Page 63 of Father of the Wolf

“Then you should teach me how to drive. But what should I teach you?”

He pulled his hand back and placed it on the steering wheel, which made her regret her words. “First, let’s worry about teaching you.” While her mind considered what he could teach her later, she directed him in the steps to driving the bug.

She marveled at how relaxed she was, even while he learned to drive a standard transmission. The car bucked and jumped, and he always said some silly or sexy comment to distract her. Before long, Athair was able to shift gears smoothly. He practiced in the field, and then drove down the driveway and back. He parked the bug perfectly inside the garage.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” he asked as he opened her door and grasped her hand.

“No, it wasn’t bad.” What a shame her therapist hadn’t thought of sexual relaxation years ago to cure her of her anxieties. Unfortunately, he hadn’t looked anything like Athair.

Hope heard what sounded like someone ransacking the kitchen and drew to a halt. “What’s that sound?”

“My guess is lunch.” Athair tugged at her hand, pulling her into his arms. His lips met hers in a hot rush. The contact sizzled through her, reawakening her desire. Athair eased back just as his stomach gave a growl.

“Maybe we should make sure Rath and Dàn don’t do any damage,” she said. Surely, they wouldn’t break anything, but they sure could make a racket.

Athair laughed at her suspicions. Yet after she changed her shirt, she learned that Rath and Dàn had indeed dug through the fridge and the cupboards but had put everything back in order. On the table was a neat platter of sandwiches.

While getting plates for each of them, Rath asked, “Have you thought about what we should do for dinner? I don’t think you have enough food in the house to feed everyone, especially if Sandulfr comes back with Sgrios tonight.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. How many do you think we should prepare for?” Just a month ago, Hope didn’t believe werewolves existed. Now, she was about to play host to a large group of them.

“About twenty, counting his clan and mine,” Athair answered.

“I won’t be cooking for that many. Why don’t we order pizza?” she asked. Rath was right. There was nowhere near enough food to put together a respectable meal for that many.

“What is pizza?” Athair asked with a puzzled look.

“You’ve never had pizza? I can’t wait to share it with you then. Trust me, you’ll love it.”

After their impromptu snack, Rath and Dàn left for a short drive on the local roads to scout out the surrounding area, and Granny hid herself away in her apartment studying the dusty old tomes. Steve and the others had yet to return. So, Hope and Athair decided to relax in the den and take advantage of the short time the house would be quiet.

She snuggled into Athair’s strong arms as they sat on the sofa watching the flames burn merrily in the fireplace.

“I like this.” Athair broke the silence and hugged her while he openly shared his feelings of contentment with her.

“I can tell.” Her fingers toyed lightly with a length of his hair. “Or is your empathy something you can lie with? I mean, I feel emotions that aren’t mine. Can you control which ones I feel, or create a feeling that isn’t there?”

“All my feelings for you are honest. I conceal nothing.” He sounded slightly offended that she would suggest he would lie to her.

“But you can control what I sense.” She didn’t really doubt his honesty but thought he might try to protect her from his darker emotions. “Can’t you?”

“In some ways. The amount of control that each Valàfrn has varies greatly. Reultan is strong with his empathy and can project whatever he wishes, whether he feels it or not. Díon can hide his true feelings and project what he wishes. Rath is limited with this ability and projects very little.”

“And you?”

“I raised them. I have gotten good at reading the truth even in Díon and can project fairly well. I was quite good at soothing lullabies, which I needed for the youngest.” She could easily picture him rocking a baby to sleep and even singing lullabies. She wondered if his role as father figure in the clan had molded him into the man he was or if he was naturally suited to the task.

She sensed his anxiety over something, but how could it be? She thought she must be wrong, but still she questioned him about it. “I can tell you’re worried. Why is that?”

“Because I am. But I wasn’t intentionally sharing that. Your skill at reading my emotions is improving.”

“Maybe so. But I don’t have magic.” Still, she felt stronger, and she could sense much more than she could before meeting Athair.

“Don’t forget my healing ritual. You have a link to magic because you will be the next Keeper. And I think I have begun to share my magic with you as well.”

“What does that mean?” She didn’t feel any different, just slightly more aware. Was it because she would be Keeper, or was it because of Athair’s superior abilities? How could she use his magic?

“Bonding is hard to explain, but I’ll try.” He frowned in thought. “When a Valàfrn finds a mate, we instinctively share all that we have, all we are. We don’t control this. The bonding simply happens.”

---