Tristan?” He looked around now. A crowd was beginning to gather, shifters and humans alike puzzled and entertained.
“You’d have me arrested for defending a woman against your lecherous, drunk ass? That’s mighty classy of you,” said Lucian. Aria could feel him breathing deeply, trying to hold back his bear. “Yes, please, someone find Tristan. I’m sure he’d want to hear about this.”
Trevor took a step forward and rammed both hands into Lucian’s chest. The large man barely moved; the fox shifter was simply too small and weak in contrast to his own height and strength.
“I wouldn’t mess with that if I were you.”
The voice came from Tristan, who was stepping out from between members of the makeshift audience.
“This guy nearly killed me,” said Trevor.
“I heard. And you deserved it. And if you’d like a trial, we can have one. But I have a funny feeling that you’d rather avoid that sort of publicity for yourself, Trevor.”
“Fuck off, alpha.”
With those words, several of the men present took a step forward in defense of their leader.
“Stop,” said Tristan, signalling them not to move. He turned to Lucian. “I don’t blame you, you know. For wanting to tear this guy apart. I would have done the same.”
Lucian nodded silently.
Tristan turned and walked away, and Trevor, sneering, made off in the opposite direction. Lucian turned back to Aria.
“Sorry,” he said.
“About what? You’re always protecting me. You should never be sorry for that.”
The crowd was beginning to disperse now, disappointed in the fight that never happened.
“Aria,” said Lucian. He put his hands around her waist, pulling her towards him. The feeling was like being enveloped in warmth and affection, and she wanted it never to end. “Can I ask you a very important question?”
“Yes.” The word slipped out on its own.
“Would you…could you…have a cup of cider with me?”
Aria slapped his arm hard, grinning. “You’re horrible,” she said.
“Answer me. Please. I beg you. Don’t make me wait.”
“Fine, Lucian. I will have a cup of cider with you.”
“You’ve just made me the happiest man alive.”
“And you’ve just made me livid. You’re lucky I don’t bite you.”
Chapter 6
The two spent most of the night eating, drinking and laughing together. Lucian seemed at last to be relaxing, at least a little.
“It’s so great to have snow around,” Aria exclaimed as they walked. “That’s one thing I hate about my home in California. Christmas has never really felt like Christmas, you know? The grass shouldn’t be green at this time of the year.”
“I agree,” said Lucian. “It should be white as a polar bear’s…white bits.”
“I won’t ask about those for the moment. Tell me how you ended up here,” said Aria as they sat on two chairs carved of ice. The hot pastries that they were in the process of eating emitted a puff of steam which dissipated into the air around them.
“That’s easy. I was young and heard that there was an area in the mountains where shifters could go and stay away from civilization. It was a no–brainer.”
“But I mean, were you always antisocial?” Aria was thinking now of her own escape to Wolf Rock, leaving everyone she loved behind.
“No. As a kid I was friendly. I still am, sort of.” He smiled, but Aria detected a wince as well.
“So what changed?”
“It was my aggression. I just never learned to control it. Or to trust myself. Whether it was kissing a girl or fighting with a boy. I’ve never been able to adjust to my own strength.”
“Don’t you think you could learn?”
Lucian looked at her then. “I don’t know.” He reached over and took her hand in his. She felt his warmth even through her mitten. “Maybe if I had the right teacher.”
“Lucian,” she replied. “Before Trevor showed up, you were about to say something to me.”
“Was I? I don’t remember now.”
Aria sank into her chair. This
“You’d have me arrested for defending a woman against your lecherous, drunk ass? That’s mighty classy of you,” said Lucian. Aria could feel him breathing deeply, trying to hold back his bear. “Yes, please, someone find Tristan. I’m sure he’d want to hear about this.”
Trevor took a step forward and rammed both hands into Lucian’s chest. The large man barely moved; the fox shifter was simply too small and weak in contrast to his own height and strength.
“I wouldn’t mess with that if I were you.”
The voice came from Tristan, who was stepping out from between members of the makeshift audience.
“This guy nearly killed me,” said Trevor.
“I heard. And you deserved it. And if you’d like a trial, we can have one. But I have a funny feeling that you’d rather avoid that sort of publicity for yourself, Trevor.”
“Fuck off, alpha.”
With those words, several of the men present took a step forward in defense of their leader.
“Stop,” said Tristan, signalling them not to move. He turned to Lucian. “I don’t blame you, you know. For wanting to tear this guy apart. I would have done the same.”
Lucian nodded silently.
Tristan turned and walked away, and Trevor, sneering, made off in the opposite direction. Lucian turned back to Aria.
“Sorry,” he said.
“About what? You’re always protecting me. You should never be sorry for that.”
The crowd was beginning to disperse now, disappointed in the fight that never happened.
“Aria,” said Lucian. He put his hands around her waist, pulling her towards him. The feeling was like being enveloped in warmth and affection, and she wanted it never to end. “Can I ask you a very important question?”
“Yes.” The word slipped out on its own.
“Would you…could you…have a cup of cider with me?”
Aria slapped his arm hard, grinning. “You’re horrible,” she said.
“Answer me. Please. I beg you. Don’t make me wait.”
“Fine, Lucian. I will have a cup of cider with you.”
“You’ve just made me the happiest man alive.”
“And you’ve just made me livid. You’re lucky I don’t bite you.”
Chapter 6
The two spent most of the night eating, drinking and laughing together. Lucian seemed at last to be relaxing, at least a little.
“It’s so great to have snow around,” Aria exclaimed as they walked. “That’s one thing I hate about my home in California. Christmas has never really felt like Christmas, you know? The grass shouldn’t be green at this time of the year.”
“I agree,” said Lucian. “It should be white as a polar bear’s…white bits.”
“I won’t ask about those for the moment. Tell me how you ended up here,” said Aria as they sat on two chairs carved of ice. The hot pastries that they were in the process of eating emitted a puff of steam which dissipated into the air around them.
“That’s easy. I was young and heard that there was an area in the mountains where shifters could go and stay away from civilization. It was a no–brainer.”
“But I mean, were you always antisocial?” Aria was thinking now of her own escape to Wolf Rock, leaving everyone she loved behind.
“No. As a kid I was friendly. I still am, sort of.” He smiled, but Aria detected a wince as well.
“So what changed?”
“It was my aggression. I just never learned to control it. Or to trust myself. Whether it was kissing a girl or fighting with a boy. I’ve never been able to adjust to my own strength.”
“Don’t you think you could learn?”
Lucian looked at her then. “I don’t know.” He reached over and took her hand in his. She felt his warmth even through her mitten. “Maybe if I had the right teacher.”
“Lucian,” she replied. “Before Trevor showed up, you were about to say something to me.”
“Was I? I don’t remember now.”
Aria sank into her chair. This
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