He kissed the top of her head and Cassie felt the vibration of it in the soles of her feet, which were planted solidly on the floor. She checked to be sure, because she had the sensation of floating on air.
“Come with me.” Brice led her into Margaret’s bedroom.
They navigated around the boxes his uncle had delivered from Brice’s penthouse and walked over to one of the four rolling garment racks. Cassie’s mouth fell open. She’d seen this many clothes only inside a department store.
“You should wear black,” she said in a gentle tone when he picked out a dark blue suit. “People have certain expectations of you.”
“I don’t care.” He opened a rectangular box that contained at least three dozen silk handkerchiefs. He selected one the exact shade of Cassie’s dress. “Perfect.”
His broad smile faltered as his gaze fell to the hand Cassie held against her throat. He shuffled around the boxes to Margaret’s dresser.
“What are you looking for?” Cassie watched him open and close drawers.
“These.” He pulled out a fistful of scarves. “I didn’t remember them yesterday. You know my brain doesn’t function well until I’ve had my first cup of coffee.”
He dumped the colorful neckwear across the bed. “You don’t need to be ashamed of those bruises, Cas. But if you’re more comfortable with them covered, maybe one of these will help.”
Cassie sorted through the collection. “I didn’t know Margaret had these.”
“She used to wear them to church when I was a little boy.” Brice scratched his head. “I hope they’re still in fashion.”
Cassie picked two that would complement her dress without drawing attention to her: a white gauze scarf with a featherweight viscose texture and a silky one with a peach abstract pattern.
“I like this one.” Brice fingered the vibrant indigo flowers on a pale blue pashmina.
“It’s lovely.” Cassie worked it gingerly around her throat. “No one will mind if I borrow it?”
“They’re yours now.” The vividness of his gaze dimmed. “Granny would’ve wanted you to have them.”
Cassie’s chest ached. She’d lost so much in the span of week. The trailer—her home for ten years. Her car. Soon, her job. And most of all, the woman to whom Cassie owed so much.
Margaret Walker was gone, and she’d left a big hole in Cassie’s heart. Brice’s kindness made the hole bigger. Cassie needed to plug the breach before she lost any more of herself.
* * *
Thank God Brice hadn’t suggested driving his horrifyingly expensive car. He helped her out of the truck.
“You are so beautiful, Sunshine.” He kissed her, soft and sweet.
Cassie tasted the longing. Hers? His? She couldn’t tell.
He drew back. His hesitant eyes reflected a vulnerability that she doubted anyone else would notice.
She took his hand, wanting to be strong because Brice needed her to be. “You’re as handsome as sin, Mr. Walker.”
Tucking her arm beneath his, they walked inside the church. The greeter directed them to the area off to the side, where Brice’s parents and a few other people were gathered.
“You should be with your family,” Cassie said. “I’ll meet you after the service.”
“We’ll sit together.” Brice’s tightened his hold on her arm. “Granny considered you family. She wouldn’t want you to sit alone, and neither do I.” Grief wore through his ruggedly handsome face. His full mouth, devoid of a smile, pulled tight from the stress.
“Oh, all right.” Cassie swallowed the sting in her throat and offered Brice an encouraging smile. “Do you want to stand with your parents to greet the guests?”
Brice shook his head. His eyes gravitated to the table at the front of the sanctuary, where a rainbow spray of wildflowers rested behind a silver urn. The natural fluidity of Brice’s movements faltered and his limp became more pronounced the closer they came to the first pew. She stroked his arm and offered soft reassurances while ignoring the increased whisperings as they passed each row.
When they sat down, both breathed again. Brice slid his arm over her shoulders and tipped his head to hers. He closed his eyes and swallowed.
Maybe he was counting. Or maybe he was trying not to throw up, which is what Cassie wanted to do.
Brice stood as his parents approached. Not knowing what the proper etiquette was, Cassie stood, too.
Stiff-armed, Brice hugged his mother, whose strained, pale face and red, swollen eyes were a harsh contrast to her usual elegance. He shook his father’s hand, though neither spoke.
“I’m very sorry for your loss,” Cassie said softly over the grapefruit-sized lump in her throat.
Abigail Walker stared at Cassie’s extended hand. Maybe it wasn’t appropriate to handshake at a funeral. She was just about to drop her hand when Brice’s mother accepted the greeting.
“Thank you, Cassie.” Abigail Walker sat down without meeting Cassie’s gaze.
The angles in Gavin’s face appeared sharper than Cassie had ever seen them, so she found it difficult to gauge his reaction to her presence. She offered her heartfelt condolences. No matter his opinion of her, Cassie knew how it felt to lose a mother.
Gavin enclosed her hand in his two large palms. “Thank you for coming,” he said in a gruff voice.
Brice squeezed her elbow, extracting her from his father’s grip. Cassie returned to her seat, and Brice left no space between them.
Cassie laced her fingers through his and tried to return the strength she’d siphoned from him over the week. She prayed his common sense would return, too. Then he would see how out of place she was in his world.
Chapter 34
People spilled from the resort dining room, lingered in the lobby and sauntered in and out of the lounge for drinks. Nearly everyone in Maico had joined the Walkers and their covert wolfy friends for Margaret’s memorial reception.
Cassie tried to look inconspicuous, sitting alone at the table Brice had ushered her to when she refused to join him and his parents as they mingled with their guests. It was hard enough to make it through the service, feeling the heat of everyone’s stares at the back of her head. She wouldn’t fake-smile and chitchat as if she hadn’t noticed.
The conglomerate smells from the buffet of Margaret’s favorite foods—fried chicken, country-fried steak, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, and fresh-baked biscuits— saturated the air. Ordinarily Cassie loved the scent of good old-fashioned country cooking. Right now, her nerves made her so jittery that her stomach rebelled against the heavy odors.
She took a tiny sip of iced tea. Unfortunately, the cold drink did nothing to settle her queasiness.
“Miss Albright?”
Cassie gazed up at the elderly gentleman with a short crop of precisely cut silvery strands. Suitably dressed for mourning, he wore an expensive-looking black suit, crisp black shirt and thin black tie. His rich, dark eyebrows slashed over deep-set eyes.
“Hello, Mr. Krussen.”
“Would you mind if I joined you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He simply pulled the chair next to her away from the table where Brice had deposited her and sat. “Thank you for your recommendation of Mabel’s Diner. The food was tasty, and the ambiance adequately reflected Maico’s local color.”
“I’m glad the restaurant was to your liking,” she said politely without engaging further conversation. Her nerves were still raw from the gawks, finger pointing and loud whispers she’d endured at the memorial service.
“Brice seems quite fond of you.” A neutral smile he must rely on often slid too easily into place.
Already on edge, her body painfully tensed for The Talk. She’d expected it, sooner or later, from any number of “well-meaning” people; however, coming from a member of the imperious w
olfy council, it seemed a little over the top.
She remained quiet, watching a room filled with people Margaret had touched over her lifetime. People who respected and loved her dearly. People who grieved her loss, missing her terribly.
Cassie’s heart constricted with an aching pain. She would never garner the acceptance and adoration Margaret had achieved. Brice couldn’t see it, but Cassie could, and she didn’t need anyone to point out her shortcomings.
“I was quite disturbed to learn of your attack.” Michael’s gaze lingered on the delicate scarf around Cassie’s neck. “Rest assured, Victoria will be punished for the assault.”
“It was a personal catfight, and no one else needs to nose into our private business. I wasn’t seriously hurt, and she learned I don’t take kindly to bullies.” Cassie emphasized the latter, taking some measure of pleasure in the flicker of his understanding of her true meaning. “The matter is settled.”
Amusement tinged the corners of his diplomatic smile. “I’ll inform the council of your position when we convene for Victoria’s hearing.”
“Please do.” Cassie sipped her drink.
“I like your frankness, so I’ll be direct.” His hand rested on her arm, the warmth of his palm lost to the cold, impersonal touch. “I’ve observed your interactions with Brice over the past couple of days. It’s evident you care for him, so it’s prudent for you to understand that his attachment to you threatens his future. You need to let him go.”
“Brice and I are friends. Close friends.” She could admit to that. “Our paths lie in different directions to attempt anything more.”
“What a relief.” Michael’s smile turned genuine. “I feared he would make you his mate so he could, quite literally, watch over you as Margaret had asked.”
Michael’s words slammed into her with unexpected tidal-wave force. She struggled to breathe.
Her one perfect night with Brice had been nothing more than a cheap fabrication. The pain in her chest, throbbing and unrelenting, exploded into a shattering numbness.
Her dignity shriveled. Brice only wanted her because his grandmother had turned Cassie into his charity case. All the talk about mate-bonds was nothing but a bunch of hooey.
Good thing she never believed him.
Cassie’s hand trembled, and she had to be careful not to spill tea down her face while taking a drink. The cold wetness shocked her dry mouth, driving an icy resolve into the pit of her stomach.
Resigning from her position at Walker’s Run Resort and moving to the college campus was absolutely the right choice for her to make.
“Excuse me, Mr. Krussen. It’s been a long week, and I’m utterly worn-out.”
“Of course.” He stood, offering a gentlemanly hand to help her stand.
She hurried to the employees’ restroom and leaned against the counter. A single, silent sob rocked her body.
Someone knocked and the restroom door squeaked open.
“Cas?” Brice’s soft tone washed over her. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
“Exhausted,” she said, too drained to pretend otherwise.
He netted her in his strong arms. Cassie rested her cheek against his chest, his heart beating a comforting drum despite the treachery hidden within.
Wishing she’d never learned the truth, Cassie turned her face into the fabric of his blue button-down shirt. It smelled fresh, clean and just like him.
“Let’s go.” His long, warm fingers laced through hers.
“No.” The pretense had gone on long enough. She wanted a break from it. From him. “I need some fresh air. I’m going home. Alone.”
The disappointment on his face crunched the pieces of her splintered heart. “I’m not staying without you.”
“Your family needs you. Your people need to see you.”
“They need to see us.”
“There is no us.”
“Cas.” Brice reached for her, and she leaned away. He dropped his hand, but his eyes held a plea she forced herself to ignore.
“I don’t belong. Not at your table. Not in your home. And not in your life.”
“I thought you accepted the bond between us.”
“Lust,” she said flatly. “That’s all it is.”
“What about last night?” Brice’s voice dropped to a whisper.
“Sex. Nothing more,” Cassie lied. The first she remembered telling. She hated lies. One followed another until it became hard to tell the truth.
She’d just taken one giant step toward becoming her mother.
Brice flinched. His lips parted. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do.” The second lie tumbled from her lips. “I’m grateful you were my first, but it was just sex. It didn’t mean anything to me.”
Brice’s features darkened, the light in his eyes extinguished. When he spoke, his voice sounded cold and bitter. “Last night might have meant nothing to you, but it meant everything in the world to me.”
She met his gaze, ready to confess that she’d lied. The hardness in his face and the pure disgust in his eyes declared a retraction was too late. The poison had already settled into Brice’s heart to destroy his faith in her.
His name evaporated from her traitorous tongue. Because she couldn’t give voice to her regret and stop him, Brice stormed out.
Cassie’s heart froze in her chest, where even the faintest beat would break her open.
She was doing the right thing, Cassie reminded herself. She wasn’t right for him. He needed a strong, respectable lady wolf by his side. Not a scrawny scrap of a human who had a streak of bad luck that ran the length of the Tennessee River.
Cassie’s throat burned. No matter how hard she swallowed, she couldn’t dislodge the corrosive lump. She stumbled out of the restroom and down the hallway toward the lobby.
Someone called her name, though the person sounded far, far away.
“You need to sit down.” Shane looked as ethereal as his voice. “You’re about to faint.” His face contorted in a weird scrunch. He pushed her into the employee break room and forced her to sit.
Awareness crept back into her mind. Cassie shook her head. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.” Shane’s mouth pressed into a hard frown. “What the hell happened between you and Brice?”
“Nothing of consequence.” Another lie.
“Would you mind if I asked a favor?” Cassie stared at the floor so it would be easier for him to say no if he didn’t want to get involved.
“We’re friends, Cassie. You can ask me anything.”
“I need a ride to the college in the morning. I’m moving into the campus apartments.”
Shane spat curses out of the side of his mouth. “Did the prick kick you out?”
“No.” Although given the way Brice stalked off, he might. “Since I have no car, I had to choose between work and graduation.”
“Wait a sec.” Shane squeezed Cassie’s arm. “Brice doesn’t want you leave?”
“We didn’t make it that far into the discussion.” Cassie touched her hair, trying to be casual about the incident.
It seemed to take forever for Shane to respond. “What time should I pick you up?”
“Is seven too early?” The weight on Cassie’s shoulders became heavier. The knots in her stomach twisted tighter and multiplied.
“I can make seven.” He tilted his head. A wry smile crept across his lips. “Promise me something.”
“What?”
“Hang out with me at the library or in the rec room or even at your new place from time to time. Deal?”
Cassie nodded, because the pressure in her chest had caved in her throat.
Chapter 35
Gulping for each breath, Brice tore through the woods. No matter how h
ard or fast he wolf-ran, Brice couldn’t escape the sharp claw of pain shredding his heart.
Cassie couldn’t have meant what she said about their coupling. Yet when he’d looked deep into her eyes, he saw the power of her conviction.
It had to be the stress of the last few days. Cassie was weary and overwhelmed, and he’d asked too much of her. She had wanted to return to the cabin after the memorial service, but he insisted that she attend the reception because he needed her soothing presence. He hadn’t thought about what she needed.
Fear threaded through his turbulent thoughts.
He’d fucked up.
Again.
His first big mistake cost Mason his life. This one would cost Brice everything.
Every muscle in his body burned as he pushed past his endurance. If he had a fucking heart attack like Granny had, so be it.
Landmarks blurred in his peripheral vision. Brice had no idea where he was headed until his nails slid into soft moss and stopped him from sailing over the cliff.
As the adrenaline surge ebbed, the roar faded from his ears. His vision cleared, his breathing eased, but the pain in his heart remained. Strength gone, Brice the man flopped to the ground in the very spot where he had confessed to Cassie that she was his true mate. Had it been only a few days ago?
It felt more like a lifetime.
The sun shrank behind the trees, retracting its warmth and leaving Brice as cold on the outside as he was on the inside. The calling he’d felt for Walker’s Run dwindled to negligible pulse. His eyelids slid lower and lower as darkness encroached, and he prayed to the heavens that this day had simply been a bad dream.
* * *
“Brice?” A warm, gentle hand squeezed his shoulder. A hand too large to belong to Cassie.
Brice forced open one eye.
Crouched low, Gavin Walker peered at Brice’s face. “Son, are you hurt?”
Instead of answering the question, Brice simply sat up. “What are you doing here?”
“Rafe raised an alarm. He kept the sentinels at bay until I reached the sentry gate. He insisted I should come the rest of the way alone.”
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