ing trying to convince himself th

very intention of following it. If there was something unusual about his wolf's reaction, then avoiding the girl shou

drian found himself thinki

ed. He remembered her voice when she had told him she had not stolen Victoria's necklace. Mos

a

ord, but he had not b

ding Elena and test the reaction himself. He needed to know whether the pull was truly c

ants' corridor carrying

le

ped imme

nd the familiar sensation

olf s

here he was, watc

ervous aroun

lp

ffice." He pointed toward a stack

ed his gestu

es

wn the basket before

an w

at first, then El

changed. His wolf became intensely alert, and every

d himself to

on; the closer she came, th

ing the papers against her che

r a moment, he forgot wh

feeling was not simply instinctive. He was becoming aware of small things he had never noticed before: the softness of her voi

k," he fin

d and walke

r; his wolf remained calm now that

more than the ear

apers on the desk

still wat

hesi

omething el

N

ed toward

le

stop

r back. The word had left his m

tu

es

al seconds, searching for

" he said

appeared betw

dded a

osed quietl

e was; he had wanted pr

ppening was con

created anot

y

k toward the servants' quarters wit

had been

xplain how, but

now how to solve. He had avoided her, watched her, and then suddenly called her into his o

to him, something strange had

spreading beneath her skin, but

r fingers togeth

he was im

robab

a servant. There was no reason for him

ere had been something in his eye

ckwood household, Elena allowed herself to wonde

her and also made her s

n over the missing necklace. She remembered how easily everyone

mile

as dan

stop herself from wondering what

room, staring through the window; he h

fferently from anyone else; the realization should have given

stirred

eyes; he could s

Elena standing only a

whether refusing to accept the truth

nd came from

opened

tst

lena's

recognized the sound immediately; his wo

tronger than befo

m, beneath all the resistanc

s mother w

lly was the one h

tared at

was no longer certain t