She seemed to
have found the pinnacle of bad relationship decisions—sleeping with a
five-hundred-year-old werewolf with issues. Mating with him, she reminded herself. Now all she could do was deal with the
fallout.
She just wished it didn’t hurt so much. He could have left a
note. He could have left something .
Numb, Brie wandered through his apartment, wondering if she’d
missed something. She paused by the bed, which was neatly made, and wondered
what had been going through his head
As he’d straightened up, packed his things. He couldn’t have
packed much.
“Damn it,” she muttered, angrier at herself than anything.
Alistair had been honest about his situation. And she knew she would only be a
target. Still, being left so abruptly wasn’t what she’d expected.
She trudged back out to the living area and stood in front of
the fireplace, staring into it as though she might find some sort of answer in
the ashes. All at once there was a prickling warmth behind her, coursing up her
back and making the hairs at her neck prickle. Brie turned, her heart leaping at
the thought that he’d come back for her. And for a brief instant, she thought
the burning blue eyes watching her from the doorway belonged to Alistair. But
almost as quickly, she realized her mistake.
“ Well ,” said a raspy voice that
held an eerie echo of Alistair’s velvet tones just the same. “So this is why he
went running off into the snow so quickly. I wondered what he was hiding. I
could feel his happiness...and my brother is never happy. He’s too busy with honor and duty for things like feelings.”
Owain stepped into the light filtering in through the window,
and Brie stayed frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch him move
towards her. There was no question that he was Alistair’s brother. They had the
same coloring, similar features. But there was a cruelty in the set of Owain’s
mouth that she had never seen in Alistair, and his eyes, a blue so deep it was
almost black, were flat and without pity. A jagged scar slashed across his
mouth, even whiter than his pale skin. There was no honor in this wolf, Brie
thought. This one was a killer. And though Alistair wasn’t here, he seemed to
have found just what he was looking for.
This was what Alistair had feared, Brie knew. And suddenly, his
rapid departure made sense. He’d been trying to save her. But this time, no
diversion was going to keep Owain from getting his hands on something that could
hurt his brother without laying a finger on him.
Desperate, and wondering whether Alistair had realized that
Owain had come here instead of following, she tried to stammer out some sort of
believable lie.
“I’m sorry...I don’t know who you are, but I just live
upstairs. I...I heard a sound, and wanted to check on—”
Owain snorted and waved his hand as though he were batting her
words away. “Please. Don’t bother. I can smell him all over you.” He breathed in
deeply, eyes flickering like candles. “This is an unexpected surprise. I’d
started to think my brother was simply incapable of making love to a woman.
Turns out he just hadn’t found the right one. So particular.” He grinned, and it
was terrible. “Should I bother checking for his bite? I can smell your blood,
pretty little bitch. Oh, I am glad I decided not to
follow him. He’ll be so sad when he realizes he can’t always keep me away from
what he loves.” He stepped closer, and Brie finally found it in her to take a
step back. But the fireplace was right there, and after watching Alistair fight
the scout last night, she knew there would be no outrunning Owain
regardless.
His grin widened, and he laughed, a sound like nails on a
chalkboard. “Yes, run. Please. I could use a little sport before I make you
smell like me .”
Brie stumbled back and off to the side, unable to catch her
breath, or to really make a sound. She was on her own, she realized. Desperate,
she tried to do what Alistair had
have found the pinnacle of bad relationship decisions—sleeping with a
five-hundred-year-old werewolf with issues. Mating with him, she reminded herself. Now all she could do was deal with the
fallout.
She just wished it didn’t hurt so much. He could have left a
note. He could have left something .
Numb, Brie wandered through his apartment, wondering if she’d
missed something. She paused by the bed, which was neatly made, and wondered
what had been going through his head
As he’d straightened up, packed his things. He couldn’t have
packed much.
“Damn it,” she muttered, angrier at herself than anything.
Alistair had been honest about his situation. And she knew she would only be a
target. Still, being left so abruptly wasn’t what she’d expected.
She trudged back out to the living area and stood in front of
the fireplace, staring into it as though she might find some sort of answer in
the ashes. All at once there was a prickling warmth behind her, coursing up her
back and making the hairs at her neck prickle. Brie turned, her heart leaping at
the thought that he’d come back for her. And for a brief instant, she thought
the burning blue eyes watching her from the doorway belonged to Alistair. But
almost as quickly, she realized her mistake.
“ Well ,” said a raspy voice that
held an eerie echo of Alistair’s velvet tones just the same. “So this is why he
went running off into the snow so quickly. I wondered what he was hiding. I
could feel his happiness...and my brother is never happy. He’s too busy with honor and duty for things like feelings.”
Owain stepped into the light filtering in through the window,
and Brie stayed frozen in place, unable to do anything but watch him move
towards her. There was no question that he was Alistair’s brother. They had the
same coloring, similar features. But there was a cruelty in the set of Owain’s
mouth that she had never seen in Alistair, and his eyes, a blue so deep it was
almost black, were flat and without pity. A jagged scar slashed across his
mouth, even whiter than his pale skin. There was no honor in this wolf, Brie
thought. This one was a killer. And though Alistair wasn’t here, he seemed to
have found just what he was looking for.
This was what Alistair had feared, Brie knew. And suddenly, his
rapid departure made sense. He’d been trying to save her. But this time, no
diversion was going to keep Owain from getting his hands on something that could
hurt his brother without laying a finger on him.
Desperate, and wondering whether Alistair had realized that
Owain had come here instead of following, she tried to stammer out some sort of
believable lie.
“I’m sorry...I don’t know who you are, but I just live
upstairs. I...I heard a sound, and wanted to check on—”
Owain snorted and waved his hand as though he were batting her
words away. “Please. Don’t bother. I can smell him all over you.” He breathed in
deeply, eyes flickering like candles. “This is an unexpected surprise. I’d
started to think my brother was simply incapable of making love to a woman.
Turns out he just hadn’t found the right one. So particular.” He grinned, and it
was terrible. “Should I bother checking for his bite? I can smell your blood,
pretty little bitch. Oh, I am glad I decided not to
follow him. He’ll be so sad when he realizes he can’t always keep me away from
what he loves.” He stepped closer, and Brie finally found it in her to take a
step back. But the fireplace was right there, and after watching Alistair fight
the scout last night, she knew there would be no outrunning Owain
regardless.
His grin widened, and he laughed, a sound like nails on a
chalkboard. “Yes, run. Please. I could use a little sport before I make you
smell like me .”
Brie stumbled back and off to the side, unable to catch her
breath, or to really make a sound. She was on her own, she realized. Desperate,
she tried to do what Alistair had
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