Beckoned (The Brazil Werewolf Series) (11 page)

“Do you like it?” He asked searching my face. He was chewing bottom lip as he awaited my answer.

I nodded, “It’s newer than my…I mean my mother’s house,” I said, smiling, “It’s nicer…much nicer.”

He smiled, thrusting his chest out as if what I had thought meant everything, “I’m glad that you like it.”

I laughed, “I can tell,” I said, shaking my head.

He grabbed my hand, “I’ll show you the rest of it.”

“Okay,” I said as he pulled me further into the back of the mobile home.

He led me to a small room beyond the living area. In this room were two bunk beds and two doors. One led to a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower and the other was the room at the very back of the motor home...a bedroom.

I stood awkwardly at the foot of the large king size bed. White and red satin sheets decorated it. I trembled, suddenly nervous and looked away toward a closet where all of my things hung.

Andre looked in the direction in which I was looking and shifted, “I put up your things when they were brought over last night,” he said, embarrassed, “You don’t mind, do you?”

“No,” I whispered and looked back at the bed, swallowing nervously.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself but my thoughts fragmented and then, came together into one thought. I had only recently gotten used to being around a man and now, I would be sleeping in the same bed with him. I looked away from the bed, fearful of what was expected of me.

“Do you need help with the buttons on your dress?” Andre asked very close behind me. I jumped and he laughed softly, “Aurora, I promise that we aren’t going to do anything tonight…Well, we’ll sleep. So, stop being so nervous.”

I nodded my head but I still felt my stomach flip, “I’m sorry…you’re right. There‘s no reason to be nervous.”

“Don’t apologize, Aurora. It was natural that you would think that,” he said and I shivered as his breath touched my neck, “Now, let me help you with the buttons on your dress. It must be uncomfortable. It seems awfully tight.”

I nodded my head and bit my lip when his breath fanned across my neck again, “Hold the front of your dress so that it doesn’t fall,” he whispered, “You don’t want me to break the promise I just made you, do you?”

I blushed as I put my hand to my chest, pressing the bodice to me tightly. I felt each button release. Upon the last button, I heard Andre’s strained voice, “I’ll leave so you can dress for bed.”

I nodded and heard the door close a second later. I released my breath not knowing that I had been holding it. If having him help me with my dress was this stressful, how was I ever going to sleep next to him?

***********

Exhaustion was the only reason that I slept at all. Andre’s presence was known from the moment he laid down next to me. His scent surrounded me, embedding into everything as his heat reached for me causing my whole body to tingle as if expecting to be touched. I closed my eyes, hearing every breath he took as I tried to pretend that his presence wasn’t so known. It took hours but I finally forced the darkness of sleep to surround me.

When my senses came back to me I no longer heard Andre’s steady breaths. Instead, I heard the hoots of owls and rustlings of animals moving through the bushes. A thrill of fear shot through me. Did I sleep walk again? I shook my head. It wasn’t possible. Andre would have stopped me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes, finding myself in a large grassy meadow in the middle of a dense forest. Wolves sat in a circle, completely surrounding me. My heart trembled as I looked at each one finding each different but as docile as pets. Their eyes were large and submissive…staring at me as if waiting for an order.

I was only shocked out of staring at them when Garridan stepped beside me, grasping my hand in his. Another tremble shook me and I jerked my hand but he held it easily within his large palm. Panic began engulf me when I felt someone else grab my other hand. I looked at the other person expecting to see my father but instead I found Andre standing calmly next to me. I looked at him confused. Why did he look so peaceful with Garridan near me?

I opened my mouth, wanting to ask Andre what was happening but couldn‘t. Instead, I just waited for him to give me an answer to my unspoken question. Finally, he gave me a lopsided grin and said, “You’re here because you must choose between us.”

I frowned, truly confused as I shook my head. My frown was so fierce that it hurt my head, “But I already have.”

“No,” Garridan said in a voice that was almost kind, “You haven’t.”

I turned to stare at him in shock. I didn’t understand anything that was happening. Worse than that, no one was really answering me.

I looked at the wolves again who were still sitting docile and quiet around us and then, looked back at Garridan. Maybe he would answer my questions, “What do you mean?” I asked, angrily, “I married Andre. I made my choice.”

“It’s the mating and the blood,” Andre whispered, capturing my attention again,“It isn‘t just the marriage. You will still have to choose.”

“I don’t understand this,“ I whispered as Garridan released my hand and began to walk through the wolves and into the trees. Oddly, I wanted to call for him to come back and answer my questions. A moment later, I realized that Andre was gone too. I hadn’t even noticed that he had released my hand. I swallowed hard as I realized they had left me alone surrounded by the wolves who stared at me more peacefully than a wolf ever should. I honestly believed that I could have reached out my hand to them to touch them and they wouldn‘t have attacked. Still, I felt the danger that rolled from them even while calm.

I shifted as they slowly began to move, shifting as they lay on the grass. One stilled before standing, becoming fully human. I was shocked to see that the wolf had become my mother. I looked at the next which shifted to become my father. I stared at the rest as they became Andre’s brothers and sister. Then, I seen Sophia and Gavriel…shifting…turning. The rest became my father’s family. I trembled as I watched. Wolves that became men…men that became wolves. I looked down at my arms and seen them becoming hairier and hairier. Terror washed over me as I realized that I was becoming one of them. I screamed out but the scream became a long, mournful howl.

I don’t know how long I had been screaming when Andre’s voice broke through the terror of the dream but still the fear was too great for me to come fully back to reality.

“Aurora,” Andre said, trying to soothe me, “It’s okay. Wake up.”

I just kept screaming. Finally, my body was pushed and pulled back and forth, causing me to come back to reality. Andre’s face hovered over mine. Worry creased his brow.

“Bad dream?” He asked smoothing the hair from my face.

I nodded, “I’m sorry,” I breathed out.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, laying back beside me. Slowly, he reached out and pulled me to him. I was surprised to find that the action didn’t terrify me. It only comforted me. He kissed the back of my head and then, whispered, “Go back to sleep, Aurora. I’m here. Nothing will hurt you. I promise.”

Amazingly, I did fall into a calm and dreamless sleep.

Chapter Ten

Forgiveness

“Andre, Aurora, wake up!“ I heard someone yell somewhere in reality. I moaned in my sleep, feeling too warm and too comfortable to move. Then, loud, insistent banging began and I winced moving closer and closer to waking up. Finally, my eyes opened to the bright sunny morning. I groaned still exhausted from the events of the day before.

I heard Andre chuckle as he moved his arms from around me. I blushed. No wonder I had been so warm. Andre had given me his heat.

“Don’t worry, Aurora,” he whispered as he kissed the top of my head, “I’ll get it. You just lay here and pretend that I tired you out too much to move.”

“Andre!” I hissed turning an even deeper shade of red. I blushed further as I seen that he was wearing only pajama pants that hung too low on his hips. I blinked, trying not to see his shirtless chest and abs. He raised his brows and grinned as he seen me blush again and walked toward the door. I shook my head mortified and buried my face in the pillow.

A few moments later I heard the door open, “Mother?” Andre asked confused, “Is something wrong?”

I heard a sob and I pulled the pillow from my face with a frown, “I’m sorry, Andre,” she said, obviously distressed, “I know that you need to be alone with Aurora but you both have to come to my house.”

“Why?” he asked his voice tight with fear, “What’s happened?”

“There’s been an attack,” she sobbed, uncontrollably. I blinked trying to understand what she was saying.

“Who?” I heard Andre breathe, “Was it Dad? Mirella?”

It was a few moments before Sophia‘s sobs quieted, “It was Fiona,” she said in a tear soaked voice. I inhaled sharply and sat up in bed as I listened to Sophia as she continued to speak. I held my breath as I clutched the pillow in my hands, gripping the silk coverings tightly, “I should have stayed with her but she was stubborn and told me that she’d be fine. She said she was going straight home. Now…”

My eyes widened as the full story unraveled in my head. Tears pooled in my eyes as I shook my head back and forth, wondering if I was dreaming. ..My mind could only call for her over and over.
Momma…

I threw back the covers and stood on shaky legs. I found my robe and tied the sash as I walked into the living room. Andre stood in the middle of the room, running his hands through his hair. Sophia had sunk to one of the leather chairs and was sobbing into her hands. For the first time, Sophia seemed broken to me. My heart squeezed. She had to love my mother truly like family to react so strongly to her being harmed.

“What happened?” I asked with tears pooling in my eyes. I swallowed over the lump that had formed in my throat, “What happened to my mother?’

Sophia‘s sobs halted and she looked up at me. Her eyes shined with misery, “A wolf…h-he bit her.”

“Is she…” I shook my head, causing tears to fall down my cheeks. I couldn’t say the word when even the thought was torture. I trembled knowing I could not lose my mother.

“No, she’s not dead,” Sophia whispered hoarsely and I nearly sank with relief but tensed again as Sophia continued to speak, “Though I am worried about…infection.”

She looked up at Andre and he frowned, shaking his head and suddenly, he began pacing. My heart lurched. If Andre was upset, the situation was bad.

I shook my head of the thought, “Did you take her to the hospital?” I asked, frowning.

Sophia nodded, “As soon as we found her last night,” she said, “She has about twenty five stitches in her shoulder. Thankfully, there was very little tearing but they did make her get rabis shots. She’s very sore right now and very shaken..”

“She didn’t stay at the hospital?” I asked, wincing because I was sure that I already knew the answer.

Sophia shook her head, “No. We tried to convince her to stay at the hospital but the stubborn woman wouldn’t so she is staying with me but she‘s beginning to get a fever and she won‘t take the medicine. You have to come convince her, Aurora.”

I nodded my head as worry swamped me and the tears flowed down my cheeks. Sophia began to cry even harder and I went to her and held her. She seemed engulfed in sorrow and guilt.

“This isn’t your fault,” I whispered to her as the thought of the wolves entered my mind, “But something must be done about the wolves coming here. They are attacking people. If something isn‘t done, they‘ll kill someone.”

Sophia leaned back surprised and then, blinked as her eyes cleared, “Yes, you’re right,” She whispered, and then, shook her head, “I’ll have the men patrol the grounds tonight.

I heard a groan behind me and I turned to look at Andre confused, “What?”

“Well, it looks like you will have to sleep alone for the next few nights,” he said, with a sad lopsided grin.

“Why?” I asked frowning.

“Because it looks like the males of this motor home park will be going wolf hunting,” he said.

For some reason a chill went up my spine and a new worry gnawed at me…worry for Andre’s safety.

**********

I found my mother lying comfortably in the main bed of Sophia and Gavriel’s home. When I entered , she had been sleeping, soundly, seeming smaller than her delicate frame already was. Though I had to admit that it could have been an illusion due to the large blankets that Sophia had draped over her…or maybe it was the many pillows arranged behind her head and around her body. Either way, I had nearly panicked at the first sight of my mother.

I stood staring at her as I picked up her hand, holding it tightly within mine. A few moments after my arrival, her eyes fluttered opened, widening when she seen me. I leaned over and kissed her cheek gently.

I frowned at the slight heat there, “Momma, are you okay?”

Her blue eyes filled with tears as she nodded her head, “I’m just sore, Sweetheart,” she whispered and then, sighed when she seen the distress in my eyes, “But I’m okay. I promise.”

“I’m glad that you’re here,” I whispered feeling my eyes burn, “I don’t want you alone.”

She smiled weakly, “I told you that they’re good people,” she whispered, “They will help me through this just like they‘ve helped me through everything else.”

“They are good people,” I said, seeing her eyes drift shut again. A few seconds later, she slept soundly.

I frowned as I rose and went in search of Sophia. I found her in the kitchen, “She seems very tired,” I whispered worried.

Sophia nodded sadly, “She’s been through a lot,” she said and then, smiled softly, “And they gave her pills for the pain. She finally took them. They make her drowsy.”

I nodded my head though worry still twisted through me, “Well, I think I will sit with her for a while longer…I mean if that‘s okay,” I whispered, brokenly.