Read Online Quest (Shifter Island Book 4) by Carol Davis - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carol Davis
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wouldn’t try to break free.
Matt didn’t seem to have heard him. He kept looking toward the entrance to the dining room.
“My… what?” Matt said abruptly.
Luca blinked. “Your wedding.”
“You didn’t say that. You said ‘sealing ceremony’. What is that?”
“A wedding.”
“We have a head count,” Matt announced stubbornly. “We gave the final head count to the venue two weeks ago. We can’t just open the doors to everybody who decides they want to come.”
“I do not want to come,” Luca said.
He was mildly curious, because he had never attended a human wedding, although he’d seen them on television and in the movies. But it seemed like a very bad idea: being confined to a room with dozens, maybe hundreds, of unfamiliar humans. They would be drinking alcohol, he assumed, which would make them react badly to the presence of the wolf.
They would react the same way Matt was reacting. The same way Julie had reacted.
It was the wedding that had brought Allison back to this place, he reminded himself. She lived somewhere else now, some distance from here, and if not for the wedding, she would not be here at all. She had promised to attend the celebration, had made a commitment to her friend, and he could not ask her to break it.
But more than anything, he wanted to plead with her to come with him. If not to the island, then somewhere where they could be alone and could surrender to the pull of the bond. Not that awful, cold hotel room, with its collection of bad, medicinal smells. Somewhere beautiful and peaceful.
One of the servers walked by, bearing an enormous tray of food. The wonderful smells caught Luca’s attention, and he turned to sniff the air.
Four years ago, he had decided that one of the very few good things about spending time with humans was being able to eat their food. Much of it was too salty, or too dry, or both, but if it had been carefully and lovingly prepared—as the food at Maggie Mae’s always was—it filled his belly in a wonderful way. After a good meal here, the wolf was always placid and content, willing to lie back and rest.
Maybe it would feel that way after dinner tonight. He could only hope that was true.
“She’s all about the job, you know,” Matt said. When Luca looked at him, he went on, “Allison. Every time Julie talks to her, it’s all about the job. It’s all she thinks about. She works eighteen, twenty hours a day.”
Luca could think of nothing to say.
“There’s not much time for anybody in her life,” Matt went on. “A woman like that—she’ll cut the balls right off you.”
That seemed unlikely. During the last two days, all Allison had seemed interested in doing to that part of his anatomy involved stroking, licking, and sucking. Both he and the wolf had been very pleased.
“You need somebody who’s gonna put you first,” Matt said. “You know what I mean?”
Luca asked, “Does Julie not put you first?”
“I—what? No. I mean… yes.”
“Then why are you concerned?”
“I’m just telling you, pal.”
Matt was a smaller man than Luca: several inches shorter, perhaps twenty pounds lighter. Luca understood that dynamic, that the smaller male would need to pretend he was larger and more capable than he actually was. He would need to make more noise. But doing it at a time like this seemed foolish. Yes, Julie was attracted by the presence of the wolf, but Luca had no interest in her, despite what this smaller man thought.
Nodding, Luca leaned forward a little. “I wish you much joy with your… with your new wife,” he told Matt. “I am not your competition.”
Something flared in Matt’s eyes.
“Allison and I will leave, if that would relieve your anxiety,” Luca told him. “We’ve been apart for a very long time, and I’d prefer to spend this evening with her. I agreed to come here only because she asked. She’s very fond of Julie, and I believe she thinks the two of you are a good match. She wanted
Matt didn’t seem to have heard him. He kept looking toward the entrance to the dining room.
“My… what?” Matt said abruptly.
Luca blinked. “Your wedding.”
“You didn’t say that. You said ‘sealing ceremony’. What is that?”
“A wedding.”
“We have a head count,” Matt announced stubbornly. “We gave the final head count to the venue two weeks ago. We can’t just open the doors to everybody who decides they want to come.”
“I do not want to come,” Luca said.
He was mildly curious, because he had never attended a human wedding, although he’d seen them on television and in the movies. But it seemed like a very bad idea: being confined to a room with dozens, maybe hundreds, of unfamiliar humans. They would be drinking alcohol, he assumed, which would make them react badly to the presence of the wolf.
They would react the same way Matt was reacting. The same way Julie had reacted.
It was the wedding that had brought Allison back to this place, he reminded himself. She lived somewhere else now, some distance from here, and if not for the wedding, she would not be here at all. She had promised to attend the celebration, had made a commitment to her friend, and he could not ask her to break it.
But more than anything, he wanted to plead with her to come with him. If not to the island, then somewhere where they could be alone and could surrender to the pull of the bond. Not that awful, cold hotel room, with its collection of bad, medicinal smells. Somewhere beautiful and peaceful.
One of the servers walked by, bearing an enormous tray of food. The wonderful smells caught Luca’s attention, and he turned to sniff the air.
Four years ago, he had decided that one of the very few good things about spending time with humans was being able to eat their food. Much of it was too salty, or too dry, or both, but if it had been carefully and lovingly prepared—as the food at Maggie Mae’s always was—it filled his belly in a wonderful way. After a good meal here, the wolf was always placid and content, willing to lie back and rest.
Maybe it would feel that way after dinner tonight. He could only hope that was true.
“She’s all about the job, you know,” Matt said. When Luca looked at him, he went on, “Allison. Every time Julie talks to her, it’s all about the job. It’s all she thinks about. She works eighteen, twenty hours a day.”
Luca could think of nothing to say.
“There’s not much time for anybody in her life,” Matt went on. “A woman like that—she’ll cut the balls right off you.”
That seemed unlikely. During the last two days, all Allison had seemed interested in doing to that part of his anatomy involved stroking, licking, and sucking. Both he and the wolf had been very pleased.
“You need somebody who’s gonna put you first,” Matt said. “You know what I mean?”
Luca asked, “Does Julie not put you first?”
“I—what? No. I mean… yes.”
“Then why are you concerned?”
“I’m just telling you, pal.”
Matt was a smaller man than Luca: several inches shorter, perhaps twenty pounds lighter. Luca understood that dynamic, that the smaller male would need to pretend he was larger and more capable than he actually was. He would need to make more noise. But doing it at a time like this seemed foolish. Yes, Julie was attracted by the presence of the wolf, but Luca had no interest in her, despite what this smaller man thought.
Nodding, Luca leaned forward a little. “I wish you much joy with your… with your new wife,” he told Matt. “I am not your competition.”
Something flared in Matt’s eyes.
“Allison and I will leave, if that would relieve your anxiety,” Luca told him. “We’ve been apart for a very long time, and I’d prefer to spend this evening with her. I agreed to come here only because she asked. She’s very fond of Julie, and I believe she thinks the two of you are a good match. She wanted
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