A Promise on White Wings (Wiccan-Were-Bear) Read Free Page B

Next to the leader stood an equally large man with his muscular arms folded across his broad chest.  His hair was also blond, but pure and golden, reminding her of a lion’s mane.  His skin was lightly tanned, and he wore a simple white shirt open at the neck and dark trousers that hugged his long legs.
    Her heart began to pound in her chest, and she felt suddenly lightheaded.  The ache in her back increased, and she let out a small gasp and tried to steady herself.  For one moment, both the dark-haired man and the blond-haired man looked at her, and everything in the center of her body went liquid.  They both stepped towards her but froze when Adriel clapped his hands loudly and called the attendees to their seats.  When her feet refused to move, Cree put her arm around Danika and moved her to their table.  She was fortunate not to have to sit by Mato, but that didn’t stop him from leering at her hungrily from across the table.
    Danika glanced around, wondering where the two men had gone, but she didn’t see them.
    Adriel raised his voice after a few minutes when everyone had found their seats and thanked all the heads of the were-houses in the area for joining them in celebration of the newly formed alliance between the were-lion pride and the rest of the were-groups in the area.  She had never heard of so many different groups forming an alliance, but clearly her own people didn’t think much of it.
    Her back continued to ache, but she pushed the pain aside.  As platters of food were passed and she filled her plate, she listened as the men in her den questioned the sanity of the Northern Ohio bear den for making alliances.  Clearly, they felt that bear dens should remain the only were-group in their area and not share with other groups.  She thought there was safety in numbers, and alliances meant that if one group was in trouble, then others might be able to help.  It made sense to her.
    The food was delicious.  The meat was tender and rich, and the vegetables were flavorful.  Adriel’s den used grow lights in the winter and grew all their own food in the den.  What she’d seen as bordering primitive in some ways suddenly seemed very smart.  They could hold onto their roots and keep their people safe.
    When the meal wound down, she found herself unable to sit any longer because the ache in her back continued to intensify.  She felt as if her bones were trying to shift inside her body or break through her skin.  She excused herself to go to her tent to lie down for a little while.
    She left the main area and moved slowly back to her tent, measuring her steps carefully.  Quick movements jarred her bones and caused her pain.  She wove through the tents, moving farther away from the open area, holding onto her tears until she reached the tent so she could cry in private.
    “Going somewhere, Nika?”  Mato’s voice cut through the haze of pain, and she gasped in alarm when he grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him.  He towered over.
    “Let me go!”  She tried to wrench free from his iron grip, but his large hands wrapped tightly around both her upper arms.  He drew her off the ground and held her aloft, glaring down his long nose.
    “You just had your last full moon celebration as an unmated female, Nika.”
    “What are you talking about?  And don’t call me ‘Nika’!”  She kicked out at him, trying to get free, but he held her easily away from him.  Her back throbbed, and the tears she had successfully held in spilled over her cheeks.
    “Oh, yes, my father agreed that you have spent more than enough time in mourning.  It’s time to accept that you are meant to be mine, and I will have you.”
    Her world narrowed down to his mouth as he pulled her closer, and she squeezed her eyes shut, shouting, “Let me go!”  She dug her nails into his arms.  Then she heard the sound of rushing feet, and her eyes popped open as two hands gripped her arms under Mato’s hands and