brother. Or have you already forgotten
about Cort?”
Nash growled angrily, pausing to glare
at the young man who had spoken.
“No, I won’t watch what I say,” the
young man countered. “If it’s a fight you
want, then we’ll give it to you.” He
looked around at other young males in the
crowd.
Nash did not back down even when
they began to shed their clothes and take
their Wolf forms. He lowered his head
and growled menacingly, his nose
rumpled, teeth barred, hackles raised.
Maralee glanced around nervously as a
dozen or so young males circled them,
growling and snarling. She expected them
to attack her, but they never even glanced
her way. Horrified, she watched them
lunge towards Nash. He threw off one of
the Wolves only to be attacked by three
more.
“No!” Maralee cried.
She flung herself into the middle of the
melee, trying desperately to reach Nash.
She had to protect him. She wasn’t sure
what she could do, but she couldn’t stand
by and watch. She managed to get a
handful of his fur before a set of strong
jaws clamped around her arm, gave her a
vicious shake and tossed her aside. She
struggled to her knees, ready to throw
herself back into the foray when someone
captured her by the shoulders from behind.
“Stay out of this. They will injure him
more severely if you try to interfere. Nash
knew this was coming,” Rella said. “Let
him fight. Allow him to keep his dignity.”
Maralee glanced up at the woman
holding her back. “His dignity? What good
is his dignity if he loses his life?”
Rella chuckled. Maralee bristled.
“Silly girl,” the lovely wolf woman
murmured. “He’s immortal and you are far
from it. He may wish he was dead when
this is all over, but he will not die, unless
someone slips him some silver amid the
chaos.”
Nash’s yelp of pain tore at Maralee’s
heart. If Rella hadn’t been holding her by
both
shoulders,
she
would
have
undoubtedly tried to help him in some
way.
“Mama! Make them stop!” Carsha
cried. “They’re hurting him.”
Rella released Maralee’s shoulders to
draw Carsha near. “Go into the house,”
she said to her daughter. “You shouldn’t
watch this.”
“Uncle Nash!”
Nash’s blood littered the melting
snow, but no matter how many times they
knocked him down, he somehow managed
to get back to his feet.
“I think he means to win this thing,”
Rella said, sounding surprised. “Just what
is he trying to prove?”
“I’ll leave,” Maralee whispered.
“This is my fault. If I go then…”
“You really don’t understand Wolves
at all,” Rella said. “By all means, leave. It
will make the risks he took and his fight
for nothing.”
“I can’t stand this!”
The pack regrouped, rushing forward
for another attack. This one was less
intense. The pack was tiring and seemed
less eager to fight. Nash wobbled as
several Wolves careened into him, but he
did not fall. Several Wolves were lying
on their sides in the melting snow,
breathing hard—alive but defeated.
Nash paused, lifted his snout to the
sky, and howled. The frenzied Wolves
stopped in mid-motion to stare at him. He
howled again. Maralee watched his
attackers sit on their haunches in the snow
and howl along with him.
Rella chuckled, an appreciative smile
on her lips. “He always was a smart one,”
she murmured. “Come, Carsha. This fight
is over.”
The girl looked up at her mother,
smiling. “I want to help Uncle Nash, too,”
she said breathlessly, her amber eyes
alight with hope.
“Wait!” Maralee said. “What just
happened?”
“Have Nash explain things to you,”
Rella said. “You can thank me for saving
your life later.”
Maralee realized the truth of her claim
at once. “Why did you?” Maralee asked.
“Don’t you hate me?”
“Of course I hate you,” Rella agreed,
“but I love Nash and you make him happy
for some unknown reason. That’s all I
want for him. That’s what Cort would
have wanted.”
Maralee was too stunned to respond.
Rella loved Nash? Maralee watched the
woman walk away. She disappeared into
her cabin with Carsha and two handsome
young boys with stark white hair. Others
began to leave the area as well, venturing
deeper into the forest to their own cabins.
Maralee turned to look at Nash who was
still howling with his chorus of attackers.
He nodded towards his cabin. She skirted
around the trees to his cabin and climbed
up on the porch. He spoke to his people in
his Wolf language for several moments
before joining Maralee on the porch. One
by one, the young male Wolves found their
discarded clothing and disappeared into
the trees. Nash watched them, breathing
hard, but seeming surprisingly well.
“Are you all right?” Maralee asked
when they were alone.
He glanced at her before rising to his
feet and trotting over to his front door. He
paused, nose on the doorknob and waited.
Maralee rushed forward to open it for
him. He went inside. She followed after
him, surprised when he collapsed just
inside the door.
“Nash!” she cried, dropping down to
her knees beside him and touching the fur
of his face.
He melted into his human form. “I’ll
be fine,” he said, touching her hand, which
was resting on his cheek. “I’m just utterly
exhausted.”
“And covered with wounds!” she said,
noticing the deep puncture marks that
peppered his body.
“It’s not so bad. Not one of them lost
their temper and did any permanent
damage,” he said. “I’m just not as young
as I used to be.”
“You can’t be more than twenty-eight
or twenty-nine,” she said with a smile.
He stared at her for a long moment and
then sighed. “I’m a hundred and twelve.”
Her eyes widened and then she smiled
at his obvious jest. “Don’t tease me,” she
said. “At least go lay down on the rug.
The floor is hard and cold. I’ll start a fire
for you.”
He smiled a thanks before reverting to
his Wol
f form and climbing wearily to his
feet. He curled up on the bearskin rug,
watching her as she set her knapsack on
the sofa and then moved to the fireplace.
“I was scared to death that you’d be
killed,” she said. She laid the kindling in
the grate and started the fire. “How did
you
ever
convince
them
to
stop
attacking?”
When he didn’t answer her, she turned
to look at him. He was already asleep.
She smiled as her love for this man, Wolf,
person warmed her blood. Her heart
threatened to burst with happiness. At last,
they could be together. There was nothing
to come between them now. She believed
this as she settled down on the rug beside
him and stroked his soft fur tenderly.
CHAPTER 32
After only a few hours, Nash awoke from
his nap eager to examine the book
Maralee had stowed in her knapsack. He
climbed to his feet and stretched his back
—front paws extended forward, his back
arched downward. He shook his head to
clear the fog from his mind and padded
through the house looking for Maralee.
When he discovered she wasn’t in the
house, he began to panic. He took his
human form, knowing she wouldn’t
understand him if he howled at her.
“Maralee, where are you?” he called.
“Maralee?”
He heard a commotion outside on the
porch. His heart sank down into his belly.
He moved to the front door and tore it
open. His first impression of the scene
sent a spear of ice down his spine, but
then he realized Maralee was laughing as
two small wolves tackled her and tumbled
her across the ground. He sighed with
relief.
“Oh, Uncle Nash,” Lord said from his
seat on the front steps, “you’re awake
already.”
Lark and Carsha barked excitedly as
Maralee struggled to her feet and tried to
catch them. It was a useless pursuit, but
she seemed to be enjoying herself.
“What are you pups up to?” Nash
asked his eldest nephew.
“Mama sent us over to check on you
and they all started acting foolish in the
yard,” Lord said, gazing out at his brother,
sister and the human woman with
disapproval.
“They seem to be having a good time,”
Nash said with a smile.
Lord shrugged. “They’ll be soaked,
playing in melting snow.”
Nash smiled. “I suppose,” he agreed.
“I guess you think that you’re too old for
such nonsense.”
“Somebody has to take responsibility
for this family now that Dad’s gone,” he
said solemnly.
Nash realized his young nephew was
trying to fill the vacancy that had been
offered to him. Nash wondered if Lord
would have been out playing in the snow
if he had accepted Rella’s proposition of
marriage. Knowing Lord, probably not.
Not unless he thought there wasn’t anyone
watching.
“I guess I should go get dressed,”
Nash said, smiling when Maralee caught
Lark by the tail and the white Wolf
jumped high into the air, drawing a gasp
and appreciative applause from her. This
inspired a series of leaps, jumps, and flips
that left Nash breathless with fatigue just
watching.
“What a show off,” Lord growled,
watching his brother’s antics with disgust.
“As if you could do better,” Nash
challenged, hiding his knowing smile
when Lord glanced up at him quickly.
His eyes narrowed. “You just want me
to get along with your mate,” Lord
accused suspiciously. “Don’t get your
hopes up. I know what she did to my
father.”
“It’s up to you if you forgive her. I
won’t require that you like her,” Nash
said. “You should consider giving her a
chance though. She’s changed.”
“I’m not so sure,” Lord murmured,
watching her lift an excited, wriggling
Carsha into her arms.
“Come inside when you get cold,”
Nash told Lord and went into the house to
find some clothes. He’d been mostly a
Wolf for well over a week. He was
looking forward to reclaiming the use of
his thumbs for a while.
After dressing, Nash worked on
preparing a meal for himself, Maralee and
their young guests. He made enough for
Rella as well, hoping they could convince
her to join them. He barely put his
family’s steaks over the fire, but he
broiled Maralee’s until it was done and
even roasted several small potatoes for
her. Just as he was about to call everyone
in to dinner, the front door burst open and
two sopping wet Wolves, a drenched
young woman and an irritated, white-
haired boy entered.
“I told you, you’d be soaked,” Lord
declared. “You’re getting mud and water
all over the floor.”
“It’s all right,” Maralee told him with
a friendly smile. “I’ll clean it up.”
Lord gave her a dark look before
moving in front of the fire to warm
himself. He continued to watch Maralee’s
every move, his mistrust obvious.
Maralee looked unsettled by the boy’s
dislike and leeriness. Nash watched her
consider her next move. She seemed to
realize she shouldn’t try to push Lord just
yet.
smells
good,”
she
declared, turning her attention to Nash.
“Did you cook?”
He nodded and glanced at the two
soaking wet Wolves making a spectacular
mess of his floor. “Lark and Carsha, go
home, put on some dry clothes, and bring
your mother back over for dinner.”
The pair of them barked an agreement
and Maralee opened the door for them so
they could make the quick trip home.
“I think that I’d better change clothes
as well,” she told Nash. She glanced at
Lord, who was still sitting by the fire,
pretending not to watch her warily. With a
small sigh, she took her knapsack to the
water
closet.
Nash
gave
her
an
encouraging smile as she passed, but she
was too preoccupied to notice.
“So,” Lord said irritably. “Why do
you like her so much anyway?”
Nash was taken aback by his question.
He’d never thought about why he had
strong feelings for Maralee. He merely
acknowledged them.
“Well…” he murmured, slim dark
eyebrows drawn together with perplexity.
“She’s not as pretty as my mother,”
Lord said, glancing at the floor and then at
his uncle.
“Your mother is a very beautiful
woman,” Nash agreed uneasily.
“Why did you choose this human
woman and reject my mother?” Lord
asked. “You made her cry.”
Nash was confused. “I made who
cry?”
“My mother. I wasn’t asleep when you
came back from fighting those wolves
after Mom. I heard her give herself to you
and you reject her. Then she started to
cry,” Lord told him, amber eyes full of the
pain of betrayal. “I won’t forgive you for
making her cry.”
“She wasn’t crying because I rejected
her,” Nash said, “but I understand why
you are angry with me.”
“You don’t understand anything!” he
said, climbing to his feet. “You don’t even
care that your human killed my father. She
came to our village only hours after you
buried him. You brought her into your
house and you expected me and Lark and
Carsha to come and entertain a murderer.”
Nash realized these words were too
mature for a boy his age to string together
on his own. He was likely repeating
something he’d overheard. “You know I
wouldn’t have asked you to join us if
you’d been in any danger.”
This did nothing to placate Lord. If
anything, he seemed even more agitated.
“Then you took Carsha to a human village.
What would have happened to her if
someone had found out what she really
is?”
“I would have protected her.”
“Would you have killed to protect
her?” Lord challenged, eyes flashing
angrily.
“You know I would have.”
“Even that woman?” he asked. “You
didn’t kill her to protect Dad.” Tears
flooded the boy’s eyes and he struggled
valiantly to prevent them from falling.
“I did not react quickly enough to save
your dad,” Nash murmured, “but I was
prepared to let her die if she raised her
sword to any of my people again.”
A startled gasp alerted Nash to
Maralee’s presence. She stood in the
hallway, riveted by their exchange,
clutching a towel to clean up the water
and mud on the floor. She was pale and
wide-eyed now, as she looked at him
questioningly.
“I don’t believe you,” Lord told him
before tearing out of the house, leaving
Nash and Maralee to stare at each other
wordlessly.
“Maralee?” he said after a moment