because Gerard hardly left my side. But Violet’s words swirled in my head as we finished dinner and retired to the great room for drinks and dessert. I’m sure that was her intent. She wanted me to stew about what she had told me and made sure I got plenty of time to do just that.
I didn’t believe her but still, her claims made some kind of sense. There was enough truth to cause me to doubt myself. I watched Yeager as he spent most of the evening in some corner or another with Edie and Agnes when she wasn’t serving drinks or doing Violet’s bidding. He would glance my way now and then, smiling warmly with a look that assured me this would all be over soon enough. I appreciated the gesture and he had no idea what Violet had told me, but I still held it against him that he didn’t come to rescue me.
Despite the doubt I felt, I couldn’t help but notice Edie and Agnes. They were undoubtedly getting closer. The touches, the looks and the blushes all told me that Agnes was as interested in Edie as my best friend was in the young shifter. I couldn’t help but wonder if Agnes sensed something about Edie, maybe that Edie was her mate. I wondered if that was even possible considering they were both women. I wondered about the coincidence of that possibility and that made me doubt myself even more.
I tried to reconcile what Violet had told me with what Yeager had revealed to me when we met. Could both be true? I suppose they could but that idea left me with even more questions than answers. I wondered how Violet could put me back on my heels so easily but I knew why. She spoke to the doubts that were already within me, the part of me that still couldn’t quite believe a man like Yeager could find a girl like me so attractive, the part that still couldn’t fully accept we were mates and that people turning into wolves was even possible despite that fact I was one of those people.
Lady Violet’s claims spoke to my irrational fears and doubts but it did so quite effectively. I knew that was likely her intent, I knew I was fool to trust her, but the seeds of doubt were sown. I tried so hard to dismiss them and ignore Violet’s claims but I found it difficult. If her intent was to put me off balance and cause me to doubt myself and Yeager, she had succeeded.
“Cassie, hello?” Gerard said turning my attention back to him. Was he done droning on about himself? He was going on about this and that as I was lost in my own thoughts.
“What? Sorry,” I replied.
“I asked if you would like to take a walk with me,” he repeated. He’d been telling me all about himself for nearly twenty minutes as I nodded and smiled but heard barely a word of it. I was sure his attention was all Violet’s doing and I wondered why Yeager hadn’t come to claim me. I had to remind myself he had no idea what Violet had told me or how it made me feel. Yeager probably thought I was being courteous. I was about to decline his invitation but Violet was suddenly there to meddle.
“I’ve sent Agnes to retrieve a jacket for you,” she said and I turned to find the girl was gone.
“It’s cold but refreshing here in the mountains this time of year,” Gerard added. Agnes returned and helped me slip into my jacket before I could even tell her not to bother. Then I looked up and found Sophia engaging Yeager, gazing up at him as she played with her red hair. She was flirting with him and Yeager seemed to enjoy the attention. They both laughed as I watched. Suddenly, I was burning with jealousy as Violet’s claims were given new life. Part of me knew I was being manipulated but right then, I just didn’t care. Seeing Yeager with her in light of Violet’s revelations had my blood boiling.
“Yes, I’d love to go for a walk,” I replied to Gerard despite my better judgment. I knew this was Violet’s doing but I found it hard to think clearly. I was
I didn’t believe her but still, her claims made some kind of sense. There was enough truth to cause me to doubt myself. I watched Yeager as he spent most of the evening in some corner or another with Edie and Agnes when she wasn’t serving drinks or doing Violet’s bidding. He would glance my way now and then, smiling warmly with a look that assured me this would all be over soon enough. I appreciated the gesture and he had no idea what Violet had told me, but I still held it against him that he didn’t come to rescue me.
Despite the doubt I felt, I couldn’t help but notice Edie and Agnes. They were undoubtedly getting closer. The touches, the looks and the blushes all told me that Agnes was as interested in Edie as my best friend was in the young shifter. I couldn’t help but wonder if Agnes sensed something about Edie, maybe that Edie was her mate. I wondered if that was even possible considering they were both women. I wondered about the coincidence of that possibility and that made me doubt myself even more.
I tried to reconcile what Violet had told me with what Yeager had revealed to me when we met. Could both be true? I suppose they could but that idea left me with even more questions than answers. I wondered how Violet could put me back on my heels so easily but I knew why. She spoke to the doubts that were already within me, the part of me that still couldn’t quite believe a man like Yeager could find a girl like me so attractive, the part that still couldn’t fully accept we were mates and that people turning into wolves was even possible despite that fact I was one of those people.
Lady Violet’s claims spoke to my irrational fears and doubts but it did so quite effectively. I knew that was likely her intent, I knew I was fool to trust her, but the seeds of doubt were sown. I tried so hard to dismiss them and ignore Violet’s claims but I found it difficult. If her intent was to put me off balance and cause me to doubt myself and Yeager, she had succeeded.
“Cassie, hello?” Gerard said turning my attention back to him. Was he done droning on about himself? He was going on about this and that as I was lost in my own thoughts.
“What? Sorry,” I replied.
“I asked if you would like to take a walk with me,” he repeated. He’d been telling me all about himself for nearly twenty minutes as I nodded and smiled but heard barely a word of it. I was sure his attention was all Violet’s doing and I wondered why Yeager hadn’t come to claim me. I had to remind myself he had no idea what Violet had told me or how it made me feel. Yeager probably thought I was being courteous. I was about to decline his invitation but Violet was suddenly there to meddle.
“I’ve sent Agnes to retrieve a jacket for you,” she said and I turned to find the girl was gone.
“It’s cold but refreshing here in the mountains this time of year,” Gerard added. Agnes returned and helped me slip into my jacket before I could even tell her not to bother. Then I looked up and found Sophia engaging Yeager, gazing up at him as she played with her red hair. She was flirting with him and Yeager seemed to enjoy the attention. They both laughed as I watched. Suddenly, I was burning with jealousy as Violet’s claims were given new life. Part of me knew I was being manipulated but right then, I just didn’t care. Seeing Yeager with her in light of Violet’s revelations had my blood boiling.
“Yes, I’d love to go for a walk,” I replied to Gerard despite my better judgment. I knew this was Violet’s doing but I found it hard to think clearly. I was
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