Jan Delima - Celtic Moon

Her words robbed him of air. He had no memory of Siân from that night, but if she had found Sophie and not told him . . .

“Siân has been contained,” he said quietly. “I will investigate your claims. If they prove true then she’ll be punished accordingly.”

“If they prove true?” she sneered, shaking her head as if the betrayal of their past was his fault alone. “You are blind when it comes to your people. I was stupid to believe that anything I might say would change your mind.”

“I’m protective,” he corrected. “And I told you I would investigate your claims.”

She gave him an odd smile. “Do you want to know the main reason I didn’t call you?”

He remained silent, waiting to hear her reasoning, no matter how irrational, because whether they were true or not, he was quite certain that Sophie believed her accusations.

“It was for Joshua’s safety,” she continued. “I’ve waited until he was strong enough to defend himself against the people you are so eager to protect.”

Her lack of trust in his ability to keep their child safe left a foul scent in the air. His voice lowered to a soft growl. “No harm will come to you,” he vowed. “ Or to my son, while you’re in my territory. I will make certain of it.”

“Thank you,” she said, sounding genuinely relieved.

Her gratitude annoyed him; their safety should have been expected, not appreciated. “I still have a few questions I’d like you to answer.”

“I’m sure you do.”

“Has anyone helped you since that night in the woods?” He found it incomprehensible that she’d been able to hide from him all this time. She had no idea of the lengths he had gone to find her.

“Not in the manner you’re suggesting. The only help I received was from family and old friends, nothing that was connected to you. And not once did I betray your secret.”

“Where have you been?” Thanks to Porter, he knew she’d made her first call from Providence. It had taken the guard a good amount of time to locate her signal, but by morning he’d been able to report some useful findings—and yet not nearly enough for Dylan’s satisfaction.

“I didn’t leave the country,” she admitted, still protecting something, or someone . “I taught grade school until the fingerprinting laws started to take effect. Then most recently I’ve been working as a chef and housekeeper for a nice employer.”

“Mr. Ayres,” he supplied dryly.

“Yes.” Her tone dropped in warning. “And I would be very angry if you tracked this person down and questioned him. He knows nothing of my past. He’s innocent.”

“I promise not to track him down if you promise not to run.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Dylan, as long as Joshua wants to stay.” She lifted her hands and let them fall back to her side. “I only ask that you work with me, to at least be civil with me in front of him.”

He frowned, not knowing how to respond to such a rational request. “Agreed.”

“I know my son.” She sighed with resigned acceptance. “I’m not sure how long he wants to stay, but I have a feeling it might be for a while.”

“ Our son,” he corrected quietly, “is old enough to make his own decisions.”

“I know that,” she said softly. “He’ll need to enroll in school. And I’ll have to commute to find a job.” She began to pace, a delicate frown creasing her forehead. “But Bangor’s only an hour away. If it’s not in your territory then it must be somewhat close. You can make a compromise, I’m sure, if you really want to.” A sparkle of hope lifted her features; her voice turned wistful. “I’d love to teach again.”

“Teach? Commute? A job? ” Being with Sophie was equivalent to standing on a small ship during a nasty storm, the ground beneath his feet constantly unstable and threatening to toss him on his ass.

“Will you rent me the lake house?” she asked cheerfully.

“Rent you the lake house,” he spat, livid once again now that her words had sunk in. “You’re not a servant. I don’t expect payment from you to live here. I’ll provide whatever you need. You’re my—”

“Don’t even say it.” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare! I don’t acknowledge those vows as a marriage. If you still do then I’m sorry, and I release you from them. Even ancient Pagans recognized divorce,” she said with just a tad too much knowledge for her own well-being.

Dylan bared his teeth as his beast clawed at his spine, demanding a voice. “We have a son together. There’ll be no divorce.”

You are my mate!

She opened her mouth to object, then snapped it shut. “We can discuss this at a later time.”

He shrugged. She could talk whenever she wanted and for however long she wanted. Years, decades, centuries , it was irrelevant; his decision on this matter was nonnegotiable. However, he needed to think further on her request to teach. If it would pacify her, perhaps he could find a way to make it happen without compromising her safety.

“We have eight children here in the village,” he said. “Gwenfair is their classroom teacher. I’m sure she’d appreciate your help anytime. She can also tutor Joshua if necessary.”

“You can’t be serious?” Sophie stared at him in stunned shock. “You haven’t been listening to me, Dylan. The people in your village hate me. And that was before I ran away with your son. I can’t even imagine how they’ll react now that they actually have a reason to.” She laughed, and it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “They certainly won’t let me anywhere near their children, that’s for sure.”

“They are wary by nature,” he explained, keeping his voice calm to her prejudice. “You just didn’t give them enough time.”

“Whatever you say.” Submissive words laced with malevolence, as if arguing suddenly became a waste of her time.

“You can’t live as you were!” He sensed her determination, her unbreakable will; she fully intended to do whatever she pleased, even if it went against his wishes.

“Really?” Her chin lifted, only to validate his concern. “Why can’t I?”

“There are precautions that must be taken.” He clenched his hands by his sides in frustration. “The knowledge of our kind can never be revealed. You must come to terms with that.”

“And how high a price will I have to pay under your terms?”

He tried to defuse her ire with truth. “There are others of my kind who will eliminate any threats to our race.”

“I’m not a threat. Unless,” she amended, her eyes narrowing with a dangerous light so unlike her former self that it took him by surprise, “they come after my son.”

A real possibility that he kept to himself. “I’m grateful that you and Joshua are here now, healthy and unharmed.”

“Are you trying to scare me?”

“My motivations have always been to keep you safe.”

From the other side of the building, Dylan heard the soft click of a closing door. Footsteps approached, one heavy and one light. Joshua and Elen appeared around the corner a moment later, halting the conversation.

Elen commanded his attention with her expression, her face aglow in awe. She whispered in the old tongue, “He’s whole. The Goddess has blessed us, brother. Your son is whole. ”

Dylan closed his eyes briefly at the confirmation of what he’d already suspected. Still, he refused to celebrate, not until he saw his son change with his own eyes. Porter was whole, according to Elen’s special gift, and he was unable to call the wolf.

Soon, Goddess willing, they would know for sure.

Sophie pulled Joshua aside, the concern in her voice palpable. “Are you okay?”