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Thistime, everyone was able to get to sleep.
22
CELIA
Celiawas woken later in the middle of the night by a slight noise outside the tent.Hereyes popped open at once and she felt her body tense, already on high alert.
“Hold?Fierce?” she breathed, wondering if the two of them were awake.
“Yeah, we hear it,lelka,”theDarkTwinmuttered.
“Itstarted just a moment ago,”Holdconfirmed from her other side.
“Youstay here withCelia—I’mgoing to go check it out,”Fiercetold him.
“Butyou’re wounded,Brother!Yourribs—”
“Feela lot better since you put the healing wraps on them,” theDarkTwinfinished for him. “Stayhere and keepCeliasafe—I’llbe back in a minute.”
Hepulled on his boots and reached for his blaster.
“Wait!”Celiaput up a hand to him. “Yourshirt—won’t you be cold?”
“I’llbe fine,lelka.”Hisdark eyes raked over her body. “Besides, it looks a hell of a lot better on you.”
Thenhe slipped out of the flap in the tent and went silently into the darkness.
Celiasat there, her heart pumping double-time as she waited to hear another hungryV’rannaroar.
“It’sall right, my lady,”Holdsaid reassuringly.Reachingfor her hand in the darkness, he entwined their fingers and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Fierceis a consummate hunter—if there’s anything out there, he’ll kill it or drive it away.”
“Whatif it’s anotherV’ranna,though?”Celiademanded in a low voice. “Orsomething even worse?Whatif it hurts him—or evenkillshim?Dios,Ican’t stand this!”
“Ithought you didn’t like my brother,”Holdsaid dryly. “Wouldyou really care so much if he was injured?”
“OfcourseI’dcare!Imean, he’s irritating and he can be a realpendejosometimes but, well…that doesn’t meanIdon’tlikehim,”Celiaprotested.Infact she was beginning to feel a lot more for theDarkTwin—forbothof the twins—than she had just a day ago.Itseemed this little adventure had brought them together in a way that any number of regular dinner and a movie dates never could have.
“Mmm-hmm,” was theLightTwin’sresponse, but she thought she heard humor in his voice. “IttakesFiercesome time to ‘grow’ on people, as you humans say,” he told her. “ButIcan tell you that you’ll never find a male as loyal and trustworthy as my brother.”
“Thetwo of you are pretty much inseparable, huh?”Celiaasked.
“Completelyinseparable,”Holdsaid firmly. “TwinKindredare together from womb to tomb—we share everything.Weeven father children together.”
“Really?Youmean you can’t get a girl pregnant…”
“Unlessour shafts are joined duringBondingSex,”Holdfinished for her. “Exactly.Wehave aBondstronger than any other—besides theSoulBondthat a warrior forms with his mate, of course,” he added.
“Itmust be nice to always have someone with you, to get your back,”Celiasaid wistfully. “Iused to wishIhad a sister—oranyfamily, really.”
“Itmust have been incredibly hard for you, growing up without a family,”Holdmurmured. “AndIcan imagine that feeling abandoned by your father at such an early age has made it difficult for you to trust any male who comes into your life.”
“Hey—what kind of doctor are you, anyway?”Celiademanded with half a laugh. “AnMDor a psychiatrist?”
“IntheHouseofHealingIattended, we were trained to treat the entire patient,”Holdexplained. “It’snot only the physical body that can cause pain, you know.Sometimespain comes from unhealed emotional trauma.Butforgive me if it sounded likeIwas, uh, psychoanalyzing you.”
“No, it’s okay.”Celiasqueezed his hand. “Andyou’re right—Ididn’t know untilIwas an adult that my dad died in an accident once he got back toCuba.Ithought the whole timeIwas growing up that he’d left me and didn’t love me enough to come back for me or send for me.Itwas…tough.”
“Ofcourse it was.”Holdrubbed her lightly between the shoulder blades. “I’mso sorry, my lady.”
