Wolf Claim (Wolves of Willow Bend Book 3) by Heather Long Read Free Book Online Page B

who came to see Emma.”
    He tapped his fingers against her hand. “And?”
    “And nothing. He was dead the next day but—” She really didn’t want to dredge this story out anymore than she already had. “He was…something was wrong with him. His scent was wrong, his manner was wrong. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since. I think I was twelve or thirteen. He came to Emma’s house. Walked right inside, no knock, no waiting for an answer.” She could still see him, his scraggly hair, and filthy clothes. Dirt coated his nails and his skin as though it had been embedded into his flesh.
    “What happened?” His soft and coaxing tone beckoned her back from the precipice of the memory.
    “He said he said he needed help. He was hungry and he wanted to kill.” Odd, she hadn’t thought about those words in so long. Or the fact that… “When he said it, he looked right at me and leaned forward. It’s hard to describe, like he wavered on his feet. His eyes were all wolf, but they were wrong at the same time. He stank…the stench was awful. Emma told me to leave. She pulled me to my feet, shoved me toward the door and told me go.” Blinking, she pushed the memory away. “I ran. I found Thomas. He told me to get Toman, and he went home. The next day, he was dead.”
    “Old Man Carter.” Owen stroked his thumb against the back of her hand. “I remember he died and the rumors about him. I had no idea he went to Emma’s.”
    “What rumors did you hear?”
    “Nothing.”
    Her nose itched. “Now who’s lying?”
    The corner of his mouth kicked upward. “Touché. Still…it’s not pleasant conversation for a lady.”
    “I’m a healer, Owen, and I actually met the man. So what rumors did you hear?”
    A grimace, then he slanted another look at her. “He murdered his family.”
    “Oh.” Her stomach bottomed out at the thought.
    “Like I said, it was a rumor…a fireside tale told between Hunters. My dad was on the border sectors. I used to run with him when I didn’t have to be in school. Whenever another Hunter was in the area, they’d swing by, have a beer and catch us up on the news. That’s when I probably heard the story.”
    “You didn’t like school much, even though your mom is a teacher.”
    His tiny jerk told her she’d surprised him. “Yeah, I’m not her favorite kid either, but we do all right.”
    She wanted to press for more information on that statement, but Owen was a very private person, even among wolf standards. Demanding answers would be rude. If he wanted to offer them, though…
    His continued silence, however, said he didn’t. At no point did he bring up her parents, either. Few did. They’d died when she was five, in a car crash of all things. They’d left her to spend the night with a friend and had gone out of town to see a show. Her mother had loved musicals. On the drive home, a drunk driver started a chain reaction crash. Her parents might have survived except for tractor trailer carrying fuel that jackknifed and flipped.
    Not even wolves could survive being incinerated. Gillian closed her eyes. The truck slowed before coming to a stop. She opened her eyes in time to see Owen unbuckle her seat belt. He tugged her across the seat and into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head to his shoulder.
    Thinking about her parents always made her sad, but it was more regret than pain. She’d had a good life, she just hadn’t had them. Burying her face in his shoulder, she closed her eyes and soaked up the comfort he offered. Whispering against his shirt, she said, “Thank you.”
    He paused, his fingers still buried in her hair, then stroked her curls in a petting motion. The act soothed her all the way to her bones. “You’re welcome.”
    Sighing, she burrowed closer and her muscles went lax. Maybe this was a one-time thing, but she’d wanted to be in his arms for what felt like forever. Comfort hadn’t been what she had in mind, but she’d