Violet (The Silver Series Book 4) Read Online Free Page A

casting away some of
the shadows that had added to his age. “You were helping me.”
    “ You saved my life,” I said
defensively. “It's the least I can do.” I couldn't explain why I
felt like I had to defend myself, but his suddenly shield-less face
seemed so open despite the strong jaw that looked like it was
holding back a laugh at my expense.
    “ You saved my life first,”
he said, his eyes on mine.
    I was suddenly aware of how close he was. I
cleared my throat. “How about the other one?”
    He lifted a hand as though to touch the band
around his neck, then lowered it again and gave me a sheepish
smile. I decided I liked his smile even more now that I could see
his lips. “That would be wonderful.” His tone told me how much the
thin band had stolen from him.
    He turned on his knees and I slid my fingers
underneath the metal. His neck felt warm and his skin trembled
slightly under my touch. I wondered what would happen when he was
finally able to phase. The thought of being alone in the woods in
the middle of nowhere sent a shiver through my skin. “Am I going to
lose you?” I whispered.
    He turned and looked at me, his eyes steady
and humor gone. “I won't leave you.” The depth of the promise in
his tone left no room for doubt. He waited until I nodded, then
turned back around.
    I slid my fingers back under the band and
pulled slightly. The metal bent instead of giving, closing tighter
around his neck. I hesitated. “I don't want to hurt you.”
    “ Do it,” he said in a voice
tight with restraint.
    I took a steeling breath, then yanked with
both hands. The metal snapped and I kept it in my hands this
time.
    Rafe fell forward as though the band had
been holding him up. He set his forehead on the ground and put both
damaged hands across the back of his neck where the band had been.
I worried that I had hurt him and moved to touch his back, but his
voice stopped me.
    “ Six months is a long time
to be hacked open, studied, then pieced back together for the next
guy.”
    My heart slowed. I couldn't think of
anything to say that would make it the least bit better.
    He gave a chuckle and I stared at the
tattered body, his face still against the forest floor. “I never
thought I'd ever touch pure, clean earth again.” He put his hands
on the ground and ran his raw fingers through the dirt. I winced at
the chance of infection, but then he lifted his face to look at me.
My heart stopped at the look of pure happiness in his golden eyes.
A bit of dirt clung to his eyebrows, making him look even more
endearing. “Have you ever felt anything so wonderful?”
    He pulled my hand open and set a handful of
deep, dark earth in my palm. I stared at it, wondering if I had
freed a lunatic.
    Rafe smiled at the look on my face. He sat
back on his heels and ran his arm over his face to clear away the
dirt. “I'm not crazy, if that's what you're thinking.”
    I tried to protest that I had thought
nothing of the sort, but the knowing look in his eyes cut the
protest short and I settled for blushing and kicking myself
mentally for being so easy to read.
    He gave me a perplexed look. “I can't expect
you to understand, but I owe you everything.”
    A shudder ran through my skin. I pulled the
shirt closer, but cold had nothing to do with it. I was about to
phase unprotected and out in the open, away from those who had been
there to turn to if I ever needed help. My heart started to beat
faster.
    “ I'll phase, too.” At my
stare, he shrugged. “It's better to not be alone.”
    I couldn't argue with that. I ducked behind
a tree and pulled the shirt off, then phased quickly into my wolf
form. I walked back around the tree, my paws silent on the soft
ground. He studied me for a minute and I turned away from his
scrutiny.
    “ Sorry,” he said. “I've
never seen a black and cream wolf. And your eyes are amazing.
You're quite beautiful even as a wolf.”
    I refused to look at him, but saw him smile
out of the corner of my