woman who clearly felt she’d let down someone who’d been placed in her care. Even Nashoba looked as chastised as a puppy having been whacked with a rolled up newspaper.
In the end, Akala chose kindness and reached out to lay her hand over Haley’s, squeezing it reassuringly. “I know you’re good people. You have to understand how this is for me too. As of a few hours ago, I had no idea that werewolves even existed, and now I’m sitting at a table talking to two of them after watching one transform and fight another that seemed intent on dragging me off to his cave to rape me.”
“ Den,” said Nashoba. “It’s a den, not a cave.”
“ Oh, well that makes it better then.”
Haley choked out a sob and wiped tears from her cheek with the back of her hand. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Justin. I don’t know why he’s acting like this. He’s not a bad wolf, I swear he isn’t.”
Akala didn’t know what to say. She’d forgotten that the two were related, but that didn’t change the fact that Justin had had more than a little bit of crazy in his eyes when he’d come after her. That look had only meant one thing to Akala, and she never wanted to find out what was waiting for her down that path.
“ If you still want to leave, I’ll drive you straight to the airport right now,” offered Nashoba. “This wasn’t what you agreed to when you said you’d come down to meet you, and it grieves me that you’ve fallen into the middle of our tribal problems.”
“ What about my safety?” asked Akala, trying to remain sensitive of the fact that it was Haley’s blood relation she was worried about.
“ I’ll stay with you at all times,” said Nashoba. “There will be no pressure to pick up where we left off, but if you’ll allow it, I’d like to show you the real Choctaw nation. What you’ve seen this far is only the side of ourselves we present to those who don’t know of our true form. If you stay, I’ll show you everything.”
“ No more secrets?” asked Akala.
“ No more secrets,” said Nashoba. He exchanged a quick glance with Haley, and there was something else deep in those eyes that had been left unspoken. “Although, you must permit me to explain things to you in my way and in due time. I’ll do my best, but there are things you need to know before you hear the full story.”
“ I suppose I can live with that.”
Haley smiled through the tears that still trickled down her face, and she jumped out of her chair to hug Akala. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear it. I feel absolutely horrible about what’s happened today, you have no idea.”
Akala hugged her back and couldn’t help but smile as well. She caught Nashoba’s gaze, and saw the faintest upturn of his lips that indicated he was pleased with how things had turned out. She didn’t know if she’d come to regret her decision, but she had faith that Nashoba was true in his intention to keep her safe, and she wasn’t ready to leave here just yet. She wasn’t ready to walk away from him just yet.
C HAPTER EIGHT
Nashoba suggested they begin immediately. They helped Haley clean up the damage to the living room as best they could, and then left her bustling about the kitchen. Akala thought she might have been more comfortable if Haley had come with them, but as they once again drove down country roads in silence, she was glad to have a moment alone with Nashoba.
“ Was this all a plan to get my clothes off?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the pastureland rolling by out the window.
“ Not at all,” he replied. “Everything I’ve told you about me is true, except for that one obvious omission. I had no expectations of being as attracted to you as I am, and I didn’t think we’d wind up… together in that way so quickly. It was a pleasant surprise.”
“ I hadn’t expected it either.” Akala turned her head to look at him, and he glanced over at her with that half smile of his before
In the end, Akala chose kindness and reached out to lay her hand over Haley’s, squeezing it reassuringly. “I know you’re good people. You have to understand how this is for me too. As of a few hours ago, I had no idea that werewolves even existed, and now I’m sitting at a table talking to two of them after watching one transform and fight another that seemed intent on dragging me off to his cave to rape me.”
“ Den,” said Nashoba. “It’s a den, not a cave.”
“ Oh, well that makes it better then.”
Haley choked out a sob and wiped tears from her cheek with the back of her hand. “I don’t know what’s wrong with Justin. I don’t know why he’s acting like this. He’s not a bad wolf, I swear he isn’t.”
Akala didn’t know what to say. She’d forgotten that the two were related, but that didn’t change the fact that Justin had had more than a little bit of crazy in his eyes when he’d come after her. That look had only meant one thing to Akala, and she never wanted to find out what was waiting for her down that path.
“ If you still want to leave, I’ll drive you straight to the airport right now,” offered Nashoba. “This wasn’t what you agreed to when you said you’d come down to meet you, and it grieves me that you’ve fallen into the middle of our tribal problems.”
“ What about my safety?” asked Akala, trying to remain sensitive of the fact that it was Haley’s blood relation she was worried about.
“ I’ll stay with you at all times,” said Nashoba. “There will be no pressure to pick up where we left off, but if you’ll allow it, I’d like to show you the real Choctaw nation. What you’ve seen this far is only the side of ourselves we present to those who don’t know of our true form. If you stay, I’ll show you everything.”
“ No more secrets?” asked Akala.
“ No more secrets,” said Nashoba. He exchanged a quick glance with Haley, and there was something else deep in those eyes that had been left unspoken. “Although, you must permit me to explain things to you in my way and in due time. I’ll do my best, but there are things you need to know before you hear the full story.”
“ I suppose I can live with that.”
Haley smiled through the tears that still trickled down her face, and she jumped out of her chair to hug Akala. “Oh, I’m so happy to hear it. I feel absolutely horrible about what’s happened today, you have no idea.”
Akala hugged her back and couldn’t help but smile as well. She caught Nashoba’s gaze, and saw the faintest upturn of his lips that indicated he was pleased with how things had turned out. She didn’t know if she’d come to regret her decision, but she had faith that Nashoba was true in his intention to keep her safe, and she wasn’t ready to leave here just yet. She wasn’t ready to walk away from him just yet.
C HAPTER EIGHT
Nashoba suggested they begin immediately. They helped Haley clean up the damage to the living room as best they could, and then left her bustling about the kitchen. Akala thought she might have been more comfortable if Haley had come with them, but as they once again drove down country roads in silence, she was glad to have a moment alone with Nashoba.
“ Was this all a plan to get my clothes off?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the pastureland rolling by out the window.
“ Not at all,” he replied. “Everything I’ve told you about me is true, except for that one obvious omission. I had no expectations of being as attracted to you as I am, and I didn’t think we’d wind up… together in that way so quickly. It was a pleasant surprise.”
“ I hadn’t expected it either.” Akala turned her head to look at him, and he glanced over at her with that half smile of his before
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