Page 108 of Ice Wolf
“What the hell am I supposed to say to her?”
He laughed softly and rubbed the scruff on his jaw. “I’m no relationship expert, but I think the truth. She’ll see through you in a heartbeat.”
“The truth. I don’t know how to explain who and what we are.”
Steven headed to a cabinet, pulling out a bottle of whiskey placing it next to me. With his eyebrows raised, he snagged two glasses from another cabinet, placing them beside the bottle. “You better figure it out. While I doubt she’s going to shout the news to the world, you can’t allow her to tell anyone without so much as hearing an explanation. If you two have the connection you appear to have, she’ll understand. Maybe in ten years or so, but she’ll come around.”
I gulped the rest of my beer and tossed the bottle in the trash. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, but yeah, you’re right. This might be the toughest thing I’ve ever done.” I grabbed the glasses and bottle, dreading facing her.
“Why didn’t we sense her?”
A slight grin crossed my face. “That’s a very good question.”
“Maybe she has some wolf in her.”
We both stared at each other then laughed, although my gut was still churning. “Nah. I’d know. Maybe it’s because she’s my mate.”
“Wow. Just remember I’m your best man at the lavish wedding. You better have lots of booze.”
I waved my hand at him and headed out of the kitchen.
This was not the way I’d seen the night going.
Not by a long shot.
Lily wasn’t inside the second half of the house. I found her outside on the deck, hiding in the dark. She was on a chair, her bare feet propped up on the railing. I didn’t interrupt, taking my time pouring two glasses of whiskey before sitting down next to her.
She didn’t flinch, which was a positive. Nor was she screaming, like most women would be after they found out their fiancé was a red-blooded wolf. Fake or not, our intimacy indicated a closeness neither one of us had anticipated.
I didn’t bother handing her the drink, placing the glass on the small table between us. She was looking up at the stars through the small clearing. Meanwhile, the woods surrounding the house remained enshrouded in shadows.
If I could read her mind, a skill that had faded from our species over time, I’d know she was wondering just how dangerous it was to step foot in the wild.
After a couple of minutes, she grabbed the glass, bringing the rim to her lips. A soft sigh was all she allowed before taking a sip.
I seriously had no idea where to start or how much to tell her. The truth was as wacked out as any sinister tale, only it was very real.
Without looking at me, she asked her first question. “Is it true you’re immune to most human diseases? Not you personally but your… kind?”
Really? She was going to start there? Okay, why not? I cleared my throat, trying to sound authoritative. “The truth is we used to be, but given how long our species has been on this earth, we’re more susceptible to the more aggressive forms of cancer and other illnesses.”
“Is that because you spend so much time in human form?”
“Yes, and because our bloodline is no longer completely pure.”
“Ah,” she said with a lilt to her voice. “Mating with humans has had a caustic effect.”
“Something like that.”
“How often do you shift?”
Her candid questions were giving me hives. No one in my life had asked me straightforward questions of this nature. “Me? Rarely. I don’t find it enjoyable or beneficial any longer.”
“Hmmm… Enjoyable. Racing after small creatures?”
“Yeah, a lot of wolves do for sport and not for killing.”
“And the others?” She finally turned her head in my direction. The conversation was getting more morbid by the minute.
