Read Online Taken by the Wolf: Collection by Jessica Ryan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jessica Ryan
Ads: Link
own. Now she had someone, a partner who would support her. The idea of being stuck in Bucklin was instantly more appealing. Rain was right; she just had to find the way to Rowan’s heart.
“What about your parents?” she asked, trying to find out something about her mysterious host.
Rowan’s face instantly went dark; this was obviously a sore subject with him, too. He put his fork down and took a deep breath before looking at her with pain in his big brown eyes. “My mother and father both died trying to protect us from Satan’s Angels.”
“Oh my god,” Eva said, instantly regretting her question. “I’m so sorry.”
“My father was alpha of the Dawnguard pack,” he said, his hands balling into fists. “Aster’s parents ran out on him, nobody knows why. My father raised him like my brother. When he died we were devastated, but we managed to negotiate peace with the gang, not wanting any more bloodshed here in Bucklin. That’s how Aster became alpha.”
“Rain said you could’ve had it if you wanted it,” she said.
“She’s right,” Rowan said. “I just wasn’t ready at that time. I was too devastated by the loss of my parents and sister.”
“Sister?” Eva asked.
“I’m sorry,” Rowan said, looking back up at her. “I need a minute.”
“Rowan, wait,” Eva said as he got up and began to stomp out of the room. “I’m sorry for bringing it up.”
“How could you have known?” Rowan said, looking down the hallway, not turning his gaze back to Eva. “Dinner was amazing. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Eva watched him disappear from sight and then heard his door shut. How could someone so strong have a wound so deep?
Chapter 10
Rowan sat on the edge of his bed, not sure why he had reacted the way he had. His sensitive ears caught Eva walking to his door, stopping just outside. He could hear her breathing ever so slightly as she waited outside his door. Perhaps she was trying to find the right words? He never found out because she walked away just as quickly as she’d come.
It still hurt to think about the sacrifice he’d made to save Bucklin. The image of her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes as she climbed on the back of that motorcycle, tore him apart at night. He didn’t dream as much in wolf form: it was one of the reasons he always shifted before bed.
“I forgive you, Rowan,” she said, as the motorcycle pulled away.
Sometimes he fell asleep at his desk during slow days. He always woke up in a cold sweat with those words playing through his head. Eva couldn’t understand: she was an only child as far as he knew. She hated her family, but she didn’t know the pain of losing them all, the pain of sacrifice.
As he lay in bed staring at the ceiling he heard Eva putting the food away and cleaning the dishes. It had been a lovely meal, one he would never forget. She’d been good to him already, and he had to be the same to her. After several more minutes he heard Eva go to her bedroom and shut the door, retiring for the night.
She was his now, and he had to be good to her. Eventually she would learn the truth, learn what only Aster knew. Hopefully she would still love him: hopefully she wouldn’t recoil in fear and disgust like he imagined anyone else would. If he was good to her, she would accept him and his past.
With a heavy sigh Rowan stood up and stripped all of his clothes off, opening his door a crack to let a little air into the room before he shifted . It always felt great as the hair sprouted over his body and his snout elongated. It was like he was removing a suit of armor at the end of the day, finally able to stretch out and let his body breathe.
It didn’t take long for sleep to grab at him, pulling him down into the abyss. As a wolf he didn’t dream like a human. His dreams didn’t form a coherent narrative like a human’s would. Fast-paced images, strong smells and vivid sounds filled his dreams, assaulting every sense his wolf held dear. If a
“What about your parents?” she asked, trying to find out something about her mysterious host.
Rowan’s face instantly went dark; this was obviously a sore subject with him, too. He put his fork down and took a deep breath before looking at her with pain in his big brown eyes. “My mother and father both died trying to protect us from Satan’s Angels.”
“Oh my god,” Eva said, instantly regretting her question. “I’m so sorry.”
“My father was alpha of the Dawnguard pack,” he said, his hands balling into fists. “Aster’s parents ran out on him, nobody knows why. My father raised him like my brother. When he died we were devastated, but we managed to negotiate peace with the gang, not wanting any more bloodshed here in Bucklin. That’s how Aster became alpha.”
“Rain said you could’ve had it if you wanted it,” she said.
“She’s right,” Rowan said. “I just wasn’t ready at that time. I was too devastated by the loss of my parents and sister.”
“Sister?” Eva asked.
“I’m sorry,” Rowan said, looking back up at her. “I need a minute.”
“Rowan, wait,” Eva said as he got up and began to stomp out of the room. “I’m sorry for bringing it up.”
“How could you have known?” Rowan said, looking down the hallway, not turning his gaze back to Eva. “Dinner was amazing. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Eva watched him disappear from sight and then heard his door shut. How could someone so strong have a wound so deep?
Chapter 10
Rowan sat on the edge of his bed, not sure why he had reacted the way he had. His sensitive ears caught Eva walking to his door, stopping just outside. He could hear her breathing ever so slightly as she waited outside his door. Perhaps she was trying to find the right words? He never found out because she walked away just as quickly as she’d come.
It still hurt to think about the sacrifice he’d made to save Bucklin. The image of her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes as she climbed on the back of that motorcycle, tore him apart at night. He didn’t dream as much in wolf form: it was one of the reasons he always shifted before bed.
“I forgive you, Rowan,” she said, as the motorcycle pulled away.
Sometimes he fell asleep at his desk during slow days. He always woke up in a cold sweat with those words playing through his head. Eva couldn’t understand: she was an only child as far as he knew. She hated her family, but she didn’t know the pain of losing them all, the pain of sacrifice.
As he lay in bed staring at the ceiling he heard Eva putting the food away and cleaning the dishes. It had been a lovely meal, one he would never forget. She’d been good to him already, and he had to be the same to her. After several more minutes he heard Eva go to her bedroom and shut the door, retiring for the night.
She was his now, and he had to be good to her. Eventually she would learn the truth, learn what only Aster knew. Hopefully she would still love him: hopefully she wouldn’t recoil in fear and disgust like he imagined anyone else would. If he was good to her, she would accept him and his past.
With a heavy sigh Rowan stood up and stripped all of his clothes off, opening his door a crack to let a little air into the room before he shifted . It always felt great as the hair sprouted over his body and his snout elongated. It was like he was removing a suit of armor at the end of the day, finally able to stretch out and let his body breathe.
It didn’t take long for sleep to grab at him, pulling him down into the abyss. As a wolf he didn’t dream like a human. His dreams didn’t form a coherent narrative like a human’s would. Fast-paced images, strong smells and vivid sounds filled his dreams, assaulting every sense his wolf held dear. If a
Similar Books
