Chapter 11 Jason #2
I only caught the words she breathed because of my vampire super hearing, but I chuckled and reached for her.
“No, it’s fine. Stand up. But stay close to me.
” I pointed at the herbs I’d sprinkled on the ground by our feet.
“Kayla made a cloaking spell for me so the red wolves aren’t aware of our presence.
As long as we stay in this spot, we can watch them without being detected. ”
She shifted closer to me, until her back rested lightly against my chest, and I resisted the urge to loop my arm around her waist and hold her close. Instead, I just stood while she watched the wolves.
“I didn’t know they were here,” she murmured. “Look at them. I’ve heard a bit about them, but I thought they were rare or even extinct now.”
I nodded, although she couldn’t see me. “They are rare. I think through breeding with local coyote populations and a lot of human mismanagement of predator control—” I grimaced.
Humans had a lot to answer for. Some days, I could only imagine what they’d do if they suddenly became aware of the supernaturals in their midst. Anything they didn’t understand, they attacked.
Some vampires were no better. Taking things by force.
An image of Francois flitted through my mind.
He’s tried to take a lot of things by force. He’d damaged a lot of people.
He'd damaged himself.
Could he really be rehabilitated? Nic seemed to think so. Francois was just another project of Nic’s—like these wolves. My friend and sire was always trying to save that which no one else thought was worth saving.
He’d saved me by turning me. I would have died poor if Nic hadn’t been my friend rather than simply my master, if his family hadn’t been good people.
“Thank you for showing me,” she whispered as one wolf walked so close by that it disturbed the undergrowth in front of us.
I nodded again. “It’s why Nic didn’t want to part with this land.
The wolves are here and undisturbed. He can guarantee that right now.
Right this minute, you can see them. They’re fine.
If Nic trades off this area of land, he loses control over it, and he can’t prevent what anyone might do to the wolves here. ”
The breeze lifted Ciara’s hair to tease against my face as she moved to rest more firmly against me. “I see. But we’re wolves. Maybe it’s a good job the mad prince never knew they were here.”
And as much as it pained me, I defended Francois. “He wasn’t always mad.”
She shuddered against me but said nothing.
“Francois was the one who discovered the wolves first. He put the protections in place. That’s why Nic included the land in the original deal. He didn’t know about the animals here until we went through the Ricard paperwork. It was Francois who forbade hunting. And Nic agrees with him.”
“So much so that he’d try to screw Conri out of their deal?” But her voice no longer held any bitterness.
I inhaled, and Ciara’s head bounced against me. “It’s what I wanted to show you. It’s the why. It isn’t just a matter of Nic being a bastard toward your brother; I know how very grateful he is for all Conri did.”
“For his human.” Ciara spoke as though she was finishing my sentence, and I nodded.
“For his human,” I agreed. “For Leia.”
“She’s a vampire now.” Ciara sounded so thoughtful that I froze.
Could she know? Was she wondering? Did Ciara think she might become vampire, too?
But when she spoke again, she changed the subject. “I think we’ve got this.” She nodded as though agreeing with herself. “I think we can take care of them.” She laughed softly. “They’re almost kin after all.”
“Nic just wants the wolves to thrive. He wants Conri to have the land like they first agreed.” I could say this honestly because Nic wasn’t one to go back on a deal.
He never had been. “But I think he’ll want extra assurances from Conri that he’ll maintain this habitat and the current level of preservation. ”
She turned to me, her green eyes devoid of any secrecy or dishonesty. “The pack will take care of them, I guarantee it.”
I heard her words, but I was watching the movement of her lips intently, and I took her hand as she spoke.
Ciara hesitated at the end of her sentence, but instead of pulling away, her fingers curled slowly around mine as she watched me, uncertainty creeping into her gaze.
I dipped my head, my eyes still locked on hers, watching for any sign that she didn’t want this, but her lips parted, softening, and she seemed to hold her breath.
The moment my lips touched hers, it was as though I’d been winded, like I was human again and all of the air had been knocked from me.
I wanted to cling to her, to hold her tight in my arms, but I also wanted to savor her and treasure this moment.
I rested my hand against the back of her head, threading my fingers through the fine strands of her hair, and she made the softest sound of contentment against my mouth as my lips moved over hers and she responded with the smallest flick of her tongue, encouraging me.
I slid my tongue against hers as I held her tighter, and she relaxed, each of her tense muscles uncoiling.
I’d come home.