Page 22 of Falling for Ash
“Yes,” he said, stilling when she took his hand. “I know you are new to this, so your stepmother would not have had the chance to explain. A few years ago, a young Wolf named Grazi Kelly ended the Curse of St. Natalis that had doomed all Werewolves to only shift during the full moon.”
“Wow, that sounds terrible.”
“You don’t know the half of it, sweet, and for that I am glad. But you see, my part in it was not good. I was captured and bound to serve an evil Demon for the past hundred years or so. After he was defeated by Grazi and Lucifer, really, I was freed. That was fairly recently,” he said, rushing through his explanation and amazed at how light he felt afterward.
“That must have been awful,” Gabby whispered, both hands holding his. Her blue eyes filled with unshed tears and his heart squeezed at her obvious concern.
“It was. I’m sorry,” Ash began. “I’ve monopolized the conversation. Tell me, how are you feeling? Need more water?”
Gabriella shook her head. He was being evasive, and he knew it.
But could anyone blame him?
He did not want his future mate to see him as a monster or some weirdo.
Would she judge him for his past?
Maybe.
But for some reason, it was a risk he had to take. Ash did not want her to go into this thing blindly. If she was going to stay, it would be with her eyes open.
“Do you go to that speed dating thing often?” Gabby asked, sidetracking him.
“No,” he said, looking away and shaking his head. “Uh, actually, I had planned on never going, but I am glad I did, Gabriella Keen.”
“Oh, um, I am sorry to have dragged you away from it?—”
“No point in staying anymore, was there?”
“How do you mean?” Gabriella asked, her voice a soft whisper like the sweet caress of silk against bare skin.
His inner Demon growled, wanting him to move closer to the female, but Ash hesitated. She seemed truly curious. But why would a beautiful woman, er, Wolf, want anything to do with him?
“Ash,” she said, a ghost of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like you don’t know whether to kiss me or run screaming?”
She tried to play it off like it was a joke, but he knew she meant it.
Was he sending mixed signals?
Perhaps.
Either way, it was time to clear the air. Ash never backed down from a battle, and what else was the path to true love? He sucked in a breath, taking a moment to enjoy her raspberry lime vanilla essence before he put himself on the firing line.
“Tell me first, Gabriella, what do you know about mates?”
“Mates? Isn’t that like Australian for friends?”
“Yes, but that is not what I mean,” he said, trying hard not to laugh. Hell, he’d never laughed so much in his very long life as he had with her.
“Explain it to me, Ash.”
Chapter
Seven
