Dare, Lydia - Tall, Dark and Wolfish

Elspeth shrugged and dropped her eyes to her lap. "Cait thinks ye're goin' ta whisk me off ta London and they'll never see me again."

The wind rushed out of him. That's exactly what he should do. Why hadn't he thought of it himself? The moon did call to him when he was with Elspeth. He should have her with him always. Then there was the little matter that he

liked

having her around. He could just imagine her waking up in his arms every morning. "And what do you think about that?" he asked.

He could offer her much more than this cottage. Her grandfather was gone. No one needed her like Ben did. This was perfect.

"I think I hardly ken ye."

Ben smiled. "Ah, you know me better than most women, Elspeth. No one else knows what I am. No one else can touch me the way you do." No one else made him burn for her the way she did either.

She shook her head. "I'll tell ye what I told Caitrin. This is my home. I willna leave it."

He blinked at her. Didn't she know who he was? What he could offer her? If he could get her away from the other four, maybe he could convince her to stay with him. "Not even to find your father?" he suggested.

Her emerald eyes grew round with surprise. "That's impossible."

"Not necessarily," he informed her. "I've been thinking about it, wondering who he is. I should take you to see Major Forster—"

"Major

Forster

? He's Scottish?"

Ben frowned. "I suppose he is." He'd never thought much about that before. He sounded nearly as English as the next fellow after his many years in the army. "He runs the Lycanian Society in London—"

"The Lycanian Society?"

"Hmm. It's an organization for my kind. Most of us are registered. About ninety, ninety-five percent. The Society knows about each of us. Who we are. Where we've been. That sort of thing. And we take care of our own. Orphaned boys, those who need medical care. With a little research, we can probably find the Lycan who—"

"—is my father," she finished. "I never thought ta find him. It never seemed a possibility."

Perhaps it was a bad idea. She looked so sad, Ben wanted to envelop her in his arms and make her forget he mentioned it. "If you don't want to look for him, that's understandable, too."

Elspeth placed her tea on the small table in front of them and looked down at the mark on her wrist. "If he's still alive, I would like ta find him. I have many questions. A lifetime's worth."

Ben brushed his knuckles across her cheek. "Then I'll help you find him, Ellie."

Her smile lit up the small room. "Like ye found my hair combs?"

Her hair combs. They had to have been a gift from the girl's sire to her mother. "Exactly."

They could leave tomorrow after the funeral. The sooner he got her away from the others, the better.

"But no' until I heal ye."

"Can't you do that in London?"

She giggled. "Everythin' I need is here, Ben. Ye came ta me ta be healed. I canna let ye leave until then."

Eighteen

Elspeth watched Ben over the rim of her teacup. He'd settled into the settee and looked more than comfortable with himself, his light hair hanging rakishly across his brow. She could watch him forever and never tire of it.

After a moment, Ben sat forward. "I should probably go. I would hate for anyone to find out you were alone with me after dark." His hazel eyes twinkled at her.

But she didn't want him to leave. Not yet.

"It's rare ta have visitors this late at night. I'm sure we're safe for at least a while." His head tipped to the side. "So doona go," she mumbled.

"We have excellent hearing, you know?" The corners of his mouth tilted into a grin.

Elspeth bit back a curse. "Of course ye can hear me. Ye can probably hear my thoughts as well."

"No. Your thoughts are safe. But I do have fun trying to read your mind."

"How successful are ye at that?"

"Not very, actually." He scratched his chin. "Why don't you make it easy for me and tell me what you're thinking?"

"Because then there would be no challenge and you would lose interest completely." And she did

so

want to challenge him.

"Very true." He nodded his agreement before his eyes roamed across her body. El crossed her arms over her chest when she felt her nipples harden. He chuckled.

She gasped, "Ye

can

read my mind!"

"No, lass, I promise you." He held up one hand to silence her protest. "Your body speaks to me much more clearly than your mind does." He adjusted his trousers. "And I really should go, because sitting here makes me want you again." His eyes darkened a shade, but he made no move to leave.

Her heart skipped a beat. "But we just—" She motioned toward the door and then glanced at the mark on her wrist.

"That was nothing, love. A bit of pleasure. But it can be better." His gaze went from warm to smoldering.

"I doona ken if I can survive better," she whispered to herself.

"Of course you can," he chuckled. He flashed a wolfish smile at her discomfort and pointed to his ear, relaxing again against the settee. "Excellent hearing, remember?"

"What other gifts do ye have?"

"Aside from being able to bring you pleasure?" His grin widened.

"Aye, aside from that," she sighed. The time for games was over. Because Elspeth suddenly had the feeling she was outmatched.

Ben enjoyed teasing her. He enjoyed it more than anything he'd done in a long time. But he kept forgetting she was an innocent. She wasn't a whore or a widow, or even a tavern wench. She was a good girl. And he'd do well to remember that.

She rubbed her hands together nervously.

"Sorry, lass, I'll be on my best behavior. Ask me anything you want to know about Lycans," he prompted, sitting forward with his elbows on his knees, prepared to give her his full attention.

"Anythin'?"

He winked at her.

Elspeth sat forward, too, her inquisitive smile warming his heart. "Will ye tell me more about the change?"

"What would you like to know?"

"What's it like for ye? Changin'?"

"It's hard to explain," he started.

"Give it a try."

He took a deep breath. Where would be the best starting point? "When Lycans come into maturity, we grow bigger, stronger, and faster than others. We need this strength on our wolf side in order to compete with predators who might destroy us when we are in our wolf form. It can be a bit scary at first."

"In what way?"

"You start to feel the pull of the moon. As it waxes, the call is stronger and stronger. We become more aggressive as our bodies prepare for the change." He narrowed his eyes and watched her closely so that he could gauge her reaction to his next revelation. "We become more lusty, too. Which is how I got into this mess."

"Ye know what caused ye ta stop changin'?" she asked.

If he told her about that, she could probably guide him better. But he was so hesitant to reveal that aspect of his life to her.

"Out with it. Tell me what happened." She didn't appear to be willing to take no for an answer.

"I can't." Heat crept up his face.

"Are ye blushin', Ben?"

"I suppose I am," he said quietly.

"Tell me more," she prompted.

"I was with a…" He stopped and tugged at his cravat. This was harder than telling her he was a Lycan.

"A person?" She motioned with her hands for him to continue.

"Yes, a person. A woman, actually." He stood up to pace. If he kept moving, kept talking, he could tell her. "You see, Lycans cannot be with women in the days prior to the moonful, because we get a bit lusty and that lust can cause us to hurt someone." He stopped pacing and stared at her.

She gasped. "Please tell me ye dinna hit a woman, Ben." She stood up and shook her head.