“Do you remember what I told you—that every time Empaths form a bridge it becomes stronger? That’s what will happen to us.” He took her hands in his and rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles. “Traditional wisdom says that two Empaths together isn’t a good mix. That they become lost in each other to the exclusion of all else.”
Pulling her hands free, she placed them on her hips. “And who, exactly, is sharing this ‘traditional wisdom’? Do they really know what they’re talking about? Is it an authoritative source? Or merely folklore?”
Rafe hesitated. “I’ve never questioned it. It’s what I’ve always heard…”
Eve raised her brows. “Well, it seems to me that someone as clever as a doctor shouldn’t be basing decisions on hearsay. Perhaps that group that doesn’t like us—the Anti-Fae—has been spreading this crazy rumour to keep us apart.”
“Well…” He paused and then conceded. “I’d never thought of it that way. It seems highly unlikely, but—”
“Maybe because being Fae is all new to me, it allows me to see things in a different light than you do. To question things more.” She slid her arms around his waist and clasped her hands in the small of his back. “Until I have definitive proof otherwise, I’m not going to let the fact that we’re both Empaths keep us apart. Besides, we’re only half empathic, right?” Stretching on her tiptoes, she kissed him again. “Rafe McRae, I came here because I miss you and I want to be with you, hopefully for a long, long time.”
He kissed her back then rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as if gathering inner strength. When he stepped back, his face was deadly serious. “If that’s the case, then we need to talk.”
“I thought that’s what we were doing already?” She cocked her head, puzzled as to what else there was to say.
“You asked if I was a werewolf. How do you feel about them, wolves I mean?”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re back to that again? Rafe, I was talking crazy. I let Caro—”
He pressed a finger to her lips, hushing her. “Please. Just try to imagine if I was involved with wolves. How would you feel?”
Eve considered his question. “I suppose, if it was a necessary part of your job, it would be okay. It’s not like I’d be going to work with you. Are they like therapy dogs?”
Rafe didn’t answer, instead asking yet another question. “But what if there was a wolf right here, in the house?”
“In the house?” Her voice rose an octave and she looked around nervously. “You have one as a pet?”
“Um…something like that. And I’m very attached to it.”
“Oh. Well,” she swallowed nervously, imagining a wolf in the house, lying in front of the fireplace, eating from a bowl in a corner of the kitchen… Her palms grew damp at the very thought but she tried to put on a brave face. “I guess I’d just have to get used to it.”
“And could you keep its existence a secret. Not tell anyone?”
She removed her arms from around his waist and stepped back. Was it illegal to keep a wolf as a pet? While she didn’t voice the question, she wasn’t sure she was comfortable with possibly breaking some city bylaw. Rafe remained silent, waiting for her answer. “I suppose if it means that much to you then I would.” She bit her lip, feeling the tension rising inside her. “I’m assuming it’s friendly?”
“Very.” For the first time in several minutes, he actually showed a trace of a smile. “Here, sit down.” He took her by the shoulders and sat her in one of the elegant chairs that decorated the front foyer. “I’ll be right back.”
Eve watched Rafe disappear from sight and started to nervously pleat the hem of her sweater with her fingers. He had that wolf out back in a pen no doubt, and was going to introduce her to it. She took a steadying breath. She could do this. He’d be right beside her and the beast would be on a leash, right? The scars on her arm throbbed and she rubbed her hand over the spot, trying not to think about the attack.
The faint clicking sound of claws on tile was the only warning she had before a large chocolate brown wolf appeared in front of her. It was massive with thick fur and piercing eyes. Her breath hitched in her throat and she leaned as far back in the chair as she could.
“R..Rafe?” She called out his name. Where was he? Why wasn’t he here, holding onto the animal’s leash? And speaking of leash… From what she could see, there wasn’t one. Not even a collar.
The wolf walked closer. Her breathing began to speed up, her heart started to pound. She gripped the edge of the chair, not caring that her nails were likely piercing the satiny fabric. When it was right in front of her the wolf licked its lips and its jaws opened. Her eyes widened as she took in the glistening teeth. Oh God…
About to scream, she froze when the creature suddenly yawned and plopped its chin in her lap. Looking up at her, it wiggled its ears and quirked a brow as if to say, ‘aren’t you going to pet me?’
For a moment Eve stared at the creature dumb-founded. When it made no move except to sigh, she forced herself to relax.
“Okay. I can do this.” She began to give herself a pep talk. “Obviously, Rafe must think you’re pretty tame or he wouldn’t have left me alone with you. At least, I hope he wouldn’t…” Forcing herself to move, she released her death grip on the chair and tentatively reached out to touch the animal. Her hand hovered over its head and then slowly lowered it until her palm made contact with the wolf’s head. Its fur was warm and smooth. She began stroking it, running her fingers through the silky brown fur, enjoying the thick softness.
The wolf let out a low rumble and closed its eyes. Eve giggled softly. “You’re just like a dog, aren’t you? No need to be scared of you, is there?” She ruffled its fur and shook her head before calling out to Rafe. “It’s okay. Your pet passed the test.”
Turning in her chair, she craned her neck, looking down the hallway and expecting to see Rafe walking towards her. He’d probably been observing the whole interaction.
Rafe didn’t appear, but the wolf suddenly got to its feet and trotted down the hallway. It turned the corner and barely a second later Rafe appeared hitching his shoulders as if adjusting his clothing. He must have one of those silent dog whistles that the wolf responded to, she decided.
Eve got to her feet. “You know that wasn’t very nice of you to let me meet your pet all by myself. You could have at least come in the room and given me moral support.”
“You weren’t alone.”
“Right. The wolf was with me.” She rolled her eyes.
“So,” he shoved his hands in his pockets. “What do you think? Are you scared of wolves?”
“Well, not that one, that’s for sure.” An idea popped into her head. “One of the wolves that I saw that last day in Grassy Hill looked just like that, I’m sure of it!” She cocked her head. “Was it him? But if so, where did you keep it? I never saw him the whole time I was there and he’s pretty big to hide.”
“He was there.” Rafe suddenly crouched in front of her and took her hands in his. “Eve, are you sure about this? About us?”
His tone, the expression on his face was so serious, that she began to feel nervous. “Yes. I’m sure.”
“If we go ahead now, there’s no turning back.”
“Rafe, what is it?” She shifted uneasily.
“I have to tell you something, Eve. It’s a secret. A deadly secret. One you can’t tell anyone else, ever.”
She licked her lips but nodded. “All right. Is it about the wolf?”
He nodded. “The wolf and I…we’re one. What Caro suggested to you—that I’m a werewolf, or a Lycan—is true.”
Eve blinked. “You’re really a…? No. Oh no. This is just… It’s…” She shook her head and tried to pull her hands free, but he held on tight.
“It’s not so hard to believe, Eve. You’re Fae. Lots of people would say that’s impossible but it’s not. I’m half Fae and half Lycan. It’s not scary or weird or impossible. Just another form of life amidst the thousan
ds that already populate our planet.”
“You’re a werewolf. You turn into an animal at will.” She restated the facts, hoping that by saying them they’d seem more real.
“Yes.” He looked at her expectantly, but she didn’t know what to say.
“You know, I came here to ask you this very thing but now… It seems unreal. I suppose I secretly never thought Caro was right and was just using it as an excuse.”
“But now? Are you okay with it?”
“I have to be. I mean… I love you, Rafe. All of you. And if that includes you spending part of the time as a wolf, it’s something I’ll have to accept…I guess.” She rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe I’m saying this!”
Rafe stared at her and then gave a laugh. Standing up, he pulled her to her feet and hugged her. “I think I’ll have to thank Caro next time our paths cross.”
“Thank her? Why?” Eve relaxed in his grasp, the tension she’d been feeling easing away.
“She introduced a tricky topic that I wasn’t sure how to broach. I was actually coming home from work trying to think of how to introduce the topic to you and then here you were.” He shook his head. “All I could think of was ‘damn, now what am I going to say to her.’”
“Ah! That explains why you reverted back into stone-faced McRae when I first got here.”
“Stone-faced McRae?”
“One of my secret names for you those first few months.”
He scowled. “That’s not very respectful, you know.”
“And you weren’t very friendly.” She lifted her chin giving her head an airy toss, before standing on tiptoe and kissing him. “But I forgive you.”
“I can see you’re going to keep me on my toes.”
“Me? You’re the tall one. I’m on tiptoe all the time trying to reach you.”
He chuckled and gave her another hug before sobering. “There’s a serious side to this, though. We’re not allowed to tell anyone. It’s a law called The Keeping. Telling humans about our existence is strictly forbidden and there are severe consequences for disobedience.” Putting his arm around her shoulder, he guided her back towards the den. “In fact, we’re only allowed to tell humans if they become pack members.”
“But…I’m not a pack member. Is that going to cause a problem?” She slid him a sideways look.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“On you, and if you’re deemed trustworthy. Approval has to be gained from an Alpha. And since I’m technically considered the Alpha of my clinic, that means appealing to the next level of authority.”
Eve made a face. “It sounds like a lot of fuss over something quite simple. So I know you’re a werewolf. Is it really that big of a deal?”
“At one time Lycans were hunted almost to the verge of extinction. Keeping our existence a secret is the only thing that has allowed us to continue to live undisturbed.” His voice had lost any trace of teasing; his expression was serious. “We guard our privacy fiercely and the penalty for revealing our existence is death.”
“Death?” Eve swallowed and pulled away slightly. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea, me knowing about you. I mean, what if your superiors don’t think I’m trustworthy?”
He gave her a reassuring hug. “It won’t be an issue. If I thought there was even a chance your character would be doubted, I’d never have admitted a thing.”
“But how can you be so sure?”
“Because I know you. And because you’re part Fae. While some might protest otherwise, the Fae are part of the ‘other’ realm we all belong to. You don’t go around telling people about your empathic abilities, do you?”
“No! They’d likely think I was crazy.”
“That shows you know how to keep a secret. High Council won’t have a problem with you.”
“You’d better be right.” Almost, Eve wished she’d never asked Rafe about being a werewolf. High Council sounded pretty official, and she’d never done well those types of individuals, tending to get tongue-tied and blurting out the first thing that popped into her head.
She decided to focus on something else for the time being.
“What’s it like to shift? Can I see you do it?”
“Right now?”
“Sure.” She looked about. They were in the kitchen just outside the archway to the den. “Why not?”
He stepped away from and before she was even prepared there was brief shimmering of the air, not quite a flash of light but something, almost a spark, and then a wolf stood before her. Surprise had her stepping back and bumping into the island counter. “Oh. My. Gosh.”
The wolf cocked its head, its tongue lolling in and out of its mouth.
“Um…Rafe?” She took a small step forward and then bent over to peer directly in the animal’s eyes. “Are you in there? Can you understand me?”
A thump of its tail on the floor could be taken as a confirmation.
“Wow.’ She straightened still amazed by what she’d seen. “How do you do that?”
Another shimmer of the air and Rafe stood before her again. “It’s not hard. We just manipulate the energy around us.”
“Manipulate the energy?”
He nodded. “All matter is made of energy, right? We simply harness it, shifting the energy that our body is made of into another form.”
“But what about your clothes? I thought you needed to strip or something.”
He waggled his eyebrows at her. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Rafe!”
“All right. No, we don’t need to strip. Clothing is matter. Anything we’re wearing or holding gets caught up in the energy shift.”
“And when you return to human?”
“The energy we used simply reverts back to its original state.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t a science major by any means, but it sort of made sense. “Does it hurt?”
“Not really. When you shift you gather your personal energy inside you, sort of squeezing or compressing it as you concentrate on the form you want to attain and then you let go. It expands, spreading out, filling you until it sort of explodes. It’s actually rather pleasurable.” He ended with a smile.
“And when you’re a wolf, you understand everything I say to you.”
“Everything. The wolf is there, but I’m in control.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “How did you feel about me being a wolf? Did it bring back bad memories of your attack?”
Eve considered his question. With his arms wrapped around her and the warmth of his body seeping into hers, it didn’t feel like a problem at all. “No. I had a sense that you were there, that you’d never hurt me.” She looked up at him and smiled.
He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. “I’m glad. That’s one of the reasons I stayed away. You were so upset that last night that a relationship with you seemed doomed.”
“Of course I was upset.” Eve scolded. “It wasn’t even twenty-four hours after the fact. Geez, you’d think with your job you could figure that out.” She smacked him lightly on the chest.
Catching her hand, he pressed it to his chest. “That doesn’t mean I always get things right. I make mistakes, just like everyone else.” His voice took on a serious tone. “And after your experience with Grant, I wasn’t about to suggest an emotional exchange so I could understand how you were feeling.”
“I doubt I would have been up to that.”
Rafe drew her close, resting his chin on top of her head. “It was poor timing. If I hadn’t had to leave right away, I could have helped you work through the experience.”
Tilting her head, she looked up at him. “A bit of distance was probably a good thing anyways. I think I was so shook up by the whole episode I wouldn’t have been too receptive to anything you had to say. All I wanted to do was to get as far away from Grassy Hills as I possibly could. I needed some time alone to sort things out and gain some perspective.”
“And now?”
; “Now…” She took a deep breath. “I’m ready for our relationship to continue, even if you are a werewolf…if you want it to, that is.”
Rafe cupped her cheek and leaned closer, his lips but a whisper away from hers. “I…” He kissed her. “Definitely.” Another kiss. “Want to.” What had started out as a quick peck grew into something longer, deeper, and far more sensuous. When he finally pulled away, he exhaled slowly. “I really did miss you, Eve.”
She licked her lips, savouring the taste of him. He was watching the movement of her tongue and the imp inside her spurred her onward. Wetting her lower lip, she then dragged her teeth across it while looking up at him through her lashes. “I’m not sure you’ve thoroughly convinced me.”
“Oh, no?” With a growl, he pulled her flush against him and slammed his mouth down on hers. What followed was almost an orgy of kissing as if he were trying to make up for lost time. Lips slid over lips, tongues tangled, tender nips were exchanged.
Clinging to his shoulders, Eve savoured the feel of his body pressed to hers. Hard muscles under her palms, the feel of his hand gripping her hair. He nudged his thigh between hers and she rocked against it, not holding back the whimper of need. It had been too long since she’d experienced release.
She began to pull his shirt free from his pants, then worked at the buttons, eager to feel his bare skin. Rafe must have been of a similar mind for he was making short work of her own clothing, bunching her sweater, unhooking her bra. He worked one hand between them and cupped her breast, rhythmically kneading her flesh.
Eve bunched the material of his shirt in her hands; his palms, roughened by his days repairing the cabins, gently abraded her skin causing goose bumps to appear. She shivered in delight when, breaking off their marathon kiss, he turned his attention to the cord of her neck. He gently bit down while spanning her ribs with his hands. Leaning back to give him better access to her flesh, she sighed in delight, and revelled in his tender ministrations before the need to give as well as receive had her unknotting his tie and dealing with the buttons on his shirt. Once it was open, she caressed his chest, teasing him as he was teasing her.
“Eve…” He hissed her name when she raked her fingers gently down his chest to his stomach. “You’re an evil minx.”
Betrayed: Days of the Rogue Page 40