Page 64 of The Mating Frenzy
Kieran returned to Tristan and Ella. The Silver Wizard stood, brushing sand off his longlegs.
He approached Tristan, who gazed at him with wise, ancient eyes. “I will return to my duties now,wizard.”
Tristan stood. To his shock, the wizard embraced him tight. “I know the pain of losing loved ones, Kieran. The pain of watching them die and blaming yourself. Trust me in this—there was nothing you could have done to save your sister. It was her time. All the powers in the Winter Kingdom could not have saved her. But you will see her again, oneday.”
It felt as if Tristan sent soothing tendrils of healing magick deep inside him. The harrowing grief did not vanish, but it eased into the familiar, dullache.
“Thank you,” he said quietly. “You’d best return to your mate now. I will keep watch overElla.”
Tristan nodded, gave a little bow to Ella andvanished.
Ella stood and went to him, sliding her arms around his waist. “Tristan told me about Kiera. I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine how sad her memory makesyou.”
There were good memories, too. He needed to focus onthose.
“Tell me about her.” Taking his hand, she tugged him toward the water. “Talk to me, Kieran. After my father died, the only way I could cope was to talk about him, to let the grief ease with the goodmemories.”
Tightness eased inside his chest. This strong female who had so much thrown at her had a level of compassion he’d seldom seen in the Winter Kingdom. They walked in the low surf as he began, in a halting voice, to tell her about his belovedsister.
“Kiera was everything to me. We were very close. I was the older brother who made sure she was safe.” He sat on the sand, Ella beside him, taking his hand. Her touch grounded him, eased the piercing grief. “When she was born, Kiera was very frail and they weren’t certain she would live. So I when I grew old enough to understand, I became quite protective ofher.”
He fell silent for a moment. And then he felt Ella’s warm palm over his hand. “I’m so sorry. How did shedie?”
Tightness curled in his chest all over again. He rubbed it, wishing the ache would go away. But the pain was welcome at times, because it connected him to hissister.
“After our family was killed, she clung to me. But my duties took me away from her and I knew if she found a mate, she would be content. There were no other jaguar shifters in the Winter Kingdom, so we came here to the Skin world, to find one. We were deep in a jungle in South America when Skin hunters saw her in her jaguar form, and shot her. I had been up in a tree, scouting the area because I scented humans, but she insisted on staying on the ground. She died in my arms, gasping myname.”
Tears glinted Ella’s eyes. “Kieran, I’m sosorry.”
“She’s been gone for more than two hundred years.” He wiped his own eyes and the salt water stung them. Just salt spray, he tried to assure himself. But he knewbetter.
Two warm arms encircled him. For a moment he rested against her, relishing the touch. He was a tactile creature, who adored sensuality. But right now, he needed the simple comfort of a hug that showed someone else cared abouthim.
“When I was tasked to protect you, I vowed I would not fail you as I failed her. It’s imperative that you accept your nature and your abilities, Ella. Soon as you shift into a wolf, you become less vulnerable to evil because you will have naturaldefenses.”
She lifted her head, looking troubled. “And what if Ican’t?”
“You can. It’s inside you. Tonight, when the moon is full and we go to Adrian’s house for the party, your wolf will bereleased.”
A slight smile touched her mouth. “Sounds like a hell of a party. Who’sinvited?”
“Shifters.” He touched her cheek, needing the contact between them. “When the moon is ripe, the beasts will gather and release their magick. It may get quite wild, but know this, I will be there withyou.”
As he wrapped his arms around her, wishing he could never let go, she asked the one question hedreaded.
“Will you always be there for me,Kieran?”
“Always.” He closed his eyes, knowing the damnable truth. “As long as Ican.”
