to go back to the village tonight.”
“Why?” the child asked.
“Well, I don’t have a place to stay,
and—”
“You can stay with Uncle Nash. Can’t
she?” Carsha gave Nash a stern look.
“Of course, she can.”
“It wouldn’t be proper,” Maralee said,
even though she really wanted to spend
more time with him. Alone. In his cabin.
In his bed of furs.
“Why not?” Nash asked, his brows
drawn together in confusion.
“Stay, Maralee. Please! I want to play
some more. You can be my friend.”
“I’d like that,” Maralee said, warmth
spreading through her chest. “I had a lot of
fun.”
Carsha smiled. “Me too!” she chimed
and ran off in the direction of her house.
She waved enthusiastically from the porch
and went inside.
“Had fun, did you?” Nash asked.
Maralee smiled and nodded. “I did.”
His answering smile had her pulse in a
frenzy. “I’m glad,” he said. “And you’re
staying until morning?”
Her heart thundered in her chest. “I…
yes, I’m staying.”
He smiled and placed a hand on the
small of her back to guide her back into
his cabin.
Once inside, Maralee rubbed her
hands over her upper arms, trying to
regain warmth. She hadn’t noticed how
chilled she’d become while playing
outside.
“You’re cold,” Nash assessed. “I’ll
get the fire going again.”
She smiled gratefully. “Do you have a
bathroom?”
He actually blushed and avoided her
gaze. “The forest outside.”
She nodded. She was used to roughing
it. Going to the bathroom outside didn’t
bother her in the least. “I’ll be back in a
few minutes.”
He watched her go to the door. “I’ll
come with you,” he said.
“You don’t trust me?”
“I…it’s not that. It’s getting dark.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, “and I
promise I won’t run away. You still have
my sword. I’m not leaving here without
it.”
He hesitated, but nodded finally. “I’ll
see what I can find for supper then.”
She smiled. “Great. I’m famished.”
Twilight already marked the close of
the short winter day. Maralee left the
cabin and skirted to the back of the
structure for privacy. She glanced around
to ensure no one was watching and untied
the laces at the fly of her pants. Shivering
with cold, she wished she’d remembered
to put on her cloak before venturing
outside. Once she had finished relieving
herself, she readjusted her clothing and
headed back for the cabin, looking
forward to the warmth of the fire. She
found her progress hindered, however, by
three enormous, snarling Wolves.
CHAPTER 5
Maralee’s hand moved automatically to
the sword hilt at her belt and found
nothing but empty space. The center Wolf
—a
large,
dark
brown
creature—
advanced
on
her,
baring
sharp,
carnivorous fangs. He growled and barked
at her until she backed away. The cabin
appeared against her back. Trapped and
unarmed, she had no chance of survival.
Her heart seized in her chest.
“Go away,” she tried, waving her
hands at the Wolf. “Shoo!”
The Wolf seemed to smile at her as if
it knew she was defenseless. It took
another step closer and Maralee began to
inch sideways along the wall. Another of
the Wolves appeared next to her. It
snapped at her ankle to stop her from
proceeding. She emitted a squeak of
terror. The third Wolf circled around to
her opposite side and sank down low to
the
ground,
growling
a
warning.
Surrounded with no sword at her hip,
she’d never felt more naked. The center
Wolf, who seemed to be in charge of the
small band, leapt forward. It hit her
shoulders with its massive paws and
slammed her back against the cabin.
Holding her pinned to the wall, the Wolf
growled in her face, its lips curled, nose
wrinkled, breath hot and moist against her
cheek. She was too terrified to scream or
even draw breath.
“Maralee, are you all right out there?
What’s taking so long?” Nash’s
“Why?” the child asked.
“Well, I don’t have a place to stay,
and—”
“You can stay with Uncle Nash. Can’t
she?” Carsha gave Nash a stern look.
“Of course, she can.”
“It wouldn’t be proper,” Maralee said,
even though she really wanted to spend
more time with him. Alone. In his cabin.
In his bed of furs.
“Why not?” Nash asked, his brows
drawn together in confusion.
“Stay, Maralee. Please! I want to play
some more. You can be my friend.”
“I’d like that,” Maralee said, warmth
spreading through her chest. “I had a lot of
fun.”
Carsha smiled. “Me too!” she chimed
and ran off in the direction of her house.
She waved enthusiastically from the porch
and went inside.
“Had fun, did you?” Nash asked.
Maralee smiled and nodded. “I did.”
His answering smile had her pulse in a
frenzy. “I’m glad,” he said. “And you’re
staying until morning?”
Her heart thundered in her chest. “I…
yes, I’m staying.”
He smiled and placed a hand on the
small of her back to guide her back into
his cabin.
Once inside, Maralee rubbed her
hands over her upper arms, trying to
regain warmth. She hadn’t noticed how
chilled she’d become while playing
outside.
“You’re cold,” Nash assessed. “I’ll
get the fire going again.”
She smiled gratefully. “Do you have a
bathroom?”
He actually blushed and avoided her
gaze. “The forest outside.”
She nodded. She was used to roughing
it. Going to the bathroom outside didn’t
bother her in the least. “I’ll be back in a
few minutes.”
He watched her go to the door. “I’ll
come with you,” he said.
“You don’t trust me?”
“I…it’s not that. It’s getting dark.”
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, “and I
promise I won’t run away. You still have
my sword. I’m not leaving here without
it.”
He hesitated, but nodded finally. “I’ll
see what I can find for supper then.”
She smiled. “Great. I’m famished.”
Twilight already marked the close of
the short winter day. Maralee left the
cabin and skirted to the back of the
structure for privacy. She glanced around
to ensure no one was watching and untied
the laces at the fly of her pants. Shivering
with cold, she wished she’d remembered
to put on her cloak before venturing
outside. Once she had finished relieving
herself, she readjusted her clothing and
headed back for the cabin, looking
forward to the warmth of the fire. She
found her progress hindered, however, by
three enormous, snarling Wolves.
CHAPTER 5
Maralee’s hand moved automatically to
the sword hilt at her belt and found
nothing but empty space. The center Wolf
—a
large,
dark
brown
creature—
advanced
on
her,
baring
sharp,
carnivorous fangs. He growled and barked
at her until she backed away. The cabin
appeared against her back. Trapped and
unarmed, she had no chance of survival.
Her heart seized in her chest.
“Go away,” she tried, waving her
hands at the Wolf. “Shoo!”
The Wolf seemed to smile at her as if
it knew she was defenseless. It took
another step closer and Maralee began to
inch sideways along the wall. Another of
the Wolves appeared next to her. It
snapped at her ankle to stop her from
proceeding. She emitted a squeak of
terror. The third Wolf circled around to
her opposite side and sank down low to
the
ground,
growling
a
warning.
Surrounded with no sword at her hip,
she’d never felt more naked. The center
Wolf, who seemed to be in charge of the
small band, leapt forward. It hit her
shoulders with its massive paws and
slammed her back against the cabin.
Holding her pinned to the wall, the Wolf
growled in her face, its lips curled, nose
wrinkled, breath hot and moist against her
cheek. She was too terrified to scream or
even draw breath.
“Maralee, are you all right out there?
What’s taking so long?” Nash’s
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