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between my palms.
You have questions, Luke said, continuing to eat. How did he know I was biting my
lip to keep my curiosity to myself? He made an encouraging gesture with his free hand. Go
on.
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KISS OF THE WHITE WOLF Cassidy Ryan
33
I fought it for all of half a second before I gave in to the intense need to know
everything I could about him. You live alone, but I always believed that werewolves lived
in packs. He d also said it had been a long time since he d had anyone in his corner, but I
kept that to myself.
Placing his fork on the side of his plate, Luke took a moment to wipe his mouth on a
napkin. Ideally that s true, but it s not always possible. I lost my pack, my family, shortly
after the millennium. There was a house fire.
The word millennium caught my attention, and I frowned. It wasn t an accident, was
it?
He shook his head slowly. The-the doors and windows had been barricaded from the
outside before the fire was started. They& He paused and cleared his throat before
continuing. They couldn t get out.
The raw pain in his eyes tore at my heart. Tell me about them?
He seemed surprised by my question, but pleasantly so, if his smile was any indication.
I grew up in Somerset. My parents were apple growers, and had a small cider mill. They d
been mates since they were seventeen and my dad always introduced my mum as his bride. I
had two younger brothers, twins, Rory and Daniel. They were a couple of absolute
tearaways if there was a way to get into trouble, they would find it. He laughed quietly,
shaking his head, then his expression turned soft. My little sister Lucy, the youngest by
several years, was our princess. She had us all wrapped around her little finger the first time
she smiled she had the sweetest temperament of anyone I ve ever met. Hang on a sec. He
left the room quickly, and I wondered if I d upset him by making him remember a time that
must still be a source of crippling pain.
I considered whether or not I should follow, but before I d reached a decision he was
back, carrying something.
A family friend took this photo just a few weeks before& She gave it to me when
everything else was lost in the fire. He handed me the photograph, framed in rich
mahogany.
You looked very happy together, I said, taking in the smiling faces of the adults, the
mischief in the grins of the twin boys, and the absolute innocence of the little girl sitting atop
the shoulders of a very youthful looking Luke. My chest hurt to think about what the very
near future held for the small group. I handed the picture back to him.
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KISS OF THE WHITE WOLF Cassidy Ryan
34
We were, Luke replied, running his thumb over the glass before setting the picture
down on the marble island. If things had taken a more& natural path, then I would have
become the pack Alpha following my father s passing. For a while afterwards, I didn t think I
would survive without them.
I can t even imagine. My mind flashed to my own parents my dad, the slightly
eccentric professor of classics who could speak six languages, and was in line for the job of
master of his college, but who would read by candlelight rather than attempt to change a
light bulb. And my mum, a former actress turned professional student, currently working on
her third degree. I felt sick just thinking about losing them the way Luke s family had been
stolen from him. How did you survive, I mean the fire? That is, if you don t mind me
asking.
Luke had begun loading up the dishwasher, but stopped and turned back to me. I was
sixteen at the time, out with my friends. He smiled again. Running a little wild, y know?
When I was sixteen, running a little wild meant pinching some of dad s scotch and
drinking until I puked. I ve a feeling it means something different for werewolf boys, I
joked, feeling the mood in the kitchen lighten a bit.
He started to laugh, but halfway through a yawn seemed to catch him off-guard. I
guess those drugs still have some kick left in them. I think I ll head up to bed. Come on, I ll
show you to one of the guest rooms.
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