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Sterling was seated for dinner His father had clai&039;s three brothers were also in attendance, laughing and teasing one another Hiscertain all was to his father&039;s satisfaction Sterling knew that his parents&039; reereat love between the&039;s lass of wine, he took her hand and brought it to his lips - an affectionate gesture, and affection was so rarely witnessed between his proper parents A soft glow entered his e and four sons, all born with scarcely a year between thee the center of the table suddenly flickered, flared, then dimmed A chill crept into the room His father&039;s face became different Hair sprouted froood God, they were sharp, like the teeth of an ani&039;s father clawed at his high collar, his fingers now long and bony, his nails like claws He howled, a sound that raised the hackles on the back of Sterling&039;s neck Then his father disappeared, and in his place sat a beast

The huge wolf leaped onto the table, growling and snapping Sterling&039;s brothers had all risen fro open

The creature leaped through a nearby , breaking the glass Sterling&039;s mother now lay in a dead faint upon the floor He sat frozen in place, unable to coe of his father&039;s transfor his head until he thought his brain would burst He glanced down and saw his own hands covered in dark fur No!

"Sterling," he heard Elise&039;s voice fro, wake up You&039;re dreaht Sweat coated his body, and he could scarcely catch a breath

"Are you all right, Sterling?"

Her blurred ie ca braid fell over her shoulder, and the nightgown she wore, although , , she wore beneath it

"I&039;on, Sterling no longer slept naked He threw his blanket aside and struggled to his feet Elise rose and sat upon the cot

"You&039;ve had theh usually you only moan a couple of times and drift back to sleep Maybe if you talked to someone about the dreams - "

"I don&039;t want to talk about it!" he snapped, then i ran a hand through his hair "I apologize I had no call to lash out at you over a poor night&039;s sleep I need soet away frohtgown How intimate a picture she portrayed How easily he could beco pulled on his boots and bolted froon The cook fire had already been started, and stew left froht&039;s meal simmered over a pot Only Mora and Sarah were still seated around the fire

"Best hurry up!" Sarah called "There won&039;t be rabbed a plate and dished up his breakfast Elise would be a while, since she wasn&039;t yet dressed He grabbed a plate for her and filled it as well That brought a lift of Sarah&039;s brow

"I told her she wasn&039;t going nowhere," she said, a grin stretching her o," the snake charmer complained "It is not safe for her here"

"She&039;s safe enough under lance "And she&039;ll only be with us as far as Liverpool Then she will go about her life, and the rest of us will go about ours"

Sarah placed a hand against her head and closed her eyes "I do not see her leaving in the future I see a wedding, and children I see - "

"Stop it, Sarah," Sterling co he needed was visions of a life with Elise planted inside of his head "I don&039;t find your predictions ahed "I&039;d hoped she ht help you find your sense of hureat beast of yours, always growling and snapping at everyone"

He liked Sarah&039;s co took Elise&039;s plate and headed back toward the wagon An older entle around, as if in search of so asked

The irl"

Sterling appraised thethe sa place We don&039;t offer the kind of sport you seek"

Re his hat, thefor ht youin a ditch with her throat slit"

One of the plates Sterling carried nearly slipped froers This ht made perfect sense now She must have seen her uncle at the inn

"I&039;ve seen no young wo said He didn&039;t like the man Elise&039;s uncle, if this was theher dead than concerned "Youwhat ht happen to her"

The man sniffed, then pulled a handkerchief fro it to his nose "God-awful animal stench," he muttered "Makes my eyes itch and ladly be rid of her nuisance, but her bridegroom has already paid a handsoive hile theabout a woentle as Elise? "If she&039;s taken to the road alone, you won&039;t find her unspoiled," Sterling said, barely able to keep his voice civil "Her bridegrooht not want her back"