Defying Destiny (23 page)

protested when he started to withdraw and

cried out in ecstasy when he pressed

forward again. He maintained a leisurely

tempo, watching her for any signs of

distress until he lost himself to the

pleasure and need—rhythmically driving

into her deeper, faster, harder until she

was writhing beneath him in mindless

delirium.

“Nash,” she panted. “Nash. Oh!” Her

entire body convulsed as she found

glorious release.

He let go, following her in climax with

a shuddering moan. He found being human

and finding release inside of the woman

he loved was the most sexually and

spiritually gratifying experience of his

life.

He collapsed on top of her, knowing

he was crushing her, but was unable to

find the strength or the wits to move away.

He laid there, his heart rate returning to

normal, his mind completely free of his

worries, his heart full to bursting with his

feelings for the remarkable woman

beneath him.

“I love you, Maralee,” he told her,

kissing her shoulder and then her temple

with reverence.

“I love you.”

After his breathing had stilled, he

found he was incredibly sleepy. He

removed himself from her body and

collapsed next to her, rolling onto his

side. He smiled when she cuddled up

against his back and wrapped an arm

around him to rest on his chest. He was so

relaxed, so satisfied. He didn’t realize

how much he’d dropped his guard, until

her tremulous voice shattered the silence.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were a

Wolf?”

Nash never answered her question. He

effortlessly shifted to his human form and

rolled over to catch her in his arms. He

held onto her as if he were afraid she

would disappear.

“I guess all your strange behaviors can

be easily explained now,” she murmured.

His arms tightened around her. She lay

perfectly still for a long moment.

“I’d better leave,” she said finally.

“No,” he said, rubbing his face against

her temple. “You can’t.”

“I have to, Nash,” she said, trying to

wriggle out of his grasp. All she could

think was she had willing given herself to

an animal, a repulsive monster. “Let go of

me.”

“I can’t,” he whispered. “Please.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I never

would have allowed…I never…”

“I’m

sorry,”

he

whispered.

“I

thought…I thought…” He shuddered and

pressed his forehead to her shoulder. “I

can be a man, only a man, for you

Maralee. I won’t slip again.”

“But you’re not a man. You’re an

animal,” she sputtered, pushing against his

chest and wrenching herself out of his

grasp. “Worse than an animal. A savage

Wolf. I can’t believe…” Her heart was

pounding, her stomach writhing as if she

were going to be sick. “I can’t believe I

let a Wolf…a Wolf…do
that
!”

“You said you…love…me.”

If she had not been so distressed, she

might have felt remorse for causing any

living being such deep, scarring anguish.

“I didn’t know what you were!” She

moved towards the door. She had to

leave. Had to forget what had happened in

this room, in the house, with this man—

this lying, murdering beast. “It’s not

possible for me to love a monster,” she

whispered distractedly to herself.

He let her leave the room. She found

the bits of her scattered clothing around

the house and dressed as fast as she could.

She was gathering her things into her

knapsack when he emerged from his room,

gloriously naked and resigned to his

punishment for hiding his true form from

her for so long.

“I’ll go get your sword,” he told her,

walking past her, not meeting her eyes. He

could have convinced her to stay with his

hypnotic gaze, but he didn’t want her that

way. There was no hope for her after all.

She would always see his people as

monsters to be exterminated, and he

wasn’t sure what had possessed him to

ever believe otherwise.

She understood the significance of

regaining possession of her sword. He

was

declaring

them

enemies.

She

hesitated, almost told him to forget the

sword, that she wouldn’t need it, but

remembered the moon would be full soon

and she did have a legacy to uphold;

people to protect. People she didn’t love,

but was honor bound to defend. The

Wolves of Nash’s village would prey

upon the humans of Sarbough, and Nash,

whatever he was, would protect those

beasts over humans. She was convinced of

this.

At least she understood why he had an

attachment to animals; he was half-animal

himself. She wondered if his own people,

the Forest People, realized what he was.

Did they know a half-Wolf/half-human

anomaly lived amongst them? Surely, they

must. How could they accept such a freak

of nature? Perhaps they only let him stay

here to offer them protection. They

couldn’t possibly trust the Wolves who

lived near their settlement. Being half-

Wolf, he must control the full Wolves

somehow and keep them from harming the

Forest People.

Maralee slung her knapsack over her

shoulder and left the house, not glancing

back at the place where she’d found such

love, such bliss, in the arms of the enemy.

Nash was just coming out of his

mother’s house, Maralee’s sword in one

hand. He stalked over to her and thrust it

in her direction. He didn’t look at her

when she took it from him. Why was the

thought of leaving tearing her apart inside?

He had betrayed her trust, led her to

believe he was something he was not, and

made her fall hopelessly in love with him.

She should be glad to be able to put this

entire ordeal behind her, to get on with her

life—her lonely, miserable, wretched

existence, without Nash.

She cuddled her father’s sword to her

chest, drawing strength from it as she had

when she had first become the Wolf

Huntress. It would never betray her. It had

been the only constant in her life for

fifteen years. She garnered enough strength

to turn and walk away.

After she left the village behind, a

Wolf’s loud, mournful howl pierced the

silence of the forest.

“You’re better off without her, Nash,”

Rella told him, patting his hand.

This was obviously a false statement

meant to cheer him up. It wasn’t working.

Nash had never once been miserable with

Maralee by his side, and he had a gaping

chasm in his chest now she was gone.

Better off without her? Sure, if misery was

pleasure.

“I keep trying to convince myself of

that,” he murmured.

Maralee had been gone for three days

already. It felt like three decades.

“Why don’t you stay here tonight?”

Rella said, her hand curling around his on

her dining room table. “Or permanently.”

He glanced up at her, wondering if she

was offering what he thought she was. She

stared into his eyes unflinchingly for

several long moments.

“I need a father for my children,” she

said. “You are obviously my best choice.”

“Father?”

“They adore you, Nash. All three of

them. You already know you can’t have

children of your own.”

He stared down at her hand, which

was clutching his with hope. It would be a

very practical thing to do. He was no

longer entertaining thoughts of years spent

in Maralee’s captivating company. Still,

he would always think of Rella as Cort’s

devoted mate. He would never betray his

brother, even if Cort had been reduced to

a grave and memories.

“I’ll help you in any way I can, Rella,”

Nash said. “But—”

“You don’t have to have a relationship

with me,” Rella interrupted. “I don’t

require anything for myself. I simply want

someone here for my children.”

“I always have been. Why would that

change?”

She gave him a fleeting smile. “Think

on it, Nash. Okay?”

“Yeah,” he promised. “I should go…

home.” The idea of returning to his empty

house and his empty bed weighed heavily

upon his heart.

“You know you’re welcome to stay

here.”

“I…” He hesitated. Every nook and

cranny of his dwelling held one or another

reminder of Maralee. It was especially

desolate at night. His lonely pallet of furs

swallowed him; made him small and

hollow.

“Was she really that wonderful?”

Rella asked.

His far off gaze returned to hers.

“Yeah. To me, she was…everything.”

“You scarcely knew her two weeks,”

she said, seeming exasperated by his utter

dedication to a human woman—a woman

who declared him a monster and left him

without a backwards glance. “She

obviously didn’t feel the same for you.”

“Obviously.” He stood up from the

table and Rella watched him, concern

etched around her eyes. “How’s your

supply of meat?”

“Low.” Rella’s quarry had been

abandoned when the wolves attacked her

and her sons.

“I’ll go for a hunt then.” It seemed a

much better use of his time then staring off

into space for hours on end. “Maybe

Carsha—”

Rella smiled warmly. “Yes, take

Carsha with you. I’m sure she’d love to

go.”

“What about the twins?”

“They are still recovering from their

wounds.”

“Just me and Carsha then,” he said, his

heart warming at the thought of how

pleased his niece would be.

“I’ll go get her ready.”

When Rella returned with an exuberant

Carsha in tow, they found Nash staring

unseeingly out the window over the

kitchen sink.

“Uncle Nash, are we really going on a

hunt?” Carsha squealed, hugging him

around both legs excitedly.

He started, drawn from his depressed

musings and looked down at her. He

smiled. “We are.”

“Will she need any clothes?” Rella

asked.

“Nope. Just fur and fangs,” he said,

tousling Carsha’s hair.

“I’ve got both of those.” Still fully

clothed, Carsha transformed into her Wolf

form.

Rella laughed. “Silly, girl,” she said,

tugging on her daughter’s dress. “It’s

easier to remove your clothes before you

change.”

Carsha wriggled out of her dress,

tumbled her mother to the floor with both

paws and licked her face enthusiastically.

Nash laughed, the lump of lead in his heart

lighten marginally.

“I haven’t seen her this excited since

you and Cort took her last time,” Rella

said, as she hugged the wriggling pup.

“It will be pretty calm without Cort.”

Carsha spun around and around in the

center of the floor, leaping exuberantly

whenever she caught sight of Nash in her

dizzy dance.

“I guess you’re ready to go.”

Carsha barked in the affirmative, tail

wagging.

“Do you mind looking after my house

while we’re gone?” he asked Rella.

“Of course not. How long will you

be?”

“Two days should do it,” he said,

pulling his sweater off.

Carsha whined a protest.

“Or three.”

She barked and began her dizzy dance

around the kitchen again. Her mother was

sitting on the floor, watching Carsha race

round and round her. “Settle down,” Rella

admonished, although she was smiling at

her daughter’s antics. Carsha had lost her

cheerful spunk when she’d seen her

brothers’ injuries. She had been afraid

Nash would bury them.

Naked now, Nash handed his stack of

neatly folded clothes to Rella. She looked

at him and smiled. “I’ll clean these for you

while you’re gone.”

Nash took his Wolf form and licked

Rella’s cheek before trotting towards the