Page 49 of A Wolf's Treasure
Laying her clothes down near his, he sat beside her and took her hand. “I think ye should talk tae Cedric. Tell him why yer here.”
He was probably right. It was her impromptu decision to come here that had created this situation. And she would adjust. Perhaps things would work out better this way, if she could get the wolves on her side—which shouldn’t be hard provided they believe her—they could assist her in her endeavors.
She didn’t trust them. But strangely, she trusted Duncan.
“Yer quiet. Did I hurt ye, lass?”
The question caught her unawares. “What? Oh. No, Duncan. You didn’t hurt me at all.”
“Ye would no’ lie tae me?”
She looked into his green eyes, somewhat surprised to find them filled with concern and a touch of fear. Fear for her. Not himself. She grinned at him, happy to know she’d taken the correct path by letting him have control. “Have I lied to you, yet?”
He searched her face for a few seconds, then brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. “No. No, ye haven’t.”
“And I don’t intend to start. For if I did, that would make me no better than them.”
“Them?”
“My father and his minions.” She released his hand and stood. “He’s lying to you and your pack, and it’s time you knew about it.” Unwinding the large towel from her body, she dropped it on the bed and began to dress.
Duncan watched her dress in silence until she was covered, his jaw tense and his gaze hot, searing her bare skin everywhere he looked. “I feel like a right fool,” he said quietly when she was done.
Ryanne paused with one shoe on and one in her hand. “For what reason?”
He kept his eyes downcast and wouldn’t look at her. “For the way I acted that night.”
She knew exactly what night he was speaking of. Dropping her shoe on the floor, she took his face in her hands, his incoming beard was rough on her palms, and forced him to look up at her. “You have no reason to feel shame. None at all. I only wish I could’ve helped you come back to me.”
He met her gaze. “I’m with ye now, lass.”
Her pulse picked up, and she dropped her hands, suddenly afraid. But before she could move away, he grabbed her hips, keeping her in front of him. “Ye brought me back tae myself, lass. I will forever be grateful tae ye. I will no’ forget.”
Why did this feel like a goodbye? She swallowed, then cleared her throat. “I’m still here, Duncan.”
“Aye, I ken that. I just dinna ken what ye expect tae happen now. Between us, I mean.”
“What do you want to happen?” She held her breath as she waited for his answer, not realizing how important it was to her until just this very second.
What had started as nothing more than a curious diversion with this wolf had turned into something she was not expecting. Ryanne wasn’t sure how or why. Perhaps it was knowing how he’d suffered at the hands of her people. Perhaps it was how no matter his perceived physical abilities, he was male enough not to hide his vulnerability from her.
Perhaps it was that she needed him as much as he needed her.
His eyes narrowed on her face as he answered her question. “I dinna ken.”
The breath she’d been holding came out on a long exhale. He was holding back. He had to be. No one loved a female like he just had without feeling something for that female. And why she even cared, she didn’t know, either. But she did care, and she wasn’t ready for this shifter to be out of her life. “Can I tell you something?”
“O’ course. Always.” Although the words were spoken casually enough, there was curiosity and a good dose of caution in his tone and posture.
A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door, and Cedric called out, “I dinna mean tae interrupt, but th’ others will be back soon, and I’d like tae hear what ye have tae say, Ryanne, before yer discovered here.”
Duncan opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, she answered, “We’ll be right there.” Then she bent to get her shoe.
“What were ye going tae say, lass?”
With a small smile, she told him, “It can wait.”
The gods save her, what was she doing? Besides the fact that shifter in the other room could absolutely hear every word she said, she had no time to be getting all soft and mushy right now. Not even for a tall, good looking, vulnerable, alpha male shifter like Duncan.
