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Chapter Fifteen

"So what’s wrong with the horses?" Jared asked

Blaed and Thayne exchanged looks, each one waiting for the other to say so uneasiness He’d pushed the group hard yesterday, partly to put asas possible and partly because pushing himself physically was the only way he knew to stay sane and not hurt anyone Thank the Darkness, the rut had only lasted one day, but it had been a long,had injured the horses

Jared eyed the teaon "Is one of the serious like that," Blaed said hastily

Jared ground his teeth The rut ht be over, but his teave Blaed a "go on, tell hilared at his friend and then turned back to Jared He looked like aa witch a well-honed knife "It’s just--" Sighing, he raised his hands in a helpless gesture "We think they’re sulking"

Jared stared at the two younger ?"

Thayne flinched

Blaed huffed, then gingerly put his hand on Jared’s shoulder, leading hion

Confused, Jared let himself be led Brock and Randolf were on the saddle horses, scouting ahead The others had stopped walking once they realized the wagon had fallen so far behind and were just starting to drift back to find out why Lia was safely tucked in the wagon And Thayne already knehat the problem was

So asn’t supposed to overhear this conversation? The horses?

"I know you’ve been feeling a littleoverprotectivelately," Blaed began cautiously

"You’vegot balls to say that to me," Jared snapped

"The point is," Blaed hurried on, "does Lady Liahave to stay in the wagon? And there’s no point snarling about it not being the proper for her that and, since she didn’t mind, the rest of us just followed his lead"

But not in front of hiht They’d called her Lady Ardelia when he’d been within earshot He understood why, but it still made him snappish "The Lady has healed re for hours over rough ground"

"She doesn’t have to walk," Blaed soothed "If we used so and she bundled up well so she wouldn’t get chilled, couldn’t she sit on the driving seat for a while?"

Jared’s teeth hurt He tried to relax his jaw "What’s that got to do with the horses?"

Blaed sighed "Thayne’s real good with aniain "He thinks theythem, so you probably didn’t have the chance to notice the difference in how they responded whenever she took a turn at walking Didn’t you wonder why she always stayed near the wagon? It’s because whenever she moved too far away, they tried to follow her One time when she went into the bushes to answer a call of nature, the only thing that stopped theing his heels in And she sings to them"

Jared rubbed his hands over his face Great Wonderful "Didn’t you explain to theon?"

"She’s doind, Jared"

"Fine All right I’ll ask her"

Giving Jared’s shoulder a cautious pat, Blaed stepped out of reach

Jaredat the door The horses weren’t the only ones sulking today She’d let hiotten hiht have helped, but he wasn’t sure The kind of sexual fury that had roared through him wouldn’t have been easy to control, and there had been tiine what he’d be like in bed

It had terrified hiinity like an emotional lifeline Even the rut was daunted by the risks and responsibilities of the Virgin Night

So he’d fussed He’d pampered and petted He’d kissed and cuddled She’d asked him to brush her hair She’d let hi hi hione to the wagon for the relief her presence gave hiy, tried not to see the other males as rivals

It had been a physical and emotional strain for everyone, and he’d blinked back tears when, halfway through the restless night, he’d felt the rut waning

He hadn’t realized sole" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>