Bearing Up In Wolf Rock (A BBW Bear Shifter Romance) (Wolf Rock Shifters) by Carina Wilder Page A
Authors: Carina Wilder
Ads: Link
tattoos,” Kyla said, changing the subject abruptly and deliberately. She gave in to the urge to touch Maddox by allowing her index finger to outline the spiral markings on his left shoulder.
“These are traditional. The Maori, you probably know, tattoo their faces. Really, it’s more a sort of chiseling of the skin than a tattoo; scars on flesh. It’s a rite of passage, a sign that you’ve proven yourself worthy. But not surprisingly, the parents of a kid in Montana didn’t want their son to show up to class with facial tattoos so I did the next best thing.”
“They’re striking,” said Kyla. Her finger continued to follow the pattern down his upper arm. She watched it, taking in how diminutive her digit seemed in comparison with his muscles. Maddox managed, somehow, to make her feel almost small and dainty, which was no mean feat. And yet he didn’t make her feel insignificant.
Finally Kyla realized that she was behaving in a manner that was probably too familiar for their own good, and she pulled her hand away. He looked at his arm where she’d touched him, as though somehow he expected to see new markings.
“Teach me some Maori words,” she said, looking at his face in the flickering light. His dark eyes shone surprisingly bright against his bronze skin, an intelligence and wariness to him that Kyla recognized from years with shifters. There was a depth, an instinct, in changers that humans didn’t have; a readiness to leap up at the slightest cause for alarm.
“All right. I’m not exactly fluent, but I know a few. Let’s see…”
He looked pensive for a moment, then said, “Maunga. That’s where we are now. A mountain.”
“Mo -anga,” repeated Kyla, her accent poor at best.
“Something like that,” laughed Maddox. “Awa is a river. The Maori are reverent of nature, protective of it. ‘Kai’ is a place where a particular food source is available in abundance.”
“Kai,” repeated Kyla. “That’s my nickname.” She wondered if Maddox saw her as an abundant food source, or at least as something he’d like to eat.
“ Waka—that’s one of my favourites—is a canoe.”
“I like that. Waka.”
“And your alpha, Tristan, would be a Rangatira, I think.” Maddox pronounced the ‘ang’ sound with a long a, putting little emphasis on the g, which made the word seem to slide out of his mouth.
“It’s a nice language. Buttery, even,” said Kyla.
“Yes, it is. I always liked my father’s accent.”
“I’ll bet.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, you know,” Maddox added unexpectedly. He looked her in the eye now. “I just thought I should say it so we’re clear. You’re beautiful and sexy. And that shirt suits you nicely.”
“Thank you.” Kyla wasn’t sure what to make of the compliments, though she felt them acutely. For a moment she wondered if he might kiss her, but instead he stood up.
“I t’s getting late,” he said. “I assume that you’re okay with spending the night before we head back?”
“Yeah, I think we should.”
“Okay, good.”
Maddox walked over to his sleeping bag, which he unzipped and laid flat on the ground. “You can share this with me.”
“Tell me about your sister,” said Kyla, not quite certain why she was asking.
“And here I thought we were about to go to sleep,” he replied, his back to her as he crouched down. “Okay, my sister: my sister was a sweet girl who didn’t deserve to die so young.”
“What happened to her?”
Maddox stood, his broad, muscled back still facing Kyla. The she-wolf wondered suddenly if she’d overstepped her boundaries.
“She was murdered .” Maddox turned now and looked Kyla in the eye.
“Oh my God. By whom?”
“A rancher. A neighbour.”
“Murdered by a neighbour ?” Kyla couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.
“Ye s. Unfortunately you heard me correctly.”
“I’m so sorry, Maddox.” Kyla felt now that she understood his fear of
“These are traditional. The Maori, you probably know, tattoo their faces. Really, it’s more a sort of chiseling of the skin than a tattoo; scars on flesh. It’s a rite of passage, a sign that you’ve proven yourself worthy. But not surprisingly, the parents of a kid in Montana didn’t want their son to show up to class with facial tattoos so I did the next best thing.”
“They’re striking,” said Kyla. Her finger continued to follow the pattern down his upper arm. She watched it, taking in how diminutive her digit seemed in comparison with his muscles. Maddox managed, somehow, to make her feel almost small and dainty, which was no mean feat. And yet he didn’t make her feel insignificant.
Finally Kyla realized that she was behaving in a manner that was probably too familiar for their own good, and she pulled her hand away. He looked at his arm where she’d touched him, as though somehow he expected to see new markings.
“Teach me some Maori words,” she said, looking at his face in the flickering light. His dark eyes shone surprisingly bright against his bronze skin, an intelligence and wariness to him that Kyla recognized from years with shifters. There was a depth, an instinct, in changers that humans didn’t have; a readiness to leap up at the slightest cause for alarm.
“All right. I’m not exactly fluent, but I know a few. Let’s see…”
He looked pensive for a moment, then said, “Maunga. That’s where we are now. A mountain.”
“Mo -anga,” repeated Kyla, her accent poor at best.
“Something like that,” laughed Maddox. “Awa is a river. The Maori are reverent of nature, protective of it. ‘Kai’ is a place where a particular food source is available in abundance.”
“Kai,” repeated Kyla. “That’s my nickname.” She wondered if Maddox saw her as an abundant food source, or at least as something he’d like to eat.
“ Waka—that’s one of my favourites—is a canoe.”
“I like that. Waka.”
“And your alpha, Tristan, would be a Rangatira, I think.” Maddox pronounced the ‘ang’ sound with a long a, putting little emphasis on the g, which made the word seem to slide out of his mouth.
“It’s a nice language. Buttery, even,” said Kyla.
“Yes, it is. I always liked my father’s accent.”
“I’ll bet.”
“You’re a beautiful woman, you know,” Maddox added unexpectedly. He looked her in the eye now. “I just thought I should say it so we’re clear. You’re beautiful and sexy. And that shirt suits you nicely.”
“Thank you.” Kyla wasn’t sure what to make of the compliments, though she felt them acutely. For a moment she wondered if he might kiss her, but instead he stood up.
“I t’s getting late,” he said. “I assume that you’re okay with spending the night before we head back?”
“Yeah, I think we should.”
“Okay, good.”
Maddox walked over to his sleeping bag, which he unzipped and laid flat on the ground. “You can share this with me.”
“Tell me about your sister,” said Kyla, not quite certain why she was asking.
“And here I thought we were about to go to sleep,” he replied, his back to her as he crouched down. “Okay, my sister: my sister was a sweet girl who didn’t deserve to die so young.”
“What happened to her?”
Maddox stood, his broad, muscled back still facing Kyla. The she-wolf wondered suddenly if she’d overstepped her boundaries.
“She was murdered .” Maddox turned now and looked Kyla in the eye.
“Oh my God. By whom?”
“A rancher. A neighbour.”
“Murdered by a neighbour ?” Kyla couldn’t believe the words that were coming out of her mouth.
“Ye s. Unfortunately you heard me correctly.”
“I’m so sorry, Maddox.” Kyla felt now that she understood his fear of
Similar Books
