Page 30 of Wolf's Bane
Not the reaction she expected.
A shout from the courtyard snagged her attention and Solenne dropped her flirtation.
Luis rubbed a shoulder but appeared unharmed. Alek lowered his weapon. Somehow, he lost his linen shirt but wore an undershirt. Sodden with sweat, it clung to him.
Solenne gasped.
Old scars ran up and down his bare arms. He wore a silver necklace around his neck. The ornamentation was barely noticeable except for the irritated red skin, almost like an allergic reaction.
Chambers cleared his throat.
With a reluctant sigh, she closed the window, shutting out the sounds of Luis and Alek’s sparring.
Solenne knew it was unfair to compare Colonel Chambers to Alek, as the man was a good ten years older and injured. He might not be a prized specimen of athletic prowess, but he was considerate, and he brought her books; that counted for a great deal in her estimation of him.
In the days since her conversation with Alek in her workshop, he avoided her, going so far as to leave a room when she entered. If he wished to avoid her, she did not wish to cause him undue stress. Alek was there for Luis, really, not for her. No matter what her traitorous heart wanted to believe. She could continue to stare out the window and sigh or pay attention to a respectable man who, for reasons she hardly understood, seemed to hold her in some regard.
She turned her back to the window and smiled. “This is a very generous gift.”
“I shan’t take up any more of your morning. Please, enjoy the book. Tell me what you think,” Chambers said with a brief nod.
“Thank you. I shall. Colonel?”
He paused. “Yes?”
“Forgive me for being bold, but can I count on a dance with you at the ball tonight?”
There. Flirtation. Mission accomplished.
That smile again, sharp and with too many teeth. “I anticipate the event with great relish.”
Aleksandar
He could feel Solenne’s eyes on him. She was as subtle now as she had been when they were clumsy adolescents. Physically, she had changed dramatically from the gangly girl he remembered. She finally grew into her feet and stood nearly as tall as him. She had strength in her, and not just in her body. Her eyes shone with an inner light as transfixing as the moon’s cold glow. She had always been pretty with dark hair and velvety gray eyes, but necessity had refined her down to her truest self.
She was a jewel under pressure, and she shone.
Luis’ blade smacked him on his shoulder. He hissed in pain, dodging a second blow. The bite, the one that cursed him, fluctuated as the full moon approached. The flesh grew tender and red. Add the constant ting from the silver chain around his neck, and Alek was in a brittle mood.
“Pay attention,” Godwin barked from the side.
Right. Focus.
The window above closed. He relaxed. Days from the full moon, his beast wanted nothing more than to rub itself against Solenne. Well, the beast wanted more, but he tried his best to remain a gentleman.
Solenne was from a noble family. She was much too good for a cursed man such as himself. As much as Godwin embraced Alek and welcomed him back into his home, calling him old friend and son, he knew that to be a flimsy thing. If he approached Godwin about his intentions toward Solenne, he’d be tossed out on his ear.
Again.
Time had not lessened the sting.
Blades clashed. Alek pressed Luis, driving him back. The younger man had superior skills, and what training he lacked could only be gained from experience. Alek knew that was his responsibility, to hunt the beast and give Luis enough time to learn how to defend his territory on his own.
Luis fought brashly, rushing and using all his energy. He’d never last in a fight, and hunting under a full moon often took all night. All Alek had to do to win the bout was endure, and he had years of practice. He endured burning pain every month. He endured the call of the beast, craving the hunt that ended in sweet, fresh blood.
He endured the way the beast whined for its mate.
Anger fueled his movements, growing erratic. Luis stumbled but quickly recovered. Alek did not allow the younger man to regain his footing because there were no niceties on the hunt. There was only opportunity and prey.
