Page 32 of Wolf's Prize

Her words tugged at his heart. The path her father had chosen for her could have done enormous damage. Perhaps he could give her back some small amount of control over her life. “If you wish to learn how to use a sword, then I will teach you.”

“You would?”

He suppressed a smile at her surprise. “Yes. There are other things you need training in first, but I see no harm in teaching you whatever wish to learn.” He turned to face her, letting her see the truth of his words. “I will help you in any way I can.”

Her eyes glittered in the darkness. “And will you let me go out into the forest? By myself?”

“No.” He held her stare. On this he would not be moved, any more than Gaharet had been whenhehad been in training and had demanded to be let out.

Her lips thinned, and her eyes flashed. “Of course not. You left orders you expected me to follow, coerced the staff into supporting your ridiculous demands, and all without having the decency to relay them to me in person. Now you return, thinking I will absolve you because you tell me you are willing to help me? Ineededthe forest today.” She brushed past him and made for the door.

“I am surprised you did not attempt to sneak out. I tried it three times when Gaharet confined me to the keep.”

She stopped short of the doorway and spun to face him. “But Anne said they would send someone to fetch me back!”

Aimon inclined his head. “She would have, too. The first two times I escaped, Gaharet and Ulrik dragged me back. And believe me, they had to drag me, because I did not go willingly. The third time, Anne assisted Gaharet. I think Anne scared me more than Gaharet and Ulrik combined, because I never tried it again.”

She bit down on her lip, a smile threatening to turn up the corner of her mouth. He ventured toward her, stopping a few feet away. The urge to cup her face, to run his fingers through her hair would be too much should he get any closer.

“I understand your need to be in the forest, Kathryn. I really do. I have been where you are,” he said, his feet propelling him forward against the direct commands from his brain. He brushed his hand against her cheek, reveling in the softness of her skin. All manner of body parts were refusing his command to keep his distance, to remain unaffected. “But it is not safe for you out there, not alone and not untrained.”

She frowned. “I have often gone into the forest alone. No harm has ever come of it.”

“That was before you came here, before the comte made a target of you.”

Her shoulders sagged.

He cupped her chin, lifting her gaze to meet his. “Let me help you, Kathryn. Let me train you.”

Her breathing hitched, and the scent of her arousal swirled around them. “Will you teach me everything I want to know?” Her voice was a breathless whisper.

Everything? His nostrils flared at her innocent question, and his own breathing became erratic. She swayed toward him.

Merde.

He pulled away and put some much-needed space between them. His wolf howled, but he reined it in. Gaharet had charged him with training her, and not in the bedchamber. As the more experienced wolf of the two, he had a responsibility to show restraint.

“We will start tomorrow. For now, you need to eat and get a decent night’s sleep.” The flare of disappointment in her eyes nearly undid him. “Training will require all your concentration. It will not be easy. That I can promise you.” He headed for the door. “Come, Kathryn.”

“Once I am trained, I can go into the forest on my own, yes?”

“We shall see.”

She moved past him into the corridor, brushing her body against him. As she did so, her gaze met his, a hint of challenge in their hazel depths. He stilled the growl in his throat before it could form.Little vixen. Untrained she may be, but her senses were as sharp as his. Had she caught the scent of his arousal?

“When Gascon informed me you had left, I thought you were gone for good. Why did you return, Aimon?”

Aimon schooled his features into a blank mask. “You need a teacher. Someone to show you what it means to be a wolf. I have returned to teach you.” And that was all he would do. Training her would test the strength of his morals, but he owed it to her to do right by her. He would not fail.

Chapter Thirteen

The following morning, with her stomach a jumble of nerves and excitement, Kathryn went in search of Aimon. She had barely slept, anticipation of this moment making it impossible for her mind to relax. What would her training entail? How hard would it be? Could she finally put her fears of turning into a ravening beast, of savaging anything or anyone in her path to rest?

She found Aimon in the hall with his broad back to her, staring at the scene of the battle of Montsoreau. She rubbed her hands together and cleared her throat. He turned.

“Are you ready, Kathryn?”

She licked her lips, her mouth dry. “I am.”

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