Page 114 of Bound by Vengeance
“Is that why you developed a friendship withher?”
“Maybe in the beginning, but I enjoy hercompany. For a well-bred hunter woman, she has a dirty mind andsome downrightfilthytales. She’s fun, smart, and snarky.She’s a lot like me.”
Nathan’s eyebrows shot up at this statement.It was the last thing he’d ever expected anyone to say aboutElfry.
Vicky playfully bumped his hip. “Some ofyour perfect little wives weren’t such perfect widows,” she saidwith a wink. “Unless, of course, they were obligated to marryagain.”
Nathan recalled the widowed hunter who washis first while he was in Mexico with his father. He’d assumed thatwoman had been a rarity amongst their kind, but of course, shewasn’t. Most hunters were widowed young; they would still haveurges and seek to fulfill them.
He thought he’d gotten past hisold-fashioned view of the women here, but he still had a ways togo, and Vicky would get him there.
“I’ll be back,” Vicky said and kissed himbefore slipping into the crowd.
He almost went after her but stopped whenAsher and Logan arrived at his side. From around the room, otherhunters approached. He had to deal with their curiosity andquestions before he could return to his mate.
Vicky settled across from Elfry at the tableand folded her hands before her. The older woman smiled, but Vickysaw a distance in her gaze that hadn’t been there the otherday.
“It wasn’t planned,” Vicky said bluntly,knowing that was how Elfry preferred to handle things.
“No?” Elfry inquired.
“No,” Vicky said. “But you know how thingscan change or escalate.”
“Oh, I know about escalating,” Elfryreplied, and Vicky heard the innuendo in her voice.
“It’s the worst when it escalates too fast,and then it’s over.”
Elfry’s boisterous laugh drew startledglances from those closest to them. “I hope our stalwart leaderdoesn’t have that problem.”
“Definitely not,” Vicky assured her andfound her eyes drawn irresistibly back to Nathan as he stoodsurrounded by a growing group of male hunters. The remaining womenwere all surreptitiously looking at her and Elfry; most weren’tdiscreet about it.
“You love him very much,” Elfry said andrested her hand on Vicky’s.
“I do,” Vicky confirmed as she met Elfry’swarm, hazel eyes.
“Good. I feel like love is something thehunters have been missing for years.”
“You all love and care for each other. I’man outsider, but I can see that as clear as day.”
“Yes, and many of us grow to love ourspouses, but it’s not the same. My husband was a good man; I caredfor him deeply. However, when he died, I wasn’t devastated. Whoknows, maybe it’s better not to have your heart torn out, but aftertwo hundred forty-eight years of living, one of the things I wish Icould have experienced was a love so deep it was worth dying for.Maybe, if I’d been blessed with children, I’d have grown to love myhusband more, but I’ll never know.”
Vicky squeezed Elfry’s hand. “There’s stilltime for you to find love.”
“He’d have to be worth me dealing with thebullshit of living with a man again, instead of just having sexwith them.”
Vicky laughed so loud she almost fell offher chair. She loved this woman and her unexpectedlystraightforward way.
“They can be annoying,” Vicky agreed inbetween bouts of laughter.
“Oh, yes,” Elfry said and wiped the tearsfrom her eyes.
When the chatter around them died downagain, Vicky turned to watch Ronan and Kadence enter the room.Vicky waved at Abby, Aiden, and Maggie when they stepped throughthe door behind the couple. Abby waved back, elbowed Aiden, andsaid something over her shoulder. Brian appeared for a minutebefore nodding and turning away. Striding past Kadence, Abby,Maggie, and Aiden started toward her.
“That’s my brother, Aiden, and his mate,Maggie, and that is my sister, Abby,” Vicky said to Elfry as shepointed to each of them.
“That woman is your sister?” Elfry asked andgave her a playful wink.
“I know, we don’t look anything alike.”
