Dark Heart Wolf - Haley Weir Page 0,25

when it cut her."

Wesley and Beth locked eyes for a moment, exchanging a few nods before they stood and left the house. Mary Ann assumed they were gathering what was left of the mirror as the rest of them sat around the table. Boone disappeared into the kitchens and returned with a kettle of hot water and a few rags. He dunked the cloth into the hot water and dabbed it lightly against his wife’s face until her features were recognizable again.

"There you are," Boone said with an affectionate smile on his handsome face. All the love in the world was in his eyes, and Mary Ann felt a pang of envy. Though she was Sam's mate, he had yet to utter those precious words of adoration. Did he love her? Was their bond nothing more than animalistic instinct to mate or something much more profound?

"I need to clean myself up." Mary Ann excused herself and left the room. Sam stayed behind, as to not make the others suspicious. Mary Ann ducked into one of the rooms set aside for guests and sat upon the small bed. A moment later, a faint knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

Ruth stepped inside bashfully, carrying a bundle of cloth in her arms as well as a pail of water. "I heard you come up, Miss. Thought I'd bring you something warm to wear and a few things to help you clean up."

"Oh, how kind. You didn't have to do that, Ruth. Thank you."

"Ain't no problem, Miss Pearl. You showed me kindness when I first got here. I'm simply showing my gratitude." The young woman set the water aside and helped Mary Ann out of her clothes. “Are you having your baby here at the ranch or at your home? If you like, I could be there to help you along the way once—”

Mary Ann flinched away, feeling her cheeks warm with embarrassment. “Baby? There must be a mistake. I’m not pregnant, Ruth.”

The young woman’s blush was just as fierce. “I apologize. The women of my family tend to have a good sense of these things. It was wrong for me to assume.”

Mary Ann was taken aback, but not offended. She too had begun to notice certain changes in her body. “Say I was pregnant...how could you tell?”

“Well, your hips for one, Miss. They’re much wider than when I first met you. And you have a softer look than most of the women around here. Except for the good doctor, of course.”

She didn’t know what to say about that. “How often are you ever wrong about this sort of thing? I mean, I ain’t certain, but I think I might have felt ill the last few days…”

Ruth answered as she continued to help Mary Ann clean up. “Well, I ain’t never been wrong. My Mama and aunties all had this way of knowing when a baby was on the way. Some of them could even tell you if it were a boy or a girl in just a few months. I’ve helped a lot of ladies back in Georgia give birth if you ever need anything.”

Mary Ann was grateful to have the sticky blood and grime washed from her skin. Once she slipped into a new dress, she braided her hair down her back. “I would like it very much if we could keep this between us until I know for sure.”

Ruth smiled and headed for the door with a subtle nod. “Very well. Have a good night, Miss Pearl. I can tell you’ve had a long day.”

“Goodnight, Ruth.” Mary Ann took a moment to clear her thoughts before she returned to Sam’s side. He had cleaned up as well, donning a white muslin shirt that was tucked into his wool pants. His eyes met hers for a moment, and Mary Ann battled against the urge to kiss him.

Chapter Ten

Wesley and Beth carried the fractured shards of the mirror into the house and set them upon the table. Sam was impressed when Abigail recognized the symbol from his great-grandfather's journal. He waited patiently with the rest of their group as she ran out to her office to find the book. When Abigail returned, her fingers flipped through the pages so fast that he had trouble seeing them. She slammed it on the table and pointed to a passage within the book.

"Here it is. There's nothing written about it except for a name...Aani? Is that name familiar to any of you?" she asked before chewing