The Touch of Her Hands [The Wind River Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Missy Martine Read Free Book Online Page A

“I don’t know. Belts, ponchos, bags, things like that. Nothing really special. It’s kind of a dying art. Abuela had the loom in her attic and taught me how to use it.”
    “She’s quite the lady.”
    “She trusts you, or she wouldn’t have let anyone show you the way here.” Aurelia walked over and pulled out one of the chairs at her table for two. “Why are you here, Mr. Wind River?”
    “Please, call me Zack.” When she nodded, he took a seat across from her. “I’m here for two reasons. The first concerns a member of my pack.”
    Aurelia frowned. “Your pack? What does that mean?”
    “Consider them an extended family for now. I promise I’ll explain more about the pack later.”
    She sighed. “Okay, go on.”
    “My family is in trouble, and I don’t know what else to do but ask for your help.” He spent several minutes telling her about the missing children, their recovery, and the illness they now suffered from that none of the doctors could diagnose. “Their condition continues to worsen, and we’re all afraid they might not have much time left.”
    Aurelia got up and picked up the poker to stir the logs in the fireplace. The light was fading quickly, the trees casting eerie shadows outside the cabin’s only window. “There’s no guarantee that I could help if I go back with you. My gift has always been strongest with injuries, instead of illness.”
    “Does that mean you won’t try?”
    She looked at him and narrowed her eyes. “Of course I’ll try. Children shouldn’t have to suffer. I just wanted to make sure you understand there aren’t any guarantees.”
    Zack nodded. “I understand.”
    “Besides, Abuela believes it to be my destiny to leave here with you. I’m not sure why she feels that way, but I’ve learned, over the years, that she’s rarely wrong. When do you wanna leave?”
    Zack let out the breath he’d been holding and smiled. “The sooner the better. My alpha warned me not to take too much time in getting you back.”
    “Your alpha? Is that like your leader?”
    “Yeah, he’s my leader. I want to tell you everything because I don’t want there to be any secrets between us. But I’m afraid of scaring you off.”
    She gave a rather unladylike snort. “After the years I spent at the hands of your government, I doubt you could do anything that would truly scare me. I had resigned myself to die by my own hand when Alvara befriended me and planned my escape. Once you accept death, nothing else can ever bother you again.”
    “Do you still feel that way about dying?”
    Aurelia looked out the window. “Sometimes, when the loneliness closes in on me, but it’s not very often anymore.” She turned to glance at Zack. “I’m getting hungry. Why don’t I fix us something to eat, and you can tell me about this alpha, and anything else you’re keeping from me. We can head down the mountain in the morning and see about making some arrangements to travel back to the States.”
    Zack grinned. “That’s a deal.”
    She lit two lamps and then moved to her wood-burning stove and laid a frying pan on the surface. Picking up a spoon, she stirred something in a pot simmering at the back. “I hope tacos are okay with you.”
    “Sure, anything’s fine.” As he watched, she began assembling what appeared to be a make-your-own taco mini-buffet with beans on the side. Deftly, she fried corn tortillas in the heated skillet. When she was done, she placed everything on her small, scarred wooden table. Grinning, she picked up a warm tortilla from a towel-covered bowl, folded it in half, and took a bite while he studied their meal. Warm tortillas, tender beef in a sauce, beans, and some kind of chopped white cheese on the side.
    “You wanna beer?” asked Aurelia.
    Zack glanced around the room. “Not a warm one.”
    She giggled, stepped out the door, and disappeared around the side of the cabin. Before he could gather his wits enough to follow, she was back toting two