Dead After Dark (Companion #6.5)(16)

“No. He’s my vengeance and one day I’m going to unleash him on his own father.”

Angelia flinched at that memory. How could she have forgotten it? Then again, Bryani had never been an overly doting parent, so why should it stand out in her memory any more than all the other times Bryani had failed to comfort her sons? It was why Dare was so cold to everyone around him. He’d spent his entire life trying to earn his mother’s acceptance.

And it was the last thing she’d ever give her children.

“Does it feel good to be hugged?”

She could still hear Fury’s baffled tone as he’d asked her that. It’d been her fourteenth birthday and her uncle had hugged her before he allowed her to go outside and play with Fury. “You’ve been hugged, Fury.”

He’d shaken his head. “No, I haven’t. At least not that I remember.”

She’d tried to think of a time when someone had held him, but true to his words, she couldn’t recall a single time. Heartbroken, she’d put her arms around him and given him his very first hug.

Instead of hugging her back, he’d stood there with his arms at his side. Stiff. Unmoving. Not even breathing. It’d been as if he was afraid to move for fear of her hurting or abandoning him.

“Well?” she’d asked after she released him.

“You smell nice.”

She’d smiled. “But did you like the hug?”

He’d walked into her then, rubbing his head against her shoulder in a very wolflike manner until she’d wrapped her arms around him again. Only then did he stop moving. “I like your hugs, Lia.” Then he’d run away and hidden from her for three days.

He’d never allowed her to hug or touch him again.

Even with all the secrets they’d shared. Even when she cried. He’d never touched her. He would merely hand her a cloth to wipe her eyes with and listen until she felt better. But never had he come close to touching her again.

Until today, when he’d gone to protect her from the other wolves.

Why would he have done that?

It made no sense. He was an animal. Disgusting. Brutal. Violent. There was nothing redeeming about them. And yet she couldn’t shake the images of her past. The times when Fury, an animal, had been closer to her than anyone else.

“I’m a Sentinel, Fury!” She’d awakened to find her marks and had snuck out of their cottage at dawn to find Fury by the stream where he’d gone to sleep. It’d been a strange custom that she hadn’t understood at the time. Only later would she learn that he slept there because he was a wolf and he’d been afraid of his family learning that secret.

He’d smiled an honest smile. Unlike the other males of their patria who’d been jealous when they learned she’d been chosen, Fury had been genuinely happy for her. “Have you told your uncle?”

“Not yet. I wanted you to be the first to know.” She’d tilted her head to show him the faint markings that had yet to be fully formed. “Do you think I’ll be pretty once the lines fill in?”

“You’re the most beautiful wolfswan here. How could your marks ever make you anything else?”

She’d gone to hug him, but he’d run off before she could.

Even though she’d told herself he was nothing but an animal, the truth was, she’d loved him. And she’d missed him horribly.

Now he was back.

And nothing had changed. He was still an animal, and she was here to kill or maim him so that he would never be able to hurt another human being again.





4


Fury came awake slowly, his body aching. For a moment, he thought he was still trapped in human form. But as he blinked his eyes open, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was a wolf and he was home.

He rubbed his snout against the lilac-scented sheets. Bride always sprayed them with her spring water stuff whenever she made the bed. Normally he hated the smell. But today it was heaven.

“How you feeling?”

He lifted his head to find Vane propped against the wall, watching him. Flashing into human form, he was grateful Vane had put him under the covers. “I’m okay.”

“You look like shit.”

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t date you either, *.”

Vane gave a short laugh. “You must be feeling better. You’re back to you usual surliness. And speaking of surly, Zarek was here. He wants to talk to you when you’re up and about.”

Why would an ex–Dark-Hunter-turned-god want to talk to him? “What does he want?”

“He filled me in on what’s been happening at Sanctuary. They cancelled their celebration and have the whole place locked down until they get to the bottom of this new attack. No one can come or go.”

“Good. Where’s Angelia?”

“She’s in the nursery and refuses to come out. I think she’s hoping her patria can track her here and release her from us animals.”

Fury snorted at the idea. “Nah, she’s probably plotting my dismemberment.” Sitting up, he took a breath before he stood and went to pull his clothes out of the chest of drawers.

“You know I can dress you.”

Fury scoffed at his brother’s offer. “I don’t need your help.”

“Then on that note, I’m going downstairs to eat dinner.”