heal.” He turned around and leaned back against the wall. “By
then, we had been informed by the Elders Council that it had been a trap. It
seems those vampires wanted to take me out with the help of your pack mates and
you were the next one on the list. The Council wasn’t sure why, or maybe they
just didn’t want to tell what they knew. They provided no more reasons or
explanations. By then, you had just become the new alpha of your pack. Your
mother decided she wouldn’t be used by whoever was trying to take you out. So
we just disappeared.”
“For five years?” Duncan asked quietly.
“In the beginning, the idea was to wait until you could
reinforce your place as alpha. But then the Elders Council contacted us again
and, following the counsel of one of their seers, asked us not to meet you
until the right time arrived.”
“And when was that supposed to be?”
Gedeon regarded Sarah’s still figure on the bed. “I suspect…
It’s now. Somehow, everything must be related to Sarah. I don’t think Samgar
called us both by pure chance. It wouldn’t even surprise me if the council’s
seer and the elderly woman were the same person.”
Duncan nodded slowly. “What’s my sister’s role in your
story?”
“She didn’t know anything at the beginning. Actually, she
only wanted to kick my hide for abandoning you without a word. You know how she
is when she puts her mind on something.” Gedeon shook his head and grimaced.
“She tracked me down, attacked me… And your mother came to my rescue before
Deborah staked me.”
Duncan stared at his hands. “If Deborah located you, I could
have done the same. I should have tried, at least,” he murmured.
Gedeon lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. That was
something he’d asked himself thousands of times. Why hadn’t Duncan searched for
Gedeon? He’d dreamed about it, expecting it, wishing his lover would appear at
his door and… It never happened. However, that was ancient history and he was
mature enough to leave the past where it belonged.
“When they overpowered you why didn’t you escape?”
“And leave behind your mother?” Gedeon raised his brows. “I
loved you and you adored her. There was no decision to be made.”
Their eyes connected. Gedeon’s stomach fluttered when he
noticed Duncan’s heart beating stronger. He wanted Duncan to confess his love,
to say that he had missed Gedeon. Duncan moistened his lips, glanced quickly
toward where Xiu was moving uneasily, gulped and passed his fingers through his
hair. Duncan wasn’t going to say anything. He could give his life for someone
without blinking but he would always avoid admitting out loud how much he loved
someone. Gedeon sighed softly. He supposed that it wasn’t the best moment to
make his lover speak. Or was it? He opened his mouth—
“Need you to…come back…things are…getting out of hand.”
Gedeon leaped to Xiu’s side. The man was staring straight
ahead, his eyes glazed over while he breathlessly and seemingly painfully
whispered the words.
Sarah smiled, snuggling closer to the warm, hard body behind
her. The arm surrounding her protectively wasn’t Ged’s anymore. This one was
warmer, his scent woodsier, spicier, with a slight hint of sweet red fruits.
His breath caressed her neck in long, steady intervals, betraying that he was
still asleep.
She opened an eye and almost jumped up. The sun’s
dark-orange glow indicated that it had to be late evening already. She’d slept
the whole day? No wonder Xiu was still out for the count! As a shadow-walker,
his biorhythm dictated he sleep during the day.
With a heavy sigh, she moved carefully away. Not that she
really wanted to get up right now. However, responsibilities were
responsibilities. The heavy, muscular arm didn’t let her go. Xiu pulled her
closer to his body—an extremely desirable body—that seemed to be awakening even
when his mumbled words still sounded as if he was speaking in dreams.
She had
then, we had been informed by the Elders Council that it had been a trap. It
seems those vampires wanted to take me out with the help of your pack mates and
you were the next one on the list. The Council wasn’t sure why, or maybe they
just didn’t want to tell what they knew. They provided no more reasons or
explanations. By then, you had just become the new alpha of your pack. Your
mother decided she wouldn’t be used by whoever was trying to take you out. So
we just disappeared.”
“For five years?” Duncan asked quietly.
“In the beginning, the idea was to wait until you could
reinforce your place as alpha. But then the Elders Council contacted us again
and, following the counsel of one of their seers, asked us not to meet you
until the right time arrived.”
“And when was that supposed to be?”
Gedeon regarded Sarah’s still figure on the bed. “I suspect…
It’s now. Somehow, everything must be related to Sarah. I don’t think Samgar
called us both by pure chance. It wouldn’t even surprise me if the council’s
seer and the elderly woman were the same person.”
Duncan nodded slowly. “What’s my sister’s role in your
story?”
“She didn’t know anything at the beginning. Actually, she
only wanted to kick my hide for abandoning you without a word. You know how she
is when she puts her mind on something.” Gedeon shook his head and grimaced.
“She tracked me down, attacked me… And your mother came to my rescue before
Deborah staked me.”
Duncan stared at his hands. “If Deborah located you, I could
have done the same. I should have tried, at least,” he murmured.
Gedeon lifted his shoulder in a half shrug. That was
something he’d asked himself thousands of times. Why hadn’t Duncan searched for
Gedeon? He’d dreamed about it, expecting it, wishing his lover would appear at
his door and… It never happened. However, that was ancient history and he was
mature enough to leave the past where it belonged.
“When they overpowered you why didn’t you escape?”
“And leave behind your mother?” Gedeon raised his brows. “I
loved you and you adored her. There was no decision to be made.”
Their eyes connected. Gedeon’s stomach fluttered when he
noticed Duncan’s heart beating stronger. He wanted Duncan to confess his love,
to say that he had missed Gedeon. Duncan moistened his lips, glanced quickly
toward where Xiu was moving uneasily, gulped and passed his fingers through his
hair. Duncan wasn’t going to say anything. He could give his life for someone
without blinking but he would always avoid admitting out loud how much he loved
someone. Gedeon sighed softly. He supposed that it wasn’t the best moment to
make his lover speak. Or was it? He opened his mouth—
“Need you to…come back…things are…getting out of hand.”
Gedeon leaped to Xiu’s side. The man was staring straight
ahead, his eyes glazed over while he breathlessly and seemingly painfully
whispered the words.
Sarah smiled, snuggling closer to the warm, hard body behind
her. The arm surrounding her protectively wasn’t Ged’s anymore. This one was
warmer, his scent woodsier, spicier, with a slight hint of sweet red fruits.
His breath caressed her neck in long, steady intervals, betraying that he was
still asleep.
She opened an eye and almost jumped up. The sun’s
dark-orange glow indicated that it had to be late evening already. She’d slept
the whole day? No wonder Xiu was still out for the count! As a shadow-walker,
his biorhythm dictated he sleep during the day.
With a heavy sigh, she moved carefully away. Not that she
really wanted to get up right now. However, responsibilities were
responsibilities. The heavy, muscular arm didn’t let her go. Xiu pulled her
closer to his body—an extremely desirable body—that seemed to be awakening even
when his mumbled words still sounded as if he was speaking in dreams.
She had
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