“You can’t have children?”Iasked sympathetically.“I’msorry,Iknow that can be rough for a woman, especially if she really wants them.”
“You have no idea,” she said, and her beautiful eyes were so sad that for a momentIwanted desperately to reach around the kitchen island and just hold her.Ican’t explain it, but loneliness came off her like a soft blue cloud and it made me feel protective of her and sad for her at the same time.
“So the people of thePack…”
“They don’t care for me much,” she said and took a sip of her cocoa.“Iwas sold to your uncle because a soothsayer gave him a prophecy thatIwould bear a male of his line many heirs.”Sheshook her head.“Butthe prophecy failed.Andnow, hereIam—Carter’sdead andIdon’t have any children to keep me company.”
“I’ll keep you company,”Isaid.Impulsively,Ireached across the kitchen island and covered her small, delicate hand with my own.Ifelt the by-now familiar tingle of instant lust, butIdid my best to ignore it.“I’msorry you were left all alone up here in this big house,”Isaid to her.“Imay not be much, butIhope you won’t be quite so lonely whileI’mstaying here.”
She smiled at me, but her lovely eyes were still sad.
“You’re very sweet,Kor.Thankyou for that.Yourcompany and companionship are very welcome here.”
“I still don’t see why thePackhere blames you for a failed prophecy,”Isaid, angry at the idea.
She shrugged.
“Well,Cartermade it very clear to everyone thatIwas the reason there were no heirs.Hewasn’t about to be blamed for it himself.Andit’s not like he didn’t try to…to get me pregnant.”
Her cheeks got pink, and she looked down to where my hand was resting on top of hers.
“So he…”Icleared my throat.“Itwasn’t a, uh, problem on his end?”
“Oh, it might have been—he might have had a low sperm count.Idon’t know—he refused to be tested,” she said.“Butas for trying, he certainly tried.EverytimeIhad aHeatCycle, he…he…”Sheshook her head.“Ididn’t…didn’t always want him to but he said we had to keep trying…trying for an heir.Sohe?—”
She broke off with a shudder, butIunderstood what she was saying.Shehadn’t been a willing participant.Everymonth for her entire married lifeUncleCarterhad raped her—the bastard!Ihad a sudden wish thatIcould dig him up and make him sorry for the painIsaw in her beautiful eyes.
“I’m so sorry,”Isaid, and my voice came out sounding rough.Isqueezed her hand gently.“Sosorry,Vivienne.”
There were tears in her eyes when she looked up, but she brushed them quickly away with the back of her hand.
“How did we get started talking about this, anyway?I’mso sorry—I’man old lady, you don’t want to hear my troubles.”
“OldLady?”Igave her an incredulous look.Thiswas the second time she’d referred to herself as “old” or “over the hill.”
“Well, yes.Imean,Iampast forty,” she reminded me.
“I don’t care about that—you’re fucking gorgeous,”Itold her.“AndIdon’t mean for your age—Imean you’re a complete knock-out.”
“Oh, please…”Herhand went to her cheek andIsaw that she was blushing.“Pleasedon’t say such things.I’msure they can’t be true.Cartercertainly never said anything like that.”
“Then he was a fool,”Isaid firmly.Anda rapist,Ithought but didn’t say.“You’rea beautiful woman and he should have told you so every day of your life.”
“You’re going to make me vain,” she said and laughed that soft, musical laughIwas already getting addicted to.IfoundIwanted to hear it again, butIcouldn’t think of anything funny to say.AllIcould think of was how soft her skin was and how good she smelled.Wasthat her natural femaleWerescent?Ihad never smelled anything like it.
“Well, it’s getting late,”Viviennesaid, at last sliding her hand out from under mine.“Weshould probably be getting to bed.Imean, me in my bed and you in yours,” she added quickly, and her cheeks went pink all over again.
“Oh, of course.”Igulped down the rest of my hot cocoa, which had grown cold while we were talking, and stood abruptly.Myhard-on had gone down some, thank theMoonGoddess—it only made a small tent in the crotch of my trousers.
Vivienne finished her cocoa as well and handed me her mug whenIheld out a hand for it.
“Er, where are you putting me?”Iasked, asIcarried both our mugs to the sink and rinsed them out.“IntheWestWing?”
“Oh, no—that’s very far away from…”Shetrailed off, blushing.“Imean therearesome guest rooms in that wing, if you really want to stay there.”
“No, no—put me wherever,”Isaid quickly.“Iwas just joking.I’mnot used to a house with wings, remember?”
“Oh, of course.”Shegave me that heartbreakingly tentative smile again—the smile that said she wanted to like me and wanted me to like her, but she wasn’t quite sure about me yet.
