Page 33 of Black Willow Witch
When she was eventually finished and happy with the room’s layout, she smiled to herself and walked out. Lucie followed her, sticking closely to her side as Emberlyn went back to unpacking.
It didn’t take long to spread the rest of her things around the second floor. She also nosed around the attic, finding it no different than it had been the last time she’d—
A howl filled the air, long and loud.
But notcloseto the manor, thankfully.
Emberlyn looked out of the circular attic window. Through the stained glass, she was able to see that the moon was now full. She looked at Lucie, who sat a few feet away. ‘Fingers crossed we don’t have company tonight.’
CHAPTER EIGHT
Around him, some of Ripper’s clan members shifted right there in the clearing. Their shaggy fur black as night, they mingled in with the shadows, only their red eyes giving away their location. They scattered, weaving around the trees, yapping and howling.
His own muscles quivered with the urge to shift and run. The moon’s energy spoke to his soul – an energy that was cold, electric and magnetic.Toomagnetic for Ripper. Like it was tugging at his skin, threatening to remove it from his bones – an aftereffect of having spent years in a Rabid state.
As a child, he’d only felt compelled tobelong. Every wolf did. It made their clan-bonds tight. But the period of time he’d spent Rabid had changed that for him.
He didn’t properly remember those years – the snippets in his head were like those of a faded dream. The result, though? He didn’t yearn to belong. He yearned to be free.
He hadn’t told anyone, not even his brother, but at times Ripper had felt ‘called’ back to Bloodhill. He’d lost four and a half years of his adolescence – that was how it had felt when he’d come out of his Rabid state. At fifteen, he’d had to slot back into a life that had gone on without him and left him behind.
He hadn’t known how to be ‘normal’, hadn’t felt normal. He’d had no mental foothold. More, he’d felt like he didn’t fit in his own skin.
The call to return to Bloodhill had beenso stronghe’d occasionally considered giving into it. It would have been easier to go back to that wild, primitive state where complex emotions didn’t exist. The call felt much dimmer nowadays – the pull of the moon beating it by far.
Crew approached and nudged him, his blue-gray eyes lit with energy. ‘You ready?’
Ripper only gave a curt nod.
Kerr wouldn’t be running with them tonight. He’d found himself a female companion for the evening; had taunted Ripper with how he could do the same if only he’d let himself go to Black Willow Manor.
So Ripper had socked him in the gut.
He’d always had a certain image of Emberlyn in his head – her reputation preceded her, and rumors were aplenty. But having earlier realized there were things he hadn’t known, having spent a little time in her company, he realized she wasn’t quite what she seemed.
Still, he couldn’t saywhatexactly she seemed; couldn’t get a proper read on her. She only revealed the sides she wanted you to see. She didn’t appear to mind being either misunderstood or underestimated. It was unusual for an Alpha personality.
Shewas unusual. And . . . and he needed to stop thinking about her. She wasn’t for him. Simple.
Peripheral movement snagged his attention. He looked to see his brother approaching, his expression sober, his eyes dull, his wide shoulders stiff.
‘We could be doing something else now, brother,’ Logan clipped. ‘Could be spending our evening withour mate. Instead, we’re gonna have to burn off the moon’s call by sprinting through the woods on all fluffy fours. That doesn’t bother you?’
Ripper inwardly sighed. ‘You really want to go over this again? What’s the point? You know I won’t change my mind.’
Logan’s brown eyes flared. ‘So you’re good with someone else claiming her? Because that’ll happen eventually. Right now, CeCe’s giving you time to come round to the idea of a triad. She won’t wait forever.’
Quite frankly done repeating himself, Ripper felt his jaw harden. ‘Logan, I’m not going to “come round”. This isn’t something I’m ever gonna want.’
Logan stalked closer, his brows snapping together. ‘You thinkIreally want a triad? You think I want to share the woman I love with anyone? The truth is no, I don’t. But I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I don’t lose her.Youwon’t, though, will you? Which shows you don’t love CeCe anywhere near as much as I do.’
‘You’re probably right. But where’s the sense in you being pissed at me? I’m not the one refusing to give you what you want because, as you’ve just admitted, what you want isn’t even a triad – it’s just for her to be yours.’
Crew leaned closer, scratching at his dark stubble. ‘You might want to keep your voices down,’ he began quietly, ‘because she’s just stepped out of the trees with her friends.Andshe’s spotted you both.’
Ripper didn’t let his gaze track her down, but his brother couldn’t help but look.
Pain glinting in his eyes, Logan shoved a hand through his dirty blond hair. ‘She’s all I ever wanted, Rip. Sucks that she can’t say the same aboutonlyme.’ He stalked off, stripping as he went.
