Chapter 10 #2
Bree was sorry to see his relaxed state disappear. She hurried alongside of him and taking a deep breath, said, “So what’s up with you and your friend Sir Garlain?”
“What’s up? I don’t know what you mean by those words.”
“I mean, why are you angry with him?”
“I want answers to my questions, and he is the one to satisfy my curiosity.”
He looked at her then, a deep, penetrating look that had Bree drawing in a sharp breath.
His gaze took in her entire face, zigzagging down to where his eyes stopped moving and targeted her lips.
Her heart rocked in her chest. She stared at his partly opened mouth and, without thinking, she licked her lips.
Heat filled her face. Was he trying to confuse her?
He cleared his throat. “You are quite beautiful and so like another woman I once knew.”
Bree blinked and gave a quick shake of her head.
So, that was why he was always staring at her.
She knew instantly who he was talking about because other than inheriting her father’s red hair, she and her mother could have been twins in appearance, right down to body types. He was thinking about her mother.
“Did you love that woman?”
“No. Although in another time and place, we might have made a connection, but it wasn’t meant to be.
Like you, she was beautiful and kind and friendly, and it is true, I was drawn to her—as were many knights—but we did not connect.
” He frowned and glanced at Bree before lowering his eyes to watch where his feet stepped.
“But she and Sir Garlain did? Are you talking about his wife?”
“I am.”
“If you’re not in love with her, why are you trying to find her?”
“I am worried about her.”
“Oh.” What else could Bree say? He was right to be worried about her. But did he think Garlain had done something to her?”
She tried to keep her voice light. “So, you think your friend is hiding her?”
They stepped into another clearing, but it was no lighter there than on the path.
Horland stopped and surveyed the area. “We will rest here.”
The girl gave him a thankful look and spread her coat out on the scarcely grassed ground and immediately fell asleep.
“That’s not going to be too comfortable,” Bree said, smiling down at the child.
“She is young,” Horland said.
“True. Look, I have to take a walk, can you watch her while I’m gone?”
“I will.”
Bree hurried into the dense forest and found a shrub with a little room behind it.
When she was finished, she started to stand up.
A howl pierced her ears. She froze. Another howl: the wolf was closer, much closer.
Her heart raced and throbbed in her temples.
She scanned the area, but there was too much vegetation to see if it was within striking distance.
Making sure she didn’t trip over any dead wood, she backed up.
Had Horland heard the wolf? Would he come to her or would he stay with the child?
She backed up into a great tree trunk and stilled.
The silence was thick and frightening. She tried to keep her breaths quiet but couldn’t stop them from coming out in short gasps.
A low growl sounded to her right. She held her breath as sweat trickled down her hairline, itching her skin, but she refused to scratch, refused to make any movement that might signal to the wolf she was there. There was no breeze to take her scent away, so the wolf might smell her.
Another low growl, so near. If the wolf didn’t smell her, he would surely hear her heart thumping against her ribs.
The bush she hid behind seconds earlier rustled. She stared at the moving leaves. A barred snout appeared, teeth gleaming. Bree slapped her hand over her mouth to stop a scream that began welling in her throat.
The wolf glared at her; a low rumble seemed to come straight from his chest. All Bree could do was stare hard into its eyes.
Somewhere in Bree’s frantic brain, she wished she could speak wolf.
It inched out further and its muscled shoulders followed.
Even in her frightened state she thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Its coat, all shades of gray and dark gray muzzle and chest.
It tilted back. Bree’s heart leapt into her throat.
It was getting ready to launch. Before she had time to think what to do, it leapt at her.
She shut her eyes, raised her arms in front of her face, and cowered back against the tree waiting for the impact, but nothing came.
A loud grunt sounded, followed by a yelp.
She opened her eyes. Horland was backing away from the wolf.
Bree wanted to call his name but stopped herself.
She didn’t want to take his focus off the wolf.
Looking around for a branch or something hard to throw at the beast, she spied Horland’s sword.
She picked it up and waved it in the direction of the wolf and man.
If she lunged with it, it could get Horland by mistake, so she stayed still, pointing it at the wary couple.
The wolf growled. Horland waved his hands around above his head and roared at the wolf. The wolf stalled, looking confused. Horland picked up a rock and threw it at the wolf’s shoulder. It hunched up and whimpered.
Horland picked up another rock and threatening to throw it, he cried out, “Begone with you.”
The wolf ran off through the foliage with its tail between its legs.
Horland took the sword out of Bree’s hands and hugged her to his chest. “It’s all right. She is gone now.”
Bree panted into his shoulder. “It can come back.”
Still holding her, he guided her around the tree and away from the direction the wolf took.
“She won’t come near us as long as we don’t go near her and her cubs.”
“Her cubs?”
He stopped just short of the clearing. The girl was safe and still asleep.
“Yes, she was protecting her cubs.”
“Is that why you threw your sword away? You didn’t want to kill her?”
“She has more right to be in the forest than I. It is her home after all, not mine.”
Bree relaxed then and nestled into his chest, taking in his earthy scent. “I’m glad you didn’t kill her.”
His arms tightened around her, and she leaned in closer, liking the way her body melded into his and enjoying the tingles of pleasure coursing down her back.
She lifted her head and gazed at him. His gray eyes clouded as he surveyed her face, his gaze resting on her lips. His head lowered and she froze, thinking he was going to kiss her, but he moved away and let his arms fall by his side.
He cleared his throat. “Time to wake the child and be on our way.”
Bree sighed and nodded. She could have stayed in his arms for eternity, and if he kissed her then, she would have welcomed it but now her head cleared, she was glad he withdrew his hold.
She wasn’t there to get all hot and bothered over a knight; she was there to fulfill a promise to her mother, and that was to find her father.
Horland stood over the girl, but Bree grabbed his arm. “Wait. Can’t we let the poor little thing sleep a bit longer? She’s exhausted.”
Horland tipped his head back and gazed at the treetops. “For a short time, perhaps.”
He sat down, propping his back against a smooth barked tree.
Bree sat beside Horland with a groan.
Horland patted his shoulder. “You can rest your head here.”
Bree glanced between the damp ground and his chest of chainmail and grinned. “Thanks, I will.”
She wanted to talk more about her parents, but all of a sudden all she could think of was the feel of his body under her head and the smell of earthy spices mixed in with a little crayfish from that morning.
She would have expected such smells to be unsavory, but for some reason, she breathed in the scents of Horland and liked them.
She relaxed and before she knew it, sleep took her into dreamland.