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“Fine. But seriously,” the woman gestured to her wrist, “it’s getting late and I’m not driving you to school, Dylan.”
“I’m going, I’m going.” The boy’s shoulders sagged as he trudged to the door. When he reached it, he put his hand on the handle and looked back. “Where do you think he came from?”
“Good question, baby. I’ll call the police today to see if anyone reported him in the area, so maybe we can retrace his steps. I have to call the sheriff anyway.” Her mouth turned down at the corners in a fierce expression no lass as becoming as her should ever wear on her face.
“Because of the traps?” Dylan asked.
“Yes.” The woman walked over to the boy at the door and put her hands on his shoulders. “So take it as a lesson to be careful if you walk outside the perimeter of the sanctuary with Gram, okay?”
“I’m always careful.”
The woman bent and dropped a light kiss on the boy’s head that Reardon couldn’t help wanting for himself. “See you later.”
Dylan gave her a wave before slipping out the door. When the door clicked shut again, the woman wandered back over to Reardon’s cage.
“You are the most regal-looking wolf I’ve ever had the pleasure of boarding here.” She kneeled in front of the cage, her long hair falling forward on her shoulder and releasing more of that flowery scent. “How are you feeling this morning?”
Confused. Achy. Enthralled.He particularly liked that last feeling. Reardon couldn’t remember a time when he couldn’t take his eyes off a woman. No one had ever caught his attention like this. Of course, he’d never been trapped in a cage or had the chance to sit still long enough to truly watch a woman. He’d apparently been missing quite a bit by always running from battlefield to battlefield, chasing riches. Were there woman who looked like this one back home in Ireland? He’d never noticed.
“I didn’t get the chance to introduce myself last night,” she said. “I’m Brandy. I’ll let Dylan name you when he gets home after school. He loves to name the wolves.”
I have a name.But Reardon supposed he could stand to let the boy give him another one for as long as he was there.
And did she saywolves?
Were there more here at this place? Where were they? Why did this woman collect wolves? Was she a goddess like Flidae? She certainly was beautiful enough to be one, but if she was, why was she dressed as she was? Reardon wasn’t sure what to make of her garments.
Or lack of garments as it were.
Green material covered her from waist to mid-thigh, leaving long expanses of creamy white legs exposed. A black, sleeveless tunic covered her torso. Barely. It was like no tunic he’d ever seen. Snug.Verysnug. Her bosom was displayed to Reardon’s delight, but was not in any way appropriate for a proper lady. He considered that perhaps Brandy wasnota proper lady, but when his gaze met hers, he dismissed the thought. Any woman who rescued an injured, unknown wolf in the dark woods had a compassionate heart and a kind soul.
So he definitely didn’t deserve to be anywhere near her.
“What do you think, big boy?” She stuck two fingers between the bars of the cage. “Do I smell all right to you? Do you think you can trust me?” She wiggled her fingers in invitation.
Finding himself eager to get closer, Reardon shuffled over to her and pushed his nose against her fingers. Her skin smelled even better than the flowery scent coming from her hair. He couldn’t quite identify what she smelled like, but he definitely wanted to smell more of it.
“You’re quite a bit friendlier this morning than you were last night, aren’t you?” She rubbed two of her fingertips along his muzzle and he nearly moaned at her touch. What would more of her fingers on him feel like? And what about on his bare, human skin? How could he get himself into that situation?
Play nice.Aye. If he wasn’t a threat, she wouldn’t need to keep him in that cage. She’d maybe let him roam free. He wouldn’t roam far. That much he could promise. He had this inexplicable need to find out more about this lass.
“Are you hungry?” She didn’t wait for an answer, most likely assuming hecouldn’tanswer, but he enjoyed that she spoke to him just the same. It was as if she considered him an equal.
If she only knew how equal.
Brandy stood, taking her fingers with her, which made Reardon unhappy. She clanged around for a few moments in an area of the big room he couldn’t see from his cage, and when she returned, she had a bowl filled with meat.
His stomach instantly rumbled and she laughed. “Wow. How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”
Too long.The last thing he remembered in terms of any sustenance was drinking in the tavern with his men. Drinking quite a bit.
Brandy picked up a few pieces of meat and dropped them into the cage.
Damn.He’d been hoping she’d planned to put the whole bowl in the cage and would have had to open the door. He understood her trepidation though. He was a strange wolf who probably had done too much flashing of his teeth last night while he’d been caught in that trap. He was going to have to work hard at appearing gentle, but far from home and without his army, he had nothing else to do anyway.
Do something worthy.
Maybe he could do something worthy for Brandy and gain back Flidae’s favor. As beautiful as this fairy lass before him was, he still wanted to get home to Ireland. He didn’t belong in this time or this place, whenever and wherever it was. He had to gather his men, apologize, beg Jaemus in particular to forgive him. He’d wronged his own brother in the worst way possible. He had to fix that. Somehow.
