Defying Destiny (50 page)

torture.”

“Bah!” Jean said in pretense anger.

“Don’t tell him that. I wanted him to think

he was special.”

“Hello,

Miss

Decatur,”

David

murmured.

“Do you still think I’m burly and

hairy?”

Maralee

asked

him

good-

naturedly.

David shook his head vigorously. “I’m

sorry, ma’am. I should never have

speculated such a thing.”

“Don’t worry David, Maralee won’t

send the Wolves after you,” Jean said,

pounding his apprentice on the back. “She

isn’t like her aunt at all.”

Maralee grabbed Jean by the arm and

spoke to him in her most serious tone. “I

need to know everything that is going on

around here,” she said in a low voice. “I

already know Aunt Bailey has cleaned out

my bank account and has amassed a large

debt in my name, but I don’t think that’s

even half of what’s been happening in my

absence.”

Jean looked grimmer than she had ever

seen him. “She entertains these two men

on occasion,” Jean said. “They have some

connection with the local man-eating

Wolves. You know the sort I’m talking

about. The variety you hunt.”

Maralee nodded. “These men, do they

have gold-colored eyes?”

Jean looked surprised. “How did you

know?”

“Lucky guess,” she said absently. So,

her aunt was actually in league with

Wolves in their human forms. She

wondered if Aunt Bailey realized the true

nature of her associates. “What sort of

things do they discuss?”

Jean glanced over his shoulder to

make sure no one had entered the room. “It

depends,” he whispered. “Trayburn says

she usually gives them a list. He says the

only things written on the list are names.”

“Names?”

“The names on the list turn up dead

without fail. David’s parents were both on

that list.”

David nodded slightly. “They were

killed by Wolves over a year ago.”

Maralee’s

brow

knotted

with

confusion. “I don’t understand why the

Wolves would do Aunt Bailey’s bidding

in the first place,” she murmured. “Is she

paying them or something?”

Jean shrugged. “I don’t know, but

everyone knows she controls them animals

somehow. Everyone is too afraid to do

anything to stop her. Any who have tried

have been listed.”

“You know how to kill the Wolves

though, don’t you Miss Decatur?” David

asked hopefully.

“Yes,” she said guardedly. “I know

how to kill them, but I’m not a Hunter

anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Jean asked

loudly. “You’ve always followed the

ways of the Decaturs. Why would you

stop now, when we need you most?”

“Shh,” Maralee warned, glancing

around the room to make sure no one had

ventured in while they had been talking.

“I’ll think of something,” she promised,

“but I don’t plan on killing anyone.

Besides, I lost my sword.”

“You make it sound like Wolves are

people,” David said, scowling angrily.

“They deserve to die. Every last one of

them. If you tell me the secret to killing

them, I’ll gladly take care of this problem

myself.”

Maralee shook her head. “It’s a

guarded secret. Everyone knows that. The

next time the two men come to meet with

Aunt Bailey, make sure I am informed.”

“What do you plan to do, Maralee?”

Jean asked, glancing around nervously.

“I’m not sure yet,” she admitted, “but

things are going to change around here. I

guarantee it.”

“Don’t

get yourself killed,” Jean

demanded, taking her by both arms and

fixing her gaze with an intent stare.

“You’re the last of the Decaturs and

without you we don’t stand a chance

against the Wolves.”

“We would if she’d just tell us the

secret,” David mumbled irritably.

“Don’t you talk that way to the young

miss,” Jean demanded, releasing Maralee

and threatening David with both balled-up

fists.

“Will the two of you just stop it?”

Maralee spat. “I said I would do

something and I will. You know I never

back down, Jean.”

Jean nodded curtly. David still looked

unconvinced.

“I’m going out for a while,” Maralee

said. “I should be back in time for

dinner.”

Jean smiled. “You can expect the meal

to be spectacular in any case. I’m not so

sure about the company.”

Maralee smiled and let herself out the

back door. She went to the stables and

found Billy had already come back from

returning the horse.

“Miss Decatur,” he greeted gleefully.

“Do you desire a ride before dinner?”

“Yes,” she said, feeling a bit

embarrassed by his obvious delight in

seeing her.

“Would you like some company?” he

asked, moving to the nearest stall to start

putting tack on one of the horses.

“Well…” she murmured. She didn’t

want to give him the wrong idea, but knew

he would be useful in showing her around

the countryside. She wasn’t sure if the

same families occupied the smaller family

homes that peppered the vast estate.

“Sure,” she agreed.

“Great! I’ll take you through the

woods. There’s this spectacular waterfall

few people know about. I’d like to show it

to you.”

“Actually,” she said, feeling somewhat

guilty for bursting his bubble of happiness.

“I was going to go talk to some of the

sharecroppers and their families. I want to

hear what has been going on since I left

from them directly.”

“Oh,” he said glumly, and then

brightened seconds later. “I can introduce

you to everyone.”

“Thanks, Billy,” she said, offering him

an appreciative smile.

He flushed. “Would you mind not

calling me Billy?” he asked her. “No one

calls me that anymore. It’s William.”

She laughed, feeling more at ease with

this jovial young man. “I’ll try to

remember.”

“This

is Becca,” he told her,

introducing her to the sleek bay filly as he

handed over the reins. “She’s only two,

but she’s really gentle and easy to handle.

I picked her out for you, even though I

wasn’t sure you’d ever ride her.” He bit

his lip. “I’ll hurry and get my horse.”

Within minutes, the pair of them were

mounted and headed west to the closest

house. Its roof was just visible over the

shallow slope in the distance.

“What do you mean, she’s gone?” Nash

shouted at his calm mother.

“She left the day before yesterday. Just

as soon as you went searching for

Carsha.”

Nash couldn’t believe what she was

saying. “But why would she leave?” he

questioned, not really expecting an

answer.

“Because she finally realized the two

of you are too different to be together. She

told me to tell you that you were right not

to believe.”

Nash’s heart twisted with anguish.

“How could she say that after…after…”

“After what?”

He wasn’t about to tell his mother that

he had accepted himself as a half human.

He could only imagine how she would

react.

“Nothing,” he murmured. “I think I

need to be alone now.”

“Of course,” Stacia agreed, hiding a

smile. Sure her son was broken hearted

now, but when he gave up on that

worthless human woman and took Rella as

his mate, everything would turn out for the

best. She just knew that it would. She was

eternally grateful that Rella had agreed

with her plan. It had been a bit ruthless to

use Nash’s protective feelings for Carsha

as bait, but sometimes a mother had to be

ruthless to ensure the family stayed

together. And now the rest was up to

Rella. Stacia knew she would do her part.

“I’m going after her,” he said.

Stacia forced herself not to express

her anger. “If that’s what you feel you

must do, Nash, but wait until morning at

least. You must be exhausted from your

search for Carsha.”

“We were lucky she made it home on

her own without getting hurt,” he said,

sitting down on his sofa wearily. He knew

he wasn’t thinking straight. He’d gone

without sleep for over forty-eight hours.

Stacia felt marginally guilty for

sending Nash on a wild goose chase when

Carsha had been safe at home the entire

time. But she wouldn’t change the

outcome. That human whore was finally

out of her son’s life forever.

“Carsha’s lucky to have a caring father

like you to look after her,” Stacia said,

patting his shoulder.

Nash looked up at her in disbelief.

“Uncle, not father.”

“Well, you’re like her father now,

aren’t you? She depends on you and so do

the twins.”

“Stop confusing things, mother,” he

demanded angrily. He was tired of her

stupid head games. He was well aware of

Cort’s loss without her constantly

reminding him. He was likewise aware

Maralee had killed Cort. He was even

aware the sword he recovered from the

human village was the weapon that had

done the deed. None of those things

changed how he felt about Maralee. He

doubted anything ever would.

“Get some sleep, Nash,” she said

gently, pulling a blanket over him so he

would lie down on the overstuffed sofa.

“Things might seem clearer in the

morning.”

He was too weary to travel any further

tonight. An unfortunate fact. He promised

himself he would wake up early and start

his search for Maralee. He hoped she had

only traveled as far as Sarbough, but he

knew she could be anywhere. He wasn’t

giving up on her though, and if she really

had given up on him then she should at

least have the decency to tell him to his

face. The image of her staring up at him

with love in her eyes as they shared their

bodies only two nights before was still in

his mind when he settled into sleep.

Several hours later, she returned to

him, curling her warm nude body up

against him on the sofa. She didn’t offer

him a reason for her sudden return, only an

apology in her tender caress. Her touch

was teasing and intoxicating. He didn’t

dare open his eyes for fear that he was

dreaming her unexpected return. When he

began to tremble from wanting her, he

shifted her beneath him and settled

between her thighs, kissing her throat, her

softly pointed chin, her firm lips.

It was in that hazy moment that reality

caught up with him. Maralee’s lips were

soft and yielding and she smelled like the

fragrance in her shampoo. The woman

beneath him was not Maralee. He tore his

mouth away from the woman and looked

down at her, shocked to see Rella staring

up at him with passion glazed, amber

eyes.

“Don’t stop, Nash,” she pleaded

softly. “You don’t know how long I’ve

waited for this.”

“Rella?”

“I know you want me,” she purred

arching her back so that her bare belly

brushed against his. “Make me yours,

Nash. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”

He moved away from her as if she was

infected with some horribly contagious

disease. “What do you think you’re

doing?”

She giggled. “Seducing you, silly.

What does it look like I’m doing? I know

once we’ve been together you’ll have to

admit you love me.”

Her words shocked him to his very

core. “But I love Maralee,” he said. “And

you. You love Cort.”

She sighed heavily. “Maybe I did at

first,” she agreed, “but the more I got to

know you, the more I realized that you

were the real catch, Nash. Your human

side is really sexy, you know. You’re

smart, strong and caring, quiet and

understanding. Cort was always so busy