook his head. “Wolves can live without food for a long time, and you will be under close supervision. But I don’t think it will get to that.”
Clearly, no matter what the wolf had said earlier, he was still convinced Carson and Brody couldn’t be true mates, and that, if pressed, Brody would eat Carson.
The elder waved his hand in the general direction of the grove, and some wolves made their way to their position. They removed the grate, using thick gloves. The bars must be made out of silver. Before Carson could say anything else, the elder pushed him into the pit.
Carson fell through the darkness, hearing himself screaming, not knowing if he was going to even survive the landing. Shape-shifter or 84
Scarlet Hyacinth
no, he could still break his neck. He closed his eyes, unwilling to see his demise coming.
And then, all of a sudden, strong arms wrapped around him, catching him. His nostrils were invaded by a spicy, familiar scent.
Carson cracked his eyes open, and for the first time in two years, met the beloved gaze of his mate.
* * * *
Carson looked just as beautiful as Brody remembered him. He’d changed very little, barring a more fashionable hairdo probably the result of Shiloh-the-swan’s intervention in Carson’s life. He was both happy and dismayed to see his mate. In fact, he felt thrilled at holding Carson once again, but the danger he’d put the lamb in shadowed that
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