She didn’t understand why until she obeyed. It was as if a curtain had been withdrawn from a part of her mind, allowing in a million different stimuli she hadn’t been aware of. Chirping insects. Rustling leaves. The hiss of the wind.
All of it felt magnified tenfold.
“Listen to the sound of my voice and follow it,” Bill said next, sensing the second she relaxed. “This way.”
She took a step and balked. “It’s too dark—”
“Trust me,” he insisted. “I won’t lead you astray. Keep your eyes closed, and let me guide you. You’ll get your bearings soon enough. Remember what I said about trusting yourself over all else? Let your instinct take over, just like before. Come on.”
The confidence in his tone reassured her enough to push her unease aside.
With every passing second, her heartbeat threatened to overwhelm any noise he made, but it wasn’t long before she realized… He was right. It was as if a disused muscle within her body was being stretched and tested. With every inch gained, a part of her awakened.
She couldsee, though her eyes were still closed. It was a newfound sense gathered from everything in the atmosphere down to the direction of the wind on her skin.
No wonder he could predict the weather so easily. This was…
Incredible.
“Good,” Bill praised. “You’re getting the hang of it. Now open your eyes.”
When she did, the darkness was no less impenetrable. She could barely make out much of substance… At first. A glowing pair of gray eyes drew her notice, and the second she focused on them, the rest of the world sharpened in clarity.
“Wow,” she breathed. “This is…”
“There is so much more for you to learn,” he said with a hint of gloating in his voice. “So much more. When I…”
He trailed off, and she could sense his mood darken. He was speaking of the future—but one glaring reality stood in the way—whatever happened between him and Lukka was the deciding factor.
“Do you really want to do this? Challenge him?” Loren asked.
“I don’t have a choice.” He shrugged, eyeing the sky. “If he hurt Sonia… This has been a long time coming.”
“And if you win?” Loren countered. “Can you really go back and leave New Walsh behind?”
He sighed wistfully, his eyes silver in the moonlight. “I think a part of me never truly left. But to answer your question, no. I wouldn’t return without any regrets. There are a few things I wish I could have done differently, starting with you.”
She sucked in a breath as he spun to face her, grabbing her hand. He always managed to feel scorching hot but comforting at the same time. The man was a walking contradiction.
Even now, the heat in his gaze took her breath away, but his voice was as stern and level as always. “I’m sorry for what I did. I had no right to insert myself into your life like that. To take control without your knowledge or consent—”
“Why did you then?” she asked.
“I could say that it was only out of a sense of duty. To protect you… But that would be a lie.” He reached out, smoothing a strand of wayward hair behind her ear. Absently, as if he wasn’t even aware of doing it. “The truth is, I wanted a connection to someone who seemed as lost as I felt. I think I believed that helping you would distract me from my own doubts. For that, I am sorry.”
“But you would have broken the bond anyway?”
He hesitated. Then he sighed. “I… Wait—” Suddenly, he pulled her closer, bringing his mouth near her ear. She held her breath, panicked—until his voice returned to that gruff, cautious tone. “We’re being watched. Follow my lead.”
Alarm stiffened Loren’s spine. She strained her ears, attempting to pick up on any odd sound. Nothing stuck out to her, but Bill had already released her, picking his way through the uneven landscape.
“Come out,” he said, raising his voice to carry. “We don’t want to harm you. Merely to talk.”
As the wind picked up, Loren wondered if he had overreacted. The landscape seemed as empty and deserted as before. There was no one there.
At least…no one in plain sight. A flicker of movement drew her attention to a mass of gnarled trees just paces from their position.
“She can stay,” a harsh voice replied from the shadows. “Butyouleave, Black Mountain wolf. Your kind aren’t welcome here.”