by Anthology
Adolpho’s blood pressure elevated as he held the needle and pushed it into the skin. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and a strange, swampy feeling hit his gut. His vision dimmed. He shook his head, fighting off the sensation and pushing her wound closed enough that he could just get on with the damned thing and get it over with. His nerves couldn’t handle dragging this out. His crude stitching left much to be desired, but he had the worst of it closed enough to add salve and wrap a bandage around.
Adolpho exhaled and breathed a sigh of relief. He wondered how long he’d been holding his breath and fighting back nausea. Oh how the men would laugh if they’d seen him quivering like a leaf because of a wounded girl. Lucky for him he didn’t have to worry about such things.
His hands were shaking. Annoyed, he put the sewing implements away, cleaned up his mess, and fixed himself a mug of tea and settled into his plush chair across the room near the wood stove. He pulled a thick ram’s fur across his feet to ward off a draft, let the radiating warmth seep into his bones, and closed his eyes.
A frightened gasp startled him from the brink of slumber. “He’s coming,” the woman croaked. A hoarse cry sent ice shooting through his blood.
2
Startled awake, Adolpho dropped his tea in his lap, dowsing his groin and shirt with tepid liquid. He cursed and jumped to his feet, glancing between his soaked britches and the woman on the bed. Grimacing, he yanked his pants off down to his loin cloth and removed his shirt, tossing both onto the floor before crossing the room to stand over her. He was a damned idiot falling asleep with a full cup of tea, and dumber still for leaving her side.
The woman writhed in the bed, throwing the blankets off and exposing vast swaths of dark-honeyed skin. His beast snarled hungrily, twisting his insides as he quelled temptation. Adolpho pulled the blankets back up, wondering if he’d just imagined her speaking before. She thrashed and jerked in distress as if fleeing a foe within a dream.
Sighing, he sat on the edge and searched his mind for something to soothe her and tried petting her surprisingly soft hair back from her forehead. She felt warm, but not feverish, to which he was thankful, thinking that the silver removal had done her some good and she was healing.
“Maybe you’re thirsty,” he said to himself, looking at her full, cracked lips. He cursed his stupidity and neglect. He stood to get her a drink, and the moment he left, she began her restless, disturbed movements once more.
Sympathy flooded him, and he sat down and gathered her head into his lap, tilting her head back as he put the cup to her mouth and urged her to drink. She coughed and strangled on the first sip, drank greedily then stopped abruptly as if satisfied. The moment he attempted to ease away from her, she acted distressed and calmed only with his nearness.
Setting the cup on the floor, he squeezed himself beside her in the bed, dragging the covers up over them both. His presence soothed her, allowing her to still in her sleep as she curled into his chest. Her warmth and closeness awakened dim memories of a woman’s soft touch. Damn, he’d been too long without companionship if an unconscious girl roused his beast, and he felt it prowling hungrily beneath the surface.
The randy bastard unfurled within his mind, sniffing around for a bitch in heat as he steadfastly fought for control and tamped the wildness back. The fact he couldn’t offer solace to a woman in need without the threat of turning into a rutting beast made him disgusted with himself. Too many years on his own seemed to finally be getting to him.
He clenched his jaw, considering vacating the bed back to his chair to avoid tempting fate. His stomach flipped and flopped, but he was too tired to make any sense of his reaction and too damned lazy to get back up again so he stayed stiff in the bed and drowsed.
At some point in the night, that hazy place between alert and sleep blurred, turning to full-blown slumber. He wasn’t sure when it happened, because in the back of his mind, he didn’t expect to relax with a strange woman beside him all night. The morning light peeked through the window beside his bed, urging his eyelids to crack open on their own volition.
Beside him, the woman stared at his face. Her limpid green eyes reflected only wariness and his own startled face in her large pupils. He’d never seen anything more beautiful.
An unexpected blush heated his face when he realized she’d caught him, and they were both nearly naked. Swamped with guilt, Adolpho jumped out of the bed, realized his cock had betrayed him with morning stiffness, and immediately went for the door and his coat to burst outside to relieve himself.
Snow crunched underfoot. “Holy hell!” He should have dressed, but he had to get out of that space and save himself. In the back of his mind, his wolf bared its teeth, rubbing nerves down his spine in an effort to be unleashed and put his erection to good use. The frigid snow pushed the urge back, making him shudder. This wasn’t like him. Rarely had he ever noticed his beast hammering at his control. For most of his life, he could almost forget that other half of him existed. What in this girl brought it to the forefront? He’d escorted hundreds of maidens to town and never felt a twinge of interest.
Adolpho stepped back onto the porch, his hand hovering over the knob as he considered just leaving the house to her until she left. He talked himself out of his chagrin, took a deep breath, and re-entered his home.
She was in his chair, robed in the fur with those enormous green eyes watching his entry and tousled black hair falling around her forehead and cheeks. Some stood up in the back, asking to be combed or to have his fingers run through it. Somehow, she seemed sensual and innocent all at once, and his libido was the one to suffer.
He cleared his throat. “Just comin’ in for my clothes.” He grabbed pants and a shirt from the chest at the foot of his bed, then looked helplessly around for a private space to change. He suddenly felt an appreciation for his mother and father he hadn’t thought of before. How had they maintained marital relations with a little one in the house and no separate rooms?
“I’ll turn around, if I’m bothering you,” she said in a husky soft voice that riled his insides.
Adolpho snorted and puffed up his chest as his inner wolf licked its chops. He might not be chiseled perfection, but he was heavy with muscle and had seen few others who could compare for sheer size and strength. “Look all you want. A woman’s eyes are no bother,” he lied, blustering and dropping his coat on the bed to pull his clothes on. She side-eye watched him, and his blush annoyingly returned. “Tis hot in here,” he said gruffly.
She giggled and stifled the chuckle.
In truth, it did bother him a little, and he wasn’t sure if she was laughing at his bald lies or his form. He was thicker than other men in the clan, with bulky muscles and a layer of meat on top of that to add to his size. He’d seen the other clansmen with their perfectly carved muscles and little to no fat—that was what he was supposed to look like, and he didn’t and most of the young women frittered and fawned over the strutting, pretty boys when they stripped down to go on a wolf run.
He didn’t mind not attracting the ninny-headed women since he’d consigned himself to a bachelor’s life, but he disliked feeling judged. He couldn’t tell if she was measuring him negatively. Added to that the fact that he had more hair on his chest, legs, and arms than he did his head, and it made for an uncomfortable feeling whenever he stripped down to wolf-shift. Another reason why he chose to hunt alone for the most part—not that the men paid much attention to him.
Adolpho mentally kicked himself for caring. She wouldn’t be here long enough to matter. “You hungry?” he asked, glancing at her to see if she’d caught on to his inadequacies.
She smiled and he had to force himself to look away from her eyes. Something about the green combined with her spiky black hair and dark skin was entrancing. Maybe she was a witch?
She touched her stomach. “I am. You saved me, didn’t you? I can’t really remember what happened.”
He shrugged and pulled a skillet down from the shelf along with a few onions
, carrots, and some salted meat. “Aye. You could call it that. I did what anyone else would.”
“Not everyone would aid me. Thank you…”
“Adolpho,” he offered. He put the tea on and commenced to cooking. Cooking was one thing that always calmed him down. He had a penchant for it, but the winter fare he had in his stores left much to be desired. He wished he’d met her during the summer, when the abundance of game and crop would allow him to dazzle her with his skills. What the hell was he thinking? He didn’t impress women—ever. “What’s your name?”
“Star.”
He left the skillet on the side of the wood stove and took down the dress he’d aired out overnight. “I’ve got this, if you want to slip it on—since you don’t seem to have much of anything else. It was my mother’s. I’ll see if I can find some of her shoes and a coat after we break fast.” He considered letting her recover before questioning her and tossed that out. “What are you running from? You aren’t wolf or bear. You don’t belong here.”
* * *
Star slipped the long-sleeved dress over her head. She might as well tell him everything. “I’m a lynx,” she said quietly.
Adolpho stared at her with raised eyebrows. “Lynx don’t come this far north. What are you doing here?”
“I was…” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “We’re loners by nature. No pack. No clan. No family. And you’re right, we don’t come into wolf or bear territory, for obvious reasons.”
Adolpho pulled the stool up to the table then filled them each a plate of food and motioned her forward to take the chair while he sat on the stool. She sat with him and only ate once he began. “Still doesn’t answer everything, miss.”
Heat flushed her face. She covered her reaction by drinking the hot tea. “My—uh—mating heat is close. He—Taj—found me when I’d trapped a hare in its burrow. I’d been digging the hole out, not paying attention to my surroundings, and he hit me or something. The next I knew, I was bound and taken to a cave here in the mountains. He’d shackled me and bolted a chain to the floor. He said he didn’t want anyone else to have me, and he’d wait until my heat took root and I couldn’t resist him. He’s greedy and didn’t want to have to share.”
“He thought the wolf clan would keep any rivals away?”
She shrugged. “I think so.”
“He’s a bloody idiot. How did you get away?
“He didn’t come back. He never left for more than a few hours, and I would pound on the links with a rock I’d pried out of the wall. I didn’t know what else to do. It finally weakened enough to come free, and I ran out. I thought he’d be outside waiting on me, or track me down. Maybe he’s dead.”
“That kind never get what’s coming to them by chance. He got any sense, he won’t come looking for you. I’ll rip his head off if I see him.”
The grim look in his eyes and the set of his big jaw made her warm inside. “I’d like that,” she said, smiling.
“Bloodthirsty wench,” he said with a laugh.
“I’ve had to be to survive. I thought about bashing his head in with my rock, but he stayed out of reach.”
Adolpho leaned back in his chair, giving her an appreciative eye. “This lets me know I better not cross you, wildcat. I like that.”
Star showed a toothy grin, arching a fine brow. It was easy to joke about committing violence against her captor, but the truth was she’d been terrified. Relief couldn’t begin to describe how she felt being free from Taj. She was lucky he hadn’t raped her, but he’d been under the delusion that she would eventually welcome his advances. Perhaps that was normal practices among the cat shifters—she didn’t know. She’d always avoided people before, and now she realized living her lonesome lifestyle had thrust her into danger rather than evade it.
“I’ll check your wound after we’re done, then we can go into town to see what Alpha says. I can’t risk pissing off the clan leader by letting a she-cat in if he don’t want it.”
“Will he turn me away?”
“I’ll speak for you. He’s been making peace lately. Not sure why. Maybe it’s age. He likes women. Can’t see him turning a pretty lass like you away. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t try to keep you for himself, since he has never gotten around to choosing a mate of his own.”
She nodded, and they ate in silence. Star studied him and wondered why he lived here alone. It was obvious he was unmated, but she could see no reason why. He was pleasing to look at and very large and muscular—an ideal protector in her eyes. Her kind were smaller of stature and lean. She rather liked the notion of him stomping out anyone who could harm her. She’d been on her own for so long a time that the idea of allowing someone to help ease the burden instead of taking advantage of her appealed greatly.
He also possessed a startling set of crystal blue eyes, made more noticeable for the frame of curly lashes and straight, bushy black eyebrows. They were ridiculously beautiful but not the least feminine. She struggled to keep from daydreaming at his eyes. He would think her rude for staring, she was certain. She wondered if he was immune to her pheromones, being of the wolf clan. The thought eased her mind about taking refuge among his clan.
He took their empty plates and cleaned them in a wash basin before returning his attention to her. “Sit in my chair and let me check your wound. No objections,” he said with a waggle of his forefinger.
Adolpho brought the stool and a small decorative box with him and sat.
“It itches,” she said as he lifted her foot and set it on his broad knee. An odd thrill coursed up her sole when he wrapped his big hand around it and examined her ankle after removing its bindings. He touched the crude stitching, setting off another round of itching.
“You’ve healed. Mostly. That silver in the shackle was poisoning you. I’ll just snip these stitches out and remove them.”
“I can do it,” she said and pursed her lips.
He looked up. “I know you can, but why don’t you let me take care of this. I don’t get a chance to help anyone very often.” He cut the knots and began pulling tidbits of thread from her.
“Ow!” she pulled her foot, but he held firm, watching her with a measured stare. Damn he was strong.
“Don’t be a baby now, lass.” He pulled the last of the stitches out. “All done. I’ll even give it a healing kiss like my ma did when I was a boy.” He bent and kissed the top of her foot and the front of her ankle, grinning.
His lips sent an unbidden burst of warmth racing up her skin. She immediately recognized the overreaction of her mating heat. This wouldn’t do at all. Wolves and lynx didn’t mate, did they? She sincerely hoped he didn’t notice that she reacted sexually to his innocent gesture.
Adolpho, blissfully unaware, rubbed her skin and patted her foot. His calloused fingers sent bristly gooseflesh up her arms and neck. “You’ll have a scar, I’m afraid, but a small blemish for one so lovely shouldn’t hurt your chances on finding a mate. I doubt any would notice unless they bent to kiss the ground you walk upon.”
She pulled her foot free, pushing her skirt down and standing. “You’re a charmer. You make me blush. I think you’re exaggerating to make me feel better.”
He shrugged and chuckled with his rumbling voice. “Och. Easy to flirt when you don’t have to worry about a girl losing her head over the likes of ya.”
Star slanted her eyes, looking up at him as he stood. “What if I took you at your word and returned your flirtation?”
Adolpho swallowed, staring at her with visible anxiety creeping into his eyes. He cleared his throat and neutralized his expression. “I’d have to think that Taj had knocked a little of the sense out of your noggin then. Why would a pretty little thing like you want to waste time on me? Look at this mug and imagine waking to it each day.” He laughed. “Time to stop joshing me and head to town. It’s a short walk, but I’ll find something to keep you warm on the way. It’s solstice time. For a loner like you, it may be too much, but I think you’ll like what
we have to offer.”
She nodded. It made her sad that he thought so little of himself. What cruelty had created this notion that he was unworthy of attention?
She watched him climb a ladder up to a loft. His breeches hugged his body tightly, accentuating his massive thighs and tight rounded buttocks. Again, that inevitable feeling crept into her awareness, and she shook it off, determined to be better than a mindless beast. He returned with a pretty coat made of brown wool trimmed in snowy white fur and embroidered with a cunning design of wolves and swirls of flowers and trees.
“It’s beautiful!” she said.
He helped her into the coat. “She—my ma—loved to embroider. It’s good to see it put to use again. Let’s go. There’s a tankard of ale calling my name.”
3
The gates to town stood open, allowing any who wished to enter the festivities. At least a dozen merchants lined the main street with carts filled with wares: baked breads twisted into cunning knots; another stand held embroidered dresses and cloaks; a small dark woman with bright eyes and crooked teeth harked pasties stuffed with cabbage and meat; across the street from her stood a man selling strings of fish; still another offered wooden cages filled with pigeons, chickens, and quail. Brightly colored scarves fluttered in the wind like banners. The scent of roasted goat mingled with rabbit stew. Spruce bows and wreaths decorated the buildings and carts, and everyone seemed to have a smile on their face.
On a corner stood a minstrel strumming a lute and singing a lively song of the son of his god and angels rejoicing in the heavens.
Star was overwhelmed by the scents, sights, and crowds of people. Weaving through the legs of the adults were hordes of children with crumb-covered grins, adding to the fervor and chaos. She appreciated the pure joy in those around her, though she didn’t understand it.