know struggling often enraged the enemy?
“You hit that man with your head. You do know head butts can harm you,” he told her.
She stumbled and glanced back at him. “Not as much as doing nothing.”
The way she said that brought him up short. He’d assumed she’d never been hurt before. A powerful witch, one with her coven behind her, and in alliance with so many of the immortal species, he’d assumed she’d never known labour or strife.
Or maybe he’d not thought on it. All ancients had known hardship. She would be no different. The thought made him frown harder. Who had harmed her? Had it been recent or in the past?
He paced behind her, suddenly filled with anger, at himself or her, he didn’t know. But the rage built step by step until he needed to move faster or chance saying something to her, ask something of her that might reveal more than he wanted her to know.
He’d begun to worry his plan wasn’t as solid as he’d hoped. He’d felt a spike of fear at the thought of her hurt. He shouldn’t. She might be hurt on this mission. He’d known that going in. Hell, he might get himself killed, but suddenly the thought of her harmed because of him didn’t sit well.
“Here, let me lead,” he said more roughly than he’d intended.
Her delicate shoulders tightened under her sweater and she stepped to the side, gesturing with a frosty smile for him to pass. He wanted to kiss her until that chill melted under his lips, but he fought it enough to pass her without touching.
How long could he do this, though?
Seven days?
Impossible.
He’d waited centuries to get this close to his vengeance, but suddenly seven days seemed like a lifetime.
“Keep going,” Alex grumbled. “And don’t fall behind.”
Sorcha tried hard for several seconds, at least two, before she said, “I’m going in case you can’t see me.”
Alex didn’t respond. They walked side by side, but he didn’t even glance at her. If she stopped though, he pulled her along, not gently but not too roughly either. She didn’t stop again, not after the angry look he’d given her the last time. He seemed to grow colder and colder the higher they went into the highlands.
“Why are you so cold?”
He lowered his brow but didn’t look at her. So went their time together so far. He’d ignored her for what seemed like forever. Even in the meagre light, she could see him trying his best to pretend she wasn’t walking right next to him. Why do that? Why bring her along at all? To gain something, obviously.
“I mean, not chilly as in brrrr, but cold, like in not very pleasant. Unfeeling. Rude. Arrogantly only worried about yourself.”
She got no reaction, but then he’d mastered ignoring at the PhD level.
Her plan—because yes she had one—was to soften him a bit. Even a tiny bit would be amazing, but so far she’d had no luck. Since he’d rescued her, he’d not said more to her other than to tell her she might get hurt headbutting people. Who thought like that? Who believed that by doing nothing, they had a better chance at surviving?
Alex did, but then when he did nothing it didn’t mean he couldn’t do anything. It simply meant he was waiting for a better chance to kill his opponent. At least that was her guess. And guesses as to what drove Alex were all she had right now.
The only good thing going for her was he seemed to avoid her now, as if coming too close might cause him to go wild and kiss her again.
A girl could dream.
Well… She regarded his silent, broody profile and reconsidered that. He was handsome, but he was also hard in ways not even his wolf could break. The lines of his face were clean and strong. His chiselled body was built to protect and guard a woman, or drive her to orgasm after orgasm. But beneath the surface, was there a man? He seemed more machine, driven to walk, to talk, to stand, sit, shove her…all that but was there more? He’d seemed close to showing her more with his kiss, but what
“You hit that man with your head. You do know head butts can harm you,” he told her.
She stumbled and glanced back at him. “Not as much as doing nothing.”
The way she said that brought him up short. He’d assumed she’d never been hurt before. A powerful witch, one with her coven behind her, and in alliance with so many of the immortal species, he’d assumed she’d never known labour or strife.
Or maybe he’d not thought on it. All ancients had known hardship. She would be no different. The thought made him frown harder. Who had harmed her? Had it been recent or in the past?
He paced behind her, suddenly filled with anger, at himself or her, he didn’t know. But the rage built step by step until he needed to move faster or chance saying something to her, ask something of her that might reveal more than he wanted her to know.
He’d begun to worry his plan wasn’t as solid as he’d hoped. He’d felt a spike of fear at the thought of her hurt. He shouldn’t. She might be hurt on this mission. He’d known that going in. Hell, he might get himself killed, but suddenly the thought of her harmed because of him didn’t sit well.
“Here, let me lead,” he said more roughly than he’d intended.
Her delicate shoulders tightened under her sweater and she stepped to the side, gesturing with a frosty smile for him to pass. He wanted to kiss her until that chill melted under his lips, but he fought it enough to pass her without touching.
How long could he do this, though?
Seven days?
Impossible.
He’d waited centuries to get this close to his vengeance, but suddenly seven days seemed like a lifetime.
“Keep going,” Alex grumbled. “And don’t fall behind.”
Sorcha tried hard for several seconds, at least two, before she said, “I’m going in case you can’t see me.”
Alex didn’t respond. They walked side by side, but he didn’t even glance at her. If she stopped though, he pulled her along, not gently but not too roughly either. She didn’t stop again, not after the angry look he’d given her the last time. He seemed to grow colder and colder the higher they went into the highlands.
“Why are you so cold?”
He lowered his brow but didn’t look at her. So went their time together so far. He’d ignored her for what seemed like forever. Even in the meagre light, she could see him trying his best to pretend she wasn’t walking right next to him. Why do that? Why bring her along at all? To gain something, obviously.
“I mean, not chilly as in brrrr, but cold, like in not very pleasant. Unfeeling. Rude. Arrogantly only worried about yourself.”
She got no reaction, but then he’d mastered ignoring at the PhD level.
Her plan—because yes she had one—was to soften him a bit. Even a tiny bit would be amazing, but so far she’d had no luck. Since he’d rescued her, he’d not said more to her other than to tell her she might get hurt headbutting people. Who thought like that? Who believed that by doing nothing, they had a better chance at surviving?
Alex did, but then when he did nothing it didn’t mean he couldn’t do anything. It simply meant he was waiting for a better chance to kill his opponent. At least that was her guess. And guesses as to what drove Alex were all she had right now.
The only good thing going for her was he seemed to avoid her now, as if coming too close might cause him to go wild and kiss her again.
A girl could dream.
Well… She regarded his silent, broody profile and reconsidered that. He was handsome, but he was also hard in ways not even his wolf could break. The lines of his face were clean and strong. His chiselled body was built to protect and guard a woman, or drive her to orgasm after orgasm. But beneath the surface, was there a man? He seemed more machine, driven to walk, to talk, to stand, sit, shove her…all that but was there more? He’d seemed close to showing her more with his kiss, but what
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