Page 23 of The Mating Frenzy
“It’s, ah, a section talking about when ancient beings walked the earth and turned dead humans into living flesh withoutsouls.”
He scanned the rest of the page, the delicately penned words sharp and foreboding. Dread curled through him and his animal side whimpered with purefear.
Nothing made his jaguar whimper. Not even after Kiera died. The beast had been filled with rage andstrength.
“Oh, dear goddess,” he muttered. “Xavier did not warn me aboutthis.”
Ella stared. Realizing she was far too innocent at this stage for such dreadful knowledge, and he could terrify her with the truth, he forced a cheerful grin. “And then they went trick-or-treating and got all sorts of delightfulcandy.”
Sputtering with laughter, she rolled up a notebook page and tossed it at him. He ducked, his grin wider. “Missedme.”
He dipped his attention to the next page. Surely there was something here that was far more subtle and less threatening. Ah,here.
Kieran beckoned to her. When she joined him, he traced the line with an index finger, careful not to place his warm finger on the page crackling with age. He breathed in Ella’s scent, warm female, musk and crisp, new fallen snow. Heady with her closeness, he forced himself to focus on the words inked onparchment.
Lack of oxygen, he scolded himself.Tis enough to make any mandizzy.
But the sudden surge of arousal had nothing to do with the room, and everything to do with the woman next tohim.
“This section here,seriously…”
“Seriously? So says the man who showed up nude at an upscale condo complex and talked to my cat.” Ella rolled hereyes.
“Hush,” he mock scolded. “I am trying to teach you. It reads that the wolf who walks among humans will be the shining light to aid in times indarkness.”
“Huh.” She squatted down next to him. “A wolf that is the savior of mankind. I like that. Especially considering how people think shooting wolves from helicopters is funsport.”
“Not any wolf, Ella,” he corrected. “The female wolf, who will be larger, stronger and more courageous than ordinarywolves.”
Kieran knew she didn’t have a damn clue the book talked abouther.
She gazed up at him with those extraordinary green eyes. Would her eyes remain green when she finally shifted into her wolf form? How could he, who hated the Skin world and loathed and feared Skins, be expected to guide and guard this special woman, who was to become aleader?
What if I fail you? What if you die like Kieradid?
The weight of his duties suddenly felt crushing. Kieran rubbed his chest, the air too thin, the sensationsoverwhelming.
He gauged Ella was safe enough here. But he was aware that he needed air, space and most of all, a chance to gather his failingconfidence.
First though… “Do you like this Danica, your employer? Is she good toyou?”
If she was not, Danica could set Ella up to be ambushed, for down in this room, with little oxygen, she would become a sittingtarget.
A beaming smile gave him his answer. “She’s wonderful. She pays me more than the position is worth, and wants me to work more hours, but I make more from tips at the restaurant. And she can only allow me access in this room for two hours a day. The air is toothin.”
And the magick protecting these documents too heavy, and you have not yet come into your powers.Even he was feeling the effects, the weight of the protective spell guarding the texts and scrolls muting his own powers. His beast didn’t like it, and wantedout.
Kieran stood. “I must leave you, fair maiden. Plans with friends.” He gave a formal bow from the waist, wishing he could be alone with her longer here, long enough for them to truly get to know each other. In every possibleway.
Yearning touched her expression. “Thanks for the translation. Maybe you can come back on Friday and helpme.”
“I shalltry.”
“You’re so different, SirKieran.”
And so are you.He only hoped she would not balk or become scared when the time came to give her the full translations of what he’dread.
It would scare her, hesensed.
Because it scared the hell out of him,too.
