A Cold Wind Blows (Forgotten series, #3)

Chapter 28

Three days later

I looked out my office window with a frown on my face. I was confused, things at the house had been... strange. Ever since Brice had come to the territory things had been different and I couldn't place why. My wolf bared his teeth at the reminder. I had held him back from taking Brice's throat for his want in taking Lace. I couldn't believe him and a dark rage clenched my stomach tightly. I gripped the desk and a deep growl rumbled out of my chest.

Out of all the things my brother could have done, that had been one of the stupidest. Demanding I give him Lace as tribute for deaths he had caused. I never would have given him any tribute but he had demanded Lace, my little piece of moon. He had lost his goddamned mind.

I shoved the thoughts away. I didn't need to have that rage turning around in my stomach over and over again. I forced my thoughts to Lace. Things were different with her. I wasn't sure what it was because she didn't appear any different. She didn't act any different but sometimes I could feel her gaze on me and it spoke of interest. Then when I would look, it would be that intense focus of her wolf and a toothy grin that confused me.

It was as if her wolf was doing something or knew something that no one else did. Whenever I asked Lace about it she would simply shrug and tell me to get used to it. It had been three days and I almost wished we could go back to how we had been before. I had been so used to Lace's wolf ignoring me or simply acknowledging my presence that having her focus on me was unnerving. The last time I had that was when she had been watching me intently around the children and I knew that she would snap on me at any moment if she saw reason too.

But this was different. There wasn't the promise of death to her gaze. There was a faint interest, even Lace's pheromones had stared changing slightly. Not when it was simply Lace but whenever her wolf decided to watch I could faintly smell her receptiveness to our advances, as if she were faintly willing to let us close. It was enough to drive my wolf forward but I held him back. We were stuck in limbo. Her wolf might have been slightly receptive but Lace herself was still Lace. There was no receptiveness to her scent. It was skin against fur within me as I wondered if it was within Lace as well.

Her wolf itself was strange. When she came out yesterday she stalked me, followed me around, watching me intently. It was weird for me because she would approach me in wide arcs before almost getting close enough to touch before she would retreat and do something with the children, licking them and nosing them as they laughed happily. Then, after a few minutes she would repeat the entire process again. It was strange.

"What are you going to do about Brice?" My father entered the office and I bared my teeth as I continued to stare out the window. He had pulled me from my thoughts, I hadn't puzzled them out yet and they still perplexed me.

"Lace's wolf... she is acting different." I turned to look at him and he sat down in the chair in front of the desk. It creaked under his bulk and he threaded his fingers together as he stretched his legs out across the rug. I asked him because he would have more of an insight. I trusted him and his judgement and I needed help figuring it out.

"Is she trying to rip your face off?" He raised an eyebrow and I shook my head.

"No, she is showing... interest, I think." I could swear it was interest but with Lace I wasn't sure. I was going to go with that word but I truly didn't know for sure.

"You think?" He raised an eyebrow and gave me an unimpressed look. I frowned deeply.

"I don't know. I only know what I have experienced from Lace so far. It feels like interest and when her wolf is closer to the surface I can smell her slight receptiveness to advances." That was all I had to go on. For anyone else it would have been enough to pursue a relationship but with Lace it wasn't even close to enough.