was going to do that.
Easy.
The command came again, more forceful, so imperative that she couldn’t find the strength with which to fight it. She leaned back against Garrett, just wanting to close her eyes as the rightness of his scent enfolded her. With a wave of her hand she motioned Megan over. “Come here, baby.”
Megan was so slow to respond that Sarah Anne wasn’t even sure she’d heard her, but then she turned. Her eyes were very large and they looked like . . . Dear God, they looked like Daire’s, compelling and haunting, with endless depths. “I stay here with Auntie T, Mommy. Daire needs me.”
Sarah Anne had the eerie impression that Megan was slipping away from her. Everything was slipping away. “You don’t need to, Meg. Mr. Daire is taking care of her.”
Megan shook her head. “He needs me to help Auntie T.”
No!
“Sarah Anne,” Garrett soothed, “it’s under control.”
Nothing is under control.
The wild denial whipped through Garrett’s head. Cur was right. Sarah Anne was at the edge of her control. He turned her in his arms. Catching her chin between his fingers, he turned her face to his. Her thoughts were no wilder than her eyes. “Yes. It is. Haven is not a normal Pack.”
She strained against his hand, trying to keep Megan in her sight. He could feel her desperate belief that, if she just didn’t look away, nothing would change.
In reality, everything had changed, but that was a big truth to swallow all at once.
“Megan will be accepted as she is.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because they accepted Daire.”
And him. Gentling his touch on Sarah Anne’s shoulders, Garrett soothed her with a physical connection while he stretched the mental connection carefully. It was a touchy business trying to surround most of her anxiety without revealing his ability to do so to anyone else in the room. Among werewolves, some things were best kept private. Like his ability to manipulate minds.
Garrett continued to massage Sarah Anne’s shoulders, probing backward along the torrent of emotion for the source. Garrett was a strong telepath. He didn’t know if his talent came from his father or his mother, but psychic skills were not valued by most packs because a psychic with the skills of a fighter could win most battles. There weren’t many pack leaders comfortable with a pack member who could wrest leadership from them at any time by right of challenge. Especially a half blood. He had no reason to believe Haven was any different. “You need to calm down.”
She twisted in his grip, her gaze searching his. “Where will we go if they don’t accept her?”
“With me.”
Garrett turned her around and held her still. Though her muscles were as rigid as steel, it took minimal effort on his part to keep her there.
“Haven will accept your daughter,” Donovan interjected. His gaze lingered for a fraction on Garrett. “Haven will accept all of you.”
Shit. Did the Protector suspect?
Sarah Anne sighed, drawing his attention away from the Protector. Her hand turned into Garrett’s, the act of trust striking deep. “I hope so.”
No more than he did.
“Give us a chance,” Donovan said. “You’ll see.”
Garrett answered for them both. Haven was a last chance for them both. “Don’t see where we have any choice.”
Donovan’s response was a grunt that could have meant anything. Sarah Anne didn’t say anything at all. Her glance slid to Teri and Megan, to where Kelon was attempting to clean up the blood. She took a shuddering breath. “God, I hope so.”
Garrett took advantage of the relaxation to pull her against him. He needed to hold her to soothe the rage that surged at her distress.
“Why don’t you relax and try to rest? You’re going to need your strength later.”
“I couldn’t.”
He tipped her face up. The underside of her chin was very soft against the calluses on his fingers. “Humor me.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I don’t want
Easy.
The command came again, more forceful, so imperative that she couldn’t find the strength with which to fight it. She leaned back against Garrett, just wanting to close her eyes as the rightness of his scent enfolded her. With a wave of her hand she motioned Megan over. “Come here, baby.”
Megan was so slow to respond that Sarah Anne wasn’t even sure she’d heard her, but then she turned. Her eyes were very large and they looked like . . . Dear God, they looked like Daire’s, compelling and haunting, with endless depths. “I stay here with Auntie T, Mommy. Daire needs me.”
Sarah Anne had the eerie impression that Megan was slipping away from her. Everything was slipping away. “You don’t need to, Meg. Mr. Daire is taking care of her.”
Megan shook her head. “He needs me to help Auntie T.”
No!
“Sarah Anne,” Garrett soothed, “it’s under control.”
Nothing is under control.
The wild denial whipped through Garrett’s head. Cur was right. Sarah Anne was at the edge of her control. He turned her in his arms. Catching her chin between his fingers, he turned her face to his. Her thoughts were no wilder than her eyes. “Yes. It is. Haven is not a normal Pack.”
She strained against his hand, trying to keep Megan in her sight. He could feel her desperate belief that, if she just didn’t look away, nothing would change.
In reality, everything had changed, but that was a big truth to swallow all at once.
“Megan will be accepted as she is.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“Because they accepted Daire.”
And him. Gentling his touch on Sarah Anne’s shoulders, Garrett soothed her with a physical connection while he stretched the mental connection carefully. It was a touchy business trying to surround most of her anxiety without revealing his ability to do so to anyone else in the room. Among werewolves, some things were best kept private. Like his ability to manipulate minds.
Garrett continued to massage Sarah Anne’s shoulders, probing backward along the torrent of emotion for the source. Garrett was a strong telepath. He didn’t know if his talent came from his father or his mother, but psychic skills were not valued by most packs because a psychic with the skills of a fighter could win most battles. There weren’t many pack leaders comfortable with a pack member who could wrest leadership from them at any time by right of challenge. Especially a half blood. He had no reason to believe Haven was any different. “You need to calm down.”
She twisted in his grip, her gaze searching his. “Where will we go if they don’t accept her?”
“With me.”
Garrett turned her around and held her still. Though her muscles were as rigid as steel, it took minimal effort on his part to keep her there.
“Haven will accept your daughter,” Donovan interjected. His gaze lingered for a fraction on Garrett. “Haven will accept all of you.”
Shit. Did the Protector suspect?
Sarah Anne sighed, drawing his attention away from the Protector. Her hand turned into Garrett’s, the act of trust striking deep. “I hope so.”
No more than he did.
“Give us a chance,” Donovan said. “You’ll see.”
Garrett answered for them both. Haven was a last chance for them both. “Don’t see where we have any choice.”
Donovan’s response was a grunt that could have meant anything. Sarah Anne didn’t say anything at all. Her glance slid to Teri and Megan, to where Kelon was attempting to clean up the blood. She took a shuddering breath. “God, I hope so.”
Garrett took advantage of the relaxation to pull her against him. He needed to hold her to soothe the rage that surged at her distress.
“Why don’t you relax and try to rest? You’re going to need your strength later.”
“I couldn’t.”
He tipped her face up. The underside of her chin was very soft against the calluses on his fingers. “Humor me.”
“Why should I?”
“Because I don’t want
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