Page 55 of Touched By Moonlight
My heart squeezed tight. I wanted to draw him into my arms and hold him close to offer reassurance and comfort. His body language, so taut and tense, warned me againstthis.
“What happened after?” I asked in my softestvoice.
He spread out his hands, the gesture more defiance than helpless. “We were homeless. Wandered for a long time. I could have gotten a job in the human world, but I was terrified of leaving Stephan. He would not eat, refused to shower, became so depressed he wanted to die. I had to watch him all the time. For a while we lived in the woods and I hunted for food, but Stephan was so ashamed of being wolf, he refused to eat anything I brought down. So we went dumpster diving at night, and foraged for food that way. Homeless werewolves, thanks to a fucking Fionn Fae who destroyed ourlives.”
His expression tight, Nicolas flung the screwdriver with such force, it hit the wind turbine tower and sank into it. Astonished, I watched the entire tower shake. Werewolves have enormous strength, but I’d never seen anything likethis.
The blades stuttered, and thenstopped.
“Shit,” he said mildly, running a hand through his hair. “That’s another damn repair I have tomake.”
We looked at each other and I couldn’t help it. I laughed. His eyebrows arched, and then he laughed as well, a deep, rusty sound, as if he weren’t accustomed toit.
When the laughter died, I spoke. “How did you meetGrayson?”
Nicolas drew in a breath. “Grayson saw us outside a restaurant where he dined with one of his business partners. He knew we were werewolves, told us he would feed us. He brought us inside, and when the manager refused to serve us because we stank so fucking much, Grayson just told us to stay put, called the owner and bought the entirerestaurant.
He turned to me, his expression fierce. “He bought an entire fucking restaurant just so we could eat. That’s a true alpha. Not that son of a bitch who sired me and Stephan. We joined his pack after, and we’d do anything for him, just as he proved he’d do anything for us. Including inviting you into our pack. I wasn’t certain of you because you’re Fionn, Sienna. But Stephan adores you and would do anything forGrayson.”
Reaching out to him, I lockedgazes.
"Dania was a superficial and shallow Fionn Fae. She cared only about her forest and what she wanted. We’re not all like that." I touched the scar on hischeek.
He did not pull away, so I kept touching him, letting him feel the warmth of my skin, the blood running beneath it. Nick was a feral wolf, honest and fierce in his loyalty, and I knew I had to be honest and equally exposed with him if I were to gain histrust.
It was imperative that I gain his trust because for all the evil my own colony had committed, I did not want him to think all Fionn were like that. One bad experience stood to tarnish my race forever in Nick's eyes. He had been badly burned by one nasty Fae. I never thought of myself as a spokesperson for my people, but here I was, the runaway Sienna, trying to hide her Fae identity, reassuring a wounded wolf that hey, we weren't allbad.
Because we were not. And I realized this as I gently clasped his hands, that maybe I needed to say this to myself aswell.
"She hurt Stephan, wounded you and destroyed your lives. She was a deceptive bitch. I get it. But you played a role in the relationship as well. You trusted her, and what you fear most is that by trusting me I'll do the same to your new family. I’m not perfect. I'm still torn about even being here to visit. But I will promise you this, Nick. I will not do anything to deliberately hurt Stephan or you the way Dania did. She did it because she desired power over you and your pack. I have no desire to obtain power, or wieldit.
“At the same time I am not going to apologize for what I am. Or who I am. I'm Fionn Fae. I have enough power to destroy everything and everyone you care about. You can either accept that, or tell me toleave.”
I drew in a deep breath. “So what's it to be? The choice is yours. Grayson trusts me. Stephan trusts me. Will you trustme?
"Trust is more than words," he said slowly. "You have to earnit."
So true. I nodded. “And it works bothways.”
We sat in silence for a few moments. Finally he looked at me, really looked at me. “Do you want to earn my trust,Sienna?”
“Yes,” I said quietly. “If you will earn my trust inreturn.”
Nicolas seemed to arrive at a decision. He stood, extended a hand. “Let’s walk. We could both use a cleansing naturewalk.”
True. Confession might be good for the soul, but it was so damnintense.
He gestured at paved pathway snaking from the house into the trees. I nodded and we setout.
Timber Wolf Retreat sang with harmony and balance with the environment. Nicolas told me they had installed solar panels to take advantage of the sunshine to power the house and outbuildings, and a few windmills as well. But it was the gardens, arranged like a botanical paradise, that filled me withdelight.
The children’s garden featured a pint-sized white picket fence and gate, with a paved yellow brick walkway. Two playhouses of turquoise and yellow stood no higher than my waist – a perfect retreat for children. There was a small maze with hidden corners filled with small planters of herbs and flowers, and a hand pump with a watering can built for tinyhands.
The walkway continued outside the gate to a peaceful Zen-like retreat garden with a pagoda shaded by trees. A reflecting pool and small waterfall added to the serenity. Beneath the pagoda’s roof were several lounge chairs and tables, inviting one to rest andreflect.
We sat for a few minutes as Nicolas told me about the garden and how he’d designed it. I drank in the fresh air, the clean smell of the water, and became aware of the man sitting next to me, his body finally relaxing, his dark brown gaze no longertormented.
“I like you, Sienna,” he said slowly. “You’re not like other Fae, or hell, even other women. Grayson and Stephan like you as well, and trust you. I want to trustyou.”
