In Rapture (Destined) by Elissa Daye Read Free Book Online Page B

She only hoped
that her greenness did not show through as she communicated with them. She had
also learned that the horrid nursemaid had actually stored quite a few of
Sophia’s things in the attic as a punishment for her supposed behavior. Malinda
hoped to get a chance to go through the attic as soon as possible.
    Sophia
had joined her in the dining hall for dinner, and when they were through
Malinda made a point to walk her back to her room. She helped the little girl
into her bed, told her a few stories that she had always treasured as a child,
and tucked her into bed. Malinda gave her a quick hug and kiss before leaving
her for the night. The trust in the tiny eyes made her heart sing. Malinda
hoped and prayed that she was up to the task of being a mother, for it would
break her heart if she ever let Sophia down.
    When
she made it back to the master chambers she sat down at the dressing table and
ran a brush through her long black hair, trying not to over think the day. In
one day she had met with most of the staff and broken through heavy barriers
with her new daughter. Now that the day was through, all that was left was the
dread that filled her, and her fears over her first meeting with her new
husband, which she assumed could happen any day. She put the brush down on the
table and looked around for her nightgown. Since most of her things had been
transferred to the room adjoining the master bedroom, she searched in the
closets there for her clothes. When she could not find the gown, she chose one
of her linen shifts that she wore under her day gowns. It was not quite as
heavy as the gown she usually wore to bed, as the years had eroded some of the
cotton, but it would do. She did not understand why her dresses were missing,
or why there were other dresses hanging in their place.
    When
she stepped into the other room, she looked in the mirror once again. The glow
of the fire’s light made the shift quite see through, but there was nothing she
could do about that. Until she was able to replace some of her clothing, she
would have to make do with what was available to her. She would talk with the
ladies about the clothing inside the closet the next day.
    Malinda
went to the large four-poster bed and peeled back the blue curtains. She let
the large comforter envelope her, much as the night before, and soon her eyes
were drifting shut. In moments, she was transported to another time and place
as her dreams carried her away. He was there again, the man who made her
tremble with anticipation before he touched her with his strong hands. She
wrapped her arms around him and felt the splay of muscles moving across his
back. His mouth came ever closer, to kiss a trail of fire down her neck. She
felt his hands caressing her body as a tempest of desire swirled between them.
She longed to feel him within her, to ride the flames he stoked so easily, but
even her whimpering could not save her from the tantalizing rapture that echoed
in the spaces between them.
    In
seconds, the image blurred, and a large dark wolf glared his golden eyes at his
opponents in the heat of battle. She saw angry animals battering each other,
like rams testing their mettle against the strong horns of their oppressors.
Swiping claws, gnashing teeth, and blood lusted eyes twirled around her in a
cyclone of rage. She shivered in her sleep, for these animals were not the kind
of animals she had known before. These were predators and they were out for
blood, blood that was the result of great carnage. She saw herself move toward
the animals, unafraid of the snarling teeth. She knelt down before them, waited
for them to approach, and was not disappointed. She heard a voice whisper in
her mind: To save the man, you must tame the beast. When the voice no
longer echoed around her, her dreams slowly dissipated. She was left with her
fond memories of Tinley Faire to soothe her heart and soul as her body drifted
into a much more peaceful slumber.

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