Read Online Human Shifter (Book Three: A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance) by Aubrey Rose - Free Book Online Page A
Book: Human Shifter (Book Three: A Werewolf BBW Shifter Romance) by Aubrey Rose
Read Free Book Online
Authors: Aubrey Rose
Ads: Link
and she quashed it. This was no game. She slid the knife back into the sheath.
"Dee will help you practice," he said. "Julia?"
"Yes?" She looked up. Damien's face was solemn.
"Protect yourself. Come home safely."
"I'll try," she said, but it was only a whisper.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Damien
Damien argued with Dee for ages before they left.
"I've trusted your judgment before, but this is my granddaughter we're talking about," Dee said.
"She's my mate," Damien retorted. "And you will be there to protect her. I've given her my blade, in case she needs to use it."
"Blade?"
"I have a wolfbone blade. I told her you would show her how to use it properly."
Dee's inhale hissed between her teeth.
"Only as a precaution," Damien said. "I hope she will not have to use it."
"Those blades were used against wolves in the Purges," Dee said. "They're nothing but bad luck."
"Something I hope will help her in case she does need to take it out of her belt." Damien spoke calmly, though he trembled underneath. "The threat of the blade will be sharp enough."
"How did you get such a knife?"
"I stole it from someone who hunted me once," Damien said, and turned away to scratch an itch at his ankle. He did not want to remember that part of his past.
"They have a dark magic in them, I've heard."
"What have you heard? In all my search of folklore, I've not come across much at all."
"The story of Blood River—"
"That one, yes. Every pup has heard that one," Damien said. "But it's only a tale meant to scare children into keeping close to the den."
"Is it?"
At that moment the scent struck him: uncertainty. The fear of uncertainty. He started back at the scent. Dee ? Dee believed?
"There aren't many other accounts of wolfbone blades," Damien said, keeping the surprise out of his voice. He'd scoured the literature, always searching for more, and nothing had ever to him suggested their veracity. And that Dee thought spirits might exist in reality was laughable—or would be, if he was in a mood to laugh. He wasn't. "They were used in the Purges, yes, but that was before my time—"
"Not before mine," Dee said.
"How ... how old are you?"
Damien was struck with new consideration at the thought. Purebred shifters lived longer, much longer than their hybrid counterparts. Her blood was pure—did that mean Julia would live as long as Damien? Or longer? The full import of what her journey might achieve hit Damien like a branch he had not seen coming.
"Probably much younger than you think. I was only a child during the Purges. But still, yes. And Julia will be, too."
"If she does it? If she shifts? Or would she still live as long?"
" Nobody but one god knows what time it is we have ," Dee quoted.
" And that god knows all, and knows that time is not. " Damien touched his fingers to his lips at the same time Dee touched hers. "But an average is just that. I would like to know if I am likely to be outlived by my ... by Julia."
"Or by your children," Dee said.
Damien was silent. Dee got up from her chair, the wooden legs scraping just slightly against the floor.
"I've outlived my share of family," Dee said, the sigh in her voice as worn as thin cloth. "Julia is all I have left."
"Then I'm glad you're there to protect her," Damien said.
"You know how precious she is," Dee said. "I didn't think you would let her go."
Damien paused. He could change his mind and order her to stay. Order her to wait until his leg was healed enough to go with her. But the rift between them was so great that he dared not keep her—and lose her.
"I know she'll come back," Damien said. His voice resounded with confidence, but inside he was hollow.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Julia
Julia sucked air between her lips.
Damien lay in her bed. Their bed. She sat at the edge of the bed, looking out of the window. The half-moon could barely be seen along the edge of the tree line in the distance.
"Tell me what you're thinking," Damien said.
"You know what I'm thinking." The words
"Dee will help you practice," he said. "Julia?"
"Yes?" She looked up. Damien's face was solemn.
"Protect yourself. Come home safely."
"I'll try," she said, but it was only a whisper.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Damien
Damien argued with Dee for ages before they left.
"I've trusted your judgment before, but this is my granddaughter we're talking about," Dee said.
"She's my mate," Damien retorted. "And you will be there to protect her. I've given her my blade, in case she needs to use it."
"Blade?"
"I have a wolfbone blade. I told her you would show her how to use it properly."
Dee's inhale hissed between her teeth.
"Only as a precaution," Damien said. "I hope she will not have to use it."
"Those blades were used against wolves in the Purges," Dee said. "They're nothing but bad luck."
"Something I hope will help her in case she does need to take it out of her belt." Damien spoke calmly, though he trembled underneath. "The threat of the blade will be sharp enough."
"How did you get such a knife?"
"I stole it from someone who hunted me once," Damien said, and turned away to scratch an itch at his ankle. He did not want to remember that part of his past.
"They have a dark magic in them, I've heard."
"What have you heard? In all my search of folklore, I've not come across much at all."
"The story of Blood River—"
"That one, yes. Every pup has heard that one," Damien said. "But it's only a tale meant to scare children into keeping close to the den."
"Is it?"
At that moment the scent struck him: uncertainty. The fear of uncertainty. He started back at the scent. Dee ? Dee believed?
"There aren't many other accounts of wolfbone blades," Damien said, keeping the surprise out of his voice. He'd scoured the literature, always searching for more, and nothing had ever to him suggested their veracity. And that Dee thought spirits might exist in reality was laughable—or would be, if he was in a mood to laugh. He wasn't. "They were used in the Purges, yes, but that was before my time—"
"Not before mine," Dee said.
"How ... how old are you?"
Damien was struck with new consideration at the thought. Purebred shifters lived longer, much longer than their hybrid counterparts. Her blood was pure—did that mean Julia would live as long as Damien? Or longer? The full import of what her journey might achieve hit Damien like a branch he had not seen coming.
"Probably much younger than you think. I was only a child during the Purges. But still, yes. And Julia will be, too."
"If she does it? If she shifts? Or would she still live as long?"
" Nobody but one god knows what time it is we have ," Dee quoted.
" And that god knows all, and knows that time is not. " Damien touched his fingers to his lips at the same time Dee touched hers. "But an average is just that. I would like to know if I am likely to be outlived by my ... by Julia."
"Or by your children," Dee said.
Damien was silent. Dee got up from her chair, the wooden legs scraping just slightly against the floor.
"I've outlived my share of family," Dee said, the sigh in her voice as worn as thin cloth. "Julia is all I have left."
"Then I'm glad you're there to protect her," Damien said.
"You know how precious she is," Dee said. "I didn't think you would let her go."
Damien paused. He could change his mind and order her to stay. Order her to wait until his leg was healed enough to go with her. But the rift between them was so great that he dared not keep her—and lose her.
"I know she'll come back," Damien said. His voice resounded with confidence, but inside he was hollow.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Julia
Julia sucked air between her lips.
Damien lay in her bed. Their bed. She sat at the edge of the bed, looking out of the window. The half-moon could barely be seen along the edge of the tree line in the distance.
"Tell me what you're thinking," Damien said.
"You know what I'm thinking." The words
Similar Books
