Read Online Rivals (Shifter Island #2) by Carol Davis - Free Book Online
Authors: Carol Davis
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enough to truly believe that, but it was something to hold on to.
“Have they figured out who—” Abby began.
“No. There are too many scents. No real clues.” He shook his head.
She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. He peered at her curiously, encouraging her to speak, but some time went by before she said anything.
“I just… You know, on the mainland, we’ve got better ways of looking for clues than sniffing people.”
“It tells us a great deal.”
“And right now it’s not telling you anything. If you had other ways—”
Aaron shook his head again. “With machines, and chemicals? We can’t, Abby. It’s not our way. We have to do what’s always been done, and trust that what’s meant to happen will happen.” She scoffed at that a little, so he said, “If you intend to stay here, you’ll need to do that too. Trust. And you’ll need to be strong.”
She sighed. “All right. If you need me to be, I’ll do the best I can.” Then she wrapped a hand around one of his and squeezed it. To his surprise, her touch made him feel a surge of sadness, but whether it was for her or for himself, he couldn’t tell. “We’ll be together,” she said firmly. “We can handle anything, if we’re together.”
He took her head in his hands and kissed her tenderly, then let her go. “There’ll be a lot of pressure. Particularly after what’s happened.”
“I understand.”
He wasn’t sure she did. No; he was sure she didn’t. She’d seen only a glimpse of what life was like here on the island, had spent only a few days without the comforts and conveniences she was used to. No matter where she lived on the mainland, he was certain she could have a hot bath with only a couple of minutes’ preparation. She could go to a store and pick out any type of food she had a craving for. She had no need to fear any but the most violent of storms. It was no easy thing to move from a life like that to life among the pack.
What if she changed her mind? he wondered. In a month, a year? If she became pregnant and refused to believe that the child could be born safely in a place like this?
The elders would ask questions like that, and wouldn’t be swayed by her assurances that she’d be fine.
“Where was that place?” she asked.
He almost didn’t hear the question, he was so lost in his own thoughts. He had to blink them away and clear his head with a couple of deep breaths. He almost asked her what place she meant, but understood when he looked into her eyes. She meant the dream place, that field of flowers.
“Your imagination, I suppose,” he said. “I don’t really know.”
“It was beautiful.”
“Yes. It was.”
“It was… Everything seemed so simple there. Just you and me. It’s like that at the cabin. Everything’s so basic. I love it there. I don’t understand why it’s used as a punishment. It didn’t seem like a punishment to me.”
The bond , Aaron thought. She wouldn’t have felt like she was being punished if they’d been stranded on a rock in the middle of the ocean, without food or fresh water, being constantly battered by the waves. The bond made everything feel not only tolerable, but extraordinary. Remarkable. Special.
You should take her home , he thought. Let her be back among her people for a few days, then ask her again where she wants to be.
She reached for him, and he wanted nothing more than to make love with her again, to ignore the rest of the world as if it were no more real than that field of flowers in the dreamland.
“Will you do it?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Do… what you do. Turn into a wolf. Show me.”
“Abby, this… this isn’t a good time.”
But when the right time might be, he couldn’t decide, so, nodding, he pulled off his jeans and shirt and shoes and set them aside. He crouched down, low to the ground, hands splayed open in front of him. He took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself, then lowered the
“Have they figured out who—” Abby began.
“No. There are too many scents. No real clues.” He shook his head.
She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. He peered at her curiously, encouraging her to speak, but some time went by before she said anything.
“I just… You know, on the mainland, we’ve got better ways of looking for clues than sniffing people.”
“It tells us a great deal.”
“And right now it’s not telling you anything. If you had other ways—”
Aaron shook his head again. “With machines, and chemicals? We can’t, Abby. It’s not our way. We have to do what’s always been done, and trust that what’s meant to happen will happen.” She scoffed at that a little, so he said, “If you intend to stay here, you’ll need to do that too. Trust. And you’ll need to be strong.”
She sighed. “All right. If you need me to be, I’ll do the best I can.” Then she wrapped a hand around one of his and squeezed it. To his surprise, her touch made him feel a surge of sadness, but whether it was for her or for himself, he couldn’t tell. “We’ll be together,” she said firmly. “We can handle anything, if we’re together.”
He took her head in his hands and kissed her tenderly, then let her go. “There’ll be a lot of pressure. Particularly after what’s happened.”
“I understand.”
He wasn’t sure she did. No; he was sure she didn’t. She’d seen only a glimpse of what life was like here on the island, had spent only a few days without the comforts and conveniences she was used to. No matter where she lived on the mainland, he was certain she could have a hot bath with only a couple of minutes’ preparation. She could go to a store and pick out any type of food she had a craving for. She had no need to fear any but the most violent of storms. It was no easy thing to move from a life like that to life among the pack.
What if she changed her mind? he wondered. In a month, a year? If she became pregnant and refused to believe that the child could be born safely in a place like this?
The elders would ask questions like that, and wouldn’t be swayed by her assurances that she’d be fine.
“Where was that place?” she asked.
He almost didn’t hear the question, he was so lost in his own thoughts. He had to blink them away and clear his head with a couple of deep breaths. He almost asked her what place she meant, but understood when he looked into her eyes. She meant the dream place, that field of flowers.
“Your imagination, I suppose,” he said. “I don’t really know.”
“It was beautiful.”
“Yes. It was.”
“It was… Everything seemed so simple there. Just you and me. It’s like that at the cabin. Everything’s so basic. I love it there. I don’t understand why it’s used as a punishment. It didn’t seem like a punishment to me.”
The bond , Aaron thought. She wouldn’t have felt like she was being punished if they’d been stranded on a rock in the middle of the ocean, without food or fresh water, being constantly battered by the waves. The bond made everything feel not only tolerable, but extraordinary. Remarkable. Special.
You should take her home , he thought. Let her be back among her people for a few days, then ask her again where she wants to be.
She reached for him, and he wanted nothing more than to make love with her again, to ignore the rest of the world as if it were no more real than that field of flowers in the dreamland.
“Will you do it?” she asked.
“Do what?”
“Do… what you do. Turn into a wolf. Show me.”
“Abby, this… this isn’t a good time.”
But when the right time might be, he couldn’t decide, so, nodding, he pulled off his jeans and shirt and shoes and set them aside. He crouched down, low to the ground, hands splayed open in front of him. He took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself, then lowered the
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