Falling for Angels - Hazel Hunter Page 0,22

a disease. I should do the same, but instead I fell into step beside him.

Ualan didn’t say anything, but he shortened his stride so I didn’t have to trot to keep up. Now and then he’d glance at me.

I might as well fill in the blanks. “I’m Lola Jones, the substitute on the squad.”

“Ualan McGillean,” he said. “Why do you walk alone?”

“No friends.” I wasn’t telling him my life story. “You’ll get used to it.”

He uttered a short, bitter laugh. “I’ve no choice.”

We came to a heap of rocks that rain had washed down from a cliff, so I tried to climb over them. I lost my footing, but Ualan caught my arm.

Suddenly my mind emptied of everything but a skinny black-haired boy kneeling in front of an old man. The kid had Ualan’s beautiful steel-blue eyes, but he didn’t make a sound as the old guy whacked his arms, legs and back with a wooden cane.

I ken the demon in ye, bastart. My suffering, ’tis yer doing.

I blinked, and the image vanished. “Some old man thought you were possessed by a demon, and beat you?”

Ualan took his hand away from me, his face going so white I thought he’d faint. “My grandfather. He blamed me for the blaze that ended my ma.”

“He abused you for years, but not even the laird suspected.” He didn’t have to tell me more; I could feel the rest of his secret pouring into my head. “You couldn’t tell your grandfather that your mother started the fire that killed her, and blinded him.”

He turned away from me. “’Twould’ve driven him mad.”

No wonder he’d been repelled by his ex’s condition. I touched his arm. “Why didn’t you tell Gayla about him?”

“I didnae intend to ever speak thus. Yet I couldnae silence myself, as now I cannae.” Ualan peered down at me. “’Tis you. You’re a touch diviner.”

I took my hand away, but I couldn’t deny it. Just before he’d told his feelings to Gayla I’d handed him a plate of oatcakes, and our fingers had touched. I’d been combing out Hannah’s hair when she’d ended our friendship. “I’m sorry.”

Ualan stepped back and put an arrow to his bow. It was too late for me to run, so I closed my eyes. I felt the arrow whiz past my cheek and heard a horse scream.

I spun around to see a calpa on the ground just behind me. It was already starting to turn into goo when I crouched down and grabbed it.

I saw thousands of calpa underwater circling around a pile of human bones. They belonged to Ruith, a dark druidess who had slaughtered thousands. She’d died giving birth to Velvet, the half-calpa stallion captured by the clan…

Darkness drowned me.

I woke up in a strange bed, with Ualan sitting beside it. “I need to talk to the laird.”

“’Twill keep. You nearly died, lass.” He took my hand. “That I couldnae bear.”

“You don’t hate me.” That seemed like a miracle, but so did what I sensed next. “You’re falling for me?”

He kissed my fingers. “Aye.”

“I won’t be a substitute for Stephanie,” I warned him. “I’ll never be as pretty or as popular as she is.”

“You see the truth of me.” Ualan smiled. “’Tis naught I want more.”

Chapter 19

Bonfire Night

I survived college, cancer, a plane crash, and two trips through time to live in medieval Scotland with my cheerleading squad and the immortal McGillean clan. Then I fell for Velvet, a half-druid, half-calpa shape shifter that I helped turn into a man for the first time. I was all kinds of glo up. But teaching the boyfriend to be human after spending his life as a horse?

Girls, the struggle is real.

By the time I got to the stables that morning my guy had already changed into a tall, beautiful man. He also scowled when he saw the trousers I’d brought.

“Hay pans, Lessy,” Vel said.

I tried not to stare at his gorgeous naked body as I corrected him. “‘I hate pants, Lacey.’”

Suspicion narrowed his pale blue eyes. “Why I war pans?”

“‘Wear pants.’ Humans don’t run around naked.” I pointed at the castle. “You’re moving in with me, Vel.”

“Holly sheet. Laird say yas?” When I nodded, he jerked on the trousers and then eyed the herd watching us. “Sisters?”

He regarded his harem as siblings, which seemed a little weird, but maybe it was a horse thing. “Conor and Jamie will look after them.”

Staying in human form had been difficult at first for Vel, but practice had improved his control. As