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the morning dawned with a spring warmth lingering in the air. Seeing
as November was days away, this unusual weather brought people out
in droves. For the first time in over a week, cabin fever struck
Desiree. She had to get out of the house.
Demetrius and Marius had to work, so Flynn accompanied her
into the yard. She wandered the perimeter, but it wasn t enough. The
men didn t keep any plantings that lent themselves to gardening, and
their yard was nothing more than a small patch of grass.
The woods are just behind the house, Demetrius said with a
patient grin on his face. We go for runs there.
Desiree gazed longingly at the thick growth of spruce that came to
an abrupt halt yards from the back door. Marius had carried her
through there when he had first brought her to his home. Soon, she
132 Michele Zurlo
would be able to shift like them and run, naked and free, through the
dormant foliage.
Do you want to go for a walk? We can t go far, Des, but you ll
be safe with me.
She zipped her jacket and slipped her hand into his. Let s go,
Flynn. As fun as you guys make it, I m so tired of being cooped up in
the same place.
They wandered for some time, stopping at a brook that would
become much more in the spring. Desiree tugged her hand free from
Flynn s and crouched down among the rocks and boulders marking
the water s path. She stuck her hand into the icy flow and wiggled her
fingers in the muck and sand coating the bed. Feeling left her skin
relatively quickly, but strength flowed into her.
At her home in St. Paul, a park nearby held a natural pond. She
went there regularly to recharge.
Flynn s large hand covered her shoulder. Des, you have the same
expression on your face you get when you have an orgasm.
She laughed, but she didn t look up. The sight of the brook
brought her as much joy as touching it did. Besides, the babies
clinging firmly to the walls of her uterus needed to know their roots.
This was as much for them as it was for her. I m a witch, Flynn. I
need water and earth to be whole.
When she at last withdrew her hand, it ached with cold. Flynn
took it between his own hot hands, sharing his warmth with her. It s
a good thing you have a fire creature nearby. Your skin is ice.
She looked up at him. A stiff breeze ruffled his shaggy blond
tresses, and his body emanated as much heat as a blazing hearth.
Yeah, you definitely light a fire in me.
He pressed her hand to his chest and wrapped his arms around her
waist. He dropped a brief kiss on her lips. His breath feathered along
her cheek as he moved to bury his face in her neck. The words were
muffled, but she heard them clearly anyway. I love you, Desiree.
Desiree 133
The shaking she couldn t stop had nothing to do with the cold or
the now-warm hand pressed between them. Reality slammed into her,
and she hated it. Though she knew how he felt about her, as long as
he hadn t uttered the words, she could pretend it was a temporary
thing.
I m sorry, Flynn. I don t want to hurt you.
He lifted his head and stared at her, his blue eyes sparkling with
determination. You won t hurt me, Desiree. You might not say the
words, but I know you love me, too. I feel it every time I touch you,
and I see it every time you look at me.
She didn t bother to deny it. This is temporary, Flynn. I can t
stay here with you forever. I can t even stay much longer.
Tiffany had visited again, concern wrinkling her brow as she
warned her sons that the townspeople s patience was wearing thin.
Twice, Marius and Demetrius had come home with dried blood on
their clothes, though they had refused to say what caused the
altercation. Her wolf senses had developed enough so that she could
tell it wasn t theirs, and she could smell their upset.
Flynn nodded. He curled a tendril of her hair around his finger.
It s not safe for you here. We ll go somewhere else.
Breath left her body and hot, salt tears stung behind her eyes, but
she never got the chance to respond. The earth rumbled, and an S
wave made Desiree glad Flynn was already holding her upright. A
scream, high-pitched with fear, interrupted anything she might have
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