Wolf Shadow’s Promise by Karen Kay

that you may not be as unresponsive to me as you would like me to think?”
    She didn’t even deign to answer that one. She shot him an irritated glance instead.
    â€œ Aa , so you are telling me that you might peek at me as I take my time under the falls?”
    â€œNow, why would I want to do that?”
    â€œI do not know.” He cast her an angelic look. “You are the one who said it.”
    â€œI said no such thing. Do not put words in my mouth that I haven’t uttered, or credit me with something that only you would do.”
    He laughed. “Come you here, sweet Alys. I will need you to help me bandage up the wound once more.”
    â€œFine. I will do it when you return from the falls.”
    â€œAnd what if I slip while I am there? I could hurt myself.”
    â€œIf you’re worried about it, don’t go.”
    â€œAnd you would not concern yourself about me, even a little?”
    â€œNot this much.” Her fingers showed him the measurement of an inch.
    â€œToo bad,” he countered with a sigh. “I think it is important that I have this bath if I am to recover completely.”
    â€œI bring you water each day.”
    â€œBut it is not the same thing, and you know it. Come with me.”
    â€œI know you well enough to know that you want something else from me. What is it?”
    He gave her another of those guileless looks, to which she was becoming accustomed.
    What was it? She planted her arms over her chest. “What?”
    â€œI grow bored, and more intrigued with you every day. I think I would like to get to know you better.”
    â€œâ€˜Better’ meaning?…”
    â€œBetter. Though you come here every day, I do not know you well enough. I would like to see you swimming again, I think.”
    It was a strange thing, this closeness that had sprung up between them. It was a necessary thing, and probably natural, since she was nursing him, but he had never relented in his purpose. He pursued her with titillating vigor, as though she were the only woman on earth; teasing her withhis odd sense of humor, tantalizing her with his body, although he never took advantage of her when she might have let him.
    She said, “I suppose you would like to see me swimming in something that would be altogether unfitting?”
    â€œUnfitting? I would like to see you without your clothes. Aa , yes, this I would like, very much.”
    She drew in her breath. “Now see here, Mister Wolf Shadow, there is little I have done to make you think that—”
    â€œEvery day, you are here with me.”
    â€œIt cannot be helped. I will tell this to you once again. We are not a couple. We are not married, are no more than good friends. So set your mind to other things.”
    He grinned at her, not even pretending to misunderstand. “But it would be good for me.”
    â€œAnd bad for me.”
    â€œVery good for you. Not bad. Never bad.”
    â€œYou are impossible. And I don’t remember you being like this when we were young.”
    â€œ Aa , yes, we were young, too young. But now—”
    â€œStop it. I am not going to go to the falls with you nor am I going swimming with you…not now, not in the future…”
    Â 
    â€œCome in, Little Brave Woman. The water is good, very, very good.”
    Alys turned her head away from the man, her air dismissive.
    She heard his laugh and wondered what it would feel like to dunk him under that falling water. She felt certain it would bring her great relief.
    She drew in a deep breath. She’d had no choice in accompanying him, of course.
    She had watched him struggle toward the falls, had triedlooking away, knowing he had exaggerated each and every falter in his step. Yet in the end, she had not been able to remain a simple observer.
    She had come to his rescue, had helped him through the tunnels and outside into the falls. She had even spied on him as he had undressed,