Defying Destiny

by Olivia Downing

  behind him and he stopped to look at her.

  She dropped her rabbit and sat back on

  her haunches, panting. Apparently there

  were limits to the pup’s boundless energy.

  Nash dropped the leg of his deer.

  Almost home, he barked.

  She melted into her human form,

  scowling at him. “I’m tired, Uncle Nash.”

  It’s going to start snowing soon. We

  need to hurry.

  “I can’t. I’m too tired.”

  Climb up on my back. I’ll carry you

  for a bit.

  Her face broke into a wide smile.

  “Yeah!”

  She picked up her rabbit in one hand

  and scurried up onto his back. She lay

  along his back on her belly, draped her

  arms around him and rubbed her face

  against the back of his neck.

  Better change back to Wolf. You’ll

  freeze.

  “Your fur is warm,” she murmured

  drowsily.

  He didn’t argue with her further. She

  would change back on her own if she

  became cold while she slept. With

  fatigued jaws, Nash grabbed the deer

  carcass around the neck and continued

  through the forest towards village.

  By the time they reached home, it was

  snowing heavily. Carsha’s small Wolf

  body was curled up between his shoulder

  blades, covered in a fluffy blanket of

  frigid white. Rella met them on the front

  porch. Nash dropped the deer carcass at

  the bottom of the steps.

  “I was starting to worry about you

  two,” Rella said, tugging her cardigan

  more snuggly around her body.

  She’s asleep, Nash woofed quietly.

  Rella chuckled and retrieved her pup

  from Nash’s back. “You actually wore her

  out. Impressive.” She started back

  towards the house, Carsha curled up in her

  arms. Nash stood there indecisively. Rella

  held the door open for him. “Just put the

  deer up on the porch. I’ll dress it a little

  later.”

  He pulled the carcass up the steps and

  left it in the corner of the porch. He shook

  the snow from his fur and stepped into the

  house. Lark and Lord sat on the sofa

  reading from schoolbooks Nash had given

  them. Both appeared injury-free already.

  “Uncle

  Nash!”

  Lark

  greeted

  enthusiastically. He set his book aside and

  jumped to his feet. He was very much like

  his father. It made Nash miss Cort even

  more. Lord was closer in temperament to

  Nash. Lord offered a semi-smile before

  returning his attention to his book.

  “Did you get a bear?” Lark asked

  eagerly.

  I only had Carsha with me. It took a

  large

  pack

  of

  Wolves

  working

  cooperatively to take down a bear.

  “Oh, right!” Lark agreed. “Did Carsha

  get anything?”

  “She got a fine, fat rabbit,” Rella said.

  She laid her sleeping pup on the floor near

  the hearth, and then held up Carsha’s

  rabbit for her older brother to see.

  Lark whistled appreciatively.

  “Keep it down, Lark,” Rella said.

  “Your sister is sleeping.” She tousled his

  stark white hair as she walked past him,

  carrying the rabbit towards the kitchen to

  be dressed.

  “What did you get, Uncle Nash?” Lark

  asked.

  “Why don’t you go out on the porch

  and look?” Rella said. “I swear between

  you and Carsha, there is never a moment

  of peace in this house.” She was smiling

  to herself when she disappeared in the

  kitchen.

  Lark raced to the door and flung it

  open. Lord set his book aside and

  followed. They went out onto the porch,

  leaving the front door wide open.

  “A twelve point buck!” Lark said.

  Nash trotted after them and closed the

  front door behind him with his teeth.

  “Nice buck, Uncle Nash,” Lord said.

  “It’s awesome,” Lark said. “I wish I

  would have been there.”

  Next time.

  “Oh yes!” Lark said, tightening his fist

  and making a motion of victory. “We’ll

  get an eighteen point buck and a grizzly

  bear.”

  Nash made a sound of humor, his Wolf

  laugh.

  “Don’t be an idiot, Lark,” Lord said.

  “Uncle Nash is good, but he’s not that

  good.”

  “I’ll be with him. Don’t forget that,”

  Lark said, patting Nash’s broad head.

  “Like that would make a difference,”

  Lord said, hiding a smile.

  Lark scooped a large pile of snow

  from the porch railing and hit Lord in the

  face with a snowball. Lord’s mouth

  dropped open. He scooped up some snow

  for a retaliating blow. Lark ducked and the

  snowball hit Nash in the side of the head.

  Lord’s eyes widened. “Oh, sorry,

  Uncle Nash.”

  Nash growled, though his tail was

  wagging, and knocked Lord backwards

  with a solid nudge of his nose. Lord

  stumbled and fell off the porch into the

  foot of snow on the ground. Nash jumped

  on top of him, his paws on the boy’s

  shoulders. He licked Lord’s entire face,

  while the boy giggled, wriggled and tried,

  with spectacular failure, to get away.

  “Cut it out, Uncle Nash.”

  Lark, valiant savior of his older

  brother by five minutes, leapt from the

  porch onto Nash’s back. Nash moved just

  enough to unsettle the boy. Lark tumbled

  into the snow.

  “It’s cold!” Lark cried.

  Nash began to lick his face as well.

  Lark giggled, but he didn’t try to get away.

  He held Nash by the ears so he wouldn’t

  stop. Rella came out onto the porch. She

  had a knife in one had to dress the deer,

  but paused to watch the three of them with

  a sad, nostalgic smile on her face.

  “You two are going to freeze,” she

  said, when she noticed her sons’

  shivering. “Come get out of those wet

  clothes if you insist on playing in the

  snow.”

  Nash released the two boys. They

  climbed to their feet, wiping their uncle’s

  wet kisses from their faces.

  “I’m going inside,” Lord said, rubbing

  his hands briskly over his arms.

  Lark was already taking off his

  clothes. “You’re boring.”

  Lark took his Wolf form and dashed

  between the trees, kicking up snow as

  white as his fur. Nash chased after him,

  tumbling him when he caught up with him.

  Lord watched them play-fight from the

  porch.

  “He’s hopeless,” Lord told his mother.

  Rella smiled and pretended not to

  notice when Lord started to remove hi
s

  clothes. Lord leapt from the porch as a

  boy, but hit the ground with four paws. He

  jumped into the brawl without hesitation,

  growling his fiercest. The twins ganged up

  on Nash, biting hard enough to hurt, but

  not enough to break the skin.

  Rella watched while she gutted the

  deer. It wasn’t long before all three

  Wolves were resting in front of the porch

  with their tongues lolling. Rella tossed

  them pieces of fresh liver and other organ

  meats. They gobbled up the morsels,

  growling over the tastiest bits, until the

  pups began to grow sleepy. The snow was

  still coming down heavily. The boys

  cuddled up on either side of their uncle for

  warmth.

  “You two had better get in the house,”

  Rella said, almost done with her task. She

  had a large pile of steaks, roasts and other

  cuts of meat heaped beside her. “As white

  as you two are, if you fall asleep in the

  snow, we won’t find you until spring

  thaw.”

  They climbed to their feet and headed

  for the house, heads hanging low with

  weariness. They shook the snow from

  their fur, went inside and curled up with

  their sister in front of the hearth. Nash

  remained behind, watching Rella as she

  finished her task.

  Several moments passed before she

  spoke. “Have you thought about what I

  asked you before you left?”

  He didn’t respond. He had thought

  about it, almost as much as he had thought

  about Maralee. He loved Lark, Lord and

  Carsha as if they were his own pups. He

  couldn’t imagine loving anyone more. He

  wasn’t sure why he hesitated in becoming

  a permanent part of their household.

  I need more time to think about it.

  She nodded, not looking at him. “Are

  you going to stay in your Wolf form

  forever?”

  Yes. He stood and headed for his own

  home, across the way.

  “It won’t make you a better man,” she

  called.

  He paused and glanced at her over his

  shoulder.

  “There is nothing wrong with you,

  Nash. If she couldn’t accept you as you

  are, then she doesn’t deserve your love.”

  No, he thought. She deserves better.

  R e l l a continued, her voice barely

  perceptible over the howl of the wind.

  “And if you can’t accept yourself as you

  are, then you don’t deserve hers.”

  This gave Nash something to think

  about the long hours he spent in solitude

  while the blizzard confined him to his

  house.

  CHAPTER 24

  Jared entered the small dining room,

  glasses fogged, disheveled hair damp with

  melting snow. Maralee sat slurping

  chicken soup while Phyllis watched with

  an uncompromising look on her face. He

  gazed at Maralee over the top of his

  glasses and smiled.

  “You’re finally eating something,” he

  said.

  Maralee scowled.

  “You just have to have a firm hand

  with this little miss,” Phyllis said. “Make

  sure she knows who the boss is and she’s

  right cooperative.”

  More like harp and nag until she’s

  willing to do anything for a moment’s

  peace, Maralee thought darkly, taking

  another sip of the thick, rich soup.

  “So that’s the secret,” Jared said,

  pushing his glasses up the bridge of his

  nose.

  “Would you like a bowl of soup,

  Doctor?” Phyllis asked him with a cheery

  smile. “It’s got chicken, dumplings,

  carrots, potatoes, and sweet onions. Me

  mum’s best recipe.”

  “That sounds delicious. I would like

  some, thank you,” he said with a pleasant

  nod. He took the vacant chair next to

  Maralee.

  Phyllis stood to retrieve another bowl

  of soup. She winked at Jared as she

  passed. Maralee wondered if there was

  some sort of secret between them.

  “When did you wake up?” Jared

  asked, watching her stir her soup.

  “Less than an hour ago,” she said,

  taking another sip of soup from her spoon.

  “Twelve solid hours,” he said

  approvingly. “Was it a sound sleep? Did

  you have any nightmares?”

  “No nightmares. I slept very well,

  thank you.” She watched the carrot she

  was pressing down with her soup spoon

  bob back to the surface.

  “I’d ask you if you’re feeling better,

  but I can tell you’re not. Perhaps if you

  talk to me about—”

  “No,” she interrupted and purposely

  changed the subject. “Phyllis told me you

  checked on me four times throughout the

  day. Are you always such a devoted

  doctor when there’s a blizzard raging

  outside?”

  Jared blushed and glanced down at his

  hands. “Uh…”

  Phyllis burst into the room, saving

  Jared from having to respond. Maralee

  glanced up. The woman had done nothing

  but talk about Jared’s obvious attributes

  while she’d been supervising Maralee’s

  eating. What was she up to?

  “Here you are, Dr. Sabin,” Phyllis

  said, setting a large bowl of chicken and

  dumpling soup in front of him.

  “Thank you, Phyllis,” Jared said with

  a smile. “This looks good. I’d say it

  would be the perfect thing to warm me up

  if I weren’t already hot for some reason.”

  He put a finger under his collar and blew

  out a breath.

  Maralee ignored the both of them. “I

  wonder if the storm will delay the post,”

  she said distractedly.

  “Most certainly,” Jared said, taking a

  sip of his soup. “There are two feet of

  snow on the ground already and it doesn’t

  look like it will let up anytime soon.”

  “So you should stay here tonight,

  Doctor,” Phyllis said. “Your office is

  closed now and I’d hate to think of you

  having to go out in the storm again.”

  “It’s not so bad,” Jared insisted. He

  glanced at Maralee who was holding a

  spoon of soup halfway to her mouth as she

  stared into nothingness. “Of course, I am

  still worried about my patient. Maralee?”

  At the sound of her name, she started

  and dropped her spoon into her bowl with

  a splash. She ignored the droplets of

  creamy broth that flecked her cheeks and

  the front of her shirt. Jared reached for his

  napkin and used the corner of it to collect

  the stray droplets on her face.

  “Oh.” Maralee turned away from him,

  and reached for her own napkin to rectify

  the damage. “How clumsy of me.”

  Jared’s brow wrinkled with renewed

  concern. “I will
stay for tonight, Mrs.

  Smithy, if you have a room available.”

  Phyllis smiled. “Oh yes. I have a

  perfect room for you, Dr. Sabin, right next

  door to Maralee’s.”

  Maralee looked from Phyllis to Jared,

  confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “I think I should keep an eye on you,”

  Jared said. “You seem quite withdrawn

  and preoccupied. It might be something

  serious.”

  “If you’re going to say I’m mentally

  unbalanced, then I’d probably have to

  agree.”

  “I wasn’t going to say that,” Jared

  said. His look of concern made her think

  otherwise.

  “Have you ever been in love, Dr.

  Sabin?” Maralee asked him bluntly.

  The man blushed. “I-I’m not sure.”

  “If you have been, then you’d be sure,”

  she said. “The man I’m in love with isn’t

  who I thought he was. He’s a bitter enemy.

  Our families have been pitted against each

  other for centuries.”

  “Sounds quite dramatic.”

  “I love him with every fiber of my

  being,” Maralee said, “but I hate him for

  all I’m worth. If that doesn’t give a girl a

  right to stare off into space without

  everyone fussing over her like she’s some

  fragile, broken, little bird, then I don’t

  know what does.”

  “So you want me to leave you alone,”

  Jared said.

  “Yes!” she said emphatically, happy

  he was finally getting the message.

  “I can’t do that in good conscience,

  Maralee.”

  Phyllis interjected, “What harm is

  there in letting someone care about you?”

  There had been a time when Maralee

  had wanted only that. Her lonely

  childhood and years of traveling the

  continent with nothing but her sword had

  weaved a basket of bitterness around her

  heart. Only Nash had been able to free her

  of its stifling burden, and now that her

  trust had been so utterly betrayed, she

  doubted she’d ever let anyone close to her

  again. The loneliness she had endured was

  far easier to deal with than the pain of

  loss. She knew she had to bury her pain, at

  least from the plain sight of others.

  Otherwise, she feared they would always

  look at her with maddening concern.

  “I guess there is no harm in it,”

  Maralee murmured. She finished her soup

  diligently, trying to remain alert and keep

  her wits about her. Whenever her thoughts

  would start to stray, she would blink hard

  and sit up straighter in her chair. “I

  believe your delicious soup has worked