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Timur Denescz encouraged them to flee their homeland, and then he
took over as leader. Gaspar never liked him, but at the time, he and
Vencel had no choice since their pack mates were dying at alarming
rates all in defense of him and his brother. Vencel stepped up beside
him and snarled as soon as he recognized their old advisor.
Mai?
Bathroom again. She ran there earlier, so I figured that she would
feel safer in there. I left the gun with her, too. Hopefully, she won’t
have to use it.
Gaspar nodded slightly. Poor Mai, if this didn’t send her running
terrified from them, then they might have a chance. Although, the
idea of her running and the two of them hunting her made his wolf
hungry.
“Gaspar, Vencel! Please excuse my unannounced visit.” Timur
strutted up the drive toward them.
“Your guard dogs stay at the car.” Gaspar pointed a clawed finger
at the two bodyguards. They both looked at their boss before
accepting his nod.
Caress of Fur
115
“I’m shocked you would receive a pack mate in such a manner.
Living here in Canada has destroyed your manners. I should have
insisted you both return years ago.”
“You really think we would listen to you?” Vencel stepped
forward, his voice deceptively calm. Vencel had the ability to keep
himself completely under control and then shift at a moment’s notice
and tear a swath through whatever threatened him.
“Of course, dear boy.” Despite their answering in English, Timur
continued to speak in Hungarian, which annoyed Gaspar even more.
The lack of respect this old one used was typical of his generation and
upbringing.
“You are of the Bükk pack. I encouraged you to cross to this
country to help saves your lives. The time has come for you to return
home.”
“We are home. This is our place, and it’s where we will stay.”
Timur looked around a slightly distasteful look on his face. “I can
see the attraction to this part of the country, but their cities are sterile
and lacking any kind of culture or history. Our home has an ancestry
rich with memories.”
“And by staying here we will make our own memories.” The
afternoon breeze shifted, and Gaspar knew that Timur picked up what
they were trying to hide.
“Really boys, if I interrupted something, you really should have
said so.” He shook his head at them as if disappointed. Knowing the
strict rules of their old pack, the elder probably viewed them as wild
teenagers pushing acceptable boundaries. “I’ll let you boys get back
to your fun. Next time please tell me before I make a special trip out
here. A simple voice message would have sufficed.”
Vencel stalked forward, but Gaspar grabbed his arm. As much as
he would have loved to tear into the interlopers, neither did he want a
full force descending on him. Timur wasn’t stupid. He wouldn’t have
shown up without a backup situated somewhere close.
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Corinne Davies
“I am staying at the poor excuse for a hotel in Ecstasy Lake. It’s
the best place I could find in the area, but since we are only staying a
few days to help you clear up any matters here, I figured we could
rough it.” He sniffed the air again and smiled at them. “I’ll see the
two of you at my hotel this afternoon, and bring your human. I’d like
to meet her.”
Vencel growled at them, and Gaspar tightened his hold on his
brother’s arm. “We’ll see you then.”
Timur got back into his car while his lapdogs continued to scan
the area. What did they think was going on here? Obviously, Vencel
and Gaspar were the only shape-shifters in the immediate area, but
they needed to look useful or the old man would get rid of them, too.
The cars backed away, but neither he nor Vencel acknowledged
the retreating wave. Both of them stood there with their arms crossed.
Gaspar’s wolf wasn’t ready to recede yet, so he didn’t fight it. They
both stood there until the foreign wolves’ scent trailed away.
“We aren’t taking her.”
“We have to, or they will call a hunt on her. Denescz isn’t as
stupid as I wish. He will know that she is special to us. Her scent must
have mingled with ours by now.
“I don’t like this.”
“Neither do I”
Gaspar felt his wolf straining to break loose. He wanted blood and
revenge on those who would come to his den and threaten the safety
of his family.
“Why don’t you take a run in the forest? You’re so agitated that
Mai might not believe you when you try to tell her that everything is
okay.”
“But it’s not okay.”
“She doesn’t need to know that right now.”
* * * *
Caress of Fur
117
“Mai it’s me.” Vencel called out as soon as he walked back into
the house. “Everything is all right. I’m coming up the stairs, put the
gun down now.”
He could hear her moving in the bathroom but didn’t hear the
sound of the gun being laid down. Concern struck his heart, and he
raced up the stairs two at a time. “Nyuszikam, are you all right?”
“Yes.” The lock on the bathroom door clicked, and she poked her
head around the crack. When she saw Vencel, she breathed a long
sigh of relief. He heard the slight clunk when she placed the gun on
the tiled counter. Part of him wanted to congratulate her for thinking
of her safety first, but it was overruled by the need to comfort her. He
opened his arms, and she ran into them. Jumping into his arms, she
wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
“I was so scared, and I’m not certain why.”
He kissed her for being so very brave. She must have been picking
up on his and Gaspar’s concern. Could their bond be that strong
already? “I told you there was nothing to worry about.”
“Where is Gaspar?”
“He’s out running and trying to work off some of his aggravation.
His wolf prowled too close to the surface, and he didn’t want to [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]