Absolutely not!raged theturuk.Won’t let her!
Be quiet,he told his beast.Just be quiet, for once.
Mustdosomething—have to keep her—
Soren’s skin rippled, and he fought back the shift. Gritting his teeth, he dug his claws into his own knees, holding strong against the ragingturuk. It thrashed him from the inside, outraged at the possibility of losing her.
Coward!it cried.You can’t let her go!
In a blur of movement, Balar lunged across the small space, pinning Soren back in his seat with a paw to his shoulder.
“Steady now,seska.” The command in Balar’s voice, the leader of their pride, registered in Soren. He wanted to calm down, wanted to heed his brother’s unsaid warning—don’t you dare endanger Imogen.
Theturukdidn’t appreciate Balar’s show of dominance.
Soren stood abruptly, knocking Balar’s arm out of his way. Carrying the enraged beast outside was the only option. He needed to get out of that confined space, needed to get away from their pitying eyes.
“Soren, wait!” he heard Imogen call after him, but he didn’tstop.
Marching from the house, he took a running leap into the sky, pushing himself up out of the canopy into the blinding midday sun.
Coward, coward, coward!seethed theturuk, but Soren wasn’t listening.
Giving into the beast had brought this about. It was time for Soren to claw back control and think rationally again. He needed tothink.
Soren took the rest of the afternoon to calm himself. Although he couldn’t bear to be in another confined space full of lusty single men drooling over Maeve, he did manage to pull himself together enough to be waiting for her when class was finished.
He met her outside the schoolhouse, hands clasped behind his back as she hurried to greet him.
“There you are,” she said. And, more quietly, “I missed you today.”
Soren tried to grin in acknowledgement, but he feared it looked as painful as it felt, as a frown of concern touched her brows to see it.
He nodded at the path. “Shall we?”
Maeve smiled wide, but he could see the confusion in her eyes. That sense only deepened as they began to walk. He kept his hands firmly clasped behind his back, so as not to grab her and toss her over his shoulder as theturukdemanded, even when she slipped her arm through his as she often did.
She, of course, noticed the change in his demeanor. He hadn’t held back from her like this in weeks, and no doubt she sensed how close to the surface histurukwas. She’d only ever seen theturukhappy and playful; he didn’t dare reveal it now, snarling and possessive beast that it was. It wouldn’t harm her physically,never that, but it had no qualms about keeping her up in that cave in the escarpment for the rest of their days.
His tail lashed behind him, so much so he finally had to shove it into his belt to keep from batting her skirts.
“And what have you done with yourself all day?” she asked, voice falsely lighthearted.
“Visiting with Balar and Imogen,” he said through tight lips.
If Maeve knew anything about why Sorcha might visit Imogen, she didn’t let on.
“I hope they’re well. The children missed you, they asked over you at luncheon.” Leaning into him, she rested her cheek on his arm. “It was lonely without you, honestly.”
He rumbled noncommittally, not sure what to think.
“Did she not say anything about it to you?”Imogen had asked. Not since the early days, when they’d both decided not to be mates.
Perhaps he’d begun to think there wasn’t anything to say. Either she hadn’t heard of any new opportunities or…maybe, his foolish heart hoped, she’d begun to consider staying. He wanted to believe the latter, of course. Maeve was a boisterous, bubbly young woman who liked to talk. She was also direct. Aside from her flirtations, she said what she thought, no matter how harsh it might be.
Surely, then, if an opportunity had arisen that would take her away, she’d have said something by now?
He wanted desperately to believe that. The anger bubbling inside him burned his throat, and he wished desperately for it to go away. Yet, he also suspected it hid something far worse, far more devastating.
