Page 41 of Sweetling
Molly, clutching the last sunflower, stood her ground, glaring.
Bellarand’s great hooves carved up the soft dirt as he slid to a stop, the tip of his horn just catching on the fabric of Molly’s shirt at her shoulder. He puffed a great waft of hot air into her face and bared his big teeth at her.
“Stop it,” Allarion spat, coming up alongside Molly.
My words yesterday were for the squirrels who torment me, but mark my words, insult me again and you will face far worse, human.
A tear spilled from Molly’s eye and her lower lip trembled, but she kept her back straight, not giving in to the unicorn’s threat.
“I’m rooting for the squirrels,” she growled.
Bellarand huffed again before tossing his mane and turning to leave.
Allarion grabbed Molly’s hand, clutching another sunflower, before she could raise it to throw.
Yanking out of his grip, Molly turned in the opposite direction to stalk away.
Allarion stood there, unsure how the morning had turned so.
She doesn’t understand,he entreated his steed.
Then make her understand,was the haughty reply.
Would that he could.
He turned to find Molly but saw she had come to a stop only a few paces away, her back to him. His insides twisted with self-reproach as she knelt down, putting her head between her knees, and the unmistakable sound of a sob drifted up to him.
Allarion didn’t understand what had happened, but he knew, as surely as he knew Molly was his mate and Bellarand his trusted friend, that this was his fault.
He went to kneel beside her. When he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, she didn’t pull away, which gave him a little hope. Not that he deserved any.
Hisazaicried, her tears watering the dirt.
He was lower than that dirt, lower than the worms there and the roots below.
“What can I do, sweetling? How do I make this better?”
He thought his very soul would crack and break if she shed just one more tear. Her sobs tore at him more than her anger confounded him. He could bear her anger, never her tears.
“We need food,” she said in a voice so little, it pained him. “I won’t starve again. I won’t.”
“Never,” he growled. “You will never want for anything again,azai.This I vow to you.”
Her words unnerved him.Starve again.As though she…had before. His mind reeled at the thought, and a new anger for her circumstances, for her uncle, began to burn inside him.
Just what had his Molly gone through?
He’d thought it didn’t matter, not when he meant to give her anything and everything.
But he now saw that was wrong. What she had gone through made Molly who she was, and Allarion had to learn that side of her, too.
Gentling himself for her, he said softly, “I’m sorry, Molly. I should have told you of my coming sleep, as well as the possibility of hearing Bellarand. There is much I have to explain, and when you are ready, I should like to tell you.”
For a long moment, he didn’t know if she would respond or even acknowledge his words.
Finally, she picked her head up. He ached to see her damp cheeks and puffy eyes. The unhappiness in her was so stark…
“I shouldn’t have yelled like that. I hate that I have this temper. I was scared and it got the better of me.”
