Page 36 of Their UnBearable Destiny

Chapter Ten

Little girl dreams.

Rag doll tea parties. Bows and Braids. Toy cars. Building blocks. Teddy Bears. They all played a part in her memories of her childhood. Her toys, her brother, and Uberto.

Her dolls had long ago been put away. Her hair styled in variations of the ‘Victory Rolls’ like the popular World War II style or a high ponytail that matched her clothing style. Her building blocks had actually been her brother’s, purloined and placed in her room when he’d left them alone for too long, and later in her life given to her cousin after her sister had turned up her nose at the toys.

She still had teddy bears, only in this part of her life they had fangs that could kill and a body that could shift from human to animal and back again. Much more interesting than the ones with button eyes and a body stuffed with cotton.

But, they were also the bane of her existence as well.

Sitting upon her bed, Emiliana couldn’t help but swallow an aching sob of grief. She’d managed to listen to Uberto recount what happened at the meeting without any tears. She’d barely kept her form, but it was easier for her to control anger than it was to control pain and disappointment.

Betrayal left her raw and aching deep inside her chest.

She’d told her father about sending Uberto away. She had told him years ago while it was happening, because she’d trusted him. And now, it felt as if he’d turned her own confidence against her.

The anger stole her breath, her grief nearly stole her reason.

How could her father, the man she’d loved and best for most of her life, have decided to even entertain the idea of sending her away? Whether it was in the best interests of their valley mattered little to her. She had been brought up to respect her elders and give of her time and talents to others in need, but this was her life.

Her heart.

She may have sent Uberto away so very long ago, but it was never truly her intention to be separated from him for the rest of her life.

It just happened that the longer he was away, the harder it was for her to bridge the gap between them, and then she’d almost lost sight of the idea all together. Her father may have wanted to force the issue with her, to use who she was for his own benefit.

And now, instead of forcing them even farther apart with his interference, Emiliana felt as though she had woken up from a long disturbing dream to realize that the answer was right in front of her.

Or rather, the answer was in her kitchen if her ears weren’t playing tricks on her.

When Emiliana entered the kitchen,she stopped short. Uberto was standing at the stove stirring something in a pot.

Wow. If it wasn’t the cut of his jeans, it was the way the molded to his body. Add to that the way he looked standing at the stove, she laughed silently to herself.

When he’d first returned, she’d been content with replaying the same argument again and again, but it had done nothing to prove that she was a mature woman deserving of her father’s approval.

And yet, like so many things in her life, it’s time had come and gone. For a moment she wondered if there was a box big enough to set aside the follies of youth and pride. Not likely, but she still needed to let them go and move forward

Her eyes traveled down once more over the muscular curve of his backside and the length of his strong legs, and down to, yes, his bare feet.

It was a tight smile that tugged at her lips.

And arousal that made her skin feel too tight.

And the heat between her legs that had her leaning against the doorframe with a sigh.

“Enjoying the view, Ana?”

She had to work to take in a breath past the lump in her throat. For one moment she considered giving him a throw away answer. Old habits didn’t just die hard, some of them were sunk into her skin like claws. And yet, here he was, standing in front of her. Hers for the taking.

And she wondered, What am I running from?

“I like the view,” she told him the truth and sunk her teeth into her bottom lip for a quick bite. The pain was just enough to brighten her eyes. “Maybe I don’t just want to look.”

His hand slowed and then stopped as he tapped the long-handled wooden spoon on the side of pot and laid it on the side. With a quick twist of his wrist, he turned the burner off before he looked at her over his shoulder, his eyes bright for a moment before they shifted to black.

She felt the change in herself as well. Her bear wanted a look at his and she couldn’t blame her. Uberto was gorgeous. Just the thought of his mouth on her was enough to send her up in flames.

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