Chapter Twelve
She was no more than sixteen. The girl was tiny. Her jaw and cheekbones pressed against the hollow flesh of her face. Her eyes overly big in the way an undernourished child's are. Andre could count each of her ribs. Her skin was pale, but looked thin and papery, unlike Mary's smooth alabaster tones. Everything about this girl looked as if the life had been slowly drained from her.
Andre backed away, his legs and body beginning to tremble. What had he done? This fragile, tiny, young girl did not deserve to be killed or hurt. Her father had hurt her enough.
And yet Andre had attacked her, as though killing her would bring his own daughter back. He could smell the blood he had spilled from where he was standing.
Her big brown eyes stared at him, still wide and terrified, as her twig-like arms wrapped around Mary, clinging to her like a child clings to her mother. This was one of Mary's sisters and he had nearly killed her. For what? For the crimes of her father?
He dreaded meeting Mary's gaze, but her eyes drew his to hers. The look he found in them was like a punch to the stomach. Her piercing green eyes were wide, frightened. Her mouth was drawn into a tight line. She held her sister protectively and her whole body was tense, shuddering as she waited for his next move.
Oh, God, what have I done? Andre couldn’t break his gaze from Mary's accusing eyes. What am I?
Mary's lips opened. "Andre…"
He held his breath, hoping against hope that she would say something that would allow him to have hope that she could forgive him for this. He inched forward but stopped when both sisters tensed. He wanted to suppress his Bear, to drop to his knees and beg Mary's forgiveness. But he couldn't make himself do it. He clung to his Bear like Mary's sister clung to her, craving the protection of muscle and sinew against Mary's accusing gaze.
"Andre," she said again. "Go. Go away."
His heart plummeted. But what else was there to do? He had let a moment's rage blind him, and now he had lost everything again.
He turned and fled from the two most painful words he had ever heard. He did not look back.
***
He did not look back.
Mary could not spare time to think about what he was thinking or what he must be feeling. She shoved aside her own feelings–they were too messy, too painful to think about right now. Julia needed her. Her sister needed her. She couldn't spare time to think of how her own heart was breaking.
"What happened to you?" Mary asked, laying the back of her hand on her sister's forehead. She was so thin! What had happened? Julia had always been slender, but this? "What did Father do to you?"
Julia's eyes were bright as she leaned against Mary, shudders shaking her whole body. "It attacked me. It was a Bear, wasn't it? A Shifter, not an ordinary bear?"
"You're cold as ice. Where's your clothing pack?" Mary glanced around. No Wolf went into the forest without one, in case they needed to suppress their Wolf. But she couldn't see it anywhere.
"I left it at home. I didn't think I'd need it."
Julia's skin was slick with sweat, her breathing was rapid, and when Mary felt for her pulse, it took her a moment to feel it. She was going into shock. Being naked out in this cool spring weather was going to kill her, even faster than her injuries. Mary hadn't wanted to take a closer look at them, but now she saw her right leg at least was broken, her calf was at an awkward angle, dark splotches of purple and black started spreading over her pale skin. Rivulets ran down her back, but the bleeding had stopped.
How could Andre have done this?
Mary shook her head quickly. She could not think of him when her sister needed her. "We have to get you home."
"No!" Julia grabbed her arm. "No, you can’t go back. Father is furious."
"I can't leave you out here." A knot twisted in her gut, but she ignored it. "You're going into shock and you're freezing."
She didn't have her own clothes. How far were they from where the cabin once stood? Mary's heart sank. Would she even be able to find her way back? She sank back down next to her sister, trying to keep her expression hopeful. When night fell, her brothers would start hunting. If Julia could hold on that long, they would be found.
Mary settled beside Julia, considering embracing her Wolf to try to lend more warmth to her sister. But the more important thing was to keep her awake and talking, and so Mary asked her the first thing that came to mind.
"Are you and Conrad married yet?"
Julia's pale skin flushed. "He has asked Father for my hand."
"Are you happy with it?"
"I… I like Conrad. He's got his own land, you know."
Mary's heart sank. "You like him. But he's not your soulmate."
"He will be." Julia's voice was drowsy. "Wolves mate for life. After we…. you know, when we marry. After that, then he'll be my soulmate and everything will be perfect. I'll have everything I want."
No. That's not how it works. Mary recalled the moment she realized that Andre was her soulmate. The fireworks went off in her heart and skin. The irresistible draw to him, not only his body but everything else as well. It was only after she knew that he was her soul's other half that they had made love. And it had been exciting, passionate, even if it was a little clumsy and uncertain at first.
But she couldn’t tell her sister that! Andre was a Bear, monsters according to what they had been taught–and had he not just almost killed her? To say he was her soulmate would be even worse than admitting that she had made love with a man without marrying him!
Before Mary's thoughts could send her spiraling back to the events that had taken place, she heard a signal howl. Their brother Peter's voice, demanding a response. Her head jerked up and she cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Here!" she shouted, still unwilling to leave her sister's side. "Help!"
Moments later, two Wolf faces appeared among the trees. They disappeared again, and moments later two men strode into the clearing, glancing warily around. Their bare torsos gleamed in the dim light, pale and muscular, fine curls of dark hair on their chests.
Mary's heart jumped to her throat as she recognized her brother Peter, and their father. She shrank back from them, her face flushing as a wind reminded her of her nakedness. She tried to hide her breasts with an arm, but she could not adequately cover herself while keeping Julia upright.
"Here."
Cloth was thrown at her, and the two men slipped away through the trees again. Mary shook out the cloth and found that they had been given two shirts. That would explain why Peter and her father both wore trousers but were shirtless.
She helped Julia dress and then pulled the shirt over her own head. It was tight on her and the one on Julia was baggy. The buttons at her breasts would hardly do up and left gaping holes that revealed copious amount of skin. The sleeves were so tight she thought the seams would pop, but it was better than nothing.
"We need bandages," she called. "Julia is badly hurt."
Her father entered the clearing again. He had always been an intimidating figure, something Mary had been proud of as a child. But as he glared at her now, she shivered. She pressed her lips together, trying not to let herself be cowed. Her shoulders straightened.
"Father, I will accept whatever punishments you see fit to put on me, but Julia is badly injured. If I am unable to treat her injuries and get her back home at once, she could die."
"Peter," her father called over his shoulder.
Her brother's Wolf appeared again, holding his trousers in his mouth. He dropped them at their father's feet, keeping his tail tucked firmly against his belly to preserve his modesty and made a small yipping noise. He melted into the shadows.
Mary pulled the trousers over both her and Julia's lower regions, which she had hoped were already hidden by the way they were hunched over. Her face burned hotter though she tried to focus on Julia rather than her modesty.
Paul Locke knelt beside his daughters, his large rough hands probing Julia's leg. She winced, and Mary's mind flashed to the birth of the little lamb. How gentle Andre's massive hands were. She remembered his fingers light on her skin, sensing his touch more from his warmth than anything else, and a pang hit her heart.
Not right now, she told herself.
Paul rocked back on his heels. "It's broken. Can you embrace your Wolf?"
Julia shook her head. "I'm too weak."
"Then put on these clothes and I will carry you. Mary, you may use the shirt you are wearing as bandages. Embrace your Wolf and find me when you are done."
"Yes, Father," she replied automatically. She didn't look at him as he slipped through the trees.
It was easier to tear the buttons off than struggle to undo them, and Mary used her teeth to shred the heavy cloth. Julia's teeth were chattering by this time, and Mary worked as quickly as she could, wrapping the broken leg so it would not be further damaged before it could be properly set.
"Mary?"
"Yes?"
Julia's voice was dazed. "Where were you? We thought you were dead. You just disappeared. We found the car in a ditch. We thought you'd frozen to death."
"I… it's a long story." A lump formed in Mary's throat. "Just try to rest, okay?"
"But where were you? And how did you know I was here? And why did that Bear listen to you when you told it to stop?" Julia's hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Mary's wrist, holding her far tighter than someone so obviously malnourished should. "Why did it listen to you, Mary?"
Mary stared back at her sister and didn’t know what to say.