Read Online Wild Instinct by Sarah McCarty - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sarah McCarty
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business. “The place where you’re planning on meeting Rachel and Josiah is in the opposite direction from where we’re heading. Cur is laying a false trail and will be doubling back, but once we leave here with Teri, we’ll be fair game.”
Sarah Anne chewed her lip, her eyes on Megan, who sat holding her friend’s hand. “Because the scent of blood carries almost as well as the scent of fear.”
“Yes. We may need to split up if we’re discovered. We can’t afford to leave anyone here with you.”
“You could stay.”
“As much as I would like to make you happy . . .” Her brown eyes widened as if that fact surprised her. He shrugged. “Your way would put four lives in danger, including yours and Megan’s. I can’t support it.”
Sarah Anne blinked rapidly. Oh, hell, she was going to cry. Nothing had ever prepared him for the effect of a mate’s tearful gaze. The way her panic and fear would hit him in the gut like a Protector’s fist. How inadequate he’d feel in the wake of the first tear’s slide down her cheek. He cupped her face in his palm. “I promised you that your son would be safe. Wyatt promised you a home within his pack. Donovan and Kelon have promised to get you there safely. All you have to do is remember your place and follow orders and believe.”
“Oh, God . . .” He felt her control break like a rubber band stretched too far. He turned her face into his chest. She didn’t fight, just went with his direction. He could smell the salt of her tears as they gathered, and what it did to his insides wasn’t comfortable. He braced himself for the onslaught of sadness that had to come.
It wasn’t the gentle build he expected. Instead, she just ruptured into huge, rib-wrenching sobs. Her right hand doubled up into a small fist and she struck him, once, twice, a sob punctuating each blow to his shoulder. “I want my son. Go get him.”
He’d never held a crying woman. He didn’t know what to do with the emotion battering him any more than he knew what to do with the way her crying made him feel. All he knew was that he had to make it stop. Putting his hand over Sarah’s head, covering her ears to block outside stimuli, he shot an order deep into the morass of emotion. Sleep!
She fought for three gut-wrenching sobs and then she went limp, her hands sliding off his shoulder, down to his wrists. Her pretty pink nails were a delicate contrast to the hard muscle and sprinkling of dark hair covering his forearms. Standing, he held on to the fragile link he’d forged, blocking out the distraction of her beauty, her scent, for the simple reason that losing it meant she’d wake, and if she woke, she’d cry again. He couldn’t stand that.
Donovan didn’t say anything as he passed. Neither did Kelon.
“Mommy?”
The one person Garrett couldn’t ignore. Finding his voice was harder than it should have been. Megan watched him with too-old eyes that made him feel irrationally guilty. “She’s tired.”
“She’s going to take a nap?”
He took the excuse offered. “Yes.”
Megan kept stroking Teri’s hand with that faraway look in her eyes. Teri moaned. Megan smiled. “I like you.”
He didn’t know what to do with that any more than he knew what to do with Sarah Anne’s tears. He settled for a “Thank you.”
As soon as Megan turned back to Teri, Teri visibly relaxed. There was no mistake—the child was connecting to the woman. While he struggled to connect to his mate, which theoretically should be easier than connecting with anyone else, this toddler was connected telepathically with a critically injured woman. The implications of that blew his mind.
Sarah Anne had to know her daughter had powers. That being the case, she had to be as worried as he was about the implications of her new pack finding out. No matter how progressive, every pack had limits to their tolerance. Nothing was more important to pack than balance, and a child who could mess with their minds
Sarah Anne chewed her lip, her eyes on Megan, who sat holding her friend’s hand. “Because the scent of blood carries almost as well as the scent of fear.”
“Yes. We may need to split up if we’re discovered. We can’t afford to leave anyone here with you.”
“You could stay.”
“As much as I would like to make you happy . . .” Her brown eyes widened as if that fact surprised her. He shrugged. “Your way would put four lives in danger, including yours and Megan’s. I can’t support it.”
Sarah Anne blinked rapidly. Oh, hell, she was going to cry. Nothing had ever prepared him for the effect of a mate’s tearful gaze. The way her panic and fear would hit him in the gut like a Protector’s fist. How inadequate he’d feel in the wake of the first tear’s slide down her cheek. He cupped her face in his palm. “I promised you that your son would be safe. Wyatt promised you a home within his pack. Donovan and Kelon have promised to get you there safely. All you have to do is remember your place and follow orders and believe.”
“Oh, God . . .” He felt her control break like a rubber band stretched too far. He turned her face into his chest. She didn’t fight, just went with his direction. He could smell the salt of her tears as they gathered, and what it did to his insides wasn’t comfortable. He braced himself for the onslaught of sadness that had to come.
It wasn’t the gentle build he expected. Instead, she just ruptured into huge, rib-wrenching sobs. Her right hand doubled up into a small fist and she struck him, once, twice, a sob punctuating each blow to his shoulder. “I want my son. Go get him.”
He’d never held a crying woman. He didn’t know what to do with the emotion battering him any more than he knew what to do with the way her crying made him feel. All he knew was that he had to make it stop. Putting his hand over Sarah’s head, covering her ears to block outside stimuli, he shot an order deep into the morass of emotion. Sleep!
She fought for three gut-wrenching sobs and then she went limp, her hands sliding off his shoulder, down to his wrists. Her pretty pink nails were a delicate contrast to the hard muscle and sprinkling of dark hair covering his forearms. Standing, he held on to the fragile link he’d forged, blocking out the distraction of her beauty, her scent, for the simple reason that losing it meant she’d wake, and if she woke, she’d cry again. He couldn’t stand that.
Donovan didn’t say anything as he passed. Neither did Kelon.
“Mommy?”
The one person Garrett couldn’t ignore. Finding his voice was harder than it should have been. Megan watched him with too-old eyes that made him feel irrationally guilty. “She’s tired.”
“She’s going to take a nap?”
He took the excuse offered. “Yes.”
Megan kept stroking Teri’s hand with that faraway look in her eyes. Teri moaned. Megan smiled. “I like you.”
He didn’t know what to do with that any more than he knew what to do with Sarah Anne’s tears. He settled for a “Thank you.”
As soon as Megan turned back to Teri, Teri visibly relaxed. There was no mistake—the child was connecting to the woman. While he struggled to connect to his mate, which theoretically should be easier than connecting with anyone else, this toddler was connected telepathically with a critically injured woman. The implications of that blew his mind.
Sarah Anne had to know her daughter had powers. That being the case, she had to be as worried as he was about the implications of her new pack finding out. No matter how progressive, every pack had limits to their tolerance. Nothing was more important to pack than balance, and a child who could mess with their minds
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