don’t understand.”
Stefan looked down. “You doona understand what, lass?”
She sat back on her haunches and lifted her gaze to him. “Your injuries are all healed.”
Confused, he looked down at his thigh and saw only a scar visible. He then inspected where one of the injuries had been on his arm, and another on his chest. Each one he looked at was the same – healed.
“How?” he asked as he looked at her.
She shook her head. “I’m not sure, but it explains why my ribs no longer hurt.”
“Your bruise? Is it gone?”
Morvan slowly nodded. “There is barely any discoloration.”
Stefan looked up at the cliff. “You were drawn here, and I appeared here. What is this place?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, we can no’ stay. I know where the castle is. We should go there.”
“Nay,” she said and scrambled to her feet. “I’m a child of the forest.”
Stefan saw the fear on her face. He assumed it was the thought of going to a new clan. He stood and grasped her shoulders. “They doona know you, Morvan. You can no’ return to your clan, so you must choose whether to go to another clan, or take your chances here and tell them all you know of the MacKays.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“I guarantee you know more than they do.”
She looked down and nodded. “What will you do?”
There was really only one choice for him. “I’m going to return to the place I was cursed and start looking for Ilinca or any gypsy who can help me find my friends.”
“Good,” she said, but her smile was forced and tight.
Stefan didn’t want to leave her, but what kind of friend would he be if he didn’t look for the men he considered his brothers?
“Which way to the castle?” she asked.
Stefan pointed and walked around her. “You could have a good life with the Sinclairs.”
“I’m a child of the forest. It’s where I belong. I never feel…right…unless I’m in the forest.”
He glanced back at her, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. For all that she had done for him, he was shattering the glow from their night together.
A few moments later, she stopped and picked some berries. She handed a handful to him and picked some for herself. Stefan was starving. He hadn’t had a good meal since he got out of the darkness, but then again, he was used to missing meals when needed. He should’ve realized Morvan needed to eat. What an idiot she must think he was to forget such a thing. So much for him taking care of her.
It just proved that he did need to leave her in more capable hands. No matter how much she calmed the monster inside him, no matter how she’d changed his life, he would only destroy her life.
They walked for another hour until Stefan saw the castle. He stopped on the rise of the next hill and waited for Morvan to draw even with him.
“You really think they’ll take me in?” she asked. “What if they think I’m a spy?”
“I came here yesterday. The people,” he started and saw an old gypsy woman standing off to his right. She was staring at him, her black eyes unblinking and her gray hair pulled away from her wrinkled face.
“The people what?” Morvan asked.
Stefan quickly glanced at Morvan, but then looked back off to his right. Only, when he looked for the gypsy again, she was gone. He cleared his throat as every instinct within him urged him to find the gypsy. “The people looked happy, if no’ a little anxious, but that’s understandable with the threat of battle.”
“What’s so important out there that you won’t look away?”
He faced forward and shrugged. “Nothing. Shall we go to the castle?”
“Nay.” Morvan faced him and smiled. “I’ll be fine. Go find your friends, Stefan.”
As he looked down at her, he realized he wasn’t ready to part ways yet. Before he could put his thoughts into words, Morvan rose up on her toes and kissed him.
She put her cheek against his. “Be safe, my wolf.”
Then she was gone. Stefan watched her
Stefan looked down. “You doona understand what, lass?”
She sat back on her haunches and lifted her gaze to him. “Your injuries are all healed.”
Confused, he looked down at his thigh and saw only a scar visible. He then inspected where one of the injuries had been on his arm, and another on his chest. Each one he looked at was the same – healed.
“How?” he asked as he looked at her.
She shook her head. “I’m not sure, but it explains why my ribs no longer hurt.”
“Your bruise? Is it gone?”
Morvan slowly nodded. “There is barely any discoloration.”
Stefan looked up at the cliff. “You were drawn here, and I appeared here. What is this place?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well, we can no’ stay. I know where the castle is. We should go there.”
“Nay,” she said and scrambled to her feet. “I’m a child of the forest.”
Stefan saw the fear on her face. He assumed it was the thought of going to a new clan. He stood and grasped her shoulders. “They doona know you, Morvan. You can no’ return to your clan, so you must choose whether to go to another clan, or take your chances here and tell them all you know of the MacKays.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“I guarantee you know more than they do.”
She looked down and nodded. “What will you do?”
There was really only one choice for him. “I’m going to return to the place I was cursed and start looking for Ilinca or any gypsy who can help me find my friends.”
“Good,” she said, but her smile was forced and tight.
Stefan didn’t want to leave her, but what kind of friend would he be if he didn’t look for the men he considered his brothers?
“Which way to the castle?” she asked.
Stefan pointed and walked around her. “You could have a good life with the Sinclairs.”
“I’m a child of the forest. It’s where I belong. I never feel…right…unless I’m in the forest.”
He glanced back at her, but she wouldn’t meet his gaze. For all that she had done for him, he was shattering the glow from their night together.
A few moments later, she stopped and picked some berries. She handed a handful to him and picked some for herself. Stefan was starving. He hadn’t had a good meal since he got out of the darkness, but then again, he was used to missing meals when needed. He should’ve realized Morvan needed to eat. What an idiot she must think he was to forget such a thing. So much for him taking care of her.
It just proved that he did need to leave her in more capable hands. No matter how much she calmed the monster inside him, no matter how she’d changed his life, he would only destroy her life.
They walked for another hour until Stefan saw the castle. He stopped on the rise of the next hill and waited for Morvan to draw even with him.
“You really think they’ll take me in?” she asked. “What if they think I’m a spy?”
“I came here yesterday. The people,” he started and saw an old gypsy woman standing off to his right. She was staring at him, her black eyes unblinking and her gray hair pulled away from her wrinkled face.
“The people what?” Morvan asked.
Stefan quickly glanced at Morvan, but then looked back off to his right. Only, when he looked for the gypsy again, she was gone. He cleared his throat as every instinct within him urged him to find the gypsy. “The people looked happy, if no’ a little anxious, but that’s understandable with the threat of battle.”
“What’s so important out there that you won’t look away?”
He faced forward and shrugged. “Nothing. Shall we go to the castle?”
“Nay.” Morvan faced him and smiled. “I’ll be fine. Go find your friends, Stefan.”
As he looked down at her, he realized he wasn’t ready to part ways yet. Before he could put his thoughts into words, Morvan rose up on her toes and kissed him.
She put her cheek against his. “Be safe, my wolf.”
Then she was gone. Stefan watched her
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