years old. And no, there are males in the pack, as well, but many more women than men, as men are the ones more likely to be killed young and leave behind a strong mate.”
“And Sara?” he asked. “How old is she?”
“Sara is timeless. I’ve asked—Goddess, probably a thousand times—I’ve asked how old she is, and she just shrugs and says that it doesn’t matter. But I’ve known her my whole life, and she’s always looked just exactly the same. Sometimes, she disappears for years at a time, but she always comes back to me.” He saw a sad smile flicker across Bianca’s face.
“Tell me,” Jack said.
“She was this wonderful friend when I was a little girl. I could say anything to her, tell her anything—my hopes, my fears, everything. I can hear her, like pack-mates sort of, and sometimes see things the way she does, if she projects a vision to me. As I got older, we became even closer. Goddess, Jack, she was so lonely before I was born. I’m the purpose for her life, and until I was born, she had no one with whom she could share her thoughts. Birds are not like Pack, not at all. She can’t even share her thoughts with her family.”
“Goddess, Bianca.” He felt Sara’s loneliness as though it were his own, shuddering under the weight of it.
“I know, right?” She looked at him, her eyes softening at the agony of compassion on his face. “We’re blessed beyond reason to be wolf, to be able to feel the pack in our souls; we’re truly never alone, not like she was.” She smiled. “I’m fifty years old now. About ten years ago, Sara left for a few years. She does that sometimes, says she needs time to be with her family; she has a brother and a sister who have their own tasks. When she came back, it was like this grand epic thing, having her near enough to touch thoughts again. We became almost love-drunk with our connection to each other.”
“And that’s how you became lovers?” he asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the closeness the women shared.
“Yes. She’s always told me that my mate would come to me someday. I shrugged it off, thinking it an eventuality. You know, fifty is still pretty young for a wolf. And then…”
“I arrived. At Sara’s inn.” He finished the sentence for her. “Did she know who I was immediately?”
“She’s known who you are since before you were born—she realized when she saw your name on your credit card that you were one of ‘those’ Murphys.”
“Goddamn.” His heart went out to Sara. Her life seemed so lonely, and he’d arrived yesterday and made it more so. “Do you resent me?” he asked, looking into Bianca’s pale eyes.
“No. How could I? I don’t love you yet, Jack. But I hope I will, eventually. My wolf wants you. She’s preening like mad just being close to you.”
“I can sense her, a little bit.” He smirked. “It’s easier to sense her now that I’ve seen you as wolf. My wolf is strutting, too.”
“Ha! We have more in common than I would have guessed. Look, I’d really like to get to know you a little today, okay? We have Pack business to do. We can keep ourselves occupied by taking care of that, and hopefully, our wolves will behave.”
“My Alpha has forbidden me to claim you,” he confessed, brushing a lock of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. Her hair was so soft against his skin, it felt almost ephemeral.
“I know. Sara told me.” She shrugged and then met his eyes. “Lust aside, Jack, I don’t feel that I’m ready to be claimed. Sara says you’re my mate. My wolf believes it. But I’m a woman, too. I want it to be a choice. And Sara assures me that you’ll be free to claim me when it is time.”
“How?” he asked, frustrated. “And how will we know it’s time?”
“I don’t know, exactly. She tries not to tell me too much about the future, and I don’t intrude on that part of her mind. But Sara is never wrong about these things. She seems to think by the end of
“And Sara?” he asked. “How old is she?”
“Sara is timeless. I’ve asked—Goddess, probably a thousand times—I’ve asked how old she is, and she just shrugs and says that it doesn’t matter. But I’ve known her my whole life, and she’s always looked just exactly the same. Sometimes, she disappears for years at a time, but she always comes back to me.” He saw a sad smile flicker across Bianca’s face.
“Tell me,” Jack said.
“She was this wonderful friend when I was a little girl. I could say anything to her, tell her anything—my hopes, my fears, everything. I can hear her, like pack-mates sort of, and sometimes see things the way she does, if she projects a vision to me. As I got older, we became even closer. Goddess, Jack, she was so lonely before I was born. I’m the purpose for her life, and until I was born, she had no one with whom she could share her thoughts. Birds are not like Pack, not at all. She can’t even share her thoughts with her family.”
“Goddess, Bianca.” He felt Sara’s loneliness as though it were his own, shuddering under the weight of it.
“I know, right?” She looked at him, her eyes softening at the agony of compassion on his face. “We’re blessed beyond reason to be wolf, to be able to feel the pack in our souls; we’re truly never alone, not like she was.” She smiled. “I’m fifty years old now. About ten years ago, Sara left for a few years. She does that sometimes, says she needs time to be with her family; she has a brother and a sister who have their own tasks. When she came back, it was like this grand epic thing, having her near enough to touch thoughts again. We became almost love-drunk with our connection to each other.”
“And that’s how you became lovers?” he asked, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the closeness the women shared.
“Yes. She’s always told me that my mate would come to me someday. I shrugged it off, thinking it an eventuality. You know, fifty is still pretty young for a wolf. And then…”
“I arrived. At Sara’s inn.” He finished the sentence for her. “Did she know who I was immediately?”
“She’s known who you are since before you were born—she realized when she saw your name on your credit card that you were one of ‘those’ Murphys.”
“Goddamn.” His heart went out to Sara. Her life seemed so lonely, and he’d arrived yesterday and made it more so. “Do you resent me?” he asked, looking into Bianca’s pale eyes.
“No. How could I? I don’t love you yet, Jack. But I hope I will, eventually. My wolf wants you. She’s preening like mad just being close to you.”
“I can sense her, a little bit.” He smirked. “It’s easier to sense her now that I’ve seen you as wolf. My wolf is strutting, too.”
“Ha! We have more in common than I would have guessed. Look, I’d really like to get to know you a little today, okay? We have Pack business to do. We can keep ourselves occupied by taking care of that, and hopefully, our wolves will behave.”
“My Alpha has forbidden me to claim you,” he confessed, brushing a lock of hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear. Her hair was so soft against his skin, it felt almost ephemeral.
“I know. Sara told me.” She shrugged and then met his eyes. “Lust aside, Jack, I don’t feel that I’m ready to be claimed. Sara says you’re my mate. My wolf believes it. But I’m a woman, too. I want it to be a choice. And Sara assures me that you’ll be free to claim me when it is time.”
“How?” he asked, frustrated. “And how will we know it’s time?”
“I don’t know, exactly. She tries not to tell me too much about the future, and I don’t intrude on that part of her mind. But Sara is never wrong about these things. She seems to think by the end of
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