Weregirl by Patti Larsen Read Free Book Online Page A

let him make his own decision? This question circles me, has been making the rounds in my head for months now. I only assume the werepack won’t accept him—am I right? Do I really care?
    He’s not a werewolf, my anger tells me. And never will be. I shiver as I reach the doors and stop to gather myself. The only way Sage could become a were would be if he were infected by our blood. And that would mean disaster. Bad enough we can’t be together, but for him to be turned to a revenant?
    My little tryst with revolt dies in fear. Being born were is one thing. Devolving from an infected bite into an animal-like creature with no heart and no soul, living only in madness is quite another. There is a very good reason creating werewolves is illegal in all territories. And my own personal experience watching a local hunter turn into a revenant is enough to cut short any fantasies I might have about Sage and I being together as weremates.
    I was still a little girl, but the recollection is as vivid as my mother’s face because of the horror. The sorcerers brought in the man after he tried to shoot one of our pack and was bitten in the melee. My young psyche had been sorely damaged by the sight of the frothing monster writhing on the floor of the throne room. They killed him slowly, the dark sorcerers, in front of us all, torturing and tormenting him first before putting him down like a rabid dog while his stink, the taint of decay and death, stained the air of the vast chamber for weeks afterward.
    “You see,” the Czar, our former leader, laughed as though the man’s plight and our witnessing his death were the utmost in amusement. “You must never try to make others of your kind. Only those born to your affliction, your filthy burden, will be allowed to live.”
    I believed for a long time the Czar was right, that I and my people were diseased and unworthy of anything but slavery. Syd changed my mind, slowly, by example.
    So much for hardening myself to the woman I’d become under her care. I sigh and toss my blonde hair back as I finally enter the throne room to face my grandfather, ready for a fight if I have to argue over Sage, but happy to sidestep Oleksander’s surveillance otherwise. It’s not like there is anything I can do if he indeed had me followed.
    And who knows? By now, Syd’s influence might be the better choice. At least I would have memories of her and her family, reminders of who I could have been, to keep me warm through the coming days. And it is possible I may find a mate who understands and loves me to the best of his ability, despite the drawbacks and failings of my race.
    I’m not holding my breath.
    As I look up the long expanse, I forget everything I’ve been thinking about, embracing the distraction of the tall, handsome blond standing with one foot on the bottom step of the throne dais. My feet quicken and a real smile blossoms on my face. As hard as tonight has been, I have to remember I’m not alone. And from the sparkling grin on Piers Southway’s face, he’s as happy to see me as I am to see him.
     
    ***
     

Chapter Ten
     
    He meets me partway, arms wide, letting out a grunt as I practically throw myself into his embrace. Piers hugs me tight against his tall, lean frame, the soft wool of his longcoat heating up the space between us. Icy blonde hair sweeps over me as his lips descend, a soft and friendly kiss to my mouth warming me up on the inside as the folds of his coat engulf me. I welcome the relief from the swirling cold of my inner turmoil.
    Pale gray eyes sparkle as he smiles, pale, angular face calculating despite his grin. “Why, Your Highness,” he says, “what a surprise to find you here.”
    I relax into his teasing, so grateful he’s here to keep me from spiraling further down into my gloom. This I don’t resist, the show of emotion more a game, a hint of fun I can cling to as the years go by. I may not be able to have Sage in my life, but I have a good friend who