Read Online Eventide of the Bear (The Wild Hunt Legacy #3) by Cherise Sinclair - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Cherise Sinclair
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to happen. You’re not healed up enough to leave.”
“I am. Now let go of me!” She tried to make him release her jeans and failed. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and a sob escaped her. “You stupid male!”
He saw the moment she lost her hold on her control, but rather than changing to a bear and doing some real damage, she merely thumped his shoulder with her tiny fists. Even when furious, she wouldn’t hurt him.
A snowdrift of pity piled up within him. This was about more than the housing accommodations, wasn’t it?
He lifted her up and yanked her jeans down. Her blows landed on his back like the slight sting of hail. As carefully as he could, he slid her pants off her legs. By the God, she’d torn the fragile tissue covering the hellhound bite. Blood trickled down her leg.
“Fuck, darlin’.” He grabbed gauze pads the healer had left on the nightstand.
As he bandaged her wound, she abandoned the struggle. Tears seeped from beneath her closed lids to run down her cheeks.
Fuming, he took a seat beside her. Didn’t she know what would happen to her out there, injured and helpless?
He sighed. Of course she did. She’d been nearly dead when they found her. And she still hadn’t told him why she’d been living in the forest. He’d let her evade his questions, figuring it was Calum’s job to quiz her, but if this continued, he’d pin her down and not let her up until she answered, no matter how much she cried. Or how badly he’d feel.
Probably much like he felt right now.
Normally, words came fairly easy to him, although often enough, he’d speak without thinking and make a hash of it. He didn’t want to fuck up now. Dammit.
Stroking his thumb over her soft cheek, he calmed his anger so he could talk without growling. “I don’t think the Mother approves of shifters throwing away her gift of life.”
“I’ve already destroyed lives,” she whispered, eyes still closed.
He frowned. She wasn’t very old. Mid-twenties, maybe. At the most. Perhaps a couple of males had asked her to lifemate, and she’d broken their hearts with her refusal? “I doubt you’ve done anything that awful, li’l bear.”
“Ben.” When she looked at him, her beautiful golden-brown eyes held more misery than anyone should endure. “I don’t deserve to live among the clan. Let me go.”
“No. You wouldn’t live a week, even in bear form.” Taking her unbandaged hand, he saw purpling bruises on her knuckles. She must have given him some pretty determined thumps.
Noticing, she turned white. “I’m sorry.” She pulled in a shuddering breath. “I can’t do anything right. Let me leave. Please.”
“Sweetie, that’s not going to happen.”
Her face crumpled, and her lower lip trembled. By the God, she was breaking his heart. Few Daonain survived clanless, so why did she want to retreat back into the wilderness?
She didn’t. He’d seen her light up when he walked in her room or when Angie and the healer visited. This pretty bear loved company, even though her awkwardness spoke of an unknowable amount of time alone.
“I don’t deserve to live among the clan.” Sounded like guilt. Mistakes in the past.
How could he get her off this trail? If ever there was a blundering bear when it came to talking through emotions, that would be him. Perhaps, so was she. Start there. “I don’t know why you feel so guilty, but we’ll talk about it later.”
From the way her lips closed together, he could see that discussion would happen right about…never. Where the fuck was Calum when he needed him?
“But, darlin’, we’re bears,” he said. “We don’t hurt others because we want to play with our prey like cats. We’re not wolves to be pushed into idiocy by the pack. We stumble into stuff because sometimes we’re just clumsy. Yeah?”
Her eyes were still filled with tears, but she nodded.
There. He had a scent to follow, to lead her up and out of this fucking chasm. “Can’t go through life
“I am. Now let go of me!” She tried to make him release her jeans and failed. Tears spilled down her cheeks, and a sob escaped her. “You stupid male!”
He saw the moment she lost her hold on her control, but rather than changing to a bear and doing some real damage, she merely thumped his shoulder with her tiny fists. Even when furious, she wouldn’t hurt him.
A snowdrift of pity piled up within him. This was about more than the housing accommodations, wasn’t it?
He lifted her up and yanked her jeans down. Her blows landed on his back like the slight sting of hail. As carefully as he could, he slid her pants off her legs. By the God, she’d torn the fragile tissue covering the hellhound bite. Blood trickled down her leg.
“Fuck, darlin’.” He grabbed gauze pads the healer had left on the nightstand.
As he bandaged her wound, she abandoned the struggle. Tears seeped from beneath her closed lids to run down her cheeks.
Fuming, he took a seat beside her. Didn’t she know what would happen to her out there, injured and helpless?
He sighed. Of course she did. She’d been nearly dead when they found her. And she still hadn’t told him why she’d been living in the forest. He’d let her evade his questions, figuring it was Calum’s job to quiz her, but if this continued, he’d pin her down and not let her up until she answered, no matter how much she cried. Or how badly he’d feel.
Probably much like he felt right now.
Normally, words came fairly easy to him, although often enough, he’d speak without thinking and make a hash of it. He didn’t want to fuck up now. Dammit.
Stroking his thumb over her soft cheek, he calmed his anger so he could talk without growling. “I don’t think the Mother approves of shifters throwing away her gift of life.”
“I’ve already destroyed lives,” she whispered, eyes still closed.
He frowned. She wasn’t very old. Mid-twenties, maybe. At the most. Perhaps a couple of males had asked her to lifemate, and she’d broken their hearts with her refusal? “I doubt you’ve done anything that awful, li’l bear.”
“Ben.” When she looked at him, her beautiful golden-brown eyes held more misery than anyone should endure. “I don’t deserve to live among the clan. Let me go.”
“No. You wouldn’t live a week, even in bear form.” Taking her unbandaged hand, he saw purpling bruises on her knuckles. She must have given him some pretty determined thumps.
Noticing, she turned white. “I’m sorry.” She pulled in a shuddering breath. “I can’t do anything right. Let me leave. Please.”
“Sweetie, that’s not going to happen.”
Her face crumpled, and her lower lip trembled. By the God, she was breaking his heart. Few Daonain survived clanless, so why did she want to retreat back into the wilderness?
She didn’t. He’d seen her light up when he walked in her room or when Angie and the healer visited. This pretty bear loved company, even though her awkwardness spoke of an unknowable amount of time alone.
“I don’t deserve to live among the clan.” Sounded like guilt. Mistakes in the past.
How could he get her off this trail? If ever there was a blundering bear when it came to talking through emotions, that would be him. Perhaps, so was she. Start there. “I don’t know why you feel so guilty, but we’ll talk about it later.”
From the way her lips closed together, he could see that discussion would happen right about…never. Where the fuck was Calum when he needed him?
“But, darlin’, we’re bears,” he said. “We don’t hurt others because we want to play with our prey like cats. We’re not wolves to be pushed into idiocy by the pack. We stumble into stuff because sometimes we’re just clumsy. Yeah?”
Her eyes were still filled with tears, but she nodded.
There. He had a scent to follow, to lead her up and out of this fucking chasm. “Can’t go through life
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