“Vaffanculo, you sound like you wish we were back in the forests spending most of our time in our pelts.”
Coming from Dorian, that was a shock. She was one of the most human lucani he knew. Even in her pelt, she retained a sense of humanity.
“That’s not what I’m saying at all. And you should know that. What I am saying is that maybe some of our people have forgotten what it means to be lucani. What it means to be Etruscan.”
“You think I don’t know that? I deal with it on a daily basis. More and more lucani are moving out of the dens and into the cities. Taking drugs to suppress their change. Our birthrate has been declining for centuries.” And even more frightening, at least two teenage lucani who he knew of had not been able to call their wolves.
It was almost as if the lucani were losing their identity.
“Then maybe they need to be reminded.”
“Of what?”
Dorian straightened away from the doorjamb, long and sleek. “Of who they really are.”
Then she turned and headed toward her office at the back of the house. Leaving Cole to wait for a goddess alone.
Chapter Four
“He’s a pretty happy guy, isn’t he?”
Mara nodded, smiling. She couldn’t stop smiling.
She’d spent several minutes crying at Grace and Kaisie’s house at the first sound of Arin’s voice. No, he couldn’t speak, but his happy burbles when he caught sight of her made her burst into tears.
She’d thought Race was going to turn and run for the door. It would be a short trip, considering he’d planted himself in front of it the second he’d closed it behind him.
He’d stayed there while she listened to Grace talk about Arin’s night. She saw Kaisie walk over to talk to him at one point but Race never took his eyes off her.
It could’ve felt creepy. It wasn’t. Not at all.
It made her tingle all over. And when she thought about that kiss last night…
That made her heart race.
And just thinking about it in those terms made her smile. Arin smiled back and she rubbed her nose against his before she lifted her head to look at Race. His gaze had sharpened to a laser focus, taking in her every move, though he appeared to be talking to Kaisie.
“So you and Race. I like him.”
Mara should’ve been expecting Grace’s straightforward approach. Even so, she couldn’t stop the blush from painting her cheeks red.
“Oh, you don’t have to be embarrassed.” Grace reached out to pat her on the jaw and give her a smile. “Hell, if I were a few years younger, he’d be on my wish list too. Too bad there’s never a good time for anything nowadays. But some things you just have to make the time for, in my opinion.”
Grace’s words stuck with her as she and Race made their way back to her little house.
The snow had stopped, leaving everything with a coating of white. Fresh. Clean. Amazingly quiet. Almost as if she couldn’t hear again.
But that wasn’t totally true. She heard Race’s quiet breathing above her as he carried Arin on his back in the metal-frame backpack, though he barely made a sound as he waded through the snow. On the other hand, she sounded like a herd of elephants. Which was music to her ears.
She was listening to the crunch of the snow under her feet when Race dropped a heavy hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.
“Don’t move.”
His voice was low, almost subvocal. A warning.
She looked up at him but his attention was focused to his left.
They’d been following the tree line of the forest. It’d never occurred to her to be worried about wild animals. She lived with a community of wolf shifters.
But this wasn’t a wolf.
A black bear lumbered toward them from the forest. She sucked in a sharp breath, fear making every muscle in her body tense. She wanted to take Arin and run but she knew that was the worst thing she could do.
She held her breath, waiting for Race to tell her what to do. Hoping he had a plan.
The bear looked directly at them, made its way straight toward them. And stopped only a few feet away.
Then, like Winnie the Pooh, it sat on its haunches and growled at them. But it wasn’t a growl. It didn’t sound angry. And the bear made no attempt to lunge at them.
It sat there, waiting.
“Okay,” Race said in that barely audible whisper. “We’re going to—”
Arin began to babble loudly. And squirm in the backpack. Fear made her heart pound.
Blessed Goddess, please—
Arin stopped and the bear began again.
And her mouth dropped open.
They were talking to each other.
Yes, it sounded totally crazy but that was the only explanation she could come up with because whenever Arin babbled, the bear fell silent and when Arin stopped, the bear answered.
It was the most amazing thing she’d ever witnessed. And the most terrifying.
She didn’t know how long it went on but she did know Race was ready for anything. He hadn’t moved his hand from her shoulder, the weight both a comfort and a warning.
Finally the bear moved, lumbering up onto its four paws. She couldn’t contain the gasp that left her lips and, even though it was silent, Race somehow heard her. His hand tightened on her shoulder, not painfully but in warning.
The bear never looked twice at either her or Race. It turned and made its way back into the forest, leaving her and Race to stare at each other.
“Vaffanculo. What the hell just happened?”
She shook her head. Even if she could speak, she wouldn’t know what to say. The shock was slowly wearing off, leaving her with the sense that something momentous had just happened and she had no idea what.
Other than the fact that her six-month-old son had apparently talked to a bear.
“We need to talk to Cole. Come on.”
Race grabbed her hand and pulled her along in his wake.
She stole several glances at Arin, who wore a big, happy grin. He clapped his little hands, as if he were having a great time.
It didn’t take them long to get to the den’s main community of houses. Cole kept a home there, though it mostly served as his office. The building looked almost plain, as did the rest of the houses in their community. To the outside world, it looked like any other rural development, set in the woods miles from the nearest city.
The houses were made from wood and stone, all local material. And almost all had only one floor, a nod to their Etruscan roots. Cole’s home was no exception.
Race beat her to the door, his fist banging against the wood until she swore she heard it echo through the forest.
Seconds later, a tall woman opened the door, dark eyebrows raised.
“Dorian, we need to talk to Cole.”
Mara recognized the woman. Cole’s praetorian, his personal guard. The first time Mara had met her, she’d wondered why the lucani king’s safety would be entrusted to a woman who couldn’t weigh more than one hundred forty pounds and stood nearly six feet tall.
She’d only thought that until she’d gotten a glimpse of Dorian working out in the community building across the street. Now she knew better.
“What’s wrong?” She waved them into the house, her gaze traveling between Race and Mara. “What happened?”
“We need to talk to Cole.”
“Then talk.”
Cole had appeared in one of the doorways toward the rear of the house and Mara was struck as she always was by his quiet sense of strength. The lucani king was handsome in conventional terms, with dark-brown hair, dark eyes and perfect cheekbones.
But he had an air about him that was…imposing. She never failed to feel intimidated in his presence. And to know that her welcome here hinged solely on his opinion…
Would he kick her and Arin out now? Where would they go? How—
“I know this is going to sound crazy but we’re pretty sure Arin just had a conversation
with a bear.”
Race’s hand tightened around hers and she realized she was clenching his so tight her knuckles were white. Arin had started to babble, jumping up and down in the pack, as if he understood what they were saying.
Which he couldn’t. He was a baby. Her baby.
Cole’s eyebrows lifted but he didn’t show any other sign of shock. As if people told him babies communicated with wild animals all the time. “Why don’t you start at the beginning.”
Mara was starting to think the beginning went back a lot further than her arrival here at the den.
Race felt the change in Mara as soon as the last word left Cole’s lips.
She tensed, as if he’d said something shocking. Or he’d threatened to kick her and Arin out.
Cole wouldn’t do it. But, of course, Mara didn’t know that. She hadn’t been here long enough to know Cole had a heart. Unlike every other man she’d ever known.
Instead of answering Cole, he turned so he could look directly at Mara. “Hey. We’ll figure it out. Everything’s going to be fine.”
Mara’s mouth pursed and he waited for her to shake her head, to deny him. Instead she signed, “Let me have Arin.”
Cole and Dorian waited silently while he undid the pack so Mara could lift the baby off his back. But once she had Arin out of his snowsuit, Cole stepped into the room and held out his arms. “May I?”
Race wondered if Mara would balk at handing over the baby but she gave Cole a small smile and a nod before holding out a smiling Arin.
“Hello, little man.” Cole took the baby as if he were an old pro. Race wasn’t surprised. Sometimes he didn’t think there wasn’t anything Cole couldn’t handle. “Sounds like you had a busy day.”
Arin gurgled and smiled and made all the noises Race was used to hearing the baby make. Which made him look to Mara. Today was the first time she’d heard the sound of her son’s voice. The wonderstruck look on her face made him bound and determined to make sure no one ever took another thing from her.
“Race.” Cole’s voice held a note of amusement. “Anything else you can tell me?”
He shook his head, not in answer but to clear his thoughts. Then he forced himself to think. But Mara beat him to an answer. She tapped her hands together to get Cole’s attention then began to sign until Cole made an apologetic face.
“I’m sorry, Mara. My signing just isn’t good enough.”
In the next second, Dorian held out a whiteboard and marker with an eraser attached by a string.
Race shook his head. Was there nothing Dorian didn’t think of?
He made a mental note to ask her where she’d gotten that then read what Mara had written.
There were squirrels at his window the other day. Five of them staring at him. I thought it was strange but I lived in the city all my life. Maybe country squirrels are different.
Cole nodded, still smiling at Arin as the baby put his chubby little hands on Cole’s cheeks and patted them, smiling the whole time. “Actually, the squirrels around here aren’t too keen on getting close to us. The whole predator-prey thing tends to keep them scarce.”
Great. So that meant another episode with Arin as a damn Doctor Doolittle…
Or not a doctor at all.
Shit.
Cole met his gaze. Obviously the king had already come to the same conclusion.
Mara touched his arm and he grabbed her hand before she could move away.
She signed “What?” with one hand.
Vaffanculo, he did not want to have this conversation here and now. But the look in Cole’s eyes meant he was going to be overruled on this one. He looked back at Mara, the slightest hint of fear starting to creep into those wide eyes. Would he ever see her without that fear?
His jaw locked. He shot Cole another look, one that warned him to be careful. One that should have put his back up. The king gave him a wry grin.
“Mara, what do you know about Arin’s father?”
Cole should’ve just taken a knife and stuck it in Race’s stomach. Mara looked sucker-punched and the blood drained from her face.
No one, not even Grace, had brought up Arin’s father since she’d been here. When Arin had been born without the intact cowl marking him Malandante, everyone had breathed a sigh of relief.
Mara’s baby would not be drawn to the dark side of magic. But beyond that, no one had thought to ask if there was anything else they should know about his biological father.
Race reacted without thought. He turned her toward the couch and guided her down onto the cushions. He sat beside her, not about to move while they had this conversation.
To his surprise, she didn’t move away from him. And when she laced her fingers through his, he clasped her hand tight and felt her return the squeeze.
Cole watched everything with a sharp eye but his expression showed nothing.
She only held on for a few seconds then released him to write again.
What do you want to know? As far as I know, he was Mal. Nothing more. And not very strong. But then everything he told me may be a lie.
“Did you notice anything different about him?”
She sighed.
Yes. He treated me well.
If Race ever came face-to-face with the bastard who made her look like this just by thinking about him, he was going to tear him apart with his teeth. Slowly.
Dorian appeared to be thinking the very same thing. The praetorian’s scowl promised retribution.
Cole walked to the chair opposite the couch and sat with Arin on his lap, alternately clapping his hands and grabbing at Cole’s hands, which the king obligingly held out for the baby to play with. “I understand that this entire situation sucks. If we find him, you have my promise that he’ll pay. But right now, anything at all could help us figure out what’s going on with Arin.”
Another sigh then Mara shook her head.
There’s nothing. He was an average guy with minimal power even though he’d been born Mal. He was never going to be anything other than Ettore’s pawn. He had a minor affinity for earth but the man couldn’t manage a workable spell.
Cole nodded. “Okay. And there’s nothing in your family, like a fauni ancestor, who could account for it?”
Another denial from Mara.
“Then I’d like to send you to see someone who may be able to tell you what’s going on.”
“And you think there is something going on?” Race asked.
Cole’s steady gaze met his and Race bit back a profane curse at the certainty he saw on the other man’s face.
He felt Mara shift beside him and he turned. “I’m going with you.”
The fear was back in her eyes and he’d do anything to wipe that away forever. He’d defy Cole for that. Might as well just hand his pelt over to her right now. Knowing full well she probably wouldn’t take it.
Why would she? They didn’t know each other well enough.
But then the fear retreated from her eyes and she smiled up at him for several long seconds. When she finally looked away, he felt as if he’d been smashed on the head with a two-by-four.
Vaguely he realized she’d picked up the whiteboard.
Where do we have to go?
Chapter Five
Arin was down for the night and Mara had just closed the door behind Kaisie and Grace, who had stopped by to make sure everything was okay.
Mara had smiled and said of course, they were fine. Race had held up a corner of the living room, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn’t said much but he hadn’t made Grace or Kaisie suspicious.
The story of her son’s encounter with the bear hadn’t left Cole’s house. She had asked Cole to keep it secret until they knew what was going on and he’d agreed. She didn’t know whether to be grateful or even more worried about his agreement.
Arin had fallen asleep after a short feeding and a little rocking, not at all out of sorts. As if nothing momentous had taken place today.
And maybe nothing had. Maybe t
hey were making a mountain out of a molehill.
Sure. Bears always sat and had conversations with babies. And totally ignored the adults.
It made no sense and she couldn’t believe she’d managed to convince Grace that everything was fine. Maybe she hadn’t. Maybe Grace had simply decided to cut her some slack.
She needed a little slack. A little breathing room.
But not too much.
Where’s Race?
She realized it was a thought she had several times a day. She’d grown so used to his presence that when she couldn’t find him, she felt…lonely.
Now he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.
A sharp pain struck her dead center in her chest. Had he left? Without saying anything?
No, he wouldn’t do that.
Would he?
She didn’t know him all that well. What she did know was that she felt safe with him.
And when he kissed her…
She definitely shouldn’t be thinking about that kiss. She had too many other things going on in her life. She should be thinking about what she was going to do with her life when she left the den. She’d have to get a job. She had no money. She owned absolutely nothing, not even the clothes on her back. They’d been bought by Grace.
She had a high school education only because Ettore had employed a tutor for her and Lia who helped her get her GED. She had no head for numbers, but she wasn’t stupid.
Still, she wouldn’t be able to survive without help. And that made her furious. And terrified. And embarrassed.
“Mara. What’s wrong?”
She turned with a gasp, her hand going to her chest.
Race stood in the open front door, wearing a frown, a pair of jeans and not much else. He held a shirt in his hands but she had the almost overwhelming urge to grab it and stuff it in the disposal in the sink and grind it to tiny bits.
Blessed Mother Goddess, the man had a body sculpted by the deities. She’d never felt this way about a guy. Not even the father of her son. That man—she refused to even think his name—had been the first man to show her simple affection. She’d been attracted to him, had soaked up his apparent kindness. She’d given him her virginity and never realized he’d been playing her the entire time.
Shades of Moonlight Page 4
