favor.”
“Presley,” she frowned. “I know you may not believe
me, but I am trying to protect you. I’m not your enemy, all right?”
Truth be told, Presley wasn’t sure who she could trust
in this place. The stench was god awful-and she couldn’t even smell the mangy
mutt smell; it was that
take-your-breath-away-and-make-your-lungs-burn-like-hellfire scent that was
driving her insane. She slowly pushed herself to her feet, swaying back and
forth a few times before the woman reached out to steady her.
As their gazes locked once more, the woman’s smile grew
bright.
“Has anyone ever told you how much you look like your
mother?” She asked softly.
Presley fought the urge to roll her eyes. She hated that she resembled her mother at all; that good-for-nothing woman. Ugh .
“I’ve heard it a few times,” Presley admitted as she
licked her dry lips. What she wouldn’t give for something to drink. “So, if
you’re not here to torture me and you’re not going to take me to Breslin,” she
quirked a brow. “What the hell do you want from me?”
The woman pursed her lips together, heaving a sigh as
she lifted her hand to touch Presley’s cheek gently. “I want you to run,” she
nodded. “After I leave, Lorcan will come for you, and you have to get far away
from here, Presley. I mean that. Go back to your uncle. Backup will arrive
and then you can make your next move. Right now, my main concern is getting
you out of here.”
“Wait, what?” Presley blinked, frowning again as she
cocked her head to the side. “You want me to get out of here? Your
boss isn’t going to like that very much, is he?” Her heart skipped a few beats
at the thought of seeing Lorcan again. How many days had it been now? Five,
wasn’t it? She’d lost track of time; maybe it had been much longer than that.
“I have no boss,” the woman replied firmly, her thumb
stroking Presley’s cheek. “But I do have obligations in life. I’ve been
running from them for too long.”
A surge of heat ran through Presley’s veins, like a
jolt of electricity as the hair on her arms stood on end. What was that,
exactly?
“I need you to take care of yourself,” the woman added
after a moment. “And take care of this one.”
Presley’s brows furrowed again as she lowered her head,
watching as the woman pressed her palm against her stomach. Another jolt of
electricity ran through every nerve ending as her eyes immediately clouded
over.
“You mean…..I’m….”
The woman nodded. “Yes,” her smile returned, but it
was a sad one. “The cub you carry inside of you deserves a fighting chance in
this world, Presley, and so do you. That’s why I am risking my life for
yours. Breslin cannot take Kadenburg. He cannot drive us into extinction, do
you understand?”
Presley’s mouth fell open as ten thousand different
emotions tried to consume her very soul. She blinked back the tears as she
shook her head. “Us? You mean, you’re a…..”
“Yes,” the female nodded eagerly. “Yes, I am, and I’m
so sorry we never had the opportunity to get to know one another. I hope that
this will make up for it, somehow. It’s what your father would’ve wanted, I
think.”
“My father?” Presley’s bottom lip quivered. And then
another thought occurred as she gazed into the pale green eyes of the woman
before her. Yes, it made sense now. Maybe it shouldn’t have, and maybe she
was crazy for what she was feeling; but she somehow knew exactly why this woman
was helping her now. “Aunt Natalie?”
“Yes!” Natalie whispered excitedly as she wrapped her
arms around Presley and pulled her close. “Yes, Presley. I’m so sorry for
everything,” she sniffled. “I’m so sorry I’ve gotten you into this mess.”
“You didn’t…..I mean….you’re not the one who put
Breslin up to trying to claim Kadenburg, right?” She asked softly, still trying
to process this new information. This woman was her aunt; the one Uncle
“Presley,” she frowned. “I know you may not believe
me, but I am trying to protect you. I’m not your enemy, all right?”
Truth be told, Presley wasn’t sure who she could trust
in this place. The stench was god awful-and she couldn’t even smell the mangy
mutt smell; it was that
take-your-breath-away-and-make-your-lungs-burn-like-hellfire scent that was
driving her insane. She slowly pushed herself to her feet, swaying back and
forth a few times before the woman reached out to steady her.
As their gazes locked once more, the woman’s smile grew
bright.
“Has anyone ever told you how much you look like your
mother?” She asked softly.
Presley fought the urge to roll her eyes. She hated that she resembled her mother at all; that good-for-nothing woman. Ugh .
“I’ve heard it a few times,” Presley admitted as she
licked her dry lips. What she wouldn’t give for something to drink. “So, if
you’re not here to torture me and you’re not going to take me to Breslin,” she
quirked a brow. “What the hell do you want from me?”
The woman pursed her lips together, heaving a sigh as
she lifted her hand to touch Presley’s cheek gently. “I want you to run,” she
nodded. “After I leave, Lorcan will come for you, and you have to get far away
from here, Presley. I mean that. Go back to your uncle. Backup will arrive
and then you can make your next move. Right now, my main concern is getting
you out of here.”
“Wait, what?” Presley blinked, frowning again as she
cocked her head to the side. “You want me to get out of here? Your
boss isn’t going to like that very much, is he?” Her heart skipped a few beats
at the thought of seeing Lorcan again. How many days had it been now? Five,
wasn’t it? She’d lost track of time; maybe it had been much longer than that.
“I have no boss,” the woman replied firmly, her thumb
stroking Presley’s cheek. “But I do have obligations in life. I’ve been
running from them for too long.”
A surge of heat ran through Presley’s veins, like a
jolt of electricity as the hair on her arms stood on end. What was that,
exactly?
“I need you to take care of yourself,” the woman added
after a moment. “And take care of this one.”
Presley’s brows furrowed again as she lowered her head,
watching as the woman pressed her palm against her stomach. Another jolt of
electricity ran through every nerve ending as her eyes immediately clouded
over.
“You mean…..I’m….”
The woman nodded. “Yes,” her smile returned, but it
was a sad one. “The cub you carry inside of you deserves a fighting chance in
this world, Presley, and so do you. That’s why I am risking my life for
yours. Breslin cannot take Kadenburg. He cannot drive us into extinction, do
you understand?”
Presley’s mouth fell open as ten thousand different
emotions tried to consume her very soul. She blinked back the tears as she
shook her head. “Us? You mean, you’re a…..”
“Yes,” the female nodded eagerly. “Yes, I am, and I’m
so sorry we never had the opportunity to get to know one another. I hope that
this will make up for it, somehow. It’s what your father would’ve wanted, I
think.”
“My father?” Presley’s bottom lip quivered. And then
another thought occurred as she gazed into the pale green eyes of the woman
before her. Yes, it made sense now. Maybe it shouldn’t have, and maybe she
was crazy for what she was feeling; but she somehow knew exactly why this woman
was helping her now. “Aunt Natalie?”
“Yes!” Natalie whispered excitedly as she wrapped her
arms around Presley and pulled her close. “Yes, Presley. I’m so sorry for
everything,” she sniffled. “I’m so sorry I’ve gotten you into this mess.”
“You didn’t…..I mean….you’re not the one who put
Breslin up to trying to claim Kadenburg, right?” She asked softly, still trying
to process this new information. This woman was her aunt; the one Uncle