eager to see her friends again.
Of Night and Desire
45
* * * *
It had been a long time since Valya had been to the mountains, not since the night of Duncan’s death. It was a painful reminder of how he had failed just as he had failed Richelle’s mother, Adelaide, so many years ago. The night air filled him almost completely. The night was different in the mountains than it was in the city.
In the city, even in the middle of the night, there was always some type of activity. There were cars on the road, people still walking the streets, and people working in their offices. It held an iridescent illumination, the contemporary version of burning the midnight oil. Here in themountains it
was so quiet one could hear the gentlest breeze as it whistled through the pines.
One did not merely a part of the surroundings; it became a part of one—
from feeling thunderstorms, raindrops like fingers drumming along the back, to thunder rumbling through the body and rattling the spine. Every living thing, every spirit, became more alive—the trees, the birds, the animals—
exuding a strong life force thattouched everyone and everything around them.
And then there was Richelle.
She was here. He could feel her everywhere.
She was in the cabin. He could sense her sorrow as she stood in her childhood home now that Duncan was gone. Her sorrow was profound and he wept for her. He wept— he could feel her sorrow, her pain, and he welcomed it.
It had been far too long since he had experienced any emotion that even the negative ones brought him joy. Richelle was here. She was his. And he would never let them feel pain again.
He shifted to wolf form to find her, following her scent as she ambled into the mountains. He remembered this path well. This was her path, the path he traveled with her as a wolf to her secret place in the meadow. When she was sad, or lonely, or angry, she would sit quietly for hours and talk with her animal friends to calm her anxieties. He picked up his pace as her scent grew stronger.
Finally, at the end of the path, he stopped.
He saw her, and she took his breath away.
46
Mia Bailey
Illuminated by the moonlight, she sat quietly with several animals from the forest. Two does were napping quietly by her side as she stroked a rabbit that was sitting in her lap. On the far side of the meadow, he saw a pack of wolves sitting and watching her, and on a stump three feet from her sat an owl, hooting into the night as she vigilantly surveyed the world around her.
The ease with which she sat in the company of the beasts and the calmness radiating off her filled him with awe. Never had he seen anything as beautiful .
He sauntered into the meadow. The owl turned her head sharply to gaze at him intently. Just as quickly, the pack of wolves sprang to life to run over to where Richelle was sitting, forming a line of defense between him and Richelle. He opened his mind to speak with them. He saw no fury in their minds, only the need to protect Richelle.
“I am Valya, the Guardian. I have come for Richelle, my life mate. Have no fear, she is safe with me.”
Their response was to growl and posture.
“I am Valya. Richelle is mine.”
They growled some more, their fur ruffling about their necks. One large black wolf came up. The alpha.
Unspoken words coursed through Valya’s mind. “Richelle has never mentioned a life mate. She is ours to protect.”
“Nevertheless, she is mine,” Valya growled.
“How do we know what you say is true? You could be the Vampyre seeking her again.”
Valya growled louder. “I am Valya, the Guardian. I have come for my life mate. Move aside.”
“Make me.” The black wolf growled and lowered his head and tightened his haunches to launch himself at Valya. Valya did not want to destroy the big black wolf. He was only protecting Richelle, but nothing—man, immortal, or beast—would ever come between him and Richelle again. He bared his fangs as he readied himself for
Of Night and Desire
45
* * * *
It had been a long time since Valya had been to the mountains, not since the night of Duncan’s death. It was a painful reminder of how he had failed just as he had failed Richelle’s mother, Adelaide, so many years ago. The night air filled him almost completely. The night was different in the mountains than it was in the city.
In the city, even in the middle of the night, there was always some type of activity. There were cars on the road, people still walking the streets, and people working in their offices. It held an iridescent illumination, the contemporary version of burning the midnight oil. Here in themountains it
was so quiet one could hear the gentlest breeze as it whistled through the pines.
One did not merely a part of the surroundings; it became a part of one—
from feeling thunderstorms, raindrops like fingers drumming along the back, to thunder rumbling through the body and rattling the spine. Every living thing, every spirit, became more alive—the trees, the birds, the animals—
exuding a strong life force thattouched everyone and everything around them.
And then there was Richelle.
She was here. He could feel her everywhere.
She was in the cabin. He could sense her sorrow as she stood in her childhood home now that Duncan was gone. Her sorrow was profound and he wept for her. He wept— he could feel her sorrow, her pain, and he welcomed it.
It had been far too long since he had experienced any emotion that even the negative ones brought him joy. Richelle was here. She was his. And he would never let them feel pain again.
He shifted to wolf form to find her, following her scent as she ambled into the mountains. He remembered this path well. This was her path, the path he traveled with her as a wolf to her secret place in the meadow. When she was sad, or lonely, or angry, she would sit quietly for hours and talk with her animal friends to calm her anxieties. He picked up his pace as her scent grew stronger.
Finally, at the end of the path, he stopped.
He saw her, and she took his breath away.
46
Mia Bailey
Illuminated by the moonlight, she sat quietly with several animals from the forest. Two does were napping quietly by her side as she stroked a rabbit that was sitting in her lap. On the far side of the meadow, he saw a pack of wolves sitting and watching her, and on a stump three feet from her sat an owl, hooting into the night as she vigilantly surveyed the world around her.
The ease with which she sat in the company of the beasts and the calmness radiating off her filled him with awe. Never had he seen anything as beautiful .
He sauntered into the meadow. The owl turned her head sharply to gaze at him intently. Just as quickly, the pack of wolves sprang to life to run over to where Richelle was sitting, forming a line of defense between him and Richelle. He opened his mind to speak with them. He saw no fury in their minds, only the need to protect Richelle.
“I am Valya, the Guardian. I have come for Richelle, my life mate. Have no fear, she is safe with me.”
Their response was to growl and posture.
“I am Valya. Richelle is mine.”
They growled some more, their fur ruffling about their necks. One large black wolf came up. The alpha.
Unspoken words coursed through Valya’s mind. “Richelle has never mentioned a life mate. She is ours to protect.”
“Nevertheless, she is mine,” Valya growled.
“How do we know what you say is true? You could be the Vampyre seeking her again.”
Valya growled louder. “I am Valya, the Guardian. I have come for my life mate. Move aside.”
“Make me.” The black wolf growled and lowered his head and tightened his haunches to launch himself at Valya. Valya did not want to destroy the big black wolf. He was only protecting Richelle, but nothing—man, immortal, or beast—would ever come between him and Richelle again. He bared his fangs as he readied himself for
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