Page 62 of Tattle Tail
“It’s nearly midnight. No one will notice if we slip away,” he said, his voice dripping with temptation. “I’ve got wine at my place.”
“You are not allowed alcohol with your medication,” she said.
He smiled fondly, like she whispered words of devotion in his ear.
Three…
A countdown started from inside the house.
“Sounds like we’re too late for an escape,” he said.
“Just as well,” she said, tugging at the collar of his coat, adjusting the way it lay over his broad shoulders. “I am exactly where I want to be and with the person I want.”
Two…
She reached for his good hand. The other was cradled against his chest in a sling. Their fingers laced together. His smile was bright enough to melt the thickest ice.
One…
The house erupted with cheers to ring in the new year.
Joseph dipped his head toward her. Breath fogging in the frigid air, their lips nearly touched.
The back door slammed open. Light flooded over them, and her father loudly invited the old year to get out of his house. What he had to say about his daughter kissing her mate, he kept to himself.
The door violently shut, and though she could not hear it, she knew her mother was graciously inviting the new year into the house, in the Tal tradition.
A finger under her chin directed her attention back to him.
“It’s traditional for humans to share a kiss to ring in the new year,” he said.
“I wouldn’t want to break with tradition.”
His lips claimed hers, warm and sweet in the chilled air.This. Exactly this moment, this place, and this male. She didn’t completely understand how a little fib spun out of control and managed to bring her so much joy.
Joseph pulled away, only to rest his forehead against hers. “Happy New Year, sweet pea.”
Epilogue
Peaceable
One Year Later
“It is smaller than I expected,”Peaceable said.
Wind whipped furiously around them, making her eyes water. Fruitlessly, she tried to hold back her mane with one hand, but her hair lashed against her face. Despite the day having been sunny, the air was chilled. As the sun sank closer to the horizon, the air grew colder.
Nettle strained against the harness, wanting to explore the field. As an unusual companion animal, she drew attention from the curious, which she relished like a tiny diva. It seemed Nettle’s calling was to travel to far planets and receive praise and adoration from strangers.
“It’s not small. We’re standing across a field. It’d be massive if we got up close,” Joseph said. “Some of the stones came from a quarry as far as two hundred miles away.”
She was aware of the fact, having been present for the tour. Instead of informing her mate of this, she took his hand and leaned against his arm. “I can understand why this location is sacred. There’s a quality here. I cannot describe it.”
He did not respond immediately. “My mother got to you. She’s infected you.”
“She did not. Several myths surround this location. I appreciate the atmosphere.”
“It’s the wind,” he said.
